New Year's Persimmon-Champagne Cocktail

It's the last day of the year, mon petit chou. Time to raise a glass to 2011. Time to reflect on the year's accomplishments and failures, it's fond memories and it's cringe-worthy moments. Time to be grateful for new friends met and old friends kept dear. Time to remember people we lost and memories we made.

I love the ritual of the toast, especially this time of year. It's such a fitting way to say goodbye to another year passed. And it's simply bad form (especially in my family) to toast with an empty glass. So dust off those champagne flutes in the back of your cabinet and make this simple-yet-oh-so-elegant-looking cocktail for someone you love tonight.
Persimmons are in season this time of year, and make a lovely addition to a traditional champagne cocktail. In Japan, persimmons symbolize transformation. It's a New Year's tradition in Hawaii to serve dried persimmons to ensure health and success in the coming year. I can't think of a better way to usher in 2012.

Look for Fuyu persimmons, which are the more short & squat variety of the fruit. They resemble a squashed tomato and are sweet even when firm. The acorn-shaped Hachiya persimmon is extremely bitter until it is completely soft. For a handy guide on all things persimmon, click here.

So have a blast tonight. Be safe. Celebrate a new year, full of endless possibilities, just being born. And if you find yourself searching for that perfect toast this evening, may I humbly recommend my personal favorite?

"Here's to you, as good as you are,

And here's to me, as bad as I am;

But as good as you are, and as bad as I am,

I am as good as you are, as bad as I am."

Slainte!

PREP TIME: about 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 10 minutes

MAKES: 4-5 cocktails

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ripe Fuyu persimmon
• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 bottle of your favorite Brut champagne or prosecco

DIRECTIONS:

1. Peel and core persimmon. Roughly chop. Place chopped persimmon in food processor and pulse until a rough puree is achieved.
2. In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan place sugar, water and persimmon puree. Bring mixture to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
3. Remove persimmon syrup from stove and strain through a fine mesh. Stir in lemon juice one tablespoon at a time until desired tartness is reached.
4. Fill glass three-quarters full of champagne. Top off with persimmon syrup. Garnish with a lemon slice. Toast to a happy and healthy 2012!

Winter Vegetable & Bean Stew

2011 is rapidly winding down, herbivores. Was it a good year for you? I do hope so.

For me, this year was full of stress and triumph, of accomplishment and determination. A good year, albeit one of the hardest I've worked through in a long time. And I say "worked through" as opposed to "lived through" because I feel I spent most of my year with my nose determinedly plugged to the grindstone, eschewing friends and family alike for the sake of Reaching Goals.

I don't often do New Year's Resolutions-- they're so arbitrary and often superficial. But this year I have resolved to spend more time with people I love. I've missed them all so much.
And naturally I resolve to eat better food, but I pretty much make that resolution every month... every week... every hour. While I'm not a big believer in "dieting" in the traditional sense, I am trying very hard to make good food decisions. For me that means no processed foods and limited sugar.

I've failed miserably in avoiding both this past month. Mostly the sugar. I have a ravenous sweet tooth, and with all of the holiday treats around and oh, yeah, the fact that I work as a pastry chef in an ice cream and candy shop I have fallen off the sugar wagon HARD this month.
So what better way to get back on track than with a hearty clean stew, packed with winter veggies and protein-rich beans? While it seems to be a bit of a new tradition on this blog to post recipes for bean soups this time of year, I decided to make this particular version chunky and more stew-y than previous recipes. It fills your belly but doesn't make you feel too heavy, and the sweetness of the beans and carrots help to curb those late-night candy binges. Adding a winter ale to the stew's broth gives it body and an unexpectedly refined flavor, so be sure to pick out a good beer.

I used gorgeous heirloom anasazi beans in this stew because I love their sweet taste and creamy texture. But feel free to substitute cannellini or navy or any other mild white bean that suits your fancy.

So let us raise a bowl of stew to 2012-- may it be filled with good food, good friends and the warmth of family love.

Bain taitneamh as do bheil!

PREP TIME: about 30 minutes (plus soaking time for beans)

COOKING TIME: about 45 minutes

MAKES: about eight 2 cup servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup dried anasazi beans, soaked overnight
• 1 strip kombu
• 2 large leeks, cleaned thoroughly and cut into half moons (should yield about 2 cups. Instructional video for cleaning and cutting leeks here)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
• 10 cups vegetable stock
• 12 ounces winter ale (I used Peak Organic Brewery Winter Session Ale, a delicious Christmas present from mom!)
• 4-5 medium carrots, cut into even roll cuts (should yield about 2 cups. Roll cut demonstration video here.)
• 2 medium potatoes, skin on, cleaned thoroughly and cut into 1/2" dice. (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons dried tarragon
• 4 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 3-4 kale leaves, thick stems removed, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Drain anasazi beans and discard soaking liquid. Rinse thoroughly. Place in a medium heavy-bottomed stockpot and cover with fresh water. Add kombu strip and a sprinkle of sea salt. Bring water to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer until beans are tender, about 35-45 minutes. (Cooking times will differ if you substitute beans) When beans are tender, remove from heat and set aside.
2. While beans are cooking, chop your vegetables.
3. Heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stock pot until the surface begins to shimmer. Add chopped leeks and saute until leeks are soft and slightly browned. Add garlic and saute for one minute more, taking care not to let garlic brown.
4. Add vegetable stock, beer, carrots, potatoes, dried tarragon and tomatoes to the stock pot and stir to thoroughly combine. Bring mixture up to a boil, cover pot and immediately reduce heat to a simmer.
5. Simmer soup for 10-15 minutes, or until carrots and potatoes are just tender and easily pierced with a fork.
6. Add kale leaves and cooked beans and simmer for 5 minutes more, until kale turns bright green and begins to soften a bit. Turn stove off.
7. Season with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper. Add lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time, until the stew achieves a lovely brightness.
8. Serve with a slice of buttered crusty bread and welcome 2012!

Smoky Portobello Po' Boys

I work right down the street from a new-ish Southern/Cajun restaurant, The Khyber Pass Pub. Like many others, I mourned the passing of the original joint, which shares the name of the new place but not much else. The old Khyber was dark and dirty, but it was also a great place to get a cheap beer and see a band you couldn't see anywhere else. Sure, the bathroom didn't have a door and hadn't been cleaned since 1995. But the Khyber was punk rock and gritty, a proud middle finger in a neighborhood that had become full of Jersey Shore-wannabe douchebags.

But I can't be mad that it was taken over by Dave Frank and Stephen Simons, of Royal Tavern and Cantina Los Caballitos fame. The food is so good, and although the menu is barbecue heavy, there are a ton of vegetarian and vegan options as well! And best of all, once in a while they do a Vegan Cocktail Night, where they offer specials on vegan beer and cocktails and a special menu of vegan appetizers, entrees and desserts. This past Tuesday, my friend Lauren and I bellied up to the bar and stuffed our faces with delectable food and drink.

(Full disclosure: Dave is a friend of a friend and I know him socially. But I paid for my food this visit, and as always, my opinions are my own)

Although after much deliberation I ordered the Okra & Eggplant Etouffee, (etouffees are so rarely vegetarian that I couldn't resist) my eyes kept wandering back to another special that evening: a Smoked Portobello Po' Boy.

Now I have a confession for you, dear readers. I have a po' boy problem. And the Khyber just so happens to offer a vegan fried "chicken" po' boy on it's regular menu and as I just so happen to work about a block away, I just so happen to order this sandwich at least once a week for lunch.

My name is Sara and I am addicted to po' boys.

Whew. Feels good to get that off my chest. Anyway, I don't know what it is about these sandwiches... scratch that, I know just what it is. The perfectly crusty bread, the creamy/spicy remoulade, the tangy pickles... it's all of these things combined with some sort of breaded & fried protein that make the perfect sandwich. And the Khyber's version is really damn tasty, thanks in large part to the fact that they ship their rolls in from the famous Leidenheimer Baking Company of New Orleans.

So although I didn't order the po' boy that evening, the idea for a smoky-mushroomy po' boy has been stuck in my craw ever since. I just had to give them a whirl at home.
These sandwiches come together in a snap and are supremely filling. The meaty portobellos get their smoky flavor from their cornmeal crust, and the creamy remoulade is cut nicely by the snappy pickles. Traditionally po' boys are garnished with shredded iceberg lettuce, but I virtuously used lettuce from our CSA. Less virtuously I sprung for very out-of-season supermarket tomatoes, but I simply couldn't imagine a po-boy without them.

I adapted my remoulade from this recipe by Hank Shaw. The pickles are up to you-- I used pickled green tomatoes I got at the food swap, but bread and butter or dills would work nicely, according to your preference. If you're not lucky enough to live in New Orleans, I suggest you buy a French-style (whole wheat, if possible) baguette from the finest bakery in your town. The bread does, after all, really make the sandwich.
If you are lucky enough to live in Philadelphia, please do yourself a favor and check out the eatin' and drinkin' at the Khyber Pass Pub.

Bon Appetite!

PREP TIME: about 20 minutes

COOKING TIME: about 15 minutes

MAKES: 2 large po' boys

INGREDIENTS:

for the remoulade:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (make your own with this recipe!)
• 2 tablespoons Creole mustard (substitute stone-ground mustard if you can't find it)
• 1/2 teaspoon pickle juice
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I used good ol' Tabasco)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (I used Dinosaur Barbecue's Cajun Foreplay, but feel free to use your favorite or make your own)

for the smoky portobellos:

• 2 portobello mushroom caps, brushed clean, stems removed
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• coconut or peanut oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

to put it all together:

• 2 whole wheat baguettes, split lengthwise
• a handful finely chopped lettuce
• 2 plum tomatoes, sliced thickly
• sliced pickles

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put together the remoulade: in a medium bowl, stir mayo, mustard, pickle juice, hot sauce, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning until well incorporated. Set aside. (Extra remoulade can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 month)
2. Cut portobello caps into long slices, about 1/2" thick. In a shallow bowl, beat together egg and buttermilk. In another shallow bowl, combine cornmeal, whole wheat flour, smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon sea salt.
3. In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan with steep sides, heat up enough oil to come about 1/4" from the bottom of the pan. Heat oil until a small amount of flour sizzles right away when dropped into pan, taking care not to let oil smoke.
4. Dredge the portobello mushrooms: first dunk slices in egg mixture and then in cornmeal mixture, taking care to coat all sides of mushroom with cornmeal mix. Shake off excess and fry a few at a time, flipping slices over so they are evenly golden brown on both sides.
5. Place fried mushroom slices on a paper-towel lined plate to drain excess oil. Sprinkle lightly with more salt.
6. When all mushroom slices have been fried, assemble sandwiches: spread remoulade thickly over both sides of cut bread. Lay down a bed of lettuce, top with tomatoes, fried mushrooms and pickles. Place sandwich halves together and press down lightly to compact ingredients.
7. Serve with cold Cajun beer, potato chips and lots of napkins-- this is a messy, delicious po'boy!

Coconut Milk Braised Squash

'Tis the season, turnip lovers-- the season for braising, that is. Nothing says "it's cold outside, so put on a sweater and snuggle up with me, baby" than a braised bit of something, all warm and gooey and supremely comforting.

...Or maybe that's just me, aiming for wintery seduction with the promise of a bellyful of warm grub. My gal seems to like it fine, so I must be doing something right.

Our CSA is now moving rapidly towards that root-vegetables-and-cold-frame-leafy-greens phase that dominates winter produce in the Northeast, but I'm still getting at least one squash a week. This week's squash was a lovely blue Hokkaido, just like the one I used in my Ginger Squash Butter. I find their flavor to be mild and sweet and very pumpkin-like, perfect for a savory dish like this.
Loosely adapted from this Vegetarian Times recipe, this dish would work well with any winter squash you have rattling about. Best of all, unlike braised meat dishes, this recipe comes together very quickly, perfect for chilly weeknight meals.
One of the most exciting reasons I had to make this dish was to use some of the homemade miso paste I scored at the Winter Philly Food Swap. It was made by my awesome table-mate Dawn, who is a master fermentor. And it's delicious.

Miso is truly a wonder food-- it adds satisfying umani to meals, it's high in vitamin B12 and it's even been show to help mitigate the effects of radiation sickness! Plus it's a lacto-fermented food, so it helps to improve gut health.

Did I mention it's also incredibly yummy? I've been known to eat it by the spoonful.

May I take this opportunity recommend portioning out and labeling food for the refrigerator? Oh, I know, I know-- once a stage manager, always a stage manager. But I swear this works.

Leftovers tend to languish in the back of our fridge, and scooping out lunch-sized portions in the morning before work is kind of a pain in the ass. Often I find myself rushing out the door without time to think about lunch, resulting in me having to shell out dough later in the day for take-out when there are perfectly delicious leftovers in the fridge at home. But if after you cook you directly portion out your leftovers and label them, it's super easy to grab and go.

So buy yourself a roll of masking tape-- keep it and a Sharpie somewhere handy in your kitchen. That way you can see at a glance what leftovers are ready for lunch and what science experiments you've started.

Bain taitneamh as do bheil!

PREP TIME: about 20 minutes

COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

MAKES: 6-7 one cup servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, cut into saute slices
• 1 cup water
• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 3 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 two inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 medium squash, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks (about 4 cups)
• 1 16 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup shoyu or soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mellow (white) miso paste
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a heat-proof bowl. Remove boiling water from heat and immediately pour over dried mushrooms. Set aside and allow to soften completely.
2. In a large skillet with deep sides, heat up coconut oil until it is completely melted and the surface begins to shimmer. Add onion slices and saute until translucent and slightly browned.
3. Reserving soaking water, remove softened shiitake mushrooms and chop finely.
4. When onions are browned, stir in garlic and minced ginger. Saute for 1 minute more, taking care not to let garlic brown.
5. Add chopped squash, coconut milk, shoyu, chopped shiitake mushrooms and soaking water to skillet. Stir to combine.
6. Allow mixture to come to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pan and allow to simmer until squash is easily pierced with a fork, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat.
7. Add miso paste and lemon juice and stir to combine. Serve over rice and don't forget to label your leftovers!

Cranberry Pomegranate Syrup and a Philly Food Swap

This week I had the privilege of attending the Winter Philly Food Swap. Held in the awesome Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Library, the swap was a chance for Philadelphia food writers, DIY-ers and eating enthusiasts to get together and exchange homemade goodies.
The premise of the swap was pretty simple: bring something you made, meet new people, sample their food and exchange your goodies for your favorites among the jams, jellies, baked goods, syrups, ice creams, marshmallows, pickles, foraged vegetables and relishes that were offered.

I came right from work and therefore was a little anxious about not eating dinner, but I needn't have worried. I was absolutely stuffed to the gills with delicious samples. It was so hard to pick favorites-- everyone's food tasted so delicious, and I was so impressed with the creativity that everyone exhibited!

There were a few familiar faces there, but I met a large number of new people, and everyone was so very nice. It was so flattering to see my dance card fill up with folks eager to try the Cranberry Pomegranate Syrup I brought!
As it was my first time attending the swap, I was nervous about bringing just one thing, so I made up two batches of granola to hand out as well. I made my PB & J granola and as I ran out of raisins for the second batch, I tweaked the recipe and made an Apple Ginger granola just for a little extra credit.
And boy, oh boy did I score some awesome loot! It was a bit of a frenzy, so I'm a little fuzzy on some people's names, but I wrote down everything I remembered as soon as I got home so I could give shout-outs to as many of my amazing fellow swappers as I could. My apologies if I missed your name-- please give me a shout-out in the comments and I'll fix the oversight!

My full booty:

• Apple Bourbon Butter, made by Georgia, one of the swap's organizers and who writes at Kitchen Success
• Carrot Cake Jam-- can't wait to crack into that one!
• Malted Hot Chocolate-- I made myself a mug of this last night and it was fabulous. I love the combination of chocolate and malt!
• Magic Mung Miso, which I am totally jazzed about, made by my very sweet table-mate Dawn
• Foraged Root Beer Syrup (!!) by Cecilie May
• Chocolate Coconut Macroons by Olivia from Graduated Measure
• a giant foraged oyster mushroom
• Tropical Habanero Jelly by Lee from Feed Me Lee
• Bread & Butter Pickles and Holmes Skillet Chicken Bites (for the pup, who LOVES them) by Jen Weeks
• Lemon Curd
• Candied Bacon Fudge (for my Texas gal who just discovered a deep love for the combination of bacon & chocolate) by Wendy from LaPhemmePhoodie
• Chai Tea Mix and Savory Granola (which is ADDICTING) by Kate Pelusi, who I met at this spring's potluck dinner
• Green Tomato Chutney, which I spread on a sandwich yesterday and was awesome!
• Peach Salsa
• Fig and Cranberry Jam, which I spread on toast this morning-- yum yum yum!
• Homemade marshmallows
• Mocha Mint Vegan Ice Cream, made with coconut milk by Mecca from Umm Food....

I had so much fun, and I'm really looking forward to the next swap!

And speaking of swapping, I encourage you to make this Cranberry Pomegranate Syrup and give it to your friends and family this Christmas. It's easy and fast to make, yet oh-so-delicious. Mixed with a little soda water it's a perfectly refreshing fizzy drink, added to vodka it makes a very festive holiday libation, drizzled over ice cream it's a lovely sweet-tart dessert.

If you're in the Philadelphia area and interested in participating in the next swap, check out the facebook page here. Hope to see you there!

Bain taitneamh as do bheil!

PREP TIME: about 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

MAKES: about 12 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups organic cane sugar
• 8 cups water
• 1 dry quart fresh cranberries, rinsed well
• 1 whole pomegranate, seeds removed (easy seed removal tutorial here)
• the juice & zest from 1 organic orange
• 3 large slices fresh ginger root

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place water and sugar in a large heavy-bottomed stock pot and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer.
2. While the simple syrup is coming to a boil, place the rinsed cranberries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped.
3. Add chopped cranberries, pomegranate seeds, orange zest & juice and ginger root to simmering syrup.
4. Allow syrup to simmer for 20 minutes, skimming foam off the top as needed. The liquid should be a beautiful dark pink.
5. Place a large metal colander over a large bowl or stock pot. Line the colander with fine-meshed cheesecloth. Pour syrup through cheesecloth and colander, squeezing cheesecloth to extract all liquid. Discard cheesecloth and solids.
6. Pour syrup into your prettiest jars and use for festive gift-giving! This syrup will keep for a month in the fridge.

Pistachio-Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

The holiday season is in full swing here in Philadelphia, potato gobblers-- the row homes are decked out in their gaudiest blinking lights and Santa displays, radio stations have begun to blast only Christmas music and the shopping areas have that frantic energy that only the holidays can bring.

My girl and I have pledged not to get caught up in the consumeristic madness this season; we are trying instead to focus on spending time with the people that we love and giving gifts that are personal and homemade. Or at the very least, locally made.

So it seemed very much in the spirit of our pledge when I discovered this lovely recipe swap via the gorgeous blog Burwell General Store. The premise is pretty simple: each month Christianna chooses a recipe from a very old cookbook entitled The Second Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Eating Places, which she found at a junk store. She posts the recipe and invites bloggers from all over the world to update and tweek it and make it their own.
Appropriately enough for this season of baking, this month's recipe was for the famous Toll House chocolate chip cookies. Now merely a brand name, the Toll House Inn was an actual inn and restaurant in Massachusetts and was the birthplace of the chocolate chip cookie, thanks to the pastry genius of Ruth Graves Wakefield.

It's difficult to improve upon a classic like this, but in the spirit of the holidays, I decided to tip my hat to my dad and incorporate some festive flavors into these cookies.

My dad is very serious about his desserts, and his chocolate pairings specifically. One of his favorite combinations is orange and chocolate, and when we were little, we used to slip a chocolate orange ball every year into his stocking, delighting in the ritual of him whacking it on the table to share the chocolate-y slices with us.

Orange and chocolate and ginger and holiday spices combine in my adaptation for a very festive cookie indeed. Because I just couldn't resist slipping a little whole wheat flour into the mix to make the cookies just a tiny bit more health-supportive, the cookies have a chewy, toothsome texture that stands up well to the bold flavors.

So don't stress, beet freaks-- make some festive cookies, pour yourself a cocktail and surround yourself by your favorite people this holiday season. And please check out my amazing fellow swappers adaptations of the original recipe by clicking through the links below the recipe.

Bain taitneamh as do bheil!

PREP TIME: about 10 minutes

COOKING TIME: 10-15 minutes

MAKES: about 12 cookies (not 50, as the original recipe indicates!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup roasted, salted & shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon orange zest, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons candied ginger, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream butter and sugars together. Add beaten egg to mixture and stir to thoroughly combine.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together baking soda, flours, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Add to creamed sugar bowl and stir to combine.
3. Add pistachios, orange zest, candied ginger, chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Stir to just combine.
4. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper and scoop dough into even balls, about 2 inches apart. (I used an ice cream scoop to make consistently sized balls)
5. Place sheet trays with scooped dough in the fridge and allow to chill for 15 minutes.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until dough has spread out and is slightly browned on top. Enjoy with a big glass of eggnog!

Check out my fellow swappers: