running with tweezers

my darling clementine

See this? It very well may be my dream dessert. While molten chocolate is nice and all, I am a fruit dessert kind of person. It has its drawbacks, which are that a lot of fruit-centric desserts come in the form of tarts and ice cream. I haven't run across many desserts that have it all for me: lush cakey-ness, bright fruit taste, and rich without being overly heavy.

Until now.

Leave it to Nigella Lawson to create this dreamy dessert. I ran across this recipe some time ago and stuck it in the bookmarked recipes to be made later tab. This month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge (hosted by Ani at Foodie Chickie), which was to make a Nigella recipe, was the perfect excuse to give it a whirl.  Little did I know that this cake has been made about 234,445,977 times on the Internet - and for good reason.

Outside of boiling the clementines, it's terribly simple to put together - a plus for someone like me with mild baking anxiety. The smell that wafts through your house while the clementines are cooking is dreamy, making this the ideal dessert around the holidays or for parties. Your guests will be a little wowed by the smell as they walk in the door. The results are a pudding-y, rich, flavorful cake that wasn't all that heavy. Plus, with no flour in the recipe, it's perfect for those with dietary restrictions.

One note about the recipe, I noticed: All of the reviews of this cake scream about how much it sticks to the pan. I did a test of it...and yes...it does. For my cakes, I used small Wilton fluted shaped pans with a healthy dose of Baker's Joy. They popped right out. Without the non-stick baking spray, they stuck to the inside and fell apart. If you're using the spring-form pan, I would recommend using the parchment or the baking spray, as well.

Clementine Cake - makes one 8" cake - originally published in How To Eat by Nigella Lawson

• 4 to 5 unpeeled clementines (about 1 pound total weight)
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/3 cups ground almonds
• 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

- Put the unpeeled clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 hours.

- Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds.

- Then chop everything finely — skins, pits, fruit — in the food processor (or by hand, of course). Preheat the oven to 375ƒF. Butter and line an 8-inch spring form pan.

- Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Mix well, adding the chopped clementines. I don't like using the processor for this, and frankly, you can't balk at a little light stirring.

- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to stop the top burning.

- Remove from the oven and leave to cool, on a rack, but in the pan. When the cake's cold, you can take it out of the pan. I think this is better a day after it's made, but I don't complain about eating it any time.

kitchen of love: arugula salad with parmesan, pine nuts, and grilled peaches

Food is sexy, don't you think? Well...most food is sexy. I'm not a believer in the chocolate and strawberries and champagne recipe for getting in the mood for love. Sure, I mean...that works, too. The truth is...I find lots of different foods sensuous for different reasons. Some make you feel warm and cozy. Some spicy foods really stimulate the senses and wake you up. Others, like truffle oil, awaken something very earthy and primitive in my brain.

I also think healthy food can be a big turn-on, too. You can eat something colorful, vibrant, filling, and delicious...and not feel like you need to lay around in your Juicy sweat-suit for the rest of the night. When I saw that Chris at MeleCotte was hosting a blog event around savory aphrodisiacs, I was really excited. As someone who isn't really a chocolate eater, it's nice to see a group of savory recipes that get people going.

Arugula has long been thought of as an aphrodisiac - as far back as the first century. Pine nuts are also considered one, due to their high Zinc content. I wanted to make a light, visually beautiful salad highlighting these two ingredients. I added shaving of salty Parmesan and quickly grilled peaches. I am adding peaches to my own aphrodisiac list - who doesn't swoon a bit thinking of biting into a juicy, fleshy peach. All of the elements of this salad just work and it comes together in a flash. The pine nuts toast while the peaches are grilling. You make a quick dressing and plate it all together in a flurry of wonderful colors and textures, leaving you plenty of time for...other things.

Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Parmesan, and Grilled Peaches - serves 4 as a starter or side salad

• 1 bag of prewashed arugula or one heaping handful per person
• 2 medium peaches, pitted and cut into 3/4 inch wide slices
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
• Vinaigrette: juice of one lemon, 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

- Make your vinaigrette to taste and set aside.
- Heat two pans - one grill pan and one small saute pan - to medium heat.
- On the grill pan, lay peach slices and grill for about 3-4 minutes. Turn over and repeat on other side.
- In the small dry saute pan, toast pine nuts lightly. When golden brown, remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Arrange arugula on plates. Place 1/4 of warm peach slices on each plate. Scatter pine nuts and shave Parmesan cheese loosely on top. Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.

Go check out Chris's blog MeleCotte. It's a great blog from a fellow Atlantan. The round-up for her event - Kitchen of Love - should be up any day now.

holy edamole!

I am a big fan of edamame. I am also a big fan of things that taste great and come together in an easy instant. Work has been nuts...and when things get busy, it's hard to focus on eating right. Edamame is always my go-to snack when I don't feel like cooking something but want a salty-ish snack to munch on. It's also incredibly good for you - as high in protein as most meat and chock full of calcium, iron, and several B vitamins.

So, you can imagine my delight when I ran across this recipe in  the January issue of Cooking Light. A low fat alternative to guacamole, which I seriously love. I was sold. This recipe comes together in about 5 minutes, including time to flash the frozen edamame. The flavors and consistency can be adjusted to your own personal taste. I love guac with lots of heat, garlic, and lemon....so I modified the original recipe a tad when I made it. More lemon juice, more garlic, and a teaspoon of Sriracha sauce. It's delicious on it own on chips (I've used Terra Spiced Taro root chips here) or incorporated into meals. This would be an easy veggie dish to whip up for a party. Super Bowl, anyone?   

Edamole - adapted from the original recipe which appeared in Cooking Light Jan 2008 - yields 6 servings

• 3/4 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 garlic clove, halved

- Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Cover and chill.

This is my entry into Weekend Herb Blogging, this time being hosted by Claudia at Fool For Food. This is my second back-to-back entry to WHB - miracles will never cease. As always, a big shout out to Kalyn for establishing this event and for creating such a wonderful blog!

The RWT Chili Cookoff - The Roundup!

A new year means a new round-up of recipes! Thanks to everyone who took part in the RWT Chili Cookoff! Despite the hectic holiday season, we had quite a few entries. Despite the hardcore chili purists who insisted that chili = meat, there were also a number of vegetarian options. Way to go, folks! The details on how you can help pick a winner are at the end of this post.

Let's start the show:

Sarah from North Carolina, who blogs at Sweets by Sarah, gets us started with lots of enthusiasm for chili...and a hearty bowl of her delicious-looking Wheat Berry Chili.

Taking part in his second challenge here at RWT is Adam, who blogs from Alabama's BedHeadBlog. He puts a spin on a traditional meat chili with his yummy Bratwurst Chili - nice sour cream dollop there!

Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen takes the chill of her Canadian winter with another vegetarian chili, Black Bean Chili with Toasted Spices.

Dhivya from California's Culinary Bazaar shows us a really interesting twist on chili: a Chili Lima Beans Curry.

Showing us that "almost" doesn't count in just horseshoes and hand grenades, Cris from Brazil's From Our Home To Yours shares her Almost Vegetarian Chili.

Taking us step by step in making his Chili with Homemade Cheddar Biscuits over Rice is Bradley from Boston's Sauces and Stuff.

Getting spicy in Australia is Daphne from her blog More Than Words. She shares her recipe for Spice Medley Chili.

I am a big fan of green chili, so I was excited to see Michelle from Portland's Je Mange le Ville submit her delicious Working Person's Green Chili Bowl.

It's always nice to see fellow Atlantan Chris, who blogs at MeleCotte, take part in the blog events! She shares yet *another* vegetarian chili recipe - this time, a scrumptious Black Bean Chili.

Another Georgian, this time Augusta's Lynne from Cafe Lynnylu, brings the heat - both literally and figuratively with her beautifully photographed Two Steps from Hell Chili Verde.

Danielle from Sweet and Savory Eats took a welcome reprieve from the holiday cookies and cakes to submit her all-American Adaptation of Boilermaker Chili.

Atlanta's Tony Clark gets out from behind the camera (for a brief moment) and into the kitchen with stunning results: hopefully his Chili is as tasty as it is pretty.

Jason Perlow from New Jersey's Off the Broiler shares a really unusual and totally vegan chili recipe: Spicy Portabello Mushroom Chili with Pomegranate.

 

Providing the first white chili of the cookoff is Toronto's Kevin, who blogs at Closet Cooking. His Turkey White Chili looks hearty and healthy!

Suzana takes part all the way from Portugal! She gets up close and personal on her healthy Veggie Chili recipe on her blog Home Gourmets.

That's all, folks! Now...for the fun part: the voting! You do not have to have taken part in the Chili Cook-off to vote. Send your vote for the winner of the challenge - who will receive a lil' foodie prize and bragging rights - to runningwithtweezers@gmail.com. You must get your votes in by Sunday, January 13th. I'll announce the winner then. Good luck!

broadening horizons, expanding waistlines, and extending deadlines

I've almost gotten through enough of the holidays that I can get back to blogging at a serious clip. This year's merriment put a hurt on me. I can still fit in my jeans and my corduroy pants, so at least there's that. One more meal - a blowout New Years Eve meal - will be my last hurrah and then it's back on the straight and narrow. In the meantime, a few points of interest.

- Has anyone seen the latest issue of Gourmet Magazine? All I can say is...wow. What a thoughtful and interesting issue...and I'm not saying that because it has some of my peeps in it. This issue is all about The South. It's chock-full of wonderful narratives and history about the wide reaching influence of Southern cuisine. It also does a great job of showing that Southern cooking goes beyond fatback and sweet tea. It's also nice to see some local folks getting some much deserved press: Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and Scott Peacock of Watershed (in a touching article about his relationship with Edna Lewis).

- I haven't been blogging much but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading blogs. I have a couple new favorites:

• DirtySouthWine - I love this blog. Hardy is from here in Atlanta. His blog is full of humor and great wine & food tips. His wine choices are unusual and not your chain store wine picks. It's fun and a good read.
• CurdNerds -  I came across this site when I was researching what to pair with Reblochon. It's a really cool, informative site.
• Smitten Kitchen - Yes. I am the last food blogger in the free world to find this blog. It's so good. Just go.

- One last thing: The deadline for the RWT Chili Cook-off has been extended to Sunday January 7th, 2008! I have gotten several entries...but this will give folks that were just too busy with the holidays a chance to get in on the challenge if they so choose. Check out all of the official details here.

                                          -

cheese and the cookbook bottleneck

Hi. My name is Tami...and I am a cookbook addict.

You think I'm kidding? Ask me how many I have coming to me from Amazon right now.
I need an intervention. Seriously.

I received a copy of Adventures of an Italian Food Lover by Faith Heller Willinger months ago. I got it right at the tail end of the blog event that Cath over at A Blithe Palate hosted. If you missed it, go check it out here...so many great entries.

Anyway.

I made a thing or two out of it after reading through the entire book. It's an interesting mix of travel guide/storytelling/recipes that was, at first, hard to get into. Once I got going, though, I couldn't help but keep reading. I love the rustic and charming illustrations throughout it, too...

...and then it sat...and sat. On top of it went Bittman (man he's heavy), Flay, Hay, and the 4 Ingredients and 10 Minutes cookbooks I found in the sale bin at TJ Maxx. Wait till you see what I cook in just 10 minutes with only those 4 ingredients. MacGuyver, look out.

Today...I re-visited Adventures of an Italian Food Lover and made something tasty and delicious: smoked mozzarella cutlets. How can fried, gooey squares of smoked cheese ever be bad? Grown up cheese sticks? Yes, please. The recipe was super easy, delicious, and worth my house smelling like fry oil for the time being.

To soften the blow of eating a block of fried cheese, I topped them with a quick salad of roasted red & yellow peppers, capers, good balsamic and extra virgin olive oil. It gave a little fresh zing to them, which was appreciated. I'll be working my way back through this book again to try out some of the seafood dishes, for sure.

Now where did I put Alice Waters...

The RWT Chili Cook-off!

Did you know this blog takes requests? I didn't really, either. However, I was asked by a friend of mine - and secret reader of this blog - if I had any great chili recipes. That made me think....did I?

I didn't, actually...until now.

In an effort to make a really hearty chili that wasn't loaded down with meat, I went hunting for vegetarian recipes. I found this recipe on Epicurious.com. However, it didn't seem very much like, well, chili. Where is all of the spicy stuff?!

I thought that the autumnal ingredients in the soup could handle some heat, so I've adapted it a bit. I added more chili powder and cumin, included some jalapeno, and threw in a bit of cayenne pepper. Also, for presentations sake, I swapped out part of the black beans for garbanzo beans - they keep their consistency when cooked and made the soup from looking so dark. I encourage you to serve this when you cook it so the greens still have their oomph.

This recipe is incredible. Trust me. You won't miss the meat.

Since we're all looking for hearty, heart-warming meals to make in these winter months, I am hosting a chili cook-off! This way, we can all exchange recipes and see all different varieties of this cold weather favorite. Here are all of the details:

• The RWT Chili Cook-Off will start on December 5th and go through December 31st. In that time, post your favorite chili recipe to your blog.
• There are no rules. I encourage all sorts of recipes and ingredients. They don't all have to have ground beef in it! Add pork, veggies, sausage, beans, chicken...let your imagination go wild.
• After the closure of the challenge, a winner will be chosen (i haven't decided if this is going to be a democracy or not) and awarded a food-related prize!
• Send your cook-off submissions to runningwithtweezers@gmail.com. Include in your email: your name, your blog name, your location, the permalink to your post, and your recipe name.
• Good luck!

Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard - adapted from the original recipe found here on epicurious.com - makes 4 main-course servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced into small pieces (include the seeds if you want to up the heat)
• 2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• 3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves or kale leaves (from 1 small bunch)

- Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; saute until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add jalapeno and squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in cayenne pepper, chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard or kale; simmer until chard or kale is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

this cake isn't the only thing turned upside down

The other thing is, well, my entire schedule. Work has been beyond busy. Believe me, I'm not complaining. I like to work and I like to be busy. This all comes, however, at a price...which is that this blog gets put on the back burner, pardon the pun.

During the recent Thanksgiving, I was in charge of making a few dishes to bring to a communal dinner. In addition to the killer brussels sprouts recipe I made (more on that later), I wanted to make a low maintenance dessert to take that would be a bit of a showstopper.

I ran across this recipe in a recent issue of Everyday Food. It's a magazine that I've been a reader of since its inception. It usually has simple recipes that are almost always sure things. This cake mixed two of my favorite things: fresh cranberry taste and the notion of upside down cake - pineapple upside down cake is one of my favorites. It was one of the easiest desserts I've made in recent memory and made quite an impact at dinner. Guests raved about the sweet cake balanced with the tart cranberry flavors.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake - originally found here at Everyday Food magazine - serves 8

•     8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
•     1 cup sugar
•     1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•     1/4 teaspoon allspice
•     1 3/4 cups cranberries
•     1 large egg
•     1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
•     1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•     1/4 teaspoon salt
•     1/2 cup milk

   -  Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.
   - With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.
   - Spoon batter over cranberries in pan, and smooth top. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert onto a rimmed platter.

Hay! The winner of Donna Day is...

I am sorry for the day-long delay in announcing the winner of Hay Hay It's Donna Day. I got caught up in watching college football on the couch with the boy. Oops!

I want to say thanks again to everyone that took part in HHDD. As usual, the competition was fierce - I meant it when I said that even though the turnout wasn't high, we are dealing with quality over quantity here.

I am happy to announce that the winner of the terrine edition of Hay Hay It's Donna Day is ChichaJo over at 80 Breakfasts! If I may say...it's about darned time! Every time there is a HHDD, she contributes a beautiful and delicious post. Her Country Terrine was no exception! I am very much looking forward to seeing which theme she chooses. As her prize, she has won a set of Laguiole knives - a current obsession of mine. They'll make lovely props in photos...and a reminder of her win!

Congrats to ChichaJo and everyone else who took part in Hay Hay It's Donna Day!

our daily bread and giving thanks

I can't believe its Thanksgiving time once again. This year has FLOWN by, hasn't it? Maybe its the perils of getting older and time doesn't drag on the way it used to...or maybe its a side effect of a life that is too often spent being too busy to relax and enjoy it.

It seems like just yesterday I was gearing up for the first of many first holidays without my mom. It was a tough day...and there have been good and bad days since. This year, I will be spending this day with my father and some family friends at a communal dinner - the gathering of the orphans, in a way. I'm happy to have friends and family to spend the day with.

I like to think that the people in my life know how much I appreciate and care about them - I'm not one of those people who needs a holiday to tell someone how I feel. However, I wanted to take this moment to remind myself - and others - of the things I'm thankful for on this day:

• After months of a drought...and a looming water crisis...it rained today. Thanksgiving. Coincidence? I think not.
• I've been blessed with a busy, successful, and creative year of work. I am so lucky to be able to do something I truly love for a living.
• For my two fuzzy friends, Brumby and Floyd. What would I do without the cat barf and the purring vibrating pillow at night? Sleep better...but I digress.
• My friend are amazing. They are my family, my heart, my belly laughs. It's a very selective group...and I like it that way. I surround myself with good people.
• This blog. I've said it before...and I'll say it again: I feel so lucky to be able to have this blog...to have a voice that reaches further than I would have ever imagined...to meet wonderful & talented people from across the globe. This blog and the people involved in the food blog world inspire me.

During my week of cooking, I wanted to make something that I could share with my friends that might have other plans for the holiday. Since I wouldn't be able to spend it with them, I wanted to share a part of me with them. I made this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread in small loaves and gave them away. It's absolutely divine (once I realized that the recipe was all wacked out with left-out ingredients and I had to troubleshoot it, that is). It's the most not dry, flavorful pumpkin bread I've ever had. I also made a version with the new cinnamon chips, which was awesome as well.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD  - recipe originally found here on cooks.com   

• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. water
• 1 c. oil
• 2 c. canned pumpkin
• 1 c. chocolate chips
• 1/3 tsp. salt
• 3 1/2 c. flour
• 2 tbsp. soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Beat eggs and sugar together. Add oil, water and pumpkin to egg mixture and mix flour, soda, salt and cinnamon together and add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in as many chocolate chips as you like (6 to 12 ounces). Pour in 2 or 3 greased bread pans and bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.