Helen and Alyce's Lentil Soup/Princeton-NY Trip

Central Park in the Fall--More Princeton/NY pics at bottom

Here's the soup and recipe!

Food
Friends
They go together

I have a great friend named Helen Aldrich. Once, many years ago, her husband Jim, my friend Sue (of Sue’s ribs), and I spent years traveling to and from D.C. on a clap-trap, stinky commuter bus. We talked books, politics, religion, love, kids and spouses. We often stopped for coffee together before heading to work (sometimes making us late). Bit by bit, our families, too, came together and we have all been friends now for a long time.

Vacations at the beach together include taking a turn in the kitchen.

The following soup recipe is one of Helen’s beach offerings, tweaked by me at home over the years. ( I also do a vegetarian lentil based on this recipe; I’ll include those directions, too.) It seemed to me that this soup makes more sense in the fall or winter than in the summer, but we've eaten it both ways.

Tree at Princeton--Is this a perfect fall picture or what?

Whenever you decide to make it, it's one of the quickest and most welcoming legume soups you'll ever make or eat. Double the recipe and have friends in on a weeknight. (You could give a pot away to a neighbor who doesn't cook .)

I love you, darlin’. (Something Helen says often to all of us.)

(Kurt, are the pina coladas ready?)


Helen and Alyce’s Lentil Soup

1# lentils, any color
2 qts beef broth (or chicken broth, if you prefer it; use gluten-free if needed)
1 onion, chopped
1 c carrots, chopped
2 c celery, chopped
1 T garlic, minced
1 15 oz tomatoes, diced
1 lrg. potato, cubed (optional)
2T each: Fresh rosemary, chopped and Fresh sage, chopped *

Mix together in 6 or 8 quart stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down to simmer and cook about 30 minutes or so until vegetables are becoming tender.
1# pork bulk breakfast sausage
½ # Andoille or kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces (could also use part of a ham steak, minced)

Brown breakfast sausage in skillet until done; drain. Add to stockpot along with cut Andoille or kielbasa.   Season pot with salt and pepper – and/orTabasco--- to taste.

If soup is becoming too thick, add water or more beef or chicken broth.
Continue to simmer until lentils are tender.

Crock-pot option: Make as above, but cook in 6 qt. crock-pot on low for 4-5 hrs instead of for 30 minutes on stove-top.
*If using dried herbs, cut amounts in half
Nice side: cornbread with honey

For vegetarian option, omit meat (duh) and add sautéed, chopped zucchini and or eggplant cooked in a little olive oil . Add toward end of cooking.

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PRINCETON-NY TRIP Nov 5-9, 2009

For those of you interested in our visit to the east coast last week, I include a few pictures and a couple of comments here. My camera was fritzing; these are from my cell:

For starters, it was an incredibly lovely weekend to hit New York in the fall. To see our daughter was the best treat, but to see her at seminary (and in her own adult environment) was beautiful and comforting! Part of campus below; white columned building is the chapel.

Above: eating corned beef at the Carnegie Deli. What else for NY lunch?



Above: Dave at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, ready for the NY Philharmonic. The usher scolded me for taking pictures..........


Above: Alyce and Emily -Fountain at Lincoln Center

Dave and Alyce- behind the Tavern on the Green with a familiar NY character

Above: Emily and Dave enjoying Central Park

Above: Emily ready for her first time at a Broadway show................ Wicked!

Lovely visit all around. We also found time for brunch with family in Brooklyn, a late night dinner at Nizza (go Nizza!!!) and lots of the best people watching in the world.

Sing a new song; make a fall trip. If you can't go away, make my fall soup!

Alyce

Plum-Peach-Blueberry Crunch

Sometimes it doesn’t matter that it looks like fall, feels like fall, well, in fact, izzzzzzzzz fall. There’s still a little leftover from summer and harvest to make a luscious fruit dessert. Maybe you've even been toting your herbs or flowers in and off the porch for a couple of weeks, just getting the last few rays of sun and summer. I know a few folks who are doing that!

Of course, we can make apple or pumpkin whatever all late summer and fall long or use winter squash in a variety of sweet and savory ways. But stretching out late harvest bounty makes those particular foods just all the more precious. There is an old Irish tune, "The Last Rose of Summer." Of course, as I’ve been in Princeton and New York for five days visiting our daughter at seminary, I haven’t been cooking summer or fall food for a while. ( I’ll get my pictures (and ducks) in a row and fill you in on the trip in a few days.) In some little corner of a protected Princeton yard, though, I saw exactly that rose... several of them, in fact. Tiny, little "old" roses, faded pink, but still on the bush. Really.

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Meantime, I thought I’d blog a dessert I made just about two weeks ago when, you’ll remember, there were still peaches in the stores. Maybe they were "The Last Peach(es) of summer!" I began by looking at a Plum Crunch Ina Garten had made on tv and found the recipe in her BACK TO BASICS COOKBOOK. I didn’t really have all of the ingredients, so I began to experiment a bit. Mixing fruits, cutting sugar… You get the idea.

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Well, I did have some of those last peaches that had held up beautifully, but needed to be used. Definitely plums to be had then--- and now. And, you can, if you care to pay, get blueberries most anytime. (I freeze them when they’re plentiful and cheap, baking them frozen.) If you can't get any peaches where you are (this is November), try this with just plums and blueberries. It can be made ahead, even frozen, and would make a lovely addition to the Thanksgiving dessert spread with a snippet of freshly whipped cream or a spoonful of real good vanilla ice cream. If you can get the entire mix of fruits or just part, this is a delectable and homey dessert served anytime. The topping is quite thick and crunchy and almost seems like a super oatmeal cookie (or top of the hill granola) on top of soft, sweet fruit despite my cutting the sweetness. Thanks, Ina.

Peach-Plum-Blueberry Crunch

Serves 8

8 holiday plums, peeled and cut into fourths*
2 peaches, peeled and cut into eighths
½ c blueberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup flour
2/3 c white, granulated sugar
6T Brandy

1 ½ c unbleached, white flour
½ c ea granulated white and light brown sugar, packed
½ t kosher salt
1 c old-fashioned oats
½ c chopped pecans
2 sticks (1c) cold butter, cut into pieces.

8 scoops vanilla ice cream or 1 c whipped cream, optional

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray the inside of a 2qt or 12x8” baking dish.

Combine fruit, ¼ c flour, sugar and brandy. Pour into baking dish.

In food processor, fitted with metal blade, measure flour, sugars, and oats; pulse lightly to blend. Add cut butter and pulse until the mixture begins to come together, crumbling with butter the size of peas. Remove blade and gently stir in pecans. Pour over the fruit mixture and spread evenly.

Bake it for about 35 minutes, checking for bubbling fruit and browning top. Let cool for at least a half an hour before serving. Good warm or at room temperature, with or without whipped cream or ice cream. If you want to freeze it, cool completely, cover with two layers of foil and freeze for 4-6 weeks. Let unthaw, covered, completely before serving.

*If using all plums, increase plums from 8 to 12.


Caught between the bounty of summer's harvest and the watchful, waiting Advent brings, I made this dessert one day and went to rehearsal to practice the Christmas portion of "The Messiah." Working behind and ahead! can be an unusual process for a faithful cook.

The fruits of our labors... and the labors of others. Enjoyed together....

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Current Reading: THE SWEET LIFE IN PARIS, by David Leibovitz

Even if you aren't a baker (or cook), read this lovely

memoiry book full of heart-holding stories of figuring

out life in a strange land and, of course, recipes that

make your mouth go "La, la la la la!!!"

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Sing a new song; mix some new fruit, read David's book today----

Alyce

Which "Pho?" or 4 Meals at our House

A STORY OF FOUR MEALS AT OUR HOUSE -----------OR
HOW I LEARNED TO MAKE QUICK AND QUICKER VIETNAMESE NOODLE SOUP WITH FRESH HERBS AND GREENS…………

Do you want your mouth to sing? What melody (or harmony?) would you like?

If you like to frequent places called things like

Restaurant Saigon or
Vietnamese Café……..

and haven’t a clue from where those flavors come (but wish you did or want to know how to get them in your mouth totally fast……)
------------------------------------------------- then this blog is for you.

I really like cooking things I’ve never cooked before. I also really like (and my husband is crazy about) Vietnamese food, at least the sort of Vietnamese food found in Vietnamese restaurants in the United States. Give me a bun (bowl), an intensely fragrant soup showered with or poured over herbs and greens and I am in a happy land. If it’s the burn the skin off the roof of your mouth variety, I’m outa there. This soup, however, is breathable love.

I recently made THE SPLENDID TABLE’S (of NPR fame) version called “Pho,” pronounced “fuh.” We were tantalized. Harmonized. Unable to speak for eating. So, I made it again and again... Each time in a simpler version. Maybe better.

Here's the story:

Meal #1: SPLENDID TABLES’ —PHO:
(This is from their book, HOW TO COOK DINNER- published last year.)

The method was a kinda shortened version of the real deal Asian noodle chefs make, which is a long process. The synopsis might read like the following:

Broil, yep, broil a sliced onion, a bruised (I pounded mine with a chef’s knife?) star anise, a few sliced garlic cloves, a couple of grinds of pepper, 6 whole cloves and 2-3” of thinly sliced ginger on a large, rimmed baking sheet or heavy-duty foil. Scrape all that in a small pot of chicken stock with some fish sauce and sugar; cook 20 min. Fix some rice noodles (let sit in very hot water; drain).

To the BIG bowls out of which you’ll be eating , add raw, thinly sliced top round. and divide the noodles between the big bowls



----------------Yes, this really does work. Even at altitude.

Pour the very hot, boiling soup over the noodles and raw beef. Serve with a “table salad” plateful of…

cilantro -- mint -- fresh basil------ bean sprouts and------ so on

Folks can choose the greens they want; you can ad lib. I used some spinach for nutritional value.

Sauces at the table would be:

--Hoisin and/or --Hot Sauce

Please buy the cookbook for the great, full version and all the rest of the super stuff in it. After another summer in Minnesota, I’m absolutely addicted to “Splendid Table.” On at 10am-Sundays- on NPR (91.5) here in Co. Springs.

-------The little black things are broiled whole cloves and pieces of star anise.

Meal Number 2: OUR AMENDED CHICKEN VERSION:

NOW THEN, we liked this so much, we fixed it another night with some boneless chicken thighs (the recipe said you could), but we had to throw the whole mess back in the pot to cook the chicken. It wouldn’t cook in the bowls. Insert appropriate lovely language here. We’re at altitude. It was a great idea because we had all of these herbs, etc, sitting in the frig. I was thinking we needed to do this when we had a garden; there were nearly $12 worth of fresh herbs for this soup...so---------anyway----- Why not try it again?
(We should have used boneless breasts—afterthought. They cook faster than thighs, which are dark meat.)

Well--- We adored it. Except for having to cook it in the pot. In fact, we liked it better the second night.

(What I’m not saying is how good this soup made us feel. It was delicious, tummy-warming, mouth-humming, filling, nutritious, not fattening….)


Meal #3 : Grilled Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Mushrooms

At that point, said dinner partner went on a business trip leaving me with a few uncooked chicken thighs and some zucchini and mushrooms in the frig. I grilled the chicken and sautéed the veg and ate it all with a nice Australian Shiraz and a captivating book (THE HELP) and thoroughly enjoyed a night all by myself.
Ok, this is nothing earth-shattering, but it was quite tasty!

Next day , I spent doing household chores and sipping hot tea while a winter storm raged. Half-way through the blustery hours of short daylight, I decided to make a big pot of chili and freeze it for Halloween, when our grandson and his parents were coming for dinner and trick or treating. Why not get it done early? Meantime, I got hungry and the chili was not ready to eat. What for lunch? Why not a REALLY quick version of PHO, using my leftover grilled chicken and veg? It worked like a charm and here is how I did it. You can now do it, too. You could use leftover rotisserie chicken from the deli; it would be fine. Enjoy it soon. Tell me about it. I'm thinking of trying shrimp next.

Meal #4 PHO ---ALYCE'S VERY FAST, THANK YOU VERSION
serves 2

Ingredients:

1 thinly sliced onion
1 star anise
6 cloves
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2” fresh ginger, sliced thinly
Several grind of black pepper

Box of chicken stock
2 t fish sauce (bottled Asian condiment)
2T sugar

½ box rice-wheat Udon noodles (or whole-wheat linguine)

2-3 chicken thighs, cooked and thinly sliced (or any cooked chicken--perhaps

think left-over turkey Thanksgiving weekend)

You can ad lib herbs and greens, even using chopped iceberg, as some restaurants do, but I used:

Cilantro, Basil, Mint (all fresh and chopped or whole, as desired)
Thinly sliced scallions
2 cups fresh spinach
¼ c alfalfa sprouts
2 slices fresh lime

At table:
Hoisin Sauce, (another bottled Asian condiment)
Tabasco (if desired)


Directions:

In the bottom of a 4-qt. saucepan, place everything in the first group of ingredients (onion-ground pepper), heat pan over medium heat, stirring ingredients nearly constantly. You must do this carefully as there is NO fat in this pan. Turn heat off when edges of onion are blackened. Add chicken stock (careful!), fish sauce and sugar. Bring to boil; cover and lower heat to simmer for 7 minutes. Add noodles and stir. Cook another 6 minutes or so until noodles are done (whole wheat linguine will take more time; you might want to break it in half).

To each serving (big) bowl, add 1 c fresh spinach and some cooked chicken. Divide broth and noodles between the bowls and top with desired herbs/greens. Add sauce(s) if desired and squeeze lime over all.

What NEW song is your mouth singing?

Alyce

Pumpkin Bread-Fall Storm

I don't know where you live. In the foothills of Colorado, fall and spring bring the worst (best?) weather. Right now, we're getting ready for Halloween

just like the rest of the country. But we're also in the middle of a snow storm. Luckily, I live up on this beautiful mesa just west of downtown Colorado Springs and, usually, we are somehow protected from the very worst (and deepest) of the snows. We've lived somewhat north of here in two different woman-killer houses (when we needed 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms-- you see what could kill the woman about that) and the snows have been DEEEEEp. Here, the winds do other things and just about blow Gabby and I away some dark nights. (She barked for HOURS last night. Of course, we have a bear, too... daily clean-ups of that mess.)

Never mind, it's still time for pumpkin bread and... all things pumpkin. More on that later. I have a soup to share that has some pumpkin. Maybe closer to Thanksgiving would be a good time for that. Meantime, check out the pumpkin cookies made from Ina Garten's "Shortbread Cookies..." that originally came from Eli Zabar:

I made these for Halloween Night dinner, when my six-year-old grandson was coming to trick-or-treat in the 'hood. Right now, he needs your prayers because he's not coming for Halloween; he's home with H1N1. (Boo-hoo)

Freezing cookies and chili for when he CAN come!

Is there anyone who doesn't like pumpkin bread? Usually people say, "Oh, I luuuuuuuuuuuuuuv pumpkin bread." I can't remember a time when I didn't make it, but, surely that time existed. I will tell you one thing:

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Just use canned pumpkin.

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Don't kill a pumpkin to make this bread because the bread is no better and you might as well carve the pumpkin.

Same is true for pumpkin soup.

Same is true for pumpkin pie.

I hate to take you away from all that cutting and hand-sliming opportunity, but I tell you the truth. I've done it both ways and I know.

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There are people whose incomes depend on canning pumpkin. Let them do it.

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Now, this year (2009), you just might have to do something really weird in order to get your canned pumpkin. I got mine early and I paid a fortune for it at Whole Foods because there was no pumpkin on the shelves anywhere else. My husband happens to have someone who works for him somewhere (it could be anywhere in North or South America) who also owns an organic pumpkin farm, so I had the heads-up early on. If you didn't, you could still be sliming that big squash pretty soon despite my advice against it.

Is a pumpkin a squash or a gourd? I seem to remember it might be a berry? Anyway, you might be getting your hands into something deep. (Sorry.)Whatever you have to do, get the pumpkin and make this bread.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Coffee Cup Muffins--same recipe

 Lots of folks like it with cream cheese. I like it with butter... or plain. You choose. I've tweaked it over the years from THE FANNY FARMER BAKING BOOK, which is one of my very favorite baking books of all time. Might be out of print (I think it is), but you can probably get a copy from Amazon.com used. If so, get it. Original recipe calls for dates and walnuts; I still do that, too. Have some in the freezer like that right now.

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Alyce's Pumpkin Bread

makes 2 9x5" loaves

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Preheat oven to 350 F.

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In a bowl, mix

1/2 c dried cranberries

1/2 c raisins

1 c hot water (You'll drain them in a minute.)

Set aside.

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In another bowl, mix 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1 t all-purpose flour; Set aside.

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Grease and flour your pans. In electric mixer, or in large bowl using hand mixer, beat together

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2/3 c butter, softened

2 c canned pumpkin

4 eggs

2 1/2 c sugar

2/3 c milk (I like low-fat evaporated)

Drain and add the 1/2 c ea cranberries and raisins (see above)

Stir in: 1/2 c chopped walnuts

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On top of liquid ingredients add:

3 1/3 c flour

2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

3/4 ground cloves

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Mix the dry ingredients together on top of the wet and then gently mix together until flour is just barely incorporated.

Add floured chocolate chips (from the start of the recipe) and mix well.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake about 60 minutes (test at 50).

Test by inserting skewer or toothpick into middle of bread. Bread is done when skewer comes out almost clean. Let sit on rack in pans five minutes before turning out onto rack to cool completely. When very cool, wrap well in aluminum foil. Store in frig up to one week and in freezer for up to two months.

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Makes nice muffins, too. Bake at 400 in greased tins for 15-17 min.

Great for Thanksgiving on the cheese tray before dinner.

Nice holiday gift in small pans. Bake 20-30 min. 350 F.

Happy Halloween, my friends. It's wonderful whatever the weather.

This blog is dedicated to my friend, 'Lena, who adores this bread.

I LOVE FALL-----------------------------------------------------------------

Sing a new song--pull out the Peanuts Pumpkin Carols...great Halloween lyrics to traditional Christmas tunes.

Alyce

p.s. I've included a video of some of today's weather and it's sideways. I'll try and upload it again and see if it rights itself. You'll get the idea anyway!

  photos added 9/2012

Italian Beef Sandwiches and "I Yam What I Yam Fries"

"Please make me," said the Italian Beef.

You can make a bunch and feed a lot of people and make them all happy. You can feed just two of you and freeze some for later. Whatever you do, just get a pot going and make this "I'm so happy I came" Italian Beef. Definitely a head-shaking, eye-rolling lip-smacker. You probably have the picture. Great for the weekend after Thanksgiving or the holiday office potluck.

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Is Italian beef really Italian? I’m not sure I know, but where I grew up in Chicago, it was sliced thinly with a bit of heat and a lot of spice and garlic, piled high on a great piece of baguette (we didn’t know that word; I’m sure we said ‘Italian bread’) and served with marinated vegetables (giardiniera) or maybe just pepperocini, which is what I prefer. I grew up eating this whenever I could get it and, when I got married, my mother-in-law proudly passed on her recipe. Over the years, it's tweaked itself into something somewhat different....similar, but up the ladder a peg or two flavor-wise.

My childhood Chicago version was wrapped in white paper or in white paper topped with aluminum foil if you were going far. Adored and consumed quickly while hot. If you waited too long to eat it, the juice (ah, the juice!) would seep into the bread’s deepest corners rendering a knife and fork necessary. Still good, but not exactly a sandwich anymore. And juice, lots of it, is a big part of THE Italian Beef Sandwich. Think of French Dip without the dip. Ya gotta have it. I DO like to serve a small side bowl of this spicy broth for dipping in just the same way you serve the au jus for French dips. Cheese? If you must. Only provolone.

Your choice about how to cook this beef. If you’re home, you might like it in the oven; its smells like heaven and people won’t be able to wait to eat what’s in there. “What smells so good in here?” will be the favorite line. Isn’t that what you want to hear? Teenagers might stay home for dinner. If you’re working, throw the mess in a crock-pot and come home able to say, “Dinner’s ready!” These are many people’s favorite words in life.

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Feel free to double or triple the recipe for either two pans in the oven, two crock-pots, or one counter top roaster, such as a Rival. (These come in a few sizes starting at 10 quarts) I purchased one for a frantic Thanksgiving a few years back and use it often as an over-sized crock-pot. At any rate, you then have enough to freeze a couple of meals ahead in two quart containers. Simply take one out in the morning of the day you require a do-nothing dinner, run it under hot water to pop it out and then place it in the large crock-pot that you’ve put a little water into. Turn to low and leave all day. Presto……….dinner.

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Starting out in the morning........................

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Add a little Caesar Salad on the side or try my "I Yam" oven yam fries; I've included the recipe after the one for the beef.

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Italian Beef Sandwiches
Serves 6 -8

Ingredients:

5 pounds (approx.) Beef rump roast or top round
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (can use more, but broth can be salty)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons each dried oregano and basil (you need this much or more)
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
5 cups beef broth, low-sodium
1 cup red wine (can make it 6 c beef broth if you don’t care for wine; you can also use white wine)
2 stalks celery cut into large chunks; 2 carrots peeled and cut in thirds

1 large onion, quartered
Pepperocini
Sliced provolone (opt)
8-10 small baguettes, hard rolls such as Kaiser rolls, or sliced Italian bread, toasted

Directions:

Rub beef roast with salt, pepper and garlic.* Place in 6 qt crock-pot and cover with oregano, basil, marjoram and red pepper. Pour broth and wine over all and add celery and onion. Set crock-pot on low and cook 5-6 hours until tender (1 hr more at altitude) but not falling apart. (Or roast in oven, covered, at 350 about 4-5 hrs) To eat today: Remove beef from broth; let sit while you strain the broth, discarding celery and onions. Place a ladle full of strained broth in each of six small cups; return remainder to crock-pot. Slice beef thinly and add to broth in crock-pot. To eat later (best because the flavors marry overnight and you can slice cold meat more easily): Cool meat in strained broth; ; store in frig. Slice cold beef very thinly and return to covered pot. Re-heat gently in oven at 350 F for 30-40 min. Serve with toasted baguette or sliced Italian bread and pepperocini on plates with bowls of broth for dipping. Add provolone cheese to sandwich if desired.

*At this point, you can brown the meat on all sides in a Dutch oven with a small amount of oil or bacon grease but, while this improves the taste, it is not absolutely necessary and adds 10-15 min. to the preparation time in the morning. Do it night before and have it ready to go if it makes a big difference for you.

"I Yam What I Yam Fries"

Serves 6

Ingredients:

8 medium yams, peeled and cut into 1/2" x 3" segments

3-4T canola oil

1/4 t ground cayenne (or to taste)

1/2 t Vietnamese cinnamon

1/2 t Kosher salt

1/4 t freshly-ground pepper

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Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss cut yams with oil and spices. Spread out onto a large, rimmed baking sheet (2 if needed) and bake until crispy at ends--45 min to an hour. Do not over cook.

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Wine: Chianti or another inexpensive Italian red. Nothing pricey.

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Dessert: Pick up some cannolis if you have a source. If you have a pizzelle maker, you can make cannolis yourself. Or, for a group, spumoni and biscotti is a perfect ending.

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Current reading: MANHOOD FOR AMATEURS, by Michael Chabon

Current Listening: Regina Spektor: "far"

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-----------------------Cooks Against Hunger............................................................

While we love to cook and share time with families and friends, it's sometimes not so easy to think of how many people are hungry right now in our world.

The current number stands at about 1 billion, 35.5 million of which are in the United States. In the U.S., 12.6 million, out of the 35.5 million, are children.

16,000 children die world-wide every day due to hunger-related causes.

What can we do?

• Each of us can begin, on our own, by not wasting food. In our world, statistics vary, but often quoted numbers note 25-30% of the food produced is thrown away.
• Volunteer at your local soup kitchen or food pantry.
• Keep the food in your own kitchen pantry up to date. Clean out your cabinets now and take the extra food to church or the local food pantry.
• Donate money there for meat, perishables and things food stamps don't buy.
• Check out bread.org (website for Bread for the World, a Christian Voice for Ending Hunger) for facts and for ideas for helping in your community or place of worship.
• Or, for other information and for places to support financially, go to

charitywatch.org
and check the listings under HUNGER for an organization you might want to support. Go to that website for information on donations or volunteering.
What else? Comment here for thoughts to share with fellow cooks.
It's snowing outside my window and I am blessed indeed to be warm and well-fed. I had the great privilege to worship in a safe place and hear the Word brought beautifully. My family treated me to a birthday lunch out and what is better than sitting next to your grandson in a restaurant booth?

When the cold winds blow and you've got two or ten that'll be hungry, pull out this recipe. In fact, get a rump roast or two the next time you see them on sale. Freeze them and be ready to make this beef. You won't be sorry and.. you'll be smiling as you draw the smell deeply into your nostrils and breathe...Italian Beef!

Sing a new song; make a hot sandwich,

Alyce

Scallops with Asparagus and Couscous in 15

Faster than a speeding bullet......

" " pizza delivery.....

" " going for burgers

" " cheese sandwich...well, not faster than a cheese sandwich

First of all, I'm just not about speed in cooking or anything else. If I can't take my time about whatever it is, I'm generally not interested. And, I adore slow-cooking. I'm never happier than if something is braising away in the oven for hours on end while I...while I.. while I...

• iron linen napkins
  
• look at my husband
  
• throw the ball for the golden retriever
  
• watch old movies (or MSNBC--I'm a politics junky)
  
• walk
  
• talk to a friend
  
• have lunch with a book
  
• make candy
  
• listen to "Fresh Air" on NPR
  
• play the piano or listen to someone else do it better
  
• go shopping (if someone else is home to watch the oven)
  
• run down to Coaltrain and see what's new
  
• write a letter (Yes, I write letters. I write something to my daughter
  snailmail every single week. Well, I try.)

But, once in a while I take a lesson, run to the grocery, run home to teach a lesson, do three more loads of wash....(Ok. Where does it come from? There are only two of us. Can't we wear dirty clothes?)

On those days, I'm desperate for something for dinner. And, yes, I could have wine and cheese (I almost typed "swine." I have that, too, occasionally.) I could have a grilled cheese and tomato soup. I could order out. Or, I could "throw something together" like grilled scallops and asparagus with couscous cooked with yellow raisins and onions.

If I know I'm going to be desperate, even on a cold and blustery fall day, I search for desperate food at the store on my way home. What looks good, doesn't cost a fortune, and, here's the hard part, sounds good to me? In this case, my husband had to eat, too--so I couldn't just consider my desires. He's not picky and will eat anything but tuna casserole, and I have to confess that once in a while, I'll buy a frozen tuna casserole just for me. For lunch. Over a whole can of green beans. Ah, confessions.

Today, I grabbed asparagus, 2 for $3.00. (Like my friend Sue, I'll pay nearly anything for asparagus anyway.) I checked the meat counter for specials (Lamb chops are quick, but they're rarely on sale to coin a phrase.) No on-sale tiny steaks. Chicken was on sale (when isn't it) and I had no desire for it. I've given up boneless breasts for humane and political reasons and the rest would take too long. Hmm. Fish? My store doesn't have the best fish market and, to tell the truth, the dolt serving the counter was texting ... who? I don't know. Luckily, someone else saw me waiting. "Can I help you?" Scallops, fresh, were $11.99 a pound. Not a great price for 4 or 6, but not bad for 1 or 2 in a real hurry.

Home again, home again. Teach, have tea with great student. Husband home. Dinner?

GAME PLAN

---------------Things you need are in green---------------

Make couscous. (I like the kind with olive oil and garlic)

Heat 1 1/3 c (1 1/4 at sea level) water to boiling. Meantime, in 2 qt saucepan, saute 1/2 red onion, chopped and 1/3 c golden raisins in 2 T olive oil with kosher salt and pepper. When onion is soft, add couscous and water. Cover for 5-7 minutes. 5 at sea level; 7 at altitude. Fluff with fork when done. Keep warm in pan covered.

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Grill asparagus and scallops.

Meantime, heat grill pan, brushed with olive oil, over medium heat to make scallops and asparagus. Add 1# asparagus (washed and trimmed). Co0k about 1 minute and push to perimeter. Add towel-dried 1# scallops. Salt and pepper all. Turn asparagus several times; turn scallops once when medium-brown grill marks on first side--after about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper all on this side. Cook another 2 minutes or so and test scallops for doneness. They should give slightly to the touch; you don't want them well-done... just cooked through is more like it. You can take a sharp knife and check the inside. It should be just barely opaque and still juicy.

Put it together

Place about 1 cup of couscous on each plate. Top with 3-4 scallops and a few asparagus spears. Squeeze lemon over scallops and asparagus. Eat while hot.

(Serves 2)

15 minutes... total... maybe-------------------------Why go out?

For gluten free, omit couscous and sub salad and gluten-free bread.

Wine: California Chardonnay

Sigh... You can fix this for friends another night. You know how to do it now.

Oh, and you'd better set the table and pour the water and wine before you begin!

Sing a new song while you love the scallops, even in the cold and snow---

Alyce

Peach Amaretto Bread Pudding

I don't know how they do it, but for the last couple of weeks Idaho and Utah orchards have still been shipping peaches to Colorado. Of course, we are very taken with our own western-slope peaches (gone for over a month by now) and our small, but delectable selection of irrigated Penrose apples, but when you can't get local and the brought-in stuff is still firmly-fleshed and sweetly calling, you eat them for breakfast with Greek yogurt every morning until............until there are no more.

Every day or two, I buy some plums (upcoming blog dessert) and see if there are still peaches and, so far, there are. I put a few in a great ceramic bowl in my sunlit living room and leave them steam a bit for a couple of days, et voila, just juicy peaches are available one more time. I've never seen a fall like that before. In fact, I just got back from Minnesota, where a friend said they had no good peaches at all late summer or early fall. Colorado blessed.

(Here's the new view (above) from my front stoop... Pike's Peak to the west.

With the help of Mike next door, we got out those old junipers that blocked our coffee hour sights.)

One night, roasting a chicken for dinner, I thought about making a peach dessert. I had some leftover hard rolls that I could have given to the birds out back, but decided something could be done with a bread pudding of some sort. Custardy things are my husband's things and I'm always looking for new ones. It didn't take long to come up with a flavored bread pudding with fruit that baked in my lower oven as the chicken roasted and sat a while, exhaling, while we ate.

You could do it with apples (Calvados instead of Amaretto?) or plums (Brandy?); use your imagination. I know I've tried apples with no liquor at all--just cinnamon and some vanilla. Luscious.

(Gab--enjoying the cool air.)

A touch of late summer............ in mid-fall.

Invite a friend for dessert!

Peach-Amaretto Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

2 large hard rolls, cut into ½” slices and buttered
2 large peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced into 1/3” pieces

3 extra large eggs
1 ½ -1 ¾ cups milk
1/8 c Amaretto liqueur
1 t cinnamon (Vietnamese is good)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter 2 qt round casserole and set aside.
In medium bowl, beat eggs and add remaining ingredients. Beat well.

Layer bread and peaches in casserole dish and pour egg mixture over all, stirring just a bit to make sure all ingredients are wet. If some bread/peaches are sticking out on top, it’s fine.

Bake 60-70 min. until edges are crispy, but bread is still tender. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Can also be served at room temperature or cold.

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Wine: I had a bit of Amaretto in my coffee, but you could do Moscato d'Asti, a late-harvest Riesling or perhaps a small, light port.

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What else: We had chicken roasted with squash and a saute of Swiss Chard. The entire dinner menu, with recipes will soon be up on my new blog, "Dinner Place," which will be a spot for more complicated and time consuming recipes for special occasions or just days when you have more time to cook. Watch for

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dinnerplace.blogspot.com

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Just a bit of fun news: This week, I'm testing soups to go with Stony Hill '04 Chardonnay. Our wine group gathers this Friday night up in the mountains with a great selection of Stony Hill wines for a long tasting and boocoo courses. (I have the third course, the second of three whites.) Someone sweet, from the winery, is coming to share the meal and talk big about wine. So far, I've tried an ultra cool Lentil Soup with a Pumpkin-Crab Custard in the middle..my own invention and... well, while it's very tasty..... it needs tweaking to pair with that Chard. After tasting the '02 today, I'm reworking the broth entirely. Soon, it'll be called "Gentle Lentil, " I think. Why not? Watch the Dinner Place to see the process blogged; I may have even gotten decent pictures.

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I'd love to know if you like the new template. Click on "Comments" below.

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Sing a new song; blog a new blog, sip a new soup..........

Alyce