You’ll be wanting this Saturday when you can’t stand to eat another turkey sandwich. Throw all that leftover turkey in a soup and call it chicken noodle soup. You’ll be happy, fooled, and filled with something other than a turkey sandwich. Chicken works beautifully the other 363 days of the year. Read more
Thanksgiving is next week. And pie is kind of a must. (Apple for me!) So now that we’ve got the pie basics covered, it’s time to kick it up a notch, and show that crust some love. Sure you can throw another rolled out crust on top and call it a day, as seen here. Or you can impress your guests with a fancy crust. If you choose option B, don’t fear. Perfection is not the name of the game with these two techniques. Perfectly imperfect, aka rustic, is more like it. People will think you slaved away all day on the pie. Go ahead, let them think what they want. Read more
I was inspired to make mini chicken pot pies after seeing these lovely little things. It just so happened that I had some pie dough laying around. Go figure. And it just so happened that Sur la Table opened up down the street. They were selling mini pie pans. Go figure. Read more
Savory. It tastes like a warm home. Like familiar people gathered around a large table. Like all is right with the world.
Savory. I repeated the word multiple times while eating this dish. I quickly became lost in the whispers of sage, thyme, and nutmeg—spices I usually reserve for Thanksgiving dinner. Prior to indulging, the aroma of roasted acorn squash poured out from the oven filling all 800 sq ft of our home with autumn goodness. I was smitten before it ever hit my mouth. Actually, I was smitten after seeing her pumpkin risotto. I knew I had to make it–only instead of pumpkin, using the acorn squash I had picked up from the farmers market earlier that day. Read more
Are you appled out yet? This makes for the fourth straight apple post. I think I’m close, if not ready, to move on to other food groups besides apple. But before the curtains close, I must give the apple crisp the spotlight it deserves. Read more
Apple Hand Pies. You hold ’em in your hand. No plate or utensil required. They’re stuffed with a cinnamon-y sweet apple compote. The dough is so flaky you’ll be sure to shed some crumbs (flaky is good). If you look at them close enough you’ll see a smile matching the reflection in the mirror. There’s adequate crust for every last bite. And a tinge of crunch from the coarse sugar on top. Oh, how I love apple hand pies. Read more
Last fall I froze a ton of fresh pumpkin, which is now sitting alongside the fresh cranberries I froze from the winter before. I have this tendency to think that I’m going to want seasonal produce year around. So I stock up like the overly zealous squirrels down the street. At the beginning of the month, I had 4 servings of pumpkin to use before I’d allow myself to buy more pumpkins. So I made pumpkin bread as soon as the summer temperatures dropped. And then [insert dramatic pause] I came across a recipe for pumpkin oreo tarts from Lauren’s Latest. Read more
Fall has definitely settled in to Chicago. There’s a chill in the air. At least enough of one to make soup. I love soup. Wait, I should take that back. I love hearty chunky soups. Pureed soups are OK. But hearty chunky soups—they make my fall and winter go round.
We have a couple soups up our sleeve, but taco soup is one of our faves. Typically, because we have everything on hand to make it. It’s time you know—I’m not much of a meal planner. A couple posts ago, I told you that I love routine, which I do. But I also love organized spontaneity. Oxymoron, I know. Here’s how it works—I love routine, but I hate meal planning. It’s a little too planned for me. Make sense? I didn’t think so. But somehow it works for us. So, everyday I come home from work to scavenge the fridge and cupboards (such an old school term, but we don’t have a pantry) in hopes that an idea for dinner will pop into my head. Read more