HOLIDAY GOODS

Sara Forte · December 12, 2013

"Have yourself a merry little christmas, let your heart be light"... you know that song lyric? It keeps replaying in my head as I'm already starting to feel stressy about a few more gifts I need, how expensive this season is, the full calendar to keep straight. I can keep my heart from feeling light, when indeed it very well should be as we surround ourselves with cards in the mail, giving, service, parties, family, friends visiting and lights. I'm taking a break from work, heading out to walk near the sea to calm the chaos and noise in my head. Hope you find your peace this month too - to stop and feel it cover you.

I venture to guess you've seen your fair share of gift guides by now, but I still wanted to throw one out there for the last minute shopper. I enjoy giving and receiving gifts, but I am not so great at thinking of ideas. I go for practical, which only speaks to a certain person (read: me). Looking through other peoples' favorite things gives me better ideas. This is a mash up of tools I love, things I want and fun gift ideas, and a couple picks from Hugh at the end. We'll chime in with another edible item next week, but until then, may your heart be light.

1. Benriner Mandoline - I have owned four mandolines. Three have been donated to friends, this is the one I'll keep forever. The negative reviews are that it's sharp and can take a finger off. Sold.

2. Stone Cold Fox Robes - So much classysexiness. That's a word. I have the white. I love the rose print and black.

3. Marge Granola - There are so many sweets going around, this top-notch granola makes a perfect edible gift. I would get the three pack because you will want to keep a box for yourself.

4. Pallares Kitchen Shears - I've had my eye on these scissors for months (maybe a year now?) since Heidi opened her beautiful shop. I don't know if I can swallow the price tag for a pair scissors I likely won't treat as gingerly as they deserve, but I still dream of them.

5. Real Deal Vanilla - Quality vanilla, adorable packaging, and the perfect stocking stuffer for any level cook. Everyone needs vanilla. The good kind.

6. Tiny Beautiful Things - Forever and always a Cheryl Strayed fan, this book is beautiful, with stories that can reach nearly anyone. It has been referred to and gifted often.

7. Quince and Apple Syrups - For cocktail making or spritzing up pregnant-lady-sparkle-water on the rocks. I like the Tart Cherry and Rhubarb Hops.

8. Baggu Dipped Tote - I wanted to order one for my sister, seems the perfect farmers' market bag. They are out of stock for a little but the right person may be alright with an IOU. Baggu makes an excellent quality bag.

Hugh's Contrbutions:

9. Aeropress - This little press is what initially perked my interest in coffee a few years back (beyond it being a hot, caffienated beverage). It's quick, easy to clean, travel friendly, and can yield a great little cup of coffee.

10. Porlex Mini Hand Mill - If you don't have one, a decent grinder is a great first step towards better coffee. This isn't the best mill money can buy, but it's affordable, works well, and bonus: fits snugly inside the Aeropress for modular travel packing!

11. Shantaram - This is, arguably, the best book I have ever read. Click the "Look Inside" link on the Amazon page and read the first page.

12. The Problem of Pain - This is the other book that's involved in the above-mentioned argument. Incredibly powerful and deeply relatable.

Print This Recipe

Dessert, Winter, Gluten Free

PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM

Sara Forte · December 3, 2013

First off, thank you for the sweet notes from last posts' news. I was so excited to tell you people and your congrats and affirmation exceeded my expectation - thank you!

I wish there was a way for me to make you a dairy-free based peppermint ice cream - for you and me both actually - but this is just a flavor that I can't translate to the coconut based sort. I will point you towards this mint chip which looks fabulous if there is a dairy allergy or intolerance. True peppermint ice cream should only come out around the holidays, if you ask me. It's something sacredly seasonal like egg nog or reindeer on the lawn. I love it more because I don't have it year round. My grandparents used to bring us over a big styrofoam container of it from a local ice cream shop when it came out for the season. I get my ice cream fondness from my PopPop, who has since passed. The ice cream had little specks of red and green throughout from the peppermint candies - the element that sets peppermint and mint chip apart. My whole family loves the flavor, but it still reminds me of my grandparents. The brands that offer peppermint at the market are either chock full of crap ingredients or pricey for a tiny pint we would eat all too quickly. 'Tis the season for special treats.

Trees! Holiday tunes! Bundling and looking at lights! Hope this beautifully crazy month has started off well for you all.

PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM // Makes 1 quart-ish

Base recipe adapted from David Lebovitz' Mint Chip

I use the peppermint candies from Trader Joes. They don't have any coloring or corn syrup in them, so seem the least junky option for a peppermint candy. The cornstarch is optional here, but I've been adding it ever since I tried the Jeni's method. She uses it to reduce the amount of ice crystals in the mix, and while I am using a custard base here, not her eggless one, I figure it can't hurt. Don't challenge my science, just know it's optional.

5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Set a large glass bowl above a pot of simmering water, not letting the bottom of the bowl touch the water line. Add the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl and stir occasionally until the sugar has mostly dissolved the the yellow has paled in color. About 5 minutes. Set the bowl aside.

Mix 1/4 cup of the milk with the cornstarch and set aside to dissolve. Empty the water from the pot, put the remaining milk and cream in the pot over medium heat and warm until bubbles form on the outer edges. Slowly add the warm cream to the yolks, stirring as you add. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and the peppermint extract.

Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably closer to three.

Put the mixture in an ice cream maker and churn according to instructions. In the last minute, add the peppermint candies. Take a bite, if its not quite minty enough for you, add another splash of extract. Transfer the mixture to a container for the freezer, and freeze for at least a few hours to firm up.

Top it with hot fudge, chocolate cookies, inbetween cookies for an ice cream sandwhich etc.

Print This Recipe

Appetizer, Side, Salad, Fall, Entrée, Gluten Free, Personal

AUTUMN SALAD WITH HORSERADISH VINAIGRETTE + NEWS!

Sara Forte · November 14, 2013

Autumn Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette . Sprouted Kitchen

I'm pregnant! We're pregnant is what you say, I suppose, but I'm the one in the stretchy pants over here. So many things to say about this, friends, but I'm at a loss for words at the same time. This may be more of a generally-emotional-lady thing, so bear with me, but you know when you feel outside of yourself? Like little crazy trolls are frantic in your head making you irritable and easily bringing you to tears. Sometimes the trolls rest, but I generally feel a little... off. I have another human in my belly and trolls in my mind and I'm in absolute amazement that our bodies make people. I still can't believe it.

I have wanted to be a mom my entire life. I have never once doubted it. I was a big sister, and I mothered my little sister the moment she came home from the hospital. I covered her whole body in diaper cream and bossed her around. I mothered my own mother, too, from time to time. I would ask if she had her purse when we left the house and remind her to get gas when the dash light went. I enjoy taking care of people, I am a nurturer, I ask questions and listen for the answer, I love a really good, meaningful hug and a good cuddle. All I know is that this baby in my tum? I have desired him/her for as long as I can remember.

I'm so excited to be doing this with Hugh. He will be so good at being a dad. That is one of the things I am most excited to watch. I'm aware we're both imperfect people, figuring things out as we go, and I'm ok raising a family without having everything together. That's something I hope our child sees in us early on - that you do the best you can to love people well. You give and listen and compromise and work hard and stay present and use good manners and be honest and soak up the worlds' beauty, but remain aware that we're fallen people just doing our best, and you are completely loved anyway. I am so freaking excited to love this person. I tear up when I think of meeting you, baby. Every time. Do you feel me rub my belly when I get up to go to the bathroom 100x through the night? I just want you to know I'm thinking of you. I giggle to myself that there will now be another person to observe our quirkyness. I hope we don't completely embarrass it, even though that sounds inevitable if I remember my teen years correctly. Hugh and I are silly and laugh a lot and we're a little bit weird, but we have the greatest time. Gah! I am so excited this little person will be joining the silly. We've been waiting for people to join our home office dance party. It's only a matter of time now, baby.

So here we are. A precious baby coming end of May. Thank you for your patience while things have been a bit slow around here. I am not getting much cooking done, unfortunately. I am currently in a bean and cheese burrito phase. This is only after we've passed through cold cereal (there are so many types!), french fries, a fruit-heavy week, and a very short (gasp) cheeseburger stint. I feel a little outside myself and somehow wonderfully confident that we are as ready as we can be for this. With full hearts... Sara, Hugh and the nugget.

P.S.

It needs to be said that getting pregnant was not easy for us. It took longer than we expected. We had some tests done, and we were told that we wouldn't be able to conceive on our own without alternative methods... which turned out not to be the case, thankfully. That season weighed heavy on my heart - something I wanted to talk about here but it didn't feel quite right. My heart is so tender for the woman who desires a child and is having a tough time getting pregnant. One month or two years of hoping, waiting and being disappointed, only to run the cycle again - not enough people talk about how that feels. Lady, huge hugs to you. You feel defeated, like your body is failing you, that it is SO EASY for everyone else. It doesn't feel any better when people tell you, "It will happen when it's supposed to happen," that just makes you feel more frustrated and want to punch them in the face. I may be on the other side for now, but I wanted to express some empathy for this group because it's a dark place to be and it feels super lonely. My suggestion to you is to find people - even when it seems easy for everyone else, I guarantee you there is someone else having a tough time or another woman who has a story. Talk about it, find a confidant, it will help keep your head above water.

AUTUMN SALAD WITH HORSERADISH VINAIGRETTE // Serves 6

This is a deconstruction for my sister. She had a similar salad at True Food Kitchen(side note, they have a gorgeous cookbook) and asked me to replicate it so she could bring it to Thanksgiving. The original had dried mulberries in it, and I think you could sub in cranberries or cherries, but I skipped this. I would consider the amount here a moderate addition of horseradish in the dressing. If you like a kick, want a more forward flavor, add more. There is no dairy in this salad as written, but next time, I'll be adding a generous sprinkling of parmesan on top and a dollop of creme fraiche to the dressing. 'Tis the season :)

3/4 lb. brussel sprouts
3/4 lb. cauliflower florets
3 cups butternut squash, in 1/2'' cubes
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. white balsamic
3/4-1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
few pinches of cayenne
1 cup cooked white beans (great northern, cannellini etc.), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
2 packed cups arugula
1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 large clove garlic
1/2 a shallot
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. each sea salt and pepper, to taste
handful of fresh chives and/or parsley
dollop of creme fraiche, optional

Preheat the oven to 400'. Cut the brussels in half length wise, and cut the cauliflower into similar size chunks. Add both of these and the squash to a large rimmed baking tray. Drizzle the vegetables with the olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, nutmeg and few pinches of cayenne and toss everything together with your hands to coat. Roast in the upper third of the oven for 35 minutes until edges are browned.

While the vegetables roast, make your dressing. In a mini blender or processor, combine the horseradish, garlic, shallot, honey, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, herbs and creme fraiche, if using. Blend everything together to mix well. taste for salt and pepper and set aside.

As soon as the hot tray is out of the oven, add the beans onto the tray and toss everything together. Allow the vegetables to cool to room temperature. Add the pom seeds, arugula and a good drizzle or the dressing and toss everything to coat. Sprinkle with a little parmesan if you please.

This salad is served at room temperature, could be served cold as well if you chill the roasted vegetables.

Print This Recipe

SPROUTED KITCHEN COOKBOOKS

cooking club