Bookclub Bites

Before anything... Go and get American Grace at www.charitysunshine.com. It drops tomorrow and it's gonna be epic.

Now...

A recipe request from Paige:

Kimber's Stuffed Figs*

A dozen figs

aged English cheddar with truffles (not too spendy from Trader Joe's!)
honey from Dave's hive on the roof (I suppose honey from a jar would work in a *pinch*)

chèvre 

balsamic vinegar reduction

prosciutto 

flower pepper to garnish

1. Slice figs in half, longways. If you're feeling ambitious, grill them, seeded side down on a hot, lightly greased pan with a sprinkling of sugar for about 30 seconds.

2. Place about a teaspoon of cheese on each fig -- 12 with truffled cheddar and 12 chèvre. 

3. Drizzle balsamic reduction** on figs with chèvre and top with strips of prosciutto.

4. Garnish cheddar figs with local honey. 

5. Grind flower pepper over the whole yummy lot of them.

6. Eat one or two before your guests arrive, so they don't feel bad taking the first gorgeous morsel, which actually might taste even better than it looks.

7. Impress everyone.

*edited to include the REAL recipe -- nice try, Charity!
**reduction: a cup of balsamic vinegar with a half cup of sugar on medium heat until it reduces in volume by 50%

Cheese please!

The Tillemann-Dick family has a thing for cheese. We just really like it - and seem to eat it all the time. Over spring break I decided to put together a few cheese boards for a little gathering we had at our house. 

The results were good. Really good. So I thought I'd share : )

Whenever I contemplate a cheese board (<--a great activity, by the way), I like to find something to put on the crackers/bread which isn't cheese. Golden syrup, tapenade, chutney, jam, pesto, and honey all work well!

I love Goat Cheese, but sometimes it's a little bland on its own. I like to roast nuts (almonds, pistachios, pine nute - you name it!) and press them onto the outside of the log. It tastes wonderful and makes the cheese board look a little more interesting, too.

I also like to add extra things to nibble on. A little ramekin filled with (in our case vegan) smoked apple sage sausage is always a hit. Dried fruit is a wonderful addition, too!

As are roasted hazelnuts and pistachios.

Sharp Asiago, Mild Jarlsberg, Soft Golden Syrup, Rich Dates, Irish Cheddar with Porter Beer, Smooth Goat Cheese with Roasted Almond Crust.

Like Goat Cheese, Brie is a wonderful cheese to dress up. For this one Glorianna roasted some pecans in brown sugar and butter and poured them on top.
Yum.

Raspberry curd was a new discovery for us. It. is. amazing. And extra delicious with the Candied Pecan Brie.

I think the best cheese boards have a variety of colors, textures, shapes and sharpness - and allow for a bunch of different combinations. But, if you like what you're putting on the plate, you really can't go wrong! 

Crusty Peasant Bread

Last November, a wonderful friend taught me how to make this magical bread. It's crazy good, and super simple; it only requires four ingredients! We whipped up four loaves yesterday; they were scrumptious. Do yourself a favor and make some TONIGHT! 

Recipe after the jump

Go Green!

Now, I'm no football fan, but I do love a good Cinderella story, so, huzzah for happy endings! And even though I wasn't watching the big game last night, we did have lots of good company for a yummy meal that just happened to be an appropos shade of victorious green.

Check out these adorable vintage Packers -- I think I'm in love!
Green Green Butter

2 sticks butter, softened

1 large bunch parsley

a handful of spinach

1/2 cup green Greek olives (pitted)

zest of one whole lemon

juice of one half lemon

Kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

Put it all in a VitaMix or food processor and whirl until smooth and very green. It is so bright and fresh and tangy in the most delicious way. We stirred about 1/3 of this into 2 lbs of steaming orzo mixed with 2 lbs of baby spinach and 14 oz good feta (I'm a big fan of Dodoni), then put the rest on the table to dollop on roasted tilapia and balsamic glazed carrots. The leftovers, (pictured below. Apparently, Fast Sunday appetites are not conducive to laborious pre-meal foodie glamour shots -- Sorry!), would be delicious on everything from zucchini to shrimp to turkey sandwiches to cardboard.

What I love

Food

Family

Fondant

Friends

Fun

Sisters! Who I have chosen to include even though doing so ruins the alliterative nature of this post...now that's love. 

We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas. We caught up with lots of old friends and made many new ones; we devoured copious quantities of delectable foodstuffs, sang countless carols, and whacked around a good old fashioned piñata. It really couldn't have been much better--except for one thing--or rather three things. Three of the siblings were absent--including our beloved sister, One! Though we still had fun, it just wasn't the same without you, One.  

Salsa Colorado

I've become a big fan of Salsa Verde, or "Green Salsa.” Related to Gooseberries, the tomatillos used to make it look like Chinese lanterns with green tomatoes inside. This year, I was in charge of cranberry sauces. I was a little tired of the typical cranberry incarnations, so I exchanged highly acidic tomatillos for cranberries, added a little extra sugar, water and voila! Salsa Colorado -- not only because I love my home state (I do) but because Colorado means "red," which this tangy topping is. You can use fewer or more jalapenos, depending on how hot you like things. This recipe will give your Salsa an initial kick, but it should only be medium hot.


1 bag fresh cranberries
1 bunch cilantro
1 1/2 roasted jalapeños
1 roasted yellow pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 red onion
1 medium pinch salt
Zest of one lime

Blacken jalapeños and bell pepper on a gas stove or in a broiler. Meanwhile, make a syrup with lime juice, water and sugar by boiling together for 2 minutes. Remove peppers from the oven. Remove stems and skins, as possible. Put everything in a blender or food processor and pulverize. If needed, thin with equal parts lime juice and water. Also feel free to add salt and sugar to taste. Eat with tofu, turkey, chips, or whatever might be lying around needing something to make it more interesting.

What's long, hard, and scatters warm white deliciousness when things heat up?*

Popcorn on the cob, of course!

Momo, Two, Four, and Brother Z discovered this quirky treat when traveling through the emerald prairies of western Ohio. Popcorn on the cob adds an extra dose of novelty to an already enjoyable activity -- who doesn't love to soak up waves of radiation staring at an expanding popcorn bag through a gloriously translucent microwave door? And listening to the frantic shots of those tiny kernels bursting into clouds of salty goodness? Unbeatable. We buttered the popcorn cob and put it into a paper bag before nuking it, but there are many different ways to skin this cat. . . I mean cob.


Get some ears of popcorn (and some tips for preparing it) here

*I apologize to anyone who was anticipating a. . . happier ending to this post. We're not that kind of blog