White bean salad

Two posts in one day??? What is this madness, you may ask. Well, since I don't have to work, I can cook and then blog about it! Although I'm out of stories for the time being, don't let the brevity of this post fool you. This dish is packed with flavor and very easy. Bon appetit!
Adapted from "Mad Hungry, Feeding Men and Boys"

Ingredients

3 15- ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup chopped or torn fresh dill, mint, or basil (I used dill and was very satisfied with the result)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 scallions

Rose's Vinaigrette (also adapted from "Mad Hungry")

1 tablespoon minced shallot or garlic
1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (the original recipe called for 3/4 teaspoon. I thought this was too salty. Perhaps use the 1/2 teaspoon and add additional salt to taste.)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspooon Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 tablespons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 - Combine the beans in a large bowl with the red onion, parsley, herb of choice, salt, and pepper.
2 - In the bottom of a clean jar, mash together the shallot, mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
3 - Add the vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil.Cover tightly and shake well to combine and emulsify. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4 - Slowly stir in the dressing to taste. Garnish with the scallions. The salad will keep in the fridge for 3 days.

Vinegar glossed chicken

Tonight we returned from a 10-day Christmas vacation, which was joyful, restful, and a lot of fun. Although we had a great time with friends and family, it was nice to return to my home, hearth and most of all, kitchen!

So, I know a lot of people make resolutions this time of year. I've decided to make one about my blog. Well, more like a resolution about my cookbooks. A few years ago I was somewhat of a nomad, first living at my sister's house for a year and then house sitting for two years. So, the majority of my possessions lived in boxes. Opening those dusty and forgotten boxes three years later was like seeing old friends. As expected, the boxes included many a cookbook.  Unfortunately, I have yet to open a majority of these cookbooks, instead opting to find new recipes on the web. My new years resolution is therefore to revisit these long-forgotten resources and of course share their recipes with you!

Of course like all new year's resolutions, I'm not following my resolution exactly. Since it's not the new year yet, I've decided to start by using a cookbook I was given for my birthday last year by cook extraordinaire Keri. Did I tell you that she chose it because I could never make enough food for Justin's appetite? (Hence the name "Mad Hungry.") And yes, the recipes I've tried have satiated him. Success!

As for the chicken shown above, it was easy and incredibly flavorful. I was surprised how much flavor was infused into the chicken by the vinegar, garlic, and rosemary. Anyways, try it for yourself. You won't be disappointed!

Adapted from "Mad Hungry, Feeding Men and Boys"

Ingredients

1 cup best-quality red wine vinegar
2-3 minced garlic cloves (~2 tablespoons)
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped (~1 tablespoon)
5 1/2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces (1 used chicken thighs)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed

1 - At least 15 minutes but up to 2 hour before cooking, combine the vinegar, garlic, and rosemary to marinate.
 2 - Thoroughly season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat a 14-inch skillet (or two smaller skillets) over high heat and swirl in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down. Don't crowd the chicken; leave space around each piece. Work in batches, if necessary. Make sure to take your time with this part. You should hear an immediate sizzle when the chicken hits the pan. Don't move them, as it takes a couple minutes (4-5) to sear the chicken so the skin will release from the pan. Brown all sides (~10 minutes per batch).
3 - Once finished, return chicken to skillet. Add the chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat, simmer, and reduce for 15 -20 minutes. Increase the heat to high and pour in the vinegar mixture. Swirl the pan and stir around as the vinegar evaporates to form a simmering glaze, 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately or reheat with some extra chicken broth.

Cornflake wreath cookies

Every year my sister Jennifer and I lead an intensive cookie baking extravaganza, assisted by dishwasher extraordinaire, err brother in law, Spence. Our maximum number of cookies was 18 some year back. Thankfully we decided to "cut back" this year, deciding to make only 13 delectable kinds. A plate of colorful Christmas cookies is a great way to share Christmas cheer with those around you. Well, unless you're tasked with the job of delivering cookies to shut-ins the morning after the annual hometown pub crawl. Yikes!

Anyways, each family member has his/her "sacred cow" cookie, which cannot be substituted on pain of extended guilt trip. Surprisingly, amid the cherry, chocolate, pecan, and caramel deliciousness, this simple marshmallow cookie that has been made for decades by great aunts and great grandmothers has become my favorite. Now, I usually don't care for marshmallow anything (smores, hot chocolate etc.). Who knows what it is about these cookies; the festive green color (I think we'll try to find an organic food coloring next year if it exists), the cinnamon candies, the fact that it is so darn cute, nostalgia etc. Perhaps we should exclude these delicious morsels next year given the miles and miles I'll have to log running to make up for my extended enjoyment. Oh well, what would Christmas be without a few extra pounds to "celebrate?"

Makes ~2 dozen

1/2 cup butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon green food coloring
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups cornflakes cereal
1 (2.25 ounce) package cinnamon red hot candies

Directions

1. Microwave marshmallows and butter on high for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on high for 2 more minutes. Stir. (This can be done using a double boiler if you don't have a microwave like me.)

2. Add the coloring, extracts, and cornflakes and mix quickly. Drop by rounded spoonfuls on greased waxed paper and decorate with 3 red hots each.

3. Once cool, transfer to a lightly greased serving/storage tray with lightly greased fingers.

Dill Pickles

Probably one of the strongest food-related memories I have is sitting around my grandparents' Formica table and enjoying some of the dill pickles they canned. The best part was the garlic. Now, I'm sure it was everyone's favorite, but they always let Jennifer and me gobble up the cloves at the bottom. Thirty years later and I have yet to identify a recipe that has too much garlic. As Alton Brown says, "garlic doesn't need an excuse." I feel the same way about cumin!

Ah, I digress. So, for the inaugural foodie Santa's Workshop, I decided to try my hand at pickling. I was fortunate to secure a few of my grandparents' canning supplies, which was pretty cool. Too bad I couldn't find their dill pickles recipe. Regardless, this recipe was fabulous! Easy, not too briny, not too much dill. I consider my first foray into picking a success! Now, even though the 13 steps look complicated, it wasn't that difficult.

Adapted from: http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/blue-ribbon-dill-pickles-241139
Labels obtained here: http://www.myownlabels.com/

Ingredients

7 wide-mouth quart jars, lids & rings  (wide mouth jars are much easier to pack)
fresh dill, heads & several inches of stems
cucumbers, washed, scrubbed (request in bulk from farmers market)
1 garlic clove (or more, duh!)

Brine

8 1/2 cups water
2 1/4 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup pickling salt

Directions:

1 - GET ALL OF THIS GOING BEFORE FILLING THE JARS.
2 - Wash 7 quart jars in hot, soapy water (or dishwasher), rinse and fill with hot water; set aside.
3 - Fill canning kettle half-full with hottest tap water; set on burner over high heat.
4 - In a medium saucepan, fit lids and rings together, cover with water, bring to a simmer.
5 - In a large saucepan, bring water, vinegar and salt to boil; turn off the heat; set aside.
6 - FILL JARS: place a layer of dill at the bottom of each jar, along with one garlic clove (if used), then TIGHTLY load the cukes into the jar to the NECK of the jar (depending on size you may get two nice layers with a few small cukes in the top--)---squeeze cukes into the jar tightly--uniform size helps; add a few TINY spriglets of dill at the top, too, and another garlic clove if desired.
7 - Once jars are loaded, pour in the brine leaving half-inch head space in each jar.
8 - Add lid and ring to each jar, tightening evenly (but not too tight).
9 - Place jars into canner with water JUST to the necks of the jars.
10 - Bring water ALMOST to a boil (about 15 minutes--depending on how fast it heats up).
11 - Remove jars, set on a dish towel on the kitchen counter, cover with another dish towel & let cool.
12 - Check for seal (indented lid), label jars or lids, store in cool dark cellar or cupboard.
13 - NOTES: When washing/scrubbing cukes, sort them into piles by size. This really helps make your jars look nicer and makes for easier packing, too.

Sweet and Spicy Almonds

Santa's Workshop has now closed for the season. That is, after I spent an obscene amount of money shipping packages to all corners of the U.S. and depositing 20 or so gift bags around the greater triangle area. All I can say is that it was way better than the knitting sweatshop that I usually "enjoy."

This year I ended up making seven items for mixing and matching: pepper jelly, dill pickles, spicy pickles, orange cardamom Madelaine cookies, sweet and spicy almonds,  orange bitters, and pure vanilla extract. These almonds were by far the biggest hit. (I swore it would be the bitters.) Some thoughts before I share the recipe: find affordable almonds. I bought in bulk from the local co-op and they were EXPENSIVE. Next year I'm going to buy 25 or so lbs online. Also, this recipe is SUPER easy, hence my lack of fear of multiplying it by10 next year. And yes, as several friends mentioned, these almonds are like crack. You've been warned!!!

Original recipe makes 2.5 cups almonds. This is not enough!

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1/4 cup white sugar
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2.5 cups whole almonds
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread the almonds onto a baking sheet, and toast until the nuts start to turn golden brown and become fragrant, about 10 minutes. Watch the nuts carefully as they bake: they burn quickly.
2. Stir together the sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper in a mixing bowl; set aside.
3. Stir together the water, honey, and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to bubble, stir in the toasted almonds until evenly moistened. Pour the almonds into the sugar and spice mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread onto baking sheets in a single layer, and cool to room temperature.