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11/24/2007 Holiday Baking is in Full Swing Made these two loaves of bread for Thanksgiving. They are already gone - one eaten Thanksgiving morning, the other tucked away in my Dad's freezer. They mark the official opening of the holiday baking season!
  Cranberry Vinaigrette I first made this dressing and gave it as part of my annual cookie basket (filled with more than just cookies) for my family several years ago. This year my Dad asked if I'd make it for our Thanksgiving dinner. So I made up a couple batches - enough for dinner with "leftovers" to leave with my Dad and my sister who was also at T-day dinner.
This recipe is from a really great cookbook (you'll love all the recipes!), Dishing with Kathy Casey: Food, Fun, and Cocktails from Seattle's Culinary Diva. If you are looking for a holiday gift for someone who loves to cook this is a good option!!
Cranberry Vinaigrette
Place cranberries, sugar and vinegar in small saucepan and heat over medium heat until cranberries pop, 5 - 10 minutes.
Let cranberries cool slightly and then transfer to a blender. Puree (being careful to make sure the top doesn't pop off if they are still warm) the mixture until fairly smooth - there will still be pieces of bright red skin. Add the mustard and orange juice and lightly mix.
Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Slowly, slowly add the oil while continuously whisking until all oil has been incorporated and the mixture is emulsified.
Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.
 * Use any sort of orange-flavored citrus you have on hand. For this most recent batch I used tangerine juice and it was great! 11/16/2007 Shopping Online this Holiday Season?If you are an online shopper here is a site you may want to check out: Non-Profit Shopping Mall
The way this site works is that you choose a charity (there are over 70 including America's Second Harvest and Share our Strength) and then you shop from a selection of 125 retailers. A portion of each sale goes to the charity you've chosen. You still pay the same price as you would if you went directly to the site and right up front it tells you what percentage of your purchase goes to the charity. The lowest percentage I saw was .5% and the highest 10%, with most being in the 2% -5% range. While those percentages may not sound like much, even .5% can add up to a significant amount with enough sales.
It's up to you to do your homework to check out the non-profits to determine "worthiness" and up to you to decide if you think the retailer's deal is something you want to participate in. But if you are spending the money anyway..... 11/14/2007 Citrus Season Fall also heralds the beginning of citrus season. Yes, in our current world economy we can get citrus nearly year round. And no, citrus is not grown locally here in the Pacific Northwest (at least not commercially) but I still consider this time of year the local citrus season as the juicy and flavorful fruits from Florida and California become more abundant.
And with that the big 'ol bags of grapefruit are back at Costco! Fresh juice every morning now! 11/12/2007 Flavorful Fall Foods While I always look forward to those first, fresh tastes of spring that eventually turn to the full-flavored summer fruits and vegetable I am especially fond of fall food. It comes with built in memories and the feelings of home, comfort and cozy dinners.
While many of the foods I love are found at Farmers' Markets or, even better, in your own garden many of them are just one step removed from the producer. These are things that local food artisans have incorporated into their offerings. Essential Baking Company has some breads that are specifically found in fall and winter. One of my favorites is the Sweet Perrin made with pears (obviously), figs and hazelnuts.
It lends itself to many variations - sliced and popped directly into the mouth!, toasted with a little sweet butter, covered with a thin layer of cream cheese and thinly sliced pears - the opportunities are endless.
Yesterday I decided it would be great as French Toast - and it was!!! I just used a basic egg/milk combination and added a bit of vanilla. I thought about also adding cinnamon or nutmeg but decided against it, although I think it would be a good idea!
Once cooked I topped it with warm maple syrup and some chopped dry-roasted hazelnuts for a delicious breakfast.
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