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Another one of my favorite family recipes I thought I would share. It is a very easy week night dinner.  Even the kids like this one, although I must confess I told them the kale was parsley and sliced it small enough that it had a vague resemblance to parsley.

3/4 cup onions, diced 1/8 inch
2 slices of bacon, 1/4-inch diced
1 1/4 teaspoon garlic cloves, minced
6 cups of chicken broth
2 medium potatoes, cut in half length-wise, then cross-cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup of sliced carrots if desired
1/2 cup of sliced celery if desired
2 cups kale cut in half, then cross-cut into 1/16 inch strips
1 1/2 cups mild or spicy Italian sausage links (I prefer chicken Italian Sausage), cut in half length-wise, then cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 to 1 cup heavy whipping cream, I made it with a ½ cup and it was great
1/4 cup minced parsley

-Place sausage link onto sheet pan and bake in 300 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done.
-Place onions and bacon into 3-4 quart saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear.
-Add garlic and cook an additional 1 minute.
-Add chicken broth, potatoes, carrots and celery. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat (back to medium) and simmer for 15 minutes.
-Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 5 more minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through.
-Ladle into bowls and sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

A group of eleven of my friends and I traveled down to South Beach to celebrate that three of us were turning forty.  It was wonderful to take off and fly away from the freezing temperatures and huge piles of dirty snow taking up all the great parking spaces.  South Beach offers all the fun of Las Vegas, minus the gambling, with an amazing beach.  We stayed at a nicer hotel and decided we would just pile in four to a room, Spring Break style.

There are so many things to do in the Miami/South Beach area that the only trouble we occasionally had was organizing everyone.  There are many museums, from Vizcaya, an amazing Venetian inspired home built during the Gilded Age to the World Erotic Art Museum in the heart of the South Beach Art Deco District.  There is also shopping, I loved the Lincoln Road Pedestrian Mall, there were unique shops and great people watching.  Our group almost motivated off the beach on the first day to Gator Park to go on an air boat ride through the Everglades, I think I should have kept to myself that they could get muddy and wet.  In the end, we spent most of our time on the beach, we had three wonderful dinners and managed to spend one entire day at the pool bar at the Fontainebleau where the bartenders were extremely entertaining.

I do want to point out the restaurant we went to on the second night, The Meat Market on the Lincoln Road Pedestrian Mall.  From the outside looking at the menu, I was initially a little disappointed thinking it may be a typical chain type steak house.  It was anything but typical or chain-like, the food was unbelievable.   What made it even more special was being immediately welcomed by the owner, having the menu explained with their specialties pointed out and advice given on how to proceed with such a big group.  We managed to sit there for hours enjoying not only great food, but also wonderful service and attention.

With a long weekend away like this, I can hardly wait to turn 50!

Now that winter has gone on and on, I am little over the heavy comfort foods.  I got this recipe from my wonderful foodie friend Emily after we had it at her house one night.  We loved it!  I have made it now myself and my kids even liked it.  They, of course, had no idea it was made with squash.  For my vegetarian friends, you guys can adapt this so many ways.  It would be great with shelled edamame, fried tofu and/or blanched veggies.

Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Prawns

Prep Time:  20 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Serves 4-6

3 Tbs. olive oil, plus 3 tsp.
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (I would try to buy the pre-peeled, pre-sliced butternut squash, it’s a pain to cut it up and make sure you get all of the peel off)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tsp salt, plus 1 tsp
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus ½ tsp
1 cup vegetable stock
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound prawns (or large shrimp), peeled and deviened (I use the frozen, raw, peeled and deveined shrimp—you can cut the tails once you thaw them before adding them to the recipe)
¾ to 1 cup whole milk ( I have used 2% and it seemed fine)
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves (do a chiffonade to keep it from bruising, see image below)
¼ cup grated Parmesan

Warm 3 Tbs. of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the butternut squash, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.  Saute until the squash is golden and tender, 5-7 minutes.  Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until the squash is very soft, another 5-7 minutes.  Transfer the squash mixture to a blender or food processor and puree.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining 3 Tbs. of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the prawns with the remaining 1 tsp. of salt and remaining ½ tsp of black pepper.  Add the prawns to the pan and cook until just pink, about 3 minutes.

In a large pot over high heat combine the cooked pasta, pureed squash mixture, and ¾ cup milk.  Stir to combine.  Add the remaining ¼ cup milk if the sauce needs to be moistened.   Add the cooked prawns, basil, and cheese.  Stir until warm and serve.

We had one of those rare Virginia days where 8 inches of snow blanketed the ground and more was on the way.  My husband had recently purchased two big bags of oranges and he and my daughter enthusiastically squeezed fresh orange juice for breakfast.  I was then faced with dozens of orange skins and wondered what I could do with them.  Since I was happily trapped inside, candied orange peels seemed like a possibility.

I looked at multiple recipes, but couldn’t find any that used already squeezed oranges.  They all called for peeling whole oranges and I didn’t have any of those.   So…. I combined a few recipes, added my own new step and it worked!  Actually, it worked really, really well. Here’s what I did…

Candied Orange Peels (from juiced orange halves)

10 oranges – that have been cut in half and juiced

2 cups white sugar

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar for decoration

After you have squeezed the oranges for juice, cut the peel from the juiced orange halves into strips about 1/4-inch wide.  They will have bits of pulp and the white pith on them.  Put the orange peels in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat to blanch.  Then pour off the water. Repeat 1 more time and drain the oranges.

After the second blanching, use a sharp paring knife to cut the white pith from each of the strips of orange.  (Since the oranges have been cooked twice, it is easy to remove the bitter pith.)

Put the cleaned orange peels back into a large saucepan with cold water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat to blanch one final time.  Then pour off the water and remove the orange peels from the pan.

Combine the sugar and water in the large saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes.  (If you took the sugar’s temperature with a candy thermometer it would be at the soft thread stage, 230 to 234 degrees F.)  Stir in peel, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove saucepan from the heat and transfer pieces of orange from the pan and roll, a few at a time, in remaining sugar.  Let dry on wire rack several hours.  Store in airtight container and enjoy!

Time Tip:  Since the kids were running in and out of the house and in need of help with all their snow clothes, I took breaks in between the blanching of the oranges.  The peels were able to rest in the sink in a colander.  The only step I really had to do from start to finish was the final step when you simmer the sugar, add the peel and then roll them in sugar.

My family made some last minute presents for the holidays.  I had seen photographs of gourmet caramel apples and thought we could try and make them.  The apples I had seen in catalogs were $26 a piece and were coated in caramel, chocolate, nuts, and various other toppings. We gave it a try, learned a few things along the way and made some yummy treats.

First, we used a caramel recipe from Epicurious.com that was amazing. While the recipe said it covered 12 apples, we really had enough caramel for 18 apples.  Since we had only prepared for 12 apples, we also dipped marshmallows into the caramel that we stuck with a toothpick.  The kids loved these, but they were so unbelievably sweet that I think only children would find these marshmallows appealing.  After the marshmallows, we poured the remaining caramel into a butter dish and then sprinkled the top with a bit of sea salt.  Once the caramel set, we turned the caramel out onto a plate and cut it into bite-sized pieces.  Yummy!

Once we had our apples covered in caramel and they had chilled, our second step was to dip them into milk chocolate that we had melted in a double boiler. This wasn’t part of the recipe, but something extra we did.  From the chocolate bath, we rolled the tops of the apples in chopped up peanuts (for adults) or multi-colored candy jimmies (for kids).

As for the caramel apples, we followed the recipe exactly.  Hope you enjoy!

Caramel Apples - Originally from Epicurious.com

1 1-pound box dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon robust-flavored (dark) molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 sturdy lollipop sticks or chopsticks
12 medium apples
Assorted decorations (such as chopped nuts, chopped raisins, mini M&Ms and candy sprinkles)

Equipment needed - one accurate candy thermometer.

1-Combine sugar, butter, condensed milk, corn syrup, maple syrup, vanilla, molasses and salt in a thick-bottomed 2 1/2 or 3 quart saucepan. Stir with a wooden spoon on medium-low heat until all the sugar dissolves. There should be no grittiness (sugar crystals) when you test by rubbing a little of the caramel between your fingers. Brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve any sugar crystals that might form on the pan sides.
2-Attach a clip-on candy thermometer to the pan and cook caramel at a rolling boil until the thermometer reaches 236°F, stirring constantly and slowly with a wooden spatula. Continue to occasionally brush the sides down with a pastry brush. Carefully pour caramel into a metal bowl. Cool until the temperature lowers to 200°F, at which point you are ready to dip the apples.
3-While the caramel is cooking/cooling, prepare a large baking sheet, covering it either with buttered aluminum foil or silpat. Insert a chopstick or sturdy lollipop stick into each apple, about 2 inches, top down, into the apple core.
4-When the caramel has cooled enough for dipping, dip the apples in, one by one, by holding on to the stick, and vertically lowering the apple into the caramel, submerging all but the very top of the apple. Pull the apple up from the caramel and let the excess caramel drip off from the bottom back into the pan. Then place on the silpat or prepared foil. The caramel will pool a little at the bottom of each apple. Place into the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes.
5-Once the caramel has chilled a bit, remove from the refrigerator and use your fingers to press the caramel that has dripped to the bottom of the apples, back on to the apples. Then take whatever coatings you want and press them into the apples for decoration. Return to the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.

*Update- Here is a podcast with Elizabeth discussing Christmas visits to downtown areas small towns broadcast on XM radio Hidden America!

It’s the time of year when I am thrilled to get out and go shopping. It sounds crazy, but I enjoy the cold air and all the decorations. There are presents to buy, goodies to make and holiday meals to prepare for. With big shopping malls everywhere, it can be easy to overlook the local shops that line the Main Streets in small towns, but those shops can offer so much.

Here is Charlottesville, VA we have a vibrant downtown area. There are art galleries which feature regional artists, small bookstores that carry the newest writers, as well as hidden literary treasures, family owned pizzerias that make the best slices and an ice skating rink that’s open year round.

There are also many small towns around us with their own quaint and welcoming Main Streets. Culpeper, VA has shop after shop after shop. I love to have lunch at It’s About Thyme and then head down the block to one of several antique shops to hunt for a treasure or two. Staunton, VA, in the Shenandoah Valley, is a town with a rich architectural history and a downtown area with a great local diner and fun gift shops.

When you’re thinking about your holiday shopping keep in mind the wonderful local shops that are all around you.  You can take a quick drive to a nearby town or make a day trip out of it and really get to know a new Main Street near you.

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Every year since I was very little I have LOVED making sugar cookie cut outs for the holidays. I mix the little decorated cookies in with other traditional holiday cookies and deliver them to my neighbors. The only ones I ever get comments on are the little decorated gems. As the years have gone on I have tried to get fancier and fancier, adding in gold and silver dragees, and taking more and more time to decorate them. I have never been able to find a sugar cookie recipe that rolls really well and an icing recipe that dries hard and tastes good. I think this year I figured it out and the recipes are below. This year my daughter and a few of her eight-year-old friends also came over and helped. It was so cute to see how serious and slightly competitive they were.

I also bought a decorating kit by Kuhn Rikon that uses squeeze bottles instead of bags. It made decorating really easy, especially with kids. To get the icing easily into the bottles, spatula the icing into ziplocs by color, snip the very tip of the bag, and pipe it into the bottles.  The plastic containers you get at any grocery store salad bar also work great for kids to take their cookies home in.  You need to wait about an hour to let the icing dry and then you can set a paper towel in between the layers if you need to.

Sugar Cookie Cut Outs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
3 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs. vanilla

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Sift together flour and salt, set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the cream cheese and continue beating until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, increase the speed to medium high and beat until fluffy and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk, then add the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, beating in each addition before adding more. Beat just until combined, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out on a floured surface. Using floured hands, form the dough into a smooth mound and divide into 2 portions. Shape each into a disk and wrap separately with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Remove 1 dough disk at a time from the refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes. Place the dough on a floured work surface and roll out to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut out with cookie cutter of your choice and place on baking sheet. If you are having a hard time rolling out the cookies try making them thicker or allowing the dough to chill in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until golden on edges, 10 to 14 minutes.

Royal Icing
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
5 Tbs meringue powder
1-2 tsp. of almond or lemon extract
1-2 tsp. of imitation butter extract (I didn’t even know there was such a thing)
1 tsp. of good vanilla
about a ½ cup water

Combine the sugar and meringue powder in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add 1 teaspoon and lemon or almond extract and 1 teaspoon of the butter extract and a quarter cup of water. Mix on low speed until you have reached the desired consistency and taste, about 7 minutes. If icing is too thick, add more water; if too thin, beat icing 2 to 3 minutes more. Add more extract or vanilla as you feel needed. The icing should form stiff peaks.

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I love this recipe. I adapted it from one I found online after having fabulous Pasta Bolognese out to dinner one night. I made it recently to send to a friend’s house after she had just had a baby. I also like to serve it with fresh pasta from our local Mona Lisa Pasta, Yum! It makes a very easy dinner that everyone will like during the hectic holidays.  It really is easy to make, the ingredient list just looks long.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 medium celery rib, finely diced
2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta (or bacon), finely diced
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal (I know, you can substitute ground chicken)
1/4 pound ground pork
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
One 28-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes–seeded and finely chopped, juices reserved
1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4-6 ounces Parmesan rind
1/4 cup heavy cream (you can skip it, but it’s not the same ☺)
2 pounds Penne Rigate, Conchiglie (my favorite), or Rigatoni
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Minced parsley and/or basil for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, celery and pancetta and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Scrape the vegetable mixture into a large bowl.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the saucepan and heat until just shimmering. Add the beef, veal and pork and cook over moderately high heat until just barely pink, about 5 minutes. Return the vegetable mixture to the saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost evaporated, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the chicken stock, Parmesan rind, thyme and bay leaf. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat for 1 hour. (your house will smell heavenly!) Discard the bay leaf and rind. Stir in the heavy cream and cook the sauce just until heated through.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well, return to the pot and toss with the sauce. Serve the pasta in deep bowls, top with minced parsley and pass the Parmesan at the table.

Serves 8-10  Extra sauce can of course be frozen…

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For a real treat, head to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC to see this year’s contestants in the National Gingerbread Competition that are on display now through January 3rd. Contestants from across the country bring their architectural masterpieces to The Grove Park Inn every year. My husband and I were in awe last year during a trip to Asheville over New Year’s Eve to see the Biltmore at Christmas. We wished we had more time to spend there. Viewing of the entries is free even for non-guests of the hotel. Your only cost is $10 for valet parking. In addition to the gingerbread overload, you can see the beautiful holiday displays throughout the inn and warm by the giant fireplaces in the grand lobby. New for 2009 are the “Stories of Gingerbread” guided tours. Guides will share stories about the artists and their houses, details about the construction of unusual entries, and a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the judging, competition and display itself. These specialty tours are available Monday-Saturday throughout the display period.

One of my favorite houses from last year was based on the Civil War Homecoming, the detail was unbelievable.

**recent additional information- it appears that if you are not staying at the Inn and you do not book the tour, the public is only welcome to view the houses M-Th.

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While many farmers’ markets have closed for the season, there are indoor farm shops across the country that offers seasonal produce and specialty products throughout the year.  Now’s a great time for an outing to a farm shop.  Not only is the weather still beautiful, but you’ll find wonderful ingredients for your upcoming holiday feast.

On a drive back from Washington DC to Charlottesville, VA, I was wooed off the road by a huge hay bail scarecrow at the entrance to the Buckland Farm Market.  I was surprised to find vintage tractors, a picturesque barn and a donkey waiting to greet me. The market sold the squash, apples and pumpkins I was looking for, as well as Virginia ham, jams, jellies and farm fresh cream.

Here’s what I made with my farm shop goodies:

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Ingredients:
2 medium butternut squash (about 3 cups cooked)
2 cups diced apple
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Cut the squash into chunks and remove seeds; steam over simmering water until tender. Peel, mash, and set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter; add diced apple, onion, celery, and carrot.  Sauté until onion and celery are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken broth; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add the cream, salt, curry powder, and mashed squash.
Let the mixture cool slightly then, working with 3 or 4 small batches, carefully puree in a blender. Pour back in the saucepan and heat through.
Serves 4 to 6.

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