Fall arrives and I miss it....

Fall arrived in Denver this week with perfect fall weather. Highs in the 50's, rainy and cool. I unfortunately was in the 100+ degree heat of Arizona. I couldn't wait for the end of the week to get back to Denver and make a big pot of chili and lay around on the couch. One problem...about 10:30am the sun came out and the temperature rose into the 80's. Normally I would never complain about sunshine, but I really wanted a day of miserable weather. I made the chili anyway. In fact I had kind of a schizophrenic cooking episode on Friday. I just wanted to make everything and I spent much of the day in the kitchen. I used the eggplant that I bought the previous weekend and made some roasted eggplant dip, the chili and a yummy pot of italian beef. Dan was insistent that he would not like the eggplant dip, he tried it, he liked it...hey mikey! We went for a walk around Belmar and the weather had cooled off then took in a movie. I got back on my walk/run wagon this morning....4 miles just because I can cover up the rolls with a sweater, doesn't mean I should....

Roasted Eggplant Dip

2 small eggplants

2 red peppers

1 red onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil, approximately 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon tomato paste

salt and pepper

Cut the eggplant, red peppers and onion into roughly 1" cubes. Mix together vegetables, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown. Remove and let cool slightly. Place vegetables in the bowl of a food processor, add tomato paste and pulse to a rough puree. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm, toasted pita chips.

Apple Pickin Time...

I was at the Cherry Creek Farmer's Market yesterday and it dawned on me that the season is very soon going to be over.. I had one of those quick moments where I felt like I needed to "get while the gettin is good" and load up with every possible fresh vegetable I wanted so that I could some how prolong the season and not say good buy to summer. The reality of my schedule is that I'm not home enough to enjoy all that produce so I bought with some sense of restraint. I picked up some eggplants, some sweet italian peppers, some zucchini and some honey crisp apples. I read that the honeycrisp apple could keep up to 8 months in the refrigerator, so it probably shouldn't have been the one ingredient I decided I HAD to make something with today, but I threw some in the crisper to use later. I generally don't have a sweet tooth when it comes to breakfast, but for some reason this week gooey cinnamon rolls had planted their seed in my brain and I had successfully fought them off until today. I decided to make some apple cinnamon rolls with my freshly purchased apples. I made a quick brioche dough, chopped up some apples, cooked them with a little sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and oh...the house was filled with that smell of fall. As much as I hate to let go of summer, Fall is my favorite time of year...the crisp days, the sense of change in the air...I love it. Tomorrow is supposed to be a cloudy, rainy 60 degree day...the kind of day I love to stay home and cook. I'll be on my way to Yuma, Arizona where the temperature will probably be in the 100's...I guess I won't bid summer farewell just yet.

Apple Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

For the Brioche

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

5 eggs

In a large mixer bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat butter and milk until it reaches 120 degrees. Add milk to dry ingredients and beat until combined. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the remaining flour (you may not need the whole amount, just combine until the dough isn't too sticky). Transfer dough into a greased bowl and let rise for about an hour. While the dough is resting, make filling.

Apple Filling

3 1/2 cups diced apples

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until apples are softened and mixture is thickened.

Roll the rested dough out on a lightly floured surface. Spoon apple mixture over and spread evenly. Roll the dough up into a roll and cut into 8 equal pieces. Arrange cut rolls in a round, buttered baking dish. Let rise for about 1 hour in a warm place. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

When rolls are cool, make a glaze from confectioner's sugar and milk. Pour over rolls.

Labor Day and September 11

Labor Day weekend...the unofficial end of summer! Wait a minute, wasn't it just Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer? Where did it go? At any rate, I've found myself here at Labor Day and of course a busy weekend of eating... Friday night Dan and I went to the First Friday Art walk down on Santa Fe. We had dinner at El Noa Noa. Without getting into any details, the service was BAD, even getting the table seemed to be a chore, but the food was good and the margaritas were very good. (Again, I only play a food critic on TV). Saturday morning brought a trip to the Farmer's Market at Cherry Creek. I bought some tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and some purple basil. I came home and made some tomato juice and refrigerator pickles. Saturday night off to Dan's Birthday dinner at his sister Lisa's. I still (almost a week later) can't stop thinking about the gnocchi with butter beans and rosemary. The texture of that dish was just so good, I think I could eat plates full!!! Sunday, our usual brunch at LOLA's...the special of the day, Breakfast Quesadilla and Roasted Tomato Soup. Delicious. Labor Day I cooked up a feast. BBQ brisket, macaroni and cheese, fried green tomatoes and corn muffins. I put that purple basil to good use in a grape basil mojito. Then a busy week of work in Colorado Springs and here we are September 11. The news coverage has got me thinking about that day and some of the lessons that such a tragic event taught me. I think about all those people who ate dinner with their family or met their friends for drinks on Monday night, got up and went to work and never came home. I think it taught me to "take in" every moment, big or little, to try and live life being happy, to love the people in my life and always make sure they know I love them. Even in the tiniest, mundane day to day, there is a quote I remind myself of ..."In the external scheme of things, this evening is as brief as the twinkling of an eye, yet such twinklings is what eternity is made of." Be grateful for all of it, a moment can change everything....be well and happy.

Purple Basil Mojito

In a cocktail shaker, muddle some grapes and the basil. Add lime juice, simple syrup and vodka. Let set for a few minutes. Fill a rocks glass with ice. Fill half way with vodka mixture. Top off with ginger ale. Garnish with basil and grapes.

Vacation

I got back from vacation today...a week in Northern Michigan, in a cottage by Bass Lake. It was the vacation I had been dreaming of for months. The kind of vacation when you forget what day it is, or even what time it is and you spend your day in flip flops and shorts. I read, laid on the beach, searched for beautiful rocks, walked and of course cooked. We (Dan and I) set out for Michigan on Friday night around 6pm and stopping for just a quick snooze somewhere in Iowa arrived to a rainy Michigan on Saturday evening. We made quick work of settling in to the little cottage on Bass Lake and headed for the grocery store to buy food for the week. We ended Saturday evening as we ended many this week with a glass of wine at the water's edge. Sunday morning we visited the local farmer's market in Interlochen and bought all kinds of fresh produce.... Blueberries, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, plums and watermelon and local honey. After the market we headed out for a drive, stopping at Point Betsie and the Sleeping Bear Dunes State Park. Monday rolled around and it was one of the best days of the whole week. The sun was shining and we spent the entire day sitting by the lake, reading and sipping on mimosas. Nothing else except for the delicious dinner we made from our farmer's market purchases. Grilled Chicken with a Peach-Honey Barbeque sauce, corn on the cob, cucumbers with onions and potato salad that Dan had whipped up. Tuesday brought around a bit of rain so we headed up to Lake Charlevoix, walked around the downtown then stopped and ate at a mexican restaurant in Traverse City. Wednesday morning started with a 3 hour walk, and the afternoon we headed to Esch Beach on Lake Michigan where I started my second book of the week. Dinner was wine, cheese, bread, olives and salami and smores over the fire pit on the beach. Thursday started innocently enough with a drive to "wherever the wind blows us" and we ended up visiting 4 wineries. Michigan is full of wineries and we sampled and bought at almost every stop. Friday was Dan's birthday so we headed back to Point Betsie and laid on the "somewhat chilly" beach and read our books until the rain started, then headed back to the cottage to "use up" the stuff that was in the fridge. I concocted a chicken dish, where I pounded 2 chicken breasts flat and then stuffed them with roasted tomatoes, sauteed spinach and garlic and brie cheese. Dan made some mashed potatoes, sauteed green beans and a blueberry crisp....and of course wine and cheese. Saturday morning we woke up to rain, steady rain and loaded up the car to come home. We stopped at 2 more wineries in southern Michigan and headed back to Denver, sad for vacation to be over, but so grateful that it was exactly the vacation I needed. I'm not including a recipe with this post, just some great pictures of the delicious food we ate this week.

I'm cooking dinner....that's final!

This week, as most do, flew by at lightning speed. Monday morning I was off to Yuma, Arizona. I love to go to Yuma, even though it's miserably hot, it provides me the opportunity to indulge in my "every 6 week" IN n OUT burger...which I find to be one of the most delicious burgers I have ever eaten in my life. I flew back to Denver on Wednesday night, headed straight downtown to the Oxford Hotel to pick up Kelly who was in town working for 2 days. Dinner at Zengo. Soft shell crab tacos, sushi, and braised short ribs...it is truly one of the most consistently delicious places I have ever eaten, and it is very near the top of my list of places I love to eat. Picked her up again on Thursday night and we walked through Larimer Square and the 16th Street Mall, then back to Zengo (not only is it one of my favorites, it is absolutely one of hers, so being that she doesn't get to Denver often, she had to take advantage of her time here). Friday night dinner at Le Central and "Julie & Julia" with Dan. While I'm not a food critic, although I could probably play one on tv, I was not really impressed with Le Central. The best part was the French martini!!! The movie however, was great. Sometimes it may sound frivolous to think that someone could be so passionate about food, but it was nice to see that and know that following your passions can really pay off. So, by the end of the week, I hadn't eaten a home cooked meal all week and I was determined to cook dinner on Saturday night. Armed with a idea I had been thinking about for a couple weeks and fresh from the inspiration of the movie, I whipped up some Lasagna Rolls, baked a couple loaves of bread and then stirred up a chocolate-coffee cake. A little red wine and ah.......bon appetit!

Lasagna Rolls

9 lasagna noodles

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 medium onion, diced fine

6 button mushrooms, diced fine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Bechamel Sauce (see below)

Tomato Sauce (homemade or store bought)

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the lasagna noodles until they are pliable. Don't over cook them. Lay them in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet to cool. Set aside. In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms and onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook until garlic is tender, being careful not to burn the garlic. Remove mushroom mixture and brown the ground beef in the same skillet. Drain any grease and add the mushroom mixture back into the pan. Let cool slightly and then add herbs and cheeses. (It may be necessary to add more ricotta cheese if mixture seems too dry). Spread a layer of meat mixture onto each lasagna noodle and roll up, like a cinnamon roll. Set aside.

Bechamel Sauce

In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons butter until melted. Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir until combined. Slowly stir in 1 1/4 cups warm milk. Stir until thickened. Add a dash of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. (Although not traditional bechamel, for this dish, I also added 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese to the sauce).

To assemble, pour the bechamel in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place lasagna rolls, seam side down, in the sauce and then pour your favorite tomato sauce over the top. Sprinkle with more parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and let cheese brown a bit.

The end of July already?

It's been a while...work has really been beating me down! The days of summer are flying by and I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of it. I think a vacation is in the works...hopefully soon. A relaxing one, where all I do is sit on a beach and drink a few cocktails and maybe read a book. Ah! I spent 4 days in Nebraska this week and tonight when I got home I discovered some blueberries lurking in the back of the refrigerator. I forgot that I had bought them. Luckily, they were in perfect condition so I whipped up some muffins from a coffee cake recipe that I've made for years. I made some alterations to the recipe, as the milk in the refrigerator that the original recipe calls for had not fared so well in my weeks of travel.... This recipe can be made into a coffee cake or muffins.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

1/2 cup butter + 2 Tablespoons

2 eggs

2 cups fresh blueberries

8oz. cream cheese, diced

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

3 cups flour, divided

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream the 1/2 cup butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the sour cream and water. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries in 1/2 cup flour. (This helps keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the batter while baking). Add the blueberries to the batter. Fold in the cream cheese and the lemon zest. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch greased and floured pan or muffin cups. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons butter until mixture is crumbly. Spread on top of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes if making large muffins or 1 hour if making 9x13 coffee cake.

Happy 4th of July!!!!

As usual, it's been a busy week. I spent Monday through Thursday in Yuma, Arizona. It was so hot, and I was definitely thankful my job doesn't require me to spend much time outside. I came home Thursday night, although it had seemed the universe had been conspiring against me getting home that day. I had planned to see Celtic Women at Red Rocks on Thursday night. The day started with a cancelled flight from Yuma to Phoenix due to mechanical difficulties with the plane...fair enough, I don't want to fly on any planes that have mechanical difficulties. So, I drove (like a bat...)to Phoenix. Got to the airport, made it with about 10 minutes to spare before the plane was boarding. Then a thunderstorm is dropping rain at the airport in Denver, so we have to circle for an extra 20 minutes until the storm passes. The concert starts at 8pm, by the time I am in my car and on my way to Dan's house, it's 6:30pm. So, to save you the rest of the story, we made it in perfect time, saw an awesome concert and as we turned around to fold up our seats, rain drops started again. Friday was a vacation day and I spent a lot of time cooking up some deliciousness for the 4th. The menu included pulled pork bbq, oven roasted potatoes, bleu cheese coleslaw and baked beans. I also made one of the easiest pies ever when you have some fresh fruit. We have always made it with peaches, but you can actually use any fresh fruit or in a pinch, canned fruit works well too. But, it's summer so there is no excuse not to take advantage of the fresh fruit. I should also mention my version of beer margaritas...easy and so refreshingly good. Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July.

Fresh Fruit Pie

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup flour

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

2 cups cold water

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 oz. package jello (same flavor as the fruit)

Fresh fruit

In a small bowl combine melted butter, flour and powdered sugar, pat mixture into a 9" pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick. Remove from heat and add jello. Stir well to combine. Place mixture in refrigerator to cool and thicken. Add the fruit and mix well, pour into the baked pie shell. Chill at least 4 hours. Serve with whipped topping.

Beer Margaritas

1-12oz. can frozen limeade

2-12oz. cans beer

4oz. tequila

4oz. vodka

4oz. spiced rum

1-12oz. can sprite

Mix in pitcher and serve over ice.