Menu Plan for the Week

Hubby and I had a great Thanksgiving in Redmond, Oregon with dear friends and their family. Much turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, brussels sprouts, and yams were consumed -- and there was even a crab feed, which hubby was VERY happy about. Lovely hikes along the Deschutes River were walked. Fun and enlivening conversations were had. Hilarious board games were played.

And now, back to life and the coming of December and all it holds. We're happy to be back home in our new house, nesting for the holidays.

So here's what we're eating at Casa Dena as we recover from the devilishly delicious gluttony of Thanksgiving:

• Sunday: Kitchen Sink/Kitchen Garden Soup (you know, like the one I made last week. So many veggies = really good for post-Thanksgiving recovery.)
• Monday: Roasted Garlic Chicken with Fingerling Potatoes and Sauteed Kale
• Tuesday: Fall Bounty Hash (yummmmers)
• Wednesday: Hubby's Favorite Dinner
• Thursday: Winston's Comfort Food Dinner
• Friday: Hubby's office holiday party
• Saturday: Date Night!

Y tu? What are you eating to recover from Thanksgiving this week?

What To Cook for the Holidays?

Okay well now that Thanksgiving's come and gone (hah), what will we cook for the holidays?

It drives me crazy how as soon as September comes, it's the High Holidays and all-Halloween, all the time. Then November 1st, it's Thanksgiving-o-rama. Then you barely come up for air between cranberry and stuffing and it's Hanukkah-Christmas all over. Then New Year's is right around the corner.

However.

I have been contemplating what I'll cook this holiday season for the bounty of holidays we have to celebrate in our family (as we are a Chrismukkah kind of family, with me about to convert to Judaism and my husband, well, not), as I have some recipes stored away that I'd like to try out. So here's what I'm thinking:

Hanukkah (begins December 11th): Winston's Minimalist Latkes (my little brother will be here visiting -- yay! -- and I think it'd be fun to make latkes with him. Plus they're muy, muy delicioso.) and Green Beans with Crispy Shallots. Part of the miracle in the story of Hanukkah is that a single drop of oil lasted eight nights, so it's customary to cook with oil on this holiday. L'chaim!

Christmas Eve: I am thinking I just might tackle Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon. !!! Kinda scary, kinda really fun.

New Year's Eve: Hubby's mom will be in town, so I have to figure out what she might like. Perhaps my Company Dinner?

Got any ideas for good holiday meals? What are you going to make?

My Parents' Turkey

My parents live in Petaluma in Sonoma County in Northern California, which is pretty much one of the most gorgeous corners of the earth.

This year, my mom noticed, on her way to work, turkeys, chickens, and cows in the fields right by their house. She did a little investigating and found out it was a new farm called Tara Firma that has sprung up and is raising delicious, sustainably raised poultry, beef, and pork, very nearly in my parents' backyard. I am so jeals.

So this year, their turkey came from right next door. My mom said she would wave hi to the turkeys whenever she drove by, wondering which gobbler might end up on their plate.

So awesome, and hooray for Tara Firma Farms! Now I want my parents to do a meat CSA with them. And see if they can get fresh eggs from them. And go on a tour. Basically I want them to move to Tara Firma. There's room in those rolling hills, right?

Still the Best

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am away celebrating with hubby and dear friends, but I couldn't leave you without a little something for Turkey Day -- not to mention I WILL NOT BE VANQUISHED, NABLOPOMO.

I also wanted to take a moment to give thanks for you, dear patient reader of this blog, who sticks with me and reads about my food rants and raves, my made-from-scratch recipes, and what we're eating weekly. Knowing you're out there means a lot to me. It's nice to have an audience, ya know? And it's nice to feel like the ongoing conversation about food and eating that happens on this blog isn't just with myself.

Without further ado, here is my Thanksgiving treat to you:

At this point around these parts, Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving in Casa Dena without Paula Deen's Thanksgiving special. Year in and year out, it never fails to please. And crack us up.

Check out the whole episode online while you're waiting for your cranberry sauce to chill: I promise you will not be disappointed. From "the boys" deep-frying a turkey to the pre-dinner appetizers to the turducken to the sweet potato balls to the pie out of which she simply cannot resist sneaking a bite, it is just Thanksgiving TV at its best.

Kasha's Balls of Love

I have no words for this. Just trust me that you need to watch. Kind of reminiscent of Paula Deen's Sweet Potato Balls... in more ways than one.

Thanksgiving dessert, anyone?




Many thanks to my friend James for passing this along. If he made them, they'd be James' Balls of Love, right? Bon appetit!

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving: Brining

Hey all of you out there who will be cooking a turkey this year: don't forget to brine!

Check out my recipe for a well-balanced turkey brine, as well as info on why brining does what it does.

Go get your kosher salt now! Two years ago I had to go to like three different grocery stores to find any in stock the day before Thanksgiving.

Bon appetit!

My Favorite Fast Food Restaurant

I know you're thinking, "WHAAAAAAAAAT? Little Miss Enviro-Sustainable-Against-Industrial-Agriculture deigns to eat at any fast food place?"

Indeed I do. But it's a special fast food place (of course). It's really and truly not like the others. Not only do they source sustainable and local produce, but they serve eco-kosher meats! Hallelujah!

Ladies and germs, I present to you: Burgerville, my dream of a fast food place at which one could safely and ethically eat.

Unfortunately for all of you not living in the Pacific Northwest, they only exist in Oregon and Washington. But if you're ever visiting, they're well worth a trip!

One crazy thing, to me, is that they currently do not have a restaurant in Eugene. What the heck, Burgerville? Eugene is the second-largest metro area in the state *and* we have a certain little school here whose 25,000 students would be eating your food 24/7 if they could (go ducks!). I'm definitely going to continue my email-writing campaign to get them to open one here.

One of my favorite things about them (besides the fact that they serve only 100% antibiotic- and hormone-free, free range, pasture raised, humanely slaughtered beef from Country Natural Beef [basically the Pacific Northwest's Niman Ranch]) is that they are actually in tune with the seasons and serve seasonal menu items. Their sweet potato fries are to die for -- but you can only get them in the fall and winter. They have a fantastic blackberry milkshake -- but it's only available in the summer. You get the picture. Lately they've even been getting more seasonal, featuring one seasonal item each month; November's is cranberry. December's will be pears. Yum! And so cool!

My other favorite thing is how committed they are to sourcing locally. That really rocks. Because while organic is great, oftentimes local is even better. 

PLUS they compost, recycle their cooking oil to turn it into bio-fuel, and power with wind power.

Now this is all well and good, but if the food doesn't taste delicious, then none of it matters at all. So the very, very best thing about Burgerville? Is that their food is mouth-wateringly good.

I <3 You, Burgerville!

Menu Plan for the Week

What a weird little truncated week this is, in terms of menu planning!

We are going to join friends and family in Bend, Oregon for Thanksgiving -- it will be a picturesque day of gratitude amongst the snow-covered mountains. And because it will be a collaborative effort, we'll be bringing a Pumpkin-Ginger Pound Cake (!) from one of our favorite local bakeries, The Humble Bagel, as well as making a new variation on my famous Balsamic-Glazed Brussels Sprouts (I'll brown them in my cast-iron skillet without boiling them first, then finish them off by roasting them at 400F for ~ 10 minutes). It will be delicious all around, I know that for sure.

Until then, here's what we're eating at Casa Dena:

• Monday: Kitchen Sink/Kitchen Garden Soup (I just kinda threw this together: along with mushroom and chicken stocks, I added garlic, leeks, chanterelles, potatoes, carrots, frozen spinach, frozen cauliflower, frozen broccoli, and canned tomatoes to make a really hearty, really veggie-full soup. Top with grated parmesan and you're in heaven.)
• Tuesday: Comfort Food Pasta (aka Pasta alla Aglio e Oglio)
• Wednesday: Black Beans & Rice

And you? What are you eating before The Big Day?

Happy Birthday, Mom

Today is my mom's birthday (it's a big one) and she and my dad are in town to celebrate it. We're going to celebrate -- me and hubby, my mom and dad -- at one of the area's most delicious restaurants and loveliest locations around: King Estate Winery. (Plus they are rad because they use organic and sustainable agri- and viticulture methods, and their restaurant's produce is all sourced right there on the land: they've got quite the kitchen garden).

I can't wait! The wine is divine and the food is so so good. Being in the Willamette Valley and all, King Estate's Pinot Noir is fantastic. Check it out next time you see it in your local vintner's!

Now, on to peruse the menu to figure out what I'm going to order....

Happy Birthday, Mom!

IComLeavWe

Today is the beginning of IComLeavWe, otherwise known as International Comment Leaving Week!

So dorky, I know. But kind of a cool way to get some conversations going on these here Internets. So comment on the blog posts you read (including, ahem, mine!) -- and spread some blog-reading love.

Tell me about your favorite recipes. Your favorite foods. That great restaurant you just went to. How you tried one of the recipes posted here and modified it to make it even better.

(Yep, I'm on the list of bloggers participating -- number 130, to be exact.)

This Week's Top Chef

**** DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS! ****

 Okay so I'm catching up on this week's Top Chef -- it's the last episode in Vegas, the last one before the finals -- and WOW. I'm kinda faux-live-blogging it as I watch it.

First, the primary thing I've noticed is that this is a strong group. This is the first time we've gotten to the Final Five and I like them all. There's nobody I'm hating; in fact, it feels so good to have one person I'm really rooting for and loving, yet still liking the rest of the crowd. All five of these chefs can cook their asses off, that's for daaaamn sure.

And who is it I'm loving and rooting for? Not who you'd think: Kevin. I find his spirit, outlook, and food that he cooks to be inspiring and totally fan-worthy. I still have love for Jennifer, and I do hope she makes it to the Final Four, but I don't think she's got the winning spirit. Sorry Jennifer.

If I had to call who I think will be eliminated on this episode, I think I'd call it for Eli. Sorry Eli.

Okay I forever looooove Padma for the "welcome back" wink she gave Jennifer during the Quickfire round. Finally we see a bit of Padma's va-va-voom!

I also am really laughing and am slightly surprised by how the claws have come out a bit -- Michael Voltaggio's remark about Kevin's food being the food he cooks on his days off was totally bitchy. But I know, they're in a tough competition and the claws will come out at some point.

However, I disagree with Michael's snobbery: I don't think that being simple makes food inferior; I don't think the fanciness of French food makes it superior. It requires more technical skill, certainly. But I am a big fan of simple, seasonal food made with love. I think the soul you can find in it can outshine the technical ninja skills of some kinds of French food any day.

Getting the Bocuse d'Or folks onto Top Chef is a huge coup, and speaks to how highly regarded it is in the culinary world. I really love that. I think this show just keeps getting better.

Okay I am so thrilled Kevin won this one! Michael Voltaggio, take that! ;-)

And it's fitting that Eli's gone now. He had a good run, but the other four outshone him.

Can I have a moment of glee in the fact that I called this Final Four ages ago? I AM AWESOME. Ha. I do think Kevin could win it all. GO KEVIN!

I'm also super excited that the finale will be in Napa. That's foodie heaven for sure. Perfect.

Can't wait to see how it all turns out!

(For a HI-larious recap of this week's episode, check this out. I have three words for you: "Indigo Mom Toytime." Seriously, I was laughing out loud at my computer screen; my dog thinks I'm a nut.)

Top Five Favorite Food Blogs

I read a lot of food blogs. Some I check in with occasionally, some once in a while when I'm looking for something in particular, and there are a very few that I read religiously. They're so good, I thought I'd share them with you, and share the food blog love.
 
Check 'em out! I read these all for different reasons -- 

• (a) some have great photos over which I like to drool, 
• (b) some write about food in a way that's really fun and funny, 
• (c) some present recipes and approach cooking in a way that's totally down to earth and feels really unintimidating and like you're sharing recipes with a friend, 
• (d) some offer up a slice of life and vision of a universe that is so totally unlike mine that it is really fun to peek through the looking glass, 
• (e) some are a great round-up of recipes and food issues alike, and 
• (f) some are clearly artists and it's a pleasure to simply observe them execute their craft. And some are a combination of all of the above.

Dena's (Current) Top Five Favorite Food Blogs
presented in no particular order

1. 101 Cookbooks (this falls into categories a, f)
2. The Pioneer Woman Cooks (a, b, c, d)
3. CityMama (c)
4. Smitten Kitchen (a, b, f)
5. The Jew & The Carrot (c, e)
   
6. Serious Eats (a, b, e)

Ugh okay that's not five. But I couldn't not include them all!

What are your favorites? What great food blogging am I missing out on?

Ghetto Gourmet

Okay so one of my best friends Zoe sent me a link to this article and.... you just have to read it to believe it. As she put it, "This might be the greatest article I have ever read." I do not disagree. It's unreal. And so totally awesome.

Cookin' with Coolio? Chicken Lettuce Blunts? Cold Shrimpin'? Dudes, I died when I read this article. I am not sure who will pick up on Coolio's latest incarnation as the Ghetto Gourmet, but if he is able to market himself to those who don't usually cook and get folks to turn on the stove and cook at home instead of heading to McDonald's ("I want people to know that just because you’re poor, you don’t have to eat fast food every day."), I am so all for it.

The names of the dishes alone make his new endeavors so totally awesome. Plus it really is nice to see someone whom you would truly never have expected to see in the kitchen enjoying himself and entering into the cooking world. Watch out, Bobby Flay -- Coolio's got a new gig. (Also, can't you see Paula Deen totally grooving on the Ghetto Gourmet?)

Shaka-Zulu!

(Best line? "The conversation has been edited for a family newspaper." Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...)

James' Root Cellar Smash

My dear friend James is a fantastic cook. The kind who doesn't even really have to work at it, you know? Who just like throws stuff together and it looks and tastes divine. Someday I'll get there. Til then, I keep working at it.

So of course I had to ask him for a recipe to share during this crazy month of NaBloPoMo. And he responded with a great little recipe that will likely come in handy next week as our nation prepares to eat as a way of giving thanks.

Reading it through, YUM is all I can say. I might need these to show up on our Thanksgiving table!

James' Root Cellar Smash

• Three white sweet potatoes (sometimes called Japanese sweet potatoes at the grocery store)
• One large, orange sweet potato (any more and it would be too sweet)
• A couple of your favorite potatoes (Dena's note: russets always work great in mashed potatoes)
• A large turnip would be exciting as well, but I haven't tried that variation yet

This recipe is very forgiving -- you can make changes to the ingredients as you see fit and based on what you might have in your root cellar.

Peel and cut up into similar-sized chunks all of the above. Boil them until they are fork-tender.

When done, smash it all up -- I like things lumpy.

Pour in that stick of butter and cup of half & half you've been heating up in a small pan on the back of the stove. Season liberally with salt and pepper (taters need gobs). Here's the totally inspired part -- add a goodly dash or two of cinnamon.

The Splendid Table

My favorite way to cook is listening to NPR on my kitchen radio -- from All Things Considered to Fresh Air to Car Talk. My very, very favorite program to listen to while cooking is The Splendid Table. On Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), The Splendid Table is played Sunday evenings, a perfect time for cooking a warm and homemade meal.

It's a fantastic show about food, cooking, and eating. They just added a new feature called "Stump the Cook," (should sound familiar to anyone who listens to Car Talk!) in which someone calls in, gives the host, Lynn, a list of five random ingredients from their fridge or pantry, and Lynn then has to make up a recipe using those five ingredients. Her recipe is then judged on its worthiness by the one and only Christopher Kimball of America's Test Kitchen fame. Fun! And can be pretty hilarious. I so want to call in one of these days.

One thing I learned this past Sunday that I had always wondered about and never known (did you know this?):

Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Baking soda is direct leavening - it reacts instantly but needs an acid ingredient to start the reaction. Baking powder contains in its mix the exact amount of acid needed for the soda (1 teaspoon baking powder includes 1/4 teaspoon baking soda) and reacts in different stages so you have more control. Baking powder will be labeled "double acting" or "triple acting." In a recipe, the correct amount of baking powder is 1 teaspoon per cup of flour (at the maximum 1-1/4 teaspoons); for baking soda it's 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour. Get the leavening right and you'll have lighter, finer textured cakes.


I highly recommend checking The Splendid Table out, and I actually highly recommend this past Sunday's show -- listen to the podcast the next time you're cooking!

Menu Plan for the Week

I'm off to San Francisco for work this week, so the menu plan is a bit different than usual. I cook before I leave so hubby has homecooked food for lunches and dinners while I'm gone, and this is what he's having this week:

• Hearty autumn chili
• Sweet potato, leek, chanterelle, and kale with quinoa

I'll be back on Wednesday night, and we'll likely have some sort of takeout (why am I thinking Pizza Research Institute for some reason?) on Thursday night. And on Friday, my parents arrive for a visit! Fun!

Papi's Aji

So in many northern Latin American countries, there is a condiment that's on every table, restaurant or home, no matter what: aji (pronounced "a-hee"). Sometimes it's spicy, sometimes not. But it is always there in a little container with a spoon in it, and it goes on anything and everything.

My Colombian dad always had a bowl of this on our table, and it never went empty, no matter how much I spooned onto my rice (mmmmm).

I thought of it the other day and HAD to make some. It's super easy and super-delish, and very customizable. It's kinda like salsa....but different. There are no tortilla chips involved, though of course you could do that if you're into that kind of thing. ;-)

Dena's Papi's Aji Bogotano 
(aka Aji, Bogota-style)

• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 3-4 scallions, chopped
• As much cilantro as you like, chopped
• Some glugs of extra virgin olive oil
• A few tablespoons of red wine vinegar

Combine in a bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes. You want to make sure there's enough vinegar for the acid in the vinegar to make everything yummy, but not so much that it's overpowering.

Spoon it onto your rice, your beans, your platanos fritos, avocado, chicken, beef.... anything savory. Makes a great meat marinade.

Add diced hot pepper (like jalapeno, minus the seeds) or some Tabasco if you like heat, but it will then cease to be Bogota-style. Which is fine and still yummy!

When I was young, I used to just eat rice with aji on top. Makes a fantastic snack, let me tell you. Makes a great bachelor dinner, too, by the way.

This keeps for a few days in your fridge. Make a batch and try it out!

Hubby doesn't like cilantro (did you know that's genetic? Bizarre. So glad I got the gene that makes it taste delicious) so I left it out on the side. MORE FOR ME!

Buen provecho!

Five Hundred Dollar Friday

Happy Friday the 13th, y'all!

Oroweat (why is there no 'h' in their name? That bugs) is giving away $500 -- all for one easy comment. Pop on over here and leave a comment letting them know how you simplify your life. It might be worth $500!

I entered, and my comment was easy: menu planning makes my life sooooo much simpler.

If you win, let me know!

The Queen of Condiments

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the condiment I love the most, the one that takes the prize, the one I would crown the Queen of Condiments.

Drumroll please.... Please salute Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt!

Despite what you might think, Queen Jane's isn't full of MSG and other yucky stuff. It's just basics:

But for some reason, the way they put it all together makes it delicious. I like to put this on just about everything.

When I was younger, I used to sprinkle a little on my palm and lick it off. When I was little.... Yeah. Not as an adult. Never. Of course not.

Just a Regular Guy

Remember we were talking about the French Laundry restaurant a little while ago? NPR did a fantastic piece on Thomas Keller on Morning Edition today. And basically he sounds like a totally down-to-earth, normal guy who just loves to cook and has an incredible work ethic. Which makes his food heavenly.

My favorite part? When he admitted that years ago, fancy chefs were all into making their own ketchup, but their diners kept asking for Heinz. And recognizing that how we taste and eat food has so much to do with what we were raised on -- Heinz ketchup, for instance. I know this is certainly true for mayonnaise; anything but Best Foods/Hellmann's tastes off to me (though their light mayo still totally works). I've tried fancier mayos and they just don't taste right, to me.

Take a minute to listen. He sounds like a guy I'd love to cook with and sit down to a homecooked meal with. Thomas Keller, you're officially invited over for dinner anytime you're free.

Seasoning

Not the kind of seasoning you think, silly.

I'm talking seasoning a cast iron skillet. This is the first thing you do when you get it home, and something you can do every so often to keep it in good shape.

Unsalted butter is the recommended seasoner. (If you're vegan, you could use a vegetable oil with a high smoke threshold, like sunflower.) But let's be real: butter always makes everything better, doesn't it?

First, rinse your new skillet with hot water and dry it off. (And that's it -- NO SOAP.)
Then take your butter or oil and give your skillet a light coating all around the inside.

Then put it in your oven and set it to 400F. Leave it in there for about 15 - 20 minutes or so -- enough time for the oven to get hot and the pan to really get all seasoned, with the butter baking in.

Take the pan out and let it cool down on your stovetop. Careful -- your pan will be very hot!

Once it's cool to the touch, wipe it down with a paper towel to get rid of the excess butter.

And now you can store it and cook in it, full steam ahead.

I do this with my cast iron skillets every so often, to keep 'em in tip top shape. This cute little 8" skillet you see here is a new one I brought home this weekend (joy! and thanks, honey!) and needed some seasoning TLC.

I've fried up an egg and other such things in him since, and he's non-stick and perfect, as expected.

Menu Plan for the Week

We're still reveling in the incredibly rich flavors of fall around here. And settling into our new house, which is also a wonderful thing.

Here's what we're eating around these parts this week:

• Sunday: Hubby's Favorite Dinner
  
• Monday: Mushroom Pasta (this week in our Mushroom CSA we got one giant matsutake and several fried chicken mushrooms! Woohoo! I also found some gorgeous, fresh-from-the-forest chanterelles at the market for $7.99 a pound -- we're going to be eating goooood tonight.)
  
• Tuesday: Winston's Comfort Food Dinner (because it is like crack. Once you have it, you must have moooooore!)
• Wednesday: Sauteed Sweet Potato & Kale with Quinoa
• Thursday: Matsutake Stir Fry
  
• Friday: It's hubby's work's big event, Hall of Achievement, so we'll be whooping it up with the University of Oregon School of Journalism & Communication folks to fete their finest alums at the Eugene Country Club. La-di-da! Fun!
  
• Saturday: Date Night!

What about you? What're you eating this week?

Long After Human Cleverness Has Run Its Course...

Remember Joel Salatin? Of Polyface Farms?

No? Well then you need to get on down to the library and read The Omnivore's Dilemma immediately!

For those of you who do remember his name, I'm sure you smiled on the inside just like I did to read his name. As it says on his farm's website, "Polyface, Inc. is a family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm and informational outreach in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley."

That's right. And it's the sole reason I must travel to said Shenandoah Valley someday. I simply must visit this farm.

Joel Salatin is the farmer Michael Pollan is lucky enough to visit and work with for a week, who refers to himself as a "grass farmer," because all of the animals he raises -- and everything on his farm, for that matter -- are an interconnected web with grass-eating at the very center of that web. Remember the happy piggies whose tails curled (pigs' tails curl only when they are happy) as they rooted for fermented corn kernels amongst the cows' winter bedding and droppings? Or how Pollan calls Salatin up, asking the farmer to kindly ship him one of his famous grass-fed steaks -- and Salatin refuses, because California is too far from Virginia, making it impossible to justify the expenditure of fossil fuels that will go into getting it cross-country? Or the chickens whom he moves from patch of pasture to patch of pasture each day, cycling them through on a schedule that ensures the symbiotic relationship between the earth, grass, cows' munching and treading with their specially evolved hooves, and chickens' scratching is intact and even thriving? Joel Salatin became my hero before I even read the last page of that book.

I don't have particularly strong feelings either way on the benefits or hazards of drinking raw milk (though I pretty much lean in its favor and am guessing the "hazards" are made up, as Salatin suggests), but I certainly do think if one wants to drink it, one should absolutely be able to. Salatin's recent post on raw milk and its regulations on grist.org is very interesting. And anything Joel Salatin has to say, I will listen to!

I found this passage from his post really spoke to me:

The same curative properties espoused by raw milk advocates exist in a host of other food products, from homemade pound cake and potpies to pepperoni and pastured chicken. Real food is what developed our internal intestinal community. And it sure didn’t develop on food from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations[*] and genetically modified potatoes that are partly human and partly tomato. Long after human cleverness has run its course, compost piles will still grow the best tomatoes and grazing cows will still yield one of nature’s perfect foods: raw milk.

I love that he talks about how "real food" (food that you and I make every day, from scratch) has curative properties. I believe it does indeed. And I love the line, "Long after human cleverness has run its course...." I wonder, has it? It often feels these days like it has. It feels today like going back to basics -- the compost-grown backyard tomato -- is the truest, newest technology we have for making real, curative food.

* Have questions about what's a CAFO? And why they are not good?

Food Poem of the Month: November

This month's poem is more from Diane Lockward. She just writes about food so sensually, so lyrically, I had to post another of hers.

Reading this poem of hers, I can see, feel, taste, and smell the linguine; I can hear it being slurped up. And linguine's sensuality and Italian sensibility really comes through, which I also love. This is a very sexy poem, if you ask me. I think Lady and The Tramp would agree.

And clearly Ms. Lockward is an eater! She'd be quite welcome around Casa Dena.


Linguini

by Diane Lockward

It was always linguini between us.
Linguini with white sauce, or
red sauce, sauce with basil snatched from
the garden, oregano rubbed between
our palms, a single bay leaf adrift amidst
plum tomatoes. Linguini with meatballs,
sausage, a side of brascioli. Like lovers
trying positions, we enjoyed it every way
we could—artichokes, mushrooms, little
neck clams, mussels, and calamari-linguini
twining and braiding us each to each.
Linguini knew of the kisses, the smooches,
the molti baci. It was never spaghetti
between us, not cappellini, nor farfalle,
vermicelli, pappardelle, fettucini, perciatelli,
or even tagliarini. Linguini we stabbed, pitched,
and twirled on forks, spun round and round
on silver spoons. Long, smooth, and always
al dente. In dark trattorias, we broke crusty panera,
toasted each other—La dolce vita!—and sipped
Amarone, wrapped ourselves in linguini,
briskly boiled, lightly oiled, salted, and lavished
with sauce. Bellissimo, paradisio, belle gente!
Linguini witnessed our slurping, pulling, and
sucking, our unraveling and raveling, chins
glistening, napkins tucked like bibs in collars,
linguini stuck to lips, hips, and bellies, cheeks
flecked with formaggio—parmesan, romano,
and shaved pecorino—strands of linguini flung
around our necks like two fine silk scarves.

A Dream of A Small Farm

"But they never imagined that the definition of sustainable farming would change so quickly or drastically, to the point that small-scale farming has become a kind of luxury."

My mom sent me this article from The New York Times, about the family behind the French Laundry restaurant, who traded it all in for a small family apple farm.

When did visions of a simple life gleaned from the hard work of creating sustenance from soil become near-to-impossible pipe dreams? What a strange world we live in.

Still, I'm so glad people like the Schmitts are doing what they're doing.

And dining at the French Laundry is still totally on my list of To Do Before I Die!

Oregon Fall Bounty Hash with Quinoa

A week ago Sunday we went to the delicious and oh-so-very-Oregon Mushroom Festival at the Mt. Pisgah Arboretum with our dear friends Eric, Nic & Vic, and Nic & Vic's friends Gabe & Suzanne and their daughter Coral. I'll post separately about the festival and that lovely day; it was so cool it definitely deserves its own post!

It was fantastic and sooooo fall and a pretty perfect way to spend an autumnal afternoon. There were hay rides! And many mushrooms on display -- Coral, who's eight years old, delighted in pointing out to us the coral mushrooms. Which, I gotta say, really do look like coral! And they are gorgeous. Who knew mushrooms came in so many different colors, textures, sizes, and shapes? And I was again reminded of mushrooms' truly mysterious magic -- they have so many incredible medicinal properties!

While there, we signed up for a mushroom CSA! I'll post more on that later for sure. What a brilliant idea, no?

In keeping with the spirit of the season, I threw together this dish for our dinner on Sunday night. It was seriously seriously no joke not even kidding delicious. I have already promised hubby I'll be making this every week for as long as these fall ingredients last.

It's super easy and super seasonal, so get thee to the forest a-foragin' or store or farmer's market and get a-cookin'!

Dena's Oregon Fall Bounty Hash with Quinoa

• EVOO (use of acronym is just for you, James)
• As much chopped garlic as you can handle like (for us, that's about 5 or 6 cloves or so, depending on their size)
• ~ 3 cups cooked quinoa (I prefer to cook in mushroom or chicken broth to boost the flavor)
• Anywhere between 12 to 20 heads brussels sprouts, trimmed of brown spots and halved lengthwise
• 3 to 5 good-sized leeks, green stalks removed and white to light green parts sliced lengthwise and then chopped and washed (ours came from our garden!)
  
• 1/2 lb chanterelle mushrooms, sliced (and if you're lucky like us, they were foraged for very nearly in your own backyard. And remember that the smaller the chanterelle, the creamier and more delicious it will be!)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Good, nutty Parmesan cheese as a garnish

Begin by pre-heating your oven to 400F. (Also begin cooking your quinoa in a pot right about now -- I always do 1½ parts broth or water to 1 part quinoa. So, 3 cups broth to 2 cups uncooked quinoa, which does get you about 3 cups cooked, give or take. Add the broth and quinoa to your pot, set it to high uncovered and once it is boiling, bring down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Easy!)

Heat about 1 tbsp (remember that's ~ one solid drizzle around the pan) EVOO in a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Once it is shimmery and hot enough, add the sprout halves, cut-side down. Cook without moving until they brown nicely and develop a crust. Do not move them, no matter the temptation to do so -- this is where the unique and addictive nutty-delicious brussels sprout flavor is developed. If necessary, brown the sprouts in batches. I used about 20 heads, and had to do about 3 batches or so -- it's very important every sprout gets a chance to develop that browned deliciousness!

Once all the sprouts have been browned, toss them onto an oven-roasting sheet with sides and pop them into your 400F oven for about 7 minutes. When they are done, set them aside in a big mixing bowl -- this will be where you mix all the ingredients together.

Next add more EVOO to your skillet and toss your leeks in when the oil is shimmery and hot enough, letting them get translucent and hopefully even a little browned -- about 10 minutes, give or take. When done, add to brussels sprouts in mixing bowl.

Then bring up the heat on your skillet a bit, to a little above medium-high heat, adding EVOO and letting it get nice and hot before you add your chanterelles. Give them a couple of minutes to heat up and develop a bit of brown fond, then stir to make sure they're cooking all over. After about 5-7 minutes, toss in your garlic and stir to get the garlicky goodness and mushroom yumminess all mixed together. Let it cook for a few more minutes, then add to your brussels sprouts and leeks.

Add your quinoa, mix it all together, add plenty of salt and pepper, and serve. Oh god it will smell absolutely heavenly. Garnish with Parmesan cheese or another nutty hard cheese of your choice. You will taste the warmth and flavor of fall in each bite.

Serve with your favorite Oregon beer in a frosty glass and enjoy!

Menu Plan for the Week

Wow it's been a while since I posted one of these, eh?

Well, what better time to get back to posting my weekly menu plans than NaBloPoMo, right? It's not that I haven't been planning out our meals weekly, it's just that I've been terrible about posting them!

So, without further ado, here is what we've been eating/will be eating at Casa Dena this week....

• Monday: Winston's Comfort Food Dinner (oh MAN that is out-of-this-world good. I gave it a little twist this time by adding caramelized onions and oooooohhhhhh.... I'm drooling just thinking about it. I left out the tomato, too, because of the season. But they were just as good, seriously.)
• Tuesday: Butternut Squash & Chanterelle Bisque (oh good god hubby and I were excited about this! Yum yum yummers!)
• Wednesday: Broccoli Rabe Pasta Bake (a new recipe I will definitely be featuring on here; it is wayyyy too good not to share.)
• Thursday: Baked Chicken, Sweet Potato Oven Fries, and Sauteed Red Chard
• Friday: Not sure yet.... possibly a quick and easy winter soup? Maybe sesame noodles? It all depends...
• Saturday: Date night!
• Sunday: Oregon Fall Bounty Hash (which is about to be posted very soon, promise! It is DELISH.)

What about you? What are you serving up? How are you taking advantage of the incredible flavors of fall?

Top Chef: My Girl Choked

OMG you guys what the heck is going on with my Jennifer? She was so rocking and the past two challenges, she has completely choked.

If she doesn't get it together by the next challenge, I am not holding out hope for her to win it all. I think Kevin will swoop in with his (many and very bad-ass, very worthy) skills and take it from her. With some challenge from the Voltaggio brothers, of course. (By the way, can I just say -- I loved that little vignette in the last episode where Kevin ate his heart out, out-eating everyone else at the delicious restaurant! He has considerable charm to match his skillz.)

And can I just say? Robin is making me SO MAD. It is so wrong that she is still in it. The only reason (in my very humble opinion) she is still cooking is because she consistently manages to make her dishes just mediocre and un-offensive enough that there is always someone who's committed a much worse offense in a one-time mistake. I have no love (he kinda bugs) for Mike-Not-Voltaggio, but he can out-cook Robin any day. She is just barely scraping by, managing to duck elimination each time with her consistency of mediocrity, walking away with that grin on her face. I know you know what grin I am talking about.

That's no way to win a contest. I don't want to eat food cooked by the Best Mediocre Ducker. I want food from the TOP CHEF. Ugh. If they don't get rid of her in the next round, I'll.... I don't know what, but I will be PISSED, you guys.

Anyway.... Jennifer -- buck up, kid. You can do it. Just take a minute to breathe, remember why you're there and how you got there, and know that you could -- if you wanted to -- cook circles around your competition. The only thing holding you back is confidence.

We will see what tomorrow's show brings!

Care to share your own thoughts and rants?

Top Pastry Chef

Have you heard about this?

Elizabeth Falkner, I expect to see you on TV again real soon. Most likely as a judge, putting these pastry chefs through their paces. Oooh, maybe as a recurring judge? (And I'll be giddy with six-degrees-of-separation delight.)

I don't think I'll be as into this as I am Top Chef -- I am more of a cook than a baker (hubby is the baker in this family) -- but I'll totally be giving it a try.

What about you? More savory or sweet? Cooking or baking? Or (gasp) both?

NaBloPoMo 2009!

I know you've been waiting for it all year long, and it's finally here:  

NaBloPoMo*!

That's right, friends -- National Blog Posting Month is here. I'm a little daunted, but I've done it once before and failed once before, and I am determined to make this year a success. 2009 will be a comeback for Dena's Recipe Exchange!

So as of today, November 1st, I will be blogging every day for the entire month. Just like the NaBloPoMo badge says, it's gonna be 30 Posts (at least) in 30 Days around here.

So get ready!

And if, perchance, you happen to have thoughts or suggestions about recipes or topics about which I might blog, I would be eternally grateful if you would send them to me.

Back with more posting tomorrow....


* Interested in finding out more about this strange phenomenon with the bizarre title? Check out their FAQ!