stranger than paradise: pizza with goat cheese, spinach and figs

I really should make pizza all the time. It's so easy and it's utterly delicious. Unfortunately, it's those same reasons why it's best to show restraint. A lot of pizza really isn't that good of a thing, if you know what I mean.

I made this pizza earlier in the month when my fridge still had leftovers of holiday-type ingredients like goat cheese and figs and fancy hams.Salty, sweet and fan-freakin'-tastic, this pizza tasted better than anything I could have imagined. It's the kind of pizza I could eat everyday. In fact, both Cornelius and I inhaled the pizza in just one sitting. I remember the night well. We had a library-borrowed Criterion edition of my favorite Jim Jarmusch film on the tv (Stranger Than Paradise) and a couple glasses of a really nice red. Perfect.

The only wrench was in the making of the pizza dough which I found via Smitten Kitchen. Not that it turned out badly, it didn't. In fact, the final product was lovely and as close to perfect as any I've made in the past. But the making of it? A total bitch. It seemed so wrong, despite the fact that I made it in my Kitchen Aid mixer. The dough was more granite than elastic and it took my mixer for quite a thumpity-thump ride across my counter-top. But I let it rise a few hours and then I put it in the fridge overnight because I didn't trust it as it had given me such grief. But it all panned out in the end. The pizza dough tasted great, but I don't think I'll try that recipe again. Instead, I'll fall back on my old standby or try out something new for kicks.

pizza with goat cheese, spinach and figs
1 recipe pizza dough or store bought
3 T pesto
1/2 bunch of spinach, washed & torn
1/4 sweet onion, sliced thinly
6 strips of Westphalia ham, torn
2 large dried figs, diced
1/2 log goat cheese
4 T Parmesan cheese
2 T sundried tomato oil (you know, the oil in the jar of sun dried tomatoes)

Prepare pizza dough into a baking sheet or pizza stone. Spread pesto evenly over top and scatter spinach leaves on top. Evenly scatter the onion slices, ham and figs over top and then pinch blobs of goat cheese over everything. Add Parmesan cheese over top and drizzle with the sundried tomato oil.

Bake for 10 minutes in a 400F oven or until sides brown slightly. Put pizza under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until goat cheese gets slightly golden. Remove from oven and dig in.

pizza blanco & the easiest pizza dough in the world

Despite claims otherwise, people still see homemade pizza as time-consuming and tedious. Nothing can be further from the truth. It's easy, it's delicious and it's a skill that can win friends and influence people. For those of you who are converted, you might find what I'm about to post as blasphemous: a no-rise pizza dough. Yes, this dough requires no waiting around, no kneading...just mix it, press it and bake it. This really is the easiest pizza dough to make in the whole world. Nearly as easy as picking up already baked & bland pizza crusts from the grocery store and almost as easy as picking up the phone and dialing for take-out. This is a must-try pizza dough.

I make it often and I top it with whatever I've got around the kitchen. It has never failed me and the recipe is so simple, I can quote it from memory. On nights when I just want to flop into a couch and order in some take-out, I know I can do better. It helps that I live in Vancouver where restaurant/take-out pizza is a disaster served in a cardboard box. I can make something way better than the expensive, tasteless stuff that gets delivered to my door. This crust is perfect for busy weeknights when you want an easy meal that will make everyone happy. What can I say, it's a crowd-pleaser and it tastes great.

The first time I made this dough, I just created a simple pizza blanco....herbs, cheese, olive oil. I wanted to taste the crust and see if it was up to par. It was. Try it out like I did or make a pizza with your favorite toppings.

the easiest pizza dough in the world
1 packet of yeast
1 c warm water
2 1/2 c flour
1 t honey
1 t salt
2 T olive oil
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped (optional)
cornmeal

pizza blanco toppings:
2 T olive oil
grated cheese (parmesan, cheddar, mozzerella or whatever you have on hand)
1 t fleur du sel (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, add in the yeast and warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Add the flour, salt, honey, rosemary (if using), and olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon vigorously until combined. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle cornmeal onto a walled baking sheet and press dough into it until thin. Spread olive oil over top, sprinkle with grated cheese and scatter a light sprinkle of fleur du sel over top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until pizza crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

mexican nacho pizza

My pizza dough recipe was wack. You made it and you liked it. Phew! I've made some pretty interesting pizzas in my past. Remember when I made a pizza with goat cheese, spinach and figs? Or that time when I threw apples on there and called it awesome? Right now I could be in Halifax dipping my pizza crusts into donair sauce. I'm not sure what donair sauce is, but I'm sure I'll find out. Maybe I'm eating potato pizzas in PEI while laying on a red sand beach. But for the sake of this post, I'm going to take a trip down Mexico way or at least dip into Tex-Mex territory and talk about a pizza topped with refried beans, sour cream and cilantro. Don't be afraid, it's a good combo. I made this vegetarian, but feel free to add some sauteed ground beef or some chorizo sausage to top up this baby. This is a weighty pizza...those refried beans aren't lightweight, so it's filling and there will be extras for the following day. And that's okay, because this pizza tastes great the second day.

mexican nacho pizza
1 pizza dough, half baked
1 can of refried beans
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t salt
1 c grated cheddar cheese
1 c fresh salsa
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 425. Half-bake your pizza dough for 10 minutes, remove from oven and set aside. In a bowl, mash together the refried beans and spices. Spread bean mixture over pizza dough. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Spread cheese layer with fresh salsa and bake until the pizza is heated through and cheese starts to bubble, about 10 - 15 minutes. Spread sour cream over pizza and sprinkle with cilantro. Cut and serve.

easy as pie: the best pizza ever

Making pizza is a snap. Once you've got some dough made, putting the ingredients together and making something truly sensational that you've made from scratch isn't very difficult or time-consuming at all. And it tastes way better than anything you'd find in the Yellow Pages.

For me, a thin crust pizza is best without tomato sauce. Deep dish pizza? Well, that's something else entirely. Keeping it thin...just some olive oil and some fresh vegetable toppings and a smattering of cheese, thank you very much. As for the pizza dough, it takes just over 2 hours to make, including rise-time, so if you plan your day in advance, you will have pizza for dinner and another pizza the next day. This dough recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas, so it's definitely worth making. You can also freeze the dough after you've let it rise. Just tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for future use.

And if you are interested in knowing a bit more about me, Marilyn over at Simmer Till Done interviewed me.

basic (but wonderful) pizza dough
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 1/4 c warm water
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 T olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1/2 t salt
cornmeal

1. In a large bowl, combine the yeast and 1 cup of the warm water. Stir in flour, salt and olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough begins to form at the bottom of the bowl. Add the rest of the warm water and shape the dough into a ball using your hands. Flour up your hands if it becomes too sticky and knead, baby knead! Knead for about 5 minutes until the dough gets nice and elastic.

2. Oil up another large bowl. Place dough ball inside and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm-ish place and let it rise for 2 hours. Once it has doubled in size, you've reached gold. Spread cornmeal and a bit of flour on your work surface and plop dough on top. Cut dough in half with a knife. You can put the second half of dough back in the oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap to let it rise again in the fridge, so that you can have pizza the next day. Or just oil up 2 pans or baking sheets and have 2 pizzas right now.

3. Using a rolling pin, roll out the 1/2 lump of dough until it reaches a lovely thickness. I like it fairly thin, yet sturdy enough that you can't see through the dough. Transfer dough to your greased baking sheet and throw on your favorite toppings. Bake for 15 minutes or so at 400 degrees. Pull it out when the cheese gets all bubbly and the crust gets golden around the edges.

my favorite pizza toppings (of the moment):
As this is a thin-crust pizza you want to keep the toppings light, so don't go crazy adding everything in the fridge. You must keep a perfect balance of crust and topping. For me, I spread a little bit of really good olive oil over the top, followed by a bit of pesto, chopped tomatoes, dried red chili flakes, thinly sliced red onions, fresh basil leaves (torn), a bit of kosher salt, and because it was the only cheese in my house at the time, old orange cheddar thinly strewn about.

breakfast pizza

Yesterday morning, I put some pizza dough in a bowl, covered it with cling film and let it go about it's yeasty business. By nightfall, the dough had risen and was at it's peak, however, due to unforeseen circumstances, my plans to make a pizza dinner that night fell through. So when I woke up this morning, I looked into the bowl of risen dough and found my inspiration. Breakfast pizza! Everyone likes a slice of re-heated pizza in the morning once in a while, so why not go the extra distance and create one from scratch with a breakfast twist.

So I oiled up my cookie sheet, making sure my hands got nice and olive oily in the process and set to work stretching the dough to all four corners of the pan. If I was a bit more practised in the art of taming the sticky dough, I most certainly would have tried to create a bit more of a raised edge. A little bit more olive oil on top for a nice glisteny finish, some cut up scallions and sundried tomatoes were scattered about the top of the dough. Then I threw on some fresh basil leaves and fresh spinach and popped the whole thing into the oven for about 5 minues to get the dough a bit crusty and the toppings wilty. Meanwhile, I took 3 eggs and beat them in a small bowl, seasoning them well with kosher salt and pepper. I also sliced some leftover smoked Mennonite farmer's sausage into disks. Out of the oven came the pizza and I immediately laid out the sausage into a pleasing pattern right on top. Then I slowly pored the beaten eggs over top. You can imagine why I wish I was more skilled in the art of spreading out the pizza dough....as a raised edge works wonders for keeping the runny eggy goodness on the dough and off of the cookie sheet. Oh well. I popped the pizza back in the oven for a couple of minutes and then went back in to scrape off the slightly firmed up egg off the sheet and back onto the pizza. I then covered the whole thing with some grated Cheddar cheese and put the whole shebang back into the hot oven. When the cheese became nice and melty and bubbly, the breakfast pizza was ready.

And oh, what a breakfast it was! Savory and rich and melty and crisp. It was the most perfect breakfast for a rainy Saturday morning and I can't wait to try a new breakfast pizza variation soon. With a breakfast like this to look forward to, there is no need to sleep in.

it's not delivery: deep dish skillet pizza

When I told my husband that we'd be having pizza for dinner, he assumed we'd be ordering in some delivery. Nope, this was going to be the real deal with homemade crust and all. While I've made homemade pizza in the past, my dough usually comes from a bakery that does all the labour for me....I just need to let it rise, punch it down and stretch it out. Not too much hassle. But now that I've primed my yeast-baking skills, I figured it was time for me to branch out and bake a real pizza with real dough made from my 2 hands. Exciting times in this household!


I always thought making dough would be tough but really it's pretty simple. Just a few repetitive steps: stir, knead, rise, punch, knead...ta-da!! I had spotted a recipe for a deep dish sausage pizza in the Gourmet Cookbook (my go-to cookbook edited by my muse, Ruth Reichl), and decided that I'd create my own sauce and toppings but definitely follow the dough recipe step by step. While I followed the directions carefully, this dough was unlike any of the bakery dough that I had used in the past. While it was much easier to work with, it certainly wasn't as elastic and stretchy so that made me slightly fearful that I had somehow screwed up this pizza attempt. Luckily, the crust was perfect and even tastier than its bakery counterpart!


As for the toppings, I just went with what I had in the fridge. I love pineapple on pizza, but you could certainly substitute your favorite toppings to make the pizza of your dreams. Instead of mozzarella cheese, I used a farmer's cheese recommended to me by the proprietor of my favorite local Italian deli. He not only sold me some lean pancetta, but told me that the farmer's cheese would go great on pizza. It was perfect!

deep dish tomato, pancetta & pineapple skillet pizza
dough:
1/4 t sugar
1/2 c warm water (105° - 115°F)
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 1/2 c flour, plus additional for dusting
1/4 c cornmeal
1/2 t salt
1 T olive oil

topping:
1 T olive oil
1/4 c chopped pancetta (or bacon)
1 small onion, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 small can of diced tomatoes
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
salt & pepper to taste
1 c fresh pineapple, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1½ - 2 c grated farmer's or mozzarella cheese

1. Make the dough by stirring together the sugar, warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until the surface appears creamy. Add flour, cornmeal, salt and oil and stir until dough forms. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Dust occasionally with flour to prevent sticking.

2. Place dough in a large oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm location until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. While dough is rising, start making the sauce.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil and fry up pancetta. If you use a fatty pancetta or bacon, you may not need oil at all. Add in onion and turn down heat slightly, letting the onions get soft and slightly caramelized. Add in garlic, tomatoes, spices and salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 500°. Oil up a cast iron skillet. Punch down dough and knead 4 times. Press dough into oiled skillet with oiled fingers until it comes 2 inches up the sides and is an even thickness on the bottom. Let dough rise in a warm place for 15 minutes, covered loosely in plastic wrap.

5. Sprinkle dough with half of the cheese then top with tomato sauce. Evenly sprinkle pineapple and green pepper on top and then cover with remaining cheese. Bake for 12 minutes and then lower oven temperature to 400° and bake for 8 minutes more or until edges of crust are golden. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

the mac daddy: apple, onion and cheddar pizza

Sundays are often a night we head out with friends to a local brew pub and eat cheap thin crust pizzas, drink delicious pints and play cards. One of the pizzas I like at this pub is called the "Johnny Mac" because it's topped with MacIntosh apples. I kid you not. It also has ranch dressing instead of tomato sauce, along with fresh tomatoes, bacon and cheddar cheese. I could do without the ranch dressing, but the pizza itself is delicious. This Sunday I was sick, so I stayed inside and dealt with the hand I was given. But not wanting to ruin the fun, I decided to make pizza at home for dinner. And as luck would have it, I had a huge bag of local, organic MacIntosh apples! Forget the Johnny Mac, this was gonna be the Mac Daddy of pizzas.

I kept the cheddar and apples, but did away with everything else and worked with what I had available. I caramelized a whack load of onions, threw on some salty capers along with some chewy sun dried tomatoes and a few dabs of pesto for good measure. The Johnny who?? This pizza was delicious.

apple, onion & cheddar pizza
2 T olive oil
2 large red onions, sliced thin
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 ball of pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
1 T capers
1/4 c sliced sun-dried tomatoes
3 T pesto
2 MacIntosh apples (or any tart apple), sliced thinly
1 c cheddar cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 375. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat, adding in onions and garlic. Stir until onions turn soft, about 10 minutes. Add in balsamic vinegar and turn down heat to medium-low, stirring occassionally. The onions should be soft, glossy and caramelized, if they get too dry, add in a little water. Remove from heat.

2. Roll out your pizza dough and place on sheet. Spread dough with a thin layer of pesto and cover with caramelized onions and sprinkle with capers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Spread a layer of apples over top and then cover with cheese. Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

a cheap healthy lunch: chickpea rapini melt

I'm pretty lucky to live where I do. Just around the corner and down the street a couple of blocks is my favorite market on the edges of Chinatown. Earlier this week I spied beautiful bunches of beets–2 bunches for one buck. A few rows down was rapini (also known as broccoli rabe) for the same. I didn't want 2 bunches worth of rapini, so I threw one bunch into my basket. Fifty cents. Imagine that.

Sadly, I haven't been in a cooking mood. Sure, I'll make dinner after a lot of cupboard door banging and grumbling about not wanting to cook. But, in the end, because I don't want to give in to my husband's suggestion to just order in pizza, I'll end up cooking something. This afternoon, I looked into the fridge and stared at that languishing bunch of rapini, just starting to wilt and figured that I had to do something with it quick. After an internet search, I found this on a farmer's website. Rapini chickpea pizza? Well, I had all the ingredients and got to work. I made a few changes and oh my, it was good. Really, really good. But it didn't seem like pizza. Maybe because of the pita bread, it was more of a melt in my eyes, so that's what I'm calling it. Make this as a healthy lunch, dinner or cut it up into triangles for a unusual appetizer. It's easy enough to make vegan by getting rid of the cheese.

rapini - chickpea melt
(adapted from here)
1 bunch rapini, chopped
splash of hot sauce
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 T olive oil + 1 T oil for later
1/2 t red chili flakes
1/4 t kosher salt
1 14oz can of chickpeas
1/4 c water + more for later
4 whole wheat pitas
parmesan cheese, optional

1. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat, adding garlic, salt and chili flakes. Stir mixture constantly as you want the garlic to get golden and have everything infuse the oil. This should take about 4 minutes or so.

2. Add chickpeas and 1/4 cup of water to a blender or food processor. Add in chili/garlic/oil mixture and set aside the skillet for later. Blend mixture until smooth and set aside.

3. Using the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and add chopped rapini to the pan. Saute for a few minutes and then add about 1/4 cup of water, a pinch of salt and a splash (or more) of hot sauce. Let the rapini steam away until all the liquid evaporates.

4. Spread chickpea mixture over the 4 pitas. I spread the mixture thinly, so I have leftover spread (which will be ideal for a snack later on). Divide the rapini over top and then top with grated parmesan, if using. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the pita is golden at the sides and crispy.

tart it up: simple tomato phyllo tart

A few months ago I bought some phyllo dough with the intention of creating something fantastic out of it. It languished in my freezer for quite a while before a near-empty fridge made the decision for me that it was time to play with that phyllo pastry. So with a bit of store bought pesto, a couple of beautiful looking tomatoes and more olive oil than I cared to admit, I turned that phyllo into a pretty stunning tomato tart.


Phyllo has a bad rap, but I'm here to dispel the myth. It's not hard to work with it. Really. Repeat it 5 times. Trust me. All you need to have a successful go is a damp tea towel and a bowl of olive oil–plus a pastry brush. Phyllo is thin and brittle and tears like a mofo but don't sweat it if your sheet of phyllo rips in two. No one is going to notice once it bakes up. It's very forgiving that way. However, phyllo does dry out quickly which is the reason for the damp towel, so cover up what sheets you aren't currently slathering olive oil onto and you'll do just fine.


As for my tomato tart? Totally impressive in taste and appearance. Cornelius wondered why I called it a tart when he figured it should be called a pizza. Whatever, I'm being fancy so tart trumps pizza. Serve this for guests and they'll think you pulled out all the stops, so just bow and accept your accolades. I just made it on a Sunday night when it was just the two of us watching a movie (Zodiac, btw, which was sooooo beautiful in terms of lighting and camera work and made me swoon, as did my eternal crush, Mark Ruffalo).

One more thing totally food unrelated, next week, I'll be taking a little birthday road trip to the wilds of central and north eastern Oregon. We'll be around Bend, the John Day area and the painted hills for some camping and hiking. If anyone has any good food recommendations or cute towns or great thrift shops we must stop at, fill me in! We'll also head to my favorite city, Portland, for a couple days as well. Send me your recommendations please!!

tomato phyllo tart
6-8 sheets of phyllo dough, defrosted if frozen
1/3 c really good olive oil
3 T pesto
4 farm fresh tomatoes, sliced thin
1 small red onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 bocconcini, sliced thin
1/3 c parmesan cheese
1/3 c fresh parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep your work area by making sure you have got your olive oil and pastry brush at hand. Oil up the bottom and sides of a baking sheet and then rinse a clean tea towel and squeeze it dry. Open up the phyllo package and unroll the sheets of dough. Remove 1 sheet and then immediately cover with damp towel. Place sheet on baking tray and brush with olive oil. Repeat until you have several layers for the base and create a rim along the sides by folding over the edges slightly. Wrap up tightly any unused portions of phyllo and return to the fridge for another use.

2. With the same brush used for the olive oil, brush on the pesto into an even, thin layer. Layer tomatoes over the pastry, followed by the onions and then sprinkle on the garlic. Add the bocconcini and parmesan and then top with parsley.

3. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until the phyllo turns golden and crispy. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into squares.

oat couture: peanut butter granola

Not one to brag, but for the past week, everything that has come out of my kitchen has been amazing. I've been cooking for every single meal and trying new things like making jam and thin crust pizza–and everything has turned out great. It's a good feeling. And it all started with this granola recipe.

I've been wanting to make a peanut butter granola for a while now and I'm glad I finally gave it a try. It was so successful that I've made it twice in a row...even converting a friend who says that she hates granola! It's that good. In my first batch I decided to throw in a bit of chocolate after becoming inspired by Molly's recipe, but when I made it again without the chocolate, the granola didn't miss a thing. Chocolate or not, it's your call.

Another tip...when I first made this, the peanut butter jar was new, so the peanut butter near the top (despite all my stirrings) was definitely of the oilier variety and got more liquidy when heated. When I made it again, the peanut butter jar was close to empty, so even melting it was a bit difficult. I could have added more oil to compensate, but I decided to just use a little bit of elbow grease instead and used my hands to break-up and distribute all of that peanut buttery goodness all over those oats. It was a good move. This granola has a nice peanut butter flavour and is just a bit sweet. It's perfect over plain yogurt topped with berries or with a dollop of homemade jam.

This morning another of my posts went up on the Food Network Canada blog. This one is my interview with celebrity chef, Anna Olson. She was amazingly personable, friendly and nice. A dream interview subject, for reals. Take a peek!

More granola recipes from my archives:
Cocoa-coconut granola
No-fail granola
Vanilla-almond granola

peanut butter granola
2 1/2 c oats
1/2 c wheat germ
1 t vanilla extract
2 T canola oil
3 T natural peanut butter
2 T brown sugar
3 T chopped chocolate (optional)

In a large bowl, mix oats and wheat germ together. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat up oil, peanut butter, vanilla and brown sugar over medium high heat and let it all get melty together. Pour hot mixture over oats and stir well, so that everything is covered. You may have to use your hands if your peanut butter mixture is extra stiff. Add chocolate, if using, and mix well. Spread mixture on a baking sheet or large glass baking pan and toast in a 325 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, checking on it and stirring it occasionally until mixture is dry. When cool, store in a tightly lidded container.

red lentil curry dip with pita chips

I've been living on take out pizza lately. I haven't made a dent into my holiday baking yet, but I'm sure there's still time (right?). Luckily, I did manage to eek out some pretty fantastic whole wheat biscuits on the weekend. And tonight I resisted the ease of picking up the phone for delivery and took time out of my crazy work schedule to make peace with my neglected kitchen. I looked in cupboards and rooted through the back of the fridge and I managed to cook a wonderful Maritime-style fish chowder (I'll post the recipe later). It was good to take a break because it meant time to myself doing what I enjoy doing: chopping, stirring, smelling, tasting. My good, calm, reassured old self came flooding back with every turn of the spoon and it was like I had never left.

The same "kitchen as restorative" feeling came last Friday. I was attending the party of this lovely lady later in the evening, but I was freaking about about whether I could make the time to bring something, let alone even show up (although what excuse could I make since she lives just one floor below in the same building). So instead of panicking over the emails in my inbox, I headed to the kitchen where I chopped, blended and sauteed myself back into a better frame of mind. After the dip had been made and the spoon had been licked (because that is a cook's prerogative), I realized that everything under control. Taking the time out to cook helped to sort out my thoughts and gave me the time away from the computer to put things into perspective. And during a holiday when everything seems kind of crazy, it's nice to escape into cooking.

Now go on and grab that red lentil curry dip and pita chips over at Poppytalk. It's delicious and healthy and possibly just the thing to soothe your harried soul.

chocolate chip maple walnut cookies

I think I have discovered my most favorite chocolate chip cookie ever. This one has it all: chocolate, nuts and that beloved chew and crisp that any true chocolate chip cookie worth its salt must have. It's perfect. Plus, it's got a nice chug of maple in there, so take that you old regular cookie! This one trumps all.

Okay, okay, I haven't made that most famous 36 hour cookie recipe yet from the New York Times, but I did try that exact cookie at a certain Seattle pizza restaurant (yup, that's the one) and still I liked this one more. Yes, really. Want to sprinkle some flaky Maldon salt over top before you bake it? Sure, go ahead because I'm going to do just that next time.

My husband claims that I am prone to exaggeration. Don't believe him. But if you doubt any of my claims, hear me out. A friend who tried these cookies on the weekend declared they were the best chocolate chip cookie she had ever had. And she said it out loud in a room full of people. So take that! If you need more convincing, they're also super easy to make. There's no fussing with sifting dry ingredients or adding in the flour at different times. Nope! No rubbish like that. If you can mix, you can have cookies in no time flat. I think I've set some weekend cookie baking in motion, haven't I? Make the people in your house happy, make yourself happy. Make a double batch.

chocolate chip maple walnut cookies
(adapted from Dinner with Julie)
1/4 c butter, softened
1 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c pure maple syrup (the good stuff!!)
1 large egg
1 t maple extract
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 c dark chocolate chips
3/4 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, extract and maple syrup together. Add in the egg and combine until fluffy. Dump in the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until just blended before adding the chocolate chips and walnuts and stirring again. Drop by tablespoon 2 inches apart onto a parchment or silpat covered cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are just golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 24 cookies.

chopped vegetable salad with zesty ranch dressing

Just as I had hoped, summer is back. Two days of grey skies and rain is okay by me and it's more than good for all the gardens and farms out there too. But I'm so happy to have back the sunshine and warm summer evenings. Ahhh, now it feels like July! And the perfect meal for those hot summer nights is a crunchy refreshing vegetable salad. I love chopped salads because they're just so easy: chop the vegetables into bite-sized chunks, pour over some homemade dressing, et voilà, a fresh and tasty meal.

This time, I tried something different: ranch dressing. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of ranch...it's too creamy and bland and I miss the tart pucker that only a vinaigrette provides. But then I saw a photo on Gluten-Free Girl's blog and it made me want ranch dressing. Like really, really want ranch dressing. So I bought some buttermilk and got to work. I modified her version based on the ingredients that I already had and the results were deliciously wonderful. Yes, the ranch dressing was creamy but it had a good balance of flavour between the tang of the buttermilk, the bite of the lemon and all the earthy spices. This recipe makes a lot which is so perfect to have in the fridge when CSAs & farmer's markets stuff your crisper with more vegetables than you know what to do with. When you've got a mason jar full of homemade dressing, it's easy to whip up a quick salad to make use of your greens or snack on a platter of raw vegetables. And – if this is something you might be into – this ranch dressing doctored with a habanero hot sauce is just perfect for dipping your take-out pizza crusts into. You know, if you do that kind of thing.

Want more summer salad ideas? Let me dig deep into my archives...
Colourful chopped vegetable salad
Green bean quinoa salad
Marinated vegetable salad
Mixed bean salad
Raw vegetable salad with yogurt-feta dressing
Vegetable slaw with jalapeno-lime dressing

chopped vegetable salad with zesty ranch dressing
(adapted from Gluten-Free Girl)
2 c snowpeas, chopped
2 carrots, sliced into coins
3/4 c corn
1/2 green cabbage, shredded & chopped
1/4 red onion, finely diced
dressing:
1 c buttermilk
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c mayonnaise
juice & zest of 1/2 lemon
1 t honey
1 fat clove garlic, minced
2 T freshly grated onion
1 large pinch each of dried dill & oregano
1/4 t sweet Spanish paprika
1/2 t kosher salt
1 t freshly ground pepper
a shake or two of hot sauce

Chop all the vegetables and place them in a large bowl. Set aside.

To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients until combined. Taste & adjust seasoning if necessary. This makes a lot of dressing, so just use enough dressing for the salad. Pour dressing liberally (or not, depending on taste) and toss salad to combine.

Place remaining dressing into a tightly lidded container and keep in the fridge for about a week or so.

stewed peppers, tomatoes & onions

There's a lot of good writing out there in the food blog world. I've laughed and I've even cried over someone's personal story telling. But this morning I went to my feed reader and read this post by Tea & Cookies. It touched me deeply. Beautifully written and ringing of truth, I had to comment. So please head over to Tea's blog, read her words and let me know if it stirred similar feelings.

While I feel so many of the same things that Tea has mentioned in her post, I don't have an answer. While I know the life I am living right now is based on my choices, I should feel 100% satisfied and lucky. And most days I am. I love where I live, I love my friends, I'm proud of the work that I accomplish. And my husband? I couldn't imagine a life without him holding my hand, laughing at my tasteless jokes and loving me for who I am. But then there are other days when doing the simplest things seems too overwhelming.

This blog is a comforting place. It started off as a creative outlet, as a way to get back to writing, like in the days when I used to self-publish my own photocopied and stapled zine. It provides relief from my day to day, but sometimes because of life, it gets placed on the back burner. I'm not writing as much (or as well) as I used to, I'm feeling distracted and sometimes writing a post is like checking of an item on my to-do list. It's not a great feeling. All I know is that it's a busy time right now and soon enough I'll find my way back here with a full heart and a full belly. But on with the food, it's why you came here after all!

I made this meal yesterday for dinner and it was the perfect thing. Just fresh peppers from a Chinatown market, a plain old yellow onion, a couple of eggs, and a can of tomatoes from the cupboard. Elements that don't seem like much, but when put together and heated gently for about an hour, turns into something almost magical. Not bam-pop-wow magic, but the kind you feel from inside. It is warmth and comfort and it just feels right. Like a cardigan and knee socks and crisp leaves underfoot. Like hand-holding. And so I hope this blog will continue to feel as comforting and tasty as this meal. Just please forgive my table manners once and a while.

stewed peppers, tomatoes & onions
1 T olive oil
1 large onion or 2 small ones, sliced thinly
4 large cloves garlic, sliced
4 large peppers (any colour), sliced
1-2 red dried chilis, crumbled
1/2 t salt
1 can of 28oz tomatoes, diced
4 eggs, optional

In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat and saute dried chili peppers, garlic and onion until soft, translucent and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add in peppers and salt and stir occasionally until they soften up a bit. Throw in the tomatoes and combine. Cover for 45 minutes until everything gets soft and melty, stirring up everything when you remember.

If you want to poach the eggs in the sauce, I recommend it. Make 4 indentations with your wooden spoon and crack open an egg into each slight divet. Cover and cook until the whites firm up but the yolks are still runny. Gently ladle into big bowls. Serve with crusty bread.

If you skip the eggs, serve this with crusty bread or with over polenta, on top of pizza or use as a lasagna sauce. I've eaten this every which way and it's always good.

my favorite recipes from 2009

I love the new year. It's a fresh start, a clean slate. It's a good place to be with so much open out in front of you. But it's also nice to look back at the past year and I'm definitely fond of taking a look back. I can flip through old journals to see where I've been, who I was with, what jobs I had, and where I lived. I love to see how far I've come and what journey I've taken to be who I am today.

One of the reasons I started this blog was to keep track of the food I was making and my experiences in the kitchen. And because this is a journal, it's fun to look back. I did it in 2007 and 2008, and I'm looking back once again on 2009. Here are some of my most favorite recipes from this past year. I hope you enjoy my look back as much as I did and here's to another great year ahead!

cinnamon oatmeal waffles

millet vegetable bowl

lemon, parmesan & chickpea cabbage salad

strawberry rhubarb crumble

the easiest pizza dough in the world

bouchon's simple roast chicken

tomato & corn biscuit pie

stewed peppers, tomatoes & onions

chicken thighs in riesling

chocolate chip maple walnut cookies

sweet potato, corn & jalapeno bisque

better than from a bakery granola