Happy Halloween

tonight

we are going to the home of a friend

who lives in one of those great neighborhoods

one where the kids come from all over los angeles to trick or treat 

because apparently

miley, the jonas boys and several other "celebrities" live there

it is safe

the homes are all decorated

and 

 everyone dresses up

i love it

and i work the door

 those kids who really make an effort

on their costume

get a big candy bar

but the ones who wear a baseball cap

and say

i'm a fan

or a laker jersey

and say

i'm kobe

get candy from the grab bag

for the record

i

do not believe

that you are ever too old to trick or treat

but if you are in college

and can't get it together to put on a costume

that looks like a costume

 not a tshirt that says

this is my costume

then what you get from me

is a piece of paper that says

this is my treat

i'm all about the effort

hubster and i dress up

i make the costumes

and he does the scary makeup

last year we were

the hunchback of notre dame and a peacock

beauty and the beast, if you will

this year is a secret

have a fun and safe night!

ice cream and cake halloween style

this is probably my last halloween post 

this year

i'm not promising

but since halloween is tomorrow

it is looking good

these mini cupcakes are a lot of fun to eat

but 

if you are a perfectionist

and don't like it when things don't go your way

don't do the ice cream part

use frosting

make your favorite cupcake recipe and bake in mini-tartlet pan using paper liners.  let cool.  dip each in bittersweet chocolate ganache and let firm up.  top with ghost--and serve.

the ghosts are made from homemade philadelphia style ice cream

freeze the ice cream until it is quite thick and could hold shape. quickly put it into a pastry bag fitted with a tip with a 1/4" round hole.  pipe the ice cream onto a sheet pan, lined with parchment and immediately put it in the freezer for 4 hours.   remove the ghosts and pipe the chocolate eyes and mouth and return to the freezer. let freeze overnight.  just before serving, use an offset spatula to move the ice cream from the sheet pan to the mini-cupcakes. 

take your bow

then eat

* if you choose to use frosting rather than ice cream....you can either pipe the ghosts directly on to the cupcake, or you can pipe them on to a sheet-pan, put them in the fridge for an hour or so, decorate with chocolate ganache, and then transfer by offset spatula to the cupcakes.

crazy cocktailin'

so i have this liquor cabinet

that seems to have more going in

than coming out

i have these grand ideas

about having cocktails before dinner

or the two martini lunch

but i just never seem to get around to it

although

i am extremely well prepared

lets say
there were a disaster

and

 the best survival tool was a cocktail

we would live forever

i was browsing my google reader
and saw this post from scary mommy

which encouraged me to hit the bottle

i have a lot of candy corn lying about
so it was a natural choice

candy cocktails
1 cup of candy
2-3 cups of vodka or rum
put in a mason jar and let sit for at least 2 days
strain and bottle

one jar with vodka

and the other

with rum

i now firmly believe that

candy corn rum

should be the requisite 

pirate tipple
it is really, really good

someone...

get depp on the phone

*i am experimenting with some other flavors and will post them soon (sneak preview...toasted marshmallow vodka)

chicken and chorizo pot pie

chicken pot pie 

is stick to your ribs goodness

is there anything better

on a cold afternoon

post

rain puddle hopping

or 

in my case

winterizing the garden

hubster and i are getting ready for a long trip

which means we are eating solely

from

the pantry and freezer

i was able to put these pies together

with things i have on hand

my fave part of this recipe is

if you don't want to make  pot pie

the filling is great as a stew

or

leave out the flour and add a bit more broth

and make it a soup

chicken and chorizo pot pie

(printable recipe)

2 Tbs olive oil

2 chicken breasts--cut into cubes

2 chorizo links (cooked)--cut crosswise into coins

1/2 cup celery--chopped

1/2 cup onion--chopped

2 cloves garlic--chopped

1 yam or sweet potato--cubed

1 cup peeled, seeded and diced tomato

1/2 cup corn (frozen or fresh)

3 Tbs flour

2 Tbs emeril's southwest seasoning (recipe follows)

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

1 Tbs worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

pie crust or puff pastry

heat olive oil in heavy stock pot.  saute chorizo and chicken until the fat is rendered.  toss in the celery, onion  and garlic and continue to cook until the onion and garlic are soft.  throw in the yam, tomato, and corn.  cook for 10 minutes longer.  mix together the flour and southwest seasoning and stir into the pot, making sure it is evenly mixed. stir in white wine and chicken stock (if you don't want to use wine, just increase the amount of stock). add worcestershire sauce.  cover and cook on lowest setting for 35 minutes. allow to cool to warm.  transfer to oven safe dish or dishes and top with crust.  bake in a preheated 375 oven for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is browned and the filling is bubbling.

Emeril's Southwest Seasoning

2 Tbs chili powder

2 Tbs paprika

1 Tbs ground coriander

1 Tbs garlic powder 

1 Tbs salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

mix together and store in an airtight jar

i am linking this up to tuesday night supper club

and

hearth and soul blog hop

my favorite treat

i am not totally obsessed with my morning coffee

but i will admit, i am bummed when served

bad coffee

for the longest time i had a percolator i bought on ebay

from the 50's

it made incredible coffee

when it worked

several years ago

my mother discovered a coffee machine

that changed all of our lives

thankfully

my brother and his wife

gifted one to us

(most likely from annoyance)

i might have said, one too many times

how much i loved it

this is not really a coffee maker

it is an espresso machine

one that will have you dropping your starbucks run

like a bad habit

seriously

although expensive

it is a heck of a lot cheaper than a daily pilgrimage

to a coffee shop

and

you don't have to wait in line

burn your hand with an overly hot cup

give a tip

make eye contact with strangers

or

get dressed

...would you like me to go on?

3 years in

and i still love it

friends

i give you

the nespresso

it makes espresso, or a 5oz lungo for your favorite fancy drink

there never was an easier way to have

a double half-caff, no foam, 2 splenda, skinny with a twist

or whatever silliness

 you like to drink

*sadly, i didn't receive anything from nespresso to say the nice things i said here. i just thought you should know

because the machine is THAT good

i thought saying something nice about it, was much better than saying something mean about the other machine i have--which is another pod type machine that makes the worst coffee and hot chocolate imaginable. but i won't go there.

 not today, anyway

if you are looking for more reasons to put this on your "i want it" list...i have a few 

including this fabulous cocktail

Vanilla Coffee Martini
In a shaker with lots of ice mix 2 oz of vanilla vodka, 1 oz freshly brewed espresso, 1 oz Kahlua, splash of cream de noya (almond liqueur). Shake, shake, shake. Serve in a martini glass with 3 espresso beans.

update: This summer I made a "slimmed down" version of this drink. 2 oz vanilla vodka, 1 oz freshly brewed espresso and enough splenda to make it sweet for you. Add lots of ice and a splash of milk or cream. Delicious!

this ice cream

Ice Cream in a Pinch

I took about 1 cup of custard and added to it  1 cup of milk chocolate chips melted in about 1/4 cup of cream making it a bit of a ganache. I threw in a shot of very strong espresso and whisked it all up.  The mixture was cool, so I didn't have to chill it in the fridge and I dumped it right into the ice cream machine.  30 minutes later I had a mildly chocolate, minimally coffee flavored, very smooth ice cream.  As I packed it into the tub for future eating, I swirled in nutella...for nutella ripple ice cream. 

or 

 shacheratta

Pour 4-5 oz of strong coffee into a martini shaker.  Add a lot of crushed ice.  shake it till you break it. strain it into your glass, then strain the foam on top. the foam looks and tastes like milk, but it isn't.  i had this for the first time in ravenna, italy...and i have been making it ever since.

just sayin....

a bit o' crafting

i do love to craft

but to be honest 

i am usually behind the magic 8 ball

furiously finishing things

at the last moment

i am envious of those

that are organized enough

to have halloween mastered

well before the 31st

mantles decorated

matching wreaths on every door

personalized with "this year's theme"

 halloween costumes finished

which, by the way

have been hand sewn and hanging in the costume closet

for weeks

treat bags

made of homemade paper and hand folded

into perfect packets

by the hundreds

awaiting little ghouls and goblins

who will be treated to a full haunted house

and a framed picture of themselves screaming

at the scary bits

upon exiting

i wish i were describing myself

but i am not

mind you

i do my fair share of  marthanizing

but

i'm more of the

its due tomorrow kind of girl

which is why

it is so surprising

that i have actually

put together a halloween-scape

that has been gracing our mantle

for almost 3 weeks now

and will probably be there

until new years

because 

i just don't have it in me

to swap it out

in time for thanksgiving

i would be remiss

if i didn't mention

joni over at red couch recipes

she has been posting halloween goodness all month long

and has inspired me to get off my duff

and make some stuff

specifically

the candy corn topiaries

that are to die for

bobbing for apples

i don't remember my age

on the day of my very first halloween party

but i do remember

costumes were compulsory

(something i still require)

and there were games

like 

bobbing for apples

each apple holding a prize

some had coins

others had slips of paper, wrapped in plastic

naming a prize

and i remember

getting really wet

and laughing 

until my stomach hurt

it is a halloween tradition

that i think has sadly gone by the wayside

so i am bringing it back

with these cupcakes

an homage

to a favorite childhood game

bobbing for apples cupcakes

bake your favorite cupcakes

frost with buttercream (tinted blue)

make small balls out of marzipan

dip the balls in red food color and let dry

poke a hole with a toothpick and insert a chocolate jimmie

wrap with a cupcake wrapper shaped as a bucket

i don't have a template to share, but i took a cupcake wrapper, traced it on silver paper, then added handles

just a little black marker, gave them a bit of depth

so easy, right?

check out more fun stuff over at tatertots and jello weekend wrap-up

pumpkin spice cocoa on a broomstick

apparently, 

i live under a rock

or maybe

i don't go down the correct aisle at target

but

it took 2 different posts, from food blogging friends

for me to understand

that there is something in the store called

pumpkin pie spiced kisses

by hershey

and it got me thinking

my hot chocolate on a peppermint stick

was a huge crowd pleaser during the cold snap of winter

maybe

i should do something similar with the pumpkin pie kisses

so i present to you

pumpkin spice cocoa on a broomstick
(printable recipe)

this is great in a hot cup of milk, but also really lights up a strong cup of coffee

mmmm scrumptious

1 bag hershey pumpkin spice kisses--unwrapped

3/4 cup white chocolate

1/4 cup powdered sugar

additional white chocolate for dipping (optional)

melt the kisses and white chocolate in the microwave for 20 seconds. give it a good stir and then put in microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it is melted and smooth. do not overheat. you do not want the chocolate to get hot.  the heat of the bowl will eventually warm and melt the chocolate. have a bit of patience...it will serve you well in the taste and the set up of the chocolate.  add the powdered sugar and stir until smooth.  pour chocolate mixture into small molds, ice cube tray, mini-muffin tins, or paper cups, and insert a wooden stick, or candy stick, or straw. it is really up to you.  place in refrigerator to set up.  once firm, remove from refrigerator and molds and keep as is, or dip in chocolate.  stir into hot milk or strong coffee for a delightful pumpkin spice treat.

turmeric chicken

i love chicken kebab

we live near a large armenian community

 which makes finding great chicken

fairly easy

but it makes for an expensive

dinner out

so i have been playing with this recipe

i used to use saffron

but hubster wasn't a big fan

so i switched it up to turmeric

with all the color, and none of the cost

turmeric chicken
(printable recipe)

3-4 lbs chicken 

(i use a combination of skinless,boneless thighs and breast because we can't agree in my house)

2 cups plain greek yogurt

1 Tbs turmeric

2 large clove garlic--smashed

1 onion--halved and thinly sliced

1/2 tsp black pepper

juice of 3 lemons

1 tsp dried oregano

2 Tbs butter--melted

salt and pepper to taste

mix the yogurt, turmeric, garlic, onion, pepper, lemon juice and oregano together.  place the chicken in a ziploc bag and pour the marinade over.  place in the fridge and marinate at least 4 hours, or overnight.  when ready to cook, remove from the fridge and blot with paper towel dry.  discard the marinade.  place enough olive oil in the bottom of a hot pan to cover.  pan fry the chicken until it is browned and cooked through.  when it comes out of the pan, brush a bit of the melted butter and season with salt and pepper (it won't need much if any salt).

i like to serve with tahini, hummas, and tzatziki which i know aren't completely authentic--but they are really tasty

i am linking to

 tuesday night supper club

and 

hearth and soul blog hop

harvest trifle

i know i have previously mentioned

i lived in england,

for a time

and while there

one of my favorite pastimes 

was

dissing the food

except

here is my confession

while  in england

i ate some really good food 

food that i find myself trying to duplicate

and sometimes craving

(jacket potato with baked beans anyone?)

one thing that is indisputable

if you don't count fruit cake

is 

the brits know their sweets

i looked forward to "pud" every night

my harvest trifle 

is a twist on the traditional 

to reflect the colors and flavors 

of fall

Harvest Trifle
(printable recipe)

1 pound cake (batter dyed orange--optional)

1 recipe vanilla custard (recipe follows)

1 recipe chocolate ganache (recipe follows)

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1 Tbs Contreau liqueur

whipped cream

shaved chocolate for decorating.

cut the pound cake into large chunks, and set on a sheet pan, allowing to stale a bit. warm the marmalade and then add to it the contreau (you can use a bit more than 1 Tbs if you like). in a trifle dish, or other serving piece, layer 1/2 the cake, 1/2 the custard, drizzles of marmalade, 1/2 the whipped cream and drizzles of chocolate.  repeat, ending with the whipped cream and topping with shaved chocolate.  The key is not to layer like a cake, you really do a layer of cake then, dollops of the other items, then the layer of cake pieces and dollops of the others.  think about each bite and what mix you want to have. the chocolate and marmalade are strong flavors, so you want to use a bit more sparingly.  

to make the custard

3 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

pinch salt

4  large egg yolks

3 Tbs cornstarch

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbs butter

heat the milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan, over low heat. meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch.  when the milk is at a simmer, slowly pour into the eggs, while whisking the eggs constantly.  pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens.  do not let it boil, but make sure it just begins to bubble before you pull it from the heat.  pour into a clean bowl and add butter and vanilla.  cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding, and refrigerate until cold

for the ganache

heat 1 cup cream to a simmer, add 1 1/2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate. stir to combine. use while warm, but not hot.  you can use the leftover over ice cream, or roll into truffles.

i'm linking this to

just something i whipped up

tortilla soup

our big family vacation when i was growing up

was spending the week after christmas

in mexico

we always went to the same place

and met up with the same families

who gathered together

year after year

from around the globe

it was a blast and a blessing

so much fun

and the food

oh the food

as a kid i always wondered

how it could be that

 the wonderful eats from mazatlan

were so horribly translated once they crossed the border

here's a secret i don't tell many

i tried my very first tortilla soup

in a mexican tourist trap

and it was

well

memorable

brothy and spicy, with large pieces of avocado and hunks of chicken

topped with crispy bits of yesterday's tortillas

because i can't just hop a plane to mexico when a craving hits

i make this

which closely resembles my memory of the perfect tortilla soup

now if i could just conjure up a spell

that could mimic the fresh sea breeze, bring together all the wonderful families, and improve my spanish

life would be perfect!

tortilla soup

(printable recipe)

3 quarts chicken stock

1 large roasted or boiled chicken (use the one from making stock if you can)

1/4 cup white wine or sherry

olive oil

1 large onion--chopped

1 large pasilla chile--chopped

3 chilies in adobo--finely chopped

2 cloves garlic--finely chopped
large can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

2 Tbs southwest seasoning (recipe follows)

to taste--salt and pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 large bay leaves

juice of 1 lime

3 Tbs fresh cilantro--chopped

pinch oregano

2 diced avocados to serve

fried tortilla strips dusted with southwest seasoning to serve

Emeril's Southwest Seasoning

2 Tbs chili powder

2 Tbs paprika

1 Tbs ground coriander

1 Tbs garlic powder 

1 Tbs salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

heat enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of a stock pot.  toss in the onion and pasilla chili and cook until softened but not browned.  add garlic, adobo chiles, and corn and let cook for 1-2 minutes.  Pour in wine or sherry and stir until it evaporates completely.  sprinkle in the southwest seasoning and cook for just a minute or two. add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, cumin, oregano and chicken stock.  let simmer 30 minutes or so.  meanwhile, remove skin from chicken and shred.  toss the chicken into the soup and cook until warmed through. check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.  remove from heat and add cilantro and lime juice.

add avocado and tortilla strips when serving

linking up to round robin
and submitting to

corned beef and cabbage

one of my food bloggie friends made this a few weeks ago

in celebration of her friend

an actor

and his new show

mike and mollie

which is adorable, by the way

if you watched it

did you happen to notice paula deen's possible future daughter-in-law... as the trampy sister?

bless her heart

back to the point..if i can find one

cooking underwriter's post

(she makes a roasted version)

reminded me that i really like cabbage that is cooked with corned beef

soft and buttery, it is truly perfect

the best part?

hubster will eat my portion of the beef in hash and sandwiches

i thought i would be really fancy and corn my own brisket

and found a great recipe from alton brown

but then saw that i had to find saltpeter

huh?

 yeah...i thought the same thing

i didn't want to buy it

so i purchased an already corned beef

which probably has some very bad things in it

but i closed my eyes and soldiered on

Corned Beef and Cabbage
(printable recipe)

3-4 lb corned beef or brisket if you are d.y.i.-ing it

1 large head green cabbage--cut into thin wedges, leaving the core intact

7-9 small yukon potatoes

cold water to cover the brisket

little packet of pickling spices that come with the corned beef (optional)

this is so simple. take a large pot, place the corned beef in it and cover with water to about 2" above the top of the meat. bring the pot to a boil and then immediately, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.  the meat will take approximately 50 minutes per pound.  about 45 minutes before the meat is planned to be finished, layer top the corned beef with the cabbage wedges and potatoes. make sure the potatoes get immersed in the liquid.  when the meat is fork tender, remove from the liquid and let sit covered for 30 minutes.  you can continue to cook the potatoes and cabbage if they aren't done to your liking.  

slice the corned beef against the grain and serve with the veggies and hot and spicy mustard.

and perhaps some irish soda bread

i am linking to tuesday night supper club

and 

tasty tuesdays

had i made my own corned beef, i would link up to

hearth and soul which has some amazing food, you should check it out 

poetic apples

i love october

mainly because of halloween

but also because of the promise october holds

the promise of dark cool mornings

followed by crisp afternoons

perfect for a walk

down country roads

the crackle of autumn leaves at my feet

and an irish knit to keep me warm

alas

promises are meant to be broken

when you live in southern california

instead of crisp afternoons

i find myself with crunchy granny smith apples

and rather than

 dark cool mornings

i have dark warm chocolate

sometimes a broken promise isn't all that bad

i don't have a recipe for you, as these are quite simple

but i do have a couple of tips

-use good chocolate--bittersweet or milk, whatever your fancy--but make sure it is good.  you can learn how to temper chocolate in the microwave, here

- if you make your own caramel--let it set and then warm when you are ready to dip your apples  i actually make my caramel in advance, let it set and cool, then roll it into round sheets much like you can buy in the store.
i like this recipe from the culinary institute of america

 i find it easier to drape the sheet over the apple than to dip it

-i roll the caramel apples in toasted, salted almonds, but peanuts and pecans are yummy too! i have found that putting the nuts under the chocolate, gives the chocolate something to grab, and also allows for festive decoration

-floral tape on the stick, covers a myriad of sins

and cute ribbon turns it from an apple to a present

you should go to your kitchen right now

and make these

they are delicious

and some might say

poetic

linked up to
sundays at one
just something i whipped up
pretty packages party
weekend wrap up at tatertots and jello