One more thing–this weekend I am hosting a dinner party and I’m going to let you pick the recipe that I share from it. Your choices are: A roasted beet salad w/ goat cheese croquettes, creamy polenta, or cabernet braised short ribs. I’ll post the recipe one week from today. Cast your vote in the comment section.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

ps- pie is sexy.

Decision: Granny Smith Apples.

I’m going to pat myself on the back for this one, because this little hiccup, made for one mean stew. I really like how the apples cooked into the stew and added a nice tartness. It is called a chili-stew because it has chili spices (without being spicy), but also incorporates braised meat. I hope you give it a try.

Pulled Pork Apple Chili-Stew

Serves 6

Cook Time: 5 hrs for pork, 1 hr for stew.

4 TBS olive oil – divided

2 # pork shoulder – no bone

s and p

4 granny smith apples – peeled, divided

1 yellow onion – divided

6 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 celery stalks – chopped

1 anaheim pepper – chopped

2 garlic cloves – small chop

1 cup carrot – chopped

2 russet potatoes – peeled and chopped

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp chile powder – I use ancho

pinch of dried oregeno

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

cilantro – for garnich

Preheat oven to 275 F. Heat 2 TBS of the oil in large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Meanwhile season the pork with generous salt and pepper. Add the pork to the dutch oven and sear all sides until golden. Once golden, add half of one of the apples (cut into quarters) and a quarter of the onion (rough chop). Place the lid on the dutch oven and cook in the oven for ~5 hours (or until meat is fork tender and easy to shred).

(Continually season with s and p as needed) For the stew, heat the remaining oil in a large stockpot. Add the onions and cook until slightly browned (~5 mins). Then add the apple (small chop), the potatoes, the celery, and carrots; cook until the fruit/vegetables are slightly tender (~5 mins). Add the garlic and herbs; cook for another 2 mins. Finally add the tomatoes and remaining chicken stock. Simmer until vegetables are tender and apples are cooked into the stew (~30-40 mins). Add water if necessary.

Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the liquid and on to a cutting board; shred and add to the stew (discard onion and apple).

Garnish stew with freshly chopped cilantro.

We boarded the plane (Nora’s first flight!)

I entertained her with a “talking hair bow” who sounded an awful lot like Marcel the Shell

We arrived in the desert

We took naps

We went out for margaritas

We made plans for the week

We cooked a big dinner

We watched Midnight in Paris (seriously good!)

We put our name in at Pizzeria Bianco

We snuck into the Science Museum (unknowingly)

We had a beer

We ate at Pizzeria Bianco (we loved it!)

We went to the Botanical Garden

They had a luminaria exhibit

We ordered “Cactus Jacks” (hot apple cider and Jack Daniels, for the record… Papa’s favorite)

We listened to live music

We went to Sedona

We did an open air jeep ride (I was a nervous wreck)

We visited a “vortex”

We saw crazy-amazing views

Nora didn’t nap all day–wouldn’t go to bed

We discovered that my brother is a sleep whisperer

We saw real bull-riding at a bar

We hiked Camelback Mountain

We made it to the summit

We dined at Tonto

We loved every minute of it and can’t wait to go back! Thanks AN!! xo

Enjoy December!

Christmas card outtake

This year will be extra special since Nora can open her own presents; unlike last year where we bought all this stuff for a 5-month-old baby only to unwrap it ourselves. She knows that Santa says, “ho ho ho,” and thinks the manger animals are cool, so we are on our way to “understanding” the holiday.

My parents did such a good job with the “Santa thing” for me, that I believed 2 years longer than most kids. Then when I finally came to my senses, I couldn’t bear to tell my parents, so they thought I believed for 5 years longer. Scary. I have a feeling Nora will be much cooler than her mom.

I just catered one of my favorite parties of the year–instead of a cookie for the end of the night, we made s’mores! This summer dessert works surprisingly well in December. The s’mores are fancy and perfect for the holidays. Salty, sweet, and super rich (you have to buy the expensive chocolate) making for a very welcome addition to any cookie platter.

Santa will thank you. You have my word.

S’mores

3.5 oz good chocolate (I used Valrhona)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

5 graham crackers

25 marshmallows

long skewers

To make the ganache, heat the cream in a small sauce pan until bubbling. Remove from heat and add the chocolate (broken up). Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir with a fork or whisk until smooth. Place in a small bowl.

In a food processor, add the graham crackers and pulse until it is a uniform-crumbly mixture. Place in a small bowl.

Turn on the broiler to low (do this right beforehand so that the oven does not get too hot). On a cookie sheet, line 1/4 of the mallows in a straight line down the middle. Place them in the oven on the top rack and watch (very closely) until the top of the mallow becomes golden. Remove from oven, and transfer to a platter. Repeat for all of the mallows.

Very delicately place the end of the mallow (that was not toasted) in the ganache, removing any excess, then dredge through the grahams.

These can be made up to a day in advance (covered at room temp). Place skewer in the top, just before serving.

I had so much fun with last year’s gift guide, I thought I would do it again. Here are some of my favorites from 2011. I promise you will love these too!

Rare Bird Preserves Meyer Lemon Curd. Lemon curd is delicious, period. Elizabeth’s preservers are all made in small batches… they are amazing. The curd is fit for biscuits, pancakes, or toast. Ok, your finger.

Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce. I received this as a gift last Christmas and have so enjoyed baking with different grains. My favorites are the chocolate chip cookies and the oatmeal pancakes.

Beaba Stackables. This is a great gift for a new mom or a mom-to-be. The cups are ideal for portioning out formula (if nursing is over) or food on the go.

Asparagus Plate. I have used this dish at every, single, one, of our dinner parties. It’s the perfect plate.

Rich Chocolate’s Milk Chocolate Turtles. Chocolate… caramel… peanuts… salt. Chocolate lovers, watch out.

TOP PICK! Graeter’s Ice Cream (Black Raspberry Chip). This is my favorite dessert in the world! It’s from Cincinnati, but can now be purchased at (most) Whole Foods across the country. (If you love chocolate, these chips are BIG).

Ateco Cutters. These come in handy more than you would think. Cut cookies, polenta, or portion food for awesome food presentation.

A cute pic of Nora’s gingerbread house construction.

Allagash White. Brian and I fell in love with Allagash this year. It’s a Belgian-style brew that is fruity, light, and crisp.

There you have it… happy shopping and let me know if you have any fab gift ideas. Merry Christmas!

**I receive no compensation for posting these products**

]]> http://www.carolineskitchentable.com/2011/12/04/ckt-gift-guide-2011/feed/ 5 http://www.carolineskitchentable.com/2011/11/21/moving/ http://www.carolineskitchentable.com/2011/11/21/moving/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:10:03 +0000 admin http://www.carolineskitchentable.com/?p=1421 We have been house hunting! It is both fun and frustrating at the same time. It is funny what you think about when you look for a house.  I consider how well the home will hold up for a cocktail party; like how we will set up the bar and where to stash the coats. And then there is Christmas morning and the perfect spot for the tree. This is how my mind works. I don’t worry about anything logical.

I love open floor plans, especially near the kitchen. Any place we go into, I gesture for walls to come down and islands to build. Brian then points out the old roof, the basement, the… . Which, of course, is no fun.

So, I could have moving news soon, or it could be awhile, but for now, we are making parmesan chicken.

Parmesan Chicken

adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Serves 6

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

s and p

1 cup ap flour

2 large eggs + a generous splash of milk

1 1/4 cups plain bread crumbs

1/2 grated parmesan cheese + more for the salad

butter + olive oil

spinach

lemon vinaigrette (1 part fresh lemon juice, 2 parts olive oil, s & p) – mixed well

Preheat oven to 350 F. Tenderize (pound) the chicken thighs so that they are a 1/4 inch thick; season with salt and pepper. Pour the flour into one shallow dish, the egg and milk into another, and the bread crumbs and parmesan (mixed) into the last. Dredge the chicken (both sides for all of the steps) through the three-step breading process. 1. lightly dust in flour, 2. through the egg, and 3. coat in the bread crumb/parmesan mixture.

Heat a large pan over medium/high heat. Coat the pan with a pat of butter and a couple swirls of olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until golden, then flip (approx 2 minutes on each side). Place chicken on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10  minutes or until cooked through.

In a large bowl combine the spinach leaves and some of the lemon vinaigrette. Toss in a generous amount of grated parmesan. Plate the spinach salad, the chicken, and then finally pour some of the vinaigrette over the chicken.

I have created a “pin board” for you to check out, all about Thanksgiving! Click on the picture below and it will take you to a virtual inspiration board with Thanksgiving ideas, family favorite recipes, and host gifts (a couple of CKT oldies that I do not have pictures for, but should be on your list include: the cranberry chutney & my butternut squash soup). If you see something you like on the board, just click on the picture (then, once again) and it will take you to the original recipe. (please know that I have not made all of these recipes)

I hope enjoy the holiday! xo

As a family we did all of our fall traditions this year, but somehow never made it to a pumpkin patch, or apple picking for that matter. We tried, but Brian could not bear going to the church parking lot for our pumpkin. He wanted to drive out to a farm, which, of course, never happened. We did get a pumpkin as a gift, so we were still able to cross pumpkin carving off of our list.

We are watching the leaves change color and slowly fall off the trees, holding on to any sunshine past 5pm, and trying to be outside as much as possible. Winter is on its way. This is that small window of amazing-ness where we enjoy everything around us and wish we could freeze the season (no pun).  We have the excitement of Thanksgiving and the holidays just around the corner.

I usually don’t get scared about winter until after the holidays, and this year is no different (although I am worried about my boot situation), but I kind of don’t want to be scared of winter… period. So I am just going to go ahead and put this out there–no more complaining about winter for me. It just a season with a lot more time to cook and bake (or whatever the heck it is that you like to do).

But, while those apples are still in their prime, sauté them up with some onions… it’s quite delicious.

Apples & Onions

adapted from: Cooking in the Moment by: Andrea Reusing

Ingredients:

1 TBS bacon fat

1 to 2 TBS butter

5 granny smith apples – cored and sliced (1/4 inch thick)

1 to 2 yellow onions – sliced (1/4 inch thick)

brown sugar – to taste

s and p

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the bacon fat and the butter, add the apples and onions; cook until tender. Season with kosher salt, pepper, and brown sugar.

**I usually make these with apple cider braised pork and use some of that reserved liquid as well.

Saturday was downright beautiful. I took a nap. Hear me out. It was for good reason. We tried to take a bike ride with Nora for the first time. Seems pretty easy, I know, but whenever you do something as a parent for the first time (Bjorns, walks w/ your dog & baby), it’s a challenge. We had the trailer, we had the bikes, all we needed was the helmet. We went to the bike shop, found a really cute one, and were on our merry way.

We went home, set up the trailer, put on the cute helmet, and soon had a screaming, upset child. We finally got her buckled in and were off.

We made it five houses down the street before realizing that the helmet was over her face and not going to work. By that point it was time for snacks and a nap… for all.

On the upside I made caramel sauce! This time around, I used Lottie + Doof’s caramel filling from his chocolate tart recipe (if you have not made this yet, I highly recommend it!). The caramel filling has a great texture and I love that it  uses creme fraiche. We put the caramel to good use on sundaes for my mom’s birthday, but my favorite way to have it, is on a spoon (remember this?). But with all of these good apples laying around, that’s probably your best drizzling option (good thinking Katie).

Caramel Sauce

adapted from Lottie + Doof

1/2 cup water

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons crème fraîche

Place 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan. Add sugar and corn syrup, and cook mixture over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until it becomes a medium-amber caramel ; about 10 minutes (I found this took me 20 minutes!). Remove pan from heat and slowly (the mixture will bubble up) add the heavy cream followed by the butter and crème fraîche. Stir until smooth. Let it cool completely.  (The caramel should be refrigerated in a covered container.) It is great kept at room temp for serving or heated and drizzled over whatever.