Recipe of the Week: Thanksgiving Potatoes

Turkey Day Side Dishes - Potatoes

I hope you all liked the veggie dishes from last week. While I am still contemplating my menu, here are some yummy potato sides that will have your guests loading up their plates for seconds.
Try and push the envelope here.....cooks! Some of these are not traditional, but easy to make (many can be made ahead) and all of them travel well.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Enjoy,
Stace



Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Shallots

SERVES: 8-10
TIME: 45-1 hour (but you can make it a day ahead)

INGREDIENTS

5 pounds medium to large sweet potatoes
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
3/4 pound shallots, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat the oven to 400°. Pierce the sweet potatoes with the tip of a knife and bake for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Turn the oven down to 250°.

2.Slit the skins and scoop the potatoes into a large bowl. Add the butter and cardamom and beat with an electric mixer at low speed until smooth and fluffy. Season with salt and white pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.

3.In a large deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil until shimmering. Add half of the shallots and fry over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining shallots. Scatter the shallots over the sweet potatoes and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store the shallots in an airtight container. Rewarm and rewhip the potatoes; recrisp the shallots in the oven if necessary.





Yukon Golds with Shallot Butter

ACTIVE TIME: 10 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN

SERVES: 6

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 medium shallot, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1.In a saucepan, boil the potatoes in water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the mustard seeds over moderate heat until they pop, about 3 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the butter with the parsley, shallot, lemon juice and mustard seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper.

3.Drain and halve the potatoes lengthwise. In a large dish, toss the potatoes with the shallot butter and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The shallot butter can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week.




Asiago and Sage Scalloped Potatoes
SERVES: 8
TIME: 1 hour, 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 imported bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese (about 3 ounces), preferably aged
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh sage leaves
2 1/2 pounds medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat the oven to 400°. Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add the onions and cook over high heat, stirring, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon coarse salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.

2.In a medium bowl, toss the cheese with the bread crumbs, olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of the sage, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3.Remove the bay leaves from the onion mixture and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons sage. Put the sliced potatoes in a large bowl, add the onion mixture and toss gently. Spread half of the potatoes and liquid in a 2-quart nonreactive baking dish and sprinkle 2/3 cup of the cheese bread crumbs over the top. Cover with the remaining potatoes and press firmly to pack them down. Spoon the remaining liquid over the potatoes and cover with the remaining bread crumbs.

4.Bake in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden; if they brown too quickly, loosely cover the dish with foil.

MAKE AHEAD The potatoes can be baked up to 5 hours ahead; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in the oven before serving.




Buttermilk-Bacon Smashed Potatoes

SERVES: 6
TIME: 30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds red bliss potatoes, quartered
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 cloves roasted garlic, peeled and smashed to a paste
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1.Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain well and place back in the pan over low heat.

2. Add the butter, buttermilk and garlic and mash until smooth. Fold in the bacon, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Recipe by Bobby Flay
Images courtesy of Google

Olympia

Here are some long over-due pictures from Sandra's trip up to Tacoma the first weekend in November.

We drove south to Olympia (which is really only about 20 minutes from Brian's place) along the water through Steilacoom and DuPont and wandered around the Olympia Farmers Market and took some pictures along the Olympia Marina.

Enjoy!




Stacy and Sandra with George WashingtonState Capitol

Friday Night Cocktail in Old Town Tacoma

RICK SPRINGFIELD HERE WE COME

Recipe of the Week:Sensational Thanksgiving Side Dishes

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

Guests will come for turkey……and enjoy these irresistible and tasty Thanksgiving side dishes! This week……..VEGGIES!!! (next week, potatoes – in case you were wondering).

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to spend with friends and family and its also a great opportunity to cook and try new recipies.

All of these dishes seem to travel well (if you are cooking at home and eating someplace else) and are easy and quick to make. More time with your guests and less time in the kitchen!

Every year I try and cook one new side dish and maybe this year it will be one of the following

Enjoy!



Spicy Carrots with Parsley and Cilantro

ACTIVE TIME: 15-20 MIN

SERVES: 8

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds large carrots, quartered lengthwise, then halved crosswise
4 garlic cloves, halved
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt
2 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds

Directions

1. In a large, deep skillet, cover the carrots and garlic with water and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool; discard the garlic.

2. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, paprika and crushed red pepper. Season the dressing with salt. Add the carrots, toss to coat and sprinkle the almonds on top. Serve warm, at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Notes: MAKE AHEAD!! The carrots can easily be transported and warmed up in a microwave to serve!




Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions

ACTIVE TIME: 20-30 MIN

SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS

2 (16 ounce) bags frozen white pearl onions, left frozen, excess ice removed (you can also use fresh if you can find them)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Toss onions with oil, sugar, salt and pepper in medium bowl. Transfer to a cookie sheet with rim in a single layer. Roast onions until golden brown, about 30 minutes, stirring at 20 minutes and again at 25 minutes, adding garlic at this point.

3. Meanwhile, bring vinegar to boil; simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes, until reduced to 1/3 cup - it should be a thin syrup. Put onions into a bowl, add reduced vinegar and parsley; toss to coat. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

This recipe was originally featured in the USA WEEKEND




Lemon-Butter Green Beans with Pine nuts

ACTIVE TIME: 10 Minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed, blanched in boiling salted water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoon pine nuts
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Blanch green beans in boiling salt water for 1 full minute. Drain green beans well and pat dry.

2. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.

3. Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to keep from burning.

4. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, for an additional minute.
5. Add the green beans and toss to coat evenly.

6. Cook just enough to warm through, about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Notes: This recipe takes 10 minutes to make; easy to transport and re-heat!

All images courtesy of GOOGLE

Rick Springfield

Last weekend was another of our Rick Springfield Road Trip Weekends only this time, Sandra and I rode Amtrak to Tacoma and caught Rick at the Emerald Queen Casino.

Brian graciously took us to see our “boyfriend” although he did not partake in the musical extravaganza (you can all quite laughing now). Rick’s not just another pretty face….the guy has got some serious talent and plays the guitar, sings and dances like he is in his 30’s (real age = late 50’s).

I think Sandra and I have seen him a half a dozen times now since that first concert at the Rose Garden back in 1999. Little did we know that one of Sandra’s co-workers was good friends with Rick’s then guitar technician. When the co-worker found out that we were going to see Rick, she organized for us to hook up with her husband, Jim who introduced us to the guitar tech, Wes and the rest is history (we’ve got the picture to prove it).

L-R – Wes, Stacy, RICK SPRINGFIELD, Sandra and Jim


Since that first concert, we’ve been hooked and we look forward to seeing Rick about once a year.

The show last Saturday at the Emerald Queen was good. Probably one of the biggest rooms we’ve seen Rick play in and unfortunately we were about half way back (room probably held 2500). The best thing was the two big screens on either side of the stage that helped those of us away from the stage.

Rick played all his “oldies"...opened the show with a 2 minute video montage before taking the stage to “Who Killed Rock N Roll” followed by “It’s Always Something” from 1999’s Karma CD. From there it was all the 80’s stuff – “Kristina”, Don’t Talk to Strangers”, “I’ve Done Everything For You”, “Love Somebody” and of course…..”Jessie’s Girl”. The show lasted close to 2 hours (no opening act) and Sandra and I danced to every song.

What a great weekend!

Stace

Bitter Disappointment

The winner's of the "Nigella Express" contest were officially announced in the Seattle P-I today and I of course was not chosen. I am extremely disappointed as I was so confident that my recipe was going to be picked. I was really looking forward to meeting Nigella and bringing home all those goodies! I'll try and keep my chin up and continue to practice my cooking and recipe skills.

Stace

Global Giving

In honor of the month of November and as a THANKGIVING we should all be a part of, some of you may have noticed my Global Giving “Tag” I added a few weeks ago. For those not familiar with Global Giving, they are an organization who connect you to over 450 pre-screened grassroots charity projects around the world. It's an efficient, transparent way to make an impact with your giving.

Global Giving begins with the dedicated, tenacious individuals who are driving change in their communities. From running orphanages and schools, to helping survivors of natural disasters, these people are do-gooders to the core. We connect these "good idea people" with the "generous giver people" and help projects of all sizes receive donations of all sizes.

After reviewing their website and running their donation wizard I found what I believe in my heart is a wonderful opportunity for me to “give”.

The project I support is:
Making footballs that can save lives in Africa
80 stitchers are making tough, repairable leather soccer balls & volleyballs in Africa for kids who hardly get to see a proper ball. Each ball carries a simple HIV/AIDS or Malaria awareness message.

So far, I’ve donated enough to pay for a leather ball to be stitched and delivered to a school or youth group in rural Africa. How good does that make me feel!!!

Today I received this update, which helps me feel connected to my project.

Check it out, I guarantee that it will make your heart grow!

Stace

Recipe of the Week:VEGETARIAN SHEPHERD'S PIE

In honor of Portland being named America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Large City and the fact that Portland is hosting the Vegan Holiday Festival this weekend, this week’s recipe of the week is courtesy of Brian, who made this for me last weekend. Thanks, Babe!

Enjoy

Stace

This is a recipe I've adapted from Dr. Timothy Smith. I like this recipe for several reasons: It is very adaptive to your personal tastes; it has almost no fat; and it is vegetarian and can very easily be vegan.

Brian

VEGETARIAN SHEPHERD'S PIE

Ingredients

4 large potatoes
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 medium onion
1/2 cup veggie broth or water
2-3 gloves garlic, minced
2 cups Veggies, fresh or frozen: options: peas, carrots, green beans, broccoli, corn,
zucchini, diced tomatoes
1 1/4 cup Morningstar Vegetable Crumbles (TVP)
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (substitute vegan cheese)
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano



1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place potatoes in large saucepan and cover with water. Over high heat, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 min. or until tender. Drain the potatoes and place into a mixing bowl with soy milk. Mash thoroughly.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the onion in 2 tbsp of broth/water over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender.
4. Add garlic, your favorite veggies, basil and oregano adding broth/water as necessary. Cook for 5 min.
5. Add remaining broth/water and TVP crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
6. Pour the mixture into a 13x9 baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the vegetables and sprinkle shredded cheese to taste. Bake for 20 min. or until lightly brown.

EASILY SERVES 4

Halloween on Rebecca Lane

We had 65 Trick-or-Treater's last night on Rebecca Lane. Our first "begger" arrived about 6:40 and our last knocked on the door at 8:40. Sandra and I turned the lights off a little after 9:00.

We had quite a few scary faces (you know that black and white "scream" face) and a few dressed as Spiderman or Batman. Most of the little girls were dressed as a Princess, right down to the high heels! The most inventive were two pre-teen girls dressed as sock monsters.....you know, have you ever wondered what happens to your lost socks? They had miss-matched socks all over their bodies and one big one on their heads. Cute and very original!

I dressed up like a Hawaiian Tourist! I even got a few compliments!



We still have a ton of candy!

Stacy

Happy Halloween!

It’s hard to believe that October is nearly over. We’ve had a really nice couple of weeks with some amazing fall weather and colors.

Brian and I spent last weekend watching the Ducks cream USC and move up in the BCS hunt. Trick or treat?

We also spent time out and about…

Check out this deer in the middle of a Tacoma suburb. Old “eagle eye” Stacy spotted this doe trying to cross the street in old town (REMEMBER YOU CAN CLICK ON EACH PICTURE TO MAKE IT LARGER).



On Sunday we walked Chambers Bay and came across two bald eagle perched on a light post over looked the Puget Sound. Amazing that all this takes place in our own backyard.




Homemade pizza tonight and lots of candy for the “little beggars”!

Enjoy!

Stace

Moondance

I am one day late, but this is my FAVORITE Van Morrison song and I saw this posting on another blogger site. A perfect song for October's full moon. Enjoy!



Remember! Before you click on the You Tube link....scroll down the page and turn off the jukebox so you can enjoy the experience.

Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Hi all!

Very busy lately so not much time to blog! Brian was in Delaware visiting family last week and I flew to Salt Lake City for a work conference. Since this week is winding down and time is of the essence, here is a very quick recipe for those on the "go". I love to make soup this time of year and freeze it - so anytime I am busy I've got a home-cooked meal waiting for me. Enjoy!



Roasted Butternut Squash Soup


Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash or 2 small
4 cups vegetable broth
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbls olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup heavy cream


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the squash in chuncks (remove the seeds & rind), rub olive oil and salt on the flesh and place on a cookie sheet or baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes.
In a soup pot over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until lightly browned, add garlic, and sauté for another 3 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with broth, add the cooked squash and bring to a boil.
Using a blender, hand held immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until a smooth consistency is reached. Slowly add the cream until blended.
Taste for seasonings and add salt or black pepper if desired.
Serve and enjoy!

Serves 6

Recipe Of The Week: Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger with Basil Mayo

I have not heard from Nigella Lawson so I hope I am still in the running for the Recipe Contest. Since the deadline was the 12th, I am assuming that they will need a week or so to go through all the entries....in the meantime, courtesy of Weight Watchers, here is this weeks recipe.



Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger with Basil Mayo

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup basil, fresh, chopped
3 Tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
4 medium portobello mushroom(s), caps, equivalent to 1 pound
4 sprays olive oil cooking spray
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
4 medium mixed-grain hamburger roll(s)
3/4 cup roasted red peppers, about 4 pieces
4 slice red onion(s)
4 piece lettuce

• Heat grill or grill pan. In a small bowl, combine basil, mayonnaise and vinegar; set aside.

• Lightly coat both sides of mushroom caps with cooking spray; season with salt and pepper.

• Grill mushrooms over medium-high heat, until just soft to the touch, about 6 minutes per side.

• To serve, split rolls and toast on grill. Spread a heaping teaspoon of basil mixture on top and bottom halves of rolls. Layer each bottom half with one lettuce leaf, red pepper, mushroom and onion slice; top with remaining half of roll and serve.

**Cooking Notes: The red peppers were a bit lost. My suggestion would be to chop them and add them to the basil mayo where they might get a better chance of being noticed. Toast your buns (HA HA) as the juice from the mushroom will make your burgers soggy if you don't.

Enjoy!
Stace

October Saturday

We spent all day on Saturday exploring our favorite parts of the Seattle area starting with a walk around Greenlake. The fall colors are incredible and unfortunately these shots probably won’t do them justice. As far as the eye can see – the deep reds, oranges and brilliant yellows dotted the landscape. We tried taking pictures of all the different colors as we walked the 2.8 miles path around the entire lake. Fun!





Next on our adventure was a trip around the northern tip of Lake Washington (Lake City Way) to Woodinville, Washington home of Columbia Winery and Chateau Ste. Michelle. Our first stop was Molbak’s, the most incredible nursery/craft shops/Christmas (seasonal) shop on the planet. To our surprise they even have a café where Brian and I enjoyed a slice of quiche and some homemade soup. I had to drag Brian kicking and screaming from the Christmas Village, but I promised him that we'd come back closer to Christmas.

We then drove out to the two wineries located directly across the street from one another. While the tasting room at Columbia Winery is quite large and can accommodate more people, Brian and I are really not big fans of the wines. We enjoyed our 5 tastes for $5, but other than the Viognier, we wouldn’t recommend any of the other whites or reds. We enjoyed looking around at all their merchandise, T-shirts, salad dressings, etc. and could have come home with everything but their wines.





Chateau Ste. Michelle really is the jewel in Woodinville. The grounds are immaculate and are large enough to host a variety of events, so why is the tasting room so small? Saturday’s tasting were “vintage” varieties. We both really enjoyed all four tastings and came home with a couple of bottles of chardonnay.



A perfect way to spend our Saturday together under the beautiful blue fall skies!

Stace

100th Post! Go Rockies!

This represents our 100th post on Blogger! YEA! It's been a great way to keep friends and family updated on what's happening in our neck of the woods. Thanks to all of you who keep up with the blog.

Go Colorado Kids! As you all know, Brian and I are HUGE baseball fans and both of us are pulling for the Colorado Rockies as they pursue the National League Pennant for 2007.



Brian and I went to Denver, Colorado in September of 2005 for Brian's birthday and had the opportunity to visit Coors Field. It's an amazing stadium.



We are both enjoying the play-offs and rooting for Colorado!

Go Rockies!

Stace

Spaghetti in Canby

I had dinner Wednesday night in Canby at the Hygelund’s. I had not seen Debbie since our 20th High School Reunion and prior to that in the middle of summer – when the days were long and the garden was in full bloom.

Life on the farm is good, despite 16 year-old Miles’s knee injury while playing defense on the Canby football team. Fingers crossed he will be back wrestling in no time.

We celebrated a belated 12th birthday for Noel who is not “the baby” anymore. Both boys are growing up quickly.

Noel Hygelund Age 12

Deby made a huge pot of spaghetti….YUM and it was nice for the two of us to spend some time together.

Stace

Recipe of the Week: Wild Mushroom and Brie Bruschetta

It's in the mail!

I mailed in my entry to the University Book Store/Seattle P-I's Nigella Lawson recipe contest. I made a few minor changes to the appetizer so here goes...

Wild Mushroom And Brie Bruschetta

This quick and easy appetizer is best served with a dry, medium bodied white wine
(ie: French Burgundy - Pouilly-Fuissé is a dry, medium-full bodied, white wine)

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 18 Minutes

Ingredients

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 lb mixed fresh wild mushrooms such as chanterelle, oyster and morels, cleaned with a damp cloth and chopped
1 small finely chopped garlic clove
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 oz Brie (French import; Isigny Ste Mere or equivalent); rind removed
1 French baguette or similar bread



1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Heat 6 tablespoons unsalted butter in skillet over medium high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes.
3. Add garlic clove and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
4. Add wine, thyme, salt, and pepper and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 3-5 minutes.
5. Slice baguette on a bias (I angled my cuts down so that there is more surface area on my slices; about ¾ inch thick). Brush the tops with olive oil and place in the oven for a few minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown.
6. Remove the bread from the oven and top with a couple of spoonfuls of the mushroom mix.
7. On top of each slice of bread, lay two slices of brie cheese.
8. Return bread to the oven, allowing the brie to melt, 1-2 minutes.
9. Remove and serve.

Recipe serves 8 (two pieces of bread per serving)



Here are a few pictures from last Saturday's "run-thru". Thanks again to Jenny who helped me with my wine selection and to Geoff and Sonja who had the first bite.



Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Stace

Busy Fall Weekend

Brian and I had a great weekend. I drove to Tacoma once again (perhaps my last road trip) due to Amtrak still being on a maintenance schedule. The Friday night trip was highlighted by our wonderful Fall foliage – so not all that bad (I won’t even mention Sundays drive home in the rain).

On Saturday we drove to Covington to see our friends, Jenny and Brent and their friend Laura – all up from NOCAL for the long weekend. Jenny (a.k.a. the “singing Sommelier” and owner of the Savvy Cellar) gave me some great wine paring ideas for my Mushroom Bruschetta recipe - as the contest deadline is fast approaching. Thanks Jenny!

It was also nice to snuggle up next to the baby! What a little cutie pie!



Saturday afternoon we headed into Seattle to hang out with Sonja and Geoff who we have not seen since the wedding. We celebrated Sonja’s birthday and I tried the recipe out for the first time. They didn’t seem to mind being guinea pigs and I really appreciated everyone’s help.

The recipe appears to be a huge success and required very little revision. I’ll post the final draft as this week’s recipe of the week on Wednesday.

Enjoy your week!

Stace

Recipe of the Week - My Chance to Meet Nigella Lawson

So this past weekend in the Seattle Post Intelligencer I came across a recipe contest with the chance to meet my favorite “foodie” Nigella “the Goddess” Lawson. The winner of this contest will win a place in the front of the line at Nigella’s Seattle book signing in mid-November.



I’ve only entered one other recipe contest and to my disappointment, I didn’t even get an honorable mention (even though my Mama Mia Leaning Tower of Pizza Burger was the best entry).

I’ve decided that I will “win” Nigella over with this yummy appetizer (this is a work in progress as I have not made it since I lived in Melbourne, Australia). Check back before the contest deadline, October 12th for the final version.



Wild Mushroom And Brie Bruschetta

This quick and easy appetizer is best served with a light bodied white wine
(ie: Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc)


Ingredients

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 lb mixed fresh wild mushrooms such as chanterelle, oyster and morels, cleaned with a damp cloth and chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 oz wheel of Président Brie
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread


1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Heat 6 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes.

3. Add wine, thyme, salt, and pepper and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 2 minutes.

4. Slice your baguette on a bias (I angled my cuts down so that there is more surface area on my slices). Brush the tops with olive oil and place in the oven for a few minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown.

5. Remove the bread from the oven and top with a couple of spoonfuls of the mushroom mix.

6. On top of each slice of bread, lay three slices of brie cheese.

7. Return bread to the oven and broil, allowing the brie to melt, 1-2 minutes.

8. Remove and serve.

ENJOY!
Stace

Quiet Weekend

Happy Monday!

Brian and I had a quiet weekend in Tacoma. We watched the Ducks lose to Cal (still licking our wounds); but quite grateful for a weekend of upsets in college football and continued respect in the polls.




Before the Ducks tipped off, we walked along the Foss Waterway before finding the game on the big screen at the Ram Big Horn Brew Pub.

As you can see....our weather is turning. Our first fall storm with rain and wind arrived late Saturday afternoon and rain will continue most of the week.

Stace