fromage fort

I think we should all go to a party. And we should all eat this. I know, it doesnt look like much. I am sure youve seen cheese spread on a slice of baguette before. It probably looked prettier than this too; less blue, more smooth. But please, lean in anyway, because I have to tell you: this is brilliant. And I cant believe Ive gone most of my life without knowing about it. Dont let it happen to you.

You know that thing that happens when you have friends over? No, I dont mean the Santa Baby sing-along or red-wine-on-the-white-sofa thing or the ow-my-head-hurts thing the next day, though all of those are grand too. What I mean is, what we usually do is stop by a cheese store or counter and pick up a bunch of wedges of this and that and put them out with wine and bread and at the end of the night, theres always one sorry little glass left of wine left and a few nubs of cheese. Maybe they end up in the trash. They shouldnt. And they wont anymore because let me introduce you to (drumroll, Oprah voice, please) fromage fort!

Translated as strong cheese, its a delightfully economical blend of whatever odds and ends of cheese you have around, some wine, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs, if youre feeling it. Softer cheeses make it creamier. Harder cheeses can benefit from a pat of butter. You can use it right away or age it a little more, up to a week is safest. For a treat, you can run your slice of bread spread with the fromage fort under the broiler. If its on the softer side, dip things like grissini or other seedy breadsticks in it. But beyond that, there are no rules. There are few recipes, just outlines. But the main thing, the salient bit, is that you just wing it.

Fromage fort is forgiving. It accepts all kinds your tired old gruyere scraps, your poor white wine choices, your huddled masses of brie, yearning to breathe free (Im so sorry, America.), and blends them together into something infinitely greater than its parts. Plus, theres always a little snowflake specialness to it, as no two batches will ever be exactly alike. In a year of carefully arranged, slightly obsessive, many component-ed, over-the-top and personal Mount Everests of recipes, this is the most fitting way to usher the year out.

One year ago: Parsnip Latkes with Horseradish and Dill, Cinnamon Brown Butter Breakfast Puffs and Scallion Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze
Two years ago: Crescent Jam and Cheese Cookies and Milk Punch (or, my nomination for the ideal cocktail embodiment of the dreaded wintry mix)
Three years ago: Creamed Mushrooms on Butter-Chive Toast, Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Sauce, Mushroom Marsala Pasta with Artichokes, How to Host Brunch (and Still Sleep In), Spinach and Cheese Strata, Pear Bread and Parmesan Cheese Crackers
Four years ago: Mushroom and Barley Pie, The Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell, Cranberry Pecan Frangipane Tart, Mustard Roasted Potatoes, Walnut Tartlets, Cauliflower Gratin, All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough, Pumpkin Cupcakes, Cabbage Apple and Walnut Salad and Dark Chocolate Tart with Gingersnap Crust
Five years ago: Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, My Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies, Austrian Raspberry Shortbread, A Slice-and-Bake Cookie Pallette and Robert Linxes Chocolate Truffles
Six years ago: Wild Mushroom Pirogis, Blondies, Infinitely Adaptable, Fettucine with Porcini, German Pancakes, Winter Panzanella, Chicken Skewers with Dukkah Crust and Pecan Squares

Fromage Fort

As I mention above, there are no rules as to how you put this together. Maybe you want more wine, or less. Maybe you want a heavy hand with salt and pepper, or you want the natural flavors of the cheese to shine through. If youre using a lot of hard cheeses, a pat or two of butter will help smooth things out. Personally, I go easy on the garlic (one tiny clove) because it really blooms as the cheese sits, and I dont want it to take over, but maybe you would like that. The only thing I think it important to keep in mind is that even a small amount of blue cheese tends to dominate. I used 25% of the weight in blue, and the result was essentially a blue cheese spread. Fortunately, we love them. But if thats not your thing, limit it to just a small spoonful or a few crumbles.

If youre curious, my formula this time was one part each of blue, brie, goat cheese and gruyere, a handful of chives and a full cup of wine.

1 pound mix leftover cheese, harder cheeses grated, softer ones cut into chunks
A couple pats of butter, if using mostly firm cheese varieties
1 small clove garlic, minced, or more to taste
1/2 to 1 cup leftover white wine
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary or chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Blend cheese, butter (if using) and garlic in food processer until combined. Drizzle in wine with the motor running until you get your desired consistency some like it completely smooth, others prefer chunks. Add herbs, pulsing the machine until just combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fromage fort can be used right away, or kept in the fridge until needed. In the fridge, it will thicken and age a little; the flavors will mingle and deepen.

---

Safety Jobs, Employment Indeed.com - Job Search one search ... 373,465 Safety Jobs available on Indeed.com. one search. all jobs. Fromage - Wikipdia Le fromage est un aliment obtenu partir de lait coagul ou de produits laitiers, comme la crme, puis d'un gouttage suivi ou non de fermentation et ... La petite souris et son fromage :D - YouTube Uploaded by missmaiii on Feb 17, 2010 No description available. Category: Comedy License: Standard YouTube License 59 likes, 1 dislike Artist: Survivor Buy ... Chocolate, Gift Baskets, Catering for Algona : Mason City : Fort ... Swing by The Chocolate Season for our weekly "Fromage with Friends" on Thursdays & Fridays starting at 11. "Fromage with Friends" is a relaxing and fun way to ... Fromage fort - Wikipdia Fromage fort est un terme gnrique dsignant un mlange de fromage , d' alcool et d' aromate . C'est avant tout une fabrication maison pour laquelle il n ... fromage - traduction - Dictionnaire Franais-Anglais ... fromage - traduction franais-anglais. Forums pour discuter de fromage, voir ses formes composes, des exemples et poser vos questions. Gratuit. Fromage Fort Recipe - Jacques Ppin Food & Wine Fromage fort is the ultimate way of using leftover cheese. Jacques Ppin's father used to combine pieces of Camembert, Brie, Swiss, blue cheese and goat cheese ... Fromage Fort Recipe : Alton Brown : Recipes : Food Network This is a keeper, I haven't made one yet that I did not like. Adding a little cottage cheese lightened it up a bit the last time I made it. ... I emptied my freezer ... Fromage Fort Recipe, Strong Cheese Recipe, Cheese Spreads ... Confused as to what to do with all those little leftover pieces of cheese? An easy solution is to blend them all together to make a unique cheese spread. Fromage fort la lyonnaise : Recette de Fromage fort la ... Recette de cuisine Marmiton ... Prparation de la recette : Rper les fromages de chvre. Ajouter un petit morceau de fromage bleu hach et un peu de beurre.

cashew butter balls

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook Book Tour ended its 2012 run on Monday evening at the New York Public Library in Midtown, as fine of a place to call a finish line as any, and with great company to boot. I know I should say something here that sums up this sprawling, incredible last couple months in one neat paragraph. Theres so much we havent had time to talk about! But, it feels too soon to get my head around all of it and Id rather talk about this here site because as overwhelmingly grand the last few weeks have been, once I got reunited with my kid/husband/bed, its this place Ive missed the most fiddling in the kitchen, sharing things were excited about and chatting in the comments. So thank you for being part of it. I cant wait to catch up.

Id like to tell you that my first foray back into the kitchen was a raging success, alas, this is no time to start teetering on the edge of facts. The second was not much better, and only cemented my hunch that cookbook book tours and cooking are, quite ridiculously, mutually exclusive activities. The third, however, must be shared, despite the fact that the technical errors I encountered were largely avoidable had I, 800-plus site recipes and a cookbook later, yet learned to go with my gut. Why be hasty, right?

You see, a frequently asked question on the tour has been how I go about creating recipes and while the answer is long and boring winding, I can say in the realm of cookies, its a bit more straightforward as most come back to basic formulas that need only a little adjustment for nuance to make them work for a specific flavor profile. Todays case in point is one of my favorite holiday cookies, the Russian Tea Cake/Mexican Wedding Cakes/Nut Crescents/and sometimes Povlorones. 99 percent of the recipes out there follow a formula that works gorgeously each time tender, buttery barely-sweet mounds of cookies hot from the oven roll in the powdery sugared deep before cooling into the only cookie I make consistently from year to year. But when I spied one with slightly more nuts and slightly less flour, I was sent into a neurotic typical tailspin over whether I should a) try something new that might be better or b) not fix what is not broken. In the end, I went for the new and potentially different and while these were probably the most fragile and elegant version of the cookie yet, I am only recommending them below as an alternative recipe, as a cookie that cannot handle tumbling through a freshly-sifted mound of featherlight powdered sugar without breaking in half is probably not a headache anyone needs this weekend.

Really, baking should not cause furrowed brows. It should unwind and make the hallway swoon with the scent of creamed butter, sugar and vanilla toasting against flour. In the background, the Muppets and John Denver should be yukking it up and any adjacent preschoolers should be lightly dusted in powdered sugar as well. Somewhere, someone should be either be mixing you a Perfect Manhattan or plotting your getaway to one.

I typically make this kind of cookie with pecans or walnuts. Ive sometimes used in macadamias or almonds. I even once tweaked them for chestnuts roasted on an open fire in a dinky oven. But Ive never made them or absolutely anything else with cashews because I dont much care for cashews. If you asked me why, Id go on about them tasting rather one-dimensional and flatly sweet, almost buttery but in need of more texture, more salt and maybe a little vanilla. You would probably have the common sense to suggest this means that theyre actually calling out to be included in a cookie (buttery? check. crisp? check. vanilla? check.) I, however, took nearly a decade to come to this conclusion and still another year to finally make them.

You were right, by the way, they make an excellent cookie. Everything I find dull about cashews alone is perfect toasted and embedded in these cookies and although this isnt half as exciting as the other dozen cookies Id dreamed of sharing this month (next December, friends, I may not leave my apartment at all for balance and stuff and you will have all the cookies I owe you) theyre hardly unwelcome an unwelcome addition to any party.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, friends. I hope somebody bakes you lots of cookies.

For your baking extravaganza: There are 57 cookie recipes in the archives. Where to start? Well, Grasshopper Brownies, of course. Then Spicy Gingerbread Cookies (perfect for houses, squat or tall), Rugelach Pinwheels, Crescent Jam and Cheese Cookies, Seven Layer Cookies, ridiculously decadent Chocolate-Toffee Cookies, Toasted Coconut Shortbread, Austrian Raspberry Shortbread, then how about some Pink Lemonade Bars? From the book, I implore you to not skip the Gooey Cinnamon Squares, a mash-up of Snickerdoodles and St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake I became so obsessed with last year, I begged my editor to let me add them, long past the point I was allowed. Need a great cake to top off your meal? You will never be unwelcome with Gramercy Taverns Gingerbread (I make it every year), a Chocolate Stout Cake or even this flourless Ho-Ho of a Heavenly Chocolate Cake Roll.

One year ago: Nutmeg-Maple Butter Cookies, Caesar-Salad Deviled Eggs and Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce
Two years ago: Roasted Chestnut Cookies, Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms, Iced Oatmeal Cookies, Broiled Mussels and Spicy Gingerbread Cookies
Three years ago: Creamed Spinach, Gingerbread Apple Upside-Down Cake, Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake, Balsamic-Braised Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta, Cream Biscuits, Coffee Toffee, Vanilla Roasted Pears and a little guide to Building Your Own Smitten Kitchen
Four years ago: Cauliflower Salad with Green Olives and Capers, Onion Tart with Mustard and Fennel, Apple Pancakes, Fennel, Proscuitto and Pomegranate Salad, Meyer Lemon and Fresh Cranberry Scones and Winter Fruit Salad
Five years ago: Pumpkin Waffles, Creamy White Polenta With Mushrooms, Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies, Nutmeg-Maple Cream Pie, Tiramisu Cake, Fennel Ice Cream and Chicken and Dumplings
Six years ago: Sundried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms, Orangettes, Honey-Hoisin Pork Riblets and Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Cashew Butter Balls
Inspired by the Tasting Table Test Kitchens

It was one of my favorite food newsletters that put the idea of a cashew spin on one of my favorite cookies into my head last winter, however, in the end, I preferred my go-to formula (with slightly less nuts and slightly more flour) to theirs as mine crumbles less. I also nixed the nutmeg, added some vanilla and replaced the granulated sugar with powdered sugar, but kept the name because I love it too much to part with it. I also give a flaky salt option, because I think a faint crunch of salt contrasts wonderfully with sweet cashews.

Oh, and (big and!), I adapted the recipe for a one-bowl assembly in a food processor, yay. If you dont have one, grind your nuts in whatever you have around (mini-grinder, coffee grinder, etc.) to a powder (I find grinding them with a bit of the flour makes them less prone to turn to a nut butter), then whip the butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the vanilla. Whisk together the ground nuts, flour and salt separately and mix them into the butter mixture until just combined. Chill and scoop as directed below.

If youd like to make the recipe as TT suggests, use 1/4 cup more cashews and 1/4 cup less flour and only move them from tray to sugar to cooling rack with the gentleness of feathers. Once they cool, theyll firm up enough that theyre less fragile, although I still wouldnt recommend them for shipping. Nope, youll have to keep them for yourself.

1 cup (145 grams) raw cashews
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt, or a heaped 1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 cup (2 sticks or 230 grams) unsalted butter, softened slightly, cut into chunks
2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350F and toast cashews in a single layer until a shade darker, about 10 to 12 minutes. About halfway through the toasting time, toss the nuts around to redistribute them for even coloring. Let cool completely. You can hasten this along by transferring them to the freezer for a few minutes.

Place cooled cashews, flour and salt in the workbowl of a food processor. Clear the kitchen of toddlers and others sensitive to loud noises, then grind the mixture to a fine powder. Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside briefly.

Add butter and *only* 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar to the empty food processor and run the machine until the mixture is creamy and combined. Add the vanilla and mix. Add the nut-flour mixture and pulse the machine until it is just combined. Scrape the soft cookie dough back into the bowl that held the nut-flour mixture, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it until firm, about an hour.

[Do ahead: You can chill it in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for longer.]

Heat your oven back to 300&176F. Place remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a wide bowl. Using your hands, scoop tablespoon-sized (about 1-inch round) balls of the chilled cookie dough into your palms and quickly roll them into little balls. Place them evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet an inch apart. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until they feel dry on the outside, but still quite soft. (Dont fret!)

Let cool on sheets for a few minutes, then gently roll the hot cookies in the powdered sugar before transferring them to racks to cool completely.

Cookies keep in an airtight container for at least a week, probably two, though never at my place. They can be frozen for as long as you trust your freezer. They occasionally benefit from a fresh coating of powdered sugar before serving.

---

Chocolate Coconut Cashew Butter - Averie Cooks I love peanut butter and sunflower seed butter, but this week its been all about another kind of nut butter. Chocolate Coconut Cashew Butter anyone? Everything in ... Homemade Cashew Butter Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Recipes : Food ... Use raw cashews and no need to add anything else. To get smooth a good food processor is necessary, otherwise you will not get it smooth. ... Tasty flavor; however ... chockohlawtay: Peanut Butter Protein Balls These are definitely one of my favorite snacks--they are so easy to make, modify, and eat! The recipe hasn't failed me yet (I don't think anything with ... Banana-Cashew Balls recipe from FatFree Vegan Kitchen If you like banana Larabars or sun-dried bananas, youll love these banana-cashew balls. Easy to make, they contain no refined sugar, flour, or oil. Chocolate Cashew Butter PaleOMG - Paleo Recipe PaleOMG Paleo Recipe for Yep. Face is stillllllllll peeling. It's really great. I just love it. Why wouldn't I want to spend 3+ hours in the mirror a day picking at ... Homemade Cashew Butter Recipe - Food.com - 471406 This is a simple recipe for cashew butter that I threw together one afternoon before Thanksgiving, when it seemed that every store in our little town was completely ... Cashew Sauce Recipe : Alton Brown : Recipes : Food Network Beautiful recipe for cashew butter. I have yet to try the sauce but this is a great tasting alternative to store bought peanut butter. I made this after inadvertently ... Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls vegan peanut butter balls ... Happy Monday, chocolate sprinkles! Happy Monday? Meh, who likes Mondays? Not me. How to Use Cashew Butter eHow.com Cashew butter, although not as popular or well known as peanut butter, is just as delicious and nutritious. It is made from the nut of the cashew, crushed or blended ... Cashew Butter - Compare Prices, Reviews and Buy at Nextag Cashew Butter - 91 results like Tree of Life Btr Cashew Crmy Ns, 16 OZ, Superior Nut Fresh Cashew Butter (1 Pound Tub), Maranatha Nut Butters Creamy and Roasted ...

cauliflower-feta fritters with pomegranate

I know what youre thinking; you dont even need to say it: Its time for a fritter intervention. A frittervention? Here, Ill go first: My name is Deb Perelman and I have a fritter problem. And I really do. I pretty much want to fritter all the things, all the time broccoli, zucchini, apples, parsnips, an Indian medley, leeks (here), and potatoes, potatoes, potatoes, I actually have to hold myself back, and try to evenly space my fritter episodes throughout the year, so not to pique your concern about my fritter consumption. Its not easy because no matter how many times I talk it out in a circle of understanding peers, I fear I will still think that fritters are the answer to most food dilemmas, most of the time.

Theyre the ideal toddler vegetable delivery method. Aside a bowl of lightly dressed mixed greens for the lunch Im supposed to be having (not, cough, leftover pizza), a couple fritters make it all worthwhile. Alone on a plate, dolloped with a creamy yogurt sauce, theyre a happy afternoon snack. And formed intentionally tiny, they belong at a cocktail party. As do you.

In my defense, I hadnt frittered in nearly six months before I slipped. The last time, it was broccoli and it was angled specifically towards the toddler set. There was parmesan and only a tiny, non-threatening amount of garlic. The goal was not to ruffle any overtaxed young mealtime feathers. So, of course, you know what happened: my sample population, my toddler, refused to eat them. In response, these fritters dont care. (Sorry, kid.) Theres more garlic, lemon zest, salty, crumbly feta cheese and theyre flecked with kicky Aleppo pepper. Thats a smoky cumin yogurt on top. Theyre dotted with tart pomegranate seeds. Once again, you probably already know what happened: More please!

Nevertheless, they want to go to a party with you and I think you should let them. In a December that is to the gills with buttery cookies, decadent cheese plates, stiff drinks and rich roasts, they might even bee a little island of moderation, as decked out with tiny red bulbs as the nearest windowsill.

One year ago: Dijon-Braised Brussels Sprouts
Two years ago: Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Goat Cheese, Creamed Onions with Bacon and Chives and Sweet Corn Spoonbread
Three years ago: Raisin-Studded Apple Bread Pudding, Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin and Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie
Four years ago: Pepita Brittle, Cottage Cheese Pancakes, How to Max Out Your Tiny Kitchen and Leites Connsummate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Five years ago: Black Bean Pumpkin Soup, Apricot and Walnut Vareniki, Chicken with Chanterelles and Pearl Onions and Our Approach To Food Photos
Six years ago: Dreamy Cream Scones and Shrimp Cocktail, Artichoke-Potato Gratin

Cauliflower-Feta Fritters with Smoky Yogurt, Pomegranate

Makes 18 2-inch fritters

I prefer fritters with a lot of vegetable and just the faintest amount of batter, loosely tethering the vegetable chunks to each other. It will seem weird as you put the piles of batter in the pan these are going to fall apart! but gently nudge any loose pieces back on the pile and I promise, once theyre cooked, they will stay together and their flavor will be crisp and clear, uncluttered by an eggy, soft batter.

1 small head cauliflower (1 pound florets, i.e. stems and leaves removed), cut into generous 1 to 2 inch chunks
1 large egg
1 garlic clove, minced
Few gratings of fresh lemon zest
3 ounces crumbled feta (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes; less if using regular red pepper flakes, which are hotter
3/4 teaspoon table salt or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Olive oil for frying

To serve
3/4 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful pomegranate arils

Cook cauliflower in simmering salted water, uncovered, until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes, until firm but tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain well. Spread on towels to dry as much as possible.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together egg, garlic and lemon zest. Add cauliflower florets and mash with a potato masher until theyre crushed into an average of pea-sized pieces (i.e. some will be bigger, some smaller, but most will be little nubs). Sprinkle in feta and stir to combine egg mixture, cauliflower and feta. In a small dish, whisk flour, salt, pepper and baking powder until evenly combined. Sprinkle over cauliflower batter and stir just until combined.

Heat oven to 200 degrees and place a tray inside. On the stove, heat a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat. Once hot, add a good slick of oil, about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Once the oil is hot (you can test it by flicking a droplet of water into it; it should hiss and sputter), scoop a two tablespoon-size mound of the batter and drop it into the pan, then flatten it slightly with your spoon or spatula. Repeat with additional batter, leaving a couple inches between each. Once brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, about another 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer briefly to paper towels to drain, then the tray in the oven to keep them warm until needed. Once all fritters are cooked, mix yogurt with cumin, salt and pepper. Spread fritters on serving platter. Dollop each with cumin yogurt and sprinkle with pomegranate arils.

Do ahead: Fritters both freeze and reheat well. To warm and recrisp them, lay them on a tray and toast them at 400 degrees in the oven until crisp again.

---

Our menu is designed around the Middle Eastern eating style of ... Syrian spiced olives 8 Crunchy Turkish chilli spiked & spiced chickpeas 6 Little bundles of jou jous pita breads 1ea

spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette

Happy Pie For Breakfast Day, friends! Do you see what I did there? I made it official, which means that you need not feel any regret that you may have innocently come upon a lonely wedge of leftover pie in the fridge this morning, and before you knew it, before you could responsibly hash out the pros and cons of setting your day to the tune of pie, and not, say, a muesli, fresh fruit and herbal tea detox, you in fact did have pie for breakfast and it was wonderful. You need not feel any regret because its a holiday, and it was important that you joined in the celebration. You were only doing your part. (Gobble, gobble.)

And now that we got that out of the way, I bet you could go for a salad. No, not a Salad of Thanksgiving Repentance; that would be rather dull. It might include wheat germ, and its too soon for all of that. I firmly believe that on the road from total overindulgence to the kind of mood that leads to my gym being jam-packed with Resolutes on January 1st, there should be some in-between. A salad, yes, one with several whole and wholesome ingredients, but also one that you look forward to eating because it in fact tastes amazing. And for that, I nominate this one. It comes with a warm bacon vinaigrette and old-school vibe. Its not even a little sorry.

Before I took off to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, Washington DC, Toronto and Chicago on the whirlwind last few weeks of the book tour during which I have missed you all terribly, I went on a serious spinach salad bender, surprising nobody more than myself. If youd offered me this salad any time in the last 15 years, Id have pushed it away without regret. For a while there, spinach salads were both ubiquitous and terrible, the classic flavors co-opted with everything from raspberry vinaigrette to honey-drenched walnuts better suited for an ice cream sundae topping. But as will always happen, after a long break, I started craving the old-school version, the one you might have found on a steakhouse menu up until a while ago, and I think its fairly well established how warmly I feel about steakhouse classic salads. This one belongs back among their ranks.

A bright pile of baby spinach leaves is scattered with wispy slivers of red onion, thinly sliced white mushrooms (please, no fancy mushrooms here), coins of hard-cooked egg and then the piece de resistance, tiny bits of bacon rendered in a pan until crisp and salty and perfect, and its smoky renderings whisked with a pinch of Dijon and red wine vinaigrette in a skillet to make a quick, hot dressing that you pour over the salad, gently wilting the onion, spinach and mushrooms and leaving you wondering why you dont make this every week of the year. You should. Theres still time.

Book Tour: To say that the last few weeks of book tour-ing and meeting so many wonderful people have been incredible would be the understatement of the century. Theyve been mindblowing, overwhelming, humbling and maybe a tiny bit exhausting, but a good exhausting. One Id do again in a heartbeat. Which is awesome, as its not over yet. Boston I know both the Tuesday and Wednesday events are sold out (boo!) but both include details about how you can stop by a bit later for a signing, even if you couldnt get tickets. I hope I will get to see everyone that missed out. Darien, I cant wait to see your beautiful library on Thursday. Texas, I will be counting down the second until I can finally get to Book People on Friday in Austin and Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston on Saturday. [All Book Tour Details, here.]

One year ago: Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Biscuits
Two years ago: Upside-Down Cranberry Cake
Three years ago: Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash
Four years ago: Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Garlic Chips
Five years ago: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Sauteed Apples, Roasted Stuffed Onions and Simplest Apple Tart
Six years ago: Not Your Mamas Coleslaw and Indian-Spiced Vegetable Fritters

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Adapted from several places, but my favorite version is Alton Browns

To hard-boil eggs, well, there are a million approaches out there (see this comment section if you dont believe me). Mine is to cover a large egg with cold water and put it on the stove and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, set a timer to exactly 9 or 10 minutes, and reduce the heat to medium. Once its done, I often plunge it in icy water so that it will stop cooking immediately and also chill quickly. At 9 minutes, large eggs will be a little tender in the center, as you can see in the top photo. At 10, it will be a fully-cooked (but not overcooked) egg.

If youre freaked out by raw red onion, you can actually add it to the dressing in the skillet for the last 10 seconds to soften it and remove more of the bite, and pour the onions and dressing over the salad together.

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 spinach salad enthusiasts

4 ounces baby spinach
2 large white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 small or medium red onion, very thinly sliced
1 large egg, hard-boiled (see above), chilled, peeled and thinly sliced
4 pieces thick-sliced bacon (about 4 ounces), finely diced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey or sugar
1/2 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place spinach in a large, wide salad serving bowl. Scatter with mushrooms, red onion (see above for a different, mellower way to add the onions) and coins of hard-boiled egg. In a large skillet, fry bacon bits over medium-high heat until theyre brown and crisp and have rendered their fat. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out of the skillet and spread them on a piece of paper towel briefly before sprinkling them over the salad. Pour out all but two tablespoons of hot bacon fat from the skillet. Reheat over medium and quickly whisk in the red wine vinegar, honey and Dijon. Pour over entire salad and season salt and pepper. Toss gently and serve hot. Repeat tomorrow night.

---

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette Recipe - CHOW This simple spinach salad recipe is a mix of healthy spinach, crispy bacon, and toasted pecans, for a most satisfying salad. Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing Recipe : Alton Brown ... Very good salad, the dressing is to die for! I used a cabernet vinegar instead of the plain red wine vinegar and it was wonderful. I reduced mine a little and added ... How to Make a Bacon Spinach Salad With Hot Dressing eHow.com This delicious and easy salad is made with savory bacon dressing and fresh baby spinach. Eating spinach boosts cardiovascular health and may lower the risk of age ... Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing Recipe - Saveur.com This classic spinach salad recipe comes from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon and Apple Cider Dressing Recipe ... Bland! I don't know why...don't get me wrong, i eat raw salad on a daily basis prollly it's because I'm really not a fan of raw spinach, I prefer them cooked. I ... Spinach Salad With Hot Bacon Dressing Recipe A delicious spinach salad with hot bacon dressing. ... Add items to your shopping list. 8 slices thick-cut bacon,halved length-wise and cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing Recipe : Paula Deen ... Saw this recipe on Friday and had extra spinach in the fridge - definitely worth a try. I'm sure this is really good. The dressing just didn't work out for me. My ... Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing Recipe : Alton Brown ... Delish! I used honey dijon mustard as that's what I had in the house. This dish was fantastic! ... Amazing!!! Spinach Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing Recipe - Food.com - 486216 Mom loved this salad, and it was always a treat when she would prepare it. Not having her recipe, I used Alton Brown's as the basis and improvised slightly. This was ... Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing BigOven Place eggs in medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan fro heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes.

granola-crusted nuts

Seeing as Ive already admitted that Im kind of a terrible host, I might as well let the confessional continue and tell you that Im a terrible traveler. Oh, I dont mean that I kvetch and whine the whole time (though you might want to ask Alex if he agrees, now that weve taken six flights and visited five cities in eight days together!), I just mean that I never do any of those really great things those really smart people writing really quite logical articles suggest, like keeping the amount of stuff you bring down so that it will fit in one of those bitty suitcases you can stuff into overhead. I dont roll my clothing to prevent wrinkles or have my most important items in my carry-on so I wont be at a loss if my luggage is. I never have one of those scarfy/pashmina things to use as a blanket/pillow/tent of warmth on the plane or train, nor do I remember Vitamin C, hand sanitizer, eye masks, earplugs or to eschew caffeine for purer forms of hydration, like water, and I never, ever remember to pack a wholesome homemade snack.

However, if you are one of the people that fits the description above, I would immensely love to travel with you. May I interest you in a book tour?

If I were, however, Id bring these. I wasnt actually trying to make these when I did. I was trying to make a fall crepe. But, I decided that pumpkin crepes were kind of boring, and when trying to figure out something to gussy them up with (maple yogurt? something crunchy?) I realized that a nut would be wonderful. But then I started kicking around ideas like maple-butter walnuts and spicy-sweet-pecans I decided it was rather lame that most spiced nuts are full of butter, sugar and bacon and this was breakfast, surely they could be a tiny bit indulgent but also wholesome. And then I made these and I entirely forgot about the pumpkin crepes. (Really. We had the delight of evacuating them from our fridge after a few days of a power outage and trust me, you wouldnt be hungry for pumpkin crepes after that either!)

Heres why they rule: theres no added butter or oil or fat aside from that which is already in the nut itself. Its crusted with just a tiny bit of sugar, but a lot of oats, coconut, seeds and pretty much anything else wholesome you like to mix into your granola. Theyre spectacularly easy to make and they work as well as a snack as they do mixed into yogurt (imagine having a bag of these in your suitcase when you travelled! And you could have them with your yogurt every morning! Man, I wish I knew people who thought of things like this.) Theyd also be a great housewarming/hostess/holiday gift as they keep really well but the best part about them is that every single one of them is like the very best part of granola: the giant clusters. The ones you fish out. Dont even try to pretend otherwise.

NYC Launch Rescheduled Tomorrow! Oh, we were so sad when we had to cancel the New York cookbook launch event on October 30th, but were delighted that weve been able to reschedule it so quickly: tomorrow (Saturday, 11/10) at the Williams-Sonoma at 59th Street & Lexington (across town from the Columbus Circle store, where the initial event was scheduled) at 3 p.m. I will demo my Moms Apple Cake from the book and site, there will be time for Q&A and I will sign books. While Williams-Sonoma would love it if youd buy a copy of the book there, all will be welcome at the signing. (Note: This policy has been adjusted from the original requirement.) I really hope youll be able to make it. [Details]

Book Touring! The first week of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook Book Tour Los Angeles, Napa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Portland, Vancouver and Seattle has been absolutely, overwhelmingly incredible. Meeting so many of you has been an amazing experience and you are all so very nice. I feel incredibly lucky to know you. Next week, I will be in Washington DC (with my mama!) in the beginning of the week and Toronto at the end, then Chicago over the weekend and into early the week after. Which will be Thanksgiving. I have no idea how that happened. Still, I cant wait.

Comments, emails, tweets: I typically take pride in spending at least an hour each morning reviewing and responding to new comments and other details. Alas, I am very far behind but will be catching up as soon as possible. I appreciate your patience. I miss you too.

One year ago: etc Coming shortly!

Granola-Crusted Nuts

My preference here is for walnuts; my husband prefers pecans, so we compromised. Any nut can be used but those bumpy, craggy ones will manage to stow more granola coating.

These are as excellent with breakfast as they would be for a travel snack or gift.

3/4 cup rolled oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned will work; instant might get a little dusty)
1/4 cup shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons pepitas, or another nut or seed of your choice
1/4 cup dark or light brown sugar (for low-to-moderate sweetness)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Few pinches sea salt
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water
2 cups (approximately 1/2 pound) walnuts, pecans or nuts that you prefer

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse oats, coconut, pepitas, sugar, cinnamon and salt in short bursts until the mixture is very well chopped but not powdery it neednt be like a flour. In a large bowl, beat egg white and water until frothy (but not stiff). Add nuts to bowl and coat them very well, using a few more stirs than will seem necessary because if the egg doesnt get into the craters of the nuts, no granola will stick there. And that would be sad. Pour oat mixture into bowl and very gently fold it together with the nuts, so that it just barely sticks. (I found that if you stirred it a lot, the mixture just started falling off, so just a few folds will do.) Youll have more granola coating than will seem necessary, but this is fine. Spread nuts-and-granola out on baking sheet in a single layer but no need to separate them. Sprinkle any granola mix leftover in the bowl over the nuts.

Bake for 20 minutes, moving nuts around just once in the baking time so that the inner nuts get as toasty as the ones at the edge. Transfer pan to cooling rack and let nuts cool completely there. Once full cool, break up any nut clusters and place mixture in jars/bags/your hand.

---

Leftover Turkey Panini: Turkey-Apple Salad Melt Panini Panini ... As promised, I've got three more leftover Thanksgiving turkey panini ideas for you! I say three more because they are in addition to the three I brought Healthier Tartar Sauce - As Good as the Real Thing Feastie Search awesome food blogs for the tastiest, most well-tested recipes. Make a grocery list automatically from recipes. Get a printable version, or access it on your ... RIDERS CAF ! ! ! ! ! ! ! WEEKEND BRUNCH MENU RIDERS CAF! ! ! ! ! ! ! WEEKEND BRUNCH MENU 51 Fairways Drive Singapore 286965 Served from 8am 3pm EARLY MORNING FAVORITES (from 8am) Lemon and Herb Couscous Salad Recipe - Inspired Taste Easy ... A step-by-step recipe for Lemon and Herb Couscous Salad by Adam and Joanne Gallagher of Inspired Taste Recipe and Food Blog. SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH - The Dream Cafe Beginnings Benedicts Breakfast Combos Healthy Omelettes Griddle Popover House-made popover with strawberry butter 2.25 Currant Scone 2.25 Muf n of the Moment 2.25 Sweet Mama's - Northport, NY (631) 261-6262 "some of the best pancakes around , hands down" Warm Cabbage and Apple Salad Recipe - Inspired Taste Easy ... A step-by-step recipe for a warm red cabbage salad with apples and celery. Lemon Crusted Tilapia Recipes Yummly egg, butter, tilapia fillets, lemon pepper seasoning, dill weed, pine nuts and 4 MORE Lightening up Lasagna: White Spinach Mushroom Lasagna Feastie Search awesome food blogs for the tastiest, most well-tested recipes. Make a grocery list automatically from recipes. Get a printable version, or access it on your ... The 10 Best Panini of 2008 Panini Happy What a year of panini-making it has been! Whether Santa just brought you a new panini press this week or you've been grilling with me all year, I hope you'll

apple cider caramels + the book is here!

So, friends. Yesterday was the day, the day that that the 336-page, 2.8-pound bundle of joy that I began working on over three years ago tip-toed cautiously out of my tiny kitchen in hopes that youll make a home for it in yours.

You know, so, no big deal at all.

Whats in the book? Seeing as I already showed you the cover, I thought Id show you what the book looked like naked. (Gasp!) You see, I was pushing for a jacketless cover (those paper flaps, they irk me) and we compromised by having a different cover inside that would be a treat for people who get excited about things like that. Between the covers, there are 105 recipes (85 percent that have never been seen on this site), about two-thirds of them are savory (including a beloved recipe for featherlight Gnocchi in Tomato Broth, a Flat Roasted Chicken with Tiny Potatoes inspired by something we bought on a Paris street, and an absolutely hideous but boundlessly delicious Wild Rice Gratin with Kale and Caramelized Onions) and the rest are for sweets things (such as my sons towering second birthday SMore Cake, and what I consider two of the ultimate Thanksgiving desserts, a Cheesecake-Marbled Pumpkin Gingersnap Tart and the Deepest Dish Apple Pie youve ever seen). There are over 300 photos in the book, lots of stories and also this one little other thing that I pressed for, a cookbook that stays open on your kitchen counter when you want it to. My goodness, this makes me happy, as happy as I hope those Artichoke Heart-Stuffed Shells will make you.

As you can imagine, yesterday didnt exactly go the way we had in mind. Monday night, as Alex was giving Jacob a bath and I started typing this post, a monster storm was making landfall on the East Coast. I heard a loud boom from the direction of the Con Ed plant on Avenue D, and the sky went briefly green, then turquoise. You can imagine the rest power outage, phone outage, the discovery that we dont actually own a flashlight (am I good at being an adult or what?) but that I mix a solid Perfect Manhattan by candlelight. Needless to say, we got off easy. Our home is intact, the lights always go back on on Broadway, and were now cozied up at my in-laws while some of this simmers on the stove. I cant even imagine some of the devastation many of you woke up to yesterday. I hope you and your loved ones are all safe and dry.

In the last few months, Ive been asked a few times if I have a favorite recipe in the book. I usually clutch my chest in mock horror and say something along the lines of, I cannot believe you would ask me to choose a favorite child! But, of course, Im lying because this, this is my favorite. These apple cider caramels are my love letter autumn in my city, my attempt, as I wrote in the book, to pack everything I love about New York City in October the carpet of fiery leaves on the ground from the trees I didnt even know we had; the sky, impossibly blue; the air, drinkably crisp; the temperature finally delicious enough that it implores you to spend hours wandering around, sipping warm spiced apple cider from the Greenmarkets into one tiny square.

To make them, you take a quart of fresh apple cider and boil and boil it until it is a slip of its original volume, just syrupy apple impact. Then, you expand this syrup into a cinnamon-scented buttery caramel with hidden crunches of sea salt. Theyre the most intense caramels that Ive ever made and if you had a bucket of these at your door when I went trick-or-treating, well, Id steal them. Thus, you should either not invite me anywhere or make a lot. I think you know what you need to do.

Thank you: Ive gotten so many kind, wonderful notes in the last couple asking as to our safety and also from many of your who already received your books and are cooking from them. I dont know what I did to get such a warm, sweet bundle of people for readers, but you make all of this 100 times more fun. Thank you.

Book tour: We were so sad to have had to cancel the NYC launch event at Williams-Sonoma yesterday evening, and hope to reschedule it as soon as possible. If all goes well (cross your fingers for us?), Ill be hopping on a flight to the West Coast on Thursday morning and then the rest of the tour will begin. Los Angeles, Napa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Portland, Vancouver and Seattle, I hope I hope I get to meet all of you.

One year ago: Baked Pumpkin and Sour Cream Puddings
Two years ago: Buckeyes
Three years ago: Baked Chicken Meatballs
Four years ago: Cabbage and Mushroom Galette
Five years ago: Cranberry, Caramel and Almond Tart
Six years ago: Bretzel Rolls

Apple Cider Caramels
From The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Apple cider (sometimes called sweet or soft cider), as Im referring to it here, is different from both apple juice and the hard, or alcoholic, fermented apple cider. Its a fresh, unfiltered (it has sediment), raw apple juice the juice literally pressed from fresh apples. Its unpasteurized, and must be refrigerated, because its perishable. In the Northeast, I usually find it at farm stands and some grocery stores. I occasionally find vacuum- sealed bottles called apple cider in the juice aisle, but none of the bottled varieties that Ive tried has the same delicate apple flavor as the more perishable stuff sold in the refrigerator section.

4 cups (945 ml) apple cider
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, or less of a finer one
8 tablespoons (115 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (110 grams) packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream
Neutral oil for the knife

Boil the apple cider in a 3- to- 4- quart saucepan over high heat until it is reduced to a dark, thick syrup, between 1/3 and 1/2 cup in volume. This takes about 35 to 40 minutes on my stove. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, get your other ingredients in order, because you wont have time to spare once the candy is cooking. Line the bottom and sides of an 8- inch straight- sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment. Set it aside. Stir the cinnamon and flaky salt together in a small dish.

Once you are finished reducing the apple cider, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter, sugars, and heavy cream. Return the pot to medium- high heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side, and let it boil until the thermometer reads 252 degrees, only about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it.

(Dont have a candy or deep- fry thermometer? Have a bowl of very cold water ready, and cook the caramel until a tiny spoonful dropped into the water becomes firm, chewy, and able to be plied into a ball.)

Immediately remove caramel from heat, add the cinnamon- salt mixture, and give the caramel several stirs to distribute it evenly. Pour caramel into the prepared pan. Let it sit until cool and firmabout 2 hours, though it goes faster in the fridge. Once caramel is firm, use your parchment paper sling to transfer the block to a cutting board. Use a well- oiled knife, oiling it after each cut (trust me!), to cut the caramel into 1-by-1-inch squares. Wrap each one in a 4-inch square of waxed paper, twisting the sides to close. Caramels will be somewhat on the soft side at room temperature, and chewy/firm from the fridge.

Do ahead: Caramels keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for two weeks, but really, good luck with that.

---

Apple Cider Cinnamon Jelly Recipe - Food.com - 353475 I have not tried jelly. I'm posting this for safe keeping. I found this recipe Complete Book Of Small Batch Preserves. This full bodied taste of fresh apple cider ... Six Sisters' Stuff: Apple Cider Caramel Cookies Recipe 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 (14 ounce) bag Kraft Caramels Instructions The Cooking Photographer: Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies Last weekend I visited a ginourmous Wal-Mart in the big town of Post Falls, Idaho. There I proceeded to hunt down bags of Kraft Caramels, because where I live ... gimme some oven Blog Archive caramel apple cider cookies ... Last weekend, I took a trip with my lovely book club girls.camping! Thats right! A bunch of city girls road tripped it to spend a 40-degree evening together ... Apple Cider Caramels Our Best Bites Note: This recipe has been modified from when it was originally posted for greater user-friendliness, particularly in dissolving the sugar. First of all, I hope ... Apple Cider Brined Turkey Recipe - Food.com - 334879 FROM the www.chefscatalog.com website - Diane Morgan, The Thanksgiving Table (Chronicle Books, 2001). If you would like to purchase this book, please visit Chronicle ... SmithsAppleFarm.com 24405 Poquette Lake Road Shell Lake ... Bakery & Gift Shop. Apple Cider Donuts are made fresh daily, there are times in the fall when pumpkin ... Apple Cider Cups Busy Mommy: An Iowa Mom Blog There's something about this time of year that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. As the weather starts to turn colder, leaves change and fall and Table of Two "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf (by Michele J Martin) DIY Salt Caramels Un-Gift Guide 2008 The Kitchn Here's another wonderfully easy candy recipe for the holidays - salt caramels! Here's the recipe, along with links to great ideas for pretty wrapping and packaging.