Spaghetti Squash Gratin

Having friends invite me over along with a request for a prepared dish is a blessing for me.  Since my favorite way to show love and/or affection is to feed people, and feed then well my creativity is awakened. This afternoon I am attending a game day.  That is NOT a day to watch a game being played by notable teams, viewed on television.  This game day is one where all the attendees are participants.  We have a variety of games to choose from and after working up an appetite in active play we will all eat the salads, casseroles, meats and desserts that we prepared  for  the event. I had a GIGANTIC spaghetti squash from my winter CSA  that had been staring at me for a while. This squash was way too big for my husband and I to consume on our own. In the back of my mind I knew I'd read about a spaghetti squash gratin. After searching around a bit online I found the recipe can be found on one of my favorite blogs chocolateandzucchini. Please use that link to get the full recipe. Clotilde prepares the spaghetti squash in a tasty way that could not be easier. I used pecans instead of walnuts, smoked gouda replaced the mozzerella which I grated, put in between the two layers of cooked squash, as well as on top, and I topped the gratin with sage leaves fried in butter (my new favorite taste sensation, discovered while cooking for a sick friend). I'm off to the game day now. I'm sure this gratin will get rave reviews from the hungry players.

Quick pumpkin Gnocchi with Chantrelles in Sage Butter

I picked up some pumpkin gnocchi at the Ferry Building's Farmer's Market yesterday to bring to a sick friend. Sometimes it really pays one back to care for the needs of others. I boiled them for no more that 3 minutes, at a low boil, as instructed.  Then I popped them carefully, into a frying pan where I had sauteed chantrelles and sage leaves (originally from Traders, 3 weeks ago) in butter. I threw in a handful of arugula and I let the gnocchi brown a bit to crisp the edges.  (this happened by accident when I took my eyes off the pan for a moment.  What a happy accident) WOW! WOW! I did not remove the sage leaves and they contributed a nice crispy element.  WOW!

I also made another version of Marie Helene's Apple cake from Around my French Table. This is the second one I've baked in two days! The last one just disappeared, very mysteriously. This time I added the zest of half an orange, 1/4 cup of ground flax seeds, a full teaspoon of vanilla and a shot of turmeric. I reduced the butter to 2/3 of a stick and the sugar to 3/8 cup.

Cake with turmeric and Flax

Friday's cake without turmeric and flax

Is the "plain version"  is a lot more attractive? Maybe, but yellowed cake still tastes wonderful. I'm toppping my pieceof this slightly jaundiced-looking cake with a dollop of nonfat Oikos plain yogurt and having a cup of jasmine green tea spiked with a small piece of candied bergamot peel.

Leek and Potato Soup

This leek and potato soup. for French Fridays with Dorie,was quick and easy to prepare. My husband loved it.  I chose to use my immersion blender to achieve a silky smooth creamy consistency.  The soup tasted as good as one with loads of added cream but this recipe called only for milk. I was surprised that the vegetables boiled in the milk.  I thought the milk might "break" and become separated and ugly, but Dorie knew what she was doing. I thought the picture was a bit bland at first so I added a dried celery leaf for color. The remaining soup was gobbled up as part of my husband's lunch.  Another winner!

Soup Prep

Milk and veggies happily cooking together

Wednesday dinner--Soup and Cake

Tonight I am planning on making a soup with the Jerusalem artichokes I received in my produce box.  Here is the recipe . I will be adding a few sautéed chantrelles to top the soup, as they were too beautiful to pass up at Saturday's farmers market.  I will also be baking Dorrie's Marie-Helene's Apple cake with wonderful Tennessee Jack apples. I may also prepare sautéed collard greens with Boccalone's lardons or guanciale. Taking freezer inventory is like treasure hunting (that's where I found the guanciale)   I am also drooling over my library's copy of The Essential New York Times Cookbook.. I will probably put it back in my cart at Amazon, I may even check out today too.

Quick, Early, Update on Dorie's Go to Beef Daube

As I am the type of person who likes to procrastinate or so far ahead of time that I feel stress-free. Today I am making the Beef Daube for French Fridays with Dorie today.  The weather is perfect making a stew, having the oven on steaming up the kitchen is such a comfort. I do not use alcohol in cooking so I combed the internet to find a replacement for the red wine in this recipe.  One source said a daube's not a daube without wine, but I used pork broth (leftover from boiling my baby backs), mixed with 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar and 4 roasted tomato halves. The sauce has the look of red wine and smells amazing.  My husband will be the final judge.  I prepared Dorie's Celery root purée as a side dish, and I will make an escarole salad with a homemade ceasar dressing. See you Friday with the ratings.

Veg Prep

The sauté

Celery Root Purée

BBQ Pork Spareribs San Francisco Style

Saturday evening I had the pleasure of cooking dinner for some visitors from France. I love French food, but I did not want to compete with what they eat back home. Therefore, I decided to cook a completely American meal, but one that I could enjoy. My BBQ baby back ribs are succulent, fall-off-the-bone delicious, and easy to make as well. I decided to buy pork from a non-factory farm, as I believe in putting my money where my mouth is concerning supporting unhealthy farming practices. One of the wonderful advantages of living in San Francisco is the widespread availability of sustainably produced food. I purchased 3lbs of Duroc baby backs. Three pounds of sustainably produced ribs cost me as much as three racks from Costco, but as I said.... money where mouth is. One of the issues I have had in the past with BBQ sauces has been my inability to find a sauce without HFCS.  I went into Marina market and I was surprised and pleased to find no less than five brands of BBQ sauce with no HFCS.  How wonderful! I have made my own sauce in the past,but that is an all-day-affair. I chose 1849 BBQ sauce and Bulls-Eye, mixed them and poured the mixture over my two hour boiled ribs.  The result was succulent and lip-smacking  good. It is my understanding that the French like to eat with knife and fork. My French friend picked up his ribs and lifted them to his lips. I guess he enjoyed his American meal.. I did have to fess up to my guests that I did not make the sauce myself. They were surprised to find an American who cooked at all, but I still felt a bit lacking. I served the ribs with homemade coleslaw and baked potatoes with full fat real sour cream. It has been a long time since I've had real sour cream in the house and I must say clover non-organic sour cream was delicious.
I have already made Dorie's potato leek soup and I will post about it later in the week. Suffice it to say it has all been eaten by now. It's surprising how a few simple ingredients can have such good flavor.
Renée

Spiced Butter Glazed Carrots

Let me begin by saying that anything, I mean anything, glazed with butter tastes like heaven. This post is my first for French Fridays with Dorie, an online cooking group dedicated to preparing one recipe a week from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. The following was what I jotted down immediately following eating Spiced Butter Glazed Carrots, Wednesday night. Oh and, by the way, the carrots were so good I forgot to photograph them. I apologize. Next time I will hold back from inhaling the food as soon as it hits the table.

I just finished licking the pan from the glazed carrots! Yum. After consuming a double portion, my confirmed cooked-carrot-hating husband asked me to pack what was left of the carrots for his lunch. He loved them. I used leftover turkey broth and served the carrots with Japanese brown rice and turkey vindaloo. The glaze was shiny and unctuous from the Irish butter. Fabulous. This is going to be fun.
Renee