KALE PESTO

It's America's favorite superfood for the billionth year running...........yes, it's KALE. If you're a kale lover (ME) and not a kale hater, this simple, healthy & ingenious recipe is just for you. Requiring little more than a food processor and a few extra minutes on your hands, it's the perfect thing to make when your cooking mind is blank and you have no idea what's for dinner. Got some plain pasta? Boom. Kale pesto pasta. Got an ordinary soup that needs a little dollop of something extraordinary on top? This is your go-to (it's really great on top of a creamy white bean & rosemary blended soup, if you need more suggestions). How about just some toasted bread and a perfectly cooked soft egg? Boom again. Breakfast--or lunch or dinner, really--is served. 

This recipe is one I've barely managed to write down over the years, since I mostly make it by intuition, and once you've tried it you'll see what I mean. You just

know

when this bright green, flavorful spread comes together. Still, the proportions in the following recipe are a great way to get started, and can easily be multiplied, so give it a try!

Kale Pesto

Makes about a cup of pesto

1 tightly packed cup curly kale (rinsed well under hot water and de-stemmed)

1 clove garlic

1/3 cup ground almonds

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

pinch of sea salt

freshly ground pepper

Place kale leaves and garlic in the bowl of a food processor, pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Add garlic & parmesan, continue to pulse. Add lemon juice and blend steadily, then pour in olive oil in a steady stream until everything is in and pesto is a thick paste. Taste, add salt & pepper as needed, then serve.

FAIRYTALE COOKIES OF NEW YORK

Christmas time always makes me think of New York.......and whatever else might be said adoringly or disparagingly about it, the city knows how to put on a hell of a charming holiday season. Festive twinkling lights reflected in damp streets, rosy-cheeked faces smiling in puffy coats, giant garlands and enormous high-rise Christmas trees, carols wafting around in the air from street performers on trumpet and sax...it's a giant rock & roll neon-lit Nutcracker in a snowglobe, and it's perhaps the only season I truly miss in NYC. Thinking of the city is what led me to these chocolate-dipped meringue cookies, as well. A riff on that classic deli staple, the Black & White Cookie, they're a lighter-than air version that I like to say is what a Black & White would be like if those cookies were actually tasty (in reality, they're usually pretty spongy and disappointing).

A crisp, sugary vanilla meringue cloud dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with a little extra holiday pixie dust in the form of crushed candy canes, these Black & Whites never disappoint. They couldn't be easier to throw together, but they're no last-minute cookie, so make sure you leave plenty of time for that long, slow bake in a warm oven. There are two things you can't hurry, after all: love...and meringues. But these, I swear to you, are worth the wait, and they'll make any holiday gathering merry & bright!

Black & White Meringue Cookies

Makes about two dozen cookies

3 egg whites

3/4 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3.5 oz. dark chocolate (I use a bar of my favorite 70% dark)

1 candy cane

Preheat oven to 200 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Begin beating egg whites until foamy, either by hand or in an electric mixer, add sugar and continue beating. Add salt, cream of tartar and vanilla, continue beating for about five minutes or until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks.

Place generous spoonfuls of meringue onto parchment (about two tablespoons per cookie), swirl into roughly cookie-shaped objects, but remember that slight imperfections in meringue can make everything a little more beautiful. Bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees; meringues are done when the outside is dry to the touch and they can be easily lifted from the parchment. Remove and let cool thoroughly.

Unwrap candy cane, place in plastic bag and gently crush into pieces with the bottom of a coffee cup. Break or chop chocolate into small pieces. In a small microwave-proof bowl, place 2/3 of chocolate and microwave 20 seconds at a time until fully melted. Stir in remaining chocolate pieces, keep stirring until mixture is fully melted. Dip each meringue halfway into chocolate, then place on parchment to set. While chocolate is still shiny, sprinkle candy cane pieces over each one. Repeat until done, let set fully, then enjoy!

MY FAVORITE THINGS // aka Gift Guide 2015

Just because you're a last-minute holiday shopper doesn't mean you care any less......ooooooor such is the story I tell myself, anyway. Every year I receive the same shock in mid-December when I realize we're under two weeks from the big day and I haven't done a thing except bake cookies (which is why so many of you get cookies from me every year, MERRY CHRISTMAS, ha ha!). I adore giving presents but always prefer them to be thoughtful gifts (something utterly beautiful, useful, or in the best case scenario, both), rather than mindless gift-giving (i.e. here's some AA batteries and a gift card, go nuts). If I were to get my act together earlier in the year and shop well in advance of the holidays, though, here's a baker's dozen of the things I'd be stockpiling for gift-giving...perhaps that's a New Year's resolution for 2016?

Because I believe that by supporting independent artisans and unusual businesses you give a gift twice (once to the recipient, and once to the maker in the form of your support), my 2015 gift roundup is fully committed to that cause. Every item on this list is something that comes from a maker or a shop I love--and not coincidentally, everything on this list is something I'd love to give or own myself. Many are from desert dwellers in my own hometown (showing local love for Standard Wax + Ateleia + The Aestate + From the Reliquary, though the latter was once from Phoenix and is now relocated to Portland), while the rest are from other far-flung locations....but all are unique and special.

Hopefully this helps to inspire some thoughtful, intentional gift shopping and giving on your part this year. Remember, there's always time to give a gift certificate to a unique shop or get ahead for next winter, as well.........so don't despair, last-minute shoppers! Happy holidays to everyone!

[ Click link below to see sources ]

1. Candles by Standard Wax // @standardwax

2. Petrified Wood Serving Boards, Terrain // @shopterrain 3. Forged Bronze Spoon, Ann Ladson // @annladson

4. Stoneware + Porcelain Bowls, Herriott Grace // @nikoleherriott

5. Glazed 'Marble' Bowls, ONEandMANY // @oneandmany_

6. Staub Mini Cocotte, Food52 // @food52

7. La Brisa handwoven Peruvian throw, The Citizenry // @the_citizenry

8. The Kinfolk Table, Food52 // @food52

9. Leather Journal + Brass Pen by Ateleia // @ateleia

10. Gold Stacking Rings, Favor // @favorjewelry

11. Beverly II by The Aestate // @theaestate

12. Inverte Necklace, From the Reliquary // @aozers

13. Wooden Spoons + Scoop, Old World Kitchen // @poldersowm

SAFFRON JEWELED RICE

The winter season is, at its heart, about hospitality. We open up our homes and invite others to step inside and take the chill off, join us for a full-blown holiday party, an informal gathering of friends, a family dinner. Slightly decadent foods that are bursting with flavor (butter, sugar, nuts, fruit....you are the siren song of my holiday season) are mandatory, both for that convivial feeling and to stave off the cold.

I made this saffron-infused rice dish for an imagined New Year's Eve gathering (as part of a styled shoot that I'll reveal here on the blog soon!) inspired by jewel tones and rich flavors. Though it's based on a traditional Persian dish called 'jeweled rice', I'll be the first one to admit that my technique is less than traditional in approach, leaning heavily on ad-libbing and 'things I like' vs. 'the way it's done.' I didn't use dried barberries, for example, a common-enough Middle Eastern ingredient that's less common and harder to find here. I like the ruby glow of pomegranate seeds in this dish so much better, and the satisfyingly juicy, caviar-like pop as each one yields between your teeth in the middle of a warm bite of rice. I didn't use the required amount of sugar (most recipes call for the carrots and orange zest to be candied in syrup before mixing in, which frankly, is just way too much sweetness for me). And my largest crime against tradition? I didn't go for the extra step at the end and allow the rice to steam in a heavy-bottomed pot until browned and crispy on the bottom. This delicacy, known as

tahdig

, is unbelievably delicious to anyone who loves browned crispy things (which at last count was, like, 100% of the population) and.........I have never once been able to make it properly. If anyone wants to help me complete my rice education,

teach me this!

I'm in your hands.

Still, I'm pretty satisfied with the way this streamlined version of an elegant dish turned out in my kitchen. Rich & fragrant, it't the perfect opportunity to be a little extravagant and use slightly spendy ingredients like saffron and pistachios, plus plenty of butter because.......winter. The sweetness of dried fruit and carrots contrasts so nicely with the tartness of orange juice and zest, and the earthy quality of saffron ties it all together. Celebrate the dead of winter with pops of the brightest colors imaginable on your shared table, a winter sun to light the path into the new year!

Saffron Jeweled Rice

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 cup diced yellow or white onion

1 cup grated carrot

2 tablespoons orange zest

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup diced dried apricots

1/2 cup roughly chopped pistachios

2 cups long grain rice (Basmati is preferable)

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

salt & pepper, to taste

Heat orange juice just until warm to the touch, add saffron and let infuse.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until just softened, then add grated carrot and continue to cook while stirring for about 3 more minutes. Add saffron liquid, orange zest, spices, apricots, pistachios, and remaining butter. Stir until butter has melted and spices are fragrant, then remove from heat and set aside.

Rinse the rice in a few changes of cold water, until the water that runs off is clear. Drain and set aside. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the rinsed rice and boil until grains are tender, then drain well in a colander and return to pot while still hot.

Gently re-warm the saffron butter mixture if it has cooled, then drizzle over cooked rice and stir until fully combined. Place a lid on the pot and let everything steam in the residual heat for five minutes.

Fold in pomegranate seeds, then serve. A wide platter is great for presentation, or a pretty bowl in a contrasting color. For our New Year's Eve styled shoot, we actually served this as an appetizer, spooned into the crunchy 'cups' of pale green endive leaves. More on that coming soon!

THE THANKSGIVING NIGHTCAP

This isn't your typical Thanksgiving post, I guess. Today I'll be sitting down to some version of the meal we'll all be staring down the table at--and it's kind of comforting in its sameness, isn't it, with all that perfectly bronzed turkey glow, sweet potato predictability and green bean wonderfulness? But I'm not writing a stuffing recipe, or a pumpkin pie or an ode to cranberry sauce (although I looooooove cranberry sauce, with brown sugar and bourbon and orange zest, but that's a story for another day). I'm thinking ahead to the evening after the meal, Thanksgiving night.

After all, something unnatural happens when dinner takes place at three in the afternoon. Maybe you're sitting around, lazily doodling on a crossword or pushing game pieces around on a Settlers of Cataan board (no point in confessing that I'm a huge nerd after a sentence like that, I guess?). Maybe you're having that second, late-night gathering of friends, drifting together after family dinners and goodbyes to toast to the beginning of winter and all things holiday season. No matter where you are or what you're doing.....hunger strikes at ten o'clock that night. What to eat after a day of feasting? I have the solution for you, friends.

When the festivities are over, whether you're standing alone in the kitchen by the glow of the refrigerator light wondering if it's too soon to eat a leftover-turkey-and-mashed-potato sandwich, or whether you're surrounded by board games and late-night friends and holiday stragglers......you need the Thanksgiving Nightcap.

Technically, this is four suggestions in one. Two cocktails, one as buttery warm and soothing as a homemade piece of pumpkin pie, and one as briskly wintery and holiday-tasting as a holly wreath, if a holly wreath were delicious. And two dainty little snacks for in between sipping, one reminiscent of the day's iconic cranberry sauce (made fragrant, like my own cranberry sauce, with a hint of bourbon and orange zest), and one that's like an efficiently bite-sized pecan pie. 

Nobody needs or wants a loaded tray of snacks after a day spent consuming turkey, savory carbs and multiple pie slices, after all. Just a few little bites and a cocktail to send you off to bed feeling full, warm, and thankful. Happy holiday, everyone!

Cranberry Rosemary Cocktail

For the rosemary simple syrup:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 oz. cranberry juice

1 oz. gin

1 oz. rosemary syrup

Ice

Fresh rosemary for garnish

Don't forget to make the rosemary simple syrup ahead of time, leaving enough time for it to cool completely. Bring sugar and water just to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat. Roll rosemary sprigs lightly between your palms to release the oils, then submerge in syrup and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain out rosemary leaves, place in fridge to cool. This recipe will make enough for several cocktails, so keep any extra (if it's possible to have leftovers!) in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

Add cranberry juice, gin, rosemary syrup and ice to cocktail shaker, give it a good shake until cold, then strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a tiny sprig of rosemary, sip & enjoy!

Candied Cranberries

1 1/2 cup sugar, divided

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 teaspoon finely zested orange peel

In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of sugar with water and bourbon. Heat over medium low, stir until dissolved and add cranberries. Let simmer for five minutes, then remove from heat. Pour into heatproof bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Strain cranberries from remaining syrup, then place in a single layer on plate or baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup sugar, rolling berries to completely cover in sugar. Place in fridge and let dry for at least an hour (I have even stuck these in the freezer for a similar amount of time, for a really nicely chewy, chilly treat), then snack away!

Bourbon Maple Pumpkin Punch

2 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup (4 oz.) bourbon 

Cinnamon sticks for garnish

The amounts in this recipe make four servings, because when you're going to get all these ingredients together, heat them up and serve them. it might as well be to an adoring crowd! Feel free to adjust the amounts to suit your own gathering, though. 

In a small saucepan, whisk together milk, pumpkin and spices, heat gently over medium heat until steaming. Remove from heat, add maple syrup and bourbon, then immediately pour into four cups. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice, then serve while hot!

Maple Sea Salt Pecans

1 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, toss pecan halves with maple syrup first until completely coated, then add vegetable oil and sea salt and continue to coat. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet, roast for 20 minutes until pecans are nicely browned and shiny. Remove and let cool slightly, then break up clumps while still warm to make sure that pecans don't stick together.

IT'S NOT ALL KALE SALADS AROUND HERE.

Every once in a while, my sweetheart and I come down with matching headaches. We're both employed in jobs that we love, jobs that fuel both our creative passions and keep the roof of our beloved 1970s mini ranch house (someday, I've got to post a house tour of our nest....one day, when I can get all the cooking debris and dog toys and power tools cleared away simultaneously) over our heads. But still, headaches happen in even the best of jobs and circumstances. On those days, my one and only sometimes calls me from the road and asks warily, 'Sooooo.....do you want to have crappy pizza tonight and not actually cook anything?'

He says crappy pizza like it's a bad thing. I see it as more of a life preserver.

This is just to say, crappy-wonderful pizza happens from time to time, even in the supposedly glamorous culinary life of a food stylist. It's real, it's honest, it's covered in unidentifiable cheese and dubious bell peppers, and man, I kind of love it. Tonight, we'll be having bad pizza and great wine, and sitting on the couch watching a music competition show whose name I won't reveal. We'll get back to your regularly scheduled kale salads any moment now. This one below is a particularly good one, full of earthy, autumnal flavor in the form of a sweet-tart white miso and apple cider vinegar dressing. If you're not having one of those headache days yourself, this is exactly what I suggest you make for dinner. 

But if you are? 

Then I and my raised slice of utilitarian pizza salute you, and wish you better days (full of delicious, flavor-packed kale salads) ahead.

Kale Salad with Sliced Honeycrisps & Miso-Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Serves 2

For the salad:

1 head of Tuscan kale (size varies, but you'll need about 3 cups once it's washed & sliced) 

1 Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced with peel still on (I love Honeycrisps, but when they're not available, I'd reach for a similarly crisp, sweet-tart apple like a Pink Lady or Gala)

1/4 cup grated or finely shaved Manchego

1/4 cup raw pepitas

For the dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup white miso paste

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons minced shallot

salt & pepper, to taste

Rinse kale leaves and trim away stems with a knife, then slice into thin ribbons. I like to throw it into a colander at this point and rinse it again, while massaging with my fingers for a few minutes under warm running water. This gets it extra squeaky clean, and has the added benefit of softening up the kale so that it's nice and tender (kale leaves can be stubborn things sometimes). Let all the excess water drain from the colander, blotting kale with a towel if necessary, then transfer to a large serving bowl. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, miso paste and honey into a thick, creamy dressing. Add shallots, a small amount of salt & pepper to taste (adjust as necessary), then pour dressing over kale and toss to mix thoroughly. Add sliced apples, Manchego and pepitas, toss gently a few more times to combine, then serve.