Challah Wild Mushroom + Herb Stuffing. Holla!

Thanksgiving is my favorite food holiday.  I'm sure we're all on the same page here.  Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, sweet potatoes, PIE, I mean, what's not to love?

A few years ago I stumbled upon a recipe at Once Upon A Chef for an amazing challah stuffing that blew my mind.  After trying for the past few years, I think I found my trick to make it foolproof.  Because as much as I love cooking, sometimes I am a fool.

*

It's simple, really.  You have your recipe, you find the best ingredients you can, and you make it work.  But with challah, I've gone wrong in the past by overlooking the gooey factor.  So, because challah tends toward the gooey when touched by any liquid, I've found that it benefits from a few extra days of air drying before baking.  So just buy the challah on the weekend before thanksgiving, and cut it into little pieces and lay it on trays and dry it out for 3-4 days before the big day.  On thanksgiving, bake it as instructed in the oven for some extra crunchiness.  Fool. Proof.

And so I bring you, my most favorite stuffing recipe. Get a head start on next years! (Do you know how cheap turkeys are this week?!)
CHALLAH AND WILD MUSHROOM STUFFING

* Thank you, le internet cooking princess, for the beautiful photo!

Throwback Apple Cake Recipe

It is definitely apple season around here.  I just love the fresh juicy crunch of an apple right off the tree.  And this year has been a great year for our Gravenstein tree.  The plums and other stone fruit have not had as stellar of a year, so I have yet to try one of the mouth watering plum cornbread recipes I've seen recently.  Which has given me plenty of time to play with the apples.  Surely you've seen the Bourbon Apple Crisp recipe I love.  But a crisp doesn't always hit the spot.

So I got out my trusty Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook (circa 1980), which is filled with pictures and drawings and how to tips, and found this throwback Merryfield Apple Cake recipe.   I love this cookbook because a)  it was a yard sale score, 2) its not fancy, and iii) its got a basic recipe for pretty much everything.  Usually I read a recipe from it and substitute the hell out of it for my new-agey gluten free diet, and it comes out terrific.  Just like this apple cake.

The only substitution in this cake for me is the all purpose flour, which I substituted with freshly ground oat flour.  My awesome sister in law made her mom's legendary pumpkin muffins for us at Thanksgiving last year with this substitution and no one even noticed!  The oats have great texture for this cake.  Oat flour has a different, shall we say, heartier taste than wheat flour for sure, but in this cake with the moist-ness of the apples and the addition of the cinnamon it is amazing.

Merryfield Apple Cake:
3 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 c. salad oil
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
3 c. peeled diced apples + dash of cinnamon to taste
1 c. nuts, like walnuts (i don't use these)
1/2 c. raisins (or these)
powdered sugar for dusting

325 degrees,  8x8, 1 hour

I just wanted apples and cinnamon in the cake so I skipped the nuts and raisins.   I added a touch of brown sugar and a drizzle of honey, for a sweet new year and some color.  I used gluten free oats and ground them in the coffee grinder to make oat flour.  I measured out the same amount of oat flour as I would have used all purpose flour and the results were delicious!  Like I said, the oat flour has great texture and flavor, and it fluffs right up like a normal cake.  Can you ask for anything more?

It was moist, yummy and it almost disappeared last night.  I managed to save one piece for a photo.

you're welcome.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast

For a make at home fried chicken, this recipe is a score.  It uses boneless skinless breasts, and its really easy. Like my trusty favorite pulled chicken sandwich recipe, you have to start earlier in the day with the prep (here it is the essential buttermilk soak, there its the dry rub), but as long as you do that, it is easily assembled after a long work day.

Probably the best part, and what makes it so crunchy and good, is the use of the pan fry then bake method.  Ready the cast iron skillet!  I tossed some green beans and onions into the oven in a separate roasting dish, so we had meat and veggies in the oven and brown rice on the stovetop, which meant a much smaller mess than usual.  I love using the oven for a weeknight dinner because nothing makes dinner taste better than knowing clean up will be easy! (I can't be the only one who feels this way.) 

Try it out and let me know what you think!  I substituted my own gluten free ingredients (bread crumbs and flour) and the recipe came out great.  If you don't like spicy stuff, just omit the hot sauce and cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk and hot pepper sauce. Place chicken in the mixture to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. In a separate medium bowl, mix dry bread crumbs, flour, onion powder, cornstarch, white sugar, garlic salt, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Thoroughly coat the chicken in the bread crumb mixture.
4. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, and cook chicken 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.
5. Transfer chicken to a medium baking dish, and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Courtesy of Allrecipes

le macaron

 Latest obsession: le macaron

Saturday Afternoon. Sunny August Day in San Francisco.  Brunching in the Castro.  Drinking in Dolores Park. A Great Day.  Then, Le Macaron!

We enjoyed a nice meal at Chow. Seeing my old college friend and hearing about his life in Brooklyn was wonderful. We listened to a tale about a new international romance and heard about plans for a bar in Brooklyn. And though I am generally super late to meet people and feel like I arrive slobbering, "so sorry to be late, oh gosh, traffic, time management, vortex, sorry sorry sorry", I was not super late. I was pretty close to my estimate. And that had me feeling very good.

And then the idea of drinking in the park came about and I thought - is Rick going to go for this? I mean this is hipster central. Regular fit jeans were no where to be seen. And then we found a parking spot and a Pliny and were headed to the park.

Generally, Rick does not like to stop on the way home. He's very focussed. But he needed a cigarette and I am holding firm to my no smoking in the new car rule, hence a stop was required. So we head down Fillmore, taking in the sights. And then I remember - Citizen Cake is on Fillmore. I just need the right traffic pattern to find a good spot. Just like that, it appeared and I was practically skipping down Fillmore into Citizen Cake. Yes, they serve food. But that's not why I went. I went for 2 reasons - the cashew cup (think reeses cup but with dark chocolate and almond butter) and the macarons. No, not macaroons, you yankee, macaron. Look it up. And behold: the Salted Caramel Macaron.

Holy Shit I have to learn to make these! The crunch of the almond cookie and the softness of the filling, oh dear lord, I am hooked.

Thanks to the wedding registry, I now have the fancy tools. All I need is the almond meal and the patience. Stay tuned, because this will be conquered!

New Goan in Santa Rosa!

Last week I noticed a 2 for 1 coupon in the Bohemian for a new Goan restaurant in Santa Rosa called Sobbit Goa. I've heard of Goa as the coastal vacation area of India that is known for its vivid nightlife and relaxed atmosphere. Wikipedia informs me Goa is India's smallest state, one of its richest, and is known for its celebrations of diversity. But what about the food?

Walking into this restaurant I could feel the tender care given to the space. Things were clean, bright and welcoming. I noticed a colorful painting of lovers picnicking on the wall. The smell hit, a bouquet of delcious aromas that brought an instant joy to my whole body. The waiter appeared with a friendly greeting and a great menu. I see some familiar phrases: locally grown, hormone free, no antibiotics, vegan foor on request, organic fresh food. And then I see a not so familiar phrase: Gluten Free Naan. WHAA? Oh what good fortune. I can hardly stand it.

All entrees include rice, which is as it should always be in my opinion (hear that Thai Pot and Himalayan Tandoori and Curry?). There were some very difficult choices to make on this menu, including several dishes I had never heard of - Goan Xacuttis - a traditional roasted coconut base curry with a touch of tamarind juice, Galinha Com Coentro - chicken in mild green chiles and cilantro based sauce, Veg Caldeen - a goan style mix vegetables with onions, coconut, mild green chiles, ginger and garlic, and some others. Also they had chicken pakoras and paneer pakoras, which we will save For Next Time.

So on this Very Hungry Weeknight we ordered an abundance of food - Mixed Vegetable Pakoras, Paneer Tikka Masala, Chicken Korma, Keema Naan, GF Naan. Gold stars for the pakoras and the sauces. The Naan was served piping hot and was delicious. Granted, it's been a minute since I've had real naan, but to me, this piping hot pancake-type-shovel was divine. So divine in fact that I forgot to take a picture of it until I had almost eaten the whole thing!

Both the Korma and the Tikka Masala were creamy and delicious, and had a tad of something sweet. There was plenty of spice to the dishes even though we both ordered the 'medium'. It was different because of the sweetness, which added a very delicate and balanced undertone to the spices. I gobbled up as much of the delicate and delicious sauce as I could with my Naan.

The best part may have been the incredibly sweet man who was vigilantly tending to our water glasses. They were never below half full. He was a short man, with a round face and a smile that I will not soon forget. He had such a warmth about him that made the meal feel that much more lovely.

I want to Go(a) again!

Easy End-Of-Summer Recipe: Bourbon Apple Crisp

This is so easy in the end of August when our Gravensteins are begging to be baked!  

filling:
7 large apples, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I use Gravensteins)
Dash of cinnamon, to taste
1 tsp. lemon zest
3 Tbs. regular sugar
splash of Bourbon

topping:
4 Tbspn room temperature butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Gluten Free oats
Tbspn Gluten Free flour (I use rice, but its your choice)

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. peel and chop apples into 1/2 inch pieces
3. add to 8X8 baking dish
4. add cinnamon, lemon zest, sugar, bourbon, toss in baking dish
5. mix toppping ingredients with your hands until they are crumbly
6. drop crumb topping onto apples in baking dish

bake at 400 for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top. cool. top with ice cream or whipped cream.

ENJOY!

Truck Yeah! Off The Grid's Fort Mason Fridays.

We are full on INTO food trucks in my house right now.  There are some local Sonoma County trucks we really enjoy [Couchon Voulant, Street Eatz, Fork, the Rosso truck] and two great weekly events that bring the food trucks right to our neck of the woods - Sebastopol's Totally Truckin' Thursday and Iron Horse Vineyard's Food Truck Fridays.  For several weeks now we had the pleasure of enjoying this local food truck bounty.  My husband Rick, who is admittedly a horrible wait-er, will track them down and wait with ghandi-like patience for one of Street Eatz pulled pork sandwiches.   And Couchon Voulant, whom we stumbled upon while at Iron Horse with friends, is the stuff that dreams are made of.  Their pulled pork is the best we've ever had.  And of course we had to try the watermelon/feta/toasted pumpkin seed salad served with a with slow-smoked chicken drumstick, which still delights my palate with its memory, it was that good.

So when it came time to head to Fort Mason on Friday afternoon, in part to see our dear friends' American Craft Council exhibit (which was inspirational, btw), and in part to finally partake in the magical event called Off The Grid: Fort Mason Center, I was pretty excited.  This was the beginning of a whole new world of food trucks.  Behold:

30 Trucks. Yes, 30.  Trucks arranged in a square, with beer, wine and music in the middle.  And hungry people everywhere. Asian BBQ had a heavy presence and some awesome names (Seoul on Wheels, was my personal fave), and strong competition from the multitude of tacos, curries, empanadas, noodles, dumplings, sandwiches, and there were sweet choices too - the Creme Brulee Cart, Cupkates, and on and on and on.  But to us there was one clear choice: nom nom.  That mythical truck of Food Network fame that started our whole craze.  Let me explain.

See we saw the food truck show, and we learned about bahn mi.  It sounded so..... well, weird. Then we found a bahn mi in Santa Rosa, at the totally unassuming Noodle Bowl, that rocked Rick's world.  It has the heavenly Costeaux bread, the pate (um, weird?), the yummy veggies, the jalepeno, the mayo, and though he usually orders the chicken, you can't go wrong with any of your meat choices.  Since finding Noodle Bowl in the spring, we have proudly shown our friends.  And I do mean proudly, and friends with an s.

And then, after we discovered Noodle Bowl, the food truck events began this spring.  It sounded too good to be true.  Right here in Sebastopol?  The 4 truck per week limit, which always includes Fork and the Hot Dog Guys, can feel a little limiting, but it seems to be the right number for the crowd in our town.  So, all summer we've had the bahn mi on lock, and we had the food truck events going on every week, but we had not yet experienced the beauty of the food truck bahn mi, not until Fort Mason on Friday.

And let me just say, hit. the. spot.  And with all of the excitement we already had going on that day (read: visiting with out of town friends, enjoying the company of a delightfully energetic 3 year old, being in the city on a Friday night), it was the perfect meal.  From a food truck, sandwiches just make sense. They are wrapped neatly, they travel well, and you don't have to worry about all of the hassles that accompany, say, tacos.  I did have the nom nom tacos by the way, and to me, searching for a GF option, they were well worth the hassle.  Although with all of the action going on, by the time I could find a place to eat and take a bite the tacos had gotten cold.   Yet, the flavor of the grilled pork and the crispy veggies and aioli in those tacos was so outstanding that I ended up eating every last bite with a fork.  The sandwich, however, was on another level.  Rick bought two, with the idea to take one home and eat the next day.  He ooohed and ahhed over the first one so much that our friends had to see what this crazy bahn mi nonsense was all about. I don't think that second sandwich ever had a chance at making it home.

Needless to say, the scene in San Francisco on a Friday afternoon, at Fort Mason where you can always find a little corner of your own, with a drink in your hand, a good friend nearby, warm clothes on your back and some good food in your belly, well, that's a chronic nonsense sort of scene.

Off The Grid - you guys are inspirational. Thank you!