It’s that time again.  Time for food bloggers to do their year-end wrap up posts.  Do you hate these?  Like these?  I’m on the fence.  With some blogs I read, I like being reminded of old posts and triumphs and with some, I just want to see new stuff.  (And if you haven’t read Cheryl’s version yet, you must.)  I’m feeling like it’s the right thing to do, so onward we go.    My favorite things of last year by month.  (Drum roll please…)

January – I make a lot of cookies, I make a lot of chocolate things, but these Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies were one of my favorites from 2011.  I also like this post because I talk about Randy’s job change which has been a wonderful thing for our family.  Oh.  And I mention that I would be sending him in to the office with a weekly treat.  Um.  I promise I’ll be better about that in 2012!

February – Every year I make several incarnations of this type of noodle soup and this Somen Noodle Soup with Spring Vegetables and Baked Tofu was a nice version.

March – I really got into making pizza in 2011 and experimenting with all different toppings.  I loved this Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomato Onion Jam and Broccoli Rabe both because it tasted amazing and it also helped me use something in a new way.

April – Have you been to my house in the past year?  Or have you been to a party that I have catered?  Because if you have, there is about a 50% chance that you have had this Brown Sugar Pound Cake.  I’m made it more than anything else this year.  I have two sitting in my freezer, just in case of cake emergency.  Easy, amazing, make it.

May – I might not have chosen this bread as my May option, except that I just made it again a week ago and damn! that No-Knead Olive Bread is good.  If you need to justify buying Kalamata olives at Costco, a couple of loaves will use up that whole jar.

In June, I took a gnocchi making class from a celebrated Seattle chef and learned more in two hours than I thought possible.  And ate more than I thought possible.  I finally feel comfortable making these little guys and shared a recipe for Gnocchi with Morel Mushrooms and Spring Peas.

July had me making some of the best food of my year, so top post was a little difficult to choose.  I had to go with this Lemony Chickpea and Oven-Dried Tomato Stew.  Now I know why I do these recaps – I had completely forgotten about this dish and now I need to make it asap.

August – This Tomato and Corn Pie was something I saw in the dead of last winter and couldn’t wait to try once corn season hit.  It was more than worth the wait.  I made it many times because I taught it in a class and I loved eating it each time.  It also is very easy to make, even if you are pie challenged.  Wait, when does summer come around again?

September – Chocolate Dipped Ice Cream Sandwiches.  There is nothing left to say.

October – I’m a sucker for chocolate cake and this Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake is perfect for birthdays, celebrations, and, you know, Wednesdays.  If you are looking for a classic, this one is perfect.

November – I made many savory tarts in 2011.  This version, Stilton Tart with Cranberry Chutney got extra points for being versatile (appetizer or meal size portions), tasty, pretty, and holiday-like.  It is something I know I will make every holiday season for years to come.

December – I feel like I need to end on a healthy note with Red Lentil Soup with Lime.  It is rare that I repeat a recipe at all, let alone twice in a week.  And really the only time I do that is so that I can get a photo the second time if I miss it the first.  But in this case, I just really wanted to eat more of this soup.  If your plan is to eat healthier in 2012, this is a good place to start.

Happy New Year to all of you!

So, my posting has been a little light for the past few weeks.  It is not as though I haven’t been cooking.  I just haven’t been photographing, writing, or posting.  And there was an accident.  No excuses though!

Since I am so very far behind in telling you what I was making 3 falls ago, 2 falls ago, and last fall, I thought I would take my favorites and link you directly to them.

But first!  Classes!  I am happy to announce my cooking classes through the end of the year.

Tuesday, November 15th, I will be teaching a Holiday Side Dishes class at Book Larder.  In our family, Randy and I host Thanksgiving and we do have a turkey.  I don’t make a separate main course for myself and the other vegetarians, I just make sure we have plenty of hearty side dishes to enjoy.  I will be teaching three dishes from three of my favorite books.  Whether you have a turkey at your house or not, Wild Rice and Celery Root Gratin, Roasted Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes with Caper Vinaigrette, and the Ultimate Green Bean Casserole would be most welcome at your table.  If you would like to attend this class, you actually need to buy tickets from Brown Paper Tickets by clicking here.  This class will run from 6:30-8:30 and costs $50.

Saturday, December 3rd, I will be teaching my Holiday Brunch class at our house.  If you have people coming to town for the holidays, chances are there is going to be a need for brunch.  Why not make it instead of going out?  In this class we will learn how to make delicious (and easy) Currant Scones, Petits Pains au Chocolat, a Mediterranean-Inspired Frittata, Perfect Roasted Potatoes, and a Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad.  Oh!  And there will be a Make-Your-Own-Bloody-Mary station.  This class will go from 10am-1pm and costs $65.

Thursday, December 8th, I will be teaching my 4 Doughs and 1 Batter class.  So many people are afraid of working with different kinds of dough and I want to help.  In this class, we will learn how to work with filo dough, puff pastry, bread dough, tart dough, and cake batter.  If you have taken this class before, the doughs we work with will be the same but some of the recipes will be different!  We will make Filo Pastry with Goat Cheese and Spinach, Puff Pastry Tarts with Butternut Squash and Grapes, the amazing No-Knead Bread, Chantarelle Tart with Roasted Garlic Custard, and, one of my most-requested recipes, Brown Sugar Pound Cake.  I think I always feed people well, but this class is truly a feast!  This class will run from 6-9:30 and costs $70.

I’d love to see you!

From Three Years Ago:

This is Harira Soup.  It stars lots of wonderful veggies, chickpeas, and thin noodles.  It is thick and hearty.  It will warm you.

These are pita bread halves that are sprinkled with za’atar – a mind blowing spice mix starring fresh thyme, sesame seeds, salt and sumac.  These guys get broken into pieces and become one of my favorite salads – Fattoush.

I feel like there has been a lot of talk about chocolate chip cookies here recently.  Please, let’s take a break and all bake these amazing ones instead.  Butterscotch chips, oatmeal, cashews.  Cowgirl Cookies from the beloved Holly B’s Bakery.

Such a bad photo (all these are pre camera upgrade), such a good dish.  Great for company because it can be made in advance and is super hearty.  Eggplant Rollatini with Capellini.

From Two Years Ago:

You will surprise and delight anyone you love (or even like) with these homemade Petits Pains au Chocolat.  Very easy too!

I am very partial to brownies.  They are probably my favorite dessert.  I like this one, from the Baked cookbook, and awful lot.

I make a lot of savory galettes.  I think they are beautiful, tasty, and a nice anchor for a vegetarian meal.  This one stars pears and goat cheese and is garnished with pretty pomegranate seeds.

I’m currently enamored with the No-Knead Bread, but this classic Challah will always always be in my repertoire.  It takes a lot of time but most of it is just rising and it always turns out.

I have a few recipes that I have been making for twenty years and this Tomato Leek Soup is one.  It’s Randy’s favorite soup.

Holly B’s Orange Swirls.  I don’t need to say more.

From Last Year:

Sometimes you just want a really good pound cake.  This one stars graham crackers.  I also tell the story about how my son Graham got his name.

I can’t say enough good things about this Roasted Pear Salad.  I taught it in my October classes.  I also tried substituting blue cheese for the goat cheese and oh my, it was good.  50 people ate this class (5 classes x 10 people each) and every one cleaned their plate.

Up until last year, I had never heard of Buckeyes.  Then I made them for a yoga retreat.  Then I made a double batch of them for a client.  I haven’t made them since and now I want one.

As far as fall cookies go, these Pumpkin Spice Cookies are a classic.  Nice and soft.

Rice noodles and I are bff’s.  I love them.  I loved this dish and it’s from one of my very favorite cookbooks.

I often think of this Fregola with Minted Cauliflower when I hear people talking about vegetarian food being boring.  I made this for my dear friend Karen who I have known since my freshman year in college.  As soon as I finish up this post, I’m heading down to the airport to pick her up for her annual November visit.

Happy cooking!

A few weeks ago, I was invited down to Medford, Oregon by the good people at Harry and David.  Wait.  Are you thinking “Harry and David – that company that sends boxes with salami and cheese?”  Well, that was my old way of thinking.  The old way before I went down to the beautiful Rogue river valley, saw the pear orchards, listened to the horticulturist and his passion for his pear trees, met a real live Charlie who showed us around his chocolate (and other treats) factory, enjoyed a lovely dinner with paired wines from a local winery and food bloggers from around the country, and learned a lot about a good company who still does things the old fashioned way.

There were many things that impressed me on our two day jam-packed visit.  The beautiful trees, orchards spread throughout the valley and workers who are paid fair wages.

The real live people making real live things that you or I might make (like these cinnamon rolls), just on a larger scale.

The incredible variety of gifts available to send to loved ones.  The pears are grown there, the Moose Munch is made there.  The chocolates, cheesecakes, brownies, and cookies are made in Charlie’s factory.  We got to see the test kitchen where we were able to taste a toffee they are working on.  (Verdict: Delicious but needed more salt.)

One of the first things we learned is that Harry and David is trying to give a gift experience, so the packaging and the personalization of the gifts is important.  Every single bow is hand-tied.  (A lovely woman tried to teach us how to do their signature bow.  Let’s just say I won’t be getting that job any time soon.)  The few times I’ve sent gift boxes in the past, I’ve chosen companies that simply aggregate the contents of the gift from companies they work with.  You know, coffee from these people, brownies from those.  With Harry and David, it’s all made or grown by them.  In Oregon.  I like that.  I also like the community that they have created in small-town America and the jobs they create each holiday season.

I liked pretty much everything about those two days.  I also liked the gift basket that I packed for myself that arrived a couple of days after my return.  And the extra pears and cheese that I bought at the company store which arrived a few days after that.  And then, just when we were starting to run low on pears, another huge gorgeous basket arrived, complete with Martha Stewart’s new Pies and Tarts book – autographed!

In short, they spoiled us.  Food bloggers get invited on trips like these, and get spoiled rotten, in the hopes that we will write favorably about the company/product/resort destination.  I did have my doubts going in to this trip but I was very impressed with all I saw and tasted and everyone I met.  Because I like to share the bounty, I asked if I could give away some pears and my question was met by a resounding “YES!”.  So, want some pears?

I’m giving away a six-pack of the famous Harry and David pears.  Just tell me what gift you looked forward to receiving each holiday season.  Leave a comment and I will pick a winner randomly next Monday, November 7th.  You have until noon that day (PST) to enter.  U.S. residents only please.  (Sorry non U.S. friends – there are funny laws about sending fruit across borders.)  UPDATE: This contest is now closed.

Finally, thank you all for being patient with the lack of food posts last week.  I will be back on track soon.  xo

Hello Friends.

First, I want to thank you, very sincerely, for all the comments, emails, phone calls about my accident.  Graham seems to be fine, I am healing, and our car, well, our car will be fixed in a couple of weeks.  My right thumb went from looking like a sausage to just having a big bruise.  I am almost able to bend it without pain.  Physical injuries hurt but I think my soul was crushed more than my body.  After Randy came home early from his high school reunion, I sort of crashed emotionally.  I was very melancholy and all I wanted to do was sleep.  Guilt and fear can do that to you.  Thankfully, after a day and a half of that, I am spiritually on the mend as well as physically.  It helped, very much, to continue getting lovely notes from you all during that rough patch.

Moving on – Who Won the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook??  I have to say, this was a fascinating exercise.  Reading about the recipes you all are trying to find made me want to sit down and email each of you to say, “Well, have you tried this one??”  Some of you I couldn’t help (I’m talking to the pork people and those on a meat sauce quest) but some of you I could.  If you are searching for a chocolate chip cookie, have you tried this one?

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you are looking for a brownie, have you tried this one?

The Baked Brownie

If you are looking for gnocchi, have you tried this one?

Ethan Stowell’s Method for Perfect Gnocchi

If you are looking for Macaroni and Cheese, have you tried this one?

Martha Stewart’s Gratinéed Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

If you are looking for a scone, have you tried this one?

Classic Currant Scones

And If you are looking for pizza crust, please do yourself a favor and try Mark Bittman’s recipe.

I’m not saying these recipes are perfect, but I like them very much.  Your comments gave me some wonderful new ideas to try for this blog.  And I also realized that my all-time favorite butternut squash soup is not here.  That will be remedied next week.  More vegetable soups will follow as will gingerbread, biscuits, and a perfect marinara.  Please know that I am on my own quest too.  Thanks for all the ideas.

And without further ado, based on my random generator, the cookbook winner is:

87

Random numbers generated Oct 26 2011 at 10:11:50 by www.psychicscience.org  
Free educational resources for parapsychology, psychical research & mind magic.

Jane!  Jane said she wanted a perfect chocolate cake recipe, but seeing as I posted one, she is now looking for a vanilla cake.  Jane, send me an email so I can get your address.

Thanks again for playing everyone.  I have another great giveaway coming up tomorrow!

Come visit!