I Love Pumpkin Bread

Yep, that's right. And, I think Ms Iz does, too (that's my daughter, in case you didn't know).

I made a gluten-free (happens to also be dairy-free) pumpkin bread yesterday, which I have to say beats the pants off my old version. I don't bake a lot, so it's very nice to find a recipe that comes together easily and has little to no mess (but a few dishes to clean up afterward).

The original recipe is from Noteworthy: A Collection of Recipes from the Ravinia Festival, which is a book I received as a wedding gift. Many years (almost 15) and life changes (had a kid, got out of my marriage) later, I still return to this recipe every Thanksgiving. I love pumpkin pie, but can't really eat the crust, and being a novice baker, muffins and breads like this are much more in my comfort zone.

Even though butter and I are best friends, using vegetable oil here makes the bread moist and the batter silky. I changed up some of the spices, though. I didn't have everything on hand, so used cinnamon, cloves and ground ginger. Adding the walnuts just before baking gave the bread a nice crunch, but didn't mess with the interior texture. Oh, and of course, I used a gluten-free mix of flour instead of the traditional white flour the recipe calls for. I bought a pre-mixed flour this time, but you can go here to find a great recipe for your own mix.

I had intended to make muffins this year, but as always happens, I had no liners for the tray. Once I bought the liners, I realized I only had a mini muffin tray, so the liners were too big. I spotted the mini springform pans in the back of the cabinet. Adding a little oil and some parchment paper made the breads a snap to remove from the pans.

Pumpkin Bread

makes 5 small loaves

Recipe adapted from Noteworthy: A Collection of Recipes from the Ravinia Festival

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cup sifted gluten-free flour (use a mix or make your own)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/ 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs lightly beaten

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl.
• Mix together vegetable oil, orange juice, pumpkin puree and eggs in another large bowl.
• Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Make sure to mix completely to incorporate everything.
• Lightly oil the pans. Line your baking pans with parchment.
• Pour the mixture into the pans.
• Add nuts to the top.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Insert a cake tester or toothpick into the center and if it comes out clean, the bread is ready. If not, bake for another 5 minutes.

Salt and Pepper Chicken

Salt and pepper chicken. Yum.

I was watching the Cooking Channel and saw a piece on salt and pepper chicken. It never occurred to me that I could actually make anything salt and pepper related in my own kitchen. My sister always orders pork prepared this way from her local Chinese restaurant and I love it.

The idea of having a crispy skin covered in salt made me very happy to think about. So, I took notes on the recipe and gathered my ingredients. It looked pretty easy and fell well into my gluten-free and dairy-free preferences.

Up until this point, I had never deep fried anything. The fear of consuming all of the properly prepared donuts and other deep fried goodness I might be able to make gave me pause. It kept the vats of boiling oil at bay. Until now.

Most of the appeal was in the challenge to see if I could make chicken that tasted as good as some of the fantastic wings that are available in many of SF's excellent Chinese restaurants. I was also intrigued by the ingredients and the act of deep frying itself.

And so, on a Tuesday night, we got started. At first, I didn't believe it could be as simple as the following recipe (from Ching He-Huang of the Cooking Channel's Easy Chinese: San Francisco) suggested. Boy, was it ever. The hardest part was crushing up the peppercorns , which I was hoping would be bigger than your traditional grinder could supply.

The best part was the moment the coated chicken hit the hot oil. It was so cool to see how the skin immediately crunched up. I will say, though, I was raised by a woman (you know, Gran Fran) who lived in mortal fear of pans and ingredients catching on fire.

I recall at some point, I think it was Junior High, there was duck being roasted at our house. Gran Fran was convinced that a fire was going to break out, due to the high fat content of the duck skin, so the fire department was called. To be honest, not sure I saw any fire coming from the oven, but I remember the neighbors coming out to see what the heck was going on in the Claro household.

Needless to say, I am cautious with flames and deep frying. I had my phone at the ready, in case I inadvertently set the house on fire. Next time Gran Fran comes to town, I'll make her this fantastic recipe and maybe put her mind at ease that her youngest has the sense to proceed with care, while stepping out a bit.

Salt and Pepper Chicken

recipe and method reposted from: Easy Chinese: San Francisco, Ching He-Huang

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs, each piece chopped in half across the bone
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 heaping tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

• 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons cornstarch, for dusting
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 heaping tablespoon ground black pepper
• 4 to 6 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped

Method:

• Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Cover the chicken with the light soy sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, salt and garlic, and stir to coat.
• Toss the chicken with the toasted sesame oil.
• Let marinate for as much time as you have; for best results, leave the chicken in the refrigerator overnight.
• When ready to fry, toss the chicken pieces in the cornstarch.
• Heat a large wok or pan over high heat and add the vegetable oil.
• Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, add the chicken and fry lightly until the thighs are golden brown on all sides and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Drain the chicken on paper towels and season them with salt, pepper and cilantro as they come out of the oil.

Thanks, Ching He-Huang! This recipe will be in regular rotation at our house from here on out.

Project Food Blog: Ready Set Blog

Gran Fran and Ms. Iz

Why Me? I'm Awesome.....

I know. Right? Can you believe I had the nerve to say that? Here is my very good reason.....

foodbuzz.com is hosting a food blogging contest and wants to know why I deserve to be the next food blogging star. So, I figured, I'll start with a very bold statement and take it from there.

In reality, though, it's not about me, really, though that's always fun. It's really about the content, the soul of the writing and what people take away from my posts.

Going out on a limb here to state that my writing is funny, smart and educates those who read it. Being raised alongside tomes by Julia Child, The Chicago Manual of Style and all of the works of Dr. Seuss -- especially Green Eggs and Ham, I honed my writing skills.  I want to convey the essence of what it feels like for me to cook, to serve friends and family and most important, to create. My passion for food is equal to my passion for fun, so my kitchen is a lively place where friends and family come to meet.

The recipes I post are based upon (or fully lifted from) my mother's kitchen. She is known as Gran Fran, along with my dad, just known as Joe, they have 11 grandkids.  Her sense of flavor and adventurous nature in the kitchen allowed me and my four siblings to get an education in the kitchen that not many of our friends got.

Growing up in the 1970s in Queens, NY, we were a large family with two working parents. The recipes Gran Fran shared with us (over the phone from her office in very low almost inaudible tones for fear her office mates would hear her conveying a prized roast beef recipe to one of us) we're still using today and passing them onto our own children. The key was to always use fresh ingredients, make as much as you could from scratch, and experiment here and there with old favorites.

My initial intention in starting the blog was to continue the story lines Gran Fran had laid out in her own blog, which she had stopped updating for awhile. As time went by, my blog became more about how I incorporate these family favorites into my life. I'm a single parent, so my budget is tight, but I've always lived by the same rules as my parents did when it comes to food. I cook most of our meals, and maintain the ideal of most-things-made-from-scratch.

I am not here to preach to those who do not enjoy cooking. Rather, this blog is to shine some light on the ease and fun that I find in cooking and to inspire others. The joy I have in recounting events of the day or how my meal turned out, or a memory the dish I just made evokes, is enough of a prize.

But, to be considered the Next Food Blogging Star would be a terrific bonus. I deserve the title because of my passion for cooking, the quality of my recipes, the long reach of my stories, and the love my family has for cooking.

So, please, starting Monday, September 20th, click on the badge to the right (the one with my lovely face on it) and vote for me!!!

ps: My little girl is my real reason for pursuing anything at all :)