Very Apeeling

Thanks to one of my Tuesday knitters, I got to try something I've always wanted to do! I cannot tell you how long I've been plotting an eventual attempt at making candied orange peels. When I was younger, my Oma would tell me stories about her childhood. She grew up very poor and was the middle of nine children. My great grandmother Una put herself into an early grave working 3 jobs in order to keep food on the table. When I think of this, I am always extraordinarily grateful for all of the opportunity and blessings I've had in my life. I never knew my great grandmother but my Oma has played such a huge role in my upbringing. I grew up on a completely different part of the spectrum than she did because she and my Opa spoiled me rotten! When we talk on the phone now, I'd say at least half of our conversation is about food so I get it honest!

One day, she was telling me about Christmas time when she was a child. She would usually get an orange in her stocking. In those days, it was a true luxury. They didn't have trucks hauling citrus from Florida and California all year round like we do now. She didn't want to waste any part of it so when she was finished eating the fruit, she would make candy out of the peel. I was completely dumbfounded by this! That bitter junky stuff that I always threw away could be made into candy?

Fast forward to about three weeks ago. My knitters were talking amongst themselves and one of them, Eileen, mentioned how she eats a lot of oranges. She said she always saves the peel and makes candy. I interrupted her (oops!) and exclaimed that I'd been meaning to try doing that. I have a few books with recipes but, for some reason, it always intimidated me. She told me it was terribly easy. The next week, she was even so kind as to bring me in a baggie full of peel and her recipe! It may sound small but I know that she lives on a very fixed budget and I was so moved by her thoughtfulness.

It took me about a week and a half to get around to actually making them into candy but they held up just fine in the fridge. You have to boil them for ten minutes and them dump the water. Then you have to repeat that process two more times to remove the bitterness. I tended to them while I did random housework and it made the whole condo smell like oranges. Nice bonus!

Candied Citrus Peel

Peel from various citrus sliced into 1/4 inch strips

2 cups of sugar

1/2 cup water

Extra sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Boil peel in enough water to keep them covered for ten minutes. Drain. Repeat two more times. Drain peel and add two cups of sugar and the half of a cup of water. Boil until the syrup is thick and the peel is translucent. Syrup might be completely absorbed.

Lay on wax paper to dry overnight. You can coat in sugar after about an hour of initial drying. I actually only used 1/4 cup of water and a cup of sugar because Eileen told me that there wasn't enough peel to warrant the full amount.

I know it says the extra sugar is optional but it looks so gosh darned pretty that I can't see why not!

My husband and I could not keep our hands out of these things while they were drying! They are absolutely delicious. You have to make sure they are 100% dry before storing them. I have mine in an old jar and they will keep for a looong time. I already have some fresh peel gathering up in the fridge for another round next week! I think this will make excellent holiday treats!

Of Love and Noodle Soup

Chris and I got married a little over three years ago. We went to three different places for our honeymoon tour of 2006. The weekend after the wedding, we decided to go to Vermont for some much needed peace and time to ourselves. We stayed for three days in the southern town of Putney which is very close to another little town, Brattleboro. The New Hampshire state line is right next to it.

The hosts of our bed and breakfast told us that we should definitely check out Brattleboro and I'm so glad we did! It was chock full of stuff to see and do. Thrift shops, a movie theatre, a used CD store and lots of places to eat. That may not sound exciting to some people but I was set! We wandered into an Asian restaurant for dinner one night. I had no idea that this particular meal would stick with me for years to come!

I don't remember what Chris ordered but I'll never forget what I had. It was chilly outside so I went with the noodle soup bowl. I had several choices for additional ingredients at 75 cents each: egg, tofu, spinach or kimchi. I went with an egg and some tofu. They brought me back a huge, steaming bowl of noodles swimming in a light amber broth that was speckled with oil. The rich scent of sesame made my mouth water. I'd had very little experience with sesame oil before. I can recall ruining at least one dish by adding too much of it. The stoutness is definitely an acquired taste. That soup showed me what could be accomplished if one knew how to use it the right way. It also lit a torch for Korean food that still burns bright in my belly. Nowadays, I rarely seem to be able to get enough of that bold sesame embrace on my tongue and within my nostrils. It's one of my absolute favorite flavors.

I was so infatuated with this soup that we went back for lunch the day we left Vermont to come home. I can't count how many times over the past few years that my mind has wandered back to that steamy bowl of Heaven. During our recent trip to New England a week and a half ago, I pushed for a detour through Brattleboro on the way back home and my husband was gracious enough to indulge me. We were rewarded by an absolutely gorgeous drive through the state of New Hampshire that was draped with fabulous fall foliage. We listened to classical music and did our best to take in as much as possible.

When we got to Brattleboro, the sentimental history of that spot overtook me. I was in a fantastic mood as memories from our honeymoon played out during our walk through the downtown area. We crossed the familiar threshold of Shin La and I smiled. It looked just as I'd remembered it. It doesn't really have the typical ambiance of an Asian restaurant. It almost looks like a pub. We sat down, looked at the menu and my eyes immediately fell on my heart's desire. I was tempted to add kimchi along with my tofu and egg but I wanted to say true to the original. I have a Polaroid from three years ago of me holding a bowl of this soup but you'll have to settle for the picture I took from a week and a half ago.

It's difficult to say how it feels to have actually experienced it again. It actually managed to live up to the memories which was somewhat of a relief. It would have been sad to have my fantasies dashed by mediocre soup! I feel confident that I could probably recreate it at home now. I don't know it if will be the same but I suppose it better to try than to have to wait for several more years to have it again.

Shin La

57 Main Street

Brattleboro, VT 05301

802-257-5226

Been there, ate that.

I mentioned in a previous post that we stopped in Mystic, Connecticut on the way up to New Hampshire last week. My friend Shannon has been raving about this place so I was excited to see it! The skies were grey but that only seemed to add to the charm of this little New England town. I hope to go back and spend some more time exploring someday. Lots of cute shops and very scenic areas to walk and take pictures.

We stopped in and ate at the famous Mystic Pizza. I normally don't go for touristy traps like this but Shannon and Eliezer insisted that this was good stuff. We were in between lunch and dinner so we managed to score immediate seating. It's really famous because of the old movie that was filmed here starring Julia Roberts. They have it showing at all times on a screen inside of the restaurant. It's funny because although I've heard of the movie, I've never actually seen it. I didn't really put 2 and 2 together until after I was inside. Ha! I'd heard of Mystic Pizza because I've seen some of their frozen products in grocery stores.

I was hesitant to get too excited because of all of the hype but I was sold on the first bite. It's difficult to come by a thicker crust in New Jersey so when my teeth took more than a second to make their way through this slice, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a long and drawn out bite. They had a nice selection of toppings so we went for roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and (this was the kicker) gorgonzola cheese. I am now of the opinion that EVERY pizzeria should offer this as an option. It really made for an excellent flavor! The next time we make pizzas at home, I am going to make sure we have some!

We have a lot of excellent pizza around these parts but I have found my mind wandering back to that particular pie a few times since we got home. I've been exposed to so many fantastic mom and pop pizzerias over the past few years that I find it nearly impossible to pick an absolute favorite. I imagine that it is similar to having more than one child. You love each one for different reasons.

Mystic Pizza

56 W Main Street

Mystic, CT 06355

860-536-3700

Festival Food

Last weekend, we took a much needed vacation to New England for the 20th Annual Milford Pumpkin Festival in New Hampshire! We were lucky enough to be accompanied by the Silver family. Lots of fall fun was had. Foliage, pumpkins, food and even a zombie apocalypse! There was a haunted walk on Saturday night through a wooded area where zombies were on the loose! My kidlet was scared to death but she was still better than I was! I didn't even go in!

I did, however, partake in the food part!! We had all kinds of meals in all sorts of places since we took several day trips from New Hampshire. We stopped in Mystic, Conn on the way up. We took a trip to Salem, Mass on Sunday and on the way back home on Monday, we stopped in Brattleboro, Vermont. Vermont and Mystic will have a separate post! ;-)

For today, I will post about the seasonal goodness of the Pumpkin Festival. We had two special treats in particular that deserve to be mentioned....

Butternut squash bisque with cranberries. This stuff was incredible! The bread bowl really sealed the deal and it made the cold weather much more bearable.

This is cotton candy made out of maple syrup! There was a guy handing out free samples and I bet he snagged a lot of sales! He definitely hooked us! I also bought a bottle of syrup from him for a housewarming gift. When you go to New Hampshire or Vermont, you've gotta bring back some maple goodness!

The food wasn't the only star attraction. There was a giant pumpkin contest.

The winner weighed in at over 1,200 pounds! Wow!

We had so much fun! New England is so gorgeous in the fall and it's an ideal destination for a family trip! We're already talking about going back next year!

Opening a Can

I have a killer weakness for fried plantains. Actually, I've yet to meet a plantain I don't like! Another Achilles Heel of mine would have to be plantain chips but that's another post for another time!

A few weeks ago, I went to the Yardley Harvest Festival. I had two food goals inspired by my experiences from the year before. I had the most amazing fried plantains at a food stand in the court. I also was hoping to get more of the Best Darn Kettlecorn! I managed to accomplish both of these missions. I ate a few plantains at the festival but decided to stash them for when I got home because a friend of mine had mentioned to me (a few months ago) that I needed some plantains foster. That sounded almost too decadent but I went for it anyways.

I don't remember how it came up but my boss and I were talking and she started telling me about caramelizing condensed milk while it's still in the can by placing it in hot water and letting it simmer. I wasn't 100% sure if it was safe but I was so curious that I had to try it. I bought a small can of condensed milk and put it in a heavy pot with a lid. I let the can boil in some water for about 20 minutes. When I removed it. I could tell that some pressure had built up inside. I put it in the sink and decided to see what would happen if I opened it. I didn't blow anything up but hot milk did gush out of the small puncture in the top. It made it as high as the cabinet and splattered a bit. It also scalded my hand. After the initial spurt, it settled down and I opened the rest of the can. I was giddy to see that the milk was a slightly tan color because that indicated that the sugar had caramelized! I got a spoon and drizzled some on top of my plantains. They were cold from being in the fridge but I figured this would warm them up a bit. I took a bite and it was everything I hoped it would be. Chewy, sweet and a little salty. It was so rich, I couldn't finish it.

I have to find a better way to safeguard against aggressive gushes because I've already thought of several different things I can do with caramelized condensed milk! I didn't come out of this experience unscathed but I feel like it made me a better person.

C&Z

This year was full of serendipitous discoveries for me in the food writing genre. I'd definitely heard of Chocolate and Zucchini but I'd never gone as far as to actually check it out until earlier this year. I have to say that catching up on everything this girl has written over the past few years is a daunting task. The same issue exists for David Lebovitz. I am so happy to have had the experience to prepare and take my trip to Paris this past summer or else I might still be in the dark as far as these great food blogs (and books!) are concerned.

I started to take a closer look at French cooking after our trip to Montreal last summer. We had several fantastic meals that made it seem much more approachable. The main focus, of course, is quality ingredients. Clotilde's approach to preparing French food is very cheerful and casual. We didn't hit up and fancy restaurants in Paris so our dining experiences (believe it or not!) were very similar. Pleasurable and creative. Those are definitely two words I would use to describe the recipes in Chocolate and Zucchini.

I prepared several recipes from the book....including the Chocolate and Zucchini cake.

I really wanted to celebrate the first zucchini to come from our garden by making something extra special with it! As you can see, it is very unassuming and simple. No layers or icing. Aside from shredding the veggies, it didn't require too much work. Despite all of this, the taste was fantastic. The concept was cute and quirky so despite the lack of frills, people were quite eager to dig into it. I'd highly recommend this cake for a party or potluck!

I'd also highly recommend either one (or both!) of Clotilde Dusoulier's books if you are planning a trip to Paris or if you just want to eat like a true Parisian in the comfort of your own home. If you don't feel like springing for the book, check out her website. She is more than generous with the recipes and content. My favorite feature would have to be the edible idioms. I start my French class tomorrow and it's nice being able to see some commonly used expressions.

The Cadillac of Mozzarella

I was picking up some lunch the other day at one of my absolute favorite places in Princeton. They have a killer selection of many different types of imported European goods. Everything from chocolate, oils, vinegars, teas, olives and cheese. I was cruising the cheeses while waiting for my sandwich to be made and I noticed something wrapped in a big leaf that was sitting in a small bin of water. I asked about it and I was informed that it was a type of mozzarella with a creamy center called burrata. They import it from Italy once a week. I was absolutely intrigued!

This past week, I decided not to wait for a special occasion and went ahead and purchased some. I stopped by our public garden plot on the way home and harvested some tomatoes. I absolutely could not wait for Chris to come home so we eat it! He's lucky that I managed to restrain myself!

I sliced up the tomatoes and I cut the burrata in half. I studied the soft center beneath the thick skin of mozzarella. I harvested a few leaves of basil from our plant and sprinkled them all over the tomatoes. I put the cheese in the middle and poured a small pool of balsamic reduction near one end of the plate.

Molly and Chris gathered around and I would go as far as to say that the "ooohhhed" and "aaaahhhhed" a little bit!

I served the platter as an accompaniment to some orzo with garden fresh kale, tomatoes and Tofurkey sausage. My family loves this dinner but the shining star was definitely the burrata. We were running our fingers along the plate trying to salvage every last bit. I only used half of the cheese that night so I plan on serving the other half tonight with some homemade roasted peppers. I have been thinking about this all day! I can't wait for dinner tonight!

Happy World Vegetarian Day!!!