Poco-Cocoa

Sorry I disappeared for a bit…it’s been such a busy week. I started a new full-time job at a malpractice insurance company, and I’m still getting used to this full-time stuff. I am really loving my job…everyone is so friendly, the work is constantly changing, and it’s challenging without being too heavy. My only complaint about it is that it’s in North Austin, which is a bit of a commute; otherwise, I LOVE it.

I miss the people at the bed and breakfast, and the pets, and the comfiness of it, but I am sooooo glad to have weekends off now. I can spend more time with Justin, and I’m enjoying cooking more now that I don’t have to do it in a work environment. This morning I made pancakes…it’s been forever since I’ve wanted to cook any breakfast items at home. I baked Pumpkin-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and was able to share them with my new co-workers. I just can’t explain how excited I am about my new schedule.

However, after a year and a half of working part time, I’m finding it difficult to make time for everything in my life now. I get home, make dinner, eat dinner, clean up, do any errands, and poof! It’s time for bed. I miss reading, and knitting, and reading all of your blogs. I just need a bit more time to adjust, I think, and then things will even out.

I have been cooking every night, I just haven’t had time (or energy) to post anything. So here’s an overdue recipe for a wonderful winter mushroom stew…I served it with mashed potatoes and glazed carrots. (For the carrots, I just steamed them in the microwave until tender, then tossed them in a pan with a smidge of butter, a bit of brown sugar, and a dollop of Dijon.) The potatoes were perfect for sopping up the stew.

Winter Portobello Mushroom Stew

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pinches red pepper flakes
• 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced 3/8-inch thick, gills removed
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups mushroom broth or water (I used Pacific Organic)
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add the portobello mushrooms and white mushrooms and saute until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, stock, and vinegar. Simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes, then swirl in the butter. Add the parsley, taste for salt, and season with pepper.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

I made this a few nights ago, and I’d definitely make it again. I might add less curry powder, or maybe a different mix or brand, because I tasted a hint of bitterness and spiciness that seemed to overpower the lovely roasted veggies. Otherwise, how could you go wrong with coconut milk and roasted vegetables?

Shara and I went to Stitch on Saturday, and had a great time. The venue was a bit bigger this time, but still very crowded…it was difficult to get in there and look at the goods. I only bought a few hairpins and a necklace…I was a little disappointed at the range of crafts that were available. It seemed that everyone was into jewelry-making, screenprinting, or sewing. There weren’t many knit or crochet items, no hand-dyed yarns, very few softies. I think I’ve been reading so many blogs from around the country that I was a little disappointed not to find those crafts here in Austin. Maybe next year. I also think that now that I’ve become a bit more crafty, I’m hesitant to buy anything I could make myself.

After Stitch, we walked down to Cru, a wine bar in the Second Street District…it was fabulous. We had two wine flights and a cheese flight, which was perfect for a late evening snack. I’m not a huge wine drinker, and I don’t think I’ve ever actually finished a whole glass of wine, but every single wine we tasted was so scrumptious, I actually finished my flight. Top that off with bites of Manchego, Parmesan, and Stilton cheeses, thinly sliced sour apples, sweet grapes, fresh bread and toasted almonds, and it was a perfect end to the evening.

Curry on, curry on. (Oh, how I miss Project Runway!)

Roasted Vegetable Curry

• 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Curry Sauce

• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup diced tomatoes

Preheat oven to 425ËšF.

Peel the sweet potatoes and onion, cut them into 3/4-inch chunks, and place them in a large bowl. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets and add to the bowl. Add the oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together the ginger, curry powder, salt and coconut milk until smooth. Stir in the tomatoes.

After the vegetables have roasted for 20 minutes, pour the Curry Sauce over them and stir to coat. Return them to the oven until tender, about 5 minutes.

Notes: You can serve with rice or couscous, and/or top with raisins, toasted nuts, cooked green peas, chopped cilantro, and/or a dollop of plain yogurt.

Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers.

I’m undecided on this dish. There’s a whole lot of green, and a whole lot of crunch. There’s not much to it but veggies and pasta, and it’s tasty, but maybe nothin’ special. I will say that the second day, I reheated the dish in a pot with some veggie broth to make it more of a soup, and I definitely liked it better.

I am SO excited that I’ll be attending Stitch this weekend…there will be 75 vendors, plus a fashion show and music. I am hoping to find some fun jewelry, maybe some cool shirts, and random goodness. I’ve been impatiently waiting for this all year, so come Saturday, I’m going to be all giddy.

I got some new books at the library…I read most of Gael Greene’s Insatiable, which was interesting, but I found it difficult to make a connection with her. The memoir is all about her life of food and men and travel, but it just didn’t strike a chord with me. I did read all of Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, though, in about an hour or two. It’s short and fun, and reminded me how much I loved mythology when I was younger. I took a mythology class in junior high, and was obsessed with it, falling in love with all the gods and goddesses and nymphs and naiads…I might have to revisit that soon, maybe by re-reading The Odyssey.

Now I’m reading What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke, and I’m loving it. It’s so easy to digest, but I find myself wanting to highlight things and make notes in the margins, so I think I’ll be adding this (and the second version) to my “to buy” list, along with On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. Food Science was definitely one of my favorite nutrition courses in college.

Now for the green.

Pasta with Broccoli, Edamame & Walnuts

• 3/4 pound chunky pasta (I used rotini)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups bite-sized pieces of broccoli
• Splash of white wine
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, oregano, thyme or marjoram (I used basil and Italian parsley)
• 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Add the broccoli with about 1/2 cup of the hot pasta-cooking water and white wine, turn the heat to high, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the edamame, salt, and herbs. Continue to cook until the water evaporates and the broccoli is crisp-tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

When the pasta is done, drain it. In a serving bowl, toss the pasta with the vegetable mixture, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the toasted chopped walnuts. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with grated cheese if desired.

Note: This may be better as a soup…maybe adding a couple cans of veggie broth to the broccoli mixture.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers.

So we have DVR…did I already tell you that? It’s so exciting…I watch so much less television now, and only the shows I’m really interested in. I record Everyday Italian, and I can fast forward through the recipes I don’t like, or delete the shows I’ve already seen. I’ve got Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie on PBS (an AMAZING show, by the way) and Nigella Feasts, plus various PBS specials and HBO films, and I’m set up for future Iron Chef episodes and Jamie Oliver’s new travel channel show. I love it! Justin’s been recording NOVA and football and Survivorman, and each night we just flip through, check things out, and watch only what’s really good. So thank you, my lovely landlords, for setting it all up!

It makes such a difference to me when I see a recipe made on television versus just seeing it in print. I will often overlook a recipe of Giada’s, for example, but after seeing her make it on her show, it seems more do-able, more accessible somehow. I watched her make this sausage-pasta dish, for example, and it looked so easy and so good that I had to try it out myself (with soysage, of course). The dish was really good, though next time I’d use canned artichoke hearts, cut into smaller pieces, instead of the frozen ones (they seemed a little bland and very big). I adapted and halved the recipe a bit for Justin and me, and we still had lots of leftovers.

Did anyone catch Nigella Feasts today? It was all about chocolate. Oh my, that cake she made looked divine. I think I’ll try it the next time I’m invited to a potluck. Or maybe I’ll just make it tomorrow and eat it all myself.

Fusilli with Soysage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

• 1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved
• 7 ounces soysage (I like Gimme Lean Sausage-Style)
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (or one 8-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts)
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 8 ounces fusilli or rotini (corkscrew) pasta
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 4 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the soysage and cook 2 to 3 minutes, crumbling with a potato masher or a wooden spoon. Add the artichokes and garlic to the skillet and cook 2 minutes more. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of boiling salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the soysage mixture along with Parmesan, basil, parsley, and mozzarella. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from foodtv.com.