Red Pepper Almond Hummus and Keeping It Simple

As I'm thinking many of you probably did this past week, I am just on the other side of a really nice few days with the family. Mom and Dad flew into Chicago, now the residence of both their children, and we spent a relaxed few days taking in the sights, smells and (clearly...do you know us at all?) tastes of an unseasonably warm city.

This would be Brother giving us a tour of his most recent campus home.

As Dad rightly noted, we just don't see each other very much these days so to get a couple weeks in one month's time feels like a luxury.

The other luxury is getting to play the tourist. I've lived in Chicago for going on seven years and I hadn't been to the Field Museum in that time. That is a tragedy and something we spent four full hours rectifying on Thanksgiving morning. We were first in line and got what felt like a private tour of the birds of North America, geologic treasures, the special Whales exhibit and the like. That's the kind of prioritizing you can expect from holiday Langsens.

It was decided early in the planning stages that me making Thanksgiving dinner was going to be more fuss that it was maybe worth for 3-5 people. I'm still not entirely sure I agree but I know when to defer and I don't regret the dearth of dishes in my kitchen (the dearth of turkey leftovers is another story). And while we ate really (Longman & Eagle), really (Leopold) well throughout the city, I'm pleased as punch that my favorite latest snack was appreciated by the whole family throughout the weekend.

If I were to venture a guess at your thoughts, I might wonder what the big deal was. Hummus is generally four ingredients tops and it's just not terribly tricky. To that end, you would be completely correct. It's easy. But a couple quick tweaks to traditional hummus makes this stuff completely addictive, not to mention versatile, delicious and delightfully cost-effective as a holiday potlucker.

Red Pepper Almond Hummus

• 1/2 small jar of roasted red peppers (no juice)
• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (Bush's is a client and a favorite...the two are not mutually exclusive)
• 1/4 cup whole raw almonds
• 2-3 TB olive oil
• 1 tsp Sriracha (more if you like the heat)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• Thick pinch of smoked salt and some freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor then turn it on.

2. Throw a cracker in and adjust as needed by adding more of whatever you please to the food processor then whirring again.

3. That's it. You're done now.

Covered in the fridge , this will keep beautifully for a week. The likelihood of this lasting for a week is slim at best. If you're really looking to go the extra mile, might I recommend spreading the stuff on toast, layering slices from half of an avocado on top, drizzling a little extra Sriracha and topping it with a fried egg. Just in case you were looking for ideas.

The Garden of Good & Evil: Year Three and an Ode to the Eves

These were the leftovers if that tells you anything about the kind of party it was.

And this was the evolution of the spread if that tells you anything about what kind of party it was.
And the two singing and dancing lovemuppets were my co-celebrants if that tells you anything about what kind of party it was.

It was supposed to rain all day long and we never felt a drop. Equal numbers of friends showed up in yoga pants as in maxi dresses. Both claiming room for cake. Two different pitchers of alcoholic nectar and a jug of cucumber water never seemed to run out. Stevie Nicks was on rotation with Animal Collective and the potatoes I roasted when I was perhaps a little toasted came out perfectly. That's what kind of party it was.

The Garden of Good & Evil party is an annual ode to my girlfriends disguised as my birthday party. The first two years I co-hosted with my much beloved friend Caroline who is now living in Telluride. I got really lucky this year when it turned out two kindred spirits who also happened to be Geminis liked the concept. And so. Hadley came bearing the best mango salsa and homemade hummus and craft supplies. Molly L brought cheese plate skewers and a general's eye for detail (that's her supervising the hanging of paper lanterns above).

Ah, but what is that concept? The garden part is pretty obvious. Wicked Park is a little bit of magic right in the city and it loves a soiree. The Good is meant to be something wholly holistic. Deep stretching, yoga, a little revival for your insides. My own guru of sorts, Mary Beth Janssen came down two years ago to lead the Good.

Yes, this is all very hippie dippy. I love hippie dippy. An afternoon where the only thing anyone is allowed to bring is flowers or wine unless they are moved to cook in theme (or bring a pineapple- thanks Alexis!). Then we all sit in the grass telling dirty jokes, drinking spiked lemonade, making new friends and then there's cake. Fini.

This year, due to the alleged rain, we were fully prepared to make vision boards in the living room in lieu of yoga. But when the guests arrived and the sun stayed out, I'll be the first to admit I got a little too excited and wanted to break out the wine to celebrate our Good fortune. So HC is the only one who really got her stretching in this year. In the spirit of self love and preservation, we weren't too hard on ourselves. Or at all.

This is the enchanted beverage station. I'm only half kidding when I use names like that. I mean there was a swan champagne cooler courtesy of the Milwaukee Duo...that's basically the definition of enchanted. The main party beverage has traditionally been Wicked Lemonade which is the ever-so-glamorous concoction of Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade with Black Cherry Vodka, sparkling water and some fresh raspberries in every clear plastic dixie cup. Look friends, you know I love my frou frou fancy cocktails and my dark syrupy bourbon but there is no shame here. We aim to please in bulk. Apart from a rather unfortunate incident involving a nonexistent water:lemonade:vodka ratio two years ago and an enthusiastic group of GG's (who will all promptly disown me), it's only been beneficial by the barrel. This year we also managed copious amounts of sparkling wine and a delicious sangria a la Ellie.

Lest you think all that colorful seating went to waste though, you would be wrong. The Evil refers to more of a pleasantly dark sense of humor than anything actually demonic. Sparing a mixed audience the details, it was kind of like a tupperware party hosted by Bacchus. Only instead of an actual nymphic creature we got Samuel who was pretty darn close and just the most adorable person ever. I might be inclined to whisper more about this over a glass of wine but for now that is all I feel at liberty to share. Onward! To the feast!

At this point in the afternoon, I was leaving my camera all over the place so the only snapshot I have of the spread I snuck inside to prepare was taken with my phone. Alas, better than nothing. Tradition dictates a large salad bar is a popular way for friends to be able to customize their meals.

Earlier in the day, HC and I grilled up almost ten pounds of free range chicken breasts that had been marinating overnight in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and rosemary. To that we added a couple varieties of mixed greens, sugar snap peas, sliced sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, roasted golden beets, homemade croutons, walnuts, dried cherries and some of Jo's fresh eggs hard-boiled and ready to be shelled. Those are good friends who can't come to the party but give you eggs their chickens laid. They were also in the cake. Magic chickens.

We did three dressings- Lemon Vinaigrette, Pop's Caesar and a Spicy Ginger Peanut. Lizz modeling her plate so helpfully above also showcases the aforementioned baby potatoes that were on a whim thrown into a baking dish, coated with live oil and put in the oven with full sprigs of rosemary resting on top. This could have gone terribly awry but instead went terribly delicious. Those potatoes might be foolproof. As the fool, I would know.

When I got back outside to start corralling people in for the salad bar, I remember just surveying the crowd in the yard. I hear from a lot of people that it's been particularly hard to make new girlfriends in the city. I could see that but I also feel like I need to recognize I'm sitting on a treasure trove of awesome females. Some newer to me than others but all just wonderful. There is nothing that makes me happier than when they meet each other and fall in genuine like.

Going through the pictures afterward was a stream of "Doh! Of course you two love each other!" It's easy for women in their early twenties and thirties to get caught in a cycle of being set up and setting others up for romance. Love that- appreciate it! But being set up with a friend is a whole other kind of thing I forget about too often. Anyone else notice that? And then friends move away and it starts all over again.

I feel like an auctioneer going "Beautiful NEW mother of one, fresh to Miami Beach, culinary school grad and all around Grade A girlfriend material- who's got a match for farmers marketing and play dates and dog walking with strollers?" I'm ranting now. Chime in any time if you know what I'm talking about.

That was where I was going with the ode to the Eves. I'll be honest- year 27 had a couple proper rough patches. Mischief that was only managed by the presence of friends in walking and/or Internet distance. So here is a piece of cake for you. You beautiful, fully imperfect, hilarious bunch of hooligans. I don't care what year it is, you are some of the most charmed pieces of my life and I am very grateful for you.

Please do forgive the colorful mess of a frosting job on your confection.

It was done by your colorful mess of a hostess. Who is currently still fighting back vanity in sharing this photo everyone else thinks is terribly apropos and I think the only picture taken of me during the whole of the party (I am an excellent camera dodger. Blasted Instagram, Shecky). Not my most polished but accurate and happy.

Now here's a quick tutorial on how to make your own rainbow chips. My own inspiration was Ashley Rodriguez's significantly more professional tutorial at Not Without Salt. I'm telling you essentially the same thing but so you can see that if I can handle this, you can too.

1. Start with ramekins filled with while chocolate chunk for as many colors as you plan on making. Melt in the microwave via 30 second increments.
2. Stir in 2-3 drops of food coloring to start with. You can always add more.
3. Spread on to parchment paper laid on a tray or cutting board.
4. Freeze for 10-15 minutes.
5. Chop.
6. Ready for frosting.

I'm going to advocate adding them to vanilla cream cheese frosting to go with this chocolate cake recipe from I Am Baker. Bold statement: All frosting should be cream cheese frosting. Do not flinch when five or more friends swarm the bowl to take care of the leftovers.

And speaking of leftovers, how much prettier does a whole heap of dirty dishes look with those lovely flower arrangements all over the place?

Green Un-Machine: Homemade Spinach Fettuccine

The soft heft of fresh pasta has haunted me since Italy. Ever since I started making my own pie crusts a few years ago, I've wondered when I would finally break down a particularly stubborn fear set to make my own.

Turns out the when is in the years category. I've helped to feed pasta dough made by pros into pasta machines so I at least had a basic idea of how it should feel but I'd never pulled it together from scratch. Turns out it just took a quiet Sunday night when the Internet had been taken over by Lost fans to coach me away from my computer and toward a low shelf of forgotten cookbooks.

The book I ended up opening was Chez Panisse Pasta Pizza and Calzone by Alice Waters. Surely, if anyone can guide me through scratch cooking at its finest, it's the Madame of the American Slow Food movement. I happened to have a fresh supply of spinach and figured I'd go really nuts with a spinach/parsley pasta given that it didn't change the steps to dramatically.

One thing I'll say right off the top: pasta dough is more resilient than pie dough. It actually prefers a little handling, requiring 10-15 minutes of steady kneading before it rests.

Stop giggling.

Once the dough has gotten ahold of itself while wrapped tightly at room temperature, it's time to kick it up. Flour your work surface, flour your pin and put your back into it. Even with a sweat on my brow, I knew I couldn't get the pasta as thin as an actual pasta machine could. I'm alright with this.

There will be a time for machines but sometimes you just want to know you can do something with your own two hands. I'm so used to the buttery slip of pie dough that being able to maneuver the pasta was refreshing. Roll, roll, peel, flip. Roll, roll, stretch, peel, flip. It was cathartic.
Soon enough, I made peace. The pasta and I had reached where we could, so I rolled my sheet up tightly and cut the most uniform fettuccine I could muster. They were imperfect, slightly clumsy and were very clearly made by hand. They were beautiful.

I laid them out, exhausted, on a drying rack to rest for another hour. Even when the time came to cook, I had butterflies scooping up my bounty and approaching bubbling, salted water. Ready or not.

Sigh. Rustic and toothsome and perfect right out of the pot (which incidentally only takes about 5 minutes).

The pasta and I worked hard as just the two of us so I didn't take further pairing lightly. I flash toasted a small handful of pine nuts in a dry pan then wilted some additional spinach in my good olive oil.

At this point I stuck my full face in the bowl because it smelled so ridiculous. My good olive oil du jour (or rather, di giorno) was brought back from Alba and it's like it had been waiting months just to touch fresh pasta. Fragrant and spicy with a sliced garlic clove mingling somewhere in the mista. I topped it with the Parmesan I had on hand. Admittedly a cheap trollop as cheese goes but the pasta was graceful and I ate heartily.

Spinach Fettuccine
adapted from Chez Panisse

6 to 8 ounces of spinach leaves
1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves (hallelujah! we can get this locally now)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt

Remove the spinach stems if they're obtrusive and pull the leaves of the parsley if you haven't already. Puree in a food processor until you have about 1/3 of a cup of dense, dark green mass. Add the beaten egg, puree. Add salt, puree again.

In a separate, large bowl dump in your flour and make a deep well in the center. Use a rubber spatula to our the spinach puree from the processor bowl into the middle of this well. Now, start mixing the flour and spinach a little at a time, starting at the inside and working in a circular motion to incorporate from the middle out. This will take a minute if you're going to incorporate it evenly.

Once you have one mass in the middle and all flour involved in the green drama, add a couple drops of water. I used water with lemon because that's what I had in my glass. It worked. You want it to have just enough moisture to hold together but as Alice says, only experience will allow anyone to do this by feel. Being as this was my first time, I happened to get lucky and am still in no position to tell you what's what.

Turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead with abandon for 10-15 minutes. flatten and fold and flatten and fold twice....it's tough, it can handle it. Cover and leave for 45 minutes to prevent a skin from forming.

Forty five minutes later ("the magic of television..."), roll out. No, not to the club. Roll out your dough as flat as you can. Once you can get it no flatter, roll it up tightly (ensuring both sides have been freshly floured, as pictured). Cut your pasta to the desired width. Fettuccine is about an 1/4 of an inch.

Lay them out to dry for another hour before cooking. Everyone's working hard, I'm sure you could use a break. Check your email, have some wine. Maybe watch an episode of Firefly.

Now get a large pot of water boiling and do not be shy with salt for the water. Once you have a steady boil, add your noodles and cook for about 5 minutes. Check the texture/taste.

Just slightly salty and al dente?

You're done. Dress as desired.

Calypso's Black Bean Salad a la To Kiss the Cook

I've been on a bit of a nostalgic run lately, revisiting places and foods attached to previous lifetimes. I promise, I'm not looking to go back. I read a journal entry or two and I quickly realize that those times held as much complexity as these do, maybe more.

That being said, I think we can all do for a retracing of steps from time to time, or a retracing of crumbs in my case. I follow flavors all kinds of places. They really do all seem to have a taste attached.

The taste in this case is the unexpected combination of sweet and spice in Calypso Cafe's Black Bean Salad. It may sound familiar because I've raved about it in both of my Nashville posts (most recently, Sunday). Having now covered the recreation of Smashed Salmon Salad as my favorite dish in my actual college town, I'm moving on to my favorite forkful from my adopted college town.

There is absolutely no sophistication here. I cannot tell you why I'm so attached to it other than it is a) reminiscent of an uncertain time that turned out beautifully and b) DELICIOUS.

Ingredients

Black Beans
2 cans black beans
1 TB olive oil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/3 cup beer (Used Guinness because chocolate undertones go well but anything would work)
1 cup of water

Salad
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 cups lightly broken tortilla chips
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced tomato
1 1/2 cups chopped roast chicken
1/3 cup shredded/grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup canned sliced jalapenos (optional)

Cucumber Dill Dressing
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 1/2 cups 2% Greek yogurt (I use this in place of sour cream and mayo. I've yet to be let down.)
1/4 cup fresh dill fronds, chopped (Note: I LOVE fresh dill. You could use less but why?)
1/4 cup olive oil (for texture, no need to break out your best bottle)
1 heaping teaspoon of buttermilk powder
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1) Open, drain and rinse your beans. Set them aside.

2) Saute garlic and onion in olive oil at medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add in spices till everything in the pot is coated and fragrant. 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.

3) Add your beans, mix well then add your beer and water. Bring this up to a boil then immediately turn heat down till you can keep a steady simmer. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally till liquid is reduced by a third.

4) While your beans are busy soaking up goodness, make the dressing. Put all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Whirl it around. Season to taste and refrigerate. Done.

5) Assemble the rest of your chopped ingredients in the following order: hearty amount of romaine lettuce, tortilla chips, chicken, tomatoes, red onion, cheese.

6) Use a slotted spoon to divide your black beans out over the salads.

7) Pour a liberal bit of cucumber dill dressing over the top of it all. Look at the ingredients. Nothing bad for you here and you'll have plenty left over for use elsewhere (egg salad, salmon filets, drizzle in tomato soup, etc.).

8) Grab a fork and carry on with the crunching.

Smashed Salmon Salad: A Tribute to Kona/College

UPDATED October 25, 2017: I'm sorry to say that 7 years after writing this post, Kona closed its doors in Oxford. May you all have this easy back pocket dinner to eat in tribute.

I'm not really a "look back longingly" kind of girl. I love the pictures and I love the people but am decidedly a bit sad for the "high school/college was the best four years of my life" crowd. Why sell yourself short?

But it was fun. My jobs during the school year consisted of working on the line twice a week at a local restaurant and working in a small gourmet food and wine shop. I spent my earnings at the latter using my employee discount to buy nicer wine than a 21 year old should really have access to. Fun Fact: I was hired to replace a girl named Katie who had just run off with Billy Joel. My closest counterpart at Main Street Gourmet was a woman named Tina who spent her post-divorce summers in France and helped me plan my post-graduation adventure.

Life was good. Life was also frequent tanning appointments (I'm so sorry, skin), peppermint patty shots, huge hair down to my Lumbar and an inescapable lust for the phase of my life I'm in now. So...balance.

Anyhow, that was good, now is good and the only thing my current life was really missing that college TKTC had in spades is pictured at the top of this post. That would be the Smashed Salmon Salad of Kona Bistro fame.

Oxford, Ohio is a small town of cobblestone streets, Georgian brick and the freshly scrubbed faces of young Midwestern yuppies (includes self). There was no sushi, no masala. There were delicious steamed bagel sandwiches, slices of Bruno's, and Skyline 3-ways (chili+spaghetti+cheese). But then there was also Kona.

Kona became a beacon of good eating for me in college. Nice enough to take your parents (my mother demanded it) but affordable enough for a weekly takeout habit. Macadamia nut encrusted tilapia, Ale-marinated flank steak and for $8, I could get heaven in a black takeout box. Heaven in the form of Smashed Salmon Salad.

Turns out that Smashed Salmon Salad exists in a time before cell phone cameras. A Flickr search got me no further. This week I suddenly couldn't go on any longer without Smashed Salmon Salad. Then I realized how simple this dish had to be - only two of these layers require any cooking whatsoever and it was basic.

Smashed Salmon Salad (a recipe at long last; serves 2)

Salmon
2 skinless salmon fillets (about a pound total)
2 TB Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 2TB of jarred mango chutney
3 TB olive oil or grapeseed oil

Mashed Potatoes
5 medium red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup whole milk or half-n-half (or whatever you prefer for mashed potatoes)
2 TB butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
1TB Greek yogurt, sour cream or crema (optional)

Layers
2 handfuls of baby spinach, long stems removed
1 cup of matchstick cut carrots (sold this way by the celery sticks and shredded cabbage in the refrigerated part of your produce aisle)
1 Roma tomato, sliced

Directions:
1) Combine Dijon mustard and 1/4 cup of preserves in a small bowl and whisk till combined with a fork. Bust out your favorite marinating dish (8x8 square glass baking dish works for me. Or a zip-top freezer bag). Pour marinade over top of salmon, ensuring all surfaces are covered. If using a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap. Let salmon marinate in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.

2) Put your potatoes on to boil. Cook them till pieces or easily pierced with a fork and tender. About 20 minutes. Drain, return to pot, cover and set aside.

3) Add oil of choice to a large saute pan and let it warm up before adding the salmon fillets. Cook the salmon at medium heat for 5-6 minutes, enough time to get a nice golden crust on one side. Flip the salmon and loosely cover the pan with its top so the heat building will help the salmon cook through. Check the middle of the salmon 5-6 minutes later for progress. The entire salmon-cooking process only takes about 12-15 minutes and depending on the thickness of the salmon, you may need to sear the sides as well. Pretty basic saute plan...I fear I'm making it sound more complicated than it is.

4) Once your salmon is done, shut off the heat but keep the pan covered. Shift your attention back to those potatoes. Add the rest of the "Mashed Potato" ingredients. This is my typical formula for mashed potatoes but use whatever you're used to...yes Matthew, that includes a box if you so choose.

5) Favorite part: The Compilation!

On your plate start with 1 handful of the baby spinach.
Add a generous helping of mashed potatoes on top
3-4 slices of Roma tomato, pressed into mount mashed potato
Freshly ground pepper and a little salt
A scant handful of carrot shreds
One gorgeous salmon fillet place atop (possible divided in half for balance
1 TB of your preserves spread evenly over the top of the salmon to finish

Enjoy with enthusiasm and a glass of whatever makes you the giddiest. I won't judge you if you have an inexplicable craving for an Amaretto Sour afterward. There's a little Oxford in all of us.

Kitchen Sink Farfalle: Easy Tastes Amazing

Confession: Most of the foodstuffs that end up posted here are from weekends. And that's only partially because I hate taking photos without natural light. The truth of it is that I'm not always eating things I want to take pictures of. Like thawed soup. Or scrambled eggs with leftover vegetables. Or sushi (my singular take-out vice). I cook most nights and man alive, I do enjoy it, but please don't think it's five ways to fancypants every night around here. Not that you did in the first place. But maybe. Suspension of disbelief.

Something that has been immensely helpful in my motivations is the presence of dining companions. Jaimeson and I switch off on dinner duties and when he's not here, I have Molly. As it stands, I have tried out today's highlighted foodstuff on both of them. On weeknights. Fancy-free.

Look at that. Lots of stuff. Specifically, say it with me, everything but the kitchen sink. I doubt that I'm the first person to try the combination out but it was new to me and it's an official standby now.

First things first, remove the following from your freezer:

• Bulk bag of pine nuts (can be pricey but totally manageable from Costco)
• Bag of frozen peas

From your fridge:

• 1/2 link Smoked turkey sausage or kielbasa (frequently buy 1, get 1 at my Jewel)
• Fresh spinach (I always have this. Always.)
• 1/3 cup Low fat ricotta cheese
• Shredded parmesan

From your pantry:

• Farfalle or Bowtie pasta
• 1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ground Pepper
  
• Kosher salt

Cook your pasta acccording to the box instructions. I'm not being lazy, I just don't think I can do that part better than they can. And if you just whipped up some of your own homemade farfalle and don't have a box? I hope you have a Yia Yia around to bop you with a wooden spoon for not knowing how to cook it.

In a saute pan, toast a handful of your pinenuts, counting on a half handful per eater. That's how we measure around here. These will burn so throw them in once your pan is hot and toss them twice in a minute or two before pouring them into a prep bowl and setting aside. Meanwhile defrost a half a bag of peas in a measuring cup in the microwave. Cut your sausage into medallions and saute those until slightly tanned then add the fresh spinach till it just barely starts to wilt. Shut off the heat, add your pine nuts back in along with the peas.

Drain your pasta, add the ricotta and olive oil. Stir to coat. Add everything else, stir, put in bowls and sprinkle a little parm over the top.

Now marvel that only 18 minutes have gone by since you started. It tastes even better now. Easy but perfectly sweet and smoky. Great textures and reasonably light if you go easy with the parmesan. Warms up nicely for a Wednesday lunch. Or breakfast if you're extra excited about lunch.

But don't get too far ahead. Reward your personal weeknight efficiency with a modest scoop of vanilla ice cream with a glorious splash of raspberry wine over the top. Bask.

Brothers and Suns

As you've already seen once this week, we were graced pretty exceptionally with a perfect weekend in Chicago last weekend. When the weather begins behaving, I'm of the impression that it's among the most beautiful places around and that largely revolves around how thoroughly appreciated it is by we residents of the Second City. People are dancing in the streets.

Ok, some of that ties back to pretty days and some of it ties into the appearance of fantastic brunch cocktails that are best consumed on patios. Enter my first attempt to make a Bloody Mary from scratch.

It started at the Map Room. One of my favorite bars in Chicago since J introduced me to it 2 1/2 years ago, they do $5 Bloody Mary's every Sunday. Served with a couple olives and a Slim Jim, it's a pretty solid way to spend the day unless it's gorgeous out. The Map Room, for all of it's prettiness on the inside, isn't even a contender for the pageant circuit on the outside.

A couple months ago J's brother and I decided that we were quite adept at being Sunday afternoon drinking buddies. As Jaimeson and I aren't together physically all that often, it's nice to still have a piece of family to kick it with and I'm sure J appreciates the joint calls he gets from us after two hours of laced tomato juice and sidecars. Ok, so J endures the calls and then starts planning how to exact revenge relative to his blog namesake.

(Skewers: Spicy olive, roasted red pepper, banana pepper, cherry tomato, Slim Jim with lime and celery stick on the side and a side car of Three Floyds Alpha King)

It was coming upon that time of the year again and D had custody of his little angel, who he shares quite amicably with his ex among others. Penelope is a special needs bulldog who's about 9 months old. She was paralyzed by a vicious vascular virus but has made a massive comeback.

She still needs to wear diapers and forgets to use her backlegs sometimes but she's a sweetheart, playful and we knew she'd benefit greatly from my patch of grass and time to run run scoot run around. So we forgo the $5 Bloody Mary's, make our own, I don't have to change out of my running clothes and there's a puppy coming? In. I based my Bloody Mary recipe on Smitten Kitchen's only a little heavier on the heat/hooch.

Not being a total amateur and having just had a magical brunch the day before, I was also prepared to provide lunch for our Alpha Kings and hoochjuice. I went a little classier than the term "hoochjuice" (which I'm pretty sure I made up/is redundant) with Roasted Shrimp and Arugula salad with avocado and a lemon vinaigrette. We also reprised the baked eggs because I already had everything chopped and they are so easy and delicious and perfect and haven't you made them yet? As spring-->summer lunches go, I'll stand by this one. It was delicious and just filling enough.

Honey wasn't even scared by Pen after awhile. Her boyfriends were but Pen was pretty oblivious. I mean look at her....she sits like a person.

It was another great day in the garden. And my nap afterward was at least as good. Fini :)

The Kind of Magic You Can Eat

I think by now you've all realized that I'm capable of fairly extensive degrees of geekdom. And not in the sense that I can currently or ever could do calculus in my sleep (or awake for that matter). More in the sense that I get very excited about a wide assortment of things, from Greek mythology to science fiction to previews. And I fall to pieces over animals and babies (so sometimes I'm more a cliche than a geek but mox nix).

At my core, I love stories and if it's not a story about food, I'm confident in my abilities to make it about food. Case in point was when I was invited to see the new Harry Potter exhibit at the Museum of Science & Industry this weekend. I loved the books. I've loved the films. I was more than on-board...I was enthused and had a kitchen at my disposal to express that enthusiasm.

48 hours after the 7th book came out, Cam and Amanda came over for my first Harry Potter-themed meal. That's right, the one from Saturday was not my first. Go ahead and soak that in.
The menu at that point was butterbeer (cream soda, butterscotch schnapps and light beer), Quidditch Pie (Shepard's Pie) and Chocolate Frog Trifle.We had all finished at that point (having read straight through the night) and were predictably dying to discuss.

Saturday was a touch removed from that desperation. Still with a sleepless night (thanks to the inspiration that only strikes while delirious) but no surprises. Just an excuse to entertain some of my favorite girls on the first fully glorious Chicago weekend in a long while. And thus I was able to concentrate on the food (with some brainstorm help from fellow Potter-fiend Homemaker's Habitat).

Conjure Your Own Cauldron

We had a spread that would make Alan Rickman jealous. Each ramekin was greased and had a sliver of day old baguette in the bottom. Then came a layer of Pioneer Woman's Creamed Spinach to coat it. Then any combination of the following:

• Sauteed mushrooms (obviously)
• Diced bacon
• Chopped chives
• Roasted red pepper
• Cherry tomatoes
• Goat Cheese
• Appenzeller (like Gruyere but better)

Once everyone was filled up, we kissed the tops with a little cream and cracked an egg on top. 15 minutes at 425 is perfection and I've never served an easier brunch. I based it off this recipe by Scott Peacock for Gourmet.

Gorgeous, easy and everyone can have it their way. Automatic portion control. My kind of recipe.

Slytherin Asparagus (purple and green, bro). But then there were sweet little ribbons of orange zest, inspired by this adorable French accent and helpful cooking video (like listening to my HS French teach Mr. Suffren but without any added pressure). Roasted for 10 minutes at 425. Olive oil, sea salt, ground pepper and ...I couldn't give them the evil house name. I chickened out. They're too lovely for Crab and Goyle anyway.

This one was very HH. A Hufflepuff Pancake and the perfect excuse to break out my new cast iron pan! It came out somewhere between a Dutch Baby and a crepe but as those are both good things, I can't really call it a miss. It didn't bubble up to the degree I'd have liked but powdered sugar and preserves did it very very well.

Gryffindor Bellinis. Too early-ish for butterbeers but peach and strawberry purees with bubbles? Totally appropriate. Rita Skeeter would definitely have been in on this. I made the purees that morning and it was a really nice, fresh touch. Just fruit, little water, little sugar and done. I drank the purees straight when the champagne ran out/it was time to go to the museum. Cam is mixing it up with both team colors in one glass (wine glasses are new from Pop Pop- thanks Arnie Baby!).

The creamed spinach process from the night before. Ree's not even attempting healthy at this point but each person only had about a tablespoon so I'm not feeling all that bad. Although we did re-purpose the leftovers into spinach dip during happy hour that night....

Last but certainly not least...Butterbeer Banana Muffins (with Dementor-Inhibiting Dark Chocolate Chips). And a recipe because you've certainly been patient enough. The following uses Sassy Radish's Bourbon-Spiked Banana Bread as a base which she apparently adapted from Martha. In case you weren't already excited enough.

Butterbeer Banana Muffins

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
  
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla ( I was out so I scraped the seeds from 1/2 a Madagascar bourbon soaked vanilla bean. It totally worked in case that's part of your pantry scene. Also- I'd like to buy you lunch.)
• 1 Tablespoon Butterscotch Schnapps
• 2 Tablespoons Meyers Dark Rum
• 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with wrappers, set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, schnapps, rum and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into muffin pan that's either been greased or lined with muffin wrappers.
3. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean or only with shiny chocolate remnants, about 30 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

It could totally be that people were just humoring me but brunch and the muffins were a big hit and no one had the soul sucked out by the infamous guardians of Azkaban. My job here is done.

Amanda got some forbidden photography from the exhibit! Buckbeak, the cemetary (RIP Cedric), Harry and Voldemort's wands below!

-Geek Out