Got Ginger?

If you've been looking for the perfect gingersnap recipe for this holiday season, look no further.

Lara's Tender Gingersnaps

How did I find such perfection?  Let me give you some background info.

I spent last weekend in Nashville visiting my dear friend Emily.  The origin of our friendship is a funny story indeed (the high school crush I had on her brother was, um, not subtle...let's leave it at that), and I'm continually grateful for the handpicked, God-ordained reasons why we continue to be friends.  For one, we love books.  Give us fiction, non-fiction, C.S. Lewis and Walt Whitman and you will see quite the smile of captivated contentment on our faces. See, Emily and I are the types who will gladly spend hours in an antique bookstore marveling over the authors, the book spines, the strangely appealing smell of old pages.  Most people don't have interest in such an activity, but for us, it's an adventure.  Having taught together, she and I geuinely admire literature.  We like to plumb its depths, compare our perspectives, and engage in a friendly debate over what the author is really saying.  I know, sounds very English nerdy.  And I guess it is.  And we're not apologizing.  

On a less brainy note, Emily and I also love ginger, particularly in the form of gingersnaps.  When I arrived at her house last Thursday night post a lovely dinner at Park Cafe (if you are ever in Nashville, you MUST eat at this quaint neighborhood restaurant...the food is divine), she offered me one of the best cookies I have ever tasted.  Unlike the typical gingersnap which is dry and crunchy with an overpowering ginger flavor, this one was soft and not overwhelmingly gingered (is that a word?  "gingered"?).  After taking my first bite and savoring this cookie's perfection, I had to get the recipe.  Emily promptly showed me the Taste of Home app on her iPhone which I then downloaded from the Android market (the app is free, and even if you just download it for this recipe, you will be glad you did).  I marked the recipe as a favorite and vowed to make it when I returned home to Raleigh.  In the meantime, I ate about three cookies each morning for breakfast.  Why not?  Cookies are great breakfast food, especially with a cup of Caffe Verona (cinnamon-enhanced, thanks to Emily).  

I made good on my word and whipped up a batch of the gingersnaps to serve to my small group on Monday night.  In addition to the cookie tasting so darn good, it also sparkles.  I love it when food is tasty and stylish.

And for all of my fellow bibliophiles out there, if you're in the Nashville area and you want to experience one of the most amazing bookstores with that intoxicating old page smell, go to Yeoman's in the Fork.  Be sure to take a seat on the bench outside so you can have your picture taken with Ben.

My perfect oatmeal

We have had some chilly mornings here in Raleigh (granted, it's not all that chilly compared to some of you up north and out west), and there's nothing better to ward off that chill than a bowl of steaming hot oatmeal.  All throughout my childhood winters, I remember my mom making pot after pot of oatmeal and cream of wheat for my older sister and me, and I still love both bowls of goodness, probably because both welcome the piling  on of brown sugar which then melts into sweet syrupy glory.

What makes the perfect bowl of oatmeal?  I like to start with steel cut oats; they have more texture and almost a nutty quality to them.  The only downside is that these oats can be more expensive and take longer to cook.  But guess what?  Trader Joe's has come through once again, and that downside no longer exists.  TJ's Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats are inexpensively priced and necessitate a mere 8 minutes to cook (as opposed to 15-20).  So, while your oats are cooking, throw in a tablespoon or so of butter, a pinch of salt, and a splash of milk (or if you're feeling indulgent, go for the half and half) and stir.  After the oats are cooked through, ladle however much oatmeal your stomach is craving into a bowl.  I then top it with a generous sprinkling of brown sugar, a handful of chopped pecans and cranberries, finished with a swirl or two of honey. For me, this combination of flavors and textures is unbeatable, so I affectionately deem it my perfect oatmeal.  You can try other toppings, from bananas and walnuts to raisins and almond slices.  Oatmeal is a blank canvas for your particular palate.

Now go make some oatmeal and ward off your local chill, wherever you are.

Non-Foodie Nugget: The Sing-Off

Back in the day (have any of you ever thought about that phrase?  where did it come from?  exactly when does a day qualify as "back"?), I used to sing in a choir.  In middle school, high school, and even a sanctuary choir in my hometown of Knoxville, my first alto loved harmonizing with all the other voice parts.  There's something heavenly about it, really.  When all the parts strike a chord, it can leave you breathless, amazed, and even weeping (yes, I've weeped while singing...quite an accomplishment). Music is powerful.

So, the other weekend I was visiting my dad in the mountains of western North Carolina.  My dad, an accomplished baritone who knows and shares my love for all things choral, suggested that I watch NBC's The Sing-Off.  I was reluctant; I just thought it'd be another lame reality competition show, kind of like Dancing with the Stars (sorry for you fans out there...I just can't hack that show).  I was wrong.  Very, very wrong.  This show does with harmony what So You Think You Can Dance does with choreography.  Hailing from the Ivy League to Arlington, TX, each acapella group demonstrates astounding musicality, showmanship, creativity and sheer gumption.  If you have any appreciation of music whatsoever, I think you'll agree.  Here are some of my favorite performances thus far:

The Dartmouth Aires: Queen Medley

Urban Method: Airplanes

Opening Group Performance: The Rhythm of Love

Pentatonix: Love Lock Down

Afro Blue: Need You Now

North Shore: The Lazy Song

The show only has a few weeks left with five groups remaining, so jump on the Sing-Off bandwagon before it's too late.  And go ahead...sing along.  

Ladies Who Brunch

After enjoying the extra hour of sleep this morning, I drove over to my friend Amber's house and knocked on her door, Trader Joe's bag and cast iron skillet in hand.  The plan: Sunday brunch.  Lovely, delicious, simply perfect brunch.  And that's just what we had.

I walked into her town home, still in my pjs, and was greeted with smiles and giggles from Amber and our other friend Kelly.  See, we had just been with each other 8 hours earlier for a girls' night, full of all that you'd expect: pillow fights, braiding each others' hair, nail painting, boy talk, etc.  Seriously, girls don't do all of that when we get together.  Well, we do talk about boys...

Let me explain the pjs. The plan after all our girl time last night (sushi, wine, brie, The Holiday...how great is all of that?) was to channel our high school days and stay the night at Amber's house.  Kelly did stay over, but I just couldn't.  Earlier in the week I had spent the night at another friend's house to help her with her kiddos for Halloween.  Guess when I finally fell asleep?  3:00 a.m.  Why?  Who knows.  The culprit could be the sour patch kids I consumed at 10:30 p.m.  Regardless, it was an unfortunate bedtime, especially as I had to work the next day.  Needless to say, I was a bit scarred from that and didn't want to risk another night without decent sleep.  So right before Amber and Kelly turned in for the night, I drove the 10 minute drive home, changed the time on my iHome, and crawled into bed.

Goodness, that was a bit more info than you actually needed.  Forgive the digression.  Back to this morning and the brunch, the real reason you're reading this post.  

I saw this recipe for a non-conventional french toast while perusing the Food Network site, one of my favorite time-waster activities.  A Tyler Florence recipe, I was eager to test it out for a number of reasons: the opportunity to use my cast iron skillet, the combo of apples, cranberries and pecans (so very Fall-ish), the ease of throwing it all in the oven (no continuous french toast flipping required), and high ranking (over 70 times with 5 stars).  There's a bit to do to get this puppy in the oven, but with three chefs in the kitchen, all steps took next to no time.  The one hiccup was the caramelization of the brown sugar and butter.  My first attempt, though following the directions verbatim, yielded re-crystallized brown sugar that did not smell great.  With notable frustration, I tossed that gunk into the garbage can and tried again, and thankfully attempt #2 was successful.  My advice to you is to preheat the skillet a bit, toss the butter in the pan, sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter, wait about a minute and then commence stirring, stirring, stirring.  I actually didn't stir the whole 8 minutes either; I took the pan off the burner around 7 minutes, and after whisking in the cream, we had caramel victory.  While the prep was not the simplest, the end result was absolutely fantastic, though a bit messy (it does not come out of the pan easily, but it really doesn't matter...just pry it out and dig in).  Served alongside salty, tasty, center-cut bacon (thank you Amber) and refreshing mimosas, Sunday brunch was served.

Upside-Down Apple French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans

This brunch would not be possible without The Summit's 4:15 service, Amber's kitchen, Trader Joe's challah bread, a Lodge cast-iron skillet, and three fabulous foodie females.

Risotto for the Season

Ok, I'll admit it, I've been a little pumpkin crazed as of late.  Obsession?  Maybe.  Unhealthy?  Perhaps. To avoid an intervention from my friends and a subsequent trip to Pumpkin Eaters Anonymous, I've relinquished my grip on the last two cans of pumpkin puree, designating them for the future concoction of that bread pudding I mentioned a couple of posts back.

What do you do when you've let go of pumpkin?  Embrace sweet potatoes, that's what!  Clearly, orange and I get along very well.  Sweet potatoes and arborio rice get along very well too.

Sweet Potato Risotto

I'm a fan of risotto, but it's not a dish that can just be whipped up.  While not generally difficult, risotto does require attention (add liquid, stir...wait...add liquid, stir...wait...and so on and so on).  But don't be intimidated!  Just commit to being in the kitchen for the compulsory 30 minutes of stove top time.  If fact, the waiting period for liquid to absorb is the perfect opportunity to do dishes and other kitchen clean up.  By the end of all that stirring, you will have a spotless kitchen and a delicious dish to boot.  

The only modifications I made was to use dried thyme (use less than the amount for fresh thyme, like 1/4 teaspoon...add more to taste), and like any self-respecting cheese addict, I added more Parmesan.  This dish would be lovely alongside grilled chicken, roasted shrimp, or even a big ol' steak.  And you vegetarians out there, go ahead and give yourself two big servings.