spring fava bean spread

I started making this spread two spring seasons ago when nearly every stand at every bay area farmer's market was overflowing with these strange (to me) large green bean pods.  I don't know if I had ever eaten a fava bean before then and if I had, I didn't know it.  I often am in the habit of buying an ingredient (usually at a farmer's market) and then figuring out what to do with it.  there is something really fun about this process - like Jeopardy, when you know the answer and have to ask the question.  my brain loves things like this.  Sadly, I don't remember the origin of this recipe, but I have modified and adapted it many times since then.  I give thanks to the food blog universe for getting this into my brain so I can make it from there without any help.

braised pork with sweet & tangy barbecue sauce

I am a huge fan of barbecue - or even what I'll call not-really-barbecue-but-close-enough-for me.  For many years I've made a simple pulled pork recipe in the slow cooker with onions and bottled barbecue sauce.  It is very easy and flavorful, but I was thinking of expanding a little and making something that was a little more handmade and hands on this past weekend.

I did a search on Food Gawker for pulled pork recipes and found many that were similar to what I wasn't looking for - slow cooker, fix and forget style.  Not. for. me.  However, then I stumbled on to Kathleen's Gonna Want Seconds blog recipe for Pulled Pork Sandwiches.  This was more what I was looking for - dry rubbed pork shoulder roast, braised in the oven and then topped with barbecue sauce.

Spaghetti with Artichokes, Lemon and Ricotta

Happy New Year!  I cannot believe I haven't written any blog posts since the end of November.  Honestly, photographing what I've been cooking has been one of the biggest hurdles since the Bay Area can be rather low on the natural light in which we all love to shoot.  I've been looking around at several solutions for lighting and/or flashes so hopefully I won't go into these low light lulls in the future. 

This dish was my own adapted version of a seasonal spring recipe I found in A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen.  I made a few slight changes and added some of my own ideas and came out with a really delicious, simple dish that was full of flavor.

New York Times chocolate chip cookies

I know it is time for holiday baking, but I for one am not quite ready yet.  I had a craving a week or so back for classic chocolate chip cookies.  Browsing as many food blogs as I do, I’ve seen the New York Times recipe mentioned and varied many times.  This recipe is based on the genius of Jacques Torres.  My favorite touch is the sprinkle of sea salt before baking – it really makes a great difference!

Also, the recipe insists on letting the dough chill and rest in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours (the article says 36 hours is even better).  This might seem annoying, but I’m a convert after making these.  It really does let the flavor develop and the consistency is also distinctive.

Personally, I like chocolate chips cookies that are fairly crisp and thin, not the heavy cake-like texture which is what some recipes really go for.  The ingredients are almost always the same in a chocolate chip cookie recipe, but slight differences determine the final results.  This recipe gives you a good chocolate to cookie ratio and also yields a thin, crisp yet gooey in the middle cookie.  The results are a classic and scrumptious treat.

Of course, they are best served warm!

winter squash risotto

Living in California, I love the year-round access to my favorite farmer's markets and winter veggies are some of my favorites.  I love all the various greens & squash.  They actually even taste great paired together with pastas and sometimes sausage or other rendered fat.  That's another recipe for another day.

My Thanksgiving table seats at least one vegetarian every year and so I plan to make a main dish that both the vegetarian can enjoy and that the carnivores can sample as well.  I was thinking of making a lasagna this year, but found this recipe with a friend recently in A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen.  I just acquired a used copy of this fabulous book and it is fantastic!  The book was written by Cook's Illustrated executive editor Jack Bishop.  So far, everything I've made or tried from this book has been excellent.  I love that the book is divided up by season - the recipes really highlight seasonal stars that should be readily available to cooks.

This risotto came together quickly after the squash (butternut in my first batch) was roasted.  Often times risotto seems like a burdensome meal to prepare, but it is pure comfort food to me and this recipe was easier on the scale of some I've tried previously.