Chestnut Fudge Brownie
Since my first encounter with the Tuscan specialty castagnaccio, I have fallen in love with chestnut flour. Finer than almonds, sweet and nutty in flavor, the flour of chestnuts is as elegant as a lady in an evening dress, gliding on a carpet of Fall's golden leaves! Now, is the season for roasted chestnuts. The aroma of these freshly roasted mingles as spiced air, before the onslaught of mulled cider and cinnamon. It harkens Fall/Autumn in a natural sense.
Personally, I have been baking with chestnut flour for a while to very happy results!
Boston for GrownUps
In Boston, I will always find a home, if I am ever homeless in NYC...
Exactly ten years ago, I landed in the US. My stop, New York; the place I call home, in every sense of the word. Two months after I got here, I found myself in a new city, known to me only as a major historic landmark and to a lesser extent, a place where my cousin lived. When I first stepped off the Greyhound bus, looking a little lost, searching for my only family connection, a tenuous one at that. You see, as much as she was my closest relative, I barely knew her. Much like from the city, I didn't know what to expect of this weekend I had signed up for in a new city with a near-stranger.
Apple Pie Brandy Pudding
So! I am betting that this Apple Pie Pudding will go down in the anals of food history as an accident that was simply waiting to happen! And, when it did, brought greater joy than either pie or pudding could have in of themselves.
Here is what happened. I have been experimenting with different flours. Recently, I decided to test what wheat I am intolerant to. And, I have reading about how heritage strains of grain may not trigger the same issues as the mass produced, yield enhancing GMO versions. Einkorn has been one of those much talked about ancient wheat varietals that supposedly is less trigger happy than regular all purpose flour. The only problem is that it is more dense and less glutenous. Therefore, it because markedly unlike regular flour. Think, low rise and less flaky.
So, when I decided to make apple pie, using the regular pie recipe....
Sweet Potato Jacket Tacos
Fall beckons.
The leaves are turning, the air is ever so slightly brisk. A subtle rustle that you always hear now; that of the fallen leaves dancing on the pavement in tune with the crisp wind, a swish, a sway, a seduction...
For me, making the most of this time is particularly imperative, as soon, there will be Halloween. And, as much as it is a fun time, it clutters up this whole gathering of wool in the Fall experience. So, I have from the beginning of October (or if I am lucky, late September) to the 3rd week of the month to revel in this favorite season of mine. You can see, why it is all the more special! :)
And then, I came up with this dish! Sweet Potato Jacket Tacos.... Take that! Oh! and in the spirit of the season, a Pear Salsa. And then some garlicky kale. Also, did I mention Pomegranate? Yes, that too....
Summer to Fall - Poptail Crush
Here is how I see it. All Summer you want things cold and frozen. There popsicles are perfect for them. Then, sets Fall, when it is not quite cold enough for hot toddys and certainly not warm for a brain freeze. Now, it is time for Poptails!
A poptail by my definition is a drink where the shaved ice pops form the base flavor of the drink. The fruit combinations are heady in of themselves and the already frozen concoctions draw out the flavor through the course of the drink. Unlike muddled fruit, they don't settle to the bottom but rise up effervescently as you sip along.