Purple, not pumpkin

People often ask me why I don't make desserts.  One, I don't measure. Two, I am terrified of baking.  Three, I am terrified of baking.  Did I mention I have a fear of baking? 

Behold something rare and unusual here on Hail's Kitchen: a dessert worth making.

With the holidays quickly approaching and things like cranberries in abundance at the grocery aisle, the following dessert is a fun twist on a classic.  

Not only does this dessert taste great -- it's tangy and sweet -- and the color of the filling is a gorgeous purple.  Your Costco pumpkin pie will look really boring next to this.

Seriously, if I can make these bars, you can make these bars.   

I am headed to San Francisco tomorrow morning where I will be eating my first Samoan Thanksgiving.  I can't wait to report on palusami and octopus cooked in coconut milk.  Cross your fingers I don't get eaten by a shark when we go surfing or get locked into a cell at Alcatraz. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving all!  xoH

Cranberries cooked until they "burst!"

Zipped up in the blender until smoothed.

Strain out the solids.

Sweetness.

Cranberries, condensed milk, lemon, egg yolks.

Purple. Not pumpkin.

I ate mine for breakfast.

Cranberry bars
thanks Vegetarian
for the filling:
1 lb cranberries
7 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 egg yolks

for the filling:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup graham flour (here's a link on how to make graham flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbs butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Meanwhile simmer cranberries with 1/2 cup water in a pot.  Cook for ten minutes or until the cranberries "burst" then cool.

To make the crust, combine the flours, sugar and salt.  Add the butter and vanilla and mix to combine.  Press the crust into a buttered 8 inch pan.  Bake the crust for 25 minutes.  Turn the heat down to 300 degrees.

While the crust bakes, make the filling.  Blend the cooled cranberries in a blender until smooth.  Strain and transfer to a bowl. Whisk in the condensed milk and lemon followed by the egg yolks.  Pour the filling into the hot crust. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until firm in the middle.  Cool completely and then slice into squares.

Defying nature

Good morning and happy Friday!  I know the title of Hail's Kitchen suggests food:

However, anyone who knows me, knows that my camera goes everywhere.  I would probably take it to class if I was allowed. Well, Hail's Kitchen certainly involves my kitchen adventures (and often misadventures), but it also involves some randomness captured by the camera.

Last weekend Kenai, Tuli and I took a walk around the river mansion, and I heard Tuli whining in a group of thick trees.  He wasn't just whimpering he was CRYING like he was dying.  I immediately reacted with fear -- animals capable of eating Tuli and myself live in close proximity to the river mansion.  

Much to my relief, I discovered this as the cause of the consternation:

A harmless grouse.

Tuli's genes as an upland game bird suggest that he "find the bird!"  He did, and I lacked any instrument to "kill the bird" so Tuli took actions into his own little hands/feet.  Behold the tree-climbing dog, Tuli:

He climbs better with his tongue out.

Nearly there, buddy.

A little higher . . . activate the tongue.

Four feet up, no grouse.

He was very proud of his new skill that 

he asked for glamour shots.

Oh, don't get my bad side.

This side is much better.

Kenai stood at the bottom of the tree in as much shock as me.

So in addition to tree-climbing dogs this past week, I managed to capture some equally amazing moments:

Lord help me if I have ever have children.  They will hate cameras.  Thanks, Hai, for having the most beautiful boys. xo

I also managed to prepare and photograph a meal that was not as exciting as dogs who defy nature or children worthy of porcelain. 

Lately I have been obsessed with two things: braising and inexpensive cuts of meat.  Short ribs and chicken thighs are my favorites, as they are very reasonably priced, easy to cook, and oh so delicious.  The following meal came to together in less than hour, required very little effort, and produced a meal that fed us with wonderful leftovers for three days.

I trick myself into thinking these are healthy because they have no skin, 

then I cook I cook them in bacon.  Go figure.

Leeks, garlic, mushrooms.

Chicken broth, fresh thyme, a little half and half,

salt and pepper.

Served with wild rice with grapes.  Try it, you'll like it!

Braised chicken thighs with leeks and mushrooms

1 package chicken thighs (somewhere between 1.5-2.5 lbs)

3 slices bacon, roughly chopped

2 leeks, sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 8 oz package mushrooms, stems trimmed but left whole

3 sprigs fresh thyme

about 2 cups chicken broth

about 1 cup half and half

handful flour

salt and pepper

In a large pot with a lid or dutch oven, cook bacon until it's crispy. Drain off any extra bacon grease.  Meanwhile, dredge the chicken thighs in a bowl with flour and about 1 tsp salt/pepper.  Fry in the pan with the bacon, browning on all sides.  Remove the chicken and add the leeks, garlic and mushrooms.  Cook until wilted -- about 2 minutes.  Add the broth and scrape up the goodness that has accrued on the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan along with the thyme (the broth should just cover the chicken -- adjust if needed).  Put the lid on, turn to the heat down to a simmer.  Cook for about 40 minutes or until the chicken thighs are tender and falling apart.  Add the half and half, salt and pepper simmer about five more minutes.  This was great with wild rice, but potatoes would be great too.  Enjoy! 

Throwing a bone

I love blogs.  Over the years, I have obsessively followed a few to the point that I evolved from reader to stalker.  There is something incredibly unique about this medium.  Blogs are available to anyone who has something to say -- no need for a publisher or techie knowledge.  They trace your life.  It's remarkably fun to look back on what I was doing one year ago (making cauliflower soup, actually). 

My dear friend Ashley turned me onto a blog that provides this gentle reminder in various forms: be kind to yourself.  For someone who continually struggles with throwing herself a bone, this site rocks. 

So, guess what I did this week?  I threw a myself an enormous bone: I postponed my paper deadline and oral defense.

This decision did not come without lots of kicks and screams.  However, once I realized the benefits of finishing the semester with passing scores, restoring the health of my silly body, and completing a paper I will be proud of, I alleviated so much stress and anxiety that I think I grew two inches. 

I actually completed all of the reading for class last evening.  I participated like a human and not some drone who mimics the other warm-blooded creatures sitting next to her.  It was weird.

I struggle with this concept of balance -- humbling to admit you can't manage all of those spinning plates. By allowing one plate to slow down a bit, I can now pay attention to those that precariously held on through the mayhem.  Sorry if you were one of those plates.

I know I'll look back on this post one year from now (Master's degree and paper months behind me) and be glad I decided to be kind to myself.  Blogs are cool like that. 

Here's another bone for you to chew on: braised short ribs.  With cold weather upon us, this is the perfect meal to fill your home with delicious smells and your tummy with the flavors of fall.

Beef short ribs.

 Seared on all sides.

 See that?  That is flavor.

 Three carrots, three celery ribs, three cloves of garlic.

Red wine, beef broth, mushrooms, fresh thyme

(which didn't make the photo deadline).

 

Slow and low for three hours.

Fuzzy photo, fabulous meal.

Braised beef short ribs

1.5 lbs beef short ribs

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 8 oz package mushrooms, whole

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 bottle red wine

1 cup beef broth

olive oil

flour

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large, dutch oven or other oven safe pot with a lid, heat about 1-2 tbs olive oil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, dredge the short ribs in a handful of flour and about 1 tsp salt and pepper.  Brown the meat on all sides.  Remove short ribs and add the carrots, celery and garlic to the pot.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with the broth and simmer for about 2 minutes, scrapping all the goodness off the bottom of the pan.  Return the ribs to the pan along with the mushrooms, wine and thyme.  Give it a good stir and tuck the ribs into the braising liquid.  Place the lid on the pot and place in the oven.  Cook for 2.5-3 hours when the meat falls of the bone.  Serve over mashed potatoes. Enjoy! 

Creamy, saucy, spicy

It sure feels good to write in my Hail's Kitchen voice rather than the academic voice that has dominated my brain recently. Why didn't someone warn me that writing a paper like mine would be a full-time job. In fact, I am working overtime on this paper.  Hazard pay?

I am so close to having this thing wrapped up.  Sooooo close.  You know when you are nearing the end of a race, and your body begs you to give up, your mind taunts you to quit, but miraculously something inside you tells your body and mind to shut the hell up.  You manage to cross the finish line and then someone hands you a beer.  (The beer part might be unique to my family).

I am living that stage now.  My endurance is waning.  My body is revolting with strange disorders (shingles?!).  My attitude is less than positive.  However, I am pushing through because I know my family and friends will be there at the finish line, beers in hand, to congratulate me. 

That day cannot come soon enough.

On a completely unrelated and fabulous note, river living received a major upgrade this past week.  We basically moved from a shoebox to mansion.  This move is temporary, sadly.  Mansion river living will only last through May, but words can't express my affection for this new abode.  It. Is. Amazing. 

I had to break myself away from the masion to join in on the hunting this past weekend.  It's cow elk season, and we are trying diligently to fill the freezer.  We hiked up hills, over hills, down hills, across hills.  Did I mention up and down hills?  I spent equal time on my arse as I did on my feet.  We saw every critter but elk.  I am praying that the Great Samoan Hunter finds one this week while I am in the city. 

After burning twelve thousand calories, the following meal hit the spot. Shrimp and grits have been on my wish list for a long time.  Creamy, saucy, spicy.  We earned all the cheese and bacon after our hiking marathon.

Eliza and Narcissa are calling.  Until next time, friends. xoH

Tuli is living bird dog heaven. 

Never in my life did I think my kitchen counter would

display food as well as bullets.

The Great Samoan Hunter.

Three chopped green onions and one green pepper.

Three slices crispy bacon.

Cook one pound shrimp in bacon grease until just pink.

Add the green onions, green pepper,

1 large chopped shallot and 3 cloves minced garlic.

Add half of can of diced tomatoes and one cup beer with

1-2 tbs cayenne pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp oregano.

Simmer about 3 minutes or until the liquid is mostly reduced.

Return the shrimp and bacon to the pan.

(I doused the shrimp with a bit more cayenne).

Cook only to rewarm the shrimp and bacon. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately over the cheesy grits.

For the grits: bring four cups broth to a boil.

Add two cups quick cook cornmeal and

 stir vigorously for about 2 minutes.

Add one cup shredded cheddar cheese. Stir to combine.

Season with black pepper.

This parsely jumped on the plate.

Preview: braised short ribs.