Orange you glad it's Saturday?

Guess my hand was shaking a bit while snapping this photo. Or, maybe it's just the natural sparkling glow of candied orange peel. Yeah, that must be it.

Making candied peel is a perfect weekend task. It takes a bit of work, but the result is worth it. Start with organic oranges, or if those aren't available, give the oranges a good scrubbing to remove the shiny wax they're sometimes coated with.

While you bring a big pot of water to boil, slice off a little of the top and bottom of 2 to 3 oranges, and then slice off the peel to the flesh. Cut the peel into 1/4-inch matchsticks. Set up a large bowl of ice water.

Gently boil the peel for a couple of minutes and then remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Do that two more times, blanching a total of three times.

Next, remove them to paper towels to dry, and scrape off most of the pith with a knife.

Pour 3 cups of sugar and 3 cups of water into a wide saucepan and bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the dried orange sticks and cook until the sticks are tender, about 40 minutes. The mixture will reduce and thicken.

If you're so inclined, you can add a cinnamon stick, a star anise pod or two and/or whole cloves into the sugar water in the beginning to spice up the oranges.

Meanwhile, place another cup of sugar in a large bowl. Set a cooling rack in a sheet pan.

When the orange sticks are gooey-thick, remove with a slotted spoon and dump into the bowl of sugar and toss. Be very careful! The sugar syrup is extremely hot and you don't want to get any of it on you.

Space the sugared peels on the rack so they don't touch each other and let them dry for at least a day, maybe two.

Now, what to do with them? Eat them, of course.

Or dip one end in melted dark chocolate.

Or chopped them up and add to muffins or scones.

Or, wrap them in cellophane with a pretty bow and give to a friend.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Once upon a time, there was a cozy little cafe called Dragonfly. It was owned by a lovely young woman, who poured her heart and soul into the cafe, not to mention all of her time.

Dragonfly became a huge success, garnering awards left and right by the local media, and that just made the owner work harder and harder. Eventually, she sold the cafe because it was consuming her life -- and her health.

A friend emailed me the other day to say that she had dined at Dragonfly (under the new owners) and it was no longer the same. I already knew that because a little over a year ago, I reviewed the cafe for the local paper. We lamented about the demise of the signature salad - roasted butternut squash -- and so, in tribute, I roasted some butternut squash this weekend, recreating the lovely flavors of this fantastic salad. Almost.

I didn't make a cognac vinaigrette to go over the salad, but instead made a maple sherry vinaigrette. Below is a method for roasting butternut squash. Once roasted, you can serve it warm, or let it cool and top a salad with it. Dragonfly Cafe's signature salad, in addition to the roasted butternut squash and red onions, had toasted walnuts, bacon, goat cheese and port soaked raisins atop baby greens. Just lovely.

Roasted Butternut Squash

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 red onion, peeled and cut into similar size cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Toss the squash and red onions with the oil and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once, until squash is browned and the onion is tender.

Grilled Asparagus...

Certain ingredients define the season, and for me, asparagus means it's finally Spring. I love nothing better than grilled asparagus. You can serve it hot, straight from the grill, or serve it room temperature, or even chilled. Grilling imparts a haunting, smoky flavor while diminishing the grassiness of the Spring stalk.

I peel the stalks of thick asparagus for two reasons. My friend and culinary mentor, Barbara Pool Fenzl, insists that asparagus should be peeled. Credit her French training or her friend, Jacques Pepin, who also believes peeling is essential.

Peeling allows you to keep more of the stalk, which on thick asparagus can sometimes be woody near the end. It also makes a prettier presentation. Here's a recipe for grilling asparagus. I've used a lemon garlic marinade, but you can use any flavoring, or none at all.

Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic

Serves 6

1-1/2 pounds thick speared asparagus
2 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil (lemon flavored if you have it)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Trim asparagus to even lengths, then peel from just below the flowered tip. Place the asparagus in a shallow baking pan. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the asparagus, tossing to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

Heat the grill to medium-high (375-400 degrees). Drain the asparagus and discard the marinade. Place the asparagus on the grill. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes, moving the asparagus around a bit on the grill with tongs. Remove when the asparagus is still crisp tender, but shows signs of grill marks. Serve warm, or room temperature.

Sexy Onions...

No, the title isn't an oxymoron, although I guess we don't normally think of onions as sexy.

Fresh peeled fava beans, yes. A bowl of diced, pungent white onions? No.

In fact, it might even seem a little offensive, but what would a bowl of chili be without a spoonful of diced onions?

There are associations for just about every food on the planet. There's the egg board, the pork council, the fig growers association and so on.

Imagine trying to market onions. Yet onions are the pillar, the unsung hero, if you will, of almost every cuisine.

Last week, I was strolling through the exhibit hall at a culinary conference, elbowing my way through the crowd to taste incredible American lamb, buttery cheeses from Wisconsin, and deep, dark, organic chocolate.

And then I turned the corner and saw the onion booth. Not very exciting, you say? On the surface, it may seem that way, but to me, there is nothing sexier than caramelized onions -- sweet, rich, utterly delicious.

Smartly, the National Onion Association decided to serve caramelized onions, a pile of jammy, chipotle infused onions served atop a plain, thin cracker, just something to hold the mound of lusciousness without getting in the way of the flavor.

Caramelizing onions is a simple process, but it takes time. If I know I'm going to be cooking for 45 minutes anyway, I'll caramelize a pan of onions at the same time, even if I don't plan to use them that evening. Caramelizing onions takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending upon the technique.

If you can give your undivided attention, you can caramelize onions in about 30 minutes using high heat and a lot of elbow grease.

On the other hand, if you want to slowly coax the natural sugars out of the onions, plan on 60 minutes, but you don't have to give the process your full attention until the last 15 minutes.

You can caramelize any type of onion. Red, yellow, white, sweet, cipollini, pearl or even spring or green onions, although the green (scallions) onions are lower in natural sugar, and therefore aren't quite as partial to caramelizing. You can use olive oil or butter. A pinch of sugar is fine, too, although I've found most onions, especially sweet onions, don't really need added sugar.

The darker you caramelize your onions, the deeper the flavor, but you'll need to stir constantly near the end to prevent scorching. After I've caramelized onions to a deep, mahogany brown, I like to splash in a little acid (like orange juice or white wine) and deglaze the pan, adding another layer of flavor. Last night, I used grapefruit juice.

Bonnie, one of my readers, told me that she squirts spicy mustard over hot, caramelized onions and uses it as a topping for turkey burgers. I like to stir in a little barbecue sauce to create a pork chop topping. Caramelized onions are fabulous folded into a meatloaf before baking, or stirred into steamed broccoli.

I also love to spread them on a toasted pita, sprinkle with a little crumbled goat cheese and top with chopped, fresh sage. Or, deglaze red caramelized onions with a little Port wine, and serve with a juicy, New York Strip steak.

Now, doesn't that sound sexy? mmmmmm.

Slow, Sexy Caramelized Onions

Makes just under a cup of caramelized onions

3 large red, yellow or sweet onions (about 1-1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Slice onions in half lengthwise (stem to root). Peel. Slice crosswise into half moons, about 1/4-inch thick. Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally to coat onions in the fat. When onions are just translucent, about 8 minutes, lower heat to medium-low and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 40 minutes. Return heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until onions are deep, mahogany brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Most underrated yellow vegetable

If there was an awards ceremony for vegetables, spaghetti squash might just win the most underrated category. It's one of those vegetables that looks harder to cook than it actually is, so I think cooks bypass the squash bin at the grocery store, heading instead for sweet potatoes. The truth is cutting it open is the most difficult part of cooking the it (any winter squash, really, and among the winter squashes, it's one of the easiest to cut, you just need a big chef's knife).



After cutting the squash in half and scooping out the seeds, place the squash cut side down on a lined baking sheet. Pour in about 1/4 of water to keep it from burning and roast in a 350 degree oven for roughly 30 minutes. While the squash is roasting, you can whip up a few other ingredients and in the end, you'll have a vegetarian spaghetti with a simple marinara sauce, and get a good dose of greens, too, in about 45 minutes, or less.



My marinara sauce is embarrassingly simple. Dice half a large onion (any color, I used red because that's what I had) and saute it in a healthy splash of olive oil. Once it's tender, about 5 minutes, stir in minced garlic (as much as you like). As soon as the garlic smells wonderful, a minute or two, pour in 1/4 cup of white wine. Cook until the wine is almost reduced, and then add a can of diced tomatoes with the juice (I like Muir Glen organic tomatoes, and if fire-roasted, all the better). Stir in a generous teaspoon of dried Italian herbs and then simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce bubbles, have some wine and toast some pine nuts. I like an Oregon or Californian Pinot Gris with this dish. Or, on second thought, toast the nuts first, and then have wine. You have to watch them or they'll burn. Throw a handful of nuts in a dry skillet and toast over medium heat until browned, tossing frequently. It'll take about 5 minutes. Once the nuts are done, saute up some Swiss chard.

I cut chard from the stems and then roughly chop the leaves before soaking them in a salad spinner to remove any dirt. Spin them dry and saute with a generous splash of olive oil in a skillet, maybe add a little garlic, salt and pepper. After the leaves are wilted, cover the skillet and turn the heat to low. It should take about 10 minutes to turn them into soft, tender greens. While the greens are steaming to tenderness, you can scrape the spaghetti squash into lovely yellow strands with a fork, and season with salt and pepper. Place a mound of squash in a pasta bowl and top with the marinara sauce, pine nuts and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Scatter the greens around the squash and now, in less than 45 minutes, you have a healthy, delicious, vegetarian spaghetti dish.

Making Yogurt Cheese...

It's really quite simple, you know, making yogurt cheese. I don't know why I never attempted it before.

Every once in a while I need a cup of plain yogurt for a recipe, and I never can find a small container. It's always at least a pound or two. Why is that? Do yogurt manufacturers think that we can't possibly only need a cup?

Instead of throwing away the rest of my 2 pound container, I decided I would make yogurt cheese. I'd heard about it, but it seemed really too simple. I mean, I read Gourmet after all. Nothing in Gourmet is simple. I bet they've never printed a yogurt cheese recipe.

I lined a strainer with several layers of cheesecloth and spooned in about 2 cups of plain yogurt, and folded over the cheesecloth on top. I covered the strainer top with plastic wrap and set the strainer in a larger bowl, to catch the liquid (whey). I set the bowl in the refrigerator and waited 24 hours.

When I uncovered the cheese cloth, I had a nice little mound of yogurt cheese, and about a half a cup or maybe a little more of whey in the bottom of the bowl. I discarded the whey, although you could keep it and stir it into sauces or soups for some added flavor. Tasting the yogurt cheese reminded me of creme fraiche -- tangy, creamy and frankly delicious. Now I need to figure out what to do with it.

I think I'll spread it on some toast first. Perhaps Ooh La La, my favorite bread from Simply Bread. Yes, that's a great idea! Ooh La La is a dense, multi-grain bread studded with dried cranberries, raisins and walnuts. Mmmm. Perfect.

Cute Overload....

What can you do with the darling little clementines known as Cuties? They're so easy to peel that eating them out of hand is the simplest way to go.

They're loaded with Vitamin C, potassium, folate and other B vitamins (and I just read a story this morning that scientists believe B vitamins can help vision in older women...I can use all the help I can get in that department.)

I've not seen the little Cuties for sale in anything smaller than a three pound bag, and most times it's five or six pounds. That's a heck of a lot of little orange orbs, especially for a household of two. The season is November through April, so now is the time to pick up a bag and add a little sunshine to your diet.

You can peel them and break them into sections to garnish green salads, cold rice salads or even a salad of just clementines and shaved fennel...maybe a few slivers of red onion, too, and dress it with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a delicate vinegar, like rice wine vinegar.

Or, you can peel them, slice them crosswise into 1/4 inch rounds and steep them in a spiced sugar syrup, and then use them as a topping for whole grain pancakes, or serve them along side a nice scone. Here's an easy recipe for spiced clementines. Make this the day before you plan to serve them.

Spiced Clementines

1/2 cup sweet white wine (like Gewurztraminer) or apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 star anise pod
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
8 clementines, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds

Bring the wine (or juice), water, sugar and spices to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring once or twice for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Place clementine rounds in a flat, shallow baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Pour hot syrup and spices over the rounds, making sure each round is moistened with syrup. Cool to room temperature, turn the rounds over, and then cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.

Will the real guac please stand up?

Super Bowl brings out snack fiends. Just look at the food coupons in Sunday papers to see what I mean. Every coupon is for some type of snack, dip or chip. Pam Anderson has an article in this week's USA Weekend magazine about "super-yummy" Super Bowl snack food, and to be completely honest, none of it looks yummy. Healthy? Perhaps, but definitely not yummy.

What took my breath away (not in a good way, more like a stab to the chest) was her recipe for "a lighter" guacamole. Now, I admit I'm a guac-freak. I'm very picky about guacamole. You can't put tomatoes in guacamole. You have to use ripe, but not mushy Haas avocados. Lots of garlic. Lots of lime. A healthy portion of chopped jalapeno or serrano for more heat. Touch of cilantro and a smidgen of finely chopped red onion. Some salt and pepper. That's it.

Anderson's "healthy" guacamole has...gulp...1-1/2 cups of frozen green peas! Yuk! Phutzhtz! That's not guacamole! That's pea puree. Oh, she calls for 6 small Haas avocados, but half the bulk of her guac will be peas. Thank goodness she didn't also call for tomatoes.

The thing is, avocados are high in calories and fat. But it's mostly the good kind of fat (unsaturated) and avocados are bursting at the seams with fiber, minerals and vitamins. Sure, if you eat too much of it you will get fat. You will also get fat eating too much of anything other than lettuce. But if you eat moderate amounts, and you are not a couch potato, real guacamole can fit into a healthy diet.

I'm stepping off my soap box, but before I do, here is my recipe for real guacamole. Be sure to share.

(istockphoto.com/copyright by Cathleen Clapper)

Gwen's Guacamole

First, you should know that I don't really follow a set recipe. I just start with the basic ingredients and then I taste and adjust as I go along. I did write these proportions down the last time I made guac, so it's a guideline. But you should taste as you go along as well. You might like less lime or less garlic than I do. I only ask one thing. Please, please don't put tomatoes in my guacamole recipe. Tomatoes have so much water in them, they dilute the flavor of the avocado. If you must, you can garnish the top with some chopped tomatoes. Just don't tell me about it.

Serves 6

3 large ripe (but not squishy) Haas avocados
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2-3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno (or serrano) minced (remove seeds if you are a weenie)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro (tender stems OK)
Juice of 1 lime (have another one handy in case you really like lime)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (less if using regular table salt)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the seed. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a large bowl.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix gently, careful not to turn the mixture into mush. You want some chunks of avocado. Use two knives or two forks to toss and slice. I use my hands but it's easy to over mix using your hands.

3. Taste and add more lime juice or salt and pepper, or more of any of the ingredients. Taste with your serving chip, as it likely has salt on it and you may not need any more salt.

4. Let rest for 30 minutes for the flavors to marry.

5. To store, spread guacamole surface smooth and flat. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface making sure the whole surface is in contact with the plastic (this keeps it from turning brown, unlike sticking the seed in the mix...that's an urban myth. Air is what makes guacamole turn brown.) Cover the bowl again with a lid or more plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Keeps for up to 3 days this way, although you may have to scrape a little bit of oxygenated, brown guac from the edges.

It's Gold!

Salt used to be good as gold. Or at least it was traded as currency in ancient civilizations. Now it's cheap and plentiful. We couldn't survive without salt in our diet. Like most things that are good for us, too much can be deadly...even sodium.

Recently, I picked up a spice mix at a swanky Texas market, a mix from a company based out of Boulder, Colorado. Now, I know most commercial spice mixes contain salt, and most are too salty, which is why I normally create my own blends. But this one was called orange pepper and salt was the third ingredient (U.S. food labeling laws require companies to list ingredients in order, by weight, beginning with the heaviest weight.)

Many prepared spice ingredient lists begin with salt. But I thought this one might not be too salty since salt was third. I was wrong. Now, if I had just sprinkled a whisper of this salty, orange pepper combination on my chicken breasts, I might not have noticed so much.

But I like to coat my protein in spice mixes for a full-on flavor blast, and I loved the idea of a peppery orange crust on my seared chicken. The dang thing was so salty, I'm sure it raised my blood pressure on the spot. I still like the idea of the orange pepper combination, so I've created my own blend (that does have a touch of salt, but not enough empty the coffers at Morton's.)

Gwen's Peppery Orange Spice Blend
Makes 1/4 cup

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper (coarse grind)
1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper (coarse grind)
1 tablespoon dried orange peel
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Stir all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Recipe easily doubles. Use on chicken, turkey, or even fish.

Smart Vegetable...

"Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education." Mark Twain

I rank cauliflower only slightly ahead of brussels sprouts, which is probably the cruelest joke of a vegetable ever. I know people who love, no...adore brussels sprouts. My sister-in-law is one, and she keeps trying to convert me with different BS dishes -- some with garlic, some with lemon, some with bacon. I say "BS" to them all.

Cauliflower is only marginally less offensive. Yes, I've had it steamed, raw, and pureed to replace mashed potatoes (a cardinal sin, by the way...there is NO substitute for perfectly mashed potatoes.) The only way I hadn't tried cauliflower was roasted. And, eureka! I found the key to getting cauliflower on my plate in an edible form.

Shopping at the farmers' market this weekend, I was struck by the beauty of the bin of cauliflower heads (I never said I didn't like the way they look, I just never liked the way they taste.) I picked up a perfectly formed head of cauliflower, creamy white with tight florets, and soft green leaves curling seductively over the edges of the head. I couldn't resist.

Since I picked up some gorgeous red beets at the same time, I thought perhaps I should try roasting the cauliflower while I was at it. The beets, wrapped in foil, take about an hour to roast at 400 degrees, so just 30 minutes before they were done, I got to work on slicing the cauliflower.

First I cut the florets from the core. Then I sliced each floret just thicker than 1/4-inch. They looked like mushroom slices when I was finished. I put them in a deep bowl and drizzled a dipping oil over them -- a combination of olive oil and balsamic vinegar that I also picked up at the market. I drizzled probably 3 tablespoons of the dipping oil all over the head of sliced florets. A sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper, combined with a few good tosses to distribute the flavorings, and it was ready to go into the oven.

My timer read 15 minutes and I scooted the foil wrapped beets to one side of the sheet pan and spread my cauliflower over the rest of the pan. After ten minutes, I gave the cauliflower a good stir, noticing that the bottoms had started to caramelize nicely. Another 5 minutes and the cauliflower was tender, and spotted brown in places from contact with the sheet pan.

Fork ready, I took a bite. Oooh. Sweet, tender, and just a whisper of tang from the vinegar. Ah. I think I like educated cabbage after all.

istock photo/Gary Martin

Eggs-cellent Dish...

Perhaps you are wondering why I'm not showing an image of the meal I'm about to describe?

Here's why: a.) the said meal was made when the lighting wasn't good, and b.) said meal did not make a pretty picture regardless of the lighting... and therefore would not do justice to the wonderfulness of it all.

So, instead, here's a picture of the eggs I used to make said eggs-cellent meal. For those of you that won't cook without a recipe, please try, or at least enjoy this prose because the actual recipe posted below is just an approximation... not a bonafide, tested recipe suitable for publication, say, in a cookbook or magazine.

It's a guide...a mere suggestion for you as you whip up your own, late-night, eggcentric delish dish.

A little background: I had extra eggs and multi-grain bread (already cubed and dried for a savory bread pudding that, turns out, I didn't need) on hand ...Since I didn't need the extra dried bread cubes, I bagged them and put them in the fridge thinking, surely I'd come up for a better use for them than File 13. Turns out, I did, and here is the not-so-accurate recipe for a lovely egg dish, quasi-reminiscent of a Mexican chilaquiles, that I adore.

Make your own substitutions as you see fit...

Gwen's Eggs-cellent Adventure

Makes enough for 1 hungry girl

1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil if you prefer)
1/2 to 1 cup cubed, toasted bread (multi-grain or other...your call)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (or a little less) jarred salsa (your favorite) or other condiment of your choice)
1/4 cup grated (or shredded) cheddar cheese (or other cheese of your choice)

Heat the butter or oil in a small skillet (8-inch works, so does 9-inch--if you make this in a 10-inch, I'd double the recipe, just my professional opinion) over medium to medium-high heat.

When hot, toss in bread cubes and leave alone! At least until they brown on one side -- about a full minute and a half, depending upon how high you turned up the heat -- and then toss to brown on other sides.

When cubes are brown enough for you (and the more brown the better as far as I am concerned, so live on the edge a little and brown those babies!) ... crack in the 2 eggs but don't stir for at least 30 seconds. (Yes, I said crack the eggs right into the pan and don't stir... seriously...)

Then, (as the edges of the eggs start to turn white, as egg whites will do, even though the yolks sit high and mighty and completely, sun-yellow!) gently start to stir for a couple seconds... you'll get the hang of it... stir again in 30 to 45 seconds, and as the eggs start to actually get done (think moist scrambled eggs), pour in your salsa or condiment of choice.... and just cook long enough to warm up the salsa or condiment...about 30-45 seconds more. Turn off the heat but leave in pan.

While the eggs are still in the pan, top with cheese... let it sit a couple minutes while you find your plate, fork and napkin... and then slide it all onto your plate. Eat slowly so you won't be tempted to jump up and make one more batch.

Pumpkin Cranberry Dip...

Going to a holiday party and looking for a dip to take? If you have a leftover can of pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving, here's a simple recipe worth opening the can for.

A 15 oz. can contains almost 1-3/4 cups of pumpkin, so you'll have about 1-1/4 cups of pumpkin left over. Most quick bread recipes call for 1 cup of pumpkin, so plan on making a bread, too.

Serve this barely sweet dip with toast points or crackers, or use it as a spread on turkey sandwiches.



Cranberry Pumpkin Walnut Spread


Makes 2 cups

8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup dried cranberries, plus a tablespoon for garnish
3/4 cup toasted walnut or pecan pieces
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch salt

Break the cream cheese up into chunks and drop into a food processor. Sprinkle with the cranberries and nuts. Spoon in the pumpkin puree and sprinkle with the spices and salt. Pulse until almost smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl down once. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with extra cranberries.

NOTE: You can make this 1 or 2 days in advance. Just cover and refrigerate. Let the dip sit at room temperature about 30 minutes before you plan to serve to soften just a bit.

Rosemary Scented Cranberry Sauce...

Not that there's anything wrong with cranberry sauce in a can (it will grace our Thanksgiving table as it always has), but sometimes you want something a little more fancy. I normally make an orange infused cranberry sauce but this year, I'm taking inspiration from the garden.

This rosemary scented cranberry sauce is tart and lemony, too, from the addition of a little lemon zest. A splash of gin never hurt anyone either, and it picks up on the pine notes from the rosemary. Give it a try.

(istock photo - Liza McCorkle)


Rosemary Scented Cranberry Sauce

Makes 3 cups

1 (12-ounce) package of fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup ruby Port wine (inexpensive is OK)
2 (4-inch) whole sprigs of fresh rosemary
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon gin (optional)
1/3 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch salt

1. Stir cranberries, sugar, Port and rosemary springs in a heave saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and gin. Simmer another 5 minutes or so and remove from heat.

3. Stir in cranberries, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Chill until ready to serve. Keeps 1 week, covered, in fridge.

Salsa Bliss...

It's no secret that Mexican food is my favorite cuisine. I like gourmet Mex, Tex-Mex, and everything in between. I even tend to judge a Mexican restaurant first on it's salsa offerings.

El Chubasco in Park City, Utah gets high marks for its salsa bar. Sitting smack dab in the middle of the dining room of this cheap eats (one of the very few inexpensive restaurants in Park City that isn't a chain) is a salsa bar, featuring more than 15 different salsas, all made from scratch.

Each salsa is labeled with chiles to indicate the heat level, with one chile for mild and four chiles for set-your-pants-on-fire hot. Most are in the three chile range, and those were spicy enough for this gringo.

I felt like a kid in a candy store on my first visit, sampling nine of the 15 or so salsas. On subsequent trips, I showed only slightly more restraint by taking just four or five. My favorite was the arbol, a smoky roasted tomato and chile de arbol (a skinny - usually dried - chile similar to cayenne) salsa, but I also loved the fresh, pico de gallo, studded with enough fresh, minced serranos to wake up any slacker taste bud.

Pico de gallo is really a simple salsa to make. It's best to make it in late summer, when tomatoes are at their peak, but I make it all year, substituting Roma tomatoes for regular ones. It's a great accompaniment to grilled or baked fish.

Pico de Gallo
Makes 2 cups

1/2 of a large, white onion, finely chopped
2 pounds tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2-3 jalapenos or serranos, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1/2 or 1 lime (to your tastes)
Salt and pepper

Toss all ingredients together and let rest 10 to 30 minutes before serving. Keeps 3 days, covered in the refrigerator.

Where Is She?

I did not fall of the face of the earth, contrary to my lack of blog posts. I just happened to have bit off more than I can chew – or juggle – at the moment. I spent 26 hours this weekend racking my not-so-pretty little brain for a food trends study. And before that, I crammed in a few restaurant reviews for PHOENIX Magazine and The Arizona Republic. And before that, I researched and wrote a huge coffee story for the fall edition of Edible Phoenix. And before that…. You get the idea.

So, I’ve not forgotten about all you faithful readers (all two of you?) and I hope to get back on track here shortly. In the meantime, how about a quick little recipe for Lemon Carrots? Doesn’t that sound refreshing and healthy? I could use a little dose of healthy – I’m back on the review trail in a few minutes.

Lemon Carrots

2 cups baby carrots

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil carrots in water salted with 1/2 teaspoon of salt until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and pat dry. In a saucepan, combine sugar, lemon juice and butter. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in carrots and cook until heated through about another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4. (Recipe from The Great Ranch Cookbook, by me.)