Roasted Cauliflower

I hate to even call this recipe, but the simplicity of this dish was so divine, I just had to share. I'll confess that I've never made roasted cauliflower before. Generally, I steam cauliflower, have it as part of a gratin, or eat it raw and I can't believe I've been missing out on this way to prepare cauliflower. I didn't want anyone else to miss out on this simple, wonderful way to enjoy cauliflower!

Roasted Cauliflower
serves 2 to 4

2 small or 1 medium heads of cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t. kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss cauliflower with oil and salt in a large bowl. Place cauliflower in one even layer in a large roasting pan or baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, for 25 to 35 minutes, or until cauliflower is caramelized and cooked to desired tenderness. Serve warm.

Sweet Potato, Chipotle, and Apple Soup

Sweet potatoes and apples are a common fall combination, though not one I've ever had in a soup. This soup is sweet and mild, with a little kick from the chipotle peppers and makes a nice light dinner when accompanied by a side salad and some crusty bread. Although I've included it below, I skipped the fried corn tortilla garnish in favor of a nice side salad and leftover Beaten Biscuit that I had in the freezer (which, for the record, held up quite well in the freezer).

Sweet Potato, Chipotle, and Apple Soup
from Food and Wine
serves 6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 1 cup for frying
1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 Gala apples—peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, thinly sliced crosswise
1 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 quart chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3 cups water
1 small canned chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 yellow corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1. In a medium soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over low heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the apples and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the fruit and vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in the chipotle.

2. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper and return to the pot.

3. In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Heat the remaining 1 cup of oil in a medium skillet. Add the tortilla strips and fry over high heat, stirring, until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve the soup in shallow bowls and garnish with the fried tortilla strips.

Carrot and Corn-Flour Waffles

I rarely have the opportunity to make a big breakfast in the morning, so I make a point of having breakfast for dinner on a regular basis, which always feels like a treat. These waffles are a bit more suited to summer than fall, with their sunny and light flavor, but made for a thoroughly satisfying dinner when topped with a smear of butter and a hearty drizzle of maple syrup. As usual, I made plenty of extra to freeze for quick and delicious breakfasts during the week.


Carrot and Corn-Flour Waffles
from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce
makes 10

Sometimes the best cooking inspiration comes from what's in your cupboards. One cold Sunday morning in winter, I wanted to use a handful of corn flour in a batch of waffles for the kids. As I pulled milk, butter, and eggs from the fridge, I noticed a small glass of carrot juice, and on a whim I poured it into the batter. Both the carrots and corn flour had a sunny sweetness that made them a perfect breakfast match. The juice and zest of an orange brightened the color and flavor of the waffles. When you make this recipe for breakfast, squeeze some extra oranges and serve a pitcher of juice along with the waffles.

2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter, melted, for the waffle iron

 
Dry Mix:
1.5 c. corn flour
1.5 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. plus 2 T. wheat germ
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 T. ground ginger
1.5 t. kosher salt

Wet Mix:
1 c. plus 2 T. carrot juice
3/4 c. whole milk
3 T. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Zest and juice of one orange
2 eggs

1. Turn the waffle iron to its highest setting. Even if you don't usually heat it this high, these waffles come out best when cooked at high heat. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back into the bowl any bits of grain or other ingredients that may remain in the sifter.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together until thoroughly combined and a creamy orange color. Pour the wet mixture into the dry, using a spatula to get every last bit. With a light hand gently fold the two mixtures together. The batter will be thick and pillowlike, with large pockets of deflated bubbles on the surface.

3. Brush the waffle iron generously with butter; this is the key to a crisp crust. Use a ladle or measuring cup to scoop 1/2 cup batter onto the spaces of the iron. Promptly close, and listen for the iron to sigh as the batter begins to cook. The smell wafting from the iron starts out like a freshly kneaded loaf of bread, then becomes toasty. Remove the waffle when the indicator light shows that it is done, or when a quick peek shows that it's turned a dark golden-brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the hot waffle with a fork, and repeat with the remaining batter.

4. The waffles should be served hot-right out of the waffle iron-as the buttery flavors and beautiful crunch tend to deteriorate quickly when the waffles cool. Serve with a large knob of unsalted butter and the best maple syrup you can find, or with some Three-Citrus Marmalade (see Good to the Grain, page 192). Or add a spoonful of Greek yogurt to the plate, use the back of the spoon to make a hollow, and drop a bit of syrup or jam into it.

Apple Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake

'Tis the season for apples! I've already made apple upside-down cakes not just once once, but twice this season. I ordinarily don't like to repeat such similar dishes, but I needed a dessert to bring to a friend's house for dinner one night this week and apple cake is a seasonal and crowd-pleasing dessert that isn't too time-consuming to be put together after work. With caramelized topping, fresh and local apples, and a simple cake make of high-quality ingredients, you can't go wrong, especially with the wonderful company I enjoyed it with.

Apple-Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake
from Everyday Food
serves 8

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 apples, Empire or Gala (about 1 1/2 pounds), each peeled, cored, and sliced into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom and side of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle bottom with brown sugar. In a medium bowl, toss apples with lemon juice; arrange in prepared pan in two concentric circles (you might not use all of them).

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

3. With an electric mixer, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until incorporated. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture in three parts and the milk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

4. Spoon batter over apples in pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack, at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours (if cake has risen above rim of pan, simply push back inside rim).

5. To serve, run a knife around edge of pan, and invert cake onto a rimmed platter.

Quinoa, Red Bean, and Walnut Burgers

Veggie Burgers Every Which Way is another one of the cookbooks I bought with more recipes marked to try then I have time to try them, so I have to carefully rank my bookmarked recipes. This recipe was not at all disappointing in terms of flavor-they are complex, fresh, and hearty-but they do not stay together as well as I would have liked. Potato serves as the binder in this recipe (along with the beans), and it's a sorry substitute for egg. That being said, the wonderful flavor is worth any mess these might make, and I'd happily eat them again. These burgers are incredibly healthy, high in protein from the beans and quinoa (which is a complete protein, rare in a grain) and are full of healthy fats and omega-3s from the walnuts, which also add a delightful contrast in texture.

Quinoa, Red Bean, and Walnut Burgers
from Veggie Burgers Every Which Way by Lukas Volger
serves 6

1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
1 small potato (4 to 5 ounces), peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 T. olive oil
1 bunch scallions, including an inch of the green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 c. roughly chopped fresh parsley
2 T. minced fresh ginger
1.5 c. cooked red beans
1/2 c. roughly chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 t. salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T. Pomegranate-Sesame Sauce (see Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, page 157)

1. Bring 1 cup water to boil in a small saucepan and add the quinoa. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, steam or boil the potato until tender. Mash with a fork.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook until just fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the parsley and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, cooked potato, parsley-scallion mixture, red beans, and walnuts with a potato masher or your hands. Add the salt and lemon juice. Shape into 6 patties.

5. In a large oven-safe skillet or nonstick saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the patties and spoon 1 teaspoon pomegranate sauce on top of each. Cook until the bottoms are browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other sides until crisped and slightly firmed, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Apple Cider

 I've already tried making mashed sweet potatoes with one quintessential fall flavor, maple syrup, so now I thought I'd try another-apple cider. Apples are sweet potatoes are a natural combination, and the apple cider adds an acidic note that complements the creamy sweetness of the sweet potatoes. I adore both apple cider and maple syrup and don't know which recipe I'd rather make again!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Apple Cider
from Food and Wine
serves 4

3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup apple cider or juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper


1. Put the potatoes, cider, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring once, until the potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

2. Mash the potatoes with the cider until smooth. Add the butter and pepper and heat just until the butter melts.

Roasted Butternut Squash Chowder

This is a pretty darn good soup. It is not, however, the rich butternut squash chowder I was expecting. I was hoping for am almost creamy soup where butternut squash was the dominant flavor, but instead ended up with more light and nuanced soup filled with the flavors of myriad vegetables, particularly leeks. I absolutely adore Potage Parmentier, so the leek flavor was more than welcome and I really enjoyed the varied bounty of the farmer's market in my bowl (all of the vegetables in this soup were still available this past Saturday at the Dane County Farmers' Market). This soup requires a lot of prep work and is perhaps better suited to a weekend meal than the busy Monday night I chose to make it, but was a satisfying and healthy meal, a perfect start to the week. I served my soup with a crisp side salad and a hearty slice of Jim's Irish Brown Bread with butter, although I have included the link to Food and Wine's suggested accompaniment, Parmesan Croutons.

Cook's Note: I used aluminum foil instead of parchment paper to cover the butternut squash while roasted because my parchment paper (Reynold's brand) was only oven-safe to 420 degrees F.

Roasted Butternut Squash Chowder
from Food and Wine
serves 8

One 1 1/2-pound butternut squash
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 leeks, white parts only, coarsely diced (1 1/2 cups)
1 Spanish onion, diced
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 celery ribs
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 parsnip, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Parmesan Croutons, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Cut the stem off the squash and carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Rub the cut sides of the squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set the squash on a baking sheet, cut sides up, season generously with salt and pepper and cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Roast the squash for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Let the squash cool to room temperature. Scoop out the flesh and coarsely chop it.

2. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy casserole, melt the butter in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over moderate heat. When the butter begins to brown, add the leeks and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, parsnips, chicken stock, wine and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover partially and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the chopped roasted squash to the chowder; cover and simmer for 10 minutes longer.

3. Transfer one third of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Stir the puree into the soup and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve with the Parmesan Croutons.

Apple Pandowdy

There are so many different kinds of fruit desserts the are essentially a pile of fruit with some sort of pastry on top-slumps, grunts, pandowdies, crisps, crumbles, etc.-which are many of the desserts I love the best in summer and fall. How could I resist checking out a book called Rustic Fruit Desserts? Armed with a pile of fresh apples from Door Creek Orchard, I decided to try making an apple pandowdy. You've got to love a dessert that tells you right in the name that it doesn't have to be pretty, so there's no pressure to make things look perfect.

Next time I plan on brushing the pastry with a bit of melted butter and dusting it with turbinado sugar before going in the oven, just to give it a little something extra. The beauty of desserts like this is their simplicity, so I'll try to resist the urge to change too much, although I'm always trying to add my own special touch. If you like simple apple desserts like pies, crisps, and turnovers, you'll probably also love the classic simplicity of an apple pandowdy.

Apple Pandowdy
from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson
serves 8 to 12

1 tablespoon butter

Pastry
1.5 c. (7.5 oz.) all-purpose flour
3 T. granulated sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. fine sea salt
6 T. (3 oz.) cold unsalted butter
1/2 c. whole milk, as needed

Fruit Filling:
8 large apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 16 slices (3.5 lbs. prepped)
1/3 c. (2.25 oz.) granulated sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T. pure vanilla extract
2 T. unsalted butter

Vanilla bean ice cream, for serving (optional)

1. To make the pastry, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces, add to the flour mixture, and toss evenly to coat. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until completely broken down into the flour mixture. Add the milk a couple tablespoons at a time, stirring well after each addition to evenly moisten the dough. Add only enough milk for the dough to come together in a relatively dry mass. Gather the dough into a ball, then pat it our into a square. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it while you make the filling.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or 9-inch square baking pan.

3. To make the fruit filling, toss the apples, sugar, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla together in a large bowl, then transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Cut the butter into small cubes and scatter over the apples.

4. Roll out the pastry just a bit smaller that the size of the pan. (The small gap between the pastry and the sides of the pan will allow steam to escape.) Carefully drape the pastry over the apples, then cut 3 stem vents in the pastry.

5. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling bubbles up around the edges. This pandowdy is best served warm, topped with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Storage: This pandowdy is best served the day it is made, but any leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Jim's Irish Brown Bread

I'm having some family over to watch the Packer game tomorrow and will be making reuben pizza. I'll have some corned beef and cabbage left over for reubens a bit later in the week, so I decided to make a loaf of Jim's Irish Brown Bread from My Bread to construct my reubens, as well as serve alongside some soup I plan on making this week. An added bonus is the fact that I'll get rid of the last, lonely Guinness that has been sitting in my refrigerator for months after purchasing a 6-pack for some cooking projects (I'm a local beer girl). Just like the rest of Jim Lahey's breads, this is incredibly simple and delicious. It's the last of his recipes I had bookmarked to try as soon as possible, but after all the wonderful breads I've made so easily from My Bread, you can be sure I'll be back to try more recipes sometime soon.

Jim's Irish Brown Bread
from My Bread by Jim Lahey

2.25 c. (300 grams) bread flour
3/4 c. (100 grams) whole wheat flour
1 t. (6 grams) table salt
1 T. (5 grams) wheat bran
1/4 t. (1 grams) instant or other active dry yeast
3/4 c. (175 grams) Guinness Stout, at room temperature (about 72 degrees)
3/4 c. (175 grams) well-shaken buttermilk, at room temperature
Additional wheat bran or flour for dusting

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, salt, wheat bran, and yeast. Add the beer and buttermilk and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 12 to 18 hours.

2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.

3. Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust it with wheat bran or flour. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran or flour. Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

4. Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F, with a rack positioned in the lower third, and place a covered 4.5- to 5.5-quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.

5. Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly but gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. (Use caution-the pot will be very hot). Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 15 to 30 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan and Walnuts

I can't resist the wide variety of squash available at the farmer's market, so I picked up a spaghetti squash (and an acorn squash and a butternut squash) without any specific plans for it. I roasted and pureed the acorn and butternut squash and froze the purees, but decided to roast the spaghetti squash and enjoy it now. A little butter, cheese, and a few toasted nuts is all it takes to make a simple, healthy, and delicious dish out of roasted squash. Pecorino Romano makes a nice substitute for the Parmesan, as would goat cheese, and any toasted nuts you like would work well in this recipe. Olive oil would also work well in place of the butter and any fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, etc.) may stand in for the parsley.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan and Walnuts

One 4- to 5-pound spaghetti squash halved lengthwise, seeds removed
Cooking spray
2 T. unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking pan with cooking spray, and place the squash on the pan, cut sides down. Roast until tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly until squash can be handled, about 10 minutes. 

2. Scrape squash with a fork to remove flesh in long, spaghetti-like strands and place in a large bowl. Add the butter, Parmesan, parsley, walnuts, 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste), and pepper to taste. Toss to thoroughly combine, and serve warm.

Apple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cakes

Although Gourmet is sadly no longer a monthly periodical, Gourmet did recently release a special issue, Gourmet Quick Kitchen, which is a compilation of recipes from over the years that almost all take 30 minutes or less to prepare. In a show of support and solidarity of Gourmet (and a deep hope that it will return to its former glory), I picked up a copy, though I balked slightly at the price. With my current obsession with apples, I immediately bookmarked this recipe. This past weekend I visited the most adorable and authentic-feeling apple orchard I've been to, Appleberry Farm. Although it doesn't look as authentic as other orchards I've been to, such as Eplegaarden, which had many rustic old farm buildings and equipment, this orchard just felt genuine.

These cakes are delightful, individually-sized desserts that are a snap to make and a combination of classic flavors, sure to be a crowd-pleaser. If you like apple cake, you'll probably like these adorable little cakes too. If you're not a fan of nuts, leave them out; almonds and pecans would also work well in this recipe and pears would make a nice substitute for part or all of the apples. Although the recipe suggests serving with slightly sweetened whipped cream, I think vanilla bean ice cream would be another excellent accompaniment.

Apple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cakes
from Gourmet
serves 6

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces, plus additional for greasing
3 Gala apples
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (1 3/4 oz)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup whole milk

Special equipment: a muffin pan with 6 (1-cup) muffin cups
Accompaniment: lightly sweetened whipped cream

1. Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Butter muffin cups. Peel and core apples, then cut into 1/3-inch dice.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook apples, brown sugar, and lemon juice, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze and apples are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Stir in walnuts and divide apple mixture among muffin cups.

4. Pulse together flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

5. Whisk together egg and milk in a large bowl. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined.

6. Divide batter among muffin cups and bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a cake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.

7. Run a paring knife around edge of each cake to loosen. Invert rack over muffin cups, then invert cakes onto rack. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup

These days, I'll generally pick mashed sweet potatoes over mashed potatoes. If I'm making them at home, I'll generally prepare them with some butter (of course), maybe a bit of milk or cream, and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey or sprinkle of brown sugar and perhaps a bit of cinnamon. I'm always looking for new interesting flavor combinations and came across this recipe using cardamom as I browsed through sweet potato recipes on my lunch break one day. I had just bought some cardamom to make Vanilla and Cardamom Glazed Acorn Squash Rings, so it was the perfect time to try this recipe, especially because it has one of my favorite ingredients, maple syrup. I used a potato ricer to "mash" the cooked sweet potatoes, creating an especially smooth and luxurious texture. Generally I associate cinnamon and nutmeg with mashed potatoes, but cardamom was a delicious and welcome change of pace that complemented the butter and maple syrup I typically use.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup
from Bon Appetit, via Epicurious

2 1/4 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to pot; mash. Mix in butter, syrup and cardamom. Season with salt and pepper.

Sauteed Honey Carrots

I threw this dish together because I had very little time to throw dinner together one busy weeknight. For the main dish I made sweet potato ravioli with walnuts and Parmesan cheese and picked carrots for a side simply because I had them in the refrigerator and they needed to be used up. I loved the rich, caramelized flavor of the blackened carrots in Stir-Fried Carrots with Ginger, Lime, and Cilantro, so I used that cooking method, combined with a bit of local honey to create a simple, but satisfying quick side.

Sauteed Honey Carrots
serves 2

1/2 T. canola oil
8 oz. carrots, peeled and cut on an angle into 1/4-inch thick ovals
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 T. honey

1. In a medium pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (it will loosen up and start to shimmer), add the carrots and salt and stir well to combine. Turn the heat up to high and cook, stirring occasionally and spreading the carrots out in an even layer after every stir, until the carrots are softened and browned in places, 12 to 13 minutes.

2. Remove pan from heat and drizzle honey over carrots, tossing to coat thoroughly.

Honey Polenta Cornbread

I've been craving cornbread for a few weeks and with the advent of fall and football season, I decided to kick off a season of Packer games with some chili and cornbread. When I decided to make cornbread, I went to my current favorite baking book, Good to the Grain, and sure enough I already had the recipe for Honey Polenta Cornbread bookmarked. And just like everything else in this cookbook, this cornbread is amazing, the best I've ever had. The delectable crust and swirls of honey butter throughout the batter make this cornbread almost feel like dessert, but not so much so that it isn't perfectly at home dunked into a big bowl of chili. The whole grain flours make the taste much more complex and flavorful, as does the polenta, which also creates a wonderful texture.

Honey Polenta Cornbread
from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce
serves 8

One day, faced with a large amount of cooked polenta, I though to stir some into a batch of cornbread for dinner. It was the best pan of cornbread I'd ever made, moist, with a nice grainy chew. So this recipe calls for par-cooked polenta, which means an extra step in your kitchen, but you'll find it's well worth the effort. I tested this recipe with purchased, precooked polenta, just to see if I could eliminate a step, but it wasn't successful. So just make your own, and eat any extra with some wilted greens and a bit of grated cheese.

This cornbread is delicious-wholesome with a fine crumb and swirl of honey butter throughout. When the cornbread is hot from the oven even more honey butter is brushed over the top as a glaze, which gives the crust its sheen and an extra sweet-bite.

Butter for the pan

1 cup coarse polenta grains, or cornmeal
1/4 t. kosher salt

Dry Mix:
1.5 c. graham flour 
1 c. millet flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
2 t. kosher salt

Wet Mix:
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 c. whole milk
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. unsulphured (not blackstrap) molasses
3 eggs

Glaze:
 2 T. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 c. honey
1/4 t. kosher salt

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2.5-quart baking dish.

2. Make the polenta: In a medium pot, bring 3 cups of water and the salt to a boil. Sprinkle in the polenta grains, stirring constantly to prevent clumping. Turn the heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occassionally, until the polenta is thick and creamy, about 10 to 15 minutes.

3. To make the glaze, melt the butter, honey, and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk the glaze until smooth and set aside.

4. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back into the bowl any bits of flour or other ingredients that may remain in the sift, and set aside.

5. As soon as the polenta is done, measure 1 cup of it into a medium bowl, add the butter, and stir until the butter is melted and the polenta is smooth. Add the milk, honey, molasses, and eggs to the polenta bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.

6. Using a spatula, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, folding the batter and mixing until just combined. Pour half of the batter into the pan and smooth, drizzle a third of the honey butter over the batter, scrap the rest of the batter over the glaze, spread the batter evenly and smooth the top. Drizzle more of hte honey butter of the top, reserving the last third to brush over the finished cornbread.

7. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, the edges have pulled slightly from the side of the pan, and a skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

8. While the cornbread is hot, brush the last of the glaze over the top crust. The cake can be eaten warm or cool from the pan, or it can be cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic, and kept for up to 2 days.

Quick Three Bean Chili

Few dishes are more at home in cool fall and winter days than chili. It's one of the foods that I really look forward to as the cool weather creeps in and we leave summer behind. Chili and football, another event that heralds the beginning of fall, are a perfect pair and I decided to kick off my season of Packer snacks with a batch of chili (and cornbread, recipe to come). Today ended up feeling more like a summer than fall day, but I still happily devoured a hearty bowl of chili with a big piece of cornbread. Although this is far from your traditional chili, it has the advantage of coming together quickly, without sacrificing rich flavor due to the addition of bacon. This chili is a healthy and filling dish and could easily be put together on a weeknight for dinner as well as easily turned into a vegetarian or vegan dish. It contains both jalapeno peppers and a healthy portion of chili powder; cut back on the chili powder if you don't like things too spicy or throw in the jalapeno seeds if you like things extra spicy.

Quick Three Bean Chili
from Food and Wine
serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 slices of bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 jalapeños, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
One 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
One 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped cilantro and sour cream, for serving

1. In a medium soup pot, heat the oil until hot. Add the bacon, onion, jalapeños and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until the onion is softened and the bacon fat has been rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the beans, tomatoes and stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer the chili over moderately low heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve with cilantro and sour cream.

Coconut-Chocolate Bread

This is about as close to a Mounds bar as bread is going to get. You're not going to be able to use this bread for sandwiches, but it does make an indulgent piece of toast when spread with Nutella. Not quite as indulgent as a pastry, but much easier to make, this bread is an excellent snack or sweet start to the day. There's just no excuse for not having homemade bread around with a method this easy that produces such a wide variety of types of bread!

Coconut-Chocolate Bread
from My Bread by Jim Lahey

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (280 grams) bread flour
2 cups loosely packed (100 grams) unsweetened large-flake coconut
1 cup (150 grams) semisweet chocolate chunks
3/4 teaspoon (4 grams) table salt
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) instant or other active dry yeast
1.25 cups (280 grams) water
Wheat bran or additional flour for dusting

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, half of the coconut, the chocolate, salt, and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is puffy and the dough is more than doubled in size, 12 to 18 hours.

2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with bran or flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.

3. Place a tea towel on your work surface, generously dust it with wheat bran or flour, and sprinkle it with 1/2 cup of the remaining coconut. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. Lightly sprinkle the surface with the remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

4. Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third, and place a covered 4.5- to 5.5-quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.

5. Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly but gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. (Use caution-the pot will be very hot). Cover the pot and bake for 40 minutes.

6. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 20 to 25 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.