Pumpkin Pie with a Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust

Happy Post Thanksgiving! I hope you had a relaxing and cozy weekend, filled with good food and better company. We were definitely on the move in our household.  Thanksgiving lunch was spent with my side and dinner with his. I'm grateful that our parentals live only 25 minutes apart!

The food was the traditional meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies, and (my all time favorite) stuffing. The older I get, the more I realize that turkey really isn't as magical as I remember from childhood.  Funny how nostalgia makes things taste better.  The giant bird is very hard to do well; plus my family keeps trying that turducken stuff which has been unimpressive. I think you need to be a true Carnivore to appreciate the art of turducken.

Usually, my mom doesn't want me to cook anything on holidays. Strange, right? Her philosophy is the less I do, the more I can relax. It's a bit of a catch 22. The kitchen is one of my favorite ways to relax. The stress sets in when I feel the pressure to be perfect. The only person creating this pressure is myself because food is a form of expression. For me, it's a tiny way to show my love. 

Hence why 6 hours were shot creating dinner rolls for Mike's family. *puts head on desk* See what happened was... a friend showed up on our front door unexpected the night before Thanksgiving. The dinner rolls were done shortly before they departed and they had come out perfect! In the midst of parting, I totally forgot that the dinner rolls were still resting in the oven. It was time to make the pumpkin pie, so I preheated the oven and... well... at about 400 degrees I smelt something toasting. Destroyed. 

Defeat?

Never.

Back at it. Measure, mix, knead, and rise for another hour. After forming the rolls, I slipped the unrisen dough into the freezer for Thanksgiving. The next day, chaos in my mother's kitchen overtook the poor dinner rolls. There was a battle between my tia's sweet potatos and my beloved rolls over oven space... and she won. Every time I turned around, she had slipped her tray of potatoes back in the oven, directly above the rolls. They never stood a chance.

Needless to say, this Thanksgiving, there was no Sprite in my red wine. Salude! Please feel free to share your favorite holiday kitchen disasters! It's all goodie though. The Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake, specially made for my brother, came out fantastic. This year, I decided to try something a little different with the Pumpkin Pie.

The filling of the pie is from America's Test Kitchen. The spices are standard issue for a pumpkin pie. The technique is the key! You warm the pumpkin puree over the stove to deepen the flavor and then pour it directly into a half baked pie crust straight from the oven. Everything has to be hot and timed! This will prevent the pumpkin from dampening the crust. Pretty slick, no?

The other exciting aspect of this year's pie was the Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust. Yah trust me- when my girlfriend shared this concept with me, I nearly threw a chair. For your viewing ease, I flipped once slice of pie to show off it's pretty under belly. All you need is some pre-made pie crust, a little butter, and some cinnamon. Check out Taste for Adventure's post for a detailed break down of the process.

Note: when you smooth the rolls into the bottom of the pie dish- make sure they're nice and thin. Mine were a little too chubby still and made for a thicker then desired pie crust. It should cover the entire pie dish.

The baking time of the crust and the filling magically aligned. The crust needs 25 minutes to pre-bake and a total cooking time of 40 minutes. How ideal! America's Test Kitchen's Best Pumpkin Pie recipe (not the one with the yams) needs 15 minutes to bake and requires a hot, pre-baked crust! So all you have to do is bake the crust (at whatever heat it requires) for 25 minutes, then you add the warmed pumpkin pie filling and continue to bake for another 15 minutes at the filling's required temperature.

If you're feeling extra frisky, top with home-made whipped cream with a touch of rum or bourbon and toasted pepitas!

Once again, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. It's quite obvious here as to what Autumn's grateful for! We both love this guy something fierce.

For the recipes, check out Taste for Adventure (crust) and America's Test Kitchen (pie filling).

From Jerusalem: Chocolate Krantz Cakes

 Now this bread... is very exciting.

I stumbled upon it by accident on 101 Cookbooks. Heidi posted a Fattoush recipe that's from Yotam Ottolenghi's new cookbook, "Jerusalem." As a teaser, she posted a few snapshots of the book's content. It sounded interesting enough but I wasn't convinced to explore it much further than that. Until I saw an image of Chocolate Krantz Cakes. Hawt d@mn. 

This is going to sound nerdy, but when I saw the method to making this yeast bread, fireworks went off. I've made plenty of yeast breads: roll,rise, cut, rise, bake. The difference is in the cut! Instead of chopping the dough into cinnamon buns or rolls, this bread is rolled and then sliced straight down the middle. For some reason, this blew my mind.

For this sole loaf of bread... I purchased the book. Flipping through, there are awesome recipes and stunning photographs. It was a well worth investment. I am ecstatic to have it on the book shelf.

What you need to know about this bread is it needs love and deserves love, because the pay off is serious. It needs to rise overnight so come prepared. This isn't a willy nilly on the fly investment. Like most breads, it's ideal when you have nothing better to do than stay at home or in the relative area. 

After a night of rising in the fridge, you'll have to roll it out like a cinnamon roll and slather some mind blowingly luscious chocolate.  You've come this far- don't wimp out on the quality of the chocolate. There's a sprinkling of pecans that makes this a real treat. If you're short on pecans, I recommend substituting with almonds. Slice straight down the middle. Gently pinch the ends together on one side of the dough (like you're going to braid someone's hair) and cross one on top of the other. This part stressed me at first until Mike pointed out it's only a criss cross- not an actual braid. The bread rises again and is ready for the oven! Upon completion, generously coat in a simple syrup.  

Now the interesting thing... is in the introduction of the book, the author explain how Jerusalem is incredibly diverse in food from one block to another in the city. This is due to a myriad of historical influences and the culmination of cultures.   

Eating this bread, this was powerfully apparent. On the one hand, the simple syrup at the bottom of the bread made me think of a desi dessert, gulab jamun, where dough is saturated in syrup. At the same time, it reminded me of a Portuguese dessert called bola de bolacha which consists plain cookies, chocolate, and coated entirely in pecans (at least in my family's version). I was fascinated how two worlds could exist in one bite.

For the full recipe, check out Yotam Ottolenghi's cook book, Jerusalem. You will not be disappointed.

Curry In a Hurry

This recipe is fantastic! It's super quick, versatile, and most importantly- delicious. There are many different kinds of curry but I have found this to be my favorite one to make at home. The base is simply coconut milk and curry paste. 

You can find curry paste in the "Asian" section of your local grocery store. The original recipe suggests green curry paste but that never seems to be in stock, so we went with our usual red. It all depends on your preference. Green tends to be spicier and paired with eggplants, bamboo shoots, etc. Red curry winds up with peppers and onions. At least that's the trend that I have seen- don't lie to me Thai restaurants. 

Honestly, the last time I made this recipe, it included boiled red potatoes so don't feel limited by the recipe.  Use what's available in the salad bar if you're running short on time. Spice it up! I cook the base with red pepper flakes. Anything goes!

This meal is actually brought to you by Tropical Storm Sandy. We were very lucky in Virginia. Our house didn't lose power. In a recent trip to New York (trust me, it was not for happy reasons), we saw the ramifications all over Long Island. The gas lines were ridiculous and I felt very blessed to have a family that would never leave us hanging. Muito obrigada Tia Rose e Tio John, te amo. It's hard to believe a storm in the states could cause such damage. Please offer assistance if you're able.

With a simple grocery list and 15 minutes, you too can enjoy this warm and comforting meal. The only "modification" I made was a little less water because Mike likes his curry thick. It still wasn't "thick" enough, so I am going to try reducing the coconut milk next time to concentrate the flavor.  And honestly, this recipe could not come at a better time. Life's been busy. That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice dinner.

Serve with/without ride or bread if you need them carbs.

For the recipe, check out 101cookbooks!

Red Chard

Vegetables. They're good for you, especially if you're eating the right kind. Not all food is created equal these days. Growing up, I never rinsed bagged lettuce or checked to see if it was organic. Food was food!

Nowadays, we're constantly bombarded by media on the topic of nutrition. It's a bit paralyzing which way to turn. Some articles make you want to live off filtered water from a glass container (not plastic!) and interrogate the innocent produce worker on the pesticides used on your broccoli. Oh what a scene that would make at the local Giant.

At the end of the day, all you can do is try your best. My motto is to buy organic (yes yes yes... there are 'levels' of what passes for organic) whenever possible and to thoroughly rinse fruits and veggies. Don't obsess- you can't know the name of the cow that produced the gallon of milk you're taking home. In an ideal world, we would go to the farmer's market every weekend.

As it would so happen, that's where I met this beautiful red chard! I served it up as Sunday brunch with a variety of left over veggies. The key spice: turmeric, a natural cancer-fighting spice. It gives everything an orange hue! (Ugh, even spices should be organic. What the heck are they putting in the soil?) Serve with creamy avocado on the side. You can mix in some egg whites if you're determined to feel more "brunchy." Heck, even tofu would go well. Customize to your needs!

Red Chard for Brunch

olive oil
pinch of salt (optional)
healthy dash of red pepper
seasoning (you pick- just black pepper is fine): black pepper, garam masala, cayenne, etc.
2 teaspoons turmeric
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
8-10 stalks red chard, destemmed and chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
8 talks of asparagus, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup broccoli florets
egg whites (optional)
avocado (optional)

In a large skilled, heat olive oil (enough to generously coat the bottom of the pan) on medium heat. Add red pepper flakes and garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, season (pepper, cayenne, garam masala, etc.), and saute for another minute or two with the lid on- gives it a lil steam bath.

Add the asparagus and broccoli; give it a good mix and continue to cook for about 4 minutes. Season with tumeric and black pepper. You don't want soggy veggies. That's just gross. 

Finally, add the red chard. Cook until leaves wilt.

Wedding Planning: The Cupcake War

By the time our wedding planning is finalized, my mother is going to kick me. She's an amazing woman with the patience of a saint, hence her ability to raise me. I grew up in the same culture my grandmother raised her own daughters overseas. It was a tough code, but in retrospect, I understand and respect it. For example, during college, co-ed living situations were common. I asked if it was cool to rent an apartment with two male friends. Her response: "Excuse me? Does this look like 'Three's Company?'" Point goes to mom. Over the years, we have become a hybrid of old and new world. 

What hasn't changed, however, is her opinion on weddings. There is a formula. Thou shalt not deviate from the formula. This includes the church ceremony, transportation, food, and oh yes... a white wedding cake. 

Uh oh. 

Mike and I have opted out of the traditional wedding cake. They tend to be too gawdy, plain, or expensive. Plus, I hate fondant which is what's used for the majority of wedding cakes. Guests should bite in and love every aspect.  

Our response to this baker's dilemma: have guests pick their cupcake flavor on the invitations to create a cupcake tower. We've started the hunt for the perfect cupcake shop! Pictured above is our most recent trip to Buzz Bakery. Sad to say, we were not impressed. The shop itself is HELLA cute and there are lots of highschool students studying. It's family friendly and has a great variety of sweets.  Baked and Wired is at the top of the list and we even took a family trip there for a tasting. Mom's still working on liking this cupcake idea!

So. Who do you think reigns supreme in the cupcake scene? All feedback is appreciated! Thank you and have a great weekend!

PS. Art work by Mike. Check out his freelance art blog, that he never updates (kiss kiss)! 

Kale, Sweet Potato, & Tofu with Brown Rice

For each sugary confection you see on this blog, there are 5 healthy meals that go unposted. We're actually a really food conscious household. Dinner is a horrible time to document anything in the kitchen. The lighting is terrible, I don't use specific measurements, and telling Mike, "one more picture" when he's starving isn't the best idea.

My mother made salad every night, even if it was chopped up tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. The dressing is always olive oil, red vinegar, salt, and pepper. My body craves leafy greens every day! It's been beaten into my system and I love it. Sometimes though... a cold salad doesn't cut it. Especially now that winter is approaching.

That's why this "oven salad" from 1big bite is so incredible. A giant bed of lightly toasted kale topped with marinated tofu and baked sweet potatoes! Heaven! The bitterness of the kale compliments the natural sweetness of the potato while the tofu provides the perfect accent flavor. You have to give it a try. I have made this meal at least 3 times since it's initial discovery, and I rarely repeat new recipes. Mike demolishes his plate and it has kale on it. Kale people!

There are a few home modifications, but nothing major. I cook the kale a few minutes longer because we like the "crisped" edges. I season the sweet potatoes with a little extra spice like black pepper, cayenne, and crushed red pepper. I also like to add entire cloves of garlic while the kale is roasting. If you have the opportunity, marinate the tofu a night in advance so it really has time to absorb the sesame oil.

Serve on a bed of brown rice (not white, it's just not the same) with a lemon wedge for seasoning. This is one meal you will feel guilty asking for seconds... but only because everybody else does too.

For the recipe, check out 1big bite's site! And again, sorry the pictures aren't the best but hey- it's dinner time!


200 g / 1 cup brown rice
100 g / 3.6 oz kale, ribs removed and chopped
200 g / 7 oz. sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite size chunks (about one medium size)
200 g / 7 oz. tofu, extra firm (about half a block)
3 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
salt to taste
1 small lemon (juice and zest)
1 green onion, chopped

Cook brown rice: in a medium saucepan bring 500 ml / 2 cups of water to boil, add salt and brown rice and reduce heat to medium, let simmer for 45 minutes. Drain if necessary and fluff with a fork.

Drain the tofu: cover tofu with paper towels and set it on a plate, top with another plate and put something heavy on it (like a pan). Let stand for 15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 200 C / 400 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Toss sweet potato chunks with 1 Tbsp ghee, season with salt and spread in one layer on one baking sheet. Put into the oven for about 20 minutes at first (after that you will add tofu and kale and continue cooking all together).

Cut the tofu into cubes. Mix soy sauce and sesame oil in a medium bowl and add tofu and marinate for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare kale and toss in 2 Tbsp ghee, spread evenly over the other baking sheet.

Remove sweet potato from the oven, flip them with a spatula and add the tofu cubes to this baking sheet. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and put both baking sheets into the oven, continue cooking for 15-18 minutes.

In a big bowl bring together brown rice, sweet potato and kale, sprinkle with lemon zest and juice. Season to taste and top with green onion.

Halloween Bon Bon Brioche

What to do with all that pesky left over Halloween candy? Besides from eat all of it and give yourself a tummy ache. (It's not worth it. Step away from the Reeses.) I've seen all sorts of great ideas, like frozen pie, cupcake toppers, milkshakes, and (mom's favorite) hot cocoa.

Being cooped up for 2 days brought a little accidental inspiration. If you're on the East Coast, you probably experienced tropical storm Sandy. We were on lock down in Northern VA with nowhere to go. A whollllee day home. And our power didn't go out.   Yes, you know where this headed. 

I was a short on chocolate. There were kit kats lying about in anticipation for trick or treaters. A recipe for brioche. Let's do the thing.

Introducing my Halloween Bon Bon Brioche.  Don't make that face, pastry chefs! It may not be fancy chocolate but it gets the job done. I used the same measurements for the chocolate that were in the recipe, but substituted with a mix of dark chocolate and chopped up Kit Kats. You could do the same thing with any other chocolate based candy, though I'd be weary of anything with too much caramel. I loved finding bits of crunchy wafer in a sea of rich chocolate. And like any pastry- there's a lot of butter!

As for the brioche itself, I feel that I added too much all purpose flour. I stuck to the recipe verbatim and weighed the flour, but when it wouldn't stop sticking to the side of the mixer, I did what I would normally do with any other bread: added a lil more flour. I think this created a slightly thicker brioche. Woops! Ah well, can't be perfect every time.

Another error was made letting the bread rise too close to the edge of the cookie sheet when it was rising for the 2nd round, with no parchment paper underneath. Come on Michele! When it rose, it ballooned and had no where to go except to the left. The result... this crazy divide of chocolate and plain brioche. I tried to edge it to the center with a spatula for baking but alas, the structure of the bread threatened to split. We ended up eating the plain half of the brioche with jelly so everyone wins.

Don't be scared of brioche! It's a learning experience and I'm eager for round 2! For the full recipe, check out Citrus and Candy's Guest Post! And don't forget the Kit Kats!