So, what’s the loot? It’s a SIGNED copy of the fabulously composed “Sips & Apps” book that’s just busting at the seams with great ideas for the summer!

Copyright Kathy Casey 2009

Kathy is just wonderful, warm and fun to be around, and of course it doesn’t hurt that she’s a killer cook that never fails to impress me with the great treats (liquid or otherwise) she offers up.

Want to enter to win? Click through to the full post for details!

Copyright Kathy Casey

To enter:

1. simply go check out Kathy’s website, http://www.KathyCasey.com, go to her recipes page, blog and look up a cocktail or appetizer you want to make for all your lucky BBQ and cocktail party guests this summer! (of course the book has WAY more and newer ones as well)
2. Then, come on back and leave me a comment on this post with the Sip or App name and link of the recipe!
3. Do this before Friday, June 10th at 11:59pm Pacific time and you’ll be entered to win the signed book that will make you the official fabulous bartender and cook among your friends.

GOOD LUCK!

Sake #1: Junmaiginjo Jokigen. (Taste slightly of pears)

Note from Barrie: jump off the cliff, go for it!!!

Tasting note: Satori cheese, paired with Sato’s Rice Label sake. The cheese is a asiago cows milk from Winsconsin. The cheese smells of tomato and rye before you eat it.

Pairing #2:

Drink: A rum out of Martinique from a family joint.
Note: a slice of lime rather than a wedge for the drink to prevent sourness.

Espresso rinded cheese with rum??? DUHHHH, THAT'S A YES! www.TheCheeseImpresario.com

Barrie note: “Just like a relationship,1+1 should always = more than 1. Put each other on a pedestal.”

And here are some of the pictures I tweeted while there last night:

Getting ready for a delicious evening of cheese, spirits, friends and food lessons with The Cheese Impresario, Barrie!

Okay, so I ended up doing more talking, sampling and “mmmmmmm!”ing than note taking, but my phone battery was dying and can you really blame me anyway?!  Everything was amazing and Barrie blew my mind, what an amazing ability to sense the best of each ingredient and think outside the box! I hope she does another event soon, and for the larger public, because it would be REALLY fun to have a group of friends go to this together and learn, eat and have a blast!

A HUGE thank you to my girl, Keren, (www.FranticFoodie.com) for putting this together and inviting to me come along for the ride.  An equally HUGE thank you to Barrie Lynn, (www.TheCheeseImpresario.com) for being so fabulous and wonderful and letting us all experience what she’s known for years: CHEESE RULES!

Check out Barrie’s series, Cheese Rules, on Small Screen: http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/cheeserules 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBko_3wT44Q

Today was a pretty big day for me, press wise.  Why? Two things happened:

1. I had my first published article come out in the print version of Seattle Weekly.

I haven’t seen it yet, because I was at work all day, but my first stop on the way into work tomorrow will be at a paper box (the Weekly is FREE to pick up, so keep your eyes open for those paper boxes on city street corners and outside restaurants) to pick up a few copies to send to my parents, Paul and keep for myself.

(Side note: I also found my Dinner and a Movie article from the Weekly syndicated over at RealBeer.com, which I had no idea existed till now….)

2. I found this little gem on the Interwebulars tonight while I was surfing:

Thanks for returning the favor, guys!

I noticed that Stumptown added my Top 5 Lattes listing from my Seattle Weekly article to their “In the Press” archives.  I consider this to be an honor because I really admire the work they do – how seriously they take their coffee, so that we the drinkers, don’t have to! We just get to enjoy our cup of liquid happiness.  So, thank you, Stumptown, for putting me “In the Press” and letting people know how a true local feels. I’ve loved your coffee since I took my first sip in the original Division St. garage joint during my college days.

And to top it off, I got all the grocery shopping done for the wedding shower I’m hosting this weekend, then I came home and had an awesome green pepper, tofu Indian dish and finished off the night with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

CLASSYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

credit: Kate Schenk @ NudeFood

A great food friend of mine, Kate, has a fabulous food blog that is very well educated and thoughtful about food. The dishes she makes are tasty, wholesome, and not skimpy on the flavor or filling.

She recently posted on something I have almost every day: steelcut oatmeal. I learned something new, and I thought I’d share it with you today, as a nice little read that might just make you reconsider what you eat for breakfast!

Please enjoy a sampling of NudeFood from Kate Schenk.

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal

I recently bit the bullet and had all four wisdom teeth removed, something I should’ve done as a teenager. It was horrible. Actually, beyond horrible. I was part of the 30% who had problems with blood clots forming (mine formed, just very slowly) and was therefore in excruciating pain for one week straight. Thank god I’ll never have to do that again.

As you can imagine, the first five days necessitated a lackluster diet of yogurt, applesauce, pudding and juice, and let me tell you, I’ll never underestimate texture again. So the moment I felt well enough to chew, I made a big batch of steel cut oatmeal. 

Why steel cut as opposed to rolled oats, you ask? Because their taste (nutty) and texture (chewy) are superior. Sure, they take a bit longer to cook but the proof is in the porridge. 

The best way to prepare steel cut oats is by soaking them overnight. Not only does this cut the cooking time down to 10 minutes, it vastly improves the nutritional profile. Here’s the thing: whole grains contain phytates, which are indigestible organic acids. Left untreated, they bind to nearby minerals (calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc) and block their absorption. Simple soaking actually neutralizes phytates so that they can’t make off with the good stuff. Therefore, grains that have been soaked, fermented or sprouted are much more nutritious than their untreated versions. 

I find it fascinating that most cultures, especially preindustrial cultures, fermented or sprouted their grains before turning them into porridge, breads or cakes. In India they ferment lentils and rice for at least two days in order to make idli and dosas. Ground corn is soaked by African natives before being added to stews while in Mexico, corn cakes called pozol are wrapped in banana leaves to ferment for days. That amazing Ethiopian bread, injera, with its slightly sour taste is made by fermenting a grain called teff. Throughout Europe grains were soaked overnight in soured milk or water before being turned into porridge. Even our American pioneers understood the benefits of treating grains; they were famous for their sourdough breads, pancakes and biscuits. Unfortunately, much of this ancient wisdom has been lost in the buzz of modern life, and quite recently at that. The instructions on the Quaker oatmeal box used to call for an overnight soaking!

With a little forethought you can easily reap the benefits of soaked grains. In the case of steel cut oatmeal, simply boil the oats in water for 1 minute and then let them sit overnight. Another ten minutes in the morning is all it takes to sit down to a piping hot bowl of goodness.

I’d say those 11 minutes are worth it.

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal

Soured, fermented oats had a place in the traditional Welsh diet. This treatment is much simpler but provides similar benefits. This oatmeal topped with a little butter and cream tastes exceptional.

3 large or 4 moderate servings

4 cups water

1 cup steel-cut oats

Pinch of salt, optional

Toppings of choice: butter, maple syrup, milk, cream, brown sugar, fruit, nuts, etc.

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the oats and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.

In the morning, heat the oats along with a pinch of salt (if using) over high heat, uncovered, until boiling. Reduce to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until the oatmeal is tender but still has a bit of chew. Divide among bowls and top as desired.

I just finished decorating my tree last week and you may have seen my tablescape in last Friday’s post.  But today I want to share someone fantastic with you.  My blogging friend, Lauren, from Pure Style Home.

Lauren is so nice, knowledgeable and crafty! She really thinks outside the box, does a ton with limited resources for clients and comes up with stunning rooms. And her fellow bloggers are not the only ones who agree.  She was just featured in Better Homes and Gardens December issue! Her home and family are shown in a seven page spread that is just fabulous.

She shows that style really does reflect who you are, and doesn’t have to be expensive to be upscale, organic, fresh and vintage all at the same time.  I wanted to share a couple images here, but really you should follow her blog or go pick up a copy of Better Homes and Gardens.  Thumbing through her article actually gave me a revived sense of what I wanted to do at my new apartment (first christmas there), and renewed energy to do it all myself since I now live alone.

I hope you enjoy the article and images of her beautiful home and family as much as I have!  Happy Holidays, friends! Only a handful of days till stockings are stuffed!  All this talk about holiday decorating makes me want to throw on an old record and bake some cookies with sprinkles or something!

Since I had such ‘great success’ (Borat voice) with the Mr. Bandy Udon post yesterday, I thought I’d through you all one more Bandy Bone this week. (I like that, and I’ll continue to use that little quip, thankyouverymuch!)

Jeff had created a great post a few months back I had wanted to post, but never got around to it.

It’s about biscotti, which I think is the undercover cassarole of the baking world. You can literally put anything you want into a biscotti and it’s still good. You can make them sweet or savory, dipped or ‘virgin’.  I have a good, versatile recipe somewhere that has like 5 or less ingredients in it. When I get my cookbooks unpacked at the new place, I’ll find it and share with you! I know it’s a recipe, but honestly it’s only a few ingredients and once you make it a couple times, you can do it from memory!

So without further ado, here’s Jeff’s post on Honey-Lavender Biscotti

This was my first attempt at biscotti, so I of course turned to my Baking Illustrated cookbook. Turns out I really like big chunks of almonds/hazelnuts/etc. in my biscotti, so these guys weren’t my favorite. Interesting to be sure, but the flavor is very subtle. I think that they would have been much more interesting with a more assertive honey, like a spicy clover honey. The run-of-the-mill honey I used just faded into the background. I have to say, however, that the aroma that filled my apartment while these were baking was out of this world — creamy, buttery tones with heady citrus and lavender notes floating overhead. Words don’t suffice.

I used the lessons I learned in making these for the chocolate almond biscotti below, specifically the tricks with the wax paper and keeping my hands good and floured. The “cylinders” I was able to form with this dough were hideous. Still, a good learning experience, and like I said, the aroma. Wow.

Ingredients
2 1/4 c (11 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c (4 2/3 oz) sugar
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp minced zest from 1 orange
1 Tbsp dried lavender blossoms

Directions
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl, set aside.

Whisk the sugar and eggs in a large bowl to a light lemon color; stir in the honey, vanilla, orange zest, and lavender. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the egg mixture, then fold in until just combined.

Divide the dough in half and place one portion on a work surface covered with floured wax paper or parchment paper. With floured hands, pat it into a cylinder about 2 inches in diameter and 12 to 15 inches long. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Cut the parchment paper and, using the paper as a sling, roll the dough into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Place in the oven and bake about 35 minutes, rotating halfway through, until firm to the touch. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool for 5 minutes, then cut on an angle into slices one-half-inch thick. Return the slices to the baking sheet, laying them on their cut sides, and return them to the oven. Bake another 15 minutes, turning over each cookie halfway through, until they are crisp and golden brown on each side. Allow to cool completely before storing or serving.

Thanks again Jeff, for a fantastic share!

I’m just getting over being sick for a full month, and when I’m sick I crave Japanese food. I wish I had found this recipe when I was just coming down with the plague. It’s cheap, comforting, easy, and incredibly satisfying. It’s also arguably the healthiest thing I’ve ever made in the kitchen.

This recipe comes from the venerable Veganomicon and features red miso, which magically enhances any broth-y entree.

Since I live alone, I bought all the ingredients, prepped the onions and mushrooms, set half of them aside, and cooked a half recipe two days in a row. Fresh udon noodles should be available at any halfway-fancy grocery store – in fact, I’ve never seen dried udon noodles, so fresh noodles may be easier to find. I also at least doubled the amount of fresh ginger in this recipe, but your ginger threshold may not be as high as mine.

Ingredients

1/2 lb fresh or dried udon noodles
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
4 oz shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, stems trimmed, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
2 Tbsp mirin (optional)
2 cups water
3 Tbsp miso (preferably red, if using light add another Tbsp)
4 c chopped kale
2 tsp soy sauce

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the udon per the directions. Fresh udon will take about 2 min. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside.
2. Saute the onion and mushrooms in the oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute.
   Add the mirin, water, soy sauce, and miso, and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Reduce the heat and add the kale.
5. Toss with tongs until kale has wilted, about a minute.
6. Add the noodles, toss again, and serve.

Today we have a special treat, a fun new food friend (say that 5 times fast!) of mine, Dina Goode, is here to share a recent fabulous find with us.

Dina, take it away!

***

Hello A Half Cup Readers! 

It’s always such fun to talk food… and when I recently told Siiri that a piece of cake blew me away, our fearless foodie suggested I share broadly with all of you. 

What’s all the fuss?  The Chocolate Coconut Cake from The Kingfish Cafe (602 19th Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98112) 

The picture below  is of our very lovely server that evening, Kelyn, who practically had to drive the glorious slice of baked beauty over to our cozy table!

Indeed, the cake was about the size of a steering wheel but much prettier…thanks to Kelyn’s artful plate decoration—framing the cake in almost Florentine swirls of chocolate sauce.   Yes, chocolate cake is ubiquitous but trust me; this cake was really special and stands out in the culinary crowd… which says a lot about a dessert in my humble opinion!  It was very good dark chocolate cake, excellent buttercream frosting, hugged by a nice layer of freshly grated coconut… topped with clouds of whipped cream, a drizzle of Carmel sauce (I know, I know–does this end?!) and crowned with a fan of perfectly sliced ripe strawberries.  The presentation was really beautiful and impressive.

Need I say more?  It was worth every calorie…and with a few sips of coffee on a rainy Seattle evening in winter….it was a heavenly little moment of comfort and joy. Thanks, Kelyn and Kingfish! 

Dina Goode

And I promised that I’d share with you a great recipe for cast iron skillet corn bread, from my friend, Lauren.  Lauren and I work together (at my day job), and she’s a native Tennessian (sp?).

Lauren moved to Seattle with her husband a couple years ago, as he’s a Seattle native.  For her birthday this year, her mom (aka MomBun) sent her a cast iron skillet, some corn meal and her family recipe for corn bread.

Now, this is a big deal, for a Southern woman to open her recipe book and share with everyone. So, I’m VERY excited to present Lauren’s guest post about cast iron skillet corn bread!

Take it away, Lauren:

Greetings A Half Cup readers!  I’m so excited to be Siiri’s first guest blogger – and even more excited to share a little slice of my southern heritage with y’all. 

As mentioned in Siiri’s pot rack post, my birthday was this past weekend.  I was SO excited to receive a seasoned Log Cabin cast iron skillet in the mail from my momma back home in Tennessee!  She was also sweet enough to include a 5 pound sack of White Lily brand self-rising white cornmeal mix!!  (This is the secret to making the cornbread of my childhood and unfortunately isn’t sold here in the northwest. 

After a lot of searching, I discovered other transplanted southerners were having it shipped – (a four sack case for under $20 is an extremely reasonable price!)

I couldn’t wait to christen my new skillet and break open the cornmeal mix!  With fingers crossed I hoped that I could finally make something similar to what I grew up eating. 

To start, coat the bottom of your skillet with oil and pop it into a 425 degree oven.  This will ensure that your cornbread will fry ever so slightly on the bottom – giving you a crisp crust.

While that’s coming to temperature, combine the following ingredients in a large bowl. (Just until moist, don’t over mix!)

2 cups White Lily self-rising white cornmeal mix
1 ½ cups milk or buttermilk (no lowfat milk here or your consistency will be off)
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg

Once the oven has come to temperature, pour in the mix and bake for 20-25 minutes.  When done, the edges will turn golden brown and pull away from the skillet. 

Let the cornbread cool for a few minutes before inverting it onto a plate and slathering with butter (my favorite) or covering with homemade crock-pot beef stew (my daddy’s favorite).

I’m happy to report that this batch of cornbread turned out wonderful and reminded me of home sweet home in west Tennessee.  For other southern style recipes, visit my family blog!

—————–

Thanks so much for sharing that great recipe, Lauren! And please thank your mom also, for me and all my readers! (all 10 of them!)

Next up on the cast iron skillet agenda: braised chicken.

Stay tuned!

PS: If any of you readers out there have questions for Lauren, or tips and tricks of your own for a corn bread recipe, we’d love to hear from you! So send me a comment!