I saved all of the seeds from our recent acorn squash dishes, making sure they were removed from membranes and as dry as possible (I let them air-dry overnight and then set at 200 in the toaster oven for about 10 minutes). Toss the dried acorn squash seeds (equivalent to the seeds from one whole… Continue reading Curried acorn squash seeds
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Mrs. Tasca’s pumpkin nut bread
Preheat oven to 350. Combine 3 cups sugar, 1 cup neutral vegetable oil, 4 eggs, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ½ tsp allspice, ¼ tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves, and 1 tsp salt. When well-mixed, use an electric blender to fold in 1 cup canned pumpkin, 2/3 cup water, 2 tsp baking soda,… Continue reading Mrs. Tasca’s pumpkin nut bread
Roast acorn squash with maple glaze
Preheat oven to 425. Clean, halve, and remove seeds from 2 acorn squash. Place acorn halves on a cookie sheet, cut side up. Separately, mix 2 Tbsp each brown sugar, maple syrup, and olive oil. Spoon the mixture onto the cut portion of each squash half (the mixture likely will pool in the hollow). Bake… Continue reading Roast acorn squash with maple glaze
Italian rustic vegetable, sausage, and polenta soup
Saute 2 hot Italian chicken sausages (casings removed) with some olive oil in a large Dutch oven, breaking up into pieces. When sausage is browned, remove and set aside. Using the same pot, add 2 onions (chopped), minced garlic, several sprigs thyme, 4 sage leaves (julienned), and 2 carrots (chopped). Season with a little salt… Continue reading Italian rustic vegetable, sausage, and polenta soup
Pumpkin pie
I’m not much of a baker, but my husband loves pumpkin pie, so I decided to try out a recipe. I used a pre-made crust as a shortcut. Preheat oven to 425. Combine ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp each ginger and allspice, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp salt, and 1/8… Continue reading Pumpkin pie
Italian caponata
In a wide, high-walled, and heavy skillet, heat ¼ cup olive oil on medium heat. Add one celery stalk (chopped) and sauté until crisp-tender. Fold in one medium eggplant (cubed), and saute until a little wilted (the eggplant will absorb most of the olive oil). Season with a little salt. Then add a chopped, seeded… Continue reading Italian caponata
Spaghetti with meatballs
This is one of my husband's favorite dishes, so I decided to try out a recipe. First, start the sauce: in a large Dutch oven, heat a little olive oil, then sauté 1 onion (chopped) and 4 cloves garlic (minced). When fragrant, add a 56 oz can of plum tomatoes and their juices pureed with… Continue reading Spaghetti with meatballs
Auntie Jenny’s mocha cake
Preheat oven to 350. Sift the following dry ingredients together: 2 cups flour, 2 cups white sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp baking soda, and 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Using… Continue reading Auntie Jenny’s mocha cake
Mexican pork, hominy, and ancho chile stew (pozole rojo)
Using a large Dutch oven, saute 2 chopped onions in a little canola oil, sprinkle with a little salt. When translucent, add 5 cloves minced garlic. Place large chunks of bone-in pork shoulder (here, 4 ½ lb pork butt) in pot, browning on each side (about 8 mins). Add 14.5 oz canned, diced tomatoes, 6… Continue reading Mexican pork, hominy, and ancho chile stew (pozole rojo)
Burmese fish curry
Marinate 1 lb catfish, cod, or tilapia fillets (6 pieces per fillet) in 2 tsp microplaned ginger, 4 cloves garlic (minced), 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp turmeric, and 1 tsp paprika for at least 15 minutes. Heat a large nonstick, deep pan with 1 Tbsp neutral oil, then gently brown the marinated catfish on… Continue reading Burmese fish curry
Cooking Adventures 