Red Pepper Dip

 This is such an easy recipe if you have a food processor.

Persian Roasted Pepper Dip (Modern Persian Bride)

1 cup unflavored bread crumbs

1 15 oz jar of fire roasted peppers, drained

1 cup of walnuts

6 garlic cloves

2 T Balsamic vinegar (I use Saba)

1 T lime juice

2 teaspoons cumin

2 T Olive Oil

Put everything into the food processor and blend until smooth.

Serve with challah.

Saffron Risotto

 I seem to remember making risotto as difficult. This recipe was easy and delicious.

Saffron Risotto

• 4-6 cups of vegetable stock - warm
• 1 T Olive Oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• kosher salt
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 1 T saffron threads
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Bring the stock to a low simmer.
• Heat oil in a large pot, and add onion and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add the rice and a bit of salt. Sautee for 2 minutes. Add the wine and saffron, and bring to a simmer, stirring, until the rice has absorbed most of the wine.
• Add a ladle or two of stock; bring to a simmer while stirring. The rice should absorb most of the stock. Continue to add a ladle of stock to the rice and having it be absorbed before adding a new one. This process should take 18 minutes or so. You do not need to add all of the stock. 
• Add the butter and stir. Turn off heat and stir in cheese. Cover. Let sit for 2 minutes.

Serves four.

Maine

 Happy anniversary to me and Adam. Married for 27 years. We decided to take a three day vacation to Portland, Maine.

We stayed at the Percy Inn, which provided us a quaint place to stay in the West End.

We did some shopping in the Old Port.

We ate some great food at EVO, Honey Paw and had Gelato Fiasco. I had lobster!

We saw lighthouses. We went on a van tour of the Real Portland Tour.

Years ago I saw the Holy Donut on the Food Network. I finally got to try one!

Learned about Liberty Ships

Stopped at the Observatory:

Caught a game at the Seadogs and saw a helicopter land on a hospital

We took a trip to LL Bean and stopped here at Garmin. Yes, that is a model earth.

We did a day trip to Brunswick, Maine (ran into a friend who had moved out of Newton).

Worst Date Night Ever

 Adam and I were headed to dinner and a concert on Saturday night, when OUT of NO WHERE we were HIT HARD from behind on the Mass Pike at 5:15 PM.

We are truly lucky to be here today and to be able to write this blog.

The REPEAT DRUNK DRIVER HIT US! And he is uninsured.

And my father in law found this video:

https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/sxM-CVOlMDIxpYp6cGxlKJ?domain=youtu.be

Chocolate Biscotti for Passover

 I am always on the lookout of a new yummy Passover recipe. This year’s new entry is chocolate biscotti from Paula Shoyer.

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

2 large eggs

3 Tablespoons of vanilla sugar (The Spice House in Evanston, IL)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 T potato starts

1 1/2 c almond flour (finely ground almonds, there is no flour)

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Once melted, remove pot with water. Into the chocolate, whisk in sugar and oil. Then add the eggs and mix. The add vanilla sugar, cocoa, potato starch and almonds. Mix well. Add chocolate chips.

Divide the dough into two and shape into two loaves. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes; and then cut the loaves into slices. Bake the cookies cut side down for 10-12 minutes. Don’t overtake.

Put cookies onto wire cooling rack.

Tahini Blondies

 Adeena Sussman

She has two amazing cookbooks out - Sababa and Shabbat. I have made a few recipes in each.

Here is the Tahini Blondie recipe which is amazing.

• 1/2 cup 

  canola oil 

• 1 1/4 cups 

  all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon 

  baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon 

  ground cardamom 

• 1/2 teaspoon 

  fine sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon 

  freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons 

  lightly toasted black sesame seeds

• 2 tablespoons 

  lightly toasted white sesame seeds

• 1 1/4 cups 

  lightly packed light brown sugar

• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon 

  pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup 

  pure tahini paste

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with Pam.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, salt, pepper, and the black and white sesame seeds. 
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, 1⁄2 cup melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. 
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated, then fold in the tahini until smooth. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden on the outside and the center doesn’t jiggle but is still soft, 25 to 30 minutes. 
6. Remove from the oven, cool in the pan, and cut into 16 equal squares.

Leap Day 2024

I know my blog hasn’t been updated in a bit. I have been a bit busy. In the last seven days we have been to UVM, UMASS Amherst and UNH Admitted Students Day. Great to spend time with my high school senior, but a lot of driving also.

Here are some photos from UVM (dairy barn)

And from UMASS (Goats and Sheep)

What have I been cooking????

My new favorite thing is sweet potato nachos from Half Baked Harvest. Basically you cut sweet potatoes and roast them with a bunch of spices, including paprika. Then at the end you add black beans and shredded cheese and roast for a bit longer. I can’t tell you how easy this is and how delicious it is.