All right, 2013, you’ve got my attention. You’re a big one.

Friends, it is with joy so intense I feel it in every part of my body that I get to tell you that Saveur magazine, along with all of you lovlies who voted, has named this here blog the best cooking blog of 2013. Wow. Just crazy wow.

There are so many things to say and yet I can’t hear the words beyond the excited screaming in my head.

This award is like a giant affirmation that I’m headed in the right direction and for someone, such as myself, who spends much of the time on the journey questioning. “Is this the right way? Should I turn here? Should I have kept walking straight or turned back there? Hmm. Maybe I’ll just stop here and wonder about which way to go for awhile.” This year it has been about walking forward with confidence and trusting that my steps are being guided and I’m just going along for the ride.

So I’m taking this award as a giant sign along the path that reads, “This is the right way! Keep going!”

But let’s get to the real reason why I’m here – to tell you about the best lunch I’ve had in a very long time. I mean I guess it’s not hard to beat the peanut butter and honey sandwiches that have become customary lunch around here.

No, you know what. It is hard to beat that. Peanut butter sandwiches are like eating a sweet memory from when your biggest problem was deciding which cartoon to watch. But they are still not as good as creamy slices of avocado under a layer of even creamier burrata which buckles under the weight of a pile of sweet and tangy roasted tomatoes. Add to that roughly torn basil and a squeeze of fresh lemon all on a butter toasted piece of country bread. Lunch.

It’s a caprese salad and yet it’s not. The genius behind the addition of avocado to this classic salad is Gaby Dalkins, author of the just released cookbook, Absolutely Avocados. A book devoted entirely to the glorious avocado. Of course there’s guacamole – goat cheese guacamole and spicy sesame guacamole, for example. Then Gaby goes and throws some avocado into her cookies and purees avocado with her hummus. She’s brilliant.

Now, I’m not sure my caprese will ever be without avocado. Or roasted tomatoes for that matter (unless it’s early September in Seattle when the tomatoes just off the vine have the same robust sweetness as those that have bathed in a hot oven for an hour).  And since we’re changing things up quite a bit I’m also fairly certain that all caprese salads around here will be eaten on top of buttery, crisp bread that was rubbed with fresh garlic. Pretty sure I can no longer call it caprese, but I will call it lunch and then I’ll go ahead and call it dinner too.

Roasted Tomato Caprese with Avocado

inspired by Absolutely Avocados by Gaby Dalkins

makes 3 tartines

1 large beefsteak tomato or 1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 large leaves fresh basil

1 tablespoon butter

3 thick slices of country bread

1 garlic clove

1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced thin

1/2 large burrata ball (mozzarella would work fine here)

1/2 lemon

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Cut the large tomato in 1/4″ inch slices. Lay on a parchment lined sheet tray and drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with the salt. If you are using the cherry tomatoes, simply toss them with the olive oil and salt and lay them in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet tray.

Roast for 1 – 1 1/2 hours until wilted, wrinkly and deeply caramelized in parts. The cherry tomatoes will sweet and deflate and some of the juices will scorch in places. This is good.

When the tomatoes have roasted, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a large skillet over medium heat add the butter to melt. Place the pieces of bread in the pan and cook until crisp and golden in parts, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Remove the bread from the pan and let cool.

Once cool assemble the tartines. Avocado slices line the bottom, next tear off a piece of the fragile burrata taking care to get parts of the creamy interior. Lick your fingers when no one is looking.

Add a small pile of roasted tomatoes on top. Then finish with some torn leaves of basil and a squeeze of lemon. Feel free to add a nice flaky salt on top too.

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*Thanks to the Random Number Generator we have a winner!! Brandon, from Kitchen Konfidence – CONGRATULATIONS! Thank you so much for all of you who entered. It was so fun to hear from so many of you!

Every time I hear the rumble of a truck roll down our street my heart jumps in my chest. Sometimes it’s the garbage man and that’s just not really that exciting. But there are times when it’s FedEx truck delivering a package. Those are my favorite times. Sort of like a whisper of Christmas even though it’s something I may have ordered for myself and it’s no surprise what’s inside. It rarely matters much what it is I just love getting packages in the mail. Although if the package comes with some nice tunes, three beautiful recipe cards and a fun ingredient to play with in the kitchen – well, then that’s just about the best package I can imagine.

Every month Turntable Kitchen does just that. They turn out stunning little packages and ship them off all over so every one can have their heart jump a little when the delivery guy knocks at the door. It’s a Pairings Box and this month I got the privilege of selecting a special ingredient (one of my current favorites) and creating three recipes to highlight said ingredient. It’s all hush hush, which makes the arrival of the little brown box that much more exciting.

I’m super excited to be able to give one of you the Pairings Box for April. If you’re interested in winning April’s box with my recipes just leave a comment below. I’ll select a winner this weekend.

In the meantime check out Turntable Kitchen (to swoon at that sweet little baby girl!!) and their Pairings Boxes.

I’ll be back soon with recipes, a video and bacon. It’s a great week here.

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Last year it was sage, this year parsley. In my small, yet efficient garden I allowed two parsley plants to go to seed at the end of last season. While I was trying to keep up with the sage by smashing it into an aromatic pesto and tucking it into aioli, the parsley was dropping its seeds and nestling them into the dirt. Those seeds slept through the Seattle gray spell then surprised me with their abundance this summer. I have parsley planted in both vegetable beds. It’s lining the path leading to our house and circling the base of our columnar apple trees (all two of them). You need parsley? You come to me as I have more than I know what to do with. I can’t even begin to imagine what next year’s harvest will be as I can’t bring myself to rip it out now knowing how hearty and prolific it is.

The thing is, in my family I’m the only one who likes the stuff. The kids run away from anything green, unless it comes on a stick and makes their mouths pucker with sweetness. And my husband graciously reminds me that he’s not much of a fan. But here’s the thing; I’m the cook in the family and there’s a yard full of parsley so I made pesto. Without having to put it on a stick the kids ate it quite happily and at the end of the meal I had to point out just how much parsley Gabe ate without complaining.

I’d call that a success – plates were clean and slowly but surely my parsley glut is dwindling.

Creamy Parsley Pesto

makes approximately 1 cup

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this pesto. While I do love parsley I feared that the shear amount of it would be too much but somehow between the pistachios, lemon, Parmesan and soft creaminess that comes through with the yogurt I found it not overly floral or soapy which can sometimes accompany parsley. Instead the pesto was bright, rich and perfect when folded into a warm bowl of nutty farro. Of course you don’t have to use it with farro. I can imagine on a sandwich, as a vegetable dip, folded into pasta or the topping to a seared steak or roasted chicken would all be lovely as well.

½ cup roasted pistachios (roast in a 350* oven for about 10 minutes or until fragrant)
1 ½ – 2 cups Italian parsley leaves
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
a hearty squeeze of lemon juice (approximately 1 Tablespoon)
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
salt

In a mortar and pestle or a food processor add the pistachios, parsley and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. Scrape the side of the bowl then drizzle in the oil and lemon juice while the machine is running. Add the remaining ingredients. Taste and add salt to your desire.

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When asked questions about childhood I often draw a blank. I’m mentally paralyzed as I search the dusty corners of my brain seeking to withdraw stories coated in details that reveal more about who I am today. I envy those that can paint vivid images of when they stood, just barely, on their sausage-like legs. They can seemingly make sense of every year of their life and beautifully illustrate how it informs of who they’ve become and anticipate who they are yet to be.

I can barely remember yesterday let alone the days when my permed hair was tangled into two little pig tails. But when a familiar taste from those days finds me then suddenly the surrounding details become more clear.

I remember gathering around our large oak table slightly off-set from the rest of the house, when mom had spent hours in the kitchen preparing a special dinner. I never liked seafood but salmon pie was another story. Perhaps it was the mashed potato filling and the buttery crust that made it bearable for me to choke down the fish that flecked the inside. Or it could have been the cream sauce made lightly sweet with chartreuse peas.
There is nostalgia over nachos as we had a date with them every Sunday night sitting down with a giant cheese-laden platter while watching America’s Funniest Home Videos followed by The Simpsons. I found comforte in fried tortillas and my family all around.

Taste triggers those memories of time with my family, of what season we were in while eating those meals and how sometimes it was just the meal itself that remained the constant while we all grew up in various forms.

With my own struggles to follow a recipe or make the same thing twice I worry that my kids won’t have repeated tastes to draw from but then, without consciousness, there seems to be flavors that mark our time. A dish that I can’t help but make again and again while the berries are fresh or while peas are at their sweetest. In the present we can grow weary of the same taste but I can’t bare to move on to another while the season produces perfection so briefly.

In this season we’ll recall sweet roasted strawberries buried into a buttery crust with cool whipped cream acting as a blanket filling the crevices. That taste will evoke memories of a potluck where neighbors gathered and the kids ran around us with swords and loud, happy voices. They’ll remember it as their sweet reward after working so hard to build their lemonade stand with promises of many cups of the sour/sweet themselves and sticky fingers counting the day’s profits.

We’ll also have the taste of a nutty, crisp cracker with pungent blue cheese and a bright, lightly spiced pickled peach. The kids may not remember this bite as much as just the crackers themselves but for me this taste will mark memories of a picnic that lasted nearly the whole day. Of a conversation with a new and not-as-new friend that left me feeling inspired, fulfilled and satisfied. Years later, when this taste evokes memory, I’ll laugh about nearly pummeling Lisa Fain (Homesick Texan) as I profusely thanked her for her pickled peaches that inspired this bite. It’s a taste of a Summer when the kids were young and we were tired but eager to soak in the sun and these precious days.

It’s one I’ll eat again and again for sealing in the memories of this season.

Cherry Rosemary Crisps
adapted from Dinner With Julie 

There are so many great flavors in these crackers it’s hard to pick just a couple to pull out for the sake of naming them. Call them whatever you want after you’ve tasted them. I was looking for an alternative to something like the Raincoast Crisp – which are reserved for special occasions because of their price. While this may not be a perfected version of those I was quite happy with what I came up with, as were the many people who I shared them with.

2 cups white whole wheat flour (all-purpose or whole wheat would work fine too)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 Tablespoons molasses
¼ cup honey
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup sesame seeds
¾ cup dried cherries
1 Tablespoon minced rosemary (or more if you prefer a stronger rosemary flavor)
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pre-heat the over to 350*F

Combine everything in a large bowl. Stir well to combine.

Pour the batter into two greased standard size (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 ½) loaf pans.

Bake until edges just start to pull away from the pan, about 40-45 minutes. The top should feel firm to the touch with a slight give.
Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before unmolding and continuing to let cool on a wire rack.

Slice the loaves as thin as you can ¼” (or thinner if possible) then place the slices on parchment lined sheet trays.

Bake at 300*F until crackers are crisp. The baking time will depend on the thickness of your crackers. Start with 15 minutes then flip and bake another 10 minutes. Continue to bake if they still feel soft. Some of mine took quite a bit longer.
Let cool completely before storing for up to two weeks in an airtight container.

Blue Cheese and Walnut Spread

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces blue cheese, (I like Rogue Creamerys’ blue)
1 cup (3 ounces) toasted walnuts

Cream the cream cheese and blue cheese in a food processor. Once combined pulse in the walnuts leaving some large bits of walnut intact.

Serve immediately or refrigerate in a well-sealed container for up to one week.
Habanero Pickled Peaches
slighlty adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook

3 pounds (roughly) peaches
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
½ habanero pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
2 sprigs basil

Sterilize two pint jars and their lids. Set aside on a clean surface.

Peel the peaches by cutting an x with a sharp knife at their base and submerge in boiling water for 30 seconds. Run under cool water then slip the skin off. If it doesn’t come off easily you can peel with the help of a paring knife or submerge in the boiling water again.

Slice the peaches and place them in the jars along with ¼ of a habanero pepper (Lisa calls for half a habanero in each jar but I love the soft spice of just a quarter. Take great caution when working with this pepper. It is incredibly spicy. Use gloves when cutting or if gloves aren’t available cover your hands with plastic bags as I did).

Bring the vinegar, sugar, cloves and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Stir to ensure sugar is dissolved. Pour the liquid into the jars. Tuck a clove and cinnamon stick into each jar as well as a clean sprig of basil.

Cover and refrigerate. I like their flavor the very next day. A week after is great too although the peaches start to break down a bit.

They will keep in the fridge for one month.

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For the first time in my life I’ve kept a journal. I have repeatedly tried and with great excitement I would carefully select a fabric bound notebook with hundreds of blank pages and infinite possibilities. I dreamed of the words that would fill those pages with images of an older me reflecting on the memories and my poignant words that would turn those memories into lessons that shape who I am today. I would painstakingly choose a pen with a black point – not too thick, not too thin – and begin to fill the pages. Closing the book with a sigh eagerly anticipating what the next entry would hold. Returning to the journal I re-read the entry and push aside the book with embarrassment as to what I wrote. This is why I have stacks of journals with hundreds of empty pages and a few torn pages marking where the single entry once lived.

This blog has become my first journal to extend beyond the first page. Truth be told I have done the equivalent of ripping out some of the pages but many have remained despite my deep desire to not ever have to look at my images from the first four or five years.

I imagine you readers don’t view these pages as journal entries as they often don’t go beyond our dinner the night before but I look through them and each entry, each meal, each photo marks a place in time that I can now draw from because I recorded it here. Little pudgey fingers that enter the frame as I’m trying to photograph cookies and eager eyes peering over my set, words that hint at our days and the reality of what life looks like in those moments. There is a part of me that feels selfish for including all of that. The words that are found in many how-to writing books instruct to think of the audience but the truth is many times I’m thinking of myself.

I’m imaging myself scrolling through these pages after years have passed recalling every sense that the images provoke and laughing over the stories scattered throughout the pages. Remembering the times that were hard, appreciating the good and trying so hard to refrain from deleting the entries that no longer meet my standards.

In no way do I dare discredit your part in all of this, dear reader, but when I think of my audience many times it’s my family and me, much older.

During the days leading up to Christmas my husband and I looked through images from the Christmas a year before. And while it seems it was only yesterday the images tell a different story. My baby girl was actually that – a baby. One that lays content on the ground and where her smiles are still so new to us. The boys were both a bit more round containing the last little bits of baby pudge and now they are boys; tall and slender, strong and tender.

The years pass more quickly than I ever thought possible and yet in their pages are hundreds of memories and the evidence that much changes in a year.

So forgive me while I have a moment and read through my journal over the past year. It’s been a great one, hasn’t it?

2011 exceeded my wildest expectations. We started the year off with lofty and well thought out goals. Many achieved, some were tried only to find that a better option was prepared for us, and some I’m still working through.

In the midst of it all we ate well.

There were quick meals and lingering date nights.

Quick Garlicky Noodles

Dating My Husband: Peanut Butter Pie

There were birthdays and cakes. Lots of cake.

Gradient Cake. For her 1st.

Poppy seed cake with mascarpone and strawberries

Lego/Pirate party

And oh the sandwiches.

Ham, gruyere, and arugula

Pork meatball Banh Mi

And then there were opportunities that I never dreamed would become a reality.

I’m on TV, whee!

Shot for BonAppetit.com

I was reintroduced to film.

Of course there was chocolate. There’s always chocolate.

Butterfingers

Cadbury Eggs at home

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

And a few incredible trips.

A coffee tour of Portland

Morocco

Thanks for reliving these moments with me. Such a blessed year. So much to be thankful for, so much to learn from and make me stronger.

If at the end of the year you can say you’ve laughed, cried, and became a bit wiser than I consider it a successful one. And if there was chocolate, there must always be chocolate.

Happy Goodbyes to 2011. Hello 2012.

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