hi

I'm still alive...just not blogging so much I guess. Happy new year.

Dec: Persimmon Cranberry Sauce

This is a great holiday recipe. I originally created this to go along with pumpkin pie. To use a word people use to refer to something tasting special, this sauce is quite "yummy". :)

This sauce works best made with Fuyu persimmons. I've tried making it with the slightly larger, oblong-conical variety (Hachiya), but those persimmons are way to pithy.

3 Fuyu persimmons (peeled)
5-6oz cranberries
1½ apple cider
1/3 can cranberry sauce
1 small cinnamon stick
1 pinch salt
½+ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Peel the persimmons with a sharp knife and cut them into 8 wedges. Put them in a skillet with everything else except the vanilla. Cook until the persimmons are soften and easily pierced with a fork. Then add the vanilla and turn off heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and pour into a blender or the bowl of a hand blender (see the end of this post). If using the hand blender you will need to do two batches. Blend the sauce until it is smooth.

The sauce is ready to serve or it can be jarred and refrigerated for up to a couple weeks (maybe more).

Click here for a printer friendly version of this recipe

Seasons greetings from the Autumn fruits

What the fruit display in our kitchen looks like.

Thank you Howards for the pomegranates from your pomegranate tree
Thank you Werzinskis for the persimmons from your persimmon tree
Thank you Aunt Dorie for the lemons from your lemon tree
Thank you Raleys for the apples from the um...um...the aisle

Nov: Pita Bread

Here's the Pita recipe I promised you. It comes out of The Armenian Table. Pita is super with Hummus, either fresh or toasted. And I think the effort is worth it. Not every time you make Hummus, but sometimes.

Makes twelve 8 inch pita breads

2 cups warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp active dry yeast
3 more cups all-purpose flour

If you have a Bosch or other kitchen mixer, add the water, oil, sugar, and salt and spin. Add the first three cups of flour and mix to combine. Add the yeast and mix. With the motor running, add the last three cups of flour until the dough pulls from the side of the bowl. Knead for five minutes.

Dump it out and form into a nice tidy ball. Put it into an oiled bowl and oil the top of the ball. Cover and set aside in a warm place for an hour or so until it is doubled in bulk.

Punch it down and let it rest for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 500°F. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. On a floured surface roll out each portion to make an 8 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick (get your tape measures ready :). Let each pita rest for about 10 minutes before putting them in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, until the pitas are beginning to turn golden but not at all crispy. Halfway through cooking check the pitas to make sure they’re cooking evenly…you might need to rotate baking sheets or something. Of course, you don’t have to bake them all at once. Bake them in batches Roll out the last ones while the first ones are baking.

The pitas may be served right away or toasted to get a nice crispy effect (which is quite good for Hummus). Or, cool completely and store in plastic bags at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Click here for a printer friendly version of this recipe.

Good Post on Fairy-Stories

Here's a really good post by Aaron (and Tolkien) on fairy-stories.

Through all the crannies of the world we filled
with Elves and Goblins, though we dared to build
Gods and their houses out of dark and light,
and sowed the seed of dragons - 'twas our right
(used or misused). That right has not decayed:
we make still by the law in which we're made."