Category Archives: Appetizers

April 20, 2012 · 3:20 pm

Thyme-Roasted Grape and Ricotta Crostini

Since my maternity leave ended, I’ve been working from home, so I can also be at home with the baby.  Now, when we came up with this arrangement, I knew I’d be more than a little sad to not be in the office anymore, chatting with people, taking our little tea-time breaks everyday, deciding what we should do for lunch, etc.  But, I also told myself, on the plus side, that I could make myself delightful, simple little lunches a la Canal House.  In my fantasy, I’d work until 11:30, then whip up a light lunch of smoked salmon tea sandwiches and sorrel soup, or perhaps I’d flit down to the farmers market on Wednesdays and come up with a salad of local, organic produce.  Then, of course, I’d be back to work around noon and still have time to bake up a batch of ginger cranberry scones for an afternoon break. Oh, and in case you were wondering, my fantasy also included a child who sleeps for 22 hours a day, and spends the other 2 hours gurgling, smiling, cooing, and being generally delightful.

I think we can all see where this is headed.  Continue reading →

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June 21, 2011 · 7:30 pm

Little Quinoa Patties

I don’t know about you, but I had a lot of extra quinoa hanging around after I made that quinoa salad.  Like, a LOT of quinoa.  What’s a girl to do?  And then I remembered something, sort of had a flashback if you will…
 
A few weeks ago, I noticed how everyone on pretty much every food site there is couldn’t stop talking about Heidi Swanson’s new cookbook, Super Natural Every Day, or, more specifically, her recipe for Little Quinoa Patties.  The short little intro to the recipe said something about how it was a great way to use leftover quinoa.  And I admit it, I scoffed.  I said to myself, “Oh, Muffy, this will be simply diviiiiiine with all the leftover quinoa in my refrigerator.”  Obviously, this was before I realized how un-fancy quinoa was, and how much I liked it.  And, maybe even more obviously, before I actually had mounds of leftover quinoa in my fridge.

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June 16, 2011 · 8:02 pm

Arugula and Fava Bean Crostini

What is it about bright green foods that drives me absolutely crazy?  They are just so beautiful and, typically, the taste measures up.  So many good things turn a gorgeous, vibrant shade of green when cooked… peas, broccoli, fresh herbs… and apparently, fava beans.

Confessional time: I’ve never before prepared fava beans.  Truth be told, I’ve never even eaten a fava bean.  But as I was strolling around the produce section the other day, what did my wondering eyes behold, but fava beans- still in their pods.  They are sufficiently strange-looking and intriguing enough to make the cut for me, so I grabbed them.  Then I got home and realized I literally had NO clue what to do with them.  They look like giant pea pods, which initially made me giggle, but then proceeded to make me confused.  Continue reading →

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June 7, 2011 · 7:13 pm

Bombay Cheese Dip

Usually when I do one of these posts, I think of a cute little story to tell you, or an amusing tale of how I came upon the recipe, blah, blah, blah.  But, this dip needs so such story.  Because I could fill pages and pages telling you about how, why, and in what sense this is one of the best, most unexpected things I’ve ever had.  Apart from that, I’ve been promising you a recipe to use some of that homemade chutney from the other day, and now I’m delivering. 

Ok, Ok, so quick background.  This recipe came to me, as so many do, from my mom.  Aren’t moms great?  I mean, my mom is great for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggies is that she is fearless in the kitchen and is always willing to try recipes that a lot of people wouldn’t.  This recipe, for example.  I would never in a million years have given this a second look.  Because, well… it looks weird.  But my mom, kitchen wonder that she is, gave it a chance.  And thank goodness she did.  Because now I can share it with all of you, and we can all enjoy the amazingness that is this dip.  Continue reading →

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May 25, 2011 · 7:42 pm

Parmesan and Thyme Crackers

True Story: I make these crackers. Friends come over for drinks and apps. They see these crackers sitting on a plate on the corner and immediately exclaim, “Oh my gosh, are those Ina’s Parmesan and Thyme Crackers?!” Wow. I had no idea when I made these that their reputation preceded them. Of course, it might say more about the kind of crowd I run with more than anything else, but obviously, I hadn’t done my homework on these bad boys. They had just looked good while I was paging through the cookbook, and they looked easy and I had everything to make them, so I figured… Why not?

But now I suppose that these crackers are somewhat famous. So I  guess they need no introduction. Which is good, because I’m at a loss for words today. I’m still thinking about that beer-braised pork.  All I can tell you is that they are, indeed, very tasty. If you’re looking for a true cracker, something to spread paté on, or top with cheese, these might not be ideal. Their texture is closer to a shortbread cookie rather than a cracker. They’re really best, in my opinion, on their own, with a little cocktail or a glass of wine. So, without further ado, here is the recipe for Parmesan and Thyme Crackers. Continue reading →

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