apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I found a recipe for pumpkin cinnamon soup I want to try.

butter brown ice cream in cider sounds AMAZING. this is what i'll be trying this weekend, though...

http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com/2009/10/tearing-it-up-in-kitchen-autumn-apero.html

kelly

That veggie burger recipe is totally on my to-do list! However not this weekend. I'll be doing some light backpacking so soyrizo, legumes, eggs, tortillas and veggies are on the menu for dinners and breakfasts.

I am making a big pot of black bean espresso chili.

http://thekitchensinkrecipes.com/2009/09/13/most-of-all-the-food/

Anyone know where the mug is from?

The mug is by Rosanna, from their Initially Yours line.

Vegan pumpkin cream cheese truffles.

I just took the applesauce cake linked on this site out of the oven. I'll be making maple-cream cheese frosting for it once it cools!

The cold kind of caught me off guard. I've got a crisper drawer full of yellow squash and was planning a simple pasta sauce made out of that, some garlic, a little cream, and parmesan. But now that feels downright summery!

Definitely need to try eggs on cocotte.

I want to try the eggs en cocotte too. Maybe for Sunday breakfast.

Hot apple cider sounded fantastic - until it got hot again in LA! I was at least able to enjoy one hot cup of Mexican hot chocolate while it was sprinkling!

I have already begun the slow rise on my light whole wheat sandwich bread (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2007/11/28/easy-slow-rise-no-knead-light-wheat-or-white-bread/) for baking sometime tomorrow. Tonight was rotisserie chicken and roated zucchini and red potatoes w/rosemary, garlic and onions. Tomorrow will be homemade pizza and Sunday will be grilled flank steak. Sometime this weekend I plan to bake my 4 lb sugar pumpkin so that I may freeze the pumpkin for later use so that will likely be Sunday's business.

I have a peck of apples to use up, so: apple sauce, apple butter, apple bread. I'm excited.

http://jennyknopinski.wordpress.com/

I have to practice and my "own invention" for my petit four exam on Monday (in pastry school). I'm making mini tartlettes inspired by Mexican hot chocolate. The tart shell is flavored with cinnamon, then filled with a soft gooey caramel...lay almonds over that, then cover with a layer of chocolate ganache spiked with ancho chile powder and crushed chipotle and cinnamon. Garnish is more almonds, and i was thinking of piping some super skinny cinnamon meringue tubes to break into pieces and stick in each tart (like a cinnamon stick).
Anyone have any ideas or comments to help me perfect this creation?

@Brooklyn Baker-- that sounds INSANELY delicious. Well done! Have you considered using cajeta for the caramel?

Eggplant potato curry!
http://onepot.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/eggplant-potato-curry/

@LauraJane- I did consider that and I agree it would definitely be more in keeping with the Mexican theme but from what I understand cajeta takes a long time to make- simmering for at least an hour from recipes I've read- and I don't think it's really feasible for me when I have to make 4 different petit fours in 4 hours. I just don't want to have to be constantly worried about the pot on the stove while I'm working on 6 other things....so I figured caramel would be an ok subsitute since I wanted more flavors/layers than just the chocolate...I have been a little worried about it going together, but I kinda think caramel goes with most things, I hope?

Thanks Faith - found it!

I harvested my sweetpotatoes last week and am racking my brain on how to use them....they are not the standard commerical varieties but off-beat white/bronze flesh, dry ones: Travis, Magoffin, Sumor and Korean Purple. Sadly, most are the size of carrots because the slips came from an Iowa farmer. Any ideas? They aren't keeping well in storage.

so far not much, but I did make virgin POM Mojitos.

Planning on making a lentil/bulghur salad and then something else to last for a few days for this coming week.

It's cold and rainy in NH. I am making beef stew, a couple loaves of bread, and blondies for the hubby.

I didn't end up doing an apple butter, but I did get the applesauce and applesauce bread made, despite the disaster of not having any cinnamon on hand. Photos and recipes here: http://jennyknopinski.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/recipe-a-crime-against-apples/

...and improvised huevos rancheros:
http://onepot.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/black-bean-interpretations-irreverent-huevos-rancheros/

I made my grandmother's recipe for a golden raisin/bourbon/pecan & nutmeg spiced White Fruitcake.

This recipe attributed to one Mrs. Moulton is so good (and so non-icky fruitcakey) that I chose to make it 29 years ago as my wedding cake. I made loaves to slice and some to wrap and put into boxes for the guests to take home, and made three big round layers which someone else assembled and iced.

This time I will just cure in bourbon soaked cheesecloth and give as Christmas presents.

Made brown rice California Rolls, pork meatballs, tomato sauce, and fried calamari. Yum yum yum.

I made pumpkin/butternut lasagna with a lovely bechamel sauce. I never thought my husband would eat an actual vegetable, but I suppose if you surround it with a cream sauce (and cheese!) anything is possible.

Since it was a big Indian holiday this weekend, tandoori styled paneer kebabs (and tofu ones), rice pilaf, naan, chana masala with black chickpeas, gulab jamun and friend brought over a mango mousse. Completely overstuffed the dinner guests :)