[I don't want to read all this mumbo jumbo, take me to the recipe]

Can you believe it is almost August? Eep. Where has the summer gone? Even without all the E’s, the last few months have been pretty busy around here. At least it feels like it has been really busy, but I can’t really say what I’ve been doing. Okay, fine… I’ve been spending way too much time at Ikea. There I said it. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, lots of great stuff for organizing for not too much money. On the other hand, I worry that my house will start looking too Ikea, you know? Ah well. The damage is done.

Anyway, the rest of the time, I’ve been daydreaming about wedding details (I just can’t help it). Things like how many cupcakes will I need to make? and should we serve pie instead of cake?. You know, the important stuff. Not that we’ve set a date or decided exactly what we want to do (we have ideas though). And of course I’ve been looking at a lot of dresses. Isn’t this one dreamy?

And I love love love these shoes:

I’m not sure what sort of dress I’ll end up with; I’m thinking something simple, elegant, and not so much of the big princess gown. Still I love looking at all the pretty dresses. But it can be overwhelming. I’ve had white-blindness a couple of times at bridal salons. But dreaming is good for you so I do a little each day.

Something else that is good for you? Hummus. It tastes good too. What’s not to love?

Now let’s make some hummus:

Things you will need: 1 can of garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), tahini, and a lemon (not pictured). The olive oil and herbs are a nice addition but totally optional.

Drain most but not all of the liquid from the garbanzo beans and throw them into your food processor.

Add some tahini.

Maybe a little more (start with 2 tablespoons and then play around with it. I don’t really measure things exactly when I make this hummus but luckily precision is not necessary here).

Let the food processor whir until you have a creamy hummus. Squeeze in half a lemon and pulse a few times. Taste it. Add more lemon if you like, a pinch or two of salt, and herbs of your liking (I used some basil and parsley here).

Homemade Hummus

Just one more reason to love your food processor. Homemade hummus is easy, healthy, and delicious.

1 can of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
2-3 tablespoons tahini, well-stirred
juice of 1 lemon
salt

1. Drain the can of chickpeas, reserving a little of the liquid (up to 1/4 cup). Put the chickpeas into the bowl of a food processor with tahini and give it a whirl.
2. Add half of the lemon juice and pulse the food processor a couple of times. Taste it and adjust the lemon juice to taste (I sometimes use all of the juice. It makes a tangy hummus but it’s really good with tortilla chips… especially these)
3. Salt to taste and let the food processor whirl for 30 seconds to a minute (the longer you let it go, the creamier the hummus will be).
4. Enjoy!

Variations

• Toss in a handful of basil or parsley from your garden.
• Add a clove or two of garlic (fresh or roasted).
• Drizzle a little of your best olive oil over the top for serving.
• Mix it up with your favorite spices (how about a little star anise or cumin?)

It’s that time of year again. You know, when even those who don’t follow football perk up at the mention of a Super Bowl Party. All of a sudden everyone’s got a favorite team. Or not. Football is just the excuse. The party is really about friends and the food. Actually, that’s really what life is about isn’t it? Good friends and good food… but I digress. We’re here to talk about the Super Bowl football food. What says football better than wings?

I’ve tried making the classic hot wings in the past using a couple of different recipes and I’ll be honest, I’d rather order them from someplace because the ROI (return on investment) for the amount of work put into those wings was pitiful. I’m willing to do a little bit of work as long as the results are worth it. The last hot wings recipe I tried was from Alton Brown. I’m definitely a fan of his, and he hasn’t steered me wrong except in that case. There were just too many steps. Sure, in the end I had crispy wings, but I was too tired to enjoy them.

But in the latest issue of Bon Appétit, I was tempted to give wings another chance by the Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Drumettes. They had me at bourbon. While the recipe title intrigued Dan as well, when he found how much bourbon was going into it, he was unsure that it was the best use for something that precious. He’d rather drink it. But after tasting the sauce, he offered me the handle of Jim Beam in his cabinet to make more. Since the recipe is straightforward, easy, and lip-smacking delicious, I am happy to oblige (the ROI is off the charts).

Bourbon-glazed chicken wings with Blue cheese dipping sauce

(from Bon Appétit, February 2010)

These are nothing like traditional Buffalo wings, but they are a little bit sweet with a hint of spice and the complexities of bourbon cooked down into a glaze of concentrated yum… what more could you possibly want?

Makes about 30

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup bourbon, divided
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Crystal)
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
30 chicken drumettes (about 3-4 pounds)
(Blue cheese dipping sauce recipe follows)

1. Melt butter in a heavy, large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes.
2. Add 3/4 cup bourbon; boil until most of liquid is absorbed, about 6-8 minutes.
3. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup bourbon, ketchup, hot sauce, tomato paste and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. [the sauce splatters a bit as it simmers].
4. Remove marinade from heat; cool to room temperature.
5. Place chicken drumettes in a large glass baking dish (15×10x2-inch or whatever fits all of the drumettes mostly in a single layer). Pour marinade over and turn drumettes to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper [don't skip this unless you love scrubbing]. Place cooling rack atop prepared baking sheet [I use the one that came with my sheet pan set]. Arrange drumettes on rack, spacing slightly apart. Spread any remaining marinade from dish over drumettes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Bake drumettes (still on cooling rack) until cooked through and brown in spots, about 45 minutes.
9. Transfer drumettes to serving platter alongside blue cheese dipping sauce.

Notes

• The recipe calls for drumettes (“the thick, meaty section of the chicken wing that resembles a drumstick”), but I used wing parts (the package I bought said “party wings”). Frankly I think this marinade would taste good on any piece of chicken. I wonder for all of those packages of drumettes-only, what happens to the other ‘less desirable’ part of the chicken wing?
• These wings are good served warm or at room temperature. And reheat fairly well… I made the wings in the morning and they were refrigerated for a few hours before Dan reheated them in the oven and served.
• I used Jim Beam. Use what you have or buy something inexpensive like JB. I don’t think a fancier bourbon will improve anything here and those are better suited for sipping straight, on the rocks, or in a mint julep.

Blue cheese dipping sauce

This dip is too good to be so dangerously simple to make. It’s good with the wings, but also on potato chips, cucumber slices, celery sticks, … a spoon.

Makes 2 1/2 cups

8 ounces blue cheese, finely crumbled (about 2 cups)
1 16-ounce container sour cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Whisk blue cheese crumbles, sour cream, and parsley in a medium bowl until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer to a serving bowl. Watch it disappear.

• Note: Dipping sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

I have never been a pickle lover. That is to say, I like pickles but I have never loved them. When a dill spear comes along side a sandwich at a deli, I often leave it untouched. But sometimes I do like a pickle or two on my hamburger. Given my lukewarm feelings about pickles, I’ve found it a bit odd that I have a mounting obsession around the art of pickle making… and the many varieties of pickles to be made. It started with the bread and butter pickles which to me were as much about canning as they were about pickling. But the success of those homemade pickles went to my head, and has lead to visions of fruit pickles, Asian pickles, watermelon rind pickles… all dancing around in my mind for a couple of months now. So I’ve gone about collecting pickle recipes and ideas from books and blogs and have tucked them away for the right moment. Pickled grapes with cinnamon and black pepper is one such recipe. It sounded just odd enough that I had to try it. The recipe comes from A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (I’m sure I’ve said this before, but it’s worth mentioning again that A Homemade Life is a wonderful book).

So when I stumbled upon these lovely red seedless grapes at the farmers’ market, I knew what I had to do. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting myself into but I was excited just the same. Between the description from Molly in her book and the write up by Deb from Smitten Kitchen I knew they had to be good. (I mean, if Molly served them at her wedding, they have to be good… right?). Too impatient to wait eight hours, I tasted the grapes as soon as the brine went on… just to get an idea of how the flavors came together. And even though the grapes had not yet soaked in any of the vinegary tartness, I could tell it was going to be anything but boring.

Reluctantly, I put the pickles in the refrigerator to chill overnight. As soon as I woke up the next morning, I walked straight to the kitchen and tasted them… before breakfast. And again after breakfast. By dinnertime, I had finished over half a jar by myself. The flavors are complex and addictive. I really like these pickled grapes but I can’t quite explain why. I keep eating them hoping I can find the right words to describe them but alas, have not found the right ones yet… I guess I will have to keep tasting. I will make these again (and maybe next time I’ll share them with someone else).

Pickled Grapes with Cinnamon and Black Pepper
(adapted from A Homemade Life where it is adapted from Susan Kaplan)

1 pound red or black grapes, preferably seedless
1 cup white wine vinegar (I used chardonnay vinegar)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds (I used yellow mustard seeds)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 (2 1/2 inch) cinnamon stick (I cut it in half since I used two jars)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Rinse and dry the grapes, and pull them carefully from their stems. Using a small, sharp knife, trim away the “belly button” at the stem end of the grape, exposing a bit of the flesh inside. Put the grapes into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then pour the mixture over the grapes. Stir to combine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

While the grapes cool, wash 2 pint-sized canning jars and their lids in warm, soapy water. When the grapes are cool, ladle them into the jars. Chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Serve cold. (Makes about 3 cups)

The other day it was so hot that I did not want anything warm to eat so I sent out a tweet “What is your favorite heat-wave meal?”  I got a few responses, but the one that stood out was from Scott aka Seattle Food Geek: “My fave is a platter of mozzarella, tomato, basil, melon, prosciutto, bread, w/olive oil, + a bottle of Riesling.”

Why didn’t I think of that? It’s something we’ve had before, but somehow I couldn’t come up with anything beyond “cold. no-cook. cold…” (it was hot, people). Anyway, just because I couldn’t think of it myself, doesn’t mean I couldn’t eat it.  So Dan and I made a meal of caprese salad and melon with prosciutto… a little baguette and good olive oil on the side. Perfect, light meal.

I have been craving pasta salad for about a week now. But we were busy last week so I didn’t really have a chance to make any until Saturday. I went out into the garden and found a couple of yellow squash that looked ready to be picked. It turned out they could’ve used a little longer on the vine (the skin was tough and the seeds still had some green around them). But I used it anyway and it was okay… I think we mostly picked around the squash. 

Some mozzarella in the fridge that needed to be used up and a couple of tomatoes on the counter found their way into the salad. I picked a handful of basil which became a garlicky pesto that was nice on a baguette but really good mixed into the pasta. It was the perfect light dinner after our salami and cheese lunch out on the trail.

We were going to a picnic the next day, but while the batch I made with the garden squash was good enough for me and Dan to eat, I wasn’t comfortable serving the under-ripe squash to others. I wound up making another batch using zucchini and yellow squash from the produce market. It was a great side to hamburgers and hot dogs out in the park.

This is a good salad for those outdoor summer parties when a mayonnaise based potato or pasta salad might get questionable out in the heat (don’t get me wrong, I like the mayo-based salads too. But warm mayo is icky).

Garden fresh pasta salad
3-4 tablespoons pesto (recipe below… store bought is fine too)
mozzarella (boccocini aka the small balls packed in water or whey or just regular mozzarella cut into chunks)
tomato (grape tomatoes cut in half, or a larger tomato or two, diced)
zucchini and/or yellow squash (about two medium or one large), cut into short strips about the size of your pasta (I used rotini or fusilli)
pasta: fusilli, rotini, or whatever you have on hand… 1 package

1. Cook pasta in salted water for the time on the package (I like to add 2-3 big pinches of salt to the boiling water).
2. About 3 minutes before the pasta is done, add the squash to the pot.
3. Drain and toss with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside to cool (or not… if you don’t let it cool, the mozzarella will melt a little which really isn’t so bad but for taking to a party I like to let it cool so that everything is still recognizable).
4. Toss the tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto into the pasta.
5. Enjoy.

Basil Pesto
about 1 to 1 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 to 1 clove of garlic (depending on how garlicky you want)
about 1 tablespoon of pistachios
a pinch of salt
about 1/4 cup of olive oil

1. In a blender or food processor (the food processor worked better for me, but the blender worked too with a little coercion), pulse basil, pistachios, garlic, salt and about half of the olive oil.
2. When it is all minced up, add a little more olive oil until it is the consistency you like (more if you like thinner pesto).
3. Use right away or place in a plastic container with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, store in the refrigerator.