Rain, Rain Go Away … But If You Stay … & Tagliatelle alla Carbonara

As I tap away it’s a bone-chilling, rainy morning. It’s just one in a seemingly endless string of always chilly, sometimes rainy, sometimes only gray and dreary but rarely sunny days. It’s already starting to get old and the forecast calls for plenty more of the same. It’s bad enough that the rain and drizzle put a damper on outdoor fun but the frigid humidity has prolonged the bad hair season.

So short of climbing under the covers and staying there until ski season starts … what can you do to pass the time on these endless dark days? Here are a few ideas:

Bake cookies. Eat one, okay two, and pack up the rest for the unsung or under-sung heroes in town. Drop some off at the police station and firehouse. Leave batches at the nurses’ station and emergency room at the hospital. Don’t forget the nurses and aids at the VNA and nursing home.

Organize a film festival. Invite your pals over for an all-afternoon or evening marathon of your favorite films. Snacks are easy. A big bowl of popcorn and champagne or a fun and fruity martini sound pretty good.

Host a tea party. Take a tip from the English. After all, who knows more about rain and tea? Whether your party is plain or fancy, life always looks better after a nice cuppa.

Take a zumba class. Or yoga if you prefer. Go bowling; find a climbing wall or an indoor track. Yes, you can stay active in miserable weather.

Indulge yourself. Take a long, luxurious bubble bath.

Give yourself a facial or a mani-pedi or both. Better yet, invite your buddies around for an at-home spa party.

Knit scarves or hats for all your friends and relatives. Knitting not your thing? Then build birdhouses or something equally crafty. Before you know it, your holiday gift list will be complete.

Tackle the ten (twenty, thirty or more) years of photographs which are piled willy-nilly in drawers, closets and bins. Organize them into beautiful scrapbooks for your family. Sound daunting? Just sort the photographs into boxes for your kids and grandkids and let them make the scrapbooks.

Get out your pasta machine and roll out miles and miles of tagliarini or tagliatelle. Invite the neighbors around for a simple supper of Carbonara or Alfredo. The company will do you good.

Don’t have a pasta machine? Make soup instead. Gallons and gallons of soup … some for now and some for the freezer. You’ll be happy you did. The house will smell wonderful and your well-stocked freezer will come in handy at the end of a too busy day.

Cuddle up on the couch with your favorite author. It’s up to you but I’ll keep it light and indulge in a guilty pleasure. For me that would be a mystery or crime novel. One rainy Sunday I read half a dozen Agatha Christie books.

And when all else fails, take a nap. But please, do get up before the snow flies.

Stay warm and dry and bon appétit!

Tagliatelle alla Carbonara
Homemade pasta is easy to make and has a wonderful, delicate flavor and texture. Give it a try on the next rainy day. Enjoy!
Serves 6

Olive oil
About 4 ounces pancetta or thick-cut bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch hot pepper flakes
2 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
About 12 ounces homemade (recipe follows) or store-bought fresh tagliatelle or fettuccine
Garnish: chopped walnuts, toasted

Heat a little olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the pancetta and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to small bowl and reserve. Drain off excess fat, leaving just enough to lightly coat the pan, add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Set the pan aside and keep warm.

Put the eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl, add the sage and thyme, season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Reserve.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook uncovered, until al dente, 1 to 2 minutes. Reserving some pasta water, drain the tagliatelle.

Put the tagliatelle in the skillet with the garlic and toss to coat and combine. Whisking continually, slowly add 1/4 cup hot pasta water to the eggs. Pour the eggs over the pasta and toss to combine. Add the pancetta and sprinkle with half of the grated cheeses and toss again. Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring in a little more pasta water if needed until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.

Serve immediately with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts and pass the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano.

Homemade Pasta
Makes about 12 ounces

2 cups (plus more for dusting) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Cornmeal for dusting (optional)

Put the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Start the motor on low and mix to combine. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium while adding the eggs, one at a time. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix until the dough comes together in a ball.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, combine the flour and salt on a flat work surface, form a mound and make a well in the center. Put the eggs and 1 tablespoon olive oil in the well and lightly beat with a fork. Gradually mix the flour in with the eggs, incorporating all the flour and stirring to combine.

Sprinkle your work surface with flour and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Put the remaining olive oil in a large bowl. Roll the dough in the oil to coat evenly. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.

The dough can be made ahead to this point, covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before continuing.

Cut the dough ball into 6 pieces. Set all but one piece of dough aside and cover with a clean, kitchen towel. Dust your work surface and the first piece of dough with a little flour. Using your palm or a rolling pin, flatten the dough.

Roll the dough through a pasta machine 2-3 times on the widest setting. Fold the dough into thirds and pass it through 2-3 more times. Reduce the setting and crank the dough through 2-3 times. Dusting the dough with more flour as needed, continue rolling and tightening until the machine is at the narrowest setting. The pasta sheet should about 1/8-inch thick.

Cut the sheet into wide (tagliatelle), very wide (pappardelle) or thin (tagliolini) ribbons by hand or attach the ribbon cutter to the pasta machine and roll the dough through. Toss the pasta ribbons with a little cornmeal or flour and gather them into a loose pile or two. Let the pasta sit uncovered for about 30 minutes before cooking to dry slightly.

Continue with the remaining dough.

The pasta can be made up to 8 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated after drying.

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One Year Ago – Carbonnade á la Flamande – Beer Braised Beef & Onions
Two Years Ago – Braised Beef Bourguignon
Three Years Ago – Pumpkin Cupcakes
Four Years Ago – Roasted Butternut Squash SoupOr Click Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

How do you keep yourself sane during a long stretch of rainy weather? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going.

Want more? I’ve got links to lots more to read, see & cook as well as a day in the life photoblog! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2012

Rainy Weekend Special – An Early Spring Dinner

Checking the weekend weather, there is good news and bad news. It looks like rain. Good news for the garden and New England’s drought but bad news for any outdoor activities you might have planned.

It’s a good weekend to curl up with a book or a movie marathon or pull out the tins for a cupcake bake-a-thon. Wait a minute! Back up that train! Ignore the impulse to hibernate. Instead rifle through that pile of recipes you’ve been meaning to try and get a group together.

Here are a few ideas for an early spring dinner on a rainy weekend:

Take it Slow: Ever since I spent an April weekend in Italy eating artichokes, artichokes and more artichokes, spring has been synonymous with this wonderful treat. Gather around the table and enjoy Steamed Artichokes with Bagna Cauda or Warm Lemon-Garlic Sauce. Unless you prefer to sit around the fire for a chat and nibble on my Artichoke Leaves with Shrimp & Sundried Tomato Dip.

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And When You’re Ready for the Main Course: Linguine with Sundried Tomato Pesto & Roasted Eggplant combines the comfort of pasta with a taste of the warm and sunny Sicily. Not ready for a vegetarian dinner? Toss a few Shrimp in a pan or Chicken on the Grill(pan). Top it off with a lovely Green Salad and add a couple of Goat Cheese Crostini for crunch.

For something sweet? Feel like baking? How about my favorite Lemon Tart? It’s sunny and bright on a dark day. For a little spice, enjoy an absolutely delicious Ginger Crème Brûlée. Either will delight your guests (and you)!

Have a wonderful weekend! Bon appétit!

Want more? Click Here! for more seasonal menus or Here! for a complete list of and links to all the recipes on this blog!

What’s on tap for you this weekend? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button.

And if you’ve got a minute … many thanks for taking a look at my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. Why not join me at the next Eat Well-Do Good dinner?

© Susan W. Nye, 2012

Weekend Special – Dark & Stormy!

WOW! The potential is real for the strongest hurricane hit on the Northeast in at least a couple decades this weekend! Forget dinner parties and entertaining, it sounds like we’ll be battling high winds and torrential rain.

Still, ya gotta eat! If the power goes out you may need to do some Cooking Straight from the Pantry. (Of course I’m assuming you have a gas stove like I do.) Then again, with no power, you may need to clean out the freezer! I’ve got a couple of strip steaks in my freezer. (‘m not sure but I think I have a nice chunk of gorgonzola, so I can make one of my favorite sauces to go with it. There is a beautiful Pork Tenderloin in there as well. It will be perfect hot off the grill.

What to go with it? With all the excitement, I’d keep it simple. Grilled Zucchini or Corn and a Green Salad should do it. If the powers out, dessert’s easy – whatever ice cream or Gelato is rapidly melting in the freezer!

And finally, what to drink? A Dark & Stormy of course!

Dark & Stormy

1- 2 ounces dark rum
4-6 ounces ginger beer
Lime wedge

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes, stir in the rum and the ginger beer. Top it off with a squirt of lime and enjoy!

Stay safe and dry this weekend and bon appétit!

How will you ride out the storm? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below.

Want more? Click here for more seasonal menus! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2011

The Glad Family & Lobster with Corn, Tomato & Arugula Salad

A few years before he retired my dad realized a lifelong dream. He bought a catboat. It wasn’t his first. He’d had several; starting with the fixer-upper he bought in 1948. While it might not have been his first, it had just about everything he ever wanted, including my mom as First Mate.

At thirty feet, it was large enough to take a slew of friends for a day sail or even the weekend. I suppose if he had wanted to, and Mom had let him, he could have sailed his catboat around the world. It had a tiny kitchen or galley, a miniature bathroom or head and enough room to sleep two sort-of-comfortably or cram six in like sardines.

The boat was docked in Rhode Island, near Newport. Being in Newport was a real plus and he never had trouble rounding up a crew. With lots of posh restaurants and overpriced boutiques, it’s the perfect spot for wining, dining, shopping and people watching. Then again, Newport was only his home port. The Captain and his lady took several trips to the Cape, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

His dream come true, it was all sunny skies and clear sailing. Except when it rained. As soon as rain started to pitter and patter on the deck, the already small cabin seemed to shrink. The glamour of Newport quickly faded and the lively town was just another soggy tourist trap with overpriced t-shirts. Even the most loyal of old friends jumped ship and headed home.

And then of course, there were times when rain or shine we were forced to sail. I remember one particular trip. It started bright and sunny with a perfect breeze. I was home from Switzerland for a week or two and Dad took all of his girls for an overnight sail to Martha’s Vineyard. My mother, my sister Brenda, her daughter Gillian and I were delighted to spend a day or two on the ocean blue.

The first day was glorious, ideal sailing weather with blue skies and fair winds. We dropped anchor just off shore of the little fishing village of
Menemsha in plenty of time for a walk on the beach and a swim. The sunset was spectacular, the company was more than jovial and the lobster and blueberry pie at the local inn were both superb. Everything was perfect until we woke the next morning to the drum of rain on the deck. It was no gentle mist or pit or pat but a steady downpour.

The merits of staying put versus sailing through the storm were briefly debated. In the end we agreed to a speedy return rather a soggy day in the tiny cabin. And speedy it was. Not just rain, there was a full-out gale blowing as we headed back to Newport.

The Skipper and First Mate put on their bright yellow rain slickers. The rest of us improvised. Dressed to kill in oversized trash bags, Brenda, Gillian and I became the Glad Family. Brenda Glad, Gillian Glad and Susie Glad. Puns and jokes were thrown about as we tore through the pounding rain and the dark grey waves at breakneck speed. It was a wet and wild ride back to Newport with much (verging on hysterical) laughter.

Although it’s been years, I still remember the Glad family every time I see someone caught in the rain and clad in a trash bag. It still makes me giggle. I wish you all a great summer and hope that you can find a little something to smile about on the next rainy day.

Bon appétit!

Lobster with Corn, Tomato & Arugula Salad

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What could be better than a colorful salad on a warm summer night? This salad is perfect for a picnic on the deck or beach. Enjoy!
Serves 6
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3 ears of fresh corn, about 1 1/2 cups corn kernels*
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
8 ounces arugula
9 red grape tomatoes, halved
9 yellow pear tomatoes, halved
Lobster meat from 6 (1 1/4 – 1 1/2) pound lobsters*

Fill a large pot about three-quarters full with water. Bring the water to a boil; add the corn and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the corn from the boiling water and plunge in an ice water bath. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cob and put them in a large bowl.

Add the cucumber and scallions to the corn. Add a little Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette and toss to combine. Let rest for 15-20 minutes or up to a couple of hours to combine the flavors.

To plate: toss the arugula in a little vinaigrette and arrange on a large platter or individual plates. Top the arugula with the corn mixture. Artfully arrange the lobster and tomatoes on top of the salad. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the lobster and tomatoes and serve.

* Don’t know how to cook a lobster? Try Joe Nye’s Recipe for Perfect Lobster.
* When fresh corn is not available, use frozen shoepeg corn. Just thaw and drain.

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One Year Ago – Greek Green Beans
Two Years Ago – Blueberry Pie
Three Years Ago – Grilled Lamb

What’s your sailing story? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below.

I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my other, cleverly named blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or photoblog Susan Nye 365. You can find more than 250 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more on my website. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good.©Susan W. Nye, 2010

Weekend Special – Surviving Rainy Days

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Forget April showers, it’ the middle of May and it’s been raining every … single … day for a week. Even worst, there is more, too much more, in the forecast.

It may be cold and damp but it doesn’t seem right to cook up a wintery concoction. At the same time, who wants to stand outside by the grill in the rain?

What to cook when the calendar says spring and the weather says blech!?! I like to bring out dishes that have their roots in the hot, dry dessert!

Here are a few ideas!

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To Start:
Brighten everyone’s mood with a special cocktail. Inspired by the sweet and spicy mint chai (tea) found in a Moroccan tea room, try my Moroccan Mintini. Next, instead of the same-old-same-old platter of cheese and crackers, start your guests off with Feta & Walnut Spread. Add a few Spicy Olives and Roasted Almonds to nibble.

The Main Event:
My Spicy Chicken Stew will remind you of Morocco on a cool, clear evening. Pretend you are on an oasis under a full desert moon. Add some Couscous with Dried Fruit and Pine Nuts and dinner is done. This almost one dish dinner is delicious and a bit exotic on a dreary spring weekend. It’s great for entertaining because you can make the chicken stew in advance. Gently reheat while you and your guests relax and over cocktails and hors d’oeurvres.

Sweet Finale:
Top it off with a cool and creamy favorite like Honeyed Apricots with Creamy Yogurt.

Have a fun and festive feast! Bon appétit!

Moroccan Mintinis
Serve 4-6

8 ounces Moroccan Mint Spiced Chai Syrup
4 ounce sweet Marsala
8 ounces vodka
Garnish: mint sprigs

Put the chai syrup, marsala and vodka in a container and shake well. Put in the freezer for several hours.

Remove from the freezer, give it another shake and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

If you want a tini which isn’t quite so strong, add a splash of very cold mint tea or seltzer.

Moroccan Mint Spiced Chai Syrup
2 teaspoons black tea or 1 tea bag
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup honey or to taste
About 12 fresh mint leaves

Put the tea or tea bag in a small bowl. Bring 1 cup (3/4 cup if using a tea bag) water to a boil. Add the water to the tea, cover and brew for 5-7 minutes.

Strain the tea into a small saucepan; add the spices and honey. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the mint leaves. Let steep and cool  for 1 hour.

Strain the syrup through a fine-meshed tea sieve into a clean, glass jar. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For a nonalcoholic cool and refreshing drink:

Moroccan Mint Spiced Chai
Serves 1

1 part Moroccan Mint Spiced Chai Syrup
2 parts cold mint tea
2 parts skim milk
Garnish: sprig of mint

Put the chai syrup in a glass, stir in the mint tea and skim milk. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Are you building an ark? Growing webs between your toes? How are you staying happy and sane during all this rainy weather? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Want more? Click here for more seasonal menus! In addition, I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. © Susan W. Nye, 2011

You Know It’s Winter in New Hampshire When … & Tartiflette

Yes, we’ve heard all the jokes about living in New England and New Hampshire. There are countless references to the Patriots and the Red Sox. You know you are a New Englander if you named your dog Brady or Fenway. Or if you learned about the Curse of the Bambino in history class, right along with /instead of the Battle of Gettysburg.

A few have the audacity to malign our culinary expertise. You know you are from New Hampshire if you only have three spices in your cupboard: salt, pepper and ketchup. Or if you have not one but several recipes for moose in your repertoire. That’s moose as in the big animal with antlers not mousse as in chocolate.

But most jokes about New England focus on both the duration and intensity of our winters. You know you live in New Hampshire if your local Dairy Queen opens in May and shuts down in September. Or if you’ve taken your kids trick-or-treating in a blizzard, keep an ice scraper in your car year-round or consider six inches of snow nothing more than a dusting.

These jokes maligning our Yankee winter all seem to overlook the January Thaw. As in, you know you are in New Hampshire when you wake up one grey and misty January morning and it’s a balmy 40, maybe even 50 degrees. The January Thaw is not a figment of our collective imaginations but a well observed if unexplained phenomenon. The likes of the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory has studied it. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the definitive source for all things New England and all things weather, has reported it.

What would life be like without the January Thaw? Well, you’d miss that mid-winter glimpse of your neighbor’s knees. Who else but a New Englander would don shorts as soon as the thermometer crept above freezing? Or ride around in a convertible with the top down to stay cool during a 40 degree heat wave? That’s 40 degrees Fahrenheit not Celsius.

Unfortunately, the Thaw is frequently accompanied by rain. So without the Thaw, you’d miss the excitement of ice dams and leaks in the attic, a flooded garage or damp basement. On the other hand, you would be spared the annoying moaning and groaning of your skier friends lamenting, “if only it was 5 degrees colder … we coulda had a foot of powder.”

The rain is invariably followed by a bone-chilling, blast of cold air. Without this duo of Thaw and arctic freeze, those same moaning and groaning skiers would be robbed of the thrills, chills and spills of traversing an ice covered mountain. Thank goodness, we are both a hardy and cheerful bunch. Who else but a New Englander would spend a day slipping and sliding over thick sheets of pearl-grey ice? And then shrug, smile and call it hard packed powder?

It would be nice to think that after New Year’s balmy temps and subsequent return to chilly normalcy, we’d be done with the Thaw. Unfortunately, more often than not, we have a rainy Thaw not once but twice (even, heaven forbid, three times) before the end of February. Once we get into March, we stop calling it a Thaw and start calling it Mud Season.

Until then, for skiers all over New Hampshire, please, let it snow. Bon appétit!

Tartiflette
I discovered tartiflette when I lived in Europe. This hearty French dish is great after a long day on the slopes battling the ice, wind and snow. If you can’t find Reblochon, try substituting Fontina, Port Salut or Raclette cheese. Enjoy!
Serves at least 6

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cleaned, cut in quarters and then sliced about 1/2-inch thick
8 ounces lean thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
2 good size leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces reblochon cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large, oven proof casserole dish.

Sauté the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove the bacon from the pan and reserve. Pour off all but 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the leeks, onions and garlic; sauté for about 5 minutes.

Put the potatoes, bacon, leeks, onions, garlic and cheese in the casserole. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and nutmeg and toss. Add the sour cream and toss.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking until the potatoes are cooked through and top is brown, about 15 minutes more.

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One Year Ago – Four Cheese Lasagna Bolognese with Spinach
Two Years Ago – Curried Chicken and Lentil Soup

What’s your January Thaw story? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my photoblog, Susan Nye 365 or my cleverly named other blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2011.

Month of Sundays & Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

November is an in between month, it’s neither here nor there. Summer is long gone. The fall foliage is nothing but a colorful memory. And unfortunately the ski season is still too many weeks away. Thank goodness for Thanksgiving. It is a welcome oasis, a cheerful respite in this otherwise cheerless month.

If any month feels like a month of Sundays, November is it. It crawls by at glacial speed and seems to go on and on and on for, well, forever. Day light savings time ends* so this already interminable month actually gets an extra hour. Every day the sun grudgingly rises later and later and then sets earlier and earlier. To make matters worse, November is both the cloudiest and the rainiest month of the year. Each day seems greyer than the last. Temperatures hover around freezing to produce a bone-chilling, icy rain. It’s enough to discourage the sunniest optimist.

Since November feels like a month of Sundays maybe the best solution to our misery and boredom is to indulge ourselves and enjoy a bunch of Sundays. Even if the calendar says Thursday, treat that grey, rainy day like a long, lazy Sunday. Indulge yourself and spend the day like you have nowhere special to go and nothing in particular to do.

There is no wrong way to spend a day of lazy leisure. The only guideline is to banish everything you have to do from your agenda. Instead, use the time for something you really, truly want to do. Unless you absolutely love to do it; don’t cook, clean, do the laundry, iron, empty the gutters, shovel snow or shop.

It’s okay to think small. It’s only a dreary Sunday, hardly cause to book tickets to Kilimanjaro or audition for American Idol. Talk on the phone, draw or paint, write letters to people you love, waste hours on the internet, make soup, read the big Sunday newspaper, plant bulbs, practice yoga or take a nap.

No one said you have to spend your lazy days alone. Find kindred spirits and go out for a three hour brunch, have a marathon game of poker or Scrabble, give and get manicures or curl up on the couch with that special someone and watch your favorite old movies.

When I was in middle school I was a huge fan of old movies. On icky Sundays I would commandeer the den and watch one after another. I loved Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney and June Allyson, Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart. They lived exciting, adventurous lives. Their troubles were certainly bigger, more dramatic and definitely more interesting than any of my boring teenage trials and tribulations. No matter how convoluted the caper or perilous the predicament, these glamorous stars managed to solve everything in ninety minutes. Businesses were saved, the show went on and true love was found. They tap danced and sang. They made me laugh and cry. And not a one of them had pimples.

How will you spend this seemingly endless month of dreary days, this month of Sundays? I hope that you find many occasions to relax and enjoy doing not much of anything.

Bon appétit!

* Don’t forget to change your clocks and fall back an hour on Saturday night,  November 7th.

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
Homey and comforting but far from ordinary, risotto is great on a chilly night. If your family is willing to try something new, skip the mashed potatoes and add it to your Thanksgiving menu. Enjoy!
Serves 6 as a main course and 12 as a side dish

About 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
Olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon cognac
5 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Pinch nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cream
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Roasted pumpkin seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Stirring occasionally, roast until tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Reserve. (You can roast the squash a day or two in advance, cool and store in the refrigerator.)

2. Heat the chicken stock to a simmer and then reduce heat to low to keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until it starts to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring for another 3 minutes.

4. Combine the wine and cognac and add it to the rice. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the wine and cognac are absorbed. Add 1/2 cup hot stock; simmer until it’s absorbed, stirring frequently. Add the remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing the stock to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently.

5. After 10-15 minutes, add the roasted squash, sage, thyme and nutmeg. Continue to add stock and stir until the rice is tender and creamy, about 20-25 minutes total.

6. Season the risotto to taste with salt and pepper. Add the butter, cream and the Parmesan cheese; stir to combine.

7. Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls and garnish with chives and pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately and pass more grated Parmesan cheese for those that like a cheesier risotto.

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One Year Ago – Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pearl Onions
Two Years Ago – Mexican Chicken Soup

What’s your favorite way to spend a cold, rainy day? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below.

I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Upbutton. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my other, cleverly named blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2010

Fun and Snow Games & Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms

It’s been a crazy winter. A winter when up is down and down is up. El Niño has brought snow to the south with flakes flying from the nation’s capital to Florida, Mississippi and Alabama. And in New England, where we expect snow, we’ve had drought followed by rain followed by drought. On top of the dearth of snow, the winter winds have been fiercer than ever. Of course, it could be my imagination but it seems to me that we’ve suffered more than our fair share of windy days. I swear I’ve come this close to being blown off course more times than I care to count. Somehow I’ve managed to avoid lift-off and an inadvertent trip to Kansas or Oz.

Way out to the west, California is drowning in rain. And up to the north in British Columbia, it may be February but Vancouver and the neighboring mountains are in the middle of a spring thaw. Not great news for the Olympics. In spite of the rain, fog and grey skies the Olympic spirit is soaring over the Canadian Rockies.

Maybe it is because I grew up on skates and skis but the winter games are always a special treat. When we were kids we spent all day Saturday on the slopes. When we were too tuckered to take even one more run, we headed home to watch the professionals. With a mug of hot chocolate and a bowl of popcorn, we sprawled in front of the television and watched the joys of victory and the agonies of defeat. It was a weekly ritual.

Now I either need to subscribe to a whole lot more channels or I need to do a better job at ferreting out the skiers, bobsledders and speed skating on the channels I have. Except during the Olympics. Once every four years I can get my fill of winter sports. I can tune into the artistry of the figure skaters one night and the terrifying speed of the bob and luge the next. The ski jumpers, downhill skiers and the speed skaters are amazing with their power and control at high speeds. And then there is the pure joy and whimsy of the snowboarders.

Yes, I know they are serious athletes. Yes, I know that they train hard throughout the year and have been at it for most of their lives. I even know that there is big money involved with sponsorships and endorsement contracts. But in spite of all that, there is something about the spirit of snowboarding that reminds me of being a kid on the mountain.

It doesn’t take all that much imagination to picture your favorite snowboarders at nine or ten. They were the kids with hats askew over unruly curls, unzipped jackets flapping in the breeze and arms flailing. And most of all, theirs were the smiles so big and broad they could light up the greyest day. Or maybe I’m just remembering my own fun-filled childhood on the slopes.

I’m a skier and always have been. Even though I’ve never tried snowboarding, I was pretty raggle-taggle as a kid and maybe I still am. But there’s at least one thing I knew then and still know; there’s nothing like fresh snow on the mountain to bring out a smile and inspire joy.

Enjoy the Olympics. May it be filled with lots of joyful victories and not too many agonizing defeats. Bon appétit!

 Pork with Mushrooms and White Wine Sauce

Bring friends and family together for an Olympics party. Pork tenderloin with mushrooms and white wine sauce is a sure winner; quick, easy and delicious. Enjoy!

Serves 6

Olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
1 shallot, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1-2 tablespoons cold butter, cut in small pieces
2 tablespoons Cognac (optional)

Heat a little olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until lightly browned. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes more.  Remove the mushrooms from the pan and reserve.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add a little more olive oil to the skillet and raise the heat. Sear the pork tenderloins on all sides until nicely browned. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10 minutes or until the pork’s internal temperature reaches 140-145 degrees. Remove the pork from the pan and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Transfer the skillet to the stovetop – be careful the handle will be hot. Add the wine to the skillet and deglaze the pan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the mustard and herbs. Return the mushrooms to the skillet, toss to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half. Stir in the cognac and butter. Whisk to combine.

Cut the pork into 1/2-inch slices and serve immediately with the mushroom sauce.

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One Year Ago – Raviolis in Broth with Meatballs & Escarole

Do you have a question? An idea, a few thoughts or an opinion you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below.

I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my other, cleverly named blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website at www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2010

Comfy and Cozy – Comfort Food & Cassoulet

When you hear the words comfort and food; what comes to mind? Do you think of something savory or sweet? When you need a little tender, loving care do you hunger for something hot, bubbling and fragrant with herbs and spice? Or maybe you crave something sugary, warm and gooey or seek solace in a cold and creamy or soft and chewy treat.

Or all of the above.

Comfort food is the food of our childhood. You slurp it or spoon it and savor it slowly. If you need a sharp knife to cut it, it’s probably not comfort food. These are the dishes that warm us on snowy evenings, cheer us up on rainy days and console us when we are feeling blue.

Looking for the perfect comfort food? Well there is no one answer, it all depends on the kind comfort you need. Broken heart? Rocky-Road, cookie dough or butter pecan can’t mend a broken heart but it might just ease the pain for an hour or two. Head cold? For those times when you wonder if you will ever breathe again, the best medicine might very well be a steaming bowl of chicken soup. And if a day on the slopes leaves you frozen to core, a piping hot stew with fork tender beef and vegetables is a great solution.

I was certainly in need of a little comfort last week when a torrential rain storm blew in. At midmorning it was almost as dark as the middle of the night. It stayed grey and murky all day. The storm did not blow in from the north with the brittle cold of an arctic gale. It blew in from California bringing the January Thaw with buckets of rain, fog and a damp, dreary, bone-chilling cold.

In spite of its annual or almost annual return, the January Thaw is an unexplained weather phenomenon. Most years the Thaw comes right smack in the middle of coldest days of the year. For weeks we shiver and shake bundled up in layers of wool and fleece and then suddenly the air is well ok it’s not exactly balmy but it’s at least ten degrees above normal. It could be my imagination but it seems to me that it always rains during the Thaw. Not a little shower, no, it’s never a light, gentle rain. The January Thaw always seems to trigger a rip-roaring deluge.

Which of course makes the annual Thaw the bane of every skier’s existence. One day it’s sunny and seasonably cold. The snow is perfect or close to it. You’re not sure if you’ve died and landed in heaven or if you’re dreaming. Suddenly, the dream becomes a nightmare and the nightmare becomes a reality. The basement floods, the porch roof collapses and worse, much worse, all that nice soft snow is washed away. It may stay warm for a day or two but before long the cold returns and the slopes become a vertical skating rink.

Is it any wonder I needed comfort? I thought about ice cream but not without chocolate sauce. In the end I found consolation in front of a cheery fire with a steaming mug of homemade soup and splurged on a lovely piece of soft brie and a nice glass of cabernet.

What dishes bring you comfort when your heart is breaking or the day turns dreary?

Stay warm and dry and bon appétit!

Easy Cassoulet

In the ‘80’s, foodies discovered cassoulet and spent three days making it. Try this simplified version and forget your miseries with family and friends around the table. With its origins in French farm kitchens, cassoulet is an absolutely delicious alternative to an old New England favorite – pork and beans. Enjoy!

Serves 12

4 ounces slab or thick cut bacon, roughly chopped *
12 ounces boneless, skinless turkey breast, cut into 2-inch cubes
12 ounces boneless pork, cut into 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Flour
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15-16 ounces each) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup dry vermouth
1-2 cup beef stock
1 can (14-16 ounces) crushed tomatoes
12 ounces pre-cooked kielbasa sausage, cut into 2-inch slices
1/2-1 cup bread crumbs
Garnish: fresh, chopped parsley

1. Cook the bacon until crispy in a heavy stovetop and ovenproof casserole over medium-low heat.  Remove the bacon and reserve.
2. Season the turkey and pork with salt and pepper, lightly dust with flour and shake off the excess.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the casserole and reserve. Raise the heat to medium-high. Brown the turkey and pork, adding more bacon fat to the pan as required. Remove from the casserole and reserve.
3. Reduce heat to medium; add a little more bacon fat and the onion, carrot and celery to the pot, sprinkle with salt and chili pepper and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional 2 minutes. If you run out of bacon fat, substitute with olive oil.
4. Add the bacon, turkey, pork, beans, thyme, bay leaf, allspice, vermouth, beef stock and crushed tomatoes to the vegetables. Gently toss to combine, bring to a simmer and transfer to the oven.
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Add the sausage to the pot.
6. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

The cassoulet is best made through step 5, cooled to room temperature and then refrigerated for several hours or overnight.  Bring to room temperature, sprinkle with the bread crumbs and then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbling.

* For a slimmed down version of this recipe, skip the bacon and use a little olive oil to brown the meat and sauté the vegetables. Substitute regular kielbasa with a leaner turkey version.

©Susan W. Nye, 2010

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One Year Ago –  Caribbean Fish Stew

I’d love to hear from you! Let’s get a conversation going. To make a comment, just click on Comments below. I’d be delighted to add you to the growing list of blog subscribers. To subscribe: just scroll back up, fill in your email address and click on the Sign Me Up button. You’ll get an email asking you to confirm your subscription … confirm and you will automatically receive a new story and recipe every week.

Feel free to visit my photoblog, Susan Nye 365 or my cleverly named other blog, Susan Nye’s Other Blog, or website www.susannye.com. You can find more than 200 recipes, links to magazine articles and lots more. I hope that you will take a minute to learn about my philanthropic project Eat Well-Do Good. ©Susan W. Nye, 2010

Rainy Days – Vacation Days & Peanut Butter Brownies

I have to write quickly this morning. Two of my nieces are here for a few days. These not-so-little-anymore girls are asleep upstairs. It is like the calm and quiet before the storm. They’ll stumble down the stairs with a few yawns, some mumbled questions and comments. And then, when they are really and truly awake, we will get down to the business of deciding what to do on this rather dreary day.  

 

Which leads to the important question … what do you do with kids in the country when it’s raining? Of course, you can all pile in the car and drive somewhere in about forty-five minutes. Thirty if you’re not fussy about speeding tickets. However, that rather defeats the purpose of spending vacation time in the country.

 

In addition, if you haven’t discovered the dangers of a trip to the mall or the movies or an arcade with ‘tweens and teens, listen up. That funny noise you hear is the sound of your last few bucks being sucked out of your wallet.   

 

If they were younger, we could do the whole camping thing. That’s when you set up a tent in the living room and pretend you’re camping. If you don’t have a tent or it’s too big for the living room, a sheet over a smallish table works fine. You can make fishing poles out of sticks and string and safety pins and fish over the deck or the stairwell. Coloring and cutting out paper fish to catch will keep kids busy for a little while.

  

But my girls have outgrown the tents. As soon the weather breaks, we can head out to explore the damp and dank day. We can do the gnu tour. The challenge is to visit each and every one of New London’s twenty-six gnus and then head over to Sunapee Harbor for number twenty-seven. Brightly painted in a variety of colors and styles, the gnus are good for a few pictures, some theatrical poses and a few laughs.  

 

When we have taken enough photographs to fill several scrapbooks, we can head to the beach. You know you are desperate when you spend an afternoon huddled in a sweatshirt, wrapped in a towel, staring glumly at a fog-covered Mount Kearsarge.  

 

When my sister and I were little, we visited my grandparents every summer. On dreary days, we hung out with Nana in her tiny kitchen. She was always baking something, old-fashioned molasses cookies, hermit bars or blueberry pies or cakes, and she let us help. Baking cookies or brownies is a favorite with my two sleepyheads. I am sure they will be willing if I am able to find the time.

 

Which brings up another complication; how do you keep kids happy when it’s not only raining but you have a ton of work to do (and these few early morning hours aren’t enough?) If you’re lucky, you have an escape hatch, maybe two, even three. You may be able to drop them off at a neighbors (you are a lifesaver Sue! thanks a million Peg!) or they can spend an afternoon at their grandparents. My mother has always liked board games so maybe I can talk her into challenging the girls to a Scrabble or Monopoly marathon.

 

Oops! Times up! I hear footsteps on the stairs, that’s about it for the calm and quiet until tomorrow morning. Have a wonderful summer with family and friends, big, small and ‘tween!

  

Bon appétit!

 

 Peanut Butter Brownies

Whether I have young helpers in the kitchen or not, these brownies are quick and delicious, a great treat for any summer weekend. 

Makes 24 brownies

 2 cups flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9”x13” inch baking pan.  

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

  

With an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter, butter and sugars on medium-high speed until creamy; beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.

 

 Reduce speed to low, add the dry ingredients and mix in until just combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

 

 Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, about 20 minutes.

 

 Immediately sprinkle the top of the brownies with chopped milk chocolate. Return to the brownies to the oven for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the chocolate evenly over the top of the brownies. Cool completely in pan, cut and serve.

 

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You can find lots more recipes visit my web site at www.susannye.com. For updates, cooking tips and more, follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/susannye or Facebook at www.facebook.com/swnye. You can watch me cook on Youtube at www.youtube.com/susannye ©Susan W. Nye, 2009