Spiced Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake

Yeah, that's right: Spiced Bourbon Pumpkin cheesecake with Chocolate Sauce!

This cheesecake takes things to a whole new level of decadence.  You can diet later, right now you totally need to make this.

Cheesecake:
1 1/2 c crushed Vanilla wafer cookies or lightly flavored Gingersnap cookies
1 c ground toasted Pecans or for those of you with allergies, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
1 stick melted Butter
2lbs soft Cream cheese, cubed
1 c light Brown sugar
6 eggs
1/2 c heavy Cream
1/2 c Flour
pinch of Sea salt
2 tsp STM Sweet Spice
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 c Pumpkin puree, preferably homemade (if buying canned get un-spiced sugar free puree not pie filling.)
2-3 tb good Bourbon

Chocolate Sauce:
3/4 c Half & Half
1 tb Butter
1/2 lb semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tb STM Traditional or Chocolate Balsamic

Combine the crunched cookies, butter, and nuts/seeds.  Press into a spring-form pan.  In a food processor (by far the easiest way) whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Beat in the sugar.  Once that is incorporated, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Now work in the cream, spices, flour, salt, bourbon and vanilla.  Beat in the pumpkin puree.  Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350 for 1 our 15 minutes or until mostly set.  Cool completely.
Combine the half & half, vanilla and butter.  Heat until nearly boiling.  Put chips and balsamic in a bowl, pour the hot cream over top.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 5-10 minutes.  (the heat of the cream will melt the chocolate) Beat until well combined and smooth.  Drizzle over the cheesecake or serve along side.
 * I like to garnish mine with Pumpkin seed or pecan brittle.  It's very easy to make and super tasty.  Check our website for the recipe.

Dessert! My favorite meal of the day

  I have a sweet-tooth.  I love the melding of flavors and textures that occur in desserts.  At the end of a difficult day, I love curling up on the sofa with one of these desserts and a good book or movie.  I know you love it too, so I am sharing a few of my favorites with you. 

 Poached Figs with Bavarian custard
* adapted from Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean
For the Bavarian:
bit of oil or a cooking spray
1 3/4 c Milk
1/2 c Sugar
1/4 c STM local Honey
1/2 STM Vanilla bean
6 egg yolks
ice cubes
1 tb + 1 tsp powdered unflavored Gelatin or powdered Agar-agar (a gelatin-like seaweed)
1 c Creme fraiche
1/4 c heavy cream
Figs:
4 c fruity Red wine such as STM Pinot Noir
1 c Sugar
1/2 c STM local Honey
1/2 STM Vanilla bean
3 STM Allspice berries
6 STM Tellicherry peppercorns
2 tb STM Orange Zest
15-20 fresh figs, stems removed
*variation: when figs aren't in season I use pears instead.  Increase the wine to 6 c, and the suagr to 1 1/2 c.  Core and halve 6 pears, removing that fibrous bit along the middle.
  Grease a loaf pan with the cooking spray.  Line with plastic wrap.  Gently scald the milk, stirring in the sugar and honey once it's hot.  Scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk when it's just under boiling.  Cover, remove from the heat and let infuse for 30 min.  Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until creamy.  Slowly beat in the cooled milk and pour into the milk pan.  Cook over a med-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 min - until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Pour into a bowl set on ice and stir constantly for 3 minutes.  Bloom the gelatin in 1/4 c cold water 3-5 min.  Stir into the custard.  Chill for 15 min, stirring every 5.  Beat the creme fraiche and the cream to soft peaks.  In three stages, fold the whipped cream into the custard.  Spoon into the prepared loaf pan and chill 6 hours or overnight. 
Combine everything except the fruit.  Simmer the sauce for 10-12 minutes.  Add the fruit (if using pears, weight them down with a plate)  Continue simmering.  Figs-8 min, then remove the fruit to a dish while the sauce cooks for another 10-12 min.  Pears - simmer for 20-25 minutes, remove and reduce the sauce.  Both: toss the fruit with the syrup-sauce and chill for a few hours.  Serve overtop slices of the custard.
  This recipe is a little time intensive but it is so well worth the effort!

Amazing Caramelized Onion Tart with Bacon

I first made this as an appetizer last Thanksgiving.  My husband took one bite and informed me "You're going to need to make another batch - so everyone else can have some too.  These aren't going to last that long" 

I wound up make three batches! 

Caramelized Onion Tart with Poppy Seeds, Bacon and Dates
  Adapted from Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean
8 regular or 4 thick cut slices Bacon
2 tb Butter
1 tb STM Rosemary EVOO
2 tb STM White Wine
2 tsp STM Poppy seeds
1 tb STM Thyme
1/2 recipe Savory Cracker dough (to follow)
1/2 c Creme Fraiche (or sour cream with buttermilk)
4 pitted Dates, roughly chopped

  Pre-heat the oven to 350. Roughly chop the bacon and render it in a large skillet.  Chopping it before cooking will ensure that more of the fat is rendered out.  Scoop out the bacon and drain.  Pour out all but about 1 tsp of the fat.  Add EVOO and butter.  Once the butter begins to brown add the onions.  Cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize about 20 minutes.  De-glaze with the wine.  Let the alcohol cook off (1 min) and then stir in the poppy seeds, creme fraiche, and thyme.  Season and cool.  Both the cracker dough and the filling can be made ahead of time.
  Roll out the dough to 1/4" - 1/8" thick.  For hors d'oeurves, I use a shot glass to cut out the rounds.  For appetizers, use a 4-5" cutter.  Top with 1 tsp onion mixture for the small rounds or 2 tb for the larger.  Tuck the dates into the mound of onion and top with the bacon.  Fold the edges of the dough up over the filling and pinch where the edges overlap.  Gently move to a sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Sprinkle with a pinch of Nigella seeds to finish.

Savory Turkish style Cracker dough
1 1/2 c Flour
1/2 c Cornmeal
1 tb Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Salt
10 tb Cold butter, diced
3/4 c Buttermilk
1 tb STM Sesame Seeds
2 tsp STM Poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp STM Nigella seeds
  Sift together the dry ingredients.  Add the seeds.  Cut in the cold butter (using a pastry blender, food processor, or fork) until pieces are no larger than a pea.  Mix in the buttermilk.  The dough will be a little moist.  Wrap in plastic and chill 3 hours - overnight.
If making crackers, roll out to at least 1/16" or as thin as possible.  Slice into squares.  (Or roll the dough into a 1" log and slice into 1/16" rounds) **Don't re-roll the scraps.  The dough will become very tough.  (Just keep the imperfect pieces to munch on while you cook.) Prick with a fork and arrange on a lined sheet pan.  Preheat the oven to 350, then once it is hot, reduce the temperature to 325.  Bake for 8 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 10-11 minutes.   Cool and enjoy!  Crackers will keep for about a week in an air-tight container.

Spice 101: Garlic

Garlic has been loved by humans for over 7,000 years.  It has been a key feature of cuisine and medicine in cultures all over the globe.  It is delicious, versatile, and has been reputed ward off that most sinister of misfortunes - the common cold.  Raw garlic has a pretty pungent aroma and flavor.  The intensity will mellow with cooking, varying with the cooking method used.  It forms a fundamental component of many Asian, Mediterranean, European and African dishes.
  Allium sativum is a relative of onions, shallots, leeks, chives, and ramps.  It's ancestor is thought to have originated in Asia, but modern strains can be found pretty much everywhere.  Garlic is fairly easy to cultivate and will grow in many soil types and pH levels.  Some strains are sensitive to day-length and should be planted appropriately.  In colder climates (like ours) cloves should be planted in fall, about six weeks before the soil freezes.  It can be grown in pots of a sufficient size and depth to allow proper bulb development.  Bulbs will be ready to harvest in late Spring.
  Garlic is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal.  It is believed to prevent heart disease, regulate blood sugar, curb hypertension, and may prevent the build up of cholesterol in the blood stream.  Garlic is being studied as a possible treatment for several types of cancer and HIV related illnesses.  It also has high levels of Vitamin C, keeping all of your favorite galley slaves here at STM scurvy free.

    Basic Roasted Garlic
1 large head of Garlic
1-2 tb STM EVOO
Aluminium foil or a ceramic garlic roaster
  Pre-heat your oven to about 400.  Slice the top off of the head, making sure to reveal as many cloves as possible.  Drizzle with the olive oil and enclose in roaster or envelop in a tightly sealed foil pouch.  Roast for about an hour.  The garlic will caramelize, becoming soft and sweet.
  Scoop out the cloves and spread on to fresh bread, or add to: soups, sauces, bread and pizza dough, roasted vegetables, the sky is the limit - I've even had it in ice cream!

Grandma's Garlic Sauce
  This is a Lebanese staple, passed down from my Great-grandmother.  I always have some in the fridge, so I can add a dollop or two to marinara, soup, or marinades.  I have made this with both raw and roasted garlic - sometimes both.
1 head of Garlic
1/2 c STM EVOO
1/2 tb Salt
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
Plain Greek yogurt *optional
  Put everything in a blender and puree until smooth.  Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge.

Keep an eye out for more mouth watering Garlic recipes!

Spice 101: Grains of Paradise

Grains of Paradise are the seeds of a plant in the Ginger family.  It is native to West Africa.  It is also known as Guinea pepper, Melegueta pepper, or alligator pepper.  Its flavor is a blend of mild black pepper, cardamom, coriander,and ginger.  They may be little, but they pack a lot of flavor.

In the Middle Ages, many European chefs used Grains of Paradise instead of the much costlier black pepper.  Today, it is common in West & North African cuisines.  The Portugese are also very fond of this amazing little spice as is Northern Europe.  Grains of Paradise are growing in popularity here in the US as well.  TV chefs such as Alton Brown are featuring it in their recipes (Alton uses it in his delicious Apple pie). Brewers like Sam Adam's and Blue Moon use them as a flavoring agent in their Summer Ales.
Grains of Paradise compliment many vegetables including potatoes, eggplant, and pumpkins/squash as well as many meats.  Toast and grind the seeds and add a liberal amount to get a satisfactory flavor.

"Alligator" Chicken
4 large chicken breast halves, with bone and skin
8 small hot dried chile, or about 3 tb STM cayenne or chipotle
1 1/2 tsp STM Lemon zest
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp STM Spicy Mango balsamic
2 tb STM Coriander seeds
1 tb STM Cumin seeds
1 tb STM Caraway
1 tb STM Grains of Paradise
2 tsp Kosher salt
4 tb STM Citrus Habanero EVOO
  Toast the spices until fragrant.  Grind to a course powder.  Combine with the remaining ingredients to form a thick paste.  Rub all over the chicken breasts and let marinate for 1 hour.  Grill over med-hot coals for about 10 minutes.  Flip and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until just done.  Don't over cook - it'll get tough and dry.  Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Curried Quinoa Salad with Asparagus

1 c quinoa
1 1/2 c Chicken or Vegetable stock
1 tb STM Meyer Lemon EVOO
1/2 c diced Onion
2 minced Garlic cloves
1 tb minced Ginger
1 tsp STM Cumin
1 tsp STM Grains of Paradise
1 bunch fresh Asparagus or fresh Green Beans
1 c Peas, fresh or frozen
1 c diced Squash, Zucchini, etc *optional
For the Dressing:
1/2 c STM Meyer Lemon EVOO
1/4 c STM Spicy Mango balsamic
1 tb Lemon juice
3 tsp (+/-) STM Madras Curry powder
1 tsp STM Mustard seeds, ground
  Cook the quinoa in the stock according to package directions.  Trim and slice the asparagus.  Saute the onion and garlic until they start to brown.  Add the ginger and spices.  After a minute or two, add the vegetables.  Let them cook a few minutes (to desired texture - I like them crisp) Stir in the quinoa and remove from the heat.  Mix up the dressing and toss into the salad.  Let rest for a few hours so the flavors can develop.