My favorite pumpkin bread recipe

Pumpkin Harvest Bread

from Leslie Mackie’s Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook

makes 2 loaves



1/2 cup walnut halves
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 cup pumpkin seeds (I used sunflower seeds, because we had them)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (or not)
1 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
4 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk



Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil two 9″x5″x3″ loaf pans.
Place the nuts and seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool, then chop medium fine. Turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Reserve 1/4 cup of the nuts and seeds for topping the loaves; stir the rest into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oil and two types of sugar. Using the paddle attachment, mix at medium speed for 4 minutes. Add the squash and mix 2 minutes more. Add eggs one at a time, mixing to incorporate each egg before adding the next.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Alternately add small amounts of the flour mixture and buttermilk to the bowl, stirring just until flour is incorporated into batter.

Pour the batter into the oiled loaf pans. Sprinkle with the reserved nuts and seeds.

Bake the loaves for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in middle of loaf comes out dry. Let cool in pans for 20 minutes before turning loaves out onto a cooling rack. Then see how long you can wait, with that sweet spicy aroma filling your kitchen, before you slice into a loaf.

New favorite retro drink: Upper East Sidecar

The Palm Steakhouse in Buckhead makes my favorite version of the classic sidecar. Simple but elegant. I will drink this while watching re-runs of Mad Men and dreaming about owning a butterfly-roof midcentury modern dream home in Palm Springs.

2 oz. VSOP Remi Martin Cognac
1 oz. Cointreau
Splash of lemon juice

Shake well with ice and strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

"Molten" Pear Cake

Much like the ubiquitous chocolate "lava" cakes you see on restaurant menus these days, this cake has a "molten" pear center that is not entirely set. Serve this cake warm by itself for breakfast or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a dessert. 
Topping:
3/4 c. chopped pecans
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small squares

Cake:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
2 1/2 cups ripe peeled Bartlett pears, in 1/2 inch dice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cardamom

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make topping, pulse ingredients in food processor until course crumbs form. Spray 8" or 9" square cake pan with nonstick spray. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. In separate bowl, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy. Gradually add in eggs and vanilla. Alternate additions of butter mixture, sour cream and buttermilk to dry mixture, beating with electric hand mixer until thoroughly combined. In separate bowl, combine pears, granulated sugar and cardamom and let stand 10 minutes, pouring off most of the pear liquid that forms. Pour half of batter in cake pan. Cover with pear mixture, then add remaining batter to pan to cover. Sprinkle with topping mixture. Bake until top is brown, approximately 35-40 minutes. Cool on rack in the pan.

Rigatoni with Lamb and Eggplant Ragu

Serves 4

13.25 oz. box whole wheat rigatoni or penne
1 lb. ground lamb
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fennel seed, toasted, then crushed
3 cups diced eggplant
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 cup red wine
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
3/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Boil salted water and cook pasta according to package directions. Saute lamb, garlic and fennel in large saucepan over medium heat until lamb is browned (4-5 minutes). Add eggplant and oil and saute until eggplant is soft, stirring as it cooks. Add tomato sauce and wine and cook until sauce thickens (10 minutes). Add oregano, salt, pepper, and pine nuts and stir through. Combine with pasta and top with Feta cheese.

Easy slow cooker ropa vieja ("old clothes")

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
16 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 oz. tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. capers (or 2 Tbsp. chopped green olives)
2 lb. flank steak

Serves 4-6


Heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute 1 minute until just turning golden. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until soft and onions are somewhat caramelized (8-10 minutes). Spray crockpot with nonstick spray and add garlic, onion and bell pepper mixture. Add next 9 ingredients to crock pot (through capers) and stir to combine. add flank steak and submerge in mixture. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Remove flank steak and shred with two forks, then return to liquid mixture. Serve with yellow rice and black beans.

Pad Prik King (Spicy Thai Chicken w/String Beans)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 kaffir lime leaves, sliced
1 lb. lean ground chicken
2 Tbsp. Thai red chili paste
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. water
3/4 lb. thin green beans (fresh or frozen)

Heat the vegetable oil in wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute until just beginning to turn golden. Add the lime leaves and chicken and cook until chicken is nearly cooked through. Combine the chili paste, fish sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl and mix. Add to wok and mix with chicken. Add green beans and continue to stir fry until beans are cooked but still crunchy (4-5 minutes). Serve over jasmine rice.