The holiday season is coming, and most of us will probably attend at least a few dinners, potlucks and parties. Here are a few yummy and easy ideas for dessert contributions…

Mini-Pumpkin Pies:
Instead of making one big pie, try making individual mini-pies for your guests. Prepare the filling using your favorite pumpkin pie recipe. The recipes posted on the back of pumpkin puree can works great.

By the way, if you’re not using pumpkin puree from the can, you’ve got too much time on your hands & you’ll probably be insulted by my easy recipes. For the rest of us w/ work and lives on the side… please proceed.

Make & roll out pie crust - or better yet - buy a few sheets of raw pie crust. Cut out small circles of pie crust using the lip of a water glass. Line the bottom of foil cupcake cups with the raw mini-crust & fill with your pumpkin pie filling. If you use the foil cups, you don’t need the muffin tins - they’re strudy enough to hold the filling without losing its shape.

Bake for 15-20 min, until the filling is set and your toothpick comes out clean when you poke it thru the filling.

Top with whip cream before serving & enjoy!

Chocolate Truffles
Preparing truffles seems more of a pain than it actually is. They’re great gift ideas, and you can prepare a large batch at once - but it does take time and may create a mess.

However, the key about truffles is Presentation.

Even if you have oddly-shaped, plain balls of chocolate - you can easily jazz them up by coating them in a layer of cacao (aka cocoa) powder or powdered sugar. Try sifting powder sugar on top for a “frosted” look, or gently drizzle fine lines of melted white chocolate on top.

Serve truffles on a nice platter in individual mini-muffin cups. Stores like Cost Plus or Michaels sell these small muffin cups in beautiful colored foil. By framing each truffle you help them stand out & look more substantial and valuable!

Basically, any dessert you prepare, can be cut or prepared in bite-sized portions and served in individual foil muffin cups. This will work for: brownies, “blondies” (chocolate chip cookies prepared & served like brownies), lemon bars, almond teacake, custards, pies, etc.

Quick & easy dessert recipes to follow…

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From my girlfriend… haven’t tested it out yet, but I have sampled her tamales before & they are mmm…mmm… good!

I usually make 30 lbs. of masa so I’m going to tweak it a bit to make 15 lbs. Here’s the recipe:

7 pcs. of chicken quarter legs
3 chicken breasts
1 medium onion
7 chile anchos (dried)
7 chile california (dried)
10 garlic cloves
2 T. ground cumin
1 T. lard (manteca)
15 lbs. masa (prepared or preparada - buy it at a market already prepared, maybe at a tortilleria)

Cook chicken with 1/2 an onion, salt & two cloves of the garlic. Cool, shred meat and set aside.

Salsa: Cook chiles (stems and seeds) in water until tender. Blend in two batches (stems and seeds) with the juice from the chicken, dividing the garlic between the two. Before transferring it to a pot make sure to strain. Add salt to taste & ground cumin. Heat the T. of lard and slowly add to the salsa (should make a sizzling sound). Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Set aside about a cup of the salsa to add to the masa for color when it’s cooled. Add chicken let cook for another 10 minutes and you’re ready to go!!

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I’m a total wanna-be Mexican.

I have a girlfriend, who’s also Japanese-American, and married a guy who’s Mexican-American, and together they have the most beautiful family. Beautiful both inside & out - their kids are gorgeous, but even more important, they are the closest-knit family I have ever met. They are kind and compassionate products of two cultures that both place a heavy emphasis on family and grounded family values.

That’s nice and all, but not the real reason why I wish I was born into a Mexican family.

It’s the food.

Tamales, sopas, burritos, fresh tacos from the local stand, agua frescas, guacamole, carne asada - with the exception of jalepenos - I can feast on Mexican food for each of my 5 daily meals!

This was the fueling inspiration/obsession that led me to the Mission District of San Francisco last weekend. While stopping by our favorite taco stand, one of the local waitresses pointed me in the right direction to find prepared masa (a mixture of corn meal, lard, and other seasonings for tamales).

Since I was a lame Southern California student who studied French instead of the much more practical language of Spanish, I was heavily dependant upon the kind and patient bilingual locals who helped my pathetic butt to purchase all the necessary ingredients. After a couple of attempts and a lot of hand gestures and nodding, my husband & I left the store with $16 of tamales ingredients for 40 tomales: prepared masa, corn husks, chili pepper (preparing pepper from whole chilis is recommended - but I cheated & used chilli powder), corn oil, and sheets of wax paper.

Another time saving suggestion - I bought pre-cooked/roasted chicken from Costco. If you cheat like me, I suggest you adjust and lower the salt content in your recipe - mine was too salty.

I helped my Japanese-now-Mexican girlfriend prepare tamales before, so was somewhat familiar with the wrapping process. It’s quite fun actually, and not nearly as difficult as some people report. However, it does take a Looooong time to prepare the meat (2hrs), soak the husks (2 hrs), wrap the tamales (1-2 hrs), and steam them (2hrs). But afterwards, you have TONS of yummy homemade tamales! For a total cost of $25 (for the tamales ingredients and meat), we made over 40 tamales.

We’re purchasing our first home soon, so this may be our new cost-efficient way of eating. The backup supply of tamales is also handy for the million potlucks I attend thru work & school - you can freeze cooked or raw tamales & steam them before you need them (just remember to allocate 2 hours to cook!) We made many smaller, appetizer-sized tamales (admittedly, by accident), and they were perfect for the potlucks!

I found an easy recipe for the meat on-line, but it wasn’t as spicy or flavorful as I would have preferred. I’m still on the hunt for a better recipe, and will post it as soon as I find one. I tried asking some of my girlfriends for their family’s secret recipes - but, like most comfort food, the recipe and process is more intuitive than exact. I think the best way to learn is to experience and witness it first hand. Next time, I’m inviting an expert into my kitchen instead.

There’s so much to be said about a culture through its food, and this tamales experience was nothing short of beautiful.

For the first time in a year, my husband and I were able to work side-by-side in the kitchen together.

A bit of background - he went to culinary school and tends to be a snob about how to prepare food and the quality (and expense) of the ingredients he uses. You see, he doesn’t “slice meat off the chicken”, he “fabricates the Cordon Bleu fresh rosemary chicken with a zest of citrus”. Whatever. I, on the other hand, learned how to cook over 28 years of shadowing my mom, aunt and grandmother - so I feel like I have real life experience on my side. Plus, I’m the one doing the majority of all the cooking! (To his credit, he’s mostly a baker - and he’s got me nailed when it comes to baking.)

Anyways, ranting aside, this tamales experience took us both to neutral territory. It was fun to stand hip-to-hip and take turns slapping on the masa and wrapping up the tamales. It’s a new family tradition that we both plan on continuing each year and sharing with our future kids and friends. And in that way, even if it’s only for the weekend - I become a proud honorary Mexican!

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Thought of this entry when talking to my 25 year-old, male cousin who’s currently back in the dating scene and could use a few casual, yet - subtly romantic date ideas.

Also reminds me of my third date with my husband-to-be four years ago…

Picnics are great, casually intimate dates. Find the right spot, pack the right ingredients, create the right ambiance & (even if your date is a dud) you can proudly pull off a GREAT date. Sure, outdoor picnics might not be cool for everyone, but I personally love the opportunity to spend more time outdoors, relax and enjoy a good conversation or just lazy lounging.

Here are a few suggested picnic items:

Heavy, soft blanket to sit on (thick enough so the wet grass doesn’t leak through)
Sturdy plastic cups & plates (disposable OK, but I prefer to reuse, reduce & recycle)
Deck of cards
Wet wipes (good for washing your hands after hiking in to your favorite picnic spot)
Cloth napkins
Extra plastic bag/Large Ziploc for trash
Utensils

Suggested Food Items:

Chilled white wine (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc), sparkling water, or champagne
Fruit (whole peaches, tupperware of grapes, or my favorites - berries and figs)
Assortment of cheeses (try aged gouda, camembert, brie or knots of mozzarella)
Pre-sliced baguette (you can pre-toast and coat with olive oil)
Tomato bruschetta - see recipe below
Sliced deli meat (salami, turkey, smoked ham)
Marinated olives
Pre-made Italian pasta salad
Hummus
Marinated heirloom tomatoes (soaked in extra virgin olive oil, finely sliced basil, and a dash of fresh pepper & sea salt)
Grilled eggplant & portobella mushroom sandwiches with sliced mozarella, basil, cucumbers & tomatoes (if you’re not vegetarian - throw in a few slices of bacon!)

For an ethnic flare:

Cooked sushi (NOT raw!) - try teriyaki salmon on top of a ball of rice, wrapped in seasoned seaweed
Rice balls rolled in furikake or wrapped in seasoned seaweed
Gyoza w/ dipping sauce (equal parts soy sauce & rice vinegar with a touch of sesame oil, lemon juice and chilli oil)
Chilled Thai noodle salad (vermicelli noodles, sauteed bell peppers, basil, green onions, & chicken - tossed in a peanut butter sauce - you can buy the sauce at the supermarket)

Easy Bruschetta Recipe

2-3 cloves of garlic
5-6 tomatoes
small bunch of basil
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Finely chop & gently warm cloves of garlic over low heat with extra virgin olive oil, do not burn or toast. Slice & remove seeds from tomatoes, chop into small pieces. Roll basil leaves from stem to tip, and finely slice to create long, thin slivers. Mix all ingredients together and drizzle with olive oil. Season with fresh ground pepper and salt.

Tip: throw the sliced basil in the mixture with olive oil as soon as possible - if left out on the counter too long, it’ll brown. Also, experiment with different spices and herbs - but keeping things simple allows you to enjoy the flavors of each of the few ingredients.

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Few weekends ago, a group of us went to Tomales Bay Oyster, Co., just north of San Francisco in Marin County. We packed up some picnic and BBQ supplies & headed up the windy roads to the small oyster farm along the coast of Tomales Bay.

Here is the lesson I received on oyster shucking from fellow oyster lover, Margherita Casanova (btw, isn’t that a beautiful name?!)

Few Rules of Engagement:
1. Wear protective gloves!! Stores sell shucking gloves w/ rubber inlays for a better grip, but we found that old oven mitts also worked just fine. Others just used a kitchen towel. (These pictures show Margherita without her gloves on – remember, she is a time-tested, trained expert, please be sure to use the proper equipment!)
2. Tie back your hair – you risk getting it drenched in oyster juice.
3. Move gently & deliberately. Don’t try and muscle your way through or you risk the knife slipping & creating a nice, deep cut in your hand and cutting your oyster eating experience short ’cause you’d be off to the emergency room.

Here’s how to shuck:
1. Oysters have a natural top & bottom – look for the seam at the base of the oyster and make sure it faces up when held flat against the table.
2. Using your shucker (a flat, wedging knife), gently wiggle it between the seam at the base. There’s a “sweet spot” that, when wiggled, will pop the oyster open – it’s sort of like picking a lock.
3. Keeping the knife parallel to the table, trace the knife all along the edges of the oyster, and loosen the two sides of the shell from each other.
4. The oyster meat is connected to the top and bottom shell. Use your knife to cut away the oyster meat from the top shell. This will completely detach the top shell from the oyster.
5. Trace the knife underneath the oyster meat to cut it free from the bottom shell.
6. Garnish, slurp and enjoy!

For BBQ oysters:
1. Place whole oyster on the grill
2. Take off the grill after the two shells detach and open, or when the juices in the oyster start to boil and spit out of the shell.
3. Wedge your shucking knife at the base of the oyster, and follow the same instructions above.
BBQ oysters are easier to open, but beware of the hot, boiling juice inside! The shells are also extremely hot, so use an oven mitt or kitchen towel to brace the oyster down.
4. Try different BBQ-ing times. I’ve had them fully cooked and only slightly cooked - warm, but still a bit raw. Yummm….

Garnishing suggestions:
Minced garlic & shallots - mixed w/ extra virgin olive oil and lightly seasoned w/ salt & pepper
tabasco sauce
horseradish
melted butter, garlic & chives (can also dilute w/ a bit of chicken or vegetable stock or olive oil)
lemons or limes
champagne vinegarette sauce w/ minced shallots

Check out the previous posting: What to pack for the perfect casual picnic!

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Here is a guest entry from one of our MyCity My Travels bloggers, Barbara Latragna, who just recently returned from England. She wrote this great article about her food experiences on her trip. I thought it was only fair to share it with you food interested people. Enjoy!

UK’s food is not Bad!
by Barbara Latragna

I recently went to the UK on vacation. I love going to a different country or city to taste and look at their differences in cuisine and grocery habits. There were many restaurants to visit in Great Britain.

Right away I noticed that they have a very large breakfast. It included toast, in a cute little plate that presented the toast on end as if they were files served with jam, a spread-able cheese, eggs, sausages, fruit, broiled tomatoes and mushrooms, coffee or tea and finally juice. Wow, that is quite a breakfast. You are really not hungry for lunch after wolfing that down.

We are used to having lunch but they have tea in the afternoon. If you do have lunch it seemed they were small portions or something called ploughman’s lunch. The ploughmans lunch included cheese and crackers or country style bread. The selections of cheeses were out of this world, not our everyday Cheddar, and Jack cheese, but new and delicious cheeses with romantic sounding names. This seemed perfect for me…just a little bite instead a large lunch. So when two or three o’clock rolled around you were ready for tea. Tea was presented in different forms, casual with a few cookies (they call biscuits) or formal setting with silver and the whole layout. They have delicate little sandwiches, with the crusts cut off, made with cucumbers and lettuce. They use butter instead of mayo, on the sandwiches, which I really didn’t care for. They bring these little delicacies on a three tier serving dish. They have little petits fours, bite size quiches, small pastries. Another wonderful addition is a biscuit/cookie called scone served with something called clotted cream. Clotted cream tasted like it was a cross between whipped cream and butter. I really enjoyed tea, it was exactly the right time for something to eat and relax. I think the English have it right on this timing for a break in the afternoon..

Dinner seemed like it had smaller portions, not like America, where we have larger portions and super size everything. The time was later than what we are used to, not 5:00 or 6:00 pm but rather 8:00 or 8:30 pm. It seemed much more natural to have a large breakfast, a small bite for lunch, if at all, and tea with little sandwiches and then a small dinner later on.

As for the myth that the food in the UK, the latest criticism coming from France, isn’t good or they don’t know how to cook, I found simply not true. I loved the food and the country.

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First, I need to set the stage…

Just about a year ago, my husband and I checked out this hippy co-op movie theater near our home in the Upper Haight district of San Francisco called the “Red Vic“. It’s an old theater run by volunteers in the community. They play mostly older, classic cult films (Godzilla, The Fog - the original, Bubba Ho-Tep) as well as semi-new independent films (Super Size Me, Winged Migration, The Corporation).

Community, wholesome goodness, and the intelligent and creative array of films are the lure of this theater. The $5 ticket price doesn’t hurt, either. (I recently checked out their website - prices have gone up, but they’re still below regular theater price tickets. PLUS, I still feel good knowing that my ticket money helps keep their doors open, and doesn’t go to The Man.)

The theater has regular seats in the back, but if you’re lucky to snag one of the front row seats, you and your hubby/partner/date can snuggle in their love seat, red velvet lined bench-booths! Not the most comfy seats in the world, but still a fun alternative. (Just lots of butt shifting every 25 minutes or so)

The part that I appreciated the most as a struggling liberal concerned with the environment (amongst other things like foster care kids, civil rights, abandoned puppies, and world peace) - they served all their refreshments in washable & reusable containers. Popcorn is served in a small or large wooden bowl, and they offer black cherry soda in 8oz hard plastic cups. Before the movie begins, a low-budget clip humorously reminds everyone to pick up after themselves and properly sort their dishes in the various popcorn bowl, glasses, recyclables, and trash bins.

And in this very hip, very cool, very much lovin’ it scenario is where I first discovered popcorn with yeast.

It was on the menu:
Popcorn: Small - $2, Large - $3
Butter & Yeast - 50 cents extra each

Totally curious…

Tried it first without butter, just yeast. Didn’t get it. Not so good. Not repulsive, just not great.

Added a scoop of REAL melted butter (not just the yellow-colored oil). HOOOOOOOLY COW!!

AMAZING. Seriously, this is some really tasty stuff! From then on, we made it to 4 more films that month - driven mostly by our desire for movie popcorn with butter & yeast.

It’s actually gotten more obnoxious since then. I will actually smuggle in my own yeast to a regular AMC, United Artists or Regal Entertainment movie theater! I’m like one of those mothers who bring in their own snacks from home, only I’m a walking pantry of spices!

So after a few home experimentations, here are a few recommended savory popcorn toppings I’d like to share with you -

nutritional yeast & butter
You can buy the yeast in bulk at a health foods or organic market - it’s really cheap when you buy it from a bulk bin. As a substitute for melted butter, try “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” margarine-spray. You get nice, light and even coverage. Still not as yummy as butter, but what do you expect?

furikake
Japanese “sprinkles” traditionally used over rice. My favorite combination is melted butter, yeast, and furikake. YUM…

Okay, need to take a quick break & pop some popcorn before carrying on…

Other options:
Seasoning Salt
Kind of gives you that BBQ flavor.

Soy Vey
I haven’t tried this one yet, but I heard from other popcorn experts that this tastes great w/ yeast & is a good substitute for salt.

Sembei - Japanese Rice Crackers
These little rice crackers also give a bit more crunch! Pour in a cup and mix it up w/ your popcorn.

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