Posts from — September 2008

Autumn is the kind of season that needs to be savored. I feel like I should apologize to anyone who doesn’t live somewhere with a pronounced seasonal change, who doesn’t get to watch the greens turn to yellows and crimsons, doesn’t feel the crisp October air. It’s probably one my favorite things about the world. And every year, I think how much shorter fall has become, how quickly it’s flown by. So every year after that, I try to make it last longer, try to enjoy every bit of it to the fullest. How do I do that? Partially, it’s talking: telling everyone who will listen that fall is the most beautiful season and—Did you know when leaves turn colors, they’re just shedding their outer layer and revealing what was underneath all along? (It’s true!) Partially, it’s slowing down: walking outside, breathing in the fresh air, opening the windows. And partially, maybe mostly, it’s eating: pumpkin-flavored desserts, rich stews, hot apple cider. You can eat these things any time of year, of course, but they’re best when the days darken and you pull out jackets again.

Friday night, while watching the first presidential debate, I mulled apple cider and popped popcorn kernels, because it’s fall. Here is what happened: In a very large pot on the stove, I poured two quarts of apple cider. Setting it on heat, I added cinnamon sticks (which are expensive but so pretty), cloves and brown sugar. I would’ve added a slice of orange, but I forgot to pick one up from the store. (I would add a lemon slice later instead, for appearance’s sake, and immediately regret it.) I covered the pot.

Meanwhile, in another very large pot, I tossed in enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Then I threw in popcorn kernels and added a lid, careful to angle it so steam could escape. Having never made my own popcorn, save for the kind you microwave in a paper bag, I doubted this would work. Yet in minutes, the pot’s glass lid was steamy and I heard the gentle Pop, Pop, Pop! the recipe promised. This rhythm continued for a bit, then it stopped. This was my cue. Off the heat came the pan, all the white kernels tossing into my greased bowl. I poured a heated peanut butter & honey mixture on top, mixed it all with a wooden spoon and Voila!

The popcorn, all gooey and crispy, reminds me of that party mix people make, with rice cereal maybe? It’s coated and creamy yet salty and savory. It’s tasty with the first bite but, I’d swear, better with each additional handful. And, if I do say so myself, it goes wonderfully with a fresh, steaming hot cup of mulled cider. Try it, presidential debate or not, and see if you don’t feel more seasonally festive.

Would it hurt your impression of me too much if I told you I had some for breakfast the next morning? Or that I brought some more to a friend’s house Saturday night? What if I told you I have such little self-control that I easily ate 70% of the entire batch, which, honestly, was completely unnecessary, what with the other good snacks all around me?

I think once you make it, you’ll understand. When the peanut butter and honey meld together into a hot, bubbling mixture, when they make an almost caramel glaze all over the popped kernels, it’s just… well, really fall.




Peanut Butter Popcorn
from The Kitchn at Apartment Therapy

Ingredients:
1/4 cup popcorn kernels
Vegetable oil
Salt
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Prepare a clean paper shopping bag or an oversized mixing bowl. Heat a large heavy pan over medium heat and film the bottom with vegetable oil. Add the popcorn, shake to distribute and then put a lid on the pan. Leave a small crack for steam to escape. When the popcorn starts popping, shake vigorously to make sure the kernels pop evenly. When the popping slows, take the pan off the heat.

Pour the popcorn into the paper bag or bowl to cool, being careful to leave any unpopped kernels in the pan. {Coated with peanut butter caramel, the unpopped kernels are a serious tooth hazard.} Lightly salt the popcorn to taste.

Mix the honey and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for a couple minutes, and then remove from the heat and add the peanut butter. Stir vigorously until all the peanut butter is melted; then mix in the vanilla.

Immediately pour the peanut butter caramel over the popcorn and stir with a long-handled wooden spoon until it’s all coated. Once it’s mixed, you can put it in a serving bowl. Cover tightly after it’s cooled.

When you go to Red Mango in downtown Naperville, by all means sample the Green Tea frozen yogurt. It’s one of two kinds available (the other being Original) and sounds absolutely refreshing, especially on a hot day like it was on the afternoon of the Riverwalk Art Fair. Just walking down the street had me sweating, so our group of four walked into this new frozen yogurt place, hoping to cool down. The short lines, available seating and air-conditioning (OK, mostly the air-conditioning) made up for the flavor of the Green Tea yogurt I tried, which I could best liken to a smooth, cold version of cottage cheese. One spoonful was enough to turn me off, but I did hear from at least one reliable source that it grows on you, so, really, give it a shot.

The allure of Red Mango is simple, beyond its being a cool place to escape the heat: all the yogurt is 100% natural, as in, no unhealthy additives, all-natural ingredients, certified Kosher and gluten-free. In fact, it might actually be a healthy, good-for-you thing to eat since, at least according to the company’s website, yogurt is one of the five healthiest foods in the world. Beyond the two flavors of yogurt, there are over a dozen add-ins, ranging from fruits to chocolate to brand-name cereals. Purchase a cup of yogurt and customize it with your choice of extras, or get a shake, which comes with three mix-ins.

I went the simple, refreshing route: a raspberry, raspberry, raspberry blender (yes, that’s raspberry for all three of the shake’s mix-ins) made with the Original yogurt. It was fruity, tart and very, very cold. As a particular bonus, it lasted me through most of the rest of the art show, a welcome companion in the blazing sun.

As far as pricing goes, I’ll say this: Just outside the entry, there was a tiki hut with tropical smoothies going for $5 each. I thought that was a little high but attributed it to the whole this-is-a-fair-so-we-charge-more realities of life. Yet somehow, after ordering my regular-sized blender in Red Mango, I walked out having spent a little more than $5 and getting a shake about the same size.

Also, it’s interesting to note that for a shop called Red Mango, there were no mangoes to be found (they were out) or pineapples either (also all gone). That’s all well and good; it happens. I mean, when you put a certain fruit in your company’s name, it’s likely to inspire more orders. You’d just think, though, that the restaurant would carry more accordingly.

All in all, I’d say Red Mango is a decent place to get some tasty frozen yogurt, customized with your choice of mix-ins, without any guilt over preservatives or gluten or what-have-you. It’s especially good when you’re hot, sweaty and, you know, standing in front of the store.

The newer Red Mango in downtown Naperville is one of two in Illinois (the other is in Evanston); other Red Mango locations can be found here.

Red Mango Frozen Yogurt
111 W. Jackson Avenue, Naperville, IL 60540
Phone: 630-904-0994

Sunday through Thursday: 11am to 10pm
Friday through Saturday: 11am to 11pm

When I started this site almost two months ago, I made a couple rules for myself: 1) No posting on weekends, 2) Post at least two or three times a week and 3) Recipes, restaurant reviews and stories—that’s it.

Now, it seems we’ve settled into a rhythm, you and I, with my rules holding things in tact. I’m having fun. I hope you are, too. I have yet to break my weekends, and, for the most part, I’ve kept up my weekly schedule. Of course there was the cookbook review two days ago (bonus, I say!), but otherwise content is also as planned for.

So here’s the only problem, as I see it: without knowing it, I mean, without ever setting things this way in my mind and definitely not out loud to anyone, I seem to have added another rule: 4) Write about a weekly cookie.

Have you seen this happening? It started innocently enough with the peach cookies that taste like little cobblers and then, obviously, I had to tell you about biscotti. But then things started happening so fast: the everyone-was-talking-about-them NY Times chocolate-chip cookies, the oh-my-gosh-I’m-in-Heaven rosemary cookies, the the lavender cookies, which may actually have included purple sage.

I don’t really know what to say about this. Do you think there’s some kind of support network out there for people like me? A I-want-fresh-cookies-every-week help group where bakers learn to resist their cookie obsessions and experiment more often with cakes, puddings, cobblers, pies (the last of which, sadly, I have yet to even make one of here!).

I’m sure there’s some sort of hidden meaning behind this, some call to my past, maybe a sign that I miss my grandma, who taught me to make cookies, or that I miss my childhood, which is when we baked together. Maybe it’s both and, also, that cookies taste really, really good.

To me, cookies demonstrate the best of kitchen magic. That’s probably why they’re great for baking with children. The alchemy of ingredients is something that will always amaze me: put together a bunch of unrelated things, and come out with something all its own—a new creation. I mean, have you tasted flour? Anyone up for a nice tablespoon of butter for breakfast? How about a raw egg in a glass? But put all these things together, with a few alterations for flavor each time, and you have these can’t-eat-just-one tasties that everyone seems to love.

This week, it’s a ginger cookie. A Big & Soft Ginger Cookie. You won’t have to run out for crystallized ginger, which is what sold me on this recipe to begin with; and I promise it’s fast. So fast, I think the entire process of gathering ingredients, mixing, spooning and all took me maybe 20 minutes. That doesn’t count time to bake, but even that’s not bad: 10 minutes for each batch.

As far as cookies go, it doesn’t get much better than these, honestly. Not only are they tasty, but the crystallized sugar that tops them just before baking gives this pretty shimmer, amidst all those handsome crackles. Big. Soft. Sweet but not overpoweringly so. And if you’re one of those people who never liked ginger snaps (too crunchy, maybe?), these are the solution: all the flavor, none of the hardness.

And if you’re still not interested, don’t worry: I’m sure there will be another cookie recipe to come, and another after that. When I feel a little guilty, at least, I remind myself, this obsession is one other people can enjoy. In fact, I’ve decided to harness this energy, so to speak: I’ve joined this month’s group of Baking Gals and will be using my cookie love for good, sending a couple batches to a 19-year-old (!) soldier and his buddies in Iraq. To learn more about this project, head over to the Operation Baking Gals blog.

Big & Soft Ginger Cookies
from Better Homes & Gardens

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar, plus more for dusting
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add the 1 cup of sugar; beat until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses; beat well. Stir dry mixture into egg mixture.

Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (1 heaping tablespoon of dough each). Place about two tablespoons of sugar onto a flat surface. Roll balls in the sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart; add sugar to the surface as needed.

Bake in a 350-degree oven about 10 minutes or until light brown but still puffed. (Do not overbake.) Let stand on cookie sheets for 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 24 cookies.