Today is Thanksgiving and is always a time to reflect on what we are most grateful for.  I remember as a little girl being so excited and the anticipation leading up to going to my grandparents.  Both my great grandmothers or Nana’s as I called them and my Papa Wells were around through my junior high years.

Up until I was 7 years old I was an only child and only grandchild so let’s just assume I was well doted on.  I loved the big meal and sitting around the table talking. The pretty china that would have been laid out and the food so lovingly prepared.

Today I will go to my aunts and share a meal we have all contributed to.  I look forward to hearing my niece and nephews as their simple thoughts of thankfulness.

I am bringing a Cranberry Caramel Tart and Pumpkin Soup.  Pumpkin Soup seems like the perfect way to start the meal.  It is warm and comforting to the soul.

I am so thankful for my family and friends.  I am thankful for a job in a year where many have struggled to find work. I am thankful my new little dog Max and the laughter he brings me.  I am thankful for each of you taking the time to visit my blog and let me share my love of food and cooking.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Oh, and I almost forgot Sharon won the cookbook!  Thank you to everyone who participated.  I wish each of you a blessed day!

Pumpkin Apple Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
2 McIntosh apples, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3 cups chicken broth
1 can (15oz) pumpkin
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup heavy cream

Chili Cran-Apple Relish
adapted from Rachael Ray

1 crisp apple, McIntosh or Granny Smith, finely chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons hazelnuts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup died sweetened cranberries, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a 4 to 5 quart pan, melt butter and olive oil over high heat.  Add onion, apples garlic, pumpkin pie spice, and cayenne  and stir frequently until  pan is dry and onions are soft.

In a blender or food processor puree onion mixture until smooth.

Return puree to pan; add chicken broth, pumpkin, honey and cream.  Bring to a boil, stirring over high heat.

Ladle soup into shallow bowls.

For the topping mix the ingredients in a small bowl.

Pumpkin Spice Mix

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Stir all the spices together in a bowl to make 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie mix.

One of my favorite sides is the corn pudding dish.  Usually I go right for Ina Garten’s but thought I’d try something new this year.  I saw this one from Alton and was intrigued.

Don’t forget to enter the Cookbook Giveaway by entering a comment on your favorite side dish here.

I used the Parmesan cheese but think I would substitute cheddar next time.  I would also add a cup of fresh corn.

Corn Bread Pudding
adapted from Alton Brown

1/2 onion, diced fine
1 ounce unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 (15-ounce) can creamed style sweet corn
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, whole grain, stone ground
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Ground black pepper
2 cups cubed French bread

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sweat onions with butter and herbs in an oven safe skillet until translucent.

Combine corn, cream, eggs, baking powder, cornmeal, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add cubed bread and fold to combine. Pour batter into skillet, right on top of the onion mixture. Bake 50 minutes, or until set. Cool slightly before serving.

I have a Thanksgiving giveaway to celebrate Thanksgiving week here at Adventures in the Kitchen.  I received a copy of Diane Morgan’s new cookbook The New Thanksgiving Table by Chronicle Books.

I loved it so much I asked the kind people at Chronicle if they would share a copy with one lucky reader and they said yes.  Just leave a comment sharing your favorite side dish.  If you twitter you get a second entry by leaving another comment,  If you subscribe you get a third.

I tried the Spinach Salad with Bosc Pears, Cranberries, Red Onion, and Toasted Hazelnuts and I am dying to try the  Framboise Cranberry Sauce.  The recipe I ended up making was Hazelnut and Fresh Herb Popovers.  Remember, I shared my love of popovers from my childhood here.  I ended up using a bit of sage and loved the combination.
Diane shared her trick of putting the muffin pan in the oven to heat up for ten minutes and then brushing the tin with melted butter just before you pour the batter in.  That was the hot tip as mine fell out of the pan and that has not always happened for me in the past.  Popovers get puffy and crisp by starting out with a hot oven and then part way through turning down the heat.  The other trick is to not open the oven door.  Resist that urge to peek!

Hazelnut and Fresh Herb Popovers
from The New Thanksgiving Table
Chronicle Books, 2009

Makes 12 popovers
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely ground
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups milk
3 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a medium bowl combine the flour, hazelnuts, pepper, and salt.  Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth.  Add the eggs and blend into batter.  Add the fresh herbs and whisk in 2 tablespoons of the butter.  Let the batter stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.  Whisk before using.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450F.  Have ready a standard 12 cup muffin pan, preferably nonstick.

Place the muffin pan in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Remove the hot muffin pan from the oven.  Using a pastry brush, generously brush the muffin cups with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter.  Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups.  Without opening the oven door at any time, bake the popovers for 15 minutes.  Reduce the oven to 350F and continue to bake the popovers for 7 to 10 minutes longer until puffy and golden brown.  Turn the popovers out of the pan, loosening them with the edge of a paring knife, if necessary.  Serve immediately.

The popover batter can be made up to 2 hours in advance.  The popovers are best when baked right before serving.

Recipe © 2008 Diane Morgan.  All rights reserved.

It is Thanksgiving Week and I have many recipes to share with you.  I love Thanksgiving, don’t you?  It is probably my favorite holiday.  I love hanging with my family and this year Max, my new Yorki Poo.  Later in the day we go to see a movie together as a family.  When I was little we would go to Los Angeles for a musical.  I remember seeing Annie at the Pantages when I was younger.

We still gather as a family and everyone brings a dish.  This year I am bringing dessert.  I am thinking about this. But I love to cook all the fun sides, so I decided that I would make my own  at home so I could share them with you.

This is my take on Ina Garten’s Sweet Potatoes and Sauteed Apples.  I decided to add a ring of crunch brown sugar pecans around the side to give a little crunch to the dish.

What is your favorite side dish?  Share below!

Sweet Potatoes and Apples with Brown Sugar Pecan Topping

4 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 apples, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork several times and bake them for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Scoop out the insides and place into a bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper.

Place in a baking dish and top with sauteed apples and place pecan mixture around the sides.

This weekend I went to the Food Styling and Photography Class put on by Food Fanatics. Denise Vivaldo and Cindie Flannigan taught the food styling portion and Matt Armendariz of MattBites.com taught the food photography.

I had a blast.  Denise, Cindy and Matt were so cool.  If I didn’t have to make a living I’d be following them around.  They all love what they do and it shines through.

The first day we had several demonstrations on preparing food for the camera.  So many tools and secrets to making the food photograph well.  I am going to write a post about the class.

Sunday was the photo shoot day.  We each picked a dish to photograph and had the luxury of selecting props from Matt’s amazing prop collection.  It inspired me to go home, clean the garage and organize all my kitchen and linen items so they can be more accessible.  Of course, I also want a new camera, a photo studio and a better knowledge of how to work my camera!

I have been struggling with how to photograph soup so I brought my Tortilla Soup to photograph.  Thanks to their tips and trade secrets I have a beautiful photo of one of my favorite soups.
Tortilla Soup

Adapted from The Pastry Queen Cookbook

8 plum tomatoes
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken stock
1 dried ancho chile pepper
1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne, for heat (optional)
3-4 cooked, shredded chicken breasts
8-10 oz corn, fresh or frozen (thawed)

For garnish:
1 Avocado, peeled and sliced
Tortilla chips or strips
1 plum tomatoes, diced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream

To make the soup:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the plum tomatoes in half. Spread 1 Tbsp of the olive oil on a baking sheet or pizza pan and arrange the tomatoes on top, skin side up. Drizzle the tomatoes with another 1 Tbsp of the olive oil. Roast the tomatoes for 35 minutes, until the skins wrinkle and the tomatoes are slightly brown around the edges.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a heavy-bottomed, 4-qt soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper and saute about 5 minutes, until the vegetables become soft. Stir in the chili powder and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, 1 cup water, and ancho chile. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover, decrease the heat and simmer about 15 minutes, until the ancho chile softens.

Remove the chile from the soup and pull off and discard the stem. Cut the chile in half and discard the seeds, if desired. (Leaving the seeds in makes for a spicier soup, I left them in.) Place the softened chile, the canned tomatoes with their juices and the roasted tomatoes (included as much as possible of the juices and browned tomato bits) in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Puree the chile-tomato mixture about 1 minute. Transfer the chile-tomato mixture to the soup and continue simmering, covered, about 1 hour.

Add salt and pepper to taste and ground red pepper (if using) along with the cooked chicken. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels from the cobs, add the corn to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. If using frozen corn, add it to the soup and gently heat until corn is hot. (If freezing, stop here and allow the soup to cool before transferring to “leftover” containers and freezing. It keeps for at least two months).

Ladle the soup into medium bowls. Lean 3 to 4 slices of avocado against the edge of each bowl, partially sticking out of the soup. Arrange the tortilla chips or strips in a similar way. Sprinkle each bowl with a handful of diced tomatoes, some cilantro, and shredded cheese. Top with a spoonful of sour cream. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature.

For more heat – add 1 chipotle pepper to the food processor with the tomatoes and chile.

We had our annual fundraiser a week ago which explains my lack of posting for a few weeks.   Leading up to it I had volunteers coming in every day to help on special projects.  I had goodies on hand each day for them.  One of the days I served these cookies from Back to the Table cookbook author, Art Smith.

These cookies are buttery and nutty from the toasted pecans.  I was thinking they would be even better dipped in chocolate.Pecan Shortbread Cookies
by Art Smith from Back to the Table Cookbook

1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (2 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and salt and set aside. Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour, then the pecans, to make a stiff dough.

On a lightly floured work surface, form the dough into a 9-inch long log. Wrap tightly in parchment paper. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees farenheit.

Unwrap and slice the dough into 3/8-inch thick rounds. Arrange about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until beginning to brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen

I had clipped out this recipe a year or so ago and recently rediscovered it.  The recipe is by Louis Lambert, a chef in Texas.  He first made these Carmelitos for Lady Bird Johnson.  Since then many presidents including Clinton and both George and George W. Bush have tasted these decadent bars.  They are full of chocolate hips, pecans and dulce de leche.

It made so many that I took a sampling everywhere I went it.  The great thing is it looked really
sweet but wasn’t.  I used canned Dulce de Leche but next time will make it from scratch.  There
really is no comparison.

3 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 1/4 cups light brown sugar
One 16-ounce jar dulce de leche (1 1/2 cups); see Note
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk 3 cups of the flour with the baking soda and salt. Add the butter, oats and brown sugar and mix until combined. In a small bowl, mix the dulce de leche with the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour.

Pat half of the oat mixture into the baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Scatter half of the chocolate chips and pecans over the crust. Dollop half of the dulce de leche mixture on top. Crumble the remaining oat mixture evenly into the pan. Cover with the remaining chocolate chips, pecans and dulce de leche. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the edges are set. Let stand uncovered at room temperature overnight. Cut the carmelitas into bars and serve.

After making so many sweet bakery treats I was ready for something different.  Inspired by this photo of Salt Roasted Pears on marthastewart.com I decided to try it out.

This was simply divine.  The pears were soft but very moist and the combination of caramel with a touch of salt was perfect. My mom, who was a bit skeptical when she saw the pan filled with salt was pleasantly surprised.  I think this would be make a simple but elegant end to a fall dinner party.

In the interest of full disclosure 1 tried the caramel sauce that came with this 2 times with no success and went back to an old standby of mine.  To me it seemed to dry and too low heat. My old standby had more water at a higher heat. I used a loaf pan which worked perfectly.

Salt Roasted Pears with Caramel Sauce
Adapted from Marthastewart.com

Serves 6

6 Bosc pears
1 1/2 pounds coarse salt

Caramel Sauce
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Arrange the pears upright in an 8 inch ceramic dish that is 4 inches deep.  cover pears with salt, allowing stems to stick out.  Bake until pears are tender when pricked with a fork, 60 to 75 minutes.

Remove pears from the salt, allowing a small amount to cling to each pear.  Place each pear on a serving plate, Pour caramel sauce over top, and serve.

Caramel Sauce

Pour the sugar into the center of a saucepan.  Pour 1/3 cup water around the walls of the pan.  So not stir; draw your finger through the center of sugar to moisten it.  Over high heat, bring to a full boil and cook without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally to even out the color, until the mixture is medium caramel in color, 5 to 10 minutes.  Immediately turn off the heat and use a wooden spoon to slowly stir in the cream.  It will bubble and may splatter.

After spending days cooking with apples I thought it was time to move on to another fall treat, the pumpkin.  I was looking at one Pumpkin Cupcake recipe until I saw this one at the Smitten Kitchen. I was over there checking out the latest cute pictures of her son.  The Maple Cream Cheese Frosting sounds like a delicious addition boost the flavor.

These cupcakes are deceptively light with the perfect spice kick to them.  Thankfully I had a volunteer meeting to quickly take these to and more importantly away from my house.

Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting
Smitten Kitchen adapted from David Leite
17 to 18 cupcakes

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

Frosting
Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Make the cupcakes:?Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.

Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Scoop the batter among the cupcake liners — you’re looking to get them 3/4 full. Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

Make the frosting:
In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. To assemble the cake, frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set up frosting

I have been trying out different salads with apples the last few days.  This is one of my favorites.  I love the crunchy textures and the tangy apples mixed with the sweet dates and creamy goat cheese.

Apple, Grape & Date Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Serves 4

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup Medjool Dates, seeded and chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1/2 cup grapes, halved
4 cups mixed greens
3-4 ounces goat or feta cheese crumbled
3 tablespoons walnuts, toasted and chopped
Raisin Walnut Bread croutons (see below)

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/2 cup apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 shallot finely minced
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Place apple cider in a saucepan with cinnamon stick.  Cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons.  Pour into a small bowl and cool.  Add apple cider vinegar, shallot and olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk until emulsified.

Raisin Walnut Bread croutons

3 slices raisin walnut bread cut into cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat over 350.

Place raisin walnut bread cubes into baking dish.  Sprinkle olive oil over cubes and stir until they are coated.

Bake in the oven until slightly browned.