Bringing It Back: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Guess what's nearly here?? No, not Christmas or the holidays. No, I'm talking about cookie season. Yay! Just a few months away from my annual cookie tray extravaganza (i.e. baking as an endurance sport). Usually the annual cookie tray requires a few months of cookie tryouts, however this year has found me too busy for sample batches (work, living, instant family, etc.). Instead I am going to start this year's cookie tray with a good solid cookie from my baking arsenal - my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.These babies are going to be making a comeback appearance, by popular demand. Their secret - the food processed oats that make these both chewy and crispy at once. Make sure to keep an eye on them when they are in the oven so as not to allow them to get too crispy. And stay tuned for more additions to the 2012 cookie trays!

Local Eats: The Pump Cafe

The world has a funny look to it when in the midst of a hectic travel schedule, as if wearing hue colored glasses. I certainly felt this way this past week as thousands of miles passed beneath my feet. I went here, there, and every damn crack in between. I can safely say that if anyone told me I could give up driving and flying for a good long while I'd likely thank them for it. Anyhoo, one of the perks of being the road so much is getting to try new foodie establishments.

Near the beginning of my adventures, I had the opportunity to visit the Pump Cafe in Springfield, OR and was pleasantly surprised at the good eats happening here. Nom, nom, nom. The breakfast was filling, hearty, and delicious - that's winning in my book. Needless to say this joint met my standards as a hangover establishment.

The place has a wonderful feel to it, country farm americana, with endless cups of good joe. The place seems to always have a bit of a crowd, but everyone is super sweet and very mellow in their quest for good food. Their counter bar is quite a favorite with locals, from what I hear.

The food was beyond scrumptious and is definitely within the definition of family style. Huge plates for huge appetites, no one goes home hungry from here. Next time you have a hankering for brunch and are near Main Street, Springfield, make sure to give the Pump Cafe a try. Enjoy!

Repurpose Food & Mashed Potato Casserole

I am the queen of reusing and repurposing food. Yes, I sound smug saying this but it is only after years and years of success that I brag with such ease. Maybe it harks back to my environmentalist days, but I am not a big fan of waste (food waste, especially). And since it sounds like us Americans seem to waste more food than anyone on the planet, I figure repurposing potatoes into something yummy is my way of helping out.

Last weekend I made a batch of mashed potatoes as a side dish and ended up with WAY more than I could humanly eat. Instead of letting the plastic container sit in my fridge for the allotted week until the contents found its way into the trash, I opted to use my spuds as an example of reusing leftovers. Off the cuff, I made a mashed potato casserole (super easy). With just a couple items from my fridge and cupboard, my once plain potatoes turned into a light and fluffy casserole! This is very much a hodgepodge of whatever is readily available in your kitchen, so let your imagination run wild. And stay tuned for the repurposed mashed potato casserole into potato bacon soup (mmm, good fall eating here). Salute!

Mashed Potato Casserole 

• 2 cups or so of leftover mashed potatoes (slightly reheadted as it's easier to mix) 
• 1/2 can of seasoned lima beans
• 1-2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp Rondele spread 
• 1/2 stalk of a leek, diced 
• Handful of mushrooms, sliced
• Shredded cheese (any variety)
• 2-4 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs 

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prep the casserole pan (I didn't really do anything other than take it out of the cabinet).

Saute the leek and mushrooms in a frying pan for a few minutes (until the mushrooms appear mostly cooked and the leek becomes aromatic).

In a bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, lima beans, heavy cream, cheese spread, leek and mushroom saute, and most of the shredded cheese. Once this looks well incorporated, transfer it to the casserole pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese and a few tablespoons of bread crumbs over the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let the dish cool for a few minutes and serve up while still warm.

Sage, Apple, Cheese Scones for Fall

Fall is upon us! Tomorrow night brings the harvest moon (one of the brightest moons of the year, once important to farmers). And just around the corner is my favorite holiday, Halloween. `Tis the season of corn mazes, haunted houses, and pumpkin flavored everything. Just thinking about autumn gets me all smiley. 

One of the things I adore most about fall are the colors. Playing around with a few new lenses, I have every excuse to be outside enjoying the last of the near-summer weather. Of course one of my trusted four-legged sidekicks makes for great photo material. Such a good boy, all he wants is for me to throw the ball (forever). 

However, he does not get kudos for substituting our hard-shelled buddy here for his ball. A story I shall return to another day. Poor guy, I call him Walter. This is about the 8th time we have had to rescue him from the jaws of death (i.e. Clover the wonder dog). I now have a turtle play pen area I keep sectioned off for when Walter here needs a few minutes to regain his composure in between Clover carrying him around in his mouth. 

Another thing I love about fall is the reminder to use up everything in the garden before frost season sets in. We planted a small pineapple sage bush in our front area (turtle play pen) and it has become a beast of a plant. Needing an excuse to trim it back, I ran across this recipe for scones using sage. Perfect!

In addition to replacing half of the sage with pineapple sage, I used a large gala apple as my apple of choice and had left over shredded cheese blends in the fridge which I opted to use in place of dicing up a block of cheddar. The result yielded a moist scone (perfect for reheating) with a subtle flavor. Next time I think I might opt for the original sage instead or possibly add some honey to the top if I keep the pineapple sage. Mmm, more scones. Enjoy!

Sage, Apple, Cheese Scones
Adapted from: Sage, Apple, & Cheddar Scones

• 4 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup very cold butter cut into small pieces
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 apples, finely diced
• 3 teaspoons finely minced sage (half pineapple sage if possible)
• ½ cup diced or shredded cheese (I used an Italian/Mexican blend)

Preheat the oven to 375˚. 

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Pulse to mix. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the apples, cheddar and sage. Place in freezer for 5-10 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the eggs and ¼ cup of the heavy cream. Whisk well to combine.

Add eggs and cream to the flour mixture and stir until dough just comes together. Add additional tablespoons of heavy cream if necessary.

Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface. For mini scones divide the dough into four equal portions. Form each portion into a rough circle 5-6 inches across. Cut each circle into 6-8 wedges. For large scones form two 8-10 inch circles, then cut into wedges.

Place wedges on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Fly Fishing & Almond Butter Cake

Fly fishing is an acquired art. One that I obviously need to practice more at because every fish I have ever caught measured in at under 4 inches. Hey, at least I get out there and try, right? My pole is nearly twice my height...

For me, it's more about the time spent out doors and less about the fish. Don't tell my fishing buddies that, though.

Some days it feels like I am out tree fishing as opposed to fly fishing, casting from tree branch to tree branch. Those of you who fish smaller streams will hear me on this one. It's mind-blowingly frustrating, but much like other skilled arts practice, practice, practice.

In the midst of a fishing Sunday, I was hit with the baking urge but without the desire to put a lot of effort into anything. Stashed away in the back of my to-bake recipe pile I found this one for Boterkeok, or a type of Dutch (almond) butter cake. Imagine something in between marzipan and a small breakfast butter cake - that's where this recipe steps in.

I modified the recipe to add some cream in during the batter making as I was worried it was too thick, and also the addition of cranberries in place of sliced almonds. I think by adding the cream it ended up making the cake more similar to marzipan, so if you hoping for more of a cake batter try it without the added cream. The cake is wonderful for breakfast, for a snack, or actually any old time as that seems to be when I was picking at it. Happy baking!

Almond Butter Cake
Adapted from: Butter Cake

• 1 1/3 cups butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1-3 tbsp cream 
• Milk or cream for brushing top
• Sliced cranberries to decorate top (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prep two 9" cake pans for baking (butter and flour). 

Cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Then add eggs and almond extract and beat well. 

Next add baking powder and flour and mix well. Finish by adding in a small amount of cream (I thought the batter was way too thick, and then decided to incorporate a little liquid to offset the original recipe). 

Spread evenly between two 9″ cake pans or pie plates. Brush tops with a little cream and top with sliced cranberries if desired. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until light brown – do not overbake or cake will be dry.

Let cool on rack before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Local Eats: The Asheville Public

It's been nearly six months now that I've been bumbling around Asheville and I have yet to do a local review. Bad food blogger, tsk tsk. To make up for it, here is a recent spot I tried out for brunch one lazy Saturday - The Asheville Public. Reviews on Yelp were mixed, not a good sign, but the other half wanted to give the place a fair shot so we went and sampled. And in all honesty, I don't think they deserve the lousy two stars awarded to them on Yelp. They are at least a three star joint. The decor is delightful, a mix and match of old diner and modern deco, and the food portions are more on the French style than the American style (good for the waistline). The location is sweet if you want to avoid the congestion of tourist-clogged downtown Asheville, and next door is the hippie flea market for any shoppers wanting to walk off their brunch.

The shining star of our brunch - their Porky Bloody Mary. Yum, yum, yum. Every once in a while I am blessed in enjoying the beauty of a damn good bloody mary and The Asheville Public definitely serves up one of the best I've had in ages. They are on their A-game with their bloody marys, especially with the added pork fat rimmed glass salted with old bay seasoning and scrumptious beef jerky spear keeping the tomato juice happy.

I opted for their huevos rancheros while the hubby had the steak and eggs. Even with the portions being more on the demi side, the dishes were fairly good without being stellar. The huevos rancheros consisted of refried black beans, topped with a poached egg, and various garnishments all sitting within a (in my case, stale) tortilla cup.  The steak and eggs were tasty, however the menu advertised hashbrowns while oily breakfast potatoes were what ended up on the plate. And both of us were hungry again within a few hours, so take note not to go expecting a belly-full. All in all I'd try their brunch again and maybe swing in for a dinner or two as well before I write them off. If for their swanky diner decor more than anything. Enjoy!

Carrboro & Chapel Hill Charm

Another travel weekend under my belt. This time, to the beautiful Chapel Hill and Carrboro area of North Carolina. A little exploring, a bit of music, more work than I care to admit, and lots of opportunities to try new eateries! Here are a few of my favorites enjoyed over the weekend.

Close to the hotel we stayed at is a mixed live-work complex with the newly opened Elements tucked away on the main pedestrian level. It was open just three weeks by the time we arrived on a lazy Friday night, and I was blown away with how together the place seems to have it for being in its infancy.

I opted for the walnut shrimp, which was to die for! Some of the best I have had in years. We tried a few appetizers including their charcuterie plate, a bottle of vino, and entrees apiece - all winners in my book. Funny side note - I'm fairly sure they thought I was a food critic once I whipped out my camera and started taking notes (easy way to get superior service).

Following a night of um, heavy libation, we were starved for a good brunch scene and found ourselves at Venable Rotissarie Bistro in Carrboro. It's located at the end of the Historic Car Mill (lots of history round these parts) and offers a four hour brunch menu on weekends that is surprisingly tasty. I opted for the huevos rancheros and a side of cheesy gritz, both of which immensely satisfied my state of hangover. It appears they are still learning the fine art of bloody marys as the one I had wasn't quite right, but I have faith in them. The wait staff is entertaining and sassy, my kind of server, and I highly recommend swinging by for a visit.

I have a new catchphrase for the Aloft Hotel in Chapel Hill, and actually for all Aloft Hotels - hotels for hipsters. The vibe in this hotel was very much geared towards the under 30 crowd with pop music blaring out of the speakers in any and every common space area near the lobby and the trendy WXYZ bar bringing young patrons in until late in the evening. The room was comfortable and reasonably affordable for the price, the location was damn near perfect, and having the live-work complex right next door made lazy (fine) dining easy to come by.

Acme in Carrboro deserves an honorable mention as does Nana's in Durham, NC. I tried Acme for a lazy Sunday breakfast (stellar) and tried Nana's for a fancy dinner the evening before. Both were wonderful and on my list to return to for the next time I'm in town. And if anyone visiting the Chapel Hill area needs a good laugh, go check out the frat boy college scene on Franklin Street some weekend night - hilarious!