Winter Root Vegetables

After returning home from a Baltimore Thanksgiving gathering with Joe's family friends yesterday evening I was astonished to find a lonely rutabaga in the crisper drawer of my refrigerator. I had purchased it a few weeks ago after growing curious of the larger purple-blushed bulbs propped up next to the carrots in the produce section of my grocery store. Knowing I needed to cook this ASAP and also wanting something relatively healthy after the past week of feasting, I found the following recipe, but made a few manipulations including adding leeks, excluding potatoes, and doubling the olive oil.


Roasted Root Vegetables with Mustard


3 tbsp. Dijon mustard, coarse
6 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, fresh ground
4 carrots, sliced 1-in lengths
2 parsnips, sliced 1-in lengths
1 rutabaga, 1-in cubes
1/2 large yellow onion, 1/2-in wedges
3 leeks, sliced 1-in rings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk together mustard, oil, and spices in a large bowl. Prepare vegetables and mix with the mustard sauce until well coated. Let vegetables marinate for 10 minutes and then place on baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes turning every 15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

This recipe rocks. It is a wonderful way to experiment with winter root vegetables and I have to admit this was a first-time experience with rutabaga, leeks, and parsnips! Fantastic! The mustard flavor was more muted than I would have preferred but I think it is because I didn't use coarse Dijon like the original recipe calls for. I ended up drizzling some homemade mustard dressing on top (olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper shaken in an almost empty mustard bottle) and ketchup. The ketchup wasn't the most elegant side to pair with this but I had a craving for it tonight. Next time I won't because it disguises the simples spices of this dish.

Grilled leek greens and mustard veggies.

There were so many leek greens to discard that I googled "eating leek greens" and I discovered you can eat them! I opted for grilling them on my George Forman grill brushed with olive oil (pictured above). The leaves are quite fibrous and resemble giant green onions in my opinion.  I think they might be nice drizzled with some soy sauce and sesame seeds.


I also had some dried pumpkin seeds that I pan toasted using hot light olive oil and sprinkled with cinnamon and salt. During this heating process, a very pleasant cinnamon fragrance drifted from the pan which I found to stir up feelings of comfort.  I was also surprised to find that the seeds began to jump out of the pan like popcorn in the last few minutes of heating from steam bursting from the seed coat!

Sweet-n-savory pumpkin seeds.

In addition to these experiments, I whipped up some tahini based scones while the vegetables were roasting so that I could just slide them into the already-pre-heated oven when they finished. The recipe can be found on food.com as well from this link.  I used a glass drinking glass to cut the scones into round shapes after rolling out with a rolling pin. Also they received overwhelming positive feedback, I have to disagree. I would have to suggest from my experiences to hand shape into an inch high small circle for better rising, adding a 1/4 cup of honey to the dough to sweeten up a bit, and dipping the top of the scones in sunflower seeds to make them stick better (or drizzle some honey on top as a glue).

Rustic scones.

Tastes Around Town

I feel as though recently I've had such a marvelous time flirting with the Madison food scene!


Last weekend Joe and I went to a well-known "oldie-but-goodie" Madison restaurant, called, Osteria Papavero, located next to the former Restaurant Magnus off the Capital Square. It was a very chilly evening and I have to say we felt warmed immediately after stepping into its doors, and for more reasons than to meet some of Joe's friends from school.  The walls were painted a warm golden wheat color. There was a bar extending the whole back side of the restaurant and a chalk board on the north wall full of daily specials. The wine menu listed names encrypted for a true wino to decipher. I couldn't even tell whites from reds!  I ended up settling for Capitol Octoberfest to go with my fine Italian dining. The "Polenta, Funghi, e Lamache" dish, described as a fall ragout of wild mushrooms and snails with fried polenta. I had spent that week playing with a traditional Zambian corn dish (which I will write about later in its own entry), so I really wanted to try traditional Italian corn! I'm ashamed to say I'd never tried polenta before... or snails for that matter. Other things on the menu included boar, crepes, sausage and lentils. There was a bottomless assorted bread basket that included salty fried dough. It is interesting how good bread can make a lasting impression on me. Unfortunately so did the snails. They were a bit grimy. I could feel a sandy grit with each bite. The polenta tasted bland, like the Zambian corn dish. I think I will go for the boar next time!

Cuisine focuses on the rustic
food of both the Emilia Romagna and Toscana regions of Italy. Website.

I've also gotten to try a brand-spanken-new restaurant, named Nostano, located in the building that was formerly Peppino's on a corner street of the Capital Square. The occasion was Joe and my 5-year anniversary and 1-year engagement anniversary! It was my year to plan the evening so I decided to surprise him with somewhere he would probably never guess because it just opened its doors mid-October and word is slow to get around. Much like Osteria Papavero the interior is small and intimate. The walls were painted a cool blue color covered with a playful collage of antique window panes. There was very little light, creating a blanket of privacy despite the crowded seating arrangements (there were probably only a dozen tables total)!  Despite an elaborate drink menu, Joe and I paired our entrees with some wine with the help of our lovely server. Below is what we ordered, Joe with the Sturgeon and I with the rabbit.  We order the last item (an appetizer) for dessert, hehe.

Nostrano is operated by a husband and wife chef team,
Timothy and Elizabeth Dahl.

GRILLED STURGEON: CHICKPEA AIOLI | ROASTED ARTICHOKE | NOCELLARA OLIVES | SALSA VERDE

QUINTA DO FEITAL "AURATUS": Minho, portugal i alvarinho, trajaura

Rabbit confit: RYE TAGLIOLINI | HEN OF THE WOODS | MADEIRA | SCARLET CARROT

CONDE DE VALDEMAR: RIOJA, SPAIN I TEMPRANILLO

 CHARCUTERIE PLATE: PÂTÉ CAMPAGNOLA | SALSICCIA | PORK LIVER MOUSSE | SALAME NOSTRANO | BALSAMIC SHALLOTS | CAPONATA | PIPARRAS | FINGERLING POTATOES

The food was nothing short of fabulous. Although the entree portions were small, the ingredients were top notch! The chefs source locally as much as possible and their food is presented very thoughtfully on the plate without being overdone. Unlike the snails, my curiosity in rabbit was a good choice (better than what I had in Mexico)! The meat had been shredded, balled into a patty, battered in bread crumbs and pan fried to a crispy-on-the-outside-tender-on-the-inside treat! The salami was impressionable too! They make all of their meats in-house except for one, ironically called "salame nostrano".  The idea, from what I gathered, is to come to Nostrano to share a few appetizers and follow up with a modest entree while enjoying a leisurely evening with good company. It was the perfect date place for an anniversary, but I would go back with girlfriends or family. This comfortable versitality must have been a pre-meditated idea because Nostrano means "Home-grown, local" or even "ours" in Italian.

"I like pie" -Mystery Science Theater

The many flavors to choose from!
Website here. 

The last place I will blab about is Hubbard Avenue Diner in Middleton (just 10 minutes west of town). I have been salivating for a piece of their locally renowned pie ever since my birthday back in September. Joe and I decided a cold, windy, overcast Sunday morning this past weekend was the time to finally make the trip. The place was packed to the gills with hungry people anxious to get their slice of heaven. You can tell you've chosen a good place to eat when you realize the people around you are returning customers. It also seems the crowds here are recurring because they have found something for people to do while waiting... drink free piping hot coffee (well you can bet that I was pumped) and admire all the beautiful pies in their glass displays. By the time we got our table we were so excited by the sights and smells we ordered up some eggs, bacon, hash browns and biscuits to go with our coffee and pie. I got to pick the pie flavor, which was a seasonal "Sweet Potato Pecan". It may seem silly to spend $5 on something that disappears in two short seconds but it was worth it! Hubbard Avenue really does know pie (and well, breakfast for that matter)!

Stay tuned for more dining adventures!  Next up: the Underground Kitchen this Thursday followed by the Sugar Distillery on Friday.

"Better Than Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting

Occasionally I have these intense cravings for baked, sweet things and usually they must contain chocolate.   One of my go-tos for an easy fix is to whip up some chocolate cake in cupcake tins using the Hershey's Cocoa recipe that is printed on their cocoa powder packaging. I made them this past week but somehow I managed to botch the frosting. The original chocolate frosting recipe is as follows:

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Picture from Hersey's website.

Instead of the warm, creamy chocolate lava that I was expecting (and have made before just fine thank you very much!) I ended up with chunky chocolate siting in butter oil. After separation and I couldn't get it to homogenize! Sometimes I wonder in puzzlement what I do wrong to mess up recipes. Did I heat my butter too hot creating a separation with the caseins and fat? Did I not heat enough? Was it because I added the vanilla to the mixture before the sugar and milk?

What ever the problem, I was determined not to let such fundamentally amazing ingredients like chocolate and butter be tossed down the sink. I was convinced I could use them somehow. In fact I started by shoving it into the center of some cupcakes as sort of a filling but the cupcakes didn't really look appetizing after gorging them with a mysterious brown pudding. 

My ultimate solution: Beat with 8 oz. cream cheese. 

One block of Neufchatel (1/3 less fat cream cheese) created a beautiful, dark chocolate cream that was smooth and spreadable. I received rave reviews from everyone at work; even so much to say "can I have one with extra frosting please?" I even admit I spread it onto my bagel as a sweet and savory cream cheese topping.  Big win for this curious chef's baking adventures.  I think the moral of this story is to whip all baking mishaps with some cream cheese to turn it into something Martha Stewart would be proud of. There is only one problem with making sweet cream cheese spreads... you end up licking, spooning, and finger dipping until your stuck with a generous sugar hangover!