Italy Part 26

I am finding it to be extremely difficult to resist the urge to cook squashes, apples and all things cinnamon as the leaves change to orange and reds this fall. Why? I must finish my Italian challenge!!  Last week, Joe and I both had a free Monday to goof off, and I decided to check a few more Italian recipes off the list. Only EIGHT more recipes to go!  Dinner consisted of the following:

Chicken liver crostini (p. 95)

Polenta squares with mushroom ragu (p. 126)

Green beans with garlic breadcrumbs (p. 121)

Starting the polenta early so that it has time to set.

Only three ingredients:  cornmeal, water, and salt.
I would recommend using chicken stock next time.

By 9:00 AM this polenta was ready to spend the
afternoon thickening in the fridge. 

Joe and I biked to City Park where the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is located. My favorite "exhibit" was the fourth floor views of the city skyline propped against the Rocky Mountains.  The old mining rooms with old gold nuggets and gems were pretty sweet too...

Nerd birds :)

Gazing westward across City Park.

"Best views in Denver"
Fourth Floor lookout patio.

After filling our brains, it was time to fill our bellies. We biked home to whip up some dinner.  I have been hesitant to prepare the Chicken liver crostini since I'm not a big fan of organ meats... especially those that work to filter out toxins (and who knows what those would be for chickens that do not fall in the "organic, free-range" category).  Yum.  Perhaps this is why the entire container of chicken livers were only 75 cents!

Whoever was extracting these organs needs to brush up on their
poultry anatomy. There were kidneys in here too. No thank you! 

Once I added the sage, spices and Madeira wine, the liver
actually started smelling appetizing. 

Blending the cooked livers with more stinky things:
anchovies and capers!

Spread onto fresh toasted bread and garnish with cracked pepper.

The chicken liver appetizers were more pleasant that I expected, and even Joe continued to munch on them.  My favorite parts of the meal happened to be the next recipes that I will share with you. Green beans and mushrooms!!  The green beans required a quick boil bath and then tossing with pan-toasted garlic and breadcrumbs.  So simple but elegant. The mushroom ragu was also a quick recipe to complete, and in my option, out-shined the polenta squares! 

Green beans and garlic bread crumbs.

Table shot of our family-style meal.

Since I prepared the polenta in the AM, all it required was a quick slicing and further drying step in the oven. For this, I spread a generous portion or butter, salt, and shredded parmesan over the tops to add some flavor. A quick pop into the hot oven for about 20 minutes and they were ready for their mushroom topping. Next time, I would suggest stirring the butter and cheese into the hot, cooked cornmeal before refrigerating so that the savory flavor is distributed throughout the polenta squares.

Baked polenta.

Trying for a sophisticated presentation!

Throw on some ragu to top off the polenta,
 add a side of beans,
 and dig in! 

Kickin' Autumn Salad

Last Sunday marked the last day for Denver's adult kickball league.  It is frustrating to think that future Sunday afternoons will no longer involve running around bases, getting doused with warm beer, and dodging flying kickballs. The majority of our team's roaster consisted of Joe's fellow medical trainees, as well as any friends and spouses who wanted to play too. Costumes, a healthy dose of competition, and drinking beer at all times made this game even better than I ever remember it being as a kid!

The "Do Overs" fall kickball team.
Can you spot the photo bomber?

This classy group of kickballers can also organize some pretty "kickin" dinner parties. Here is a great fall salad that I made for a recent potluck that was a major home run!  The only cooking required is if you decide to make your own candied almonds (so worth it).  Otherwise, just buy ingredients and toss together for a wonderful, savory-sweet autumn dish. See recipe below.

Fall colors and flavors. 

My favorite silly salad spoons!
They love to help fetch all of the goodies that migrate
to the bottom of the bowl after mixing.

Kickin' Autumn Salad

Serves 8

2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced

2 tbsp. lemon juice

8 cups lettuce/mixed greens, washed and torn

1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup candied almonds (see recipe below)

Dressing:

1/3 cup pure olive oil

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Put torn greens into a large bowl. Toss together apples and lemon juice in separate bowl. Then add the apples to the top of the lettuce, followed by cranberries, cheese, and almonds! To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a jar with a secure lid and shake vigorously until blended. Drizzle and toss the salad with dressing right before serving. 

Candied Almonds

Makes 1 cup

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 lb. almonds, with skins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring water, sugar, and cinnamon to a boil in a small sauce pan, stirring constantly to prevent sugar from burning. Turn off the heat and add almonds. Toss to coat. Remove almonds with a slotted spoon and spread onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, basting almonds with reserved syrup every 5-8 minutes (or at least twice total). Remove from oven and allow to cool before eating.  Add to salad recipe (above) or simply place into a bowl for snacking! Note: These would make great holiday gifts if packaged in small mason jars and tied with a ribbon.

Play Food

This morning when I went to open the blinds of my apartment's windows, all I saw was the color gray. And I'm not talking about the sky. There was a giant gray tarp hanging from the roof down and across the courtyard below, leaving not a lick of sunlight or grass visible. There was a bit of murmuring from men hidden out of sight and suddenly all remaining silence was drowned by the calamity of a gritty sandblaster scrapping rust from metal. I was contently drinking coffee and checking email when I heard a quick few knocks on my door. It was a man in a yellow hard hat telling me I needed to remain indoors until 11:00 AM and if I leave at that point I can't access my apartment again until after 2:00 PM.  At the same time, my window was being covered with a plywood board and as I shut my door, my apartment was now completely dark!  Seeing that I have not left my apartment at the 11:00 AM opportunity, I want to take this time to reminisce about some fun times that Joe and I have shared outside of this apartment! 

The Esquire Theatre

Joe and I skipped away one afternoon to this neighborhood theatre to catch a matinee movie showing. Being early birds, our afternoon of fun-for-two was only $15. That said, we skipped the popcorn that was starting at $8 for a small size. Who in the world would spend that much on a few handfuls of popcorn? Apparently many would, as we were serenaded to our seats by the munching of popcorn snackers!  The film we watched was, "Senna," a documentary about a famous Formula One champion from Brazil.  I can't say that I'm much of a car enthusiast but I give this picture two thumbs up! It was a humbling and inspiring story about a man chasing his life's passion, and in the end, suffering the ultimate sacrifice for it.  Following the film we retreated to our rooftop patio for a simple happy hour before heating up some Italian leftovers.

Ever since investing in Netflix, seeing a
movie in a theatre seems like a rare occurrence.
What a treat!

This theatre is within walking distance from our apartment,
at the intersection of Downing and East 6th Streets, Denver.

Ski Movie Premiere

Something you may not know about my husband: he loves skiing.  This means strapping on two sticks to his feet and slicing up water and snow. However, as our time here in Colorado continues, so has his fascination with alpine skiing. This means studying up on the season's most "gnarly" gear, the most talked about local "sick" slopes, and streaming videos of professional athletes being lifted to untamed mountains by helicopter to catch the best "pow." So what could be more exciting than seeing the world premiere of this year's biggest ski movie? At the Boulder Theatre?! Nothing. Joe purchased a ticket for both of us and we traveled to the wonderful hippie town for a local brew and an exciting first viewing of "Attack of La Nina: The b**** is back!"  

Trying to stomach his excitement.
What Joe is tasting: Ja Mon Ginger Beer. 

A packed house at the Mountain Sun Brewery,
originating in Boulder, CO.

We waited over two hours to see the start of the movie,
first waiting in line and then waiting for the pre-movie
party to settle down.  Red Bull had one of their DJs
there and they were handing out prizes left and right.
We got a Crested Butte hat thrown at our faces! 

Fruition Restaurant

Picking a celebratory birthday dinner destination is never an easy decision for me, especially after moving to a new city with hundreds, if not thousands, of uncharted food territories! All of my planning literally came to fruition after a few friends of ours could not stop raving about a small, intimate and absolutely delicious restaurant on 6th Street. The locals know best. Fruition Restaurant it was! Joe called to make reservation arrangements nearly a week in advance, and even at that point, they were completely booked until Tuesday, Sept. 20th with the earliest time available at 7:45 PM.  No wonder, since there are only 50 seats available! Besides, throughout our busy years in academia, it has become quite unusual to be able to celebrate a holiday or birthday on the actual day. What a night it was! We got dressed up and strolled through quiet Capital Hill neighborhoods to the welcoming doors of this fine-dining restaurant. Upon entering, we were immediately enveloped in smells of garlic and sourdough, murmurs of laughter, and the golden warmth of dancing candle flames.  

We were seated in the back of the restaurant and cozied up against crimson and cherry wood walls before ordering and slowly enjoying the following foods over the next few hours:

Funwerks, Saison Ale, 750 ml bottle (shared)

Lemon Cured Salmon Carpaccio (shared)

Ran Roasted New Zealand Bass (Joe)

Pan Roasted Diver Scallops (me)

Mas Carlot "Les Enfants Terribles," Mourvedre/Syrah, France (split glass)

Gorgonzola Dolce (shared)

Every menu item that was brought to our table was as visually beautiful and enticing as it was to taste. The appetizer salmon was sliced paper thin in a perfect rectangle and topped with red onion bagel chips, toasted buckwheat, a dot of creme friache and spritzed with a cucumber vinaigrette. Our main courses were served in large, white bowls and filled with the freshest, most loved food I have eaten in a long time. My scallops sat in a perfect circle on top of a corn and golden potato chowder, surrounding a hill of marinated crispy clams, pickled red onion, and finally topped with notes of charred limes. Joe equally enjoyed his elegant bass steak atop truffled cannelini beans, tomato braised artichokes and a chanterelle mushroom vinaigrette. We had to keep reminding each other not to eat too fast or it will be gone all too soon!  Still, we ordered the gorgonzola dessert, complete with black mission figs, pickled red onions and olive oil cake croutons. The spiced, Colorado saison beer paired perfectly with our dinner and the waiter convinced us to split a glass of a fruity red wine to complement our dessert. I have to say, cheese as soft and rich as that gorgonzola could easily compete with any chocolate delicacy.  Best birthday gift a girl could ask for:  grand food, atmosphere, and most of all, company.  

September Visitors

Roommate love.
Lindsay, me, Damon, David and Katie (not pictured).

Meet Lindsay. We have known each other since Freshman year of college at UW, and were roommates in an apartment right across from Camp Randall football stadium. Looking at us now, I think it's justified to say we have come quite a ways since those college days... 

Cheers to great friends reuniting in new places!

Although, some things will never change...

Since our years together in Madison, Lindsay has since traveled the world, working in Spain and now Chicago. I only had 24 hours to show her a good time in Denver, but despite the time crunch, we decided to take things slow and enjoy each moment. On our journey down and around 16th Street Mall downtown, we stopped for lunch at Euclid Hall Bar and Kitchen, just around the corner from the restaurants of Larimer Square.  They are known for serving up innovative pub food from around the world. We happily noshed on their fried Oyster po'boy and Chicken schnitzel sandwiches. They also serve up some unique drinks! I had to try one of their beer cocktails. They didn't even give me a menu, they just said they would whip something up I would like. They came back with a goblet garnished with a peach picked from someone's backyard. It contained peach-infused whiskey mixed with two types of beers (I think it was the Great Divide saison and pale ales). Now there's something you don't get to try everyday! 

This place was named after the "Father of Geometry."
Some interesting history can be found on their website.

View of the menu and cooking staff from our window seats.
This place is truly eclectic in all the right ways.

After Denver, Lindsay was off to Fort Collins to visit more Colorado residing Badgers, Jennifer and Julie. Part of the weekend activities on cue included the Tour de Fat and camping.  The Tour de Fat, hosted by the New Belgium Brewing Co., is an annual fundraiser that takes place in 13 cities nationwide. Activities revolve around biking, beer and costumes! All beer proceeds support organizations that promote green energy and bicycle donations for kids, to name a few. It also kick-starts your inner-cyclist and provides for costume idea swapping before Halloween. Joe and I were able to met up with the touring friends for a bit of afternoon fun before returning home to let Joe crash into a slumber (he had pulled finished another exhaustive night shift).

Little Red Riding Hood (Lindsay), Tinkerbell (Jenn),
Snow White (Julie),  and Me (as me).

I will being seeing Lindsay again soon, this next time in St. Paul, Minnesota for a wedding! That made saying good-bye only a teensy bit easier. Although, I must add, that Lindsay left a little something in our fridge that made her visit a lasting memory for a few more days: fresh Wisconsin cheese curds and bread cheese!! Only a true friend would go to the trouble of flying with a carry-on bag full of such dairy delicacies! Thank you!! 

Good morning!

I absolutely adore mornings. Most days I spend a bit of time at Cheesman Park.  I love observing squirrels clamoring over fallen acorns, listening to the harmony of strangers' shoes crunching on the crushed-granite pathways, and feeling the sun's gentle warmth on my skin. One can even see the Rocky Mountains on the east side of the park. This is my favorite place to stop and welcome the day.  

This memorial, made in 1976, honors the panorama view of the
Rocky Mountains that can be seen from this spot.
I have observed the snow caps melt away completely as June
 progressed to September. Perhaps this winter, snow will return
to the mountains preceding accumulation in Denver. 

View of the skyline from the pavilion.
Cheesman Park is just east of Denver's downtown district.
Some say this lush green space was once a graveyard and that
nearly 2000 bodies still lie beneath the surface!

Denver's "temple of the sun," built in 1907.
This Cheesman pavilion was constructed out of white,
Colorado marble, inspired by the Acropolis in Athens.

Another great way to honor the morning is to make a tasty breakfast! Try these muffins while local berries are in still season, or if you can't make it to the farmer's market this weekend, substitute with frozen varieties.  Berry suggestions: saskatoons (pigeon berries), mulberries, raspberries, blueberries, wineberries, blackberries, marionberries.

"Good morning!" muffins.

I used blueberries for my batch.
Serve with butter, warm honey and a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Good Morning Muffins

Adapted from Simply in Season Cookbook

Yields 1 dozen

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup extra-light olive oil

1/4 cup raw honey

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries  (you can also substitute with shredded, summer squash)!

Combine flour, germ, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, and honey and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring just until moistened. Fold in the berries of choice!  Fill well greased muffin tins 2/3 full and sprint the top with cinnamon sugar or plain granulated sugar (optional). Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy warm! 

Note: These muffins freeze well, allowing for the opportunity to make them ahead of time. Just take out the night before to thaw. 

August Visitors Part 3

Meet the "other" Emily, the third visitor of the month! We met in graduate school and as we got to know each other more and more, we realized we must have been sisters in a different life. We appreciate all things corn, we love to blog about food (stay tuned, we may start a site together), we are incredibly clumsy/awkward in social situations (seriously), we prefer to spend our money on travel, and we like colorful shoes, to name a few. She made the trip from Wisconsin to Colorado for a wedding and as my luck would have it, she was able to extend her stay for a visit to Denver! 

Our rendezvous began Sunday night. We chatted over some snacks but ended up calling it an early night since Emily had just survived a weekend full of "wedding-ing" (enough said) and Joe and I were in need of some sleep following our camping trip in Crested Butte. Come Monday morning, however, we were off to the races to experience Denver! In true Emily-and-Emily fashion, we mounted bikes and headed downtown using the Cherry Creek Trail. 

Our first stop was just west of the Platte River at the REI flagship store. It served a duel purpose since Em got to explore a bit and I got to take Joe's bike to the cycling department for some adjustments (I was borrowing his ancient road bike that day since it tends to throw fits, and Em was on mine). After gulping water and AC we turned back and parked at the top of 16th Street Mall and made our way through my personal must-sees: "Tattered Cover Book Store," "Wyncoop Brewery," and then a walk down The Mall. 

Eat. Sleep. Read.
The "Tattered Cover " provides everything you look for in a bookstore.
There are cool leather chairs, giant bookshelves heaping with colorful books,
and a screaming espresso machine for ambiance. 

Oh my! Food porn! 

The Wyncoop Brewery's bouncer.
There was absolutely no monkeying around here! (hehe)

The wild, urban buffalo could be spotted that day.
If you are patient enough, as we were, you can pet them!

Lunch time!
We were allured by "Illegal Pete's" fast service and spicy menu options.

The Chicken nachos, and a side order of Chips n' queso.

I settled for the Taco platter. It came with a side of beans and fresh cilantro! 

After refueling, we couldn't resist the Denver Pavilions, an outdoor shopping mall. 

There was an "I Love Denver" store. Yup. Loved it.

Instead of biking back home the way we came, we took Araphahoe Street north to grab some tastes at the "Great Divide Brewery." We arrived just as the happy hour pint specials started and as the last brewery tour was beginning, but instead, we wanted nothing more than to sit and do nothing more than enjoy some samplers! And maybe watch the bartenders :)

Tasting the Belgian-Style Yeti Stout, Hibernation Ale,
Oak-aged Yeti, Rumble PA, Wild Raspberry Ale, and Grand Cru Aged-Ale.

A great watering hole for sweaty, tall, tourists on bikes.

Later that evening, we grabbed our Rockies Pepsi Paks (four game tickets, four meal tickets, parking pass, and game program) and headed down to Coors Field!  The Colorado Rockies were playing the Houston Astros. We won, ha!

We gave Joe the fourth ticket to try and sell but after one failed attempt,
we decided to pocket the extra meal ticket and catch the first pitch! 

Summer with a side baseball...
What could be better than Superdogs and Dippin Dots?

Taking a "4th inning stretch" to admire the views. 

On Tuesday, we traveled to Boulder. After telling Emily about "The Flatironette" trail that Megan and I discovered the week before, we decided that would be a perfect late-morning recess before grabbing lunch and seeing Old Pearl Street. 

Bouldering at Boulder :)

Emily was a natural at hiking!

We menu shopped all the way down Old Pearl Street until we found
an artsy restaurant, called "The Kitchen." However, we settled for the
place, "Next Door." Literally!

We stuffed our faces. Also, literally.
We ordered the Spiced chickpeas and hummus platter for starters.
Then we ate beautiful sandwiches.
My Lamb sandwich with mint sauce and Roasted beets was to die for.
Em enjoyed her Pulled pork sandwich with Garlic smashers (fingerlings).
Both sandwiches were served on crispy ciabotta bread,
happily soaking up the meat filling juices.
Still dreaming about that sandwich...

Our food was washed down with apricot and IPA beers, and lastly, for
a sweet ending to a perfect meal... homemade ice cream sandwich to share.
Jealous?

After shaking off our food comas by strolling in and out of the many trendy shops on Old Pearl Street, we rushed back to Denver in order to pack up snacks and rain ponchos for our first concert at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison! We made a stop at Whole Foods in hopes of finding Emily's favorite snack dip (was it called, Mexi Dip?), however, no luck.  But how can you stay frustrated when you know you are going to be enveloped by the music from Death Cab and views of majestic red rocks in a few short hours? 

Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Waiting for the show to start, while enjoying the sunset.

We were able to meet up with one of Emily's college roommates too!
We all danced the night away!

On Wednesday, Em & Em took things slow. We slept in after making it home later than expected because of a horrendous traffic jam caused by the concert. But when we did rise, we took a walk through the Capital Hill neighborhood to find come coffee, followed by a walk through Cheesman Park. Emily packed her things, we loaded the car and went to Uptown to spend our last few hours together before her departure flight.  

We grabbed brunch at this curious, vegetarian restaurant serving up
meatless comfort food influenced by locally-sourced ingredients. 

Everything in this restaurant was beauitful.
The lamps had paper mache covers that resembled feathers, the walls were
painted with pastel forest scenes, and the food was presented as if it were
to be showcased on the cover of a cookbook.
This picture shows my brunch: the seasonal Market entree, made with
smoked tofu, creamed sweet potato puree, sauteed mushrooms, and arugula.

They also offered some amazing egg scrambles!!

Our last stop was to "D Bar Desserts," a cheers to our sweet time together. It is co-owned by the celebrity chef, Keegan Gerhard, who has been featured on Food Network, and pastry connoisseur, Lisa Bailey. They stress to diners that D Bar is supposed to be a "culinary sanctuary," the meeting place between people and food. Just studying their menu under the shade of their patio umbrellas was enjoyable. Everything on their menu looked scrumptious. We squabbled over what to order until the waitress sold us on their signature dessert: The cake and shake!  

The Cake and Shake: three-layered piece of cake and
your choice of vanilla or chocolate shake or malt.
Chocolate with chocolate malt for us!

The perfect combination of texture for two gals
who love dessert. Just repeat after me,
1 fork full of rich, spongey cake + 2 sips of melty malty cream
+ 3 licks of fudge frosting = love. 

It was at D Bar when we realized that almost every restaurant
in Colorado serves table water in these neat glass bottles.
I guess this is what food enthusiasts talk about over meals :)

Even with such a treat, leaving the restaurant was bitter sweet because it was time to depart ways once again. After wiping our faces clean of chocolate, we began the long drive to the Denver Airport. We hugged for a long time at the terminal.  I only let go because I know that it would take a lot more than miles to separate this friendship.