Pumpkin Ice Cream

My penultimate pumpkin foray is the creation of a pumpkin ice cream. As mentioned in my previous post I found a great cookbook, "Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations," and as I still had tons of pumpkin puree left I had to try the ice cream. My neighbor owns a countertop ice cream maker so that helped too!

The hardest part was the careful separation out of the many egg yolks. After that it was mostly down to keeping your eye on the prize. Heating the milk and later the milk/sugar/egg yolk mixture requires constant stirring so none of it boils and then curdles. I went ahead and added some cinnamon, nutmeg and powdered cloves to the mix too (it already had vanilla bean) but I dont think those flavors were very evident in the final product.

Most reviews of the ice cream said it wasnt very pumpkin tasting though the flavor was there. All did agree that it was tasty. I figure it would go well if paired with the last recipe I am currently scouting for... the holiday worthy pumpkin pie.

I have some pie crust recipe's in the works as I have a feeling that the pie falls flat without a good crust.  Im also thinking the pumpkin puree will need to be cooked down to make it more concentrated. It may turn out that all of these dishes would have been better if I had run the original puree through a sieve and then cooked out the water. It has also been suggested that next year I try finding a pumpkin type that is specifically good for cooking (as opposed to carving like the one I bought).

One thing is for sure... I wont have the energy to attempt this much pumpkin stuff for about a year!

Pumpkin Corn Soup

I recently went to Washington D.C. and found that I just loved the Mitsitam Cafe at The National Museum of the American Indian. Regional Native American dishes, such as South America's tamales and fresh Yucca fries were grouped together at one serving area. It is amazing how much of Native American food we think of as merely 'American' food. Pork and beans is a classic example, pot pie (like the rabbit pot pie I had while there) is another. Mmmm, and fry bread must be the ancestor to every good bread product you have ever had !

To no ones surprise I picked up a two cookbooks in the museum's bookshop; one focused on the Southwest, and another that covered many other areas as well. Earlier in the week I decided to try to make the Pumpkin Corn Soup from the first book... here is my adapted recipe and the book information at the bottom. This wont be the last recipe I try from this book!

A quick break from the pumpkin madness...

Black Bean Brownies???

Dont knock it until you try it! I dont have a picture because they all got eaten!!

Pumpkin Breads

The recipe I used for pumpkin bread is my roomate's grandmother's recipe. I made two batches. One with whole wheat flour and a half splenda, half sugar mixture. The other I used it as given below but with an extra accidental amount of flour! I was trying to halve the recipe (as this makes two loaves) and I put in 3 cups of flour instead of ~1 1/2 ! This made it a bit cake-ier but whose complaining! This recipe of course calls for a 16 oz can of pumpkin puree which I replaced with an eyeballing it equivalent amount. So far I've learned that pumpkin can be a pretty subtle flavor so its worth dumping in extra if you can help it.

Nana Black's Pumpkin Bread

2/3 cup vegetable shortening ( I used butter flavor )
2 2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
16oz can of pumpkin puree
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2/3 cup nuts (optional)

Mix the shortening and the sugar until well blended. In a second bowl mix together the eggs, pumpkin and water and then blend in to first bowl until thoroughly mixed. In another bowl mix flour, baking soda, spices and nuts. Blend this dry ingredients bowl into the wet mixture. Grease 2 bread loaf pans, pour half in each and put in the oven at 350 F for 70 minutes. Let cool completely before removing.

On the left, Whole Wheat version, on the right, Regular Flour (extra on accident)

Fresh Pumpkin Puree!

Ever made pumpkin pie using a canned filling? Maybe you thought you would go from "scratch" and use canned pumpkin puree and then add your own mix of spices...


If you find pumpkin pie, or pumpkin anything, not that enjoyable then maybe it's time for a fresher main ingredient! This past weekend I cut a pumpkin in half, scraped out the stringy bits and seeds, and roasted the whole thing (skin side up) in my oven for 45 minutes at 350 F. With my kitchen smelling wonderful I started to scrap out the fleshy pumpkin parts until I realized it might be easier to just cut off the skin and chop up what was left. All of this (in many, many batches) went into a food processor until well pureed. If you didnt do a good job getting the stringy bits out you might want to put it through a fine sieve. All this is pretty simple stuff but Ill warn you that its time consuming and obviously can get a little messy... aound the holidays that is half the fun! My pumpkin was pretty huge and filled 4 quart freezer bags for about 20 cups of puree. Thankfully the puree is supposed to last a few days in the fridge and a few months in the freezer... I dont know what I would do with 20 cups!


Personally, I love the squash family. Summer squash, zucchini, butternut, acorn - you name it I probably like it. I have never really found pumpkin, however, anything to get excited about. After making my own puree I took a spoon and tried a little bit.. It had the pumpkin flavor but with that roasted squash family heartiness that I love in all squash. I figured if this is what it is supposed to taste like then there are a few recipes I should try..


I'll start off with pumpkin bread and a soup... then hopefully later Ill get to pumpkin ice cream!

The Importance of Condiments

Today for lunch I had a turkey sandwich, which I'm sure to most people, doesn't sound very exciting. 

This sandwich, however, is a reminder to me of both the importance of condiments and to take the time to make something nice for myself. I will grant you that it took some time to pick up all the ingredients yesterday while out shopping, but I have to go to the grocery store anyway so why not get something new or different to try? Condiments can really change things up so give them as much importance as any of your other ingredients. In the morning it took all of 10 minutes to actually construct my little gourmet sandwich as I like to put everything in tupperware so I can compile it right before eating (no soggy bread thank you!), but even then we arent talking about very much time and the results are far better than your typical bread and meat combo.


If this is all too much mystery then I will relate the contents of my lunch sandwich so you can salivate in proper envy. I started with roasted garlic bread I found at Costco, layered on smoked turkey and a slice of swiss and a slice of havarti cheese. At this point I figured a bit more meat might even things out so I slapped on two pieces of salami as well. After some red-leaf lettuce, some sliced up roma tomatoes I figured I was almost done. I threw on a touch of salt on the tomatoes, added some avacado and some basil leaves I found in the fridge as well because at this point, why not!? The best part was adding in some mayo and a new three pepper mustard I got while in Virginia this past week. I was happy to find that Golding Farms sell their products online so I'll be picking up more mustard in the future. The next batch of deviled eggs scream for this mustard!


While in Virginia I also picked up some Spicy Plum Chutney, made by the Virginia Chutney Company, who also sell their products online. I am eager to try this on some kind of meat, though I have found just on bread with cheese to be excellent. I might sound like I am making a plug for these condiments but that is only because I have found them rather tasty and it can be surprising how much something like a gourmet (or just anything unique) condiment can really change up your lunch. I just wish I had more room in my condiment section of my fridge but I can't seem to throw any of it out... 

Chicken and Roast Vegetables Thai Style

Last night I made Thai-style roast vegetables from a recipe in Mark Bittmans NYTimes Blog. I altered it a bit and added chicken. Here is my version!

1/4 cup peanut oil
1 medium-to-large eggplant, diced
1 cup frozen red/yellow pepper strips or 1 red pepper, cored, stemmed and cut into strips
1 cup peas (I used frozen)
1 cup chopped fresh green beans
4 peeled shallots or 1 onion, quartered
8 to 12 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium or 1 large tomatoe, cut into eighths
1/4 cup green, yellow or red curry paste, or 1 tablespoon chili paste,  or cayenne to taste
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro, mint and/or Thai basil leaves for garnish
2 large chicken breasts cut into pieces
1 tablespoon chopped ginger


1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place all vegetables except tomatoes into a large mixing bowl and add all but a tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper. Pour into a deep ovenproof skillet or casserole. Put pan in oven and roast, stirring once or twice, for 30 minutes. Add tomatoes, stir, and continue to roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes to an hour total.

2. Put remaining oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and curry paste and stir. Salt and pepper the chicken pieces and cook for a few minutes until chicken is no longer pink on the inside. Remove chicken from the pan with a fork leaving drippings. Whisk in coconut milk, peanut butter and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Add chicken back in, stir and keep warm.

3. When vegetables are done, stir in coconut milk mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more soy sauce or curry paste if necessary. Garnish with herbs and serve hot or warm.


I used cayenne and creamy peanut butter and no herbs as I forgot to add the cilantro. I also made extra sauce as a can of coconut milk is closer to 2 cups and I wouldnt know what to do with the other half of the can. Dont forget to stir up the coconut milk as it does separate. Next time I make it I will use a quartered onion instead of frozen diced onions though they did turn out fine. I also added some chopped garlic from a jar to the vegetables and the chicken becuase you really cant have too much garlic anyway.


Tonight I will put the left overs on top of some basmati or jasmine rice !

Wholesome Oat Muffins and the Arrival of Fall!

I love Fall and while it will still be hot in southern California for a while yet it always feels like Fall is here when I turn the calendar to October !

Im sure the month will kick off all kinds of soups but for now I thought Id talk about my Wholesome Oat Muffins which are perfect for breakfast during the week as they are tasty but also filing enough to keep you going until lunch. The recipe is pretty much out of the South Beach Diet cookbook with a few changes.  I find that I like the baking recipes that call for use of low fat buttermilk as they tend to be healthier even if you aren't on a diet and thankfully a diet cookbook doesn't have to be all bland boring foods! All that I change is add some flax seed meal for a bit more fiber, swap sliced almonds for walnuts and add tons more cinnamon. You really cant have too much cinnamon.

I  usually start the muffins by getting out three bowls, one small, one medium and one large. In the small bowl I put in the 3/4 cup oats with a cup of low fat buttermilk. I 've just been adding about two spoonfuls of flax seed meal and similar amount of sliced almonds. After that is all stirred up I let it sit while I do everything else so the oats can soak up the buttermilk. I also make sure to get my oven going to 425 F as that can take a while to heat up.

In the medium bowl I put 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (which thankfully is sold at Henry's by weight so I didnt have to spend a lot the first time I tried to make these), 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, a pinch of salt and then 1 teaspoon cinnamon and stir it up until well mixed.

In the large bowl, I crack in an egg,  add 1/3 cup of Splenda's brown sugar substitute (even my Splenda hating roomie likes this half real sugar mix), 1/3 cup canola oil and a heaping teaspoon of vanilla extract. I usually use a whisk to really beat the egg and get the oil and sugar mixed in. Once that is done you can add the oats mixture and mix well. Lastly add the flour mixture but only mix until just combined. Over mixing will make the muffins a little dense.

You can make this into a loaf or as I like to into 12 muffins filling each cup about 2/3 of the way full. I use silicone muffin liners which help keep the heat even and make for easy clean up. If you dont use the silicone muffin liners then be sure to spray your pan with a non stick spray - preferably butter flavored! I pop that in at 425 F degrees for 12-14 minutes and let them cool for at least 5 minutes as they can get rather hot.

After two each morning I run out quickly!

Chicken Noodle Soup and Home made Stock

I had a craving for some old fashioned home made chicken noodle soup the way my mother made it. She would bake a chicken and use the dripping with canned chicken stock and add root veggies and celery salt. Cook up some yolk free egg noodles and we have our selves a winner.

I decided to alter the recipe by making the chicken broth from scratch. I had so much success with vegetable and beef stocks I figured chicken couldnt be much harder. Turns out it was easier than either as the directions say to only boil everything for 2 hours and there doesnt seem to be a lot of fat at the surface to skim.

After I baked my chicken I put the carcass in with two quartered yellow or brown onions (dont peel ! the outside peel deepens the broth color), some celery (tops are okay), carrots (also dont peel), some flat Italian parsley (half the bunch cause I love parsley flavor) and then a bay leaf, a few whole pepper corns, some dried mushrooms and two quartered Roma tomatoes. The last two aren't typical stock ingredients but I find it will richen the flavor. My book tells me to only cook the stock 2 hours max. I was surprised at how dark it was after two hours so I figured I'd follow the directions and stop there. I froze most of it for later uses. So far I have to say it looks richer than my other stocks so much so that I added water to it when I made the soup. It is also the tastiest !

For the soup I sautéed some sliced thin onions and then a few bulk pieces of carrots and celery along with a few thin slices of turnip. Well I hope it was turnip cause it was labeled rutabaga at the store but somebody told me they are pretty much the same thing. It did kind look like turnips but with a slightly different color than I remember. After the onions were soft enough I added generous amounts of celery salt. The homemade stock is very much unsalty so you will almost always have to add salt to a soup made with your own stock. I prefer to be in charge of how much salt I add anyway. The stock went in next with some water and after adding some pepper and letting it simmer I added the large chunks of the cooked chicken.

In a separate pot I boiled the noodles and drained then when done. Yolk free egg noodles cook up pretty quick so its good to keep an eye on them. After the noodles were done I put some in a bowl and ladled the soup on top. I also store the noodles in a different container as they can get mushy/ break apart if actually left in the soup. The nice thing is as you reheat the broth it cooks down more making it more yummy. The noodles can be put in a bowl cold and they will warm up once the hot broth is ladled on.

Here are some salads ive been enjoying of late.

From a personal blog post from September 8th 2009

I got these from Mark Bittman's blog over at the NYTimes, 101 Salads entry a little while ago. This is the guy who writes for NY Times food section called The Minimalist and also wrote How To Cook Anything as well as Kitchen Express:

*Chop or slice radishes (or jicama or kohlrabi) and peaches (or mango) and mix coconut milk, lime juice & mint (also good if you add curry powder but I didnt).

*Dice cucumbers (if they’re fat and old, peel and seed them first) and toss with cubes of avocado, a little honey and rice vinegar.

*Cube watermelon and combine with roughly chopped mint, crumbled feta, sliced red onion and chopped Kalamata olives. Dress lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Despite saltiness of feta and olives, this may need salt.

Here are some more I plan to try:

*Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice.

*Roughly chop avacado and toss with black beans, queso fresco, cilantro, chopped tomatillos and lime juice.

*Combine chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, chilies and cilantro, then toss with corn tortilla strips, toasted in a 350-degree oven until crisp (or yes, use packaged chips; why not?). Dust with chili powder and lots of lime juice.

*Roast fresh corn kernels in a pan with a little oil; toss with cayenne or minced chilis, lime juice and a little queso fresco. Cherry tomatoes are optional

*Trim crusts if necessary from day-or-two-old bread (or even three-day-old bread), cube and marinate in black olive tapenade thinned with more olive oil. Add chopped capers and toss with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. (Anchovies optional.)

*Chop hard-boiled eggs and mix with just enough mayonnaise to bind; spoon into endive leaves. Top each with a small canned sardine and drizzle with a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice and mustard.

*Combine shredded cabbage or lettuce with bits of good turkey, Swiss cheese and rye croutons. Top with good old Russian dressing.

*What happens when your Chicago hot dog falls apart!: Toss together tomato wedges, chopped pickles, hot peppers, shredded lettuce and a few slices of broiled or grilled hot dog. Dress with a vinaigrette made with mustard and celery salt.

*Mix cooked couscous or quinoa with orange zest and juice, olive oil, maybe honey, sliced oranges, raisins or dried cranberries, chopped red onion and chopped almonds. Serve over greens, or not.

My new Blog...

I started getting into cooking at home this summer and after some toil I think I managed to graduate from basics enough to feel I am capable of writing a blog. I am at the very least capable of following enough written instructions in these cookbooks to make be believe so!. I got started in this because I wanted to save some money, do something interesting with food, and try to be a bit healthier or at least know whats going into the food I eat. There is a local farmer's market on Sundays but I generally shop at my local grocery store for all my non fruits and vegetables. 

To start us off I found some old post in my personal blog about my cooking foray's:



Saturday, July 20th, I started off by making a from scratch vegetable stock and a beef stock. The beef took like 4 hours and I think it will make a decent french onion soup eventually (it really really turned out well ) and I have some ideas about how make it a bit richer next time. The vegetable stock came out really well. I think adding the mushrooms and tomatoes in addition to all the normal stuff made it just tasty. I used it to make a generic Ratatouille like stew and a south beach diet recipe zucchini soup. I think both came out really well.  I was surprised at how easy it was really. You only have to roughly chop up the vegetables so it took less time to prepare than normal food makings and it just simmered for like 2 hours while I watched French Kiss (love that movie ! While cooking I also had Sound of Music and The Saint on at some point). Next time im going to make an absolute ton of the stock and freeze it. I also made zucchini bread from a reciepe of Charles' grandma. I think I might reduce the amount of oil for next time as aparently his nana made lots of oily food/baked goods and I dont think there should be a layer of oil sitting on top of the bread when I go to put it in the oven, even if eventually it all soaks in. Still very tasty !


Sunday I got up early and put together this quick easy baked pears thing. The sauce had grated ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cream and of course sugar. I just baked it in the oven for a bit and it was done. I think it came out really well.


Later in the day I decided to tackle a goat cheese souflee. I ve wanted to see how hard it might be to do the souflee bit because beating egg whites into foamy stuff is called for in a lot neat tasty reciepes but Id never done it. It turned out well but I forgot to sprinkle in the parmesan so I think it was lacking that bit of salt that parmesan would have give it. Otherwise not too bad and not too hard to make.


I also prepared a pear and sage stuffing for dinner. It uses sweet italien sausage as the bit of meat portion. I dont usually care for stuffing but this came out pretty well. I think there might have been too much parsley and not enough sage. Im also thinking more other kinds of spices (perhaps adding dried sage would work or maybe some thyme as well) to richen the flavor. Also maybe switch out half the chicken broth for white wine!


Next I think Id really like to do the bacon wraped pheasent in a port reduction but id have to get port, red current jelly and find somewhere that actually sells pheasent. I could use cornish game hens but Ive only ever found them frozen and they have so little meat on them. I really need to get away from my french cookbook and get back to the south beach diet ones as my waistline will not forgive me! Id like to do more from my new Kitchen Express by Mark Bittman that im still reading through. I will have to try the korean bbq pork sometime soon!