Looking for a last-minute gift idea for the foodie in your life? Check out this super cool product: The Herb-Savor (love the play on spelling). I found it in the December issue of Real Simple. It's $30, but reviews are rave and since you pay about $4.00 for herbs at the store in the middle of winter, it pays for itself in six or seven uses ... not bad and you don't have slimy cilantro anymore (even better!). Oh, and it looks cool, too. You can get it and it's sister, the Herb-Savor Pod, at Macy's.

Happy (last-minute) shopping, -s.

My book club's third annual cookie and gift exchange was last night and by the size of the headache I have, I would say it was a very fun evening (more coffee please!). The cookies crafted by everyone were pretty amazing too – check out the photos above!

Some of the cookies were family favorites passed down from generation to generation — peanut butter balls (or Buckeyes as my family calls them), cookies adorned with Hershey kisses, powder-sugar-coated pecan crescents; others were new ones found in magazines or on the Internet. My friend Cecilia made these amazing, traditional Swedish “toffees” from her homeland that were meltingly good and were made with beet syrup — a fun new ingredient to check out! Whether a new recipe or a tried-and-true heirloom, last night proved that the act of baking and sharing with loved ones continues on; that it will always be “in style”; that something our grandmothers and mothers and aunts did, we too can do — but in our own way.

Thanks ladies for another fabulous year! Can’t wait for the next.

xo,
Sarah

Brrr. Jack Frost and his gang of ne’er-do-wells gave Madison quite the sugar-coating of snow, ice and frigid temps this past week. Pickle has been in high heaven "helping" Chris shovel the snow. He would be outside all day if we let him, but it's been too cold to stay out for more than a few minutes.

I've been baking a lot — which is not the norm in our house (I'm a cook, not a baker) — but the holidays scream for homemade treats, don't you think? All this baking has left very little time for cooking, so our menus have been taking a more simplistic slant the last couple of weeks and probably will continue to do so until Christmas is over.

I thought I would share with you some quick tips and tricks to have on hand during the holidays that will help you avoid running to the grocery store every day! These will provide instant platforms on which to build hors d'oeuvres, desserts, potluck fare, etc.

In the freezer:

Puff pastry – this is my go-to staple for many things and there is nothing better to have on hand to elevate a dish than buttery, crisp puff pastry. I use Pepperidge farm or Trader Joe’s most of the time. You've seen my tarts, which would be great cut into strips for a passed hors d'oeuvre. For dessert, make some pastry cream and spread that on a sheet of puff pastry (leave a 1/2-inch border), bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees until golden and when cool, top with raspberries and dust with powder sugar for a perfect, easy and festive dessert.

Filo cups – These gorgeous little cups need just a brushing of butter and a filling of grated cheese (Pleasant Ridge Reserve, gruyere, sharp white cheddar), some caramelized onions and either some chopped prosciutto or cooked, crumbled bacon to make the most divine little mouthful. Just bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and golden brown. Serve hot.

In the fridge:

Cream cheese – set out at room temperature and slather with one of the following: chutney, salty, toasted pecans and apricot preserves, jalapeño jam, or gorgeous lump crab and cocktail sauce (a retro classic). Serve with crackers, crudités and/or crunchy crostini.

Smoked salmon (lox-style)– topped with lemon-zest scented crème fraîche and placed on a pumpernickel crostini; add it to a simple frittata for a perfect addition to a buffet; or showcase it on a tray with cornichon, capers, wafer-thin slices of red onion and cream cheese. Serve it with homemade or store-bought bagel chips and water crackers – perfect for brunch or a cocktail party (screams for Champagne!)

Champagne or Prosecco – nothing says “party” like a bottle of bubbly. Have a few bottles on hand for hostess gifts or to crack open when the tree is decorated, the presents are wrapped or the guests have gone home!

Menu: week of 13 December 2009:

Sunday: whole-wheat panko-crusted chicken cutlets with a fennel, apple & walnut salad in a sherry-maple vinaigrette

Monday: potato, rosemary and garlic pizza

Tuesday: salmon cakes with mixed greens vinaigrette (applesauce for Pickle)

Wednesday: turkey kofte with a side of whole-wheat sesame noodles with broccoli

Thursday: stewed white beans with tomatoes and thyme served on top of bruschetta

Friday: carry out and a movie

Saturday: holiday dinner group

Happy eating, -s.

The snowing has been flying in Madison the last couple of days and the forecast calls for a blizzard starting later today — 12 inches of the white stuff, to be exact. One part of me loves snow; the other part of me — the one that commutes in it — loathes it with every fiber of my being. Pickle has been utterly fascinated by it; he wants to touch it and taste it and play in it. It's so cool to watch him experience things for the first time ... makes the loathing part of me flee quite quickly.

Anyway, we've been busy bees of late. We trekked out in the wood to cut down a Christmas tree; I got sicker than a dog — as my Dad has been known to say — late Saturday night (yuck), and we had another house showing yesterday (third time for this potential buyer; crossing fingers and toes this is the one!), which means that I did little-to-no cooking this weekend. Boo hoo.

I did manage to make a big batch of macaroni and cheese with puréed squash folded into the rich and delicious Mornay sauce. I used conchiglie (shells) for the pasta and whole wheat bread for the bread crumbs and it turned out pretty well.

With this rapidly approaching winter wonderland, I am hoping to bake some cookies. Here's what I think I'll make this year for sharing and eating (it's a very choco-centric list):
Whole-wheat shortbread dipped in dark chocolate
Dark-chocolate Scottish oat biscuits
Dark chocolate and pistachio crisps
Coconut brittle

And here's our menu for the week:

Menu: week of 6 December 2009
Sunday: Roasted squash macaroni and cheese with mixed greens vinaigrette
Monday: out to dinner at Cafe Porta Alba (if you haven't been there, go now!)
Tuesday: Italian sausage, kale and cannelini bean stew
Wednesday: Curried beef pie
Thursday: Carrot soup with toasted almonds
Friday: Turkish eggs with yogurt in a spicy sage butter

Happy eating, baking, cooking, shoveling, snowman-building and frolicking in the snow! -s.

My very talented friend Katie is owner and curator of artwallonline.com. Recently, she's been blogging about great holiday gift ideas in easy-on-the-wallet price ranges. She inspired me to put together a list of my own ... with a decided slant toward kitchen and dining accoutrement. So, here's a sampling of things that would make your kitchen or dining room a special spot.

1951 Argentina Seltzer Bottle from Three Potato Four — one of my favorite websites! Would look fabulous on a bar table.

1934 dining chair from Sundance catalog — eight would be great!

Porcelain Mason Jar by Pigeon Toe Ceramics at Reform School — another favorite site.

Rancho Gordo heirloom beans — a must for the foodie in your life.

Handcrafted Dotted Bowls from Orange Lola — this stack looks just about right … for ice cream, soup, dips, lemons …

Diamond pillow cover from Stitch in Dye — perfect backrest for the 1934 dining chair? Yes!

Fair Trade Burlap Buckets by Maya*Made — I want one of these for tossing dirty towels and cloth napkins into before they head to the wash!

Wisconsin Artisan Cheeses and Companions gift box from Fromagination — yum! One of my favorite local shops … ships everywhere!

Yummy, yummy, yummy! Tea towel from Mr. PS etsy shop — so fun!

Milk jug from Keith Brymer Jones @ Horne

Piggy Lunch Bag from Hero Bags — Must. Have. This.

Spouted bowls from Gleena’s etsy shop — elegant and useful.

Happy shopping, -s!

I hope that everyone had a lovely holiday. Ours was fabulous — good food, good wine, good company, and good cheer! Pickle had the time of his life with his cousins Caitlyn and Luke. They literally ran around my parent's dining-room table for a half-hour chanting "Follow Rhys!" He was in heaven.

We eat later than most on Thanksgiving (around 6 p.m.) so that gives us some time to nosh on hors d'oeuvres in the afternoon while watching football and catching up. My assignment was to bring some of those snacks. My sister Heather was bringing a selection of cheeses and cured meats, so I thought I would balance that with some sort of dip/spread. I made Gourmet's recipe for muhammara — a Turkish roasted red pepper/tomato spread — and also my own recipe for a pumpkin seed/tomatillo "pesto" in which I baked some local goat's cheese.

The pesto literally came to me in a dream (yes, I even dream about food!). I thought pumpkin seeds were thematically appropriate for Thanksgiving. And I also thought some amped-up flavors were a good counterbalance to the traditionally clean and simple flavors of the dinner to come.

As you can see in the photo, this combo of dips would be perfect for the upcoming Christmas holiday, since it is a very appropriate red and green. Without further ado, here's the recipe and below that is our menu for the week.

Baked chevre with pumpkin-seed & tomatillo pesto
Ingredients
1/2 cup roasted and salted pepitos (pumpkin seeds)
1 bunch of cilantro, stems and all
3 scallions, cleaned, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 can of tomatillos (or 8 fresh tomatillos, blanched and peeled)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4-6 oz fresh chevre, sliced into three or four "coins"
tortilla chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, place the pumpkin seeds and blitz until roughly chopped. Add cilantro and scallions and pulse 3-4 times; add tomatillos and cumin and pulse until mixture begins to get smooth. With machine running, slowly pour olive oil in through the feed tube.

In a oven-proof 1-quart baking dish, place half of the pesto. Arrange the chevre coins on top and cover with the remaining pesto. Bake for 15-20 minute, until bubbly and warmed through and chevre is starting to melt. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Menu: week of 29 November 2009
Sunday: spaghetti and meatballs
Monday: tortellini en brodo with lacinato kale
Tuesday: Grilled cheese with ham and Bosc pear served with mixed greens vinaigrette
Wednesday: Meatball subs with roasted brussel sprouts
Thursday: Roasted butternut squash and beets in a cumin-shallot vinaigrette with hummus and whole-grain flatbread
Friday: Pizza with sauteed wild mushrooms and red onion

Happy eating, -s.

Canned cream of fill-in-the-blank soups makes me sad. What they try to replace in cooking really have no replacements. These classic sauces are foundations upon which other food is made.

As Thanksgiving and Christmas are close at hand, I thought I would delve into some of these sauces that can easily be made and elevate the standard green bean, cheesy potato, pot pie or mac and cheese casserole.

Béchamel (French) or Besciamella (Italian)
This sauce is the base for many sauces – a “mother” sauce as the French refer to it (love it!). All béchamel start with a roux, which is roughly equal parts butter and flour cooked into a paste to which hot milk is added. This mixture is cooked until thickened. Typically a little freshly grated nutmeg is added to a traditional béchamel, but the sauce can be further enhanced with other components. Fold in 4-6 oz. diced sautéed mushrooms and fresh thyme (ideal for green bean casserole). During the cooking process, replace half of the milk with chicken stock and you have a velouté (cream of chicken, anyone?). Add some grated cheese (gruyere, sharp white cheddar, parmigiano, etc.) to it and it becomes sauce Mornay (perfect for macaroni and cheese or cheesy potato casserole). Give it a try ... you won't be sorry and neither will your guests!

Here’s my favorite recipe … from one of my favorite chefs, Mario Batali.

Basic Béchamel

Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.

Happy eating ... and cooking! -s.

photo from wholefoods website ... check it out here.