Sometimes things don’t always go as we planned. I had planned to watch “The Wizard of Oz” at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. I had even called all my friends, cooked up some recipes, scheduled a time to meet, loaded up the car and driven all the way to Hollywood just to have a picnic in the cemetery. However, when we turned the corner and were preparing to enter, we were met by this:

The photo doesn’t really do it justice, but basically the entire city of Los Angeles had the same thoughts that we had. And unfortunately for us, they had the idea about an hour sooner, and we didn’t make it inside. Yeah, it was a bummer. There are few things sadder than having a picnic meal and nowhere to picnic.

Luckily, I’m blessed to have flexible and endlessly enthusiastic friends. We took our picnic dinner and headed to a teeny tiny park in Universal City. We sat on blankets and drank wine, ate our food and watched the sunset go down. It was good, even without the red slippers or munchkins.

There was one thing that turned out exactly as I had planned. This walnut pesto. It was just as tasty, satisfying and unique as I had been hoping for. My photos of the final product I feel are a tad lacking, I’m going to blame the change of venue on that, although it could have just as easily been the wine I was drinking. Wine or no wine, this is a great spread to have for your next picnic.

Walnut Pesto

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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1 cup shelled walnuts, even better if you toast and cool them first
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
3 sprigs of thyme, cleaned
Salt
Small splash of red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced sun-dried tomatoes (oil or dry-packed will both work)
1 loaf or baguette of crusty bread, sliced and toasted.

Combine walnuts, parmesan, garlic, thyme, salt and vinegar in a food processor and coarsely grind. Stir in the olive oil and tomatoes. You may need to add a little extra oil if your tomatoes aren’t soaked in oil.
Spoon the pesto over the toasted bread. Spread a blanket on the ground and have a picnic.

Looking for a new job is scary. Mainly because interviews are scary. You dress up in uncomfortable clothes that you hope make you look “professional,” then march into some unfamiliar office to have a conversation with someone you’ve never met. And not just any conversation, it’s a conversations about your overall skills and value as a person. I normally spend most of the interview trying to make sure that I don’t smile too much, and worried that my armpit stains are going to start to show-an unfortunate side effect of my nervousness is that I begin to sweat profusely. It definitely doesn’t make going to interviews any easier.

So then, after I’ve babbled on to the woman or man sitting in front of me about how I would be happy to mow their lawn on the weekends if they would only give me this job, I get up, walk out, and immediately begin to kick myself for things that I did or didn’t say. It’s brutal, tortuous, and just plain awful. The minute after an interview I need comfort, and can only think of getting home, changing into yoga pants and spending the remainder of the day watching Sex and the City DVDs while drinking iced coffee.

I have similar experiences when it comes to food. Last week I made this, and that was terrifying. Then, I made my first tart shell, which was easy, but I get nervous by new things. When it came to the filling, I knew that I wanted a recipe that was the food equivalent of my old yoga pants. Something that I’ve made a million times before and I know without a doubt I will enjoy. This toffee nut tart is perfect. It is super, super easy to make, always impressive looking, and tastes divine. The filling is light and airy and gives a nice contrast to the crunchy nuts. If you’re going to an interview anytime soon, it would probably be good to have something like this waiting for you at home.

Toffee Nut Tart

Adapted from Quick Recipes

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1 ½ cups unsalted mixed nuts
½ cup superfine sugar or powdered sugar
½ cup whipping cream, plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 baked tart shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the mixed nuts onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Set aside and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, place the superfine sugar in a small saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and turns golden, about 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and slowly stir in only 2 tablespoons of cream. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined and becomes a toffee syrup. Allow to cool slightly.

Beat together the mascarpone cheese, brown sugar, ½ cup of cream and vanilla in a bowl until smooth and creamy. If the mixture is runny, continue beating until mixture begins to resemble whipped cream. Pour into the tart shell and smooth out evenly.

Sprinkle the nuts over the cream mixture. Using a spoon, drizzle the toffee syrup over the nuts, zigzagging over the tart. Chill until ready to serve.

There are two clear types of holiday recipes. There are the time-tested kind, the ones that have been made over and over again, and will always be around because 1) everyone loves them and 2) the person making the recipe could do it with their eyes closed and one hand tied behind their back. There are also the newer kinds of recipes, those that are maybe a little more modern, with unusual ingredients and were probably found in a magazine or, ahem, a food blog.

This recipe is hands-down an example of the first type. My mother’s cheese dip graces pretty much every holiday party she attends in December, it is a rare occasion when she’s able to bring any leftovers home. This is the kind of appetizer that you snack on before dinner, and then return to when you’ve finished dessert. It’s the kind that you can’t stand in front of for more than 5 seconds without compulsively piling some on a cracker, until you’re wondering where all the crackers went and why you feel so full all of a sudden.

You really wanna know how good this is? It has mayonnaise in it. Mayo binds the whole thing together and coats every little piece of cheese, olive and pecan in the mix and, as you know, I hate mayonnaise. But I like this. I eat it with a smile on my face and won’t even bother to try and change the recipe. That should really tell you something.  I suggest you grate some cheese, chop some olives and prepare to smile a lot this holiday season.

Mom’s Holiday Cheese Dip

Recipe by Fair Johnson

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1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1 medium onion, grated
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon tabasco
1/2-1 cup chopped stuffed green olives, depending on how much you like olives

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Serve with crackers and hope your friends and family save you some.

It’s a sage-filled Thanksgiving here at A Cozy Kitchen! I swear, Adrianna and I did not plan on both making dishes that include sage, but hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right?

For all of my childhood, one of the greatest moments at Thanksgiving was when the sweet potato casserole that my aunt made was pulled from the oven and added to the epic spread of food. It evolved a bit over the years, first being topped with toasted mini marshmallows, and eventually progressing to a candied nut topping. It didn’t matter to me what you topped it with though, only that sweet potatoes were about to be consumed.

Imagine my shock the first year my extended family couldn’t make it to Thanksgiving and to my horror sweet potatoes were left out of the meal! It soon became apparent that I was the only one among my dad, stepmother and sisters that shared in a love of sweet potatoes, and sadly, my addiction went unfed for years.

This year though, I’m taking control of my own life. I saw this recipe in the current issue of Martha Stewart, and couldn’t wait any longer. After making a few adjustments, I’ve found my favorite version of sweet potato casserole yet. The sage gives it a sophisticated feel but it’s still sweet and satisfying. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Maple Sweet Potato Casserole with Sage-Butter

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, November 2009

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So, I found another blogger who made this dish with the original recipe but complained that it came out bland. To avoid that, I used all sweet potatoes instead of a mix of both regular and sweet, and I added maple syrup, both to sweeten it and add just a little more flavor. I also made a nut topping instead of one made from bread crumbs as the original had done. I’m beyond satisfied with the result, and it’s going to be a long time before I decide to venture to another version of this dish.

3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 ½ cups milk
1/8 cup maple syrup

For the Topping:
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Place sweet potatoes  in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1 stick of butter with the chopped sage in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat. Add butter mixture, milk, and maple syrup to the potatoes and beat with a blender until smooth. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish. (mix can be refrigerated for up to 2 days)

In a small saucepan, combine pecans, butter and maple syrup. Heat for 1-2 minutes, or until pecans are well coated in the butter and syrup.  Sprinkle the pecans over the top of the potatoes. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling around the edges and the pecans are beginning to darken, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Aren’t you glad that bathing suit season is over? It can’t be a mere coincidence that the holidays are not only filled with decadent desserts that you only eat once a year, but also big, baggy sweaters that hide away any extra inches those foods bring with them. Just another reason to have not just one, but two pieces of this insanely good pie. Actually, if want to go ahead and eat the whole thing, I really couldn’t blame you. And I promise not to tell a soul.

This pie has long been the staple dessert of our Thanksgiving table. That means I only get to eat it once a year, and I have to share it with my sisters. You know what is even better than eating this right after a delicious Thanksgiving meal? Eating it for breakfast the next morning. You know what is maybe one of the saddest moments in my life? The time I opened the fridge the morning after Thanksgiving to find that the pie had already been eaten. Truly, that day will live on as one of the greatest tragedies of my life.

Traditionally, this pie prepared every year by my stepmother, so it’s the first year that I’ve ever made this, and it’s also the first time I’ve ever eaten it prior to Thanksgiving. The downside: It feels a little sad to eat chocolate chip pecan pie when I’m 3,000 miles away from my family. The upside: I’ll go to bed knowing that my favorite breakfast is safe until morning. After all, there are 3,000 miles in between it and my sisters.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

Adapted from a recipe by Beverly Kilpatrick

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The original recipe called for corn syrup, but I used honey since that was what I had in my cabinet. Either option should work, you really just need anything that’s sweet, thick and sticky.

1 unbaked 9” pie shell, homemade or store-bought
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
24 pecan halves  (less if you only do a ring around the crust as I did)

Mix together eggs, sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir in chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Pour mixture into pie shell.  Place pecan halves on top, in any arrangement that you would like.  Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Hint:  Cut a ring out of foil to fit over the rim of the pie pan.  When you turn the oven down to 350, place the foil ring over the edges of the pie crust to prevent over browning.

For a long time I’ve had a love-hate relationship with granola bars. My idea of the perfect granola bar is something chewy, delicious, not too sweet, and that serves as a satisfying snack. I always want to like the store-bought ones, but time and again they disappoint me.

Every few months I’ll be in a grocery store and will wander past a large display of some new variety of granola bars and will then somehow convince myself that these are the bars I have been looking for all my life. Ten minutes later, I’m in the checkout line with a basket filled with granola bars, only to get home and discover that these are no different than any other bar I’ve ever had. They’re  either bland or too sweet and I still feel hungry after eating 5 of them.

So now, I’ve taken matters into my own hands. I found this recipe from the lovely Ina Garten (I love her SO MUCH) and after making a few of my own adjustments I am pleased to announce that these are, in fact, the granola bars that I’ve always dreamed of. They’re chewy, with just a hint of sweetness, and are a satisfying snack that neither I, nor you, have to feel guilty about.

Granola Bars

Adapted from Ina Garten

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I changed the original recipe quite a bit. I was worried about it being too sweet and took out the brown sugar altogether, and am definitely glad that I did. I was also worried after reading some reviews that the butter would make the bars greasy, so I cut the amount down from 3 tablespoons to 1. I couldn’t find wheat germ in the store so I substituted flaxseed meal, but either option would work. My favorite dried fruits are apricots and cranberries, but you can use anything that you like or have on hand.

Also – not a fan of bars? Just break this up into pieces and you can eat it as your morning breakfast cereal.

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups chopped dried fruit

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 by 12-inch baking sheet and line it with greased parchment paper, or a Silpat.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a large bowl and add in flaxseed meal. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
Combine the butter, honey, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dried fruit and stir the mixture together.

Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 2-3 hours and then cut into squares.

Sometimes I decide to cook something because it’s a recipe I’ve done a million times and I know that it’s going to taste amazing, like cheddar & pinto bean patties. Sometimes it’s because I see a recipe in a book, magazine, or blog and am immediately compelled to give it a try, like Smitten Kitchen’s pasta with goat cheese. Then, I have the days when I realize that I’ve had that box of couscous in my cupboard for a year, a YEAR, and by George, I’m going to do SOMETHING with it. That’s when I make things like Couscous Salad with Cherries.

And you know what? I should get fed up with my cupboard ingredients more often, because this was delicious. It was a little too healthy for Chase to even try, but that was fine because I really didn’t feel like sharing anyway. This salad is perfect for picnics, because the dressing is very light and doesn’t make it soggy. It’s also perfect for sitting at home on a summer day with a glass of lemonade, enjoying it bite by tasty bite.

Cherry Couscous Salad

Adapted from Vegetarian Times

The original recipe called for cucumber, but I’m not a big fan so I omitted it. Similarly, if there’s an ingredient that you feel is missing or should be added, feel free to customize this salad however you would like.  You can also substitute quinoa or bulgur for the couscous.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups uncooked couscous
2 cups spinach leaves
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved, or 1 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
5 Tbs. olive oil, divided
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced

Toast the almonds, either in a over the stove at medium heat or in an oven at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes, or until the almonds have just turned golden brown.

In a saucepan, combine 1 ½ cups water, 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ tsp salt and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the couscous. Stir well and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool. Meanwhile, lay 5 or 6 spinach leaves flat on top of one another on cutting board and slice into strips.

Toss together couscous, almonds, spinach, cherries, chickpeas and red onion in large serving bowl. Whisk together yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in small bowl. Pour over salad, and toss to coat. Chill 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop, then dig in.

Everyone has their own versions of heaven. Those rare occasions where if feels as though life cannot get any better and you hope that it will just float along endlessly in this moment. Here’s one of those moments for me:

Getting up on a weekend before anyone else is awake, making iced coffee, then drinking it  on the couch while watching TV AND also reading a magazine. This is heaven, pure and simple. If you go ahead and throw in some of these Honey Pistachio Biscotti for me nibble on, I may never leave my apartment again. Really.

I suggest you give my little slice of heaven a try. Make these tasty cookies, brew your favorite cup of coffee however you like it, and then enjoy it all with a good magazine and a TV show you normally wouldn’t admit to watching. (Real Housewives, anyone?) Also, eat slowly. Good things should not be rushed.

Honey Pistachio Biscotti

Adapted from Ellie Krieger

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl beat together the sugar, honey, eggs, oil, zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract until well combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients until the mixture forms a dough. Stir in the pistachios.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead several times. Shape into a log about 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet (I used a Silpat) and bake for 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. With a serrated knife, cut 1/2-inch diagonal slices. Arrange on the baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake the biscotti until golden 5 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

When I was kid, the only thing my mom trusted me with in the kitchen was the salad.  So every night, right before dinner was to be served, I was asked to come in the kitchen and make this bland, boring salad.  I’d reluctantly tear up the lettuce, cut a tomato and cucumber and it’d be done—it was the easiest chore I had to do, but that memory has resulted in me being a non-salad eater. People love salads—me? Not so much. When I go to a restaurant, the salad section is usually not even an option for me, unless it’s a caprese salad, which isn’t really even a salad, it’s more like a cold appetizer. So I’m scarred for life—no salads for me…until…my trip to Raleigh, NC last month where I tried this incredible salad at Firebirds.

It’s not a super-duper gourmet spot that you’d see in Bon Appetit—just a little restaurant nestled in the suburbs and this place served up one of the best salads of my life.  To me this salad worked so well because it treated the lettuce like a second-class citizen.  Lettuce was used just as a delivery service for the other cool stuff in the salad, like the strawberries, feta cheese and sweet and spicy pecans. The texture was crunchy from the pecans, soft from the cheese and smokey and crunchy from the grilled shrimp.  The experience didn’t totally transform me into a full on salad eater—just a Grilled Shrimp and Strawberry salad eater.

Grilled Shrimp & Strawberry Salad

Inspired by Grilled Shrimp & Strawberry Salad at Firebirds

Serves 2

2 1/2 cups of lettuce (romaine and spring mix)
1 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries
1/2 cup of candied or spicy pecans, chopped
1 lb. of shrimp (10-15 count), peeled and deveined with tail on
3/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Simple Balsamic Dressing

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
3/4 olive oil

You’ll need a few skewers.  To avoid them catching on fire when they’re over the grill, soak them in a bit of water for a few minutes.  Thread the shrimp onto the skewer, putting 3-4 shrimp per skewer. Place over grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side.

As they’re on the grill, throw the lettuce, strawberries, feta and pecans all together.

Beat the vinegar with salt and pepper until it dissolves.  Then beat in the olive oil by droplets, whisking constantly.  This should create a bit of emulsification, thickening the dressing.

Toss the salad with the dressing, ensuring that it’s all worked in.  Take the shrimp off their skewers and place along side the salad.  Voila!

So, it’s June gloomy here in LA. It’s raining outside, and it’s been cloudy for weeks. I’m tired of wearing jackets and long pants and am ready for flip-flops and flowy skirts. The upside to living in LA is supposed to be the weather. “Sunny LA” as they say.

I guess that if I’m going to find a bright side, it’s that I can make some more Curried Peanut Soup, which normally only makes its appearance in winter months. It’s creamy, spicy, and nothing is more of a comfort food than peanut butter.

A special note about this soup: it tastes the absolute best if you eat it steaming hot, on the couch and wrapped up in a blanket while watching a great movie. Just an FYI.

Curry Peanut Soup

Adapted from Southern Living

Makes 6 cups

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons curry flour
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups half & half

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and celery, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Stirring constantly, cook for 1 minute more. Add broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in peanut butter and half and half. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Using a hand blender, blend mixture in pot until smooth. If you don’t have a hand blender, you can also transfer the soup in small batches to a normal blender and then return to the pot.