Recipes, Photography, Musings

Month: November 2014 (Page 2 of 2)

Pasta with Tomatoes, Spinach, and Sausage, and the Power of Music, Food, and Memories

ingredientsIn some ways, music and food are very similar.  Both can transport us to earlier times.  A well-loved song or a certain dish can remind us of a beloved place or a long lost friend.  The other night, I put on a Lucinda Williams CD to listen to while I was doing dishes.  The last song took me by surprise.  I hadn’t listened to this album in quite awhile, and I had forgotten which songs were on there–but when Lucinda started singing “Which Will,” a song written by English singer/songwriter Nick Drake, I felt myself become full of sentimental nostalgia.  Right away I was transported back to a dorm room in Bremen, Germany, twenty-seven years ago.  A good friend of mine had sent me a mix tape (that shows my age!) when I was studying in Germany, and the song “Which Will” was on that tape.  Because I had brought just a small amount of things with me for my seven months studying abroad, I listened to that tape over and over.  Immediately, I thought of the friend who had sent me the tape, because it was so comforting to receive music when I was far from home.  And then I thought of my time in Germany, and what I was often doing when that song was in the background: daydreaming, cooking, eating, and having great conversations.  pasta meal in bowl 1I was staying at that time in a dorm full of international students, all of whom were learning German. I became good friends with a woman from Colombia, and we often cooked and ate dinner together. I can remember evenings sitting at a tiny table with mismatched chairs, listening to the rain spattering the street. We would often invite other students walking down the hall to come in and eat with us, as we were all practicing our German speaking skills and learning about the different cultures gathered in the dorm.  One of our standard meals was the pasta dish posted below.  I don’t believe this dish is particularly German, Colombian, or American, but it is so easy, colorful, and nourishing, and anyone can make it, even two international students on a tight budget in a tiny dorm kitchen, communicating in a language that is not their own. It is kind of a meal borne of necessity, but enjoyed to the fullest because of its simplicity and quality ingredients.  It’s also a great meal for busy people who come home from a long day and don’t have a lot of time to make a complicated dinner, which is why this meal is still relevant in my life today. Good food and music are warm and comforting on a cold, dark, rainy evening, and we had many of those in northern Germany in wintertime, and we are experiencing them at this time of year here as well.

ingredients 2pasta meal in pot

Pasta with Tomatoes, Spinach, and Sausage

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces of pasta, any kind
  • 8 ounces of high-quality kielbasa or bratwurst, sliced in bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 4-8 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into small chunks
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook the pasta as directed in salted, boiling water.  While pasta is cooking, slice the sausage, tomatoes, and cheese.  When pasta is just tender, drain in a colander.  In the same pot, heat the tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the sausage slices for about 5 minutes, or until they are browned.  Add the pasta to the pot, and then add the cheese, tomatoes, and spinach.  Stir until combined, and the cheese is melted.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Top with Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” –Henry David Thoreau

pumpkin bread 3There is something so beautiful, yet so humble about pumpkins.  They are all unique in size and shape, and their deep orange color is energizing and appealing.  They are inexpensive and at least around here, they are overflowingly plentiful.  I drive by a big field full of ripe pumpkins almost every day.  As the grass and trees fade to shades of browns and grays, the pumpkins glow bright orange in comparison.  I know there are a lot of pumpkin recipes floating around right now, but it’s pumpkin season.  So I am going to add this pumpkin bread recipe to the pumpkin conversation.  What makes this recipe stand out to me is there is no oil or butter in it.  The bread is incredibly moist, but the moistness comes from the applesauce and pumpkin puree.  I am always on the lookout for appealing cookbooks to explore and new recipes to try.  I checked out a really great book from our tiny but wonderful local library, called Beyond the Mediterranean Diet: European Secrets of the Super-Healthy by Layne Lieberman.  This book was published in 2013 and is full of inspiring advice on living a high-quality lifestyle, and it has recipes to try as well (and pretty photos–I really like a book about food to have appealing photos).  The recipe for pumpkin bread below comes from this book.  I found this bread to be truly both enjoyable and healthy, with the pumpkin seeds on top being a fun addition.  My sweet son and his good friend came home ravenous from school yesterday, and they pounced on this pumpkin bread immediately.  They both gave it a thumbs-up, and decided it tasted like pumpkin pie without the crust.  A pretty sweet way to sneak in a vegetable and a fruit.

pumpkin pureepumpkin bread on plate 3

Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread

  • Servings: 12
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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh–I used a 14 ounce can)
  •   1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (optional)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and spices.  In a separate large bowl, whisk together applesauce, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla.  Slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones; combine, but don’t over mix.

Lightly grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan (or a shallow 8-inch baking pan) with cooking spray.  Pour the batter into the baking dish and sprinkle with optional pumpkin seeds if desired.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, checking for doneness.  (Bread is done when the top begins to crack and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.)  Let cool for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen.  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Inspiration and Louisa May Alcott’s Recipe for Apple Slump

apples on the porchIn anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday, my mind has been filling up with visions of warm, wonderful homemade food shared with family and friends. For me, baking is a way to stretch across space and time and connect with people from the past and the present.  One book that I like to pull out for inspiration around Thanksgiving time is An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by James Bernardin.  I have been a fan of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women since I was an adolescent.  That novel made a huge impact on me as a girl growing into a young woman and aspiring writer.  When I became a mother and my children were young, my mother gave me the above-mentioned adaptation of Alcott’s An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving.  It is a book geared for young children, full of scenic illustrations and a simple, heart-warming story of a New England family in the 1800s.  I was so excited to read a book by one of my favorite authors to my children, and they have enjoyed it too.  Along with the story there are descriptions of the food the family ate for their Thanksgiving meal.  One of those dishes was apple slump.  With a name like that, I was really curious what it would taste like.  Luckily, at the back of the book, there is Louisa May Alcott’s recipe for apple slump, so my daughter and I made it a few years ago.  I have been making it around Thanksgiving time ever since.  The spiced, baked apples are topped with a slightly sweet, rich cake-like batter.  The recipe suggests we serve it with whipped cream, and I also think vanilla ice cream is lovely with it.  Today, I served it on its own, and my family ate it gladly for dessert.  I personally like to eat any baked apple dish with thick slice of cheddar cheese.  My grandma always said apple pie was best that way.  I have posted Louisa May Alcott’s recipe for apple slump below, as it appeared in the book An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving.  This is a delicious dessert, and a very fun baking project to do with children in conjunction with reading the book, if you are so inclined. sliced apples and brown sugarapple slumpapple slump2

Louisa May Alcott's Apple Slump

  • Servings: 6
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 4 to 6 tart apples (3 cups sliced)
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg (well beaten)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Pare, core, and slice the apples.  Lightly grease the inside of a 1 1/2-quart baking dish (I used a 9 in. x 9 in. square baking dish) with butter.  Put the sliced apples into the dish.  In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Sprinkle the mixture over the apples and stir to mix.  Bake apples uncovered until they are soft, about 20 minutes.

While the apples are baking, stir together into a bowl the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sugar.  Mix into this the beaten egg, milk, and melted butter.  Stir gently.  Spread this mixture over the apples and continue baking until the top is brown and crusty (about 25 to 30 minutes).  Serve with whipped cream.  Enjoy!

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