Halloween the Jess Way

Today I:
Made ricotta but with cow's milk this time. Worked better.
Class, class
Work, work
Wedding dress shopped
Bought trick-or-treats
Made pizza dough
Made pizza
Opened the door for trick-or-treaters with a median age of 18 {who really weren't appreciative of the rad things i picked out for them like, mini play doughs, fake plastic teeth, finger traps, fake tattoos, little decks of cards, candy necklaces, chupa chups, pumpkin pencils...you know really cool things. i think i was north portland's version of the dentist who hands out floss. although, when a child (ie. under 10) actually came to the door they went right for the play dough with glee. }
Watched awesomely crappy tv with equally awesome hot guy while my awesome boyfriend watched his own awesome (-ly bad) movie
Drank a beer.

Autumn Root Veggie Pizza
1 pizza dough
1 lb. ricotta
1 sweet potato
1 squash (acorn, ambercup, carnival, delicata nothing too big)
2 carrots
2 parsnips
3 shallots
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 cloves of peeled garlic
1/2 cup pecorino, grana podano, assagio or your favorite hard-ish italian cheese
olive oil
salt & peppa

Cut veggies into 1 inch pieces of similar size so that they cook at the same rate. Put veggies and whole cloves of garlic on a bking sheet. Sprinkle generously with rosemary, salt & pepper and olive oil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until tender.

Roll dough and place on baking sheet. Layer the dough with the fresh ricotta, veggies and top with pecorino.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the crust is browned.

You can do this on a stone too but it was too big for me to fit it. Plus, the rectangle is kinda rad.

Grilled Cheese Please!

I think this has officially turned into an annual thing. At least for me it has. I think I would even do it by myself if no one else wanted to participate.

Last Saturday I was graced with the company of fabulous friends timber, kel, aly and levi for an evening of grilled cheese, fresh pears from sauvie's, ciders and seasonal ales. (I love me some seasonal ales.) Rounding it out the evening were two episodes of the greatest show - EVER and a fabulous hot toddy with pear brandy at moloko plus.

I highly recommend this as a casual dinner party with friends. It is super easy to through together, fairly inexpensive and easy to clean up. Paper plates go great with grilled cheese. I think that is an unspoken rule.

Here were the combinations:

#1
Brie, Carmelized Shallots, Arugula and Dijon on Bagette.
We scooped out the insides of the bagette, stuffed it, pressed it and baked it.

#2
Roasted Beet and Chevre on Rosemary Bread.
For this we assembled the sandwiches and buttered the outside bread pieces with some fabulous Plugra and fried it the traditional way.

#3
Gouda, heirloom tomato and chili flakes on grain-y wheat levain.
I always like to do two in the oven and two on the stove. That way it cuts donw on cooking time. Timber had the fabulous idea of this being open faced and broiled. We sprinkled the chili flakes on after they were cooked.

#4
Gorgonzola and honey on walnut bread.
Grilled traditionally and then lightly drizzled with honey.

The Cutest Thing I Ever Did See...

I am in love with this idea. Sounds ooey gooey and delicious. I think i'll make it this week.

Photo courtesy Design*Sponge.

Guerrilla Boyfriend Lunch Post!

Jes went to work @ Annette's, and I cued up one of my new scores from Miss. Records:



Then I went to work on the leftovers...


Sliced beets, chevre & oat-nut bread (from last night's grilled-cheese party), with tomato slices and Yak burger. Plus the last of some spicy squash soup (might be in an earlier post).

I rounded it off with a glass of Gerolsteiner sparkling water & Pomegranate juice, a New Yorker article on Mitt Romney (freaky), and the second half of Tago Mago.

I want...

to make this right now.

study. study. study.

Earth Intruders

I wish these were edible...the mushies not the toy plastic soldiers. They are in my yard next door. It would be great if they were oyster or portobello.

Right. Studying.

Favorite Scramble

Hey look! It's another morning of me not doing ANYTHING I should be. Seriously, this is starting to get pathetic. And I cannot for the life of me shake it.

In retrospect, I should have taken a term off. Just the thought of how much energy I have to expend for each individual a&p exam makes me want to crawl into bed - in the fetal position - pull the covers over my head and do nothing. Which, is much better than the alternative of drinking. Ever since learning about our wonder organ the liver, I have a new found appreciation for it and all of its hepatocytes.

So doing nothing. Made my favorite scramble for breakfast. It has:

sauteed shallots
gorgonzola
arugula
peas
s&p

The trick is adding the peas last, turning off the heat and putting a lid on the pan. That way they warm up but don't get mushy.

I always try to have greens, fruit and ezekiel bread/muffins for breakfast. Most of the time I won't be able to eat again for hours and this keeps me energized.

Sauvie's Island has the best fall fruit right now. I got some fabulous comice and asian pears yesterday.

En Papillote aka In Parchment

One of my favorite fall meals is spicy squash soup and stuffed poblanos. I was all set to pick some up at Sauvie's but they were all out. Ok. Change of plan.

I decided instead of stuffed poblano's I would try to do Tilapia baked in parchment with some fresh veggies. It was so simple and delicious I want to eat it every night. I pretty much think you can use the technique with any type of fish, veggies, spice.

Tilappia with Anaheim's En Papillote

2 fillets of Tilapia
4 Anaheim peppers sliced long way into quarters
1 large tomato in thick slices
1 onion sliced in wedges
4 pats of butter
Juice from a lime
Fresh sprigs of cilantro
Salt & Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Take a large piece of parchment and fold it in half and place it on a baking sheet. Open the parchment and layer all the veggies and cilantro on one half of the parchment. Layer the fish on top and season with salt and pepper, drizzle fish with the lime juice and dot with the butter. Fold the parchment back over and seal the three open sides by rolling them up.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Open the parchment slowly to let steam escape but be careful not to burn your fingers.

Hot Cross Buns

Look it is everyone's favorite recorder song in food form!

And my afternoon study break complete with soy chai and pears.

Hot Cross Buns

Ah midterms...

There is nothing like pending prospect of failure and responsibility to urge me towards procrastination. I am master of the domain. In fact, I once procrastinated by listening to a radio program on that very topic. Procrastinating via listening about procrastination. If that wasn't an epiphany moment I don't know what is.

The funny thing about procrastinating is that it makes me really creative. Like last spring term when I made a fresh crab strata instead of studying for my anatomy final. Both the final and the strata turned out really well. Then there was every summer a&p exam. I had learned early on in the term that I really enjoy Sangria. It is refreshing, fun to make, more fun to drink but in the end, not the best studying companion. I think it was something about the alcohol, heat, reading and then needing naps combination.

The problem with this hurried sense of creativity is that it most often leads to injury. While slicing the crusty, three-day-old wheat levain for the strata I accidentally sliced through my finger. It was kinda like a lab practical.

"Look I can see all the layers! Epidermis...dermis, uh shit is that the fat in my subcutaneous layer...Should it be bleeding this much? When do we learn about these 'ouch' nerves I feel? That really fucking hurts."

Which brings me to this weekend. I have three papers and another a&p exam looming over me. I woke up at a decent time and by noon had accomplished starting a dough for some yeasted rolls, making crepes with chantrelles, and dirtying every dish in the kitchen. Not bad for being up for less that 2 hours.

Yumm breakie. You can't even think about studying on an empty stomach anyway...



Crepes with Chantrelles and Chevre

Filling:
1lb. Chantrelle Mushrooms
1 large shallot
1 tsp fresh thyme
4 oz chevre
olive oil
s&p

Crepes:
1 cup flour
1 cup broth
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp melted butter

For filling:
Saute mushies and shallots about 8 minutes until soft in olive oil. Add thyme and stir until fragrant. Add chevre and s&p to taste. Mix until cheese is melted and all is combined.

For crepes:
Blend together all ingredients in a blender until smooth about 30 seconds. Heat a crepe pan, cast iron or non-stick skillet over med-heat. Add a little butter to the pan and melt. Put 1/3 cup of batter into the pan and swirl around until there is a large thin circle of batter. Cook until the top is almost dry and then flip and cook briefly.

Assemble crepes by rolling a little bit of filling into a pancake and topping with creme fraiche and more fresh thyme if you like.

This was super fun to make. It made me want to have a crepe party where I make a bunch of different fillings and pancakes and watch some thing fabulous like 2 Days in Paris or Eagle vs. Shark. And champagne cocktails...

After midtems. After midterms. After midterms. (I ll just keep saying that to myself until Thursday.)

Bjorn and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

Gavin's mom came over for dinner last night I was going to make this. I started to cook but then had a kitty emergency and ended up at Dove Lewis with Bjorn last night for two hours. He had lost baby teeth and the new ones were irritating him so bad that he kept scratching at his mouth and getting his claws stuck in his cheeks.

Manically. All.Night.Long.

Then we went back to our vet this morning for nail clipping, anti-inflammatory shots and a new collar. Then home for some cuddle puddle-ries and homemade cat food.

All this after being neutered on Monday.

He is loved. I am tired.

p.s. Gavin thought he had Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.

Pizza

My boyfriend makes pizza. Lots of it. And it is delicious. There is a local pizzeria that will reluctantly sell balls of dough for $1. Reluctantly as in, you call and "it's cool buddy we sell dough balls" and you go in and they are like "what are you talking about, why would you want a raw ball of dough?"

The best part is the cheese mix he makes. He combines mozzarella, fontina and pecorino. I like to pick at it before it makes it to the actual pies.

Tonights toppings were:

Pizza #1 - olive oil & garlic base, prosciutto, spinach and fresh heirloom tomatoes.
Pizza #2 - olive oil base, italian sausage, red onion, green pepper and kalmatas.

Making pizza at home is actually really simple. The trick is to get a pizza stone for baking in your home oven. I actually leave mine in all the time to help distribute the heat evenly for all my baking.

Autumn Vegetable Potpie

I feel like I have been eating out of bowls for the past week. Cassoulet, soups, morning oatmeal, and now this potpie. I will be honest, I have a weakness for comfort foods. My variety of comfort foods that don't usually contain cheese, pasta or a gluten-y texture. Instead they have lots of seasonal vegetables and rich broths or sauces.

I made this vegetable potpie a couple nights ago for busy, hungry friends. The ones that work so much they forget to eat until 8pm. It is one of my favorite winter meals. I would describe it as simple to put together, hearty and fresh.

I originally found it in an Everyday Food issue from it's first year. That magazine can be bland and obvious at times but every once in awhile something sticks. I have since lost the original recipe (and am constantly improvising anyway) this is what I can remember:

Autumn Vegetable Potpie
3- parsnips
3- carrots
3- leeks
2- potatoes (sweet or a waxy variety ie: fingerling or yukon gold. if using fingerling use enough to match other vegetables in volume)
1- lb mushrooms, i like portabello or crimini
Fresh thyme...or dried
Olive oil
2 1/4- cups broth
1- cup red wine
2- tbsp corn starch
Salt and Pepper

Biscuit Topping
2-2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
6 tbsp butter
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar

Cut all the vegetables into sizable pieces. Try to make them all around the same size so they cook evenly. Line them on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with the thyme and season with and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

In the interim, combine 2 cups broth and the wine in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch in the remaining 1/4 broth and add the wine mixture. Cook until thickened and then turn off the heat. Sauce will be slightly runny and that is ok if you would like it thicker add another 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with some more broth until it reaches your desired consistency.

Make biscuits. Sift all dry ingredients together. Cut in cold pieces of the butter. I do this with my hands. It makes it easy to see where the big butter chunks are. When all the butter is incorporated add yogurt and milk. Mix together. The biscuits should not be too sticky and should come away from your hands easily. If too sticky add extra 1/4 cup flour. If too dry add more milk.

To assemble, put the roasted veggies in the bottom of a casserole dish, pour sauce over and shape biscuits by hand to cover the top. Cook in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes or until biscuits are done. Cool before eating.

Serve with salad and fresh fruit.

P.S. I know that picture sucks but it really is delicious.

Lentils and Escarole

My good friend Kate has been learning how to cook with the help of my lovely sister. She told me earlier this week that she wanted to do something with lentils. I was inspired by the cold rainy day and the fresh bunch of escarole in my fridge to make a soup.

Lentil and Escarole Soup

3 cloves garlic minced
1 large red onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup french lentils (my choice but you can really use any type of lentil)
6 cups broth
3 bay leaves
1/2 head of escarole, roughly chopped (could substitute kale if escarole is not available)
salt and pepper
olive oil

Saute the garlic, onion, carrot and celery in olive oil until soft. Add the lentils, broth, tomatoes and bay leaves. Cook for about an hour or until lentils are cooked. Stir in escarole and cook until wilted about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Croutons:
2 slices grain-y bread
olive oil
salt and pepper
romano

Cut bread into cubes and toss with olive oil, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Lay flat on baking sheet and broil until crisp.

Top soup with croutons and complete meal with some nice fall fruit. Like an asian pear. Mmmm asian pear...

Ricotta

I'm having a friend over for dinner tonight. The recipe calls for ricotta cheese but she doesn't eat cow's milk but goat's milk is ok. I ventured to make my own ricotta using goat's milk instead. I read a ton of recipes, various other food bloggers recommendations and started in on my first cheese making adventure.

It turned out well. There were many recipes that used whole cow's milk and buttermilk for the separation. Since I couldn't use buttermilk I decided upon a recipe that used vinegar instead.

Goat's Milk Ricotta

6 cups Goat's Milk
4 tbsp vinegar (try to find one with a pH of 6% or greater)
Salt

Heat the goat's milk and salt to 180-185 degrees F. Until scalding but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar. Allow the curds to separate. When it is coolish and curds are clearly differentiated spoon into a colander lined with muslin or a flour sack and drain whey. When curds are at dried to your determination use or place in a container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Recipe should yeild about 1 1/2 cups of cheese.

I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor of the goat's ricotta. It has a slight bitter flavor like chevre that will go better with my recipe than the cow's milk variety.

Pike's Place

I forgot about 3 more great things about my trip to Seattle:
1.) Breakie of groats with honey, almonds and half and half at The Crumpet Shop. yummmm
2.) Pike's Market where I scored dahlia's, parsnips, escarole, cippolini's, leeks, a gorgeous bulb of fennel, tomatoes (green, red and yellow cherry), rutabaga, bosc pears, and squashes (delicata, acorn and ambercup). I got all at Frank's produce at the market.
3.) New friend whom I met after Daniel's show that works at Franks. She told me about The Crumpet Shop and helped me pick my produce. She was beautiful, outgoing and extremely personable.

I can't wait to cook with all my fresh goodies. I'm thinking an escarole soup, root vegetable pot pie, homemade goat's milk ricotta and squash bake....what else?

via tribunali

I visited a dear friend who was in Seattle for a performance.

There were three highlights:
1.) daniel's new work
2.) a weird hotel room with 3 beds , 2-queens and 1-twin
3.) late dinner at via tribunali where we had 3 fantastic pizzas (buffalo mozzerella-margherita, pomodoro -anchovy and a salame) plus their fabulous antipasti had my favorite castelvetrano olives. plus, their oven is insanely rad.

i recommend it highly if you are in town.

Donna Hay Made My Day....

I'm so excited. My first issue of my birthday Donna Hay subscription arrived today. It is so cute, pastel, salad on the cover, a little unorthodox for an October/November food magazine but I can play along.

Let's browse
-Australian ads are novel
-more pastel
-page 31 in season: baby cos lettuce??? where is lettuce in season?

Then it hit me. Australia! Because it is spring in the southern hemisphere. Right.

It seems like we just got through with favas, asparagus and baby greens but all of a sudden I can't wait for spring again.

I guess I am destined to be 6 months behind.

First Course

When I have friends over for dinner I like to have something on the table waiting for them when they arrive. Mostly because my friends are crazed workaholics whose last meal was 10 hours prior to arrival. They proceed to return to human form after a few nibbles of anything . Their eyes loose there glossy sheen, they start forming complete sentences and amazingly enough, sigh and relax.

My new favorite pre-dinner items are prosecco cocktails and an olive salad with ricotta salata.

Prosecco Cocktails

Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine and one of my favorite drinks. I like to prep glasses for guests with a split vanilla bean and 1/4 cup of juice. For the fall I have been using pear juice in the winter pomegranate or cranberry in the summer raspberry or blueberry etc. I let the vanilla bean sit in the glasses with juice until they arrive and then fill to the top with Prosecco.

Olive Salad
Recipe adapted from a Donna Hay.

4 baby leeks, whit parts only
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup of oil cured black olives
1 tbsp of fresh chopped oregano
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
s&p

Roast bell pepper under broiler until blackened on all sides. Seal in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and julienne pepper.

Cut leeks in half lengthwise to within 1 inch of base, leaving base intact. Rinse leeks under running water. Chop and saute in olive oil until soft. Add olives, pepper, lemon juice, oregano, balsamic and s&p to taste.

Arrange triangles of cheese on a plate and top with olive mixture. Spoon onto bread and enjoy.

Gah...

Finding morning time is HUGE thing for me. My fall class schedule has me all out of whack.

Mondays and Wednesdays I go straight from working out to 2 hour class with no break starting at 8 am. And Tuesdays I have a 3 hour lab to 2 hour lecture back to back starting at 9am, work in the morning before class on Thursdays....blah blah blah.

My dilemma is that I like to lounge around, listen to
m o r n i n g m u s i c, read b l o g s , make a delicious breakfast that consists of possibly three courses, bathe (sounds nicer than shower), try on six different outfits before I decide on one, ideally post my own blog (maybe about a breakfast I ate) and be in an appropriate learning mind frame.

I can be slightly time efficient too. All that in UNDER two hours. What a deal!

It hasn't happened at all this term.

In fact not only has it not happened. I don't think it ever will. Unless.... nope never gonna happen.

Let's say I left my a&p lab early today (not saying I did but, IF I did), I would have had the following delicious meal this late morning, read blogs, tried on six different outfits, bathed and posted.

Whew.

Frittata:
3 tbsp chopped bacon ends*
1 portobello mushroom sliced in 1/2" pieces.
1 shallot chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
4 eggs lightly beaten
3 tbsp water
s&p
Chevre

*Bacon ends are my preference because you can trim most of the fat off and still have the delightful thick meaty pieces. Plus, they are cheaper and usually higher, no nitrite, quality. You can find them at most meat counters.

Saute the bacon ends for about 5 minutes until almost crisp, add shallot and saute until tender, add mushrooms and thyme until juices start to release from mushies. Beat together eggs, water, s&p and add to pan dot the top with marble sized chunks of chevre. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees until fritatta is set.

Eat leisurely with fresh spinach, whole wheat toast, coffee, fresh fruit.

And then...Enjoy the rest of your day!

Cassoulet

What is possibly the most amazing cool weather meal ever. Beans, meat and veggies...to me the ultimate comfort food.

G asked that I make this again soon and I can't wait.

Cassoulet Recipe

I a make three subtle changes, which I highly recommend.
1.) Add 4 fresh sage leaves to the bouquet garni
2.) Saute beet greens or chard in olive oil until wilted and add it to the dutch oven before baking
3.) Rarely can I find duck confit at a reasonable rate so I substitute whole chicken legs.

I completed the meal with a salad of roasted beets, chevre and spinach dressed with a light white wine vinaigrette and a nice pinot noir or winter ale.

Sunday Dinner

Menu:
Prosciutto wrapped Game Hen with a Raspberry Balsamic Glaze
Roasted Beets and Romano Beans
Isreali Couscous with Zucchini and Hazelnuts

One of my favorite things is making a nice sit down dinner once a week. I would like to do this on Sunday evenings but our weekly trivia game interferes with the timing. I made this menu for friends about a month ago and everything was so delicious.

Yesterday's trip to Sauvie's Island produced an amazing bundle of beets and I am tempted to make this meal again tomorrow night.

And maybe a pie.

Mmmmm...

Prosciutto wrapped Game Hen with a Raspberry Balsamic Glaze

1/2 pint fresh raspberry's*
2 tbsp sugar*
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
8 slices of prosciutto
4 (1 1/2- to 1 3/4-lb) Cornish hens
*if raspberries are not in season substitute 1/2 cup of jam for berries and sugar.

Briskly raspberries, sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until glaze is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature (glaze will thicken slightly as it cools).

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Cut out and discard backbone from each hen with kitchen shears, then halve each hen lengthwise. Pat hens dry and season with salt and pepper, then arrange, cut sides down, in a large roasting pan. Brush hens liberally with glaze, reserving remainder, and wrap a slice of prosciutto around each half hen, tucking ends under. Roast in middle of oven, brushing with pan juices and reserved glaze twice (every 10 minutes), until juices run clear when a thigh is pierced, 30 to 35 minutes.

Roasted Beets and Romano Beans

6 beets, trimmed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 red onions, each cut into 6 wedges
1 pound romano or green beans, trimmed, cut into 3-inch lengths
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets tightly in foil. Place directly on oven rack. Roast until tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Cool beets. Peel and quarter beets. Transfer to large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, tbsp thyme, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.

Divide onion wedges between prepared baking sheets drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with 1 tbsp thyme, salt, and pepper. Roast until golden brown and tender flipping once, about 15 minutes. Add to beets.

Divide green beans between same baking sheets. Drizzle beans with olive oil and 1/4 cup water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and roast until almost crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to roast until water evaporates and beans are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with onions and beets.

Drizzle the balsamic vinegar; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Isreali Couscous with Zucchini and Hazelnuts

1 cup isreali couscous
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped shallot (6 1/2 oz)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup toasted, chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest

Cook couscous in 1 1/4 cups water, covered, until all liquid is absorbed. About 10 minutes.

While couscous is cooking, heat oil in a saute pan over moderately high, then sauté shallot, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, yellow squash, salt, and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nuts, parsley, basil, and zest.

Add cooked couscous to skillet and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Zucchini Cupcakes

I'm not a huge dessert fan but these are just delicious, not very sweet and hella cute.

Spiced Zucchini Cupcakes

2 cups large zucchini grated
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil (i use grapeseed)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a cupcake pan or line the cups with cupcake papers to prepare. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, vanilla, and eggs.

Into a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini

Fill 3/4 of the cupcake tins/papers with batter (approx. 1/4 cup). Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and place on cooling rack. This recipe should make about 18.

Cream Cheese Icing

1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 package of cream cheese
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Whip all together until creamy and thick in consistency. Ice cupcakes when they are cool.

I add a little bit of coloring to the icing for decoration and use sandwich bags with teeny tiny holes cut in the corners for piping.

Buffalo.

Being diagnosed with macrocytic anemia helped me get over my fear of consuming meat.

Correction, I was never affraid. I just felt like some sort of degenerate living in a city where eating red meat is a social faux pas. I don't have to hide it anymore. I need vitamin B. In ridiculous quantites. A substance whose highest, natural existence is in meat products.

I fell in love with two things since this diagnosis. Buffalo, and the man who peddles it at the farmers market from a farm in Prineville, OR.

Buffalo is low in fat (about 2%), cholesterol, and high in iron, vitamin b12 and others.

We use ground buffalo for meatballs and burgers but the steaks are also great. We grilled some for fajitas, kabobs etc.

Buffalo Meatballs with Spicy Serrano Tomato Sauce

1 slice sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
2 tbsp milk
1/2 finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 pound ground buffalo
1 large eggs
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Sauce
2 medium serrano chiles, stemmed
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 14 1/2-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice

2 tbsp grapeseed oil (my choice, substitute any other high temp vegetable oil)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For meatballs:
Combine bread, milk, onion, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper in large bowl. Mash with fork until thick paste forms. Mix in buffalo, eggs, and mint (mixture will be soft). Using 1/4 cupful for each, form mixture into 2-inch balls. Place on baking sheet; chill while making sauce.

For sauce:
Line heavy small skillet with foil; add chiles and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until skins begin to blister and blacken, turning frequently, about 15 minutes. Cool garlic slightly, then peel. Working in batches, puree tomatoes with juices, whole chiles, and garlic in blender until almost smooth.

Heat oil in heavy large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add tomato puree, 1/2 cup water, and salt; bring to boil. Carefully add meatballs; bring to simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Uncover and boil gently until liquid is reduced to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes.

Eat with quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat pasta or my favorite, spaghetti squash, the contrast of the sweet and spicy is fantastic.