warm and toasty

For all those warm emotional moments that traditionally accompany the holiday season, an equally warming treat for your taste buds…

Hot Toddy

Makes 2

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cinnamon stick

6 tablespoons bourbon

Garnish:

Two 3 x 1/2" strip of lemon peel

2 cinnamon sticks

Stir 2 tablespoons honey, 1 cup water, apple juice concentrate, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick in a 2-cup measuring cup. Heat up in your microwave for about 3 minutes then let sit for about 4-5 minutes to really marry the flavors together. Add 6 tablespoons bourbon and stir. Divide between 2 Toddy glasses. Twist a 3 x

1/2" strip of lemon peel over each drink, then add to glass. Stir each with a cinnamon stick and serve.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Butternut squash, broccoini, and prosciutto crostata with fontina cheese

Ben and I rolled into Victoria late Sunday night, which meant Myra was busy at work on her article for the Victoria Advocate. These articles (including recipe and photography) are due early every Monday morning, so the Starkey house each Sunday night is abuzz with ritualistic cooking and the digging up of memories in order to fashion these fabulous articles. This week she was writing about our collective memories of Christmas (and making us edit them ourselves). Since everyone was going to be up late anyway sitting around the kitchen chatting and snacking, I took the opportunity to make a crostata I had been wanting to make. Turned out tasty and kept us fed while we dug up our memories!

Below is the recipe and a few of my memories of Christmas:

Christmas meant Mom turning us loose in Toys R Us in order to make lists of what we wanted for Christmas…including the aisle and shelf number so that Santa could find them easier (never mind that Santa was supposed to be spending the remainder 364 days actually making these toys himself).

Christmas meant leaving cookies for Santa who would politely take only a few bites as he was clearly watching his jolly ol’ figure.

Christmas meant that American Girl doll (the pioneer woman) that I got as an 8 years old and the subsequent months my dad spent reading me her story books before I went to sleep.

Christmas meant snow…only once. I remember “sledding” behind a friend’s car with a rope and a trashcan lid (until my mom found out and made us stop).

Christmas now means Stephanie, Kim, and Caroline coming over to make gingerbread houses and mostly eat the candy until it either runs out or our houses fall over.

It means reading the Christmas story with my tightly knit family to remind us of why we all loved on each other through gifts and gathered together in the first place.

Butternut squash, broccoini, and prosciutto crostata with fontina cheese

FOR THE PASTRY:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

1 ½ tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

3 tbsp ice water

1 egg, lightly beaten

FOR THE FILLING:

3 oz prosciutto, diced

½ cup diced ham (optional)

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 cup butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

splash of olive oil

1 ½ cup broccolini, ends trimmed

¾  cup grated fontina cheese

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor combine the flour and a ½ teaspoon of the salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse a few more times until the butter is finely chopped and the mixture resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice and mascarpone, then add to the food processor and pulse a few times. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly between each addition. Pulse just until the mixture is moist and crumbly, but does not form a mass around the blade; be careful not to over-mix. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Press into a disk, cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a good glug of olive oil over medium heat. Add the broccolini to the pan and saute over medium heat until tender and lightly golden. Add in the ham (if using) and sauté until crisp. Dump the broccolini and ham into a bowl with prosciutto, thyme, and grated fontina. In the same pan, sauté the cubed butternut squash with another good glug of olive oil until golden brown and tender.

Add squash to the bowl (of ham and broccolini etc), remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and pepper and toss to combine.

Place the chilled dough on parchment paper. Roll the dough out into a 12-inch wide circle about 1/4-inch thick. Spread the vegetable mixture out in the center of the dough leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the edges of the dough up and over the vegetable mixture to form a crust. Lightly beat the egg with 1 teaspoon of water then using a pastry brush, brush some of the egg wash over the crust. Transfer the parchment paper and crostata to a baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve while still warm.

Adapted from dramaticpancake.com 

recipes

Herb Roasted Potatoes

1 bag red potatoes

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon thyme, chopped

1 tablespoon oregano, chopped

good glug (or about 3) or olive oil

Wash and dice potatoes (about 2 inch chunks). Toss with olive oil, salt, and herbs and roast in your oven at 400 ° F for about 1 hour (toss every 15 minutes to ensure even crispiness).

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

1 package active dry yeast

1 ½ cups warm water

5 cups sifted all-purpose flour, divided

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

½ cup shortening, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup butter, melted

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

Combine yeast and warm water in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup & let stand for 5 minutes.

Combine 4 cups sifted flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in yeast mixture and shortening. Add eggs and remaining 1 cup sifted flour; stir vigorously until well blended. Dough will be soft and sticky. Brush or lightly rub dough with some of the melted butter. Cover loosely with a dishrag; let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, about 1 ½ to 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter, melted

½ cup ground cinnamon

Mix together the above ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle flour on your risen dough as well as on a big clean work surface. Take half of the dough and roll it into a 30 by 20 inch rectangle. Spread half of cinnmon mixture over dough. Roll up dough jellyroll fashion, starting at the short side, just to the center of the rectangle; cut dough along side of roll to release it. Roll up the remaining half of the rectangle in a similar fasion. Set rolls of dough aside. Repeat procedure using dough and cinnamon mixture (and make sure to re-flour your work surface).

Grease the bottom of pans with butter (be generous!).

Cut each roll of dough into 16 or so 1 ¼ inch thick slices. Place slices, cut side down, in prepared pans, leaving about ¼ inch space between the slices. Brush slices with remaining melted butter. Let rise, uncovered, for one more whole hour in a warm place free from drafts, or until again doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375° F . Bake rolls, uncovered, for 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly in pans.

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee

Stir above ingredients until smooth (add a touch more milk if icing is too thick) and drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.

Serve warm. Share with many friends and neighbors and prepare to make their day!

freedom!

I’m baaaaack.

Time is my greatest gift right now. Time to cook. Time to run. Time to read. Time to love on others.

Sometimes during the semester its difficult for me to spend very long over-extending myself for others. School has trained me to be rather selfish with my study time, so despite my true desire to indulge others, my efforts do not often reflect actual sacrifice.

But yeasty cinnamon rolls now mark this moment of freedom from school for me. Time to let rise and show real effort. The gift of time given to people I think are worth mine. I had a little Christmas brunch for some of my friends on Saturday morning. I had to get up early just to start these cinnamon rolls, but they are well worth every minute you devote to them.

Last Christmas, my Aunt Susie donated a kidney. She had to take off work for 8 weeks for recovery. But now that fortunate person will not have to go to a dialysis center three times a week and sit for several hours each session in order to have his blood filtered. He can have his life back. Talk about a gift of time. 

cinnamon rolls, sausage, bacon, herb roasted potatoes, fruit, mimosas, and hot toddies!

Recipes to follow soon…

6 minute meal

BLACK SESAME SEED CRUSTED AHI TUNA STEAK AND SALTED EDAMAME

my instagram pic

The edamame is even the rate limiting factor here…

Edamame: Follow the directions on the frozen steamable bag! Ready go…

Tuna: Put 2 high quality tuna steaks in a bowl and splash with some soy sauce. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on the top of each steak and press with a back of a spoon (to make sure they stick). Heat a good two tablespoons of olive oil on HIGH in a skillet. Sear the bottom of each steak (about 1 minute). Gently flip steaks. Sprinkle some brown sugar on the bottom on each steak and another splash of soy sauce. By now, it will be time to flip the steaks again (about 1 minute). Turn the heat down to MEDIUM and cook for about 2 more minutes (or take them off now if you like it raw!). These fine quality pieces of fish should still be pink in the middle. Remove steaks from skillet. Pour in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir quickly and serve with tuna steaks (I call this black gold).

Whew, that’s a quickie. Your microwave should be beeping right about this time telling you the edamame is ready. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with tuna.

test time!

Pardon my absence (but also encourage it); it is test time once again. Thankfully this December, I only have 5 tests, 5 measly tests, until the complete freedom and bliss of a 2-week break, during which I will have fun every second and love everyone around me extravagantly. Get ready!

Last December, I had 15 tests in 18 days, a scourging that has lead me to greatly appreciate this second year of medical school. I cannot say I survived the year without a few tears along the way; in fact, I once wrote myself this little note to help me out of those clouded moments (I honestly could not afford the time to sit and sob):

Despairing child,

For what, for whom, do you exist? Can you endure the present burden for the sake of lifelong purpose? Patiently carry this moment’s tension—between what you are supposed to do and what you are actually able to do—by realizing the present’s role in facilitating the future. The parameters of your perspective are embarrassingly limited. To properly understand yourself and know what that piece of the Fire inside you is responsible for, you must set yourself in the widest possible context, the whole of humanity. Adopt a stature of gratitude—this life (and school) is a privilege—God is loving you extravagantly with this specific path.

            “what is madness but nobility of soul at odds with circumstance”

Sense the confused energies inside you caused by thwarted plans to accomplish what you so desire. Instead, will the one thing (God’s way) and allow life to be a healthy integration of actions enveloped by that one will, so that your energy/passion does not dissipate. Regain self-aware communion with God and others by involving both inward and outward commitments. Let spirituality—that channeled passion—keep you glued together. Let the known transience of anxiety raise your mind above the mire of this desperately narrow personal perspective.  Fortify your cracks by looking upward and outward (towards God and community). You are a vessel, that when coherent in mind, body, and soul, can carry out great tasks because you are essentially harboring a great spirit. Do not allow anxiety and despair to paralyze that spirit or damage your soul’s communion with it. A climate of narcissism, pragmatism, and unbridled restlessness does not foster the depth and healthy interiority necessary to accomplish this course of life. Too much order imposed on your life suffocates you—therefore allow yourself to occasionally stretch chaotically and lovingly in order to foster a mellowness of heart. Do not sit down and close up; reach out, actively seek transcendence of this moment. Depend on your faith community to not permit you to wallow, unencumbered by right perspective. Breathe in deeply the peace you know exists outside and above this moment. Partake in the next action with gratitude and appreciate the peace created in its wake.

Disclaimer: yes, i wrote this to myself, but maybe even one other person will find it beneficial in a moment of angst...

trifecta grilled cheese

sometimes a little salt and butter just hits the spot...

Grilled Cheese
3 bell peppers (one red, one orange, one yellow- the trifecta)
6 cloves of garlic
olive oil
1 ball of fresh mozzarella 
basil leaves
4 slices sourdough bread
butter
salt and pepper


Slice bell peppers into about 3 pieces each. Toss big slices and garlic with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in your oven for about 40 minutes on 400 degrees. Remove garlic cloves at 20 minutes and smash into a paste. As soon as the veggies come out, start building the sandwich.
Slice up the mozzarella and wash your basil leaves. On each sandwich: spread some of the roasted garlic paste you made on one piece of bread, top with cheese, roasted peppers, a bit more cheese, then the basil leaves and the other half of the bread. Grill your sandwich on medium heat in a cast iron in ample amounts of butter until the outside is crispy and the cheese is melted. 

one day I will be a doctor...

...and I will help people stay focused on what really matters to them.

Mistress Illness

You must have a way about you.

Powerfully present yet illusive. Total capture of an often arbitrary victim whilst you lay with them, rolling around, toppling normalcy and consuming more and more of a person until they emerge a patient. Your tryst leaves them wondering if they still have traces of you left lingering. Even in your absence you steal away all the attention. The patient inside the person becomes his new identity.

A man’s thoughts constantly drift back to you, wondering if this or that littlest sensation is a sign of your return, of your still demanding and transforming presence.

You are not beautiful or loving, so what is this way about you? 

will power

I recently heard an intriguing lecture on “Neuroscience and the Law.” I gathered at the beginning of the lecture that this very young and energetic PhD was not an advocate of free will (based on his extensive study of the mind’s strong roots in the physical anatomy of the brain). He presupposed that enough of our drives are inaccessible that free will, if it exists, may be a bit player (so much happens under the security clearance of our choosing).

I began to wonder, in the representative democracy of my brain (or your brain), which influence prevails most often? If in the neural parliament sat the gamut of political parties (say, the long-termers, the immediate-gratifiers, the lovers, the reasoners, the dictators), whose voice is the loudest?

Salted Caramel Ice Cream with Cocoa Brownie Chunks

hard not to eat all these before they go in

ready to churn

$$ this is about all you need $$

Time-out from the esoteric. This lecture happened at noon. Noon as in lunch-time…or ice cream time if there is a good gallon in your freezer. Sometimes I wonder how strong my free will actually is when I am holding a spoon and an open container of ice cream.

this ice cream is rich $$$

2 cups whole milk

1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch

3 tbsp cream cheese, softened

½ tsp fine sea salt

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

2 tbsp light corn syrup

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp milk with cornstarch to make a smooth slurry. Set aside. In a separate (medium) bowl, whisk cream cheese and salt until smooth. In a measuring cup with a spout, mix the cream with the corn syrup. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

Heat the sugar in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat until melted and golden amber in color (to do this effectively, add the sugar and then don't touch with a spatula until there is a full layer of melted and browning liquid sugar on the bottom with a small layer of unmelted white sugar on top. When the melted sugar edges start to darken, use the spatula to push the edges to the center to help everything finish melting. When it looks about like the color of a penny, turn off the heat.

Once caramel is removed from heat, stir constantly and add a bit of the cream/corn syrup mixture to the caramel (warning: it will fizzle and pop!).  Keep adding the cream a little bit at a time until it is all incorporated.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the milk. Bring mixture to a rolling boil and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry.

Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high and cook for 1 minute until slightly thickened, stirring with a heatproof spatula. Remove from heat.

Pour in the cream cheese mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the hot mixture into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and seal before submerging in the bowl of ice and water. Allow to stand, adding more ice if necessary, for 30 minutes or until cold (I put the whole bowl in the fridge).

Pour liquid (or cut off the corner of the ziplock) into ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions. Before you pack ice cream into a storage container, gently stir in brownie bits*. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

*Brownie Bits

I made half a recipe of Best Cocoa Brownies (off epicurious or you can search this blog). Make sure to half the cooking time as well.

Disclaimer: On a more humanistic/spiritual scale, I definitely believe in free will. How else can my loves of God and man matter?

chilly

It’s starting to get chilly enough around here that I am actually contemplating turning off the air-conditioning. Heck maybe I’ll even crank up the knob on the gas fireplace (Quimby really loves that) until it either heats up our whole apartment (which would take all of 4 minutes) or until one of us starts to get a headache (which would make me think carbon monoxide poisoning and confirm my fears that I don’t know exactly how to work this retro fireplace). Tis’ the season I suppose.

I recall winters in Waco being pretty rough. We must have been trying to save all our money (at the sacrifice of our comfort) because I remember the psychological warfare come December when we would wait to see who would turn on the heater first (and therefore label themselves as weakest and most self-indulgent). Maybe I imagined all that…but I still kept my distance from the thermostat. I thought if I wore sweatpants and two pairs of socks to bed then I could spend the money I saved on a nice meal at Diamondbacks Steakhouse. First world problems, I know, I know.

Here’s a tasty and cheap way to warm up, a true favorite from frigid winters at Baylor!

Ginger Honey Lemon Tea

Literally, just that. Cut up a few chunks of fresh ginger root and toss into a coffee cup with the juice of half a lemon (I like to leave a wedge of lemon in the tea for more flavor) and an overflowing teaspoon of honey. Fill with water and microwave until boiling hot. Stir it up and sip slowly…

bottom of the cup...

good study sipper

thanksgiving

Today I write with gratitude:

For the privileged life I lead. For my handsome husband that loves the same God I do. For my adventuresome, loving, generous family (celebrating without me today). For getting the opportunity to go to medical school. For the best dog in the world who daily nurtures my soul. For really quality friends. For the in-laws I never imagined could be so ideal.

We can often stop and acknowledge how truly blessed and privileged (and “1%” compared to the rest of the world) we are. But today let’s make it big. Let’s celebrate with gusto and eat with sincere thanks and swelling love for those around us. Happy Thanksgiving!

Pancetta Sage Turkey

I made this Turkey for a pot-luck we had on 
Monday night with many of our good friends. 
Times like that sure make medical school fun :)

Pancetta-Sage Butter:

4 garlic cloves, peeled

4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon), chopped

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Turkey:

1 14- to 16-pound turkey, rinsed, patted dry inside and out

8 fresh sage sprigs

4 fresh rosemary sprigs

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups Turkey Stock 

Gravy:

1/2 cup diced thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon; about 3 ounces)

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3 cups Turkey Stock

1 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

For pancetta-sage butter:


With machine running, drop garlic down feed tube of processor and chop. Add pancetta. Pulse to chop finely. Add all remaining ingredients. Pulse blending to coarse paste. Transfer to small bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

For turkey:


Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325°F. Sprinkle main turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Spread with 2 tablespoons pancetta-sage butter. Starting at neck end, slide hand between skin and meat of breast, thighs, and upper drumsticks to loosen skin. Spread remaining butter over thighs, drumsticks, and breast meat under skin. Fill main cavity with herb sprigs. Tie legs loosely to hold shape. Tuck wing tips under.

Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub turkey all over with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour 2 cups stock into pan.

Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F to 170°F, about 3 hours. Tilt turkey so juices run into pan. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent with foil; let rest at least 30 minutes (temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve pan.

For gravy:


Scrape juices and browned bits from roasting pan into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat. Reserve 2 tablespoons. Heat 2 tablespoons reserved fat in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; sauté until beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium. Add flour; whisk until golden, about 4 minutes. Whisk in 3 cups stock, wine, and degreased pan juices. Bring to boil, whisking. Cook to desired consistency, about 5 minutes. Whisk in rosemary and sage; season to taste with salt and pepper.

the real romance

Well, Ben and I are newly-weds again…after renewing our vows at the wedding we attended in Austin this past Saturday night. I was not even aware that vows expire, but on Stephanie’s prompting (and impression that all the other marrieds were doing it), we stood up at the wedding when the priest made the offer. Truly though, our chosen professions may keep us in love forever if there is any merit to the saying “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” I partially thank our busy schedules for allowing us to appreciate the time we actually do get to spend together. I feel “in love” with husBen like it is June 5, 2010 all over again…now where should we fly for the honeymoon?

But most reverently speaking of intense love, I had the chance to see my old theology professor from high school, Mr. Shimek, and his wife at the wedding. Mrs. Shimek was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) 5 or 6 years ago and has since progressed in the way that most ALS patients do.  Mr. Shimek’s devotion to Mrs. Shimek nearly made Ben and I want to cry. He stood by her in the back during the ceremony and fed her patiently during the reception. I am sure he helps her do most everything and I am certain she is worth it. Ben’s eyes would find Mr. Shimek throughout the night and once he leaned over to me and said with genuine emotion, “He is like Noah from the Notebook.” Mr. Shimek lives out the “In sickness and in health” part of the vows most of us hope we never encounter (and certainly do not bank on the implications of in the surreal, romantic moment at the alter). I feel blessed just to have witnessed his loving devotion and unwavering attention to his true love at this wedding. 

transients appreciated

One of my roommates at Baylor briefly dated this total foodie. He would do things like drive to Austin for “good ingredients” and make ice creams in the flavors of balsamic and basil. Even though I did not much like him as a match for my best friend, I do still appreciate a few things he taught me in the kitchen AND for introducing me to black truffles. He went on to culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris…only to eventually drop out and pursue some philosophy degree. I suppose culinary school is not for everyone (like, hey, me) but we can all appreciate those transient fellows who teach us pearls like how to fry sage into our eggs and properly clean a cast iron skillet. Thanks bo'freen.

Sage and Gouda Breakfast Tarts

Pie crust to fill 4 tartelette pans

4 thick slices of gouda

4 teaspoons fresh chopped sage

4 eggs

2 tablespoons heavy cream, divided

Salt and pepper

Whole sage leaves to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out pie dough and cut to fit your tartelette pans (mine were about 4 inch pans). Spray pans with Baker Joy (or grease with butter) then press dough into pans. Prick the bottom with a fork. Fill with pie weights (which I resourcefully substituted with mason jar lids) and bake until tart shells are set, about 8 minutes. Remove weights and continue baking until pie shells are golden, about 5 more minutes.

Remove tart shells from the oven. Lay the gouda on the bottom of each tart shell and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of chopped sage each. Crack an egg into each shell and pour ½ tablespoon cream over each egg. Sprinkle salt and pepper over each tart and return to oven for 13-15 more minutes (or until the egg whites are set and the yolk is still a little runny). Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before you remove each tart from its pan. Garnish with sprigs of sage and serve warm with a bacon salad to turn this into more of a meal. Serves 4.