tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29244950971694099732012-02-16T12:17:19.318-08:00Musings on the sweet and savory.Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.comBlogger821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-66010872817745807552010-05-27T09:05:00.000-07:002010-05-27T10:18:19.213-07:00

Oh, where do the days go.  I made these lovely scones last Saturday for the Good to the Grain Potluck held at 18 Reasons in San Francisco.  The potluck entailed each of the 25 attendees baking something from the book and bringing it to share, including author Kim Boyce.  We then spent the evening trying each others baked treats and discussing the recipes. It was so fun to try each of the tasty

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-1166657306432454492010-05-19T22:47:00.000-07:002010-05-19T22:47:08.078-07:00

I pulled this recipe together last week on a whim. I wanted to do something with dried beans, as I need to start working through my growing pantry. I can't help getting a little bag of some new ingredient when I'm in the bulk section of my local natural grocer. Needless to say my beans are starting to pile up. In the morning I soaked a bowl of them, with the intent of making myself use them

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-33485224605933792752010-05-17T14:06:00.000-07:002010-05-17T14:20:49.028-07:00

I love magazines. Not all mag's mind you, anything related to cooking and food - love. Any design, home improvement, get-fit mag, natural living mag - love, love, love. It's such a treat when I fly somewhere and to pick out a couple for the trip. Although I've found that it's better to get the cooking ones on the way home, that way I don't have to lug them around for the whole trip. It only took

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-58026804785360543192010-05-16T22:49:00.000-07:002010-05-16T22:49:25.839-07:00

I spent Saturday afternoon working on my little deck garden. Do you remember when the seeds had just sprouted? My how far they've come. A couple times today I walked out to "check" on them, and without fail every time I felt a huge smile come across my face.  So I thought for the Sunday Picture this week I would post a little tour of my growing garden.  There are... 2 kinds of green beans... .

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-43390448917244019562010-05-14T18:33:00.000-07:002010-05-14T18:47:29.995-07:00

After a couple weeks in Spain it's been nice getting back in the kitchen and especially baking.  I've made some lovely uber-light chocolate butter cookies, churned up a batch of strawberry flecked ice-cream, whipped up a little strawberry jam, and made these fabulous truffles.  You could say I went through a case of withdrawal and I didn't even realize it. And just to clarify, it isn't all for

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-67477961121858703532010-05-11T17:12:00.000-07:002010-05-11T17:22:54.033-07:00

So my friends, this is post is long overdue, and I can only chalk that up to having vacation-head for the past couple weeks.  Matt and I just got back from a vacation to Spain, which I will totally dedicate another post to because it was phenomenal.  Though we've been back a week, it has taken some time to get back into the routine and find my blogging voice again. Since we're already half-way

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-75667115764038850792010-04-13T15:47:00.000-07:002010-04-13T23:31:32.826-07:00

For my first foray in to The Naked Chef I turned to this lovely recipe.  Though the original recipe called for guinea fowl, I decided to use a more easily found bird on this side of the pond, chicken.  Also, by making up a whole 5 pound chicken I easily had enough for leftovers of the original recipe for two of us, and we used the rest of the meat in chicken tacos later in the week. What

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-13669065971782631192010-04-11T23:18:00.000-07:002010-04-11T23:24:20.993-07:00

I spent most of the afternoon/evening today working with these tomatoes.  All 30 pounds of them!  Let's just say my freezer has a lot more room in it than it did this morning.  With rain in the forecast I decided it would be the perfect day to finally make the sauce I saved all these beauties for. It feels like ages ago when we harvested them last August.  When I just couldn't look at another

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-76667790488375393012010-04-04T20:56:00.000-07:002010-04-04T20:56:17.114-07:00

Here is a first glimpse at our new seedlings. These went in the ground a week ago today and are so amazing to watch. Every day Matt and I check to see what new growth has come up. They are like our new little family. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a flourishing garden for the year. happy cooking this week! alison

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-11797624113334858542010-04-01T23:00:00.000-07:002010-04-01T23:03:35.154-07:00

This recipe spoke to me for two reasons. First the peas. For some reason I am lacking recipes that highlights this lovely spring ingredient that is all over the bay area markets these days. And second the paneer. I've had paneer at Indian restaurants, but cooking with this mild Indian cheese had never crossed my mind and I'm always game to try something new. So before I go any further I

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-18707711720393875222010-03-29T23:23:00.000-07:002010-03-29T23:23:33.465-07:00

The Sunday Pic on Monday...I know, I know. To make a long story short just as I was getting ready to post this lovely cake yesterday I lost my internet connection...until about 10 minutes ago. So here we are. I made this cake for a friend's birthday celebration over the weekend.  Mind you this is exactly my 2nd tiered cake ever and the first was a 3 layers with green icing, lets just say I

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-40615552282310654032010-03-25T22:59:00.000-07:002010-03-25T23:03:07.995-07:00

One of my favorite times of the week is when I sit down on the weekend and plan out what we're eating for the next 7 days.  During the week breakfast and lunch are pretty standard, but dinner and dessert I can do whatever.  It's so freeing and fun. Last weekend when I sat down to plan I had my newly arrived Bon Appetit in hand.  I've definitely been enjoying cooking from The Art of Simple Food,

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-51869727998385484372010-03-23T21:45:00.002-07:002010-03-23T22:29:16.096-07:00

If you have any Guinness left in the house from St. Patty's Day celebrations last week, and you like chocolate and have an inkling for cupcakes then I highly suggest you try these. I made them exactly a week ago and they will be my go-to St. Patty's Day treats. They were fairly easy for cupcakes, and were a big hit with my fellow revelers after the traditional corned beef and cabbage.

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-77757404676604274542010-03-21T22:16:00.000-07:002010-03-21T22:16:48.647-07:00

On Saturday Matt and I checked out the 3rd Annual Chocolate Salon in San Francisco.  It was much bigger than I imagined with chocolate galore, and all for tasting.  We quickly learned that we had to pace ourselves, but I still had enough chocolate to last me at least a couple days.  Here are several photos from the event.  It was so fun to try everything, and see businesses small and large

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-54790087081583969552010-03-15T22:18:00.000-07:002010-03-15T22:22:30.455-07:00

You know how sometimes you find those easy meals that are almost too good to be true. Well this is one of them. I found this easy broccoli recipe in the fabulous cook book I'm working from this month. I swear, every single recipe is amazing! I guess I should have expected that, being that it is Alice Waters cookbook, but still. So, back to the broccoli. I must say I have a love-hate

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-29395288358732571032010-03-14T21:43:00.001-07:002010-03-14T22:04:58.237-07:00

Today I'm just posting an inspirational picture.  Though some might look at this and think, oh that looks like a picture of croissants; to them I say, yes - isn't it grand!  I know, I'm kinda crazy about this sort of thing...but it was my first attempt at making croissants, and I'm so excited I just had to share. I'm sure everyone has a recipe or idea that they want to try but are to

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-60602577009646477232010-03-09T21:30:00.000-08:002010-03-09T22:28:04.047-08:00

About a month ago my Aunt was visiting from Omaha.  She loves crab, and so I decided to take advantage of her visit to try a seafood recipe I had been looking at all month.  Not sure if I've said this before, but Matt is not a fish eater, so I never almost never make any kind of seafood.  I however, love it!  So if we go out and I'm not in a sharing mood I get seafood, knowing that I'll get the

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-28592910818816047412010-03-02T22:30:00.000-08:002010-03-02T22:30:59.742-08:00

Do you know that spring is finally here? It might not feel like it with all the rain we've been having here in California, but when the asparagus is ready it feels like spring.  (My apologies to those with snow still on the ground - yours is coming. And when it does, come find this recipe; it's worth it!) As I continue to push myself to eat locally and seasonally I am more and more surprised

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-36703676917705304172010-02-28T19:32:00.001-08:002010-02-28T22:59:47.525-08:00

Last night we finished the last of this meal.  I won't say it was the best roast I've ever eaten because I would probably offend some family members, so lets just say it was at the top of the list.  This roast was juicy and flavorful, and the vegetables turned out just right.  The trick to make this meal during the week was the use the the slow cooker.  Seriously, I made it on Thursday. I don't

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-65136400455618168762010-02-24T19:04:00.000-08:002010-02-28T23:01:18.459-08:00

Yes. That's right, not sorbet, or sherbet, but yummy creamy citrusy Ice Cream! Yum! First though, a note about the beurre blanc sauce from yesterday...can I just say I love saying that. Beurre blanc. So I thought when I re-heated it for dinner tonight I would snap a couple photo's and to post along with it. Alas, beurre blanc does not re-heat. I put it in the double broiler and warmed it

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-67870796983313983702010-02-20T23:19:00.000-08:002010-02-20T23:44:44.963-08:00

Tonight I made Steamed Sole with Beurre Blanc. When I close my eyes I'm still thinking of it. A simple white fish (I think, I never make fish so I don't know for sure) and uber yummy butter wine sauce. I mean really, can that be bad. Um, all you non-fish eaters (like my hubby) don't answer that. Lets just say I was in lala land with this dinner. No pictures tonight, though I got enough fish

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-87111658095081681732010-01-21T17:00:00.000-08:002010-01-21T18:51:12.427-08:00

This week I've been eating a sweet potato tart that I made on Monday. It's good but there is a bit more tweaking I want to do with the recipe before I share it. So instead I'm going to introduce you all to fabulous beet gnocchi! I first played around with this recipe a couple years ago, but pulled it out again last week as I had a pile of beets gathering in the fridge.For some reason every

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-14668459859746687332010-01-16T20:00:00.000-08:002010-01-16T21:15:54.104-08:00

With oranges in abundance these days this cake caught my eye. Well that, and because I recently printed off an Olive Oil Semolina Cake recipe from a Tasting Table post that I received. In less then two weeks I have come across two recipes for semolina cake, I took it as a sign.But why semolina flour? Truthfully I'm still not sure. The cake came out denser and courser than a basic white flour

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-75133206396405235402010-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:002010-01-13T08:12:15.360-08:00

Have you ever had pumpkins sitting around in January (or any other time really) and thinking, I should really do something with those. Well that was me last week, I had three beautiful pumpkins I brought home from my in-laws farm in Oregon just begging for me to do something with them, besides just look at them. I've bought pumpkins before with good intentions of cutting them up and roasting

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-66385044920080430172010-01-08T11:00:00.000-08:002010-01-09T17:56:16.077-08:00

For my first recipe from "The New Cook" I choose this easy pasta with greens. And it was super easy because in less than 30 minutes I had dinner. It was perfect for a busy weeknight and combined my veggies with my pasta into one dish. I added the prosciutto because we have a ton left over from the holidays and I'm practically adding it to everything. Earlier this week I made biscuits for

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-43602347453903756172010-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:002010-01-06T07:00:02.213-08:00

For some reason I'm drawn to making gnocchi. It can be so tasty and wonderful that every time I see a recipe I'm sure to either tear it out or mark it for future use. Last month I made this butternut squash version a couple times. The first time it was good, but I had enough squash left over to try it again, and really wanted to try a broccoli rabe walnut pesto I found in the January issue of

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-83203488499067905802010-01-05T16:07:00.000-08:002010-01-05T17:37:10.937-08:00

Happy 2010. I'm just 5 days late in posting this new year's post, but I'm so excited that I don't really care. As you know I became a bit absent in December, and part of that was busyness, and part of it was just needing to re-group and decide how to go forward with beets and biscuits. I love to cook and am so passionate about all things food related, and I'm really enjoying learning more

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-44829468771847787092009-12-30T19:27:00.000-08:002009-12-31T01:18:44.539-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone. With New Years Eve tomorrow and my last post just before Thanksgiving I've taken a bit of a hiatus this December. This wasn't scheduled just necessary as the holiday reveling has kept Matt and I super busy and we've been traveling quite a bit. From Thanksgiving in Utah, down to Santa Barbara for my first marathon, and finally almost a week up in Oregon. Busy, busy I

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-52082811302124899042009-11-23T10:00:00.000-08:002009-11-23T11:38:46.417-08:00

When the weather turns rainy, I start making soup. It must be one of those "settling in for the winter" tendencies that I have, along with pulling out the flannel sheets and walking around in sweaters and stocking caps. Though this fall has been so mild we've primarily had beautiful sunny days with a few rainy ones scattered about. Maybe I'm wishing for fall more than experiencing it.Anyways,

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-5864628999199217292009-11-11T21:04:00.000-08:002009-11-11T21:49:18.375-08:00

Have you ever made your own pasta? No, I didn't think so. Because really - who makes their own pasta? That is not a retorical question. Until last weekend I would have never thought to make my own, but like most homemade dishes, it is well worth the effort. It's so good!Over the weekend as I was doing my weekly ritual of scanning the cookbooks and magazines on the shelf to come up with new

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-43554019126419333742009-11-08T20:21:00.000-08:002009-11-08T22:25:34.164-08:00

Sometimes I have a hankering for eating something specific, and this morning it was pancakes. On a crisp fall Sunday morning, this sounded like the perfect breakfast.Not sure if I've mentioned my marathon training yet, but - for the past three months I've been training for the Santa Barbara Marathon with Team in Training. As the mileage has continued to creep up each week (next Saturday I'm

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-6794896986609233872009-10-26T15:41:00.000-07:002009-10-26T21:47:21.822-07:00

I've made this beef brisket twice now in just a matter of weeks. Though you wouldn't know it, after the beautiful weather we've had here the past couple days, fall is coming and my inner clock is telling me to cook hearty, fragrant food that fills the belly. The first time I made this brisket I paired it with these soft-pretzels and apples with caramel sauce for an Oktoberfest feast. And more

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-81655873449087116642009-10-17T15:00:00.000-07:002009-10-17T15:40:05.103-07:00

As part of an Oktoberfest dinner party we had a couple weeks ago, Matt and I made these fabulous soft pretzels. We had made them once before last spring, and just like before they were no fuss and easy to pull together. This time we got a couple kinds of mustard to dip them in, and I would totally recommend this Jack Daniels version, yum!I always thought soft pretzels were one of those items

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-24252346216222559972009-10-15T21:00:00.000-07:002009-10-15T21:13:58.981-07:00

Last weekend I was asked to bring dessert for my friends "Sustainable Saturday" dinner party. This was sustainable dinner number 10 for said friends, who started the parties about a year and half ago, after reading Micheal Pollan's books The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food.The parties go like this, one of them cooks up amazing meals using only ingredients from within 150 miles of

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-7833478976288648932009-10-04T09:45:00.000-07:002009-10-04T11:33:00.474-07:00

A few days ago I made a wonderfully simple jam tart. This tart was for those who want something tasty and lovely, that is also super easy to pull together. It is also for those who don't have time for a classic pie crust. The crust is more of a shortbread, with a slight almond flavor and just a little crumb.However, the crust becomes simply a means for highlighting whatever lovely jam that is

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-44437246644282242842009-09-25T12:30:00.000-07:002009-09-25T12:52:41.176-07:00

On Wednesday I was able to complete the Hunger Challenge, eating on just $4 dollars for the entire day. With a very satisfying dinner of chicken and lentils (see recipe below) I had quelled my hunger, and was happy to come up with another recipe that fit the budget and tasted good. I resolved to finish the project through its completion on Thursday. However, after an early morning workout on

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-31036569795174842582009-09-22T22:01:00.000-07:002009-09-22T23:19:44.369-07:00

Day 2 of the hunger challenge was not quite as intense as Day 1. Partly because I knew what to expect, and partly because once again I cheated. Not terribly, but I did grab a few almonds and some yogurt this afternoon. I had a pre-planned 3-4 mile run this evening and running while super hungry did not sound like a good idea. So tomorrow I will try again to stick to this very strict, very

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-36654493951682347292009-09-20T21:58:00.000-07:002009-10-04T11:36:00.494-07:00

This week I'm following the Hunger Challenge. I'll be taking the challenge Monday - Thursday, as Friday we have a out-of-town pre-wedding BBQ already planned. I'm taking part to help raise awareness about hunger in San Francisco. I'll be eating as healthy as possible on just $4 a day and trying to find new ways to stretch my food dollars. I plan to post every day this week to let you know how

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-24171005214476264692009-09-13T14:55:00.000-07:002009-09-16T11:18:05.721-07:00

The first time my husband traveled back to New Mexico with me to visit family he was a bit taken aback by my father's necessity to stop by Blake's Lotaburger on the way to the airport. To Matt, this sounded like just another burger joint, and since we were already short on time, it made sense to grab a burger at the airport instead. However, Blake's isn't just any burger spot, they have the

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-51658227751094358432009-09-03T22:48:00.001-07:002009-09-03T23:38:27.649-07:00

It's been a really busy week for lots of exciting reasons that I hope to share here soon. However, I'm taking off for the weekend, and so wanted to put up some of the foodie shots I took this week before I head out. I'll be back next Wednesday with another recipe. I have several brewing that I want to share. yummy street foodvisiting Novella Carpenter's farm...yes those are goats at the top

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-77698106599179703492009-08-31T18:30:00.000-07:002009-08-31T19:06:54.898-07:00

Earlier this summer, while visiting my aunt and uncle in Utah, my aunt mentioned how delicious the homemade pizzas I featured here looked. Living in Utah (and I know lots of other places) that don't have Trader Joe's, she was at a loss to try it without a good pizza dough recipe. I knew there was an easy remedy to this set back. In fact, prior to finding the dough at Trader Joe's I made my own

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-32576218473653700342009-08-26T20:00:00.000-07:002009-08-26T20:48:39.263-07:00

Risotto is a healthy version of comfort food for me. With no butter, and little oil or fatty ingredients it is light enough to enjoy as often as wanted. Yet, it takes long enough to prepare that I don't have it very often. I love that, like pasta, it is so versatile - with seafood, vegetable, or meat versions, there are so many possibilities to try. This risotto I made last week was a big

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-15530969341589612002009-08-23T21:51:00.000-07:002009-08-24T08:00:18.492-07:00

I saw several varieties of melons at the farmer's market this weekend, including cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon. For some reason melons are one of those fruits that I love to buy, but sometimes have a hard time cutting open to enjoy. However, when I finally breakdown and do it, I'm usually pleasantly surprised at the juicy flavors that tickle my tongue.This cantaloupe salad was a bit

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-70491972365764075792009-08-21T17:57:00.000-07:002009-08-21T18:50:46.359-07:00

In my book good scones are something to be cherished. They are hearty yet full of flavor, and moist with a tender crumb. However, far to often when I purchase a scone I walk away with something dry and crumbly and sometimes tasting a bit like cardboard topped with sugar. Why is that? After several such occasions I tried making them just to see what might happen (if you've read some of my

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-49559979156579366422009-08-13T09:09:00.000-07:002009-08-16T18:07:18.127-07:00

Returning with so many tomatoes from our recent farm trip has left me in a bit of a daze. I canned 9 quarts of them (notice my canning jars are getting bigger), and have several bags in the freezer, but there are ever more to be devoured. I can't complain, eating fresh homegrown tomatoes morning, noon and night is definitely a luxury that won't last long. But with so many I do find myself

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-65873055053930696682009-08-12T08:31:00.000-07:002009-08-12T15:55:06.410-07:00

I've grown fond of fresh parsley this summer. Until recently I had always used dried parsley from the herb rack when cooking. I might throw it in a soup or toss it on fresh pasta now and again, but honestly I didn't really know the use for it. All that changed in May during a cooking class I took at La Cocina called Stocks, Soups, and Sauces. In the last part of the class, where we learned

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-54394973516644331222009-08-11T12:25:00.000-07:002009-08-11T15:08:13.975-07:00

I live in the city, and have for quite some time. Though I love it, lately I find myself really looking forward to getting away and taking a break from busy city life. Needless to say, when my brother, Jon, and I found a weekend that worked for both of us for a visit to the farm where he lives and works, I was thrilled. So early Saturday morning Matt and I packed up the car and headed

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-84241825702036770072009-08-05T10:54:00.000-07:002009-08-05T15:46:46.029-07:00

It was about a year ago that the idea to make homemade granola started to form. At that time a typical breakfast included a couple scoops of granola, fresh fruit, and yogurt - either plain with honey or vanilla. After a few months the store bought granola's just weren't cutting it any more. This was partly due to the fact that I began to get picky about the flavor, some were too sweet, and

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-91553404552757355102009-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:002009-08-03T16:36:25.252-07:00

If your looking for something tasty to do with all of those summer vegetables try this easy Summer Ratatouille. I don't know how many of you were intrigued by this dish after the movie, Ratatouille came out several years ago, but I sure was. Since then I've experimented with a few different recipes for this popular French dish. I like this version for it's simplicity and the roasted flavors that

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-68486556601372472922009-07-29T16:24:00.000-07:002009-07-29T21:03:16.051-07:00

It's been a while since I've had a real chocolate craving. When it gets warm out around here I revel in it and tend to focus on fruit and sorbet as my sweet treats. Needless to say, for the past couple weeks the last thing on my mind was chocolate. Then the fog came back, not bad, but lately it's been foggy in the morning and stays somewhat dreary until the the sun finally shines though about

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-59804452443125387912009-07-27T16:21:00.000-07:002009-07-27T18:53:12.674-07:00

This chicken salad turned out to be pretty easy to pull together and it was flavorful with a slight Mexican flare. It was also quite light, and the spice was fairly mild. I used to be pretty wimpy when it came to spicy food, but slowly I've been building up my tolerance and am actually beginning to enjoy a little extra kick. That being said, if something is too spicy for me then it is hard to

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-10902161945178469512009-07-23T16:00:00.000-07:002009-07-23T16:30:08.521-07:00

(my neighbor's lemon tree)Recently I've been introduced to a couple organizations that are helping to build local food communities by connecting neighbors with excess produce. I love reading about these kinds of groups and the individuals that get them started. I feel like a student with much to learn. One of my goals is to learn more about food communities such as these around the world in

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-46205650927180010272009-07-22T16:25:00.000-07:002009-07-22T21:53:58.915-07:00

I know, I know...your probably tired of reading about peaches from me. And one would think that I would be tired of talking about and cooking with them. But no, I found myself a bit sad yesterday as I pulled the last peach from our peach picking extravaganza out of the fridge. Over the weekend, when I still had a bowl of them on the counter I decided to make this Peach Galette. I've never

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-35821441249552309752009-07-20T11:16:00.000-07:002009-07-20T15:58:55.882-07:00

This summer I have found myself really branching out in my cooking. I know this is partly due to starting this blog, however, it is also partly out of sheer necessity to consume all of the lovely vegetables that are coming from my garden. I find myself traveling less to the farmers market and more to my deck to see what is ready to be eaten each day.Even if you don't have the space for a garden

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-71969980941535334572009-07-15T12:02:00.000-07:002009-07-15T17:11:12.485-07:00

Last weekend Matt, myself and our friend Samantha piled into the car to head east in search of a farm. Well actually an orchard, filled with peaches. Wanting to check out pick your own farms, and looking for good peaches, I did a bit of research on PickYourOwn, a website that has a list of farms around the US and few other countries where you can go and pick the produce yourself. Scrolling

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-27266709303595125452009-07-14T13:09:00.001-07:002009-07-14T13:55:23.039-07:00

Looking at this photo you might ask, where are the plums? Well I have to admit, there aren't any. Usually I make this plumble, aka "Plum and Peach Crisp" with a mix of peaches and plums, however over the weekend I went peach picking and came home with 50 pounds of peaches. Crazy, I know! But you must cut me a little slack, when you are out in the orchard among hundreds of peaches two little

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-22858445188292474782009-07-09T21:30:00.000-07:002009-07-12T21:17:18.492-07:00

After a week on the road I came home to a load of greens in the garden just waiting to picked. So after a quick trip to the grocery on Tuesday to get some additional essentials, I've been making salads all week. I have to admit, all this salad eating is a bit out of character for me. I think the difference this year is partially that I'm growing the greens (I still can't get over how cool this

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-55259891675009160012009-07-07T20:37:00.000-07:002009-07-07T22:53:01.004-07:00

My apologies for being a bit absent lately. Matt and I took a wonderful road trip last week through Colorado and Utah and got back late Sunday after a long 14 hour drive from just outside of Salt Lake City. The trip was fantastic, full of visits to family and friends. We hiked almost every day, spent an afternoon at Glenwood Hot Springs, and saw an amazing fireworks display surrounded by

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-29268806921589403882009-07-02T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-02T07:04:37.312-07:00

(Image: Wood Tavern)A couple weeks ago was Matt and my 3 year anniversary. It's crazy how fast time fly's. I am amazed how much has changed in just three years, and how we learn more about each other every day. To celebrate this year we decided to check out a restaurant in our neighborhood, Wood Tavern. This place is always busy when we walk by, from lunch through to the late night crowd.

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-68321652433534999072009-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.116-07:00

Sometimes I can't wait to try new elaborate recipes that have lots of ingredients and many steps to keep one busy in the kitchen for several hours. Other times I want to try something new, but I want it to be quick and easy.Last week thumbing through Off the Shelf, a cookbook by Donna Hay, I found this recipe, which looked both easy and flavorful. If you've never checked out a Donna Hay book I

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-61396482119967606272009-06-24T11:10:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:04:26.757-07:00

A quick note today to highlight one of my favorite food community organizations in San Francisco, La Cocina. This organization is an incubator kitchen founded to serve as a platform for low-income entrepreneurs launching, formalizing, or expanding their food businesses. In their words, "La Cocina was born out of the belief that a community of natural entrepreneurs, given the right resources,

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-40964703567504801382009-06-23T09:00:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:07:39.644-07:00

If you've been reading my blog you know I am a sucker for fresh sweet corn. Last week, as I was looking for a fresh vegetable salad that would go well with a combination of other salad's and main dishes I came across this succotash in a former issue of Food & Wine Magazine. It originally caught my eye because of the sweet corn, but then it also called for okra, another favorite. Alas, it is

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-84722588379951861962009-06-19T15:47:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.117-07:00

The first time I attempted to make lemon bars was several years ago, and while I don't recall the recipe or how they looked, I distinctly recall tasting cooked egg. Ugh! I think I must have been trying to make lemon curd and then spread that on top of a pastry crust. Truthfully I don't think I made it past the curd. It has taken years for me to even attempt anything that hints at lemon curd

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-15595603335157252462009-06-18T17:06:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:07:39.644-07:00

Sometimes I go through my cookbooks and realize all the recipes I have yet to try. These noodles are the result of one those recent scavenger hunts. The recipe came from Deborah Madison's book, The Savory Way. I've had this cookbook for many years and it was starting to collect a bit of dust when I picked it up again last week. So you can imagine my delight when I starting thumbing through

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-5911786081833609562009-06-16T16:22:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.117-07:00

The little bit of sun we've had recently has made me hungry for salad. Crunchy greens layered with fresh veggies and loads of flavor, those are the salads that make my mouth water. So to answer that hunger last weekend we started up the grill and tended to the garden with visions of this yummy layered salad in mind. It seems like overnight 4 different kinds of greens were ready to be picked.

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-65974417390694750462009-06-15T11:53:00.001-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.117-07:00

Molten Chocolate Cake has always seemed like one of those lofty desserts that only pastry chefs can accomplish. However, this recipe for French Fudge Cakes, adapted from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper is a close substitute in my book.If cooked just right these cakes come out of the oven warm and fragrant, and when cut in half just a bit of bittersweet chocolate melts onto the plate.

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-88659125837241370632009-06-12T12:20:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:07:39.644-07:00

When recently asked to bring a salad to a birthday party, a friend and I put our heads together to come up with something similar to this version of a couscous and spinach salad. It is easy, yet hearty and full of nutritional benefits (i.e. lots of veggies, and greens). And it can be adapted easily to a number of different kinds of vegetables depending on what's in season.I think spinach works

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-64715083647235456152009-06-09T09:02:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.118-07:00

Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of my favorite desserts of all time. They are simple, but a well done cookie is hard to beat in my book. For this I blame my mother. Growing up my mom could whip up a batch of cookies as fast as other moms would hand out fruit roll-ups. She knew the recipes by heart and with a blink of an eye another batch would be in the oven, spoons going around to "taste-test

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-88860802103319612152009-06-08T12:54:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:07:39.644-07:00

Homemade pizza is an easy standby meal and I love how I can make it as healthy (or not) as I please. After a very busy couple days this weekend running from gallery openings at 1AM SF, to a BBQ with friends in Marin, to the Temescal Street Fair Sunday afternoon, the hubby and I were beat. Needless to say a dinner that was quick and easy to put together sounded excellent. Trader Joe's has

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-64572770610094895622009-06-04T12:07:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.118-07:00

Even though I live in California, it's June and the fog has rolled in. In fact lately we've had rain and thunderstorms, a little strange for this time of year. So, while the sun usually peeks out in the afternoon sometime I am ready for a perfectly sunny warm day. That being said I don't crave the crisp greens of salads and the taste of summer when the skies are gray. Instead I look for

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-46049056726725900322009-06-03T19:07:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:02:54.383-07:00

Watching life grow from seed is an amazing experience. These bush beans were planted about a week and a half ago and came bolting out of the ground searching for sun. They are the second round of seedlings that my husband and I planted this spring.The first round produced 48 baby plants, primarily heirloom tomatoes, along with sweet Italian basil, and two kinds of cucumbers. About half of

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-12079236951975770542009-06-02T12:55:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.119-07:00

Beet biscuits you might ask? That's right, and look at their color. These came out more beautiful than expected with a vibrant redish pink color. They had a slight hint of beet flavor and were nice and flaky, just how I like 'em.I found this recipe in a 1998 New York Times article looking to use beets and other veggies in an inspiring way. It caught my attention because I am such a biscuit

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-35999702295193806182009-05-14T14:28:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.119-07:00

These crunchy, moist muffins were adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson, author of an amazingly inspirational blog 101cookbooks. In Super Natural Cooking Heidi pairs these with mashed overripe banana's, however not having banana's on-hand I added frozen pitted half cherries.Recipe for Espresso Breakfast MuffinsAdapted from Super Natural Cooking by

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-7686248064173061022009-05-08T14:21:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.119-07:00

These poppy specked ultra-light and flaky biscuits have been on my "to-make" list for months now. I found this recipe from Food & Wine a couple years ago featuring buttermilk biscuits and this was one of the variations. With buttermilk biscuits like this it seems the possibilities are endless, original, savory, sweet...etc.I grew up eating homemade buttermilk biscuits. I remember many days I

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-37130053971692016162009-04-21T14:16:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.119-07:00

There is something special about pizza baked in a stone oven. The flavors seem to meld, and the smokiness enhances the taste in a way that is hard to match in traditional oven. Last weekend Matt and I piled into a friends car and joined many others at my "soon-to-be-former" bosses house in Napa for a pizza party. Her house, set on three acres up in the hills to the west of Napa is a small slice

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-24487730307080574362009-04-18T14:14:00.000-07:002009-06-29T16:05:58.120-07:00

I recently made this yummy cake from Food & Wine Magazine, April 2009. Each month when I receive my subscription I immediately turn to the back page to see what delectable treats are featured. I couldn't resist trying this one. The recipe calls for whipped cream made from mascarpone cream and confit orange peel, however I just used regular whipping cream and a bit of cinnamon for mine. Enjoy!

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-47370447031272064432009-02-04T14:04:00.000-08:002009-06-29T16:05:58.120-07:00

I love banana bread, but as I strive to eat locally I have a really hard time justifying purchasing banana's from South America. With a deep craving for this wonderfully warm, fragrant and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar banana bread, I finally broke down and allowed myself one week to purchase bananas from the grocery store. It felt like betrayal to the season and to all the fabulous Northern

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-15777517652216230902009-02-02T13:57:00.000-08:002009-06-29T16:05:58.120-07:00

Without any real plans on Saturday night we decided to make ourselves the party. Homemade marg's, three-layered enchilada's, and chips and we were ready. The hubby was craving ground beef enchilada's, but after walking out of the butcher with not quite enough meat we decided to improvise. It took another trip to the store, but that's the fun of planning a meal as you grocery shop. So Saturday

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-1388715972542083432009-01-11T13:50:00.000-08:002009-06-29T16:05:58.121-07:00

This morning at the farmer's market I began to see the slow down of the season. There has been probably one fewer vendor each week, but it has been a natural recession. However, today, two of the vendors I normally count on were gone, probably breaking for a month or two until the next push of California fruits and veggies gets going, but it was a sharp awakening that winter is finally here. I

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-5994586633065463962009-01-07T15:48:00.000-08:002009-06-29T16:05:58.121-07:00

Over the holidays I made several batches of these yummy treats. The gingerbread is a nice cookie by itself, spicy but not too dark. However, once the smooth lemon icing is added in the middle a whole new animal is born. I took these to several holiday parties this year to rave reviews. The recipe came from Food and Wine's December 2008 issue which highlighted unresistable holiday desserts.

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-85115311170361583382008-11-16T16:13:00.000-08:002009-06-29T16:05:58.121-07:00

Last Sunday I found all kinds of fruits and veggies that looked too good to pass up. Beautiful stalks of chard, and flavorful fall sugar snap peas, yukon gold potatoes, lovely orange beets, a gigantic red pepper, an heirloom tomato, and a couple chilies and shallots rounded out the veggies. We both love fruit, and eat a lot of it each week either during the day at work, or as a yummy dessert.

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924495097169409973.post-25007990792276848112008-11-10T16:08:00.000-08:002009-06-29T16:04:26.758-07:00

This morning my husband and I visited the Tesmescal Farmer's Market like we have every Sunday that we've been in town for the past couple months. I love this market. It is not the biggest market in town, but it is neighborly, and fun, and un-pretentious. There are booths bursting with produce and nuts, music, jam's and pickles, and a growing number of wonderful food merchants. But, more about the

Alison Clayshultehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942784653197268630noreply@blogger.com0