Linda-Marie  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread with a nod to The Fanny Farmer Cookbook

Moist, delicious, and keeps well in the fridge! One of my favorite treats anytime, but especially good during the fall and winter. 

1 1⁄2 cups whole wheat flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar (I usually use less)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1⁄2 cup canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
1⁄4 cup water
1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Sift flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs,
water, spices, and vanilla together, then combine with the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into a well-buttered loaf pan or muffin pan. Bake 50-60 minutes for a loaf, 20-25 minutes for large muffins. After baking, turn out of the pan and cool on a rack. Enjoy!

Map Chocolate Company

My new favorite brand of chocolate is Map Chocolate Co. Their handcrafted chocolate bars, with beans ethically sourced from around the world, are absolutely delicious. My first encounter was as a gift from the sister of the company’s founder. I opened up my beautifully packaged chocolate--each bar is wrapped in a foil-lined map--and took a bite. Creamy, dark heaven, a blend of sweet and sea-salt that grabbed my attention. I thought, this would be wonderful paired with a full-bodied cabernet, or an espresso, or just by itself, savored, not rushed. The company’s website features a quote by Carlos Petrini, founder of the Slow Food Movement, that truly speaks for this chocolate: “The quest for slowness, which begins as a simple rebellion against the impoverished taste in our lives, makes it possible to rediscover taste.” Rumor is you can purchase these bars at Whole Foods, or you can go direct and order online. If you’re a chocolate lover, give them a try!
 

Moscow Mule

One of my favorite summer cocktails is the Moscow Mule, a deliciously sweet effervescent drink traditionally served in a copper cup. I was introduced to it during a dinner with Elliott Holt, author of You Are One of Them, a novel based on the true story of American schoolgirl Samantha Smith who wrote to Yuri Andropov, the Premier of the Soviet Union, at the height of the Cold War. Because of the drink’s name and its connection with Ms. Holt, I thought the drink had Russian origins, but it is actually an American creation.  It features a blend of lime juice, vodka and ginger beer, served over ice, with a wedge of sliced lime as garnish. A southern variation is the Kentucky Mule, which substitutes bourbon for vodka, and a sprig of mint for the garnish.

Standard proportions for the Moscow mule are a ½ oz. lime juice, 2 oz. vodka, and 4-6 oz. of ginger beer. The quality of the ingredients makes all the difference! I recently drank a craft ginger beer made with lime and agave at Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery and recognized the perfect base for a Moscow Mule. Going to try it soon!

Bourbon

LM: I began drinking spirits while courting my husband, Jon. He introduced me to the Manhattan, a delicious concoction of bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters. I enjoyed my first Manhattan at Le Poisson Rouge, an art cabaret on Bleeker Street. Made with Maker's Mark, my drink was strong, spicy, and oh, so good! 

A fine bourbon in a Manhattan or on its own, over ice, is a treat to the tongue and sweet heat for the heart. My favorite bourbon is Woodford Reserve, though I do appreciate the subtle flavors of Maker’s Mark, Gentleman Jack, and Knob Creek. Substitute Bulleit rye for bourbon in your next Manhattan for a smooth variation.

Diane

Savory Shortbread aka Love in the Mist

My favorite Seattle Cheese shop introduced me to the Troubadour Bakery where I first tasted nigella.  This recipe is my version.   Nigella is the known to the culinary world as 'love in the mist' from the plant nigella damascena.  This notable hint of pepper and sweet is all the shortbread needs, and it pairs beautifully with a glass of red wine.  I often take along on a day hike as a satiating reward.  

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup semolina
1 1/2 tsp nigella
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1 tsp amaretto or 1/4 tsp almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350.  Mix together flour, semolina and nigella in a medium bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat the butter, 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar, and salt until it’s light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk until fully blended.  Fold in the flour until it’s just mixed. Add the amaretto or almond extract and mix.  Divide the dough in half.  Roll each dough half into a sheet of wax paper and form into a log for the shortbread. You can press down slightly to form a longer oval shape, too. Twist up the edges and refrigerate.  Chill until the dough is firm and can be sliced easily. About 1 hour. (Can also be frozen for about 30 minutes.) Slice the logs into 1/4 inch pieces.  Bake 12-15 minutes.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Theo's 70% Bars

For me, chocolate is a way to express love. Growing up, holiday angels would visit my bedroom while I slept and leave chocolate treats behind for me to discover in the morning. Chocolate bunnies on Easter, creme-filled chocolates nestled in a large pink heart-shaped box on Valentine’s Day.  My Christmas stocking always had a dozen foil-wrapped little Santa chocolates.  The taste of the chocolate was forgettable, but the feeling in my heart and spirit lingered lasts forever.

Theo’s 70% cocoa bar with sea salt is my go-to chocolate bar to break up and serve on a plate with fresh raspberries or cut strawberries and a wedge of Beecher’s cheddar.   Pair with a bottle of a smooth Cab, and I have set the culinary companion to a good evening.  Theo’s is a small Organic and Fair-trade chocolate factory based in Ballard.  I have enjoyed seeing the company rise and fold in the demands of increased production while still holding true to its values.  

Hattemer Citrus Squeeze

My friend Liz created this refreshing cocktail upon our return from hiking Painted Canyon trail near Palm Desert, CA.  We were hot, a little sticky and felt deserving of decadence. Liz made use of the fresh citrus we had on hand; lemons picked off the tree in the back yard and oranges she and I unabashedly plucked from a tree while walking through La Quinta Resort.  Liz didn’t use a set recipe; instead, she tasted and tweaked it to perfection. So, the proportions are approximate. With delicious fresh ingredients, all variations will be a hit on a summer afternoon.  

To recreate this cool refresher to Liz’s standard, use only top shelf tequila and fresh, plump citrus fruits.

Ingredients for 2 servings:
2 oranges, juiced
1 lemon juiced
A long drip of agave
2-4 shots of fine Tequila
Ice cubes

Add citrus juices, tequila, agave and into to a cocktail shaker and shake well to combine. Fill the shaker with ice cubes. Shake until frothy. Strain into 2 glasses filled with ice cubes and serve!  Consider adding fresh mint in the shaker and as a garnish for variety. 
 

Tequila

D: In the desert, there is a time of day when you can lie in the sun, maybe filtered by a large tree and your skin will warm from the slow massage of the sun’s rays.  An indulgent, deep, restorative nap is easy, expected.  Ahhh, good, pure, Agave tequila brought me there.  I first kissed the sun when I sipped Don Julio.  I don’t drink tequila, I sip it.  I let my tongue enjoy the invigorating dance the spirit brings with every drop.  For me, a neat tequila will make me smile…the kind of smile that originates from my soul. 

I have favored Don Julio Anejo like the first boy I kissed.  Every other tequila has had to suffer comparison.  I have tried to look to other labels.  My friend Sue let me stay at her place one weekend and I discovered she has a tequila collection to die for.  I didn’t die, but it was nirvana.  Over the course of a long desert sunset I poured a taste from each bottle.  My how the colors of the Arizona sunset seem deeper, richer that day.   

Tequila is made from the blue Agave plant.  The color reflects the age of fermentation.   Clear is just harvested and the purest or closest to the Blue Agave leaf flavor.   I enjoy the slight kick of power and sweet caress from the newer Agave. Deeper, smoother tones are brought out in the Reposado and more so in a good Anejo.