These Salty Oats - Posts Tagged recipe

The Appeal of The Great British Bake Off

Besides a week-long stretch when I was sick and lay on the couch watching the entire first season of Grey’s Anatomy, The Great British Bake Off is the closest I’ve ever come to obsessively binge-watching a tv show.

Creating Cozy

Ever since returning from our October trip to Venice and Slovenia, I’ve been unable to stop baking.

Letting Go of Control

I’ve struggled with the concepts of change and control for as long as memory serves.

From Drab to Bright

Deborah Madison has been an unquestioned member of my kitchen for over four years now.

The Lunch Predicament

Each day I face a dilemma sometime between the hours of 11:30 and 1:00.

Crash-Free Baking

If you walked into my kitchen one afternoon, the winter light reflecting off of cabinets and counters like a blue-ish laser beam, and saw this cake sitting on one of those counters, delicate and decadent, you might feel your shock crowding out your hunger.

Three Shades of Cauliflower

As adults, we tend to think of our personalities as fixed.

Altering Food Memories

Have you ever thought about your most vivid food memories?

An Eggplant Kind of Summer

Around the fifth time we dropped a few pounds of eggplant into our red market basket, we paused and took a closer look at our selection.

Adventures in Canning: Tayberry Jam

In the summer, the words “Oregon” and “berry” are practically synonymous.

An “Original” Recipe

Justin and I have a running joke in our kitchen.

Adventures in Canning: Cherry Rhubarb Jam

When I hustle down the basement stairs to grab another jar of jam, what stops me from reaching for the cherry?

Squirreling Away Flavors

Bon Appetit recently published an entire spread on Sqirl, a restaurant in LA that writer Matt Duckor calls “the future of restaurant food”.

Putting Vegetables in Their Place

The feature article in the Portland Mercury this week implores readers to “Eat Your Vegetables!”.

Easter Egg Greens

When faced with a cluster of purple, white, and pink radishes, their shapes alternating between perfectly round orbs and oval-like eggs, what sane person would shove those enticing shapes to the side and opt instead for the greens attached to them?

A Transitional Salad

We’re now so far into Spring that daffodils have been replaced by eager tulips, and camellias have faded to make room for the first tentative rhododendron buds.

Sometimes Dinner Looks Like This

In late March and early April, there’s a limit to my cuisinal inspiration.

A Warming Soup, No Matter the Weather

With the exception of that incredibly hard freezing snap that wreaked havoc on farms throughout Oregon, Portland’s winter has managed to cast itself as both mild and one of the driest in recorded history.

A Whole Grain Bookend

I’ve never been able to consistently keep a journal or a diary.

Adventures in Canning: Revisiting Tomato Jam

Two summers ago, this tomato jam recipe transformed me from a canning dabbler into a canning convert.

Plums + Buckwheat

We were once again gifted a box of plums from our neighbors’ plum tree.

Flavors Without Page Numbers

This summer, I’ve noticed a distinct – and seemingly permanent – change in how I approach cooking.

A Morphable Crostata

If you look closely, you’ll notice slight differences among several of the photos.

Endless Variations: Now, With Quinoa!

There are hundreds of varieties of panzanella, the classic Italian tomato and bread salad.

Adventures in Canning: Apricot Jam

There were a few food trade-offs I was prepared to make when I moved to Portland.

Flexibly Italian

Copious amounts of summer fruit have invaded my house.

Immediate Inspiration

Sometimes it takes me 45 minutes before I’m intriguted enough by a recipe to feel ready to head to the farmers’ market.

Rhubarb Alone

By June, I’ve become dismissive of rhubarb – a feeling I hate to admit, because it means that in the span of a month, I’ve transformed from actively, and eagerly, seeking it out at the market, to haphazardly tacking it on at the end of my shopping list, well after strawberries.

A Non-Buckling Buckle

Throughout strawberry season – which lasts all summer in Oregon – our kitchen is rarely without a few tiny blue baskets of strawberries.

Quinoa in a Supporting Role

I can never eat enough quinoa – which is not to say that I consume quinoa for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but rather that no amount of it seems to fill me.

A Simple Carrot Soup

Carrots are always heaped on tables at the farmers market, but when overwintered carrots appear in April, I renew my enthusiasm for this versatile root vegetable.

Storage Onions

You wouldn’t know it from this post, but we cooked with asparagus and strawberries this weekend.

My Maui Food Memory

Along with visiting the Haleakala Crater and driving The Road to Hana, I planned another must-do for our trip to Maui: eating as much banana bread as possible.

A Quick & Filling Pastry

As soon as I saw the picture of these almond and jam pastries in the latest Sunset Magazine, I took immediate action.

Lunchtime Flexibility

The ease I referenced in my last post has stayed with me in the kitchen this week.

Baking to Focus

I'm selective about the recipes I share on this site.

A Pie Revelation

If I were to hazard a guess as to how many times I've talked about 4 and 20 Blackbirds, or how many hunger pangs I've felt thinking about their pies, the numbers would seem ludicrous to you — unless you yourself have eaten a slice at 4&20 (or live close to the pie shop, as we used to).

Adventures in Canning: Pickled Beets

I didn’t reveal this in my previous post on beet brownies, but the reason I had a a few extra beets – the perfect quantity for those brownies – was because I’d over-purchased beets for my pickling project.

Beet Brownies

These beet brownies were supposed to be my sneaky way of transforming a decadent treat into a partially ‘healthy’ snack.

Reasons to Bake an Apple Pie in January

First, it's early January.

Red Ace Beet Pancakes

After a nearly two year hiatus, I’m surprised to write that we’re once again CSA members.

Embracing Change in the Form of a Cookie

Certain things change when you get married.

Kitchen Exhaustion

If anyone had walked through my kitchen the Monday after Thanksgiving, they would have stopped in alarm.

The Versatility of Delicata Squash

I’m writing this post with my back to our dining room window, which is currently the main source of light in our house.

A "No Bowl Left Clean" Coffee Cake

I first made this coffee cake last year, around the start of Fall.

Adventures in Canning: Plum Jam

On Sunday, our neighbors invited us over to pick plums from their Italian plum tree.

Cooking it Fresh: Romano Beans

I have to be honest: I prepared and ate this romano bean salad three weeks ago.

A Morning "Pudding"

"Pudding" is a common item on any British menu.

Zucchini Glut

Lately, I’ve been feeling apathetic about zucchini.

Adventures in Canning: "Grown Up" Red Cherry Jam

Cherry season was finicky in New York.

Roasted Chickpeas

Before we moved to Portland, we stayed at The Ace Hotel three times.

Finally: Fluffy, Restaurant-Quality Rice

I don't have a great track record with cooking rice.

Berry Gazpacho

After yesterday's Fourth of July festivities, Thanksgiving's standing as my favorite holiday is in danger.

An Energy Boost

I've come to rely on afternoon snack breaks.

Six Pints of Strawberries: Strawberry Shortbread

I love it when dishes take familiar taste combinations and present them in slightly altered ways.

Six Pints of Strawberries: Strawberry Bread

When I brought home six pints of strawberries, my vague ideas about what to do with them consisted mostly of what I didn't want to do with them.

Adventures in Canning: Pickled Asparagus

I first started canning last year; because it was my first year, I kept things fairly straightforward.

No Mushy Peas Here

Fresh produce can have an extremely limited shelf life; I have to stay on my toes to make sure we eat the produce we bought from the farmers' market before it loses its flavor.

Weekday Lunch: Spinach Strata

I've stated before that my ideal weekday lunch is seasonal, nutritious, and filling.

Adventures in Canning: Roasted Rhubarb Jam

I'm clearly on a rhubarb streak, as the last recipe I wrote about also features the stalky vegetable.

First of the Season Rhubarb Tarts

I learned last year that I don't have the tastebuds or palate to eat rhubarb as a main part of a savory dish, like in pasta or soup.

Asparagus Pizza at Home

I could eat pizza four days a week and would still excitedly say 'yes' if someone suggested grabbing a pizza on the fifth day.

“Portland-ing”

I tend to glance at the 10-day weather forecast more often than is healthy.

The Cabbage that Resembled a Brussels Sprout

This cabbage was truly massive.

Cooking it Fresh: Spring Radishes

It's challenging to create a recipe when you're faced with both ingredient and time restrictions.

Seeking Familiarity

To ease the transition, I've tried to replicate certain arrangements we had in our last apartment: our ubiquitous eiffel tower print is now hung above the television, per usual.

Memories of Summer: Ginger Peach Muffins

Smelling a ripe peach immediately brings to mind several food memories: summers on my parents' deck, eating the fruit as quickly as I could as it leaked all over my arm.

Weekday Lunch: A Winter Soup & Salad

I used to sporadically watch Jeopardy and my favorite segment was always the cringe-worthy question and answer sessions between Alex Trebek and the contestants.

Adventures in Canning: Pear Butter

I knew I wanted to tackle one more canning and preserving project this Winter before we move.

My Favorite Way to Eat Beets

When thinking about how to prepare beets, roasting them is a given.

Weekday Lunch: A Salad to Brighten your Day

This is a punchy winter salad destined to bump you out of any winter doldrums, for a brief moment at least.

Bran Muffin Convert

A quick search for "Super Natural Everyday Bran Muffins" yields multiple results.

Looks can be deceiving

These gingerbread people are a motley crew.

Weekday Lunch: Root Vegetable and Herb Couscous

I'm listing this meal as a weekday lunch, but that's not how I originally envisioned it.

Pumpkin Wedges

These pumpkin wedges capitalize on the remaining whole pumpkins you can still snag at the farmers' market or grocery store.

Adventures in Canning: Apple Butter

After my previous disastrous canning attempt, I needed a victory in the preserving department.

Weekday Lunch: Farro Salad with Mushrooms and Squash

I hesitated to pick this recipe initially.

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving 2011 is one for the record books.

The Only Recipe I’ll Need

Sometimes I make a dish and realize that I'll never have to experiment with another version of the recipe again: the one I just made is the only one I need.

Weekday Lunch: Orzo with Broccoli Pesto

The most recent thief of my cooking motivation is the Fall time change.

Weekday Lunch: Squash and Pear Salad

When I make a satisfying and seasonal lunch (and have time to take a few pictures before devouring it!), I want to share the recipe with you because if you're anything like me, lunch can be a sore spot in your day.

A Simple Apple Tart

As predicted, I baked an apple tart from the Nordic Bakery cookbook last week.

It’s Worth It

If you caught my recent post about Fleisher's you saw that after two years of vegetarianism, I've started to eat small amounts of meat again.

A Scandinavian Treat

We brought home a few souvenirs from our September trip to London and Copenhagen, including this cute Danish bird, a small vase by Anne Black, and several Christmas presents.

Brussels Pout

My dad hates Brussels sprouts to the same degree that I love them.

Sweet Potato Pudding

I'm intrigued by how certain recipes incorporate flavors in untraditional ways.

The Only Thing that Matters is Taste

Do you think this looks like "the death star exploded" (Justin) or something "otherworldly and beautiful" (me)?

Weekday Lunch: Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

I sometimes dread when the clock turns to noon.

Welcoming Fall Flavors

While my closet moves confidently into Fall, my palate is less gung-ho.

Adventures in Canning: Tomatoes

Canning and preserving tomatoes felt unsettlingly like participating in a high school biology class experiment.

Sweet Corn Polenta, Take 2

We made sweet corn polenta last Thursday and it was heartbreakingly good.

Weekday Lunch: Tomatoes

You say tomato, I say tomahto.

Tomato Glut Sauce

Earlier this year I read Joan Gussow’s memoir, This Organic Life.

Cooking it Fresh: Apricots

I brought a bagful of Red Jacket Orchards’ apricots home with me on Thursday.

Small Batch Cookies

It happens every few weeks: I crave a fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie.

Inspiration from North Carolina

This weekend, we turned these plump sap green okra into a delicately fried appetizer, topped with homemade tomato jam.

Adventures in Canning: Ginger Peach Jam

I’m so hot right now that I’m tempted to write: yum peaches.

Cooking it Fresh: Zucchini

We've now made this galette two times in the last three days.

Evoking Maine

For me, blueberry pie evokes images of Maine, sunflowers, and sitting by the ocean.

Peaches, Berries, & Cream

I wanted to prepare a low impact dessert, one that wouldn't heat up the kitchen to an insufferable temperature.

Seasonal Pancakes: Blueberry

Happy 4th!

I made these portable pies yesterday and we've been munching on them all weekend.

Cooking it Fresh: Fava Beans

I'm going to keep this short and sweet because it's a holiday weekend.

Adventures in Canning: Rhubarb Jam

I fear I may be too late on this post...but I'll share this recipe anyways, in case you spot some rhubarb at the market this weekend.

Cherry Clafoutis

On Monday, we picked up our first pint of cherries of the season!

Seasonal Pancakes: Strawberry

I've posted about Justin's chocolate chip pancakes before.

Adventures in Canning: Strawberry Jam

Several Saturdays ago, we brought a cardboard box up the farmers market.

Improved Recipe Page!

Behind the scenes, we're slowly redesigning Cheery Observations.

Make this as soon as you can!

I wanted to share this recipe as soon as possible, before it's too late to make it!

The Best Blueberry Muffins?

I have a recipe binder that I'm slowly filling with interesting recipes I've clipped from magazines and newspapers.

Rhubarb Tagliatelle

Rhubarb never overstays its welcome at the farmers market: it shows up, people flock around the bins, and then it's gone.

Cooking it Fresh: Fiddleheads

Last year, we cooked our fiddleheads in a delicious stir fry.

Three Layers, Four Hours

Since I’ve weathered the storm—though my kitchen, even after cleaning for an hour last night is still in disarray—the recipe at the end of this post is my adapted take, with the steps in the order I think they should be.

Ouch, those nettles sting!

While we were in Portland, exploring the farmers market, we couldn't help but notice how many farmers' stands featured stinging nettles.

Cooking it Fresh: Asparagus

As I wrote yesterday, our kitchen turned green last weekend.

Pistachio Biscotti

It shouldn’t be a secret that I have a fondness for pistachios.

Turning Chives into Ramps

Saturday's dinner took an unexpected turn.

A New Contender

Everyone loves brunch on the weekend--especially, it seems, in Brooklyn.

Adventures in Canning: Apple Jelly

"If you've never made jelly before, this a great place to start.

Turnips Save the Meal

I’ve been attempting to inject some life into our staid Winter meals.

Cooking it Fresh: Spring Parsnips

March’s weather is wacky.

Adventures in Canning: Lemon Curd

As previously mentioned, I've spent a few chilly Winter days researching the intricacies of canning and preserving, with the goal of capitalizing on the glut of strawberries, tomatoes, and more that will soon overtake the farmers' markets.

A New Appreciation

My husband loves scones.

Practice Means Wanting a Bigger Slice of the Cake

I will humbly admit that I loved how my first cake came out.

Cooking it Fresh: Carrots

On Thursday, I spent 45 minutes searching for a carrot recipe.

Cooking it Fresh: Acorn Squash

I found many options, both online and in a few of my cookbooks, for my previously mentioned task of reviving acorn squash's reputation to be something I want to eat.

Mulligatawny Soup

I wandered down to Root Hill Cafe yesterday with high hopes that they'd be serving my new favorite soup, mulligatawny.

Cooking it Fresh: Bosc Pears

Each time I write a Fresh from the Market product post, I'll follow that post with a recipe I've tested.

Canned Pumpkin Problem

This past Fall, I acted like (some) people do before a big snowstorm and stocked up like I wouldn't be able to leave the apartment all winter.

Birthday (Polenta) Cake

This is actually a dish I was hoping to make the day before Thanksgiving, for all of us to munch on while we were cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

Need a dinner idea tonight?

How about Cacio e Pepe?

Thanksgiving 2010

A reflection on this year’s Thanksgiving dinner starts out in a nearly identical fashion to last year’s Thanksgiving dinner post: we’ve just moved; we want to cook Thanksgiving dinner because we love sourcing and cooking elaborate meals; we view Thanksgiving as a fitting celebration after an exhausting move.