Candied Kumquats Anyone?

While I was shopping this afternoon for turkey parts to make stock ahead of cooking my turkey this upcoming weekend, I ran into the first of the fresh kumquats.  I love candied kumquats.  They are a surprising addition to pound cake and the syrup can beused to make an icing.  Kumquats are citrus-y and quite different from oranges and tangerines and add a delicious and  unexpected taste to winter baking.

It's an easy process to candy them and one I enjoy.  A nice way to spend a rainy and windy late November afternoon.

I got four half pints from a little over a pound of kumquats.  I'll take a jar to my daughter-in-law on Thursday when we celebrate Thanksgiving with our son and his family.  On Friday I'll buy a sale turkey and roast it up at the cabin, for sandwiches and soup for the freezer.  I really love Thanksgiving week.  It's full of good smells, anticipation and turkey!

I hope your Thanksgiving, if indeed you celebrate that special day, is full of family and friends, good feasting and most of all, thanks for all our blessings.

Valentine's Dinner at The Pantry

I had the best time on Valentine's Day, even without my DH being included.  (He was out of town.)  Nonie and Susan and I had dinner at The Pantry at Delancey, a special dinner in celebration of tea.

As the menu shows, it was a most special meal!  I can only rave about each and every course, every wine pairing, the service, the celebrants (all but two new to me)----every little detail came together to make for a stellar evening of food, fun, friends and a few glasses of wine.

a  most excellent prosecco that started off the evening

The chef was Kim Cozzetto Maynard and she is the in-house chef for The Pantry.  This lady can really cook.  I mean, really!

Homemade beet ships with minty pea mash

These beet chips appetizers were wonderful but my favorite was the tea-smoked chicken on toast with ricotta and Earl Grey jelly.  They were outstanding.  The chicken was moist and full of subtle flavor.

Tea-smoked chicken on toast with ricotta and Earl Grey jelly

Wild mushroom pappardelle with smoked-tea cream, lemon zest and parsley

 I am usually not a big fan of pasta dishes but this one had so much flavor from the mushrooms and the delicate smoked-tea cream that I had to really hold myself back from having seconds.  And thirds.
And probably fourths!

Duck legs confit served with an Earl Grey-orange reduction, pickled raisins and sautéed chard

Nonie declared that the duck leg confit was the best duck she has ever eaten.  She orders duck wherever we travel and has enjoyed it all over the world, so this was high praise, indeed, for Chef
Maynard.

Honey roasted baby carrots with mach salad, lemon-ginger vinaigrette and crispy prosciutto

 The baby carrots were sweet as candy, and just as addictive.

Susan using her phone to photograph each course

Nola chatting with our charming dinner companion

We were seated with Chef Maynard's charming husband, Galen, who put up with the three old ladies in a most gracious manner.  He made a most pleasant dinner companion.

Chai-poached apples with almond streusel and whipped cream

And last, but certainly not least, the chai-poached apples.  Oh, my!  They were goooooooood!  I want to thank the chef and the staff for a delightful Valentine's event.  I had the very best time.

If  you live in the Seattle area I can highly recommend The Pantry at Delancey's monthly dinners most heartily. They also run a wonderful series of cooking classes there.  I have taken many of them and am signed up for quite a few more over the next few  months.  They even offer "cooking camps" for children.  I took  my eldest granddaughter to the children's class on making Asian dumplings and we both had a wonderful time.  She made dumplings, from scratch, the next day for her entire family!  

My Love Affair with Chutney

I love chutney. I've been making chutney for thirty years or more now, and every batch is different and every batch is, to me, yummy. My children are not big chutney fans and my husband is only a lukewarm chutney fan. But many of my friends are big chutney fans, bless their hearts, and so I always make a few extra jars to pass on. (Play your cards right, Patoire and Baaaaauuuuuugghb, and there might be new jar or two in your future!)

Yesterday, while reading the Pacific Magazine that is included in the Sunday Seattle Times, I came across a recipe for Old Fashioned Chicken Curry. Now, I had to admit that the recipe for the curry looked pretty good (and I plan to try it out tomorrow), but what really caught my eye was the little blurb that read, "A recipe for Spicy Pear and Dried Cherry Chutney can be found at http://www.canningacrossamerica.com/recipes/spicy-pear-and-dried-cherry-chutney/." I had to immediately get online to check it out.

I made a batch this afternoon and IT IS DELICIOUS! If you are a big fan of chutney, you might want to try this recipe. It gets five stars in my book.

I have to ask, Dear Reader, but does anyone else out there just love a peanut butter and chutney sandwich?