Category Archives: Autumn

Balsamic Roasted Parsnips

Posted on by February 15, 2015

Sometimes it’s really hard to stay interested in salad and vegetables in the cold, dark or winter, but keeping things like these Balsamic Roasted Parsnips around can really help. I like to roast a big pan of veggies a couple of days a week and then I have them to reheat for quick snacks and sides. Roasting veggies is easy, but time consuming, and if you have lots of extras, then reheating make delicious roast veggies an easy weeknight option. Additionally, it’s more enjoyable to eat salads when you have some tasty roast veggies to pile on the greens. I don’t know about you, but this time of year I seem to want carbs and stews and soups, not greens and veggies. I love parsnips as a salad topping choice because of their sweetness. They balance perfectly with spicy greens and taste great with nuts and cheeses. This preparation keeps it really simple with just olive oil and sea salt in the pan with the parsnips. When you remove the parsnips from the oven, toss them with some aged balsamic for a simple but delicious flavor. And this simple seasoning of these Balsamic Roasted Parsnips form a great base for … Continue reading →

Gingerbread Crouton Fall Panzanella

Posted on by November 23, 2014

The inspiration for this Gingerbread Crouton Fall Panzanella comes from a spread I saw in a Williams-Sonoma catalog! quite some time ago, and I must say, I’ve never made the recipe as it’s written. I served it as the salad course on my Caribbean Thanksgiving Menu and it’s so good, it’s made it into my regular fall repertoire. I always make all dishes served at Thanksgiving vegetarian (except the main dish). When I have lots of guests coming, I try to make all of the food as accessible as possible, at least in terms of accommodating allergies and dietary restrictions, but tastes, not so much. It’s the Wild West in my kitchen and you just have to give it a try, right? When I decided to make the Gingerbread Crouton Fall Panzanella it was in no way an exception to the feed the vegetarians rule. The original calls for bacon, which I’m sure would be good, but I like it just fine without. The gingerbread croutons are very rich and when paired with pickled berries and onions, well, let’s just say there’s plenty going on. I will admit that I do salt the squash and even the arugula itself liberally, … Continue reading →

Rice and Peas Thanksgiving Style

Posted on by November 20, 2014

Rice and Peas Thanksgiving Style was one of the recipes that while based on a standard, needed a lot of tweaking before it was ready for my Caribbean Thanksgiving Menu. Most Rice and Peas recipes use a traditional sofrito that has tomatoes in it, and truth told, the tomatoes were too distracting and didn’t pair well with anything Thanksgiving. Also, a part of me wanted to use dried cranberries and pecans in the Rice and Peas Thanksgiving Style because of their obvious Thanksgiving ties, but it just wasn’t quite right, and it conflicted with the coconut milk, which was really important for the Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks. So, after a final tasting which culminated in three different Rice and Peas Thanksgiving Style iterations plated at once, my brave tasters and I settled upon this version. And I’m so glad we did. Also, if coconut milk isn’t your thing, consider making a version omitting the coconut milk, dried mango, and cashews. The truth is this sofrito is really really good, and the plain version was perfect on its own. We just liked the crunch and texture of the spiffed up one a little more for such a festive menu. After all, … Continue reading →

Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks

Posted on by November 20, 2014

Even if I hadn’t printed the menu and been teasing about it forever, you probably could have guessed that the main dish would be some version of Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks. This is a Caribbean Thanksgiving Menu after all and jerk chicken is about as Caribbean as it gets. I had to keep things interesting though, as well as keep the attention on classic Thanksgiving ingredients, so I changed things up just a bit starting with the poultry. For Thanksgiving, turkey kicks chicken out of the pan, and because I really love dark meat, I picked drumsticks. One of my main goals was to create a dish that I could make ahead and not have to worry about taking prime oven space the day of, so pulled meat that I could warm in the crockpot was a sensible choice that made for a fun day for the cook as well as the guests without compromising on flavor. The rich, moist, Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks were paired with MacRostie’s syrah, (it’s good to be related to an amazing winemaker who brings you an entire case of magnums for the event) which was one of the best wine pairings I’ve ever had. … Continue reading →

Lima Bean Gratin

Posted on by November 21, 2014

Sometimes the Thanksgiving dish that really blows you away is what you were least expecting, like this Lima Bean Gratin did on my Caribbean Thanksgiving Menu. I often make a gratin for Thanksgiving, but it rarely steals the show. Gratins are great make ahead dishes, and this Lima Bean Gratin is no different in that regard. Gratins are rich and creamy and something you wouldn’t make for a normal dinner, so that makes them special. Also, since I love really spicy things and tend to cook spicy even at Thanksgiving, (for example, my Thanksgiving Jerk Turkey Drumsticks) a gratin is excellent for cooling off your less spice inclined friends. This Lima Bean Gratin does all that and more. In fact, this was the most commented on dish of my Caribbean Thanksgiving Menu. It has just a touch of heat in the cream and lots and lots of leeks and shallots for lots and lots of flavor. Add some parmigiano reggiano and parsley laced breadcrumbs for the crunchy topping. Hey, I would never steer your wrong, and you’re onto something great with my Lima Bean Gratin. In the case of this Lima Bean Gratin, the dish that’s supposed to be the … Continue reading →

Five Squash Soup and Lime Caramel Corn

Posted on by November 16, 2014

Five Squash Soup and Lime Caramel Corn is probably the most playful dish I have ever made, and that’s a compliment, to be clear. I have to say, that I am quite proud of this one from a design perspective; after years of enjoying meals made magic by chefs like Wylie Dufresne who really play with their food, I’m glad I finally stepped up and took a small stab at it. Five Squash Soup and Lime Caramel Corn was a fun dish not just for the cook, it was a joy to serve to guests at my Caribbean Thanksgiving because of its playful characteristics. One can’t help but smile when a bright orange bowl of steaming soup is before them and it’s covered in popcorn and coconut chips! But it’s not just style without the flavor to back it up. The coconut milk, curry and kaffir lime are much of the secret to creating a rather unexpected sort of squash soup. Five Squash Soup and Lime Caramel Corn has some serious zing and tang to it, which accents beautifully on top of a base of savory fennel, onion, and celery that you’d expect of a roasted squash soup. But the pièce … Continue reading →

Lime Dark Rum Cranberry Relish

Posted on by November 24, 2014

I love cranberry relish, and no matter my theme, it’s going to be at my Thanksgiving table in some form or the other. So when I took on a Caribbean menu, there was no doubt that I would still make a cranberry relish no matter how foreign cranberries may be to the Caribbean and that was enough to make this Lime Dark Rum Cranberry Relish possible. I just needed to add the right flavors and accents to make the cranberry relish fit in with some of my more traditional dishes on the menu, like the jerk turkey. I also knew that since my classic relish is raw, I would need to combine it with a sauce of some sort if I wanted to sneak in something as bold as dark rum. So here we are with a best of both worlds Lime Dark Rum Cranberry Relish that combines a cranberry sauce and cranberry relish. While you’re making the relish, be sure to keep tasting both sauces throughout both processes (which is, of course, a good general practice) because while I like things a little tart, you may not, and should feel justified in upping the sugar just a bit here and … Continue reading →

Pumpkin Butterscotch Pie with Gluten Free Cashew Crust

Posted on by November 5, 2014

My Pumpkin Butterscotch Pie with Gluten Free Cashew Crust was a knock it out of the park sort of recipe. It was also a perfect fit for my Caribbean influenced 2013 menu with the funky curry fennel crust. I can’t say enough about how good this pie is. Loads and loads of complementary flavors and textures with enough pumpkin to satisfy the traditionalists in the crowd, and gluten free if you like, with rich cashew flavor. One of my favorite Thanksgiving guests has celiac disease, so I try to make as many gluten free dishes as possible so as to ensure he gets in on the fun. It always pushes me to try out new techniques and this was no exception. I often work with almond flour generally, even when I’m not so worries about gluten because I love it. And the recipe this pie is adapted from was garnished with cashews. That definitely got my mind thinking about cashew flour, and then while I was out shopping I was thrilled to discover that Trader Joe’s carries cashew meal. Things came together quickly from there and adding pumpkin to the butterscotch pudding filling was a Thanksgiving no brainer. You won’t … Continue reading →

Sweet Potatoes Cranberry Glaze

Posted on by November 3, 2014

Tis’ the season when Dirty Laundry Kitchen turns into Thanksgiving central starting off with this recipe for Sweet Potatoes Cranberry Glaze. I can’t take credit for this recipe, it’s one that I use almost as written by Marcia Miesel for Food and Wine. It’s one of the Thanksgiving recipes that I’ve made more than once, and that’s saying something. I like to try new things every year, and if I come back to something, it has to be really good. I made it originally as part of my Thanksgiving 2011 menu, but it has definitely come up again since then. The Sweet Potatoes Cranberry Glaze is an interesting dish, because the baking time is really long. The first time I made it I thought it might even be an error. I intended to change that part of the recipe for sure, but as it turned out, it’s really good. They definitely don’t seem mushy and overcooked and the dish is gorgeous, so it’s fun to include on the table. It’s a dish that should be served in the pan it’s baked in, so if you have a really beautiful oven to table pan, this is the dish to use it … Continue reading →

Canlis Parsnip Soup Hazelnut Gremolata

Posted on by October 29, 2014

This lovely Canlis Parsnip Soup Hazelnut Gremolata came from, you guessed it, Canlis Restaurant in Seattle. It also came with a lovely story. I was first exposed to Canlis a few years ago now, when my dear friend Andrea was married in Seattle. It was a gorgeous October weekend with fall leaves, sunshine, and lots of amazing food. Since everyone came from out of town, they planned the entire weekend for us and we had a lovely tour of the city on a double decker bus. We had dinner at Matt’s in the Market after the rehearsal and it was excellent. We caught up with friends, enjoyed several cocktail hot spot, and then, after a beautiful ceremony, we were treated to dinner at Canlis for the reception. It was absolutely lovely. We had the entire upstairs to ourselves complete with a gorgeous view of the Sound and of course an amazing meal. The evening started off with pink bubbly, toasts, and a jazz band. A paired wine dinner followed and while each course was absolutely excellent, for me, it was the Canlis Parsnip Soup Hazelnut Gremolata, which was paired with an amazing Sancerre that stole the show. Part of it … Continue reading →

Maple Nutty Brown Ale Acorn Squash

Posted on by October 27, 2014

When your sister is a winemaker, people often ask about what winemakers drink. And the truth of the matter is that a lot of the time, winemakers drink beer. Especially during times of heavy tasting, it’s important to keep their palette focused and fresh and aside from the fatigue of constant tasting, too much wine can become boring, believe it or not. And when you’re drinking beer, sometimes cooking with beer is a nice complement as well. This Maple Nutty Brown Ale Acorn Squash is a recipe my sister came up with for me. We made it together last fall while we were talking on the phone one night and both really loved it. Unfortunately for you, I never got around to posting it. It’s the perfect side for a Fall meal. Over the past year, I served it with a Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Brussels Sprouts once or twice, but sometimes Marc and I eat Maple Nutty Brown Ale Acorn Squash for dinner as an entrée in an of itself, perhaps topped with a few spicy pecans. Maple and Ale Acorn Squash is full of flavor and very beautiful so while it is easy enough for just a party … Continue reading →

Sour Cherry Apple Cider Caramels

Posted on by October 26, 2014

“Seriously Barrett, Sour Cherry Apple Cider Caramels?” I know, I know, I’m always figuring out dishes in which to stick sour cherries, as well as their juice. But it’s for good reason- they’re that good. Recently, I found one more such dish. I’ve been making soft caramels as party favors for years, but recently, I’ve seen lots of recipes for Apple Cider Soft Caramels, which just sounds so deliciously fall. And of course, the topic of apple cider got me thinking about Cherry Cider, and Cherry Apple Cider, (two very different things, I swear) which were prevalent where I grew up. Ruminating about cherry cider necessitated a Fall update for my soft caramel recipe. So here we are, Sour Cherry Apple Cider Caramels. I tested it out with just cherry cider, and frankly it was a bit too much, but this blend hints at cherry. In fact, it kind of plays with your mind and has you wondering what you’re tasting until boom, you know it’s cherries. “It sounds delicious Barrett, but a candy thermometer, that sounds technical?” This is a very forgiving foray into caramel making, so don’t let the thermometer intimidate you. And dive right into the delicious … Continue reading →