Dinner with Kirsten

On weekend mornings when I don’t make pancakes, Geoff invariably pops Trader Joe’s frozen banana waffles into the toaster. For frozen waffles, I have to admit they’re very good. That’s how I knew this recipe from The Pancake Handbook would be outstanding.
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My family knows how to pull together a great Thanksgiving. Sure, the dog may have helped herself to mashed potatoes and my Dad called the security company to keep the firefighters away in case of an alarm (how many years in a row have I set it off?), but everything came together for a beautiful 1:00 meal. [Read more →]

My sister bought me a bundt cake pan as a present years ago, and I absolutely love it. But, I’ve only actually used the pan a handful of times. I lugged it from Nebraska to New York, then from my apartment to Geoff’s, and it has been sitting neglected in his cupboard ever since.

Every once in a while, riffling through cupboards looking for some dish or utensil, I bump into my bundt cake pan. Our encounters transpire like fleeting unexpected run-ins with old friends: We are happy to see each other and resolve to get together soon, but then we never follow through.
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When I buy groceries, I like to pick at least two or three types of meat for weeknight meals, and I usually don’t have a clue what I’m going to do with them. But I never thought that my Trader Joe’s pork chops would end up floating in noodle soup.

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No matter how elaborate a feast my sister and I prepare every Thanksgiving, there are those in our family who will mutiny if there are any traditional dishes (like green bean casserole) missing. Unfortunately for them, my sister and I love to experiment (and hate using cream-of-anything soup). So I’m always on the lookout for dishes that will satisfy traditionalists without being strictly the same old thing. My Mom insists on having a “normal” pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving, and this is an elegant tart version of the classic. I decided to take this recipe for a test drive last weekend.

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I’ve made and sampled a million different pumpkin breads, most of them tasting about the same. That’s why I pounced on this recipe – it’s different. It doesn’t knock you over the head with spices or turn into a dark brown loaf, but instead bakes up into a delicately flavored moist and dense quick bread. Sure, I had to stop myself from tossing in little bit more cinnamon and adding a touch of nutmeg, but I’m glad I did. The fall flavors came together perfectly. This is going to end up in the bread basket at my family’s Thanksgiving dinner in a few weeks.

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I love minestrone soup, and this version is quick, easy and healthy, making it a perfect weeknight meal. You can mix and match different seasonal vegetables and make it with or without meat, but don’t leave out the kale.

I didn’t even realize I liked kale until I tried this recipe. This member of the cabbage family and a close relative of broccoli does not look very appetizing, with curly rough leaves. But the hearty greens add great flavor and texture to this soup, and it’s a super nutritious cancer-fighting food.
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I love leisurely Saturday mornings spent sipping strong French-pressed coffee and devouring stacks of fluffy pancakes. And these are the fluffiest, moistest, hands-down best pumpkin pancakes I’ve ever tried. The secret is whisking the egg whites until they’re foamy and then gently folding them into the batter – the pancakes turn into delicate soufflés. I also brought all the wet ingredients to room temperature before blending with the dry ingredients.

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Happy Halloween! I made these cookies on a whim one fall, and everyone in my family was amazed by how well the pumpkin and chocolate flavors worked together. Moist pumpkin pie spiced cookie is packed full of chocolate chips and walnuts, then topped with vanilla icing. Now we make them as a signature baked good at my parents’ farm, Vala’s Pumpkin Patch.

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My family lives life one October at a time – always working towards it, somehow surviving through it, and recovering after it. My parents own a pumpkin farm in Nebraska. For two years after college, and then on-and-off since, I worked as a food and beverage manager at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, developing the 14 or so specialty food locations sprawled across the farm. Some people visit Vala’s to buy pumpkins, but I fly home in the fall mostly for the food.

Fall Food at Vala’s

Kettle Corn - We’re famous for our special recipe.
Big Barn Bakery - Fresh baked cinnamon rolls, cookies, pies and pumpkin bread
Lolo’s Fudgery - Sells fudge and cheese popcorn
Kirsten’s Coffee Shop - It may be a farm, but you can get a Starbucks pumpkin latte at my coffee shop
Snow Cones - Watch out for the bees!
Turkey Legs - Yumm.
Potato Patch - All things potato.
Cotton Candy - Kids love watching through the window.
Country Bakery - Serving chili in bread bowls, cupcakes and pumpkin cheesecake.