Don't forget to feed your body and your soul this season with healthful, colorful and delicious food.  There is so much in the way of cookies and treats (I love them too) this time of year but try to remember that which is good for you.

Pomegranates are an ancient fruit rich in history, art, religion, myth and medicine.  Native to Iran, this fruit grown on a small bushy tree, is used extensively in Middle Eastern cooking.  King Tut and other Egyptians were buried with pomegranates in hopes of a second life.  They are mentioned in Homer's Odyssey and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  Pomegranates are mentioned in the Bible when Moses tells the Israelites they are going to a land of pomegranates (among other things) and paintings often portray the Virgin Mary or the baby Jesus holding a pomegranate.  

"The Madonna of the Pomegranate" painted by the Italian Renaissance master, Sandro Botticelli, hangs in the Uffizi Gallery of Florence, Italy.

Pomegranates have obtained celebrity status recently due to their healthful benefits.  They are loaded with antioxidants, folic acid, vitamins, iron and potassium.  Scientists believe they may help with heart disease, cancer, and aging problems.    

It is simple to extract the ruby jewels of the pomegranate fruit if you know the right technique.  First, cut them in half.  Then place the the cut side of the fruit in the palm of your clean hand with your fingers spread wide apart.  With a large spoon, bang on the back side of the fruit over and over again, releasing the seeds through your fingers.  They start to fall right out after a couple good smacks from your spoon.  

So, enjoy this bejeweled, colorful and healthful fruit rich in history,  somewhere in your holiday menu.  

My salad is posing in front of my small kitchen Christmas tree, adorned with food ornaments.

Peace on Earth.  That is my Christmas wish, peace on earth.  

Moroccan Spiced Chicken and Pomegranate Salad with Butternut Squash and Couscous

1 cup couscous

the seeds from one pomegranate, see instructions above

1 small butternut squash, cubed 

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Ras el Hanout - Moroccan spice blend - see below

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted 

1/2 a bunch of cilantro for garnish

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil + more for roasting chicken and squash

salt and pepper to taste

Take half of the Ras el Hanout and mix it with 2 tablespoons olive oil to form a paste.  Rub all the chicken breasts with the paste and place on a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven, until the chicken is just cooked through but still tender and moist.  Let cool and then slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Toss the butternut squash with 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the Ras el Hanout.  Roast on a foil lined baking sheet for 1/2 hour in a 400 degree oven, until tender.  Stir once 1/2 way through.

pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over 1 cup couscous, cover and let sit for 10 minutes

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Spoon onto a large serving platter and garnish with the cilantro and serve.

Ras el Hanout - Moroccan spice blend

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.

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I adore the fall in Florida.  After a long and steamy summer, we finally get to enjoy crisp cool mornings and slightly chilly sleeping weather.  Our town comes alive again with joggers, dog walkers, bikers and of course the snow birds.  

Cooking pumpkin dishes is one of my favorite seasonal rituals.   I served this for a casual dinner of 80 people, as it lends itself to crowd pleasing and is relatively simple to make.  Served with a side of broccoli cornbread, my husbands great Aunt Snookie's recipe from Shreveport, Louisiana... everyone seemed to enjoy the simple supper.  The secret ingredient, pumpkin chipotle, comes from one of my favorite quaint shops, American Spoon, that I visit every summer while we are up in northern Michigan.  I had them ship a large box of the chipotle to me to flavor my seasonal chili.  

Pumpkin Chipotle Chili (recipe from the American Spoon)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans or Great Northern beans, drained

1 tablespoon cumin

1 (28 oz) can stewed tomatoes

1 tablespoon chili powder (or less if you don't care for spicy)

1 (13 oz) jar peach mango salsa or American Spoon Cherry Peach Salsa 

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 jar American Spoon Pumpkin Chipotle Roasting Sauce

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 oz green chillies, chopped

1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Heat the olive oil in a stockpot and add the onions and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook two more minutes.  Add the ground turkey and sauté until browned.

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Serve immediately.  

For a printable recipe, click here.

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This moist and slightly sweet cake gives a nod to the change in season even if I have yet to feel the relief from the southern heat.  I'm breathing in the crisp autumn air simply as a state of mind.  Our turn will come later this month, usually quite punctually on the 15th of October when Florida has hope regenerated with it's first snap of cooler air.  We're waiting. Still waiting.

I usually jump the "Florida fall" gun and start looking for recipes that include my autumn favorites such as harvest grapes, butternut squash, sugar pumpkins, crisp apples and pears.  I must admit, I miss the north this time of year, but come February in Florida with its impossibly blue skies, white sandy beaches and when my new Meyer lemon tree or old mango tree are producing their fruit, I'll remember why it is good to live in paradise. 

This grape and olive oil cake is very slightly sweet and pairs very nicely with my freshly home roasted coffee that I have become so passionate about.  I think that I'll make this for dessert at one of the upcoming fall luncheons that I'm catering.  Unique. Simple. Elegant.  

Harvest Grape and Olive Oil Cake 

(recipe adapted from Patricia Well's Winemakers Grape Cake)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or gluten free flour)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

A pinch of kosher salt

Grated zest of 1 orange

Grated zest of 1 lemon

12 ounces small purple grapes (if they are not small then cut them in half)

confectioners' sugar for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Butter and flour a 9" round non-stick cake pan. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk sugar and the eggs about 3 minutes, until they are pale yellow. Add the butter, milk, olive oil, vanilla and mix until just blended.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and then mix in the zest of the lemon and orange.  Add dry ingredients to the batter and mix until blended with a wooden spoon.  Set aside for five minutes.

Stir in about 3/4 of the grapes into the batter. pour into the cake pan and smooth out the top.  Bake for 15 minutes and then sprinkle the remaining grapes on the top and bake until golden brown on, about 30 minutes longer.  Serve at room temperature.

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It all started with a delayed flight and a long day of travel.  I had nothing to read, so I borrowed a book from my husband, "The Coffee Companion, the Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best Brews."  My first thought was, "Well this one is going to be a snooze" but after chapter one, my cheek had a hook in it and I was slowly being reeled into the world of specialty coffee and coffee roasting.  This book gave a good overview of the history of coffee, where and how the best beans are grown and much more.  

After researching where to buy the best "green" coffee beans (unroasted coffee beans) from around the world, I found some suppliers online who specialize in smaller quantities of green beans for the home roaster, Sweet Maria's and Seven Bridges Cooperative.  We ordered several "single origin samplers" of green coffee beans from around the globe.  And so our journey began.  

My husband, Mike, and I have been experimenting on the best ways to roast coffee at home.  While there are many fabulous yet somewhat pricey home roasters out there (hello Santa), we got started by roasting our beans on a perforated cookie sheet.  This method is very basic but works just fine for now, however, a drum roaster would give us much more control over the different stages of roasting... city, full city, and full city plus, etc.  We have been roasting roughly a third of a pound at a time which gives us freshly roasted coffee for three or four days, about the life for optimal freshness of roasted coffee.  

Wow.  This is the BEST coffee I've ever tasted!  Every origin has its own nuances and personality.  I never knew coffee could be so interesting and captivating.  The key is not to over-roast the coffee to the point where it has that "burnt" flavor, you know the flavor that Star*****  is known for.  Once it has been over-roasted, all coffee tastes the same and its subtleties and flavors are lost.  You have to show the bean a little more respect.

If you are fortunate enough to live in a town with its own local coffee roaster, ask them about attending a "cupping" or a coffee tasting.  It is a very specific way to taste test many coffees at a time and compare the coffees grown from different origins.  You will be enlightened for sure. For example, the coffee shown above is Ethiopia Sidema Deri Kochoha.  It tasted of black tea, fig bar, dark chocolate, floral notes, great body and amazing mouthfeel.  I know, it sounds a bit like wine tasting lingo only it is much more low key.  There is no right or wrong only your personal preferences.

After we roast a batch in the evening, I can hardly wait to get up the next morning and open the jar of beans and stick my nose right in and inhale deeply.  Ahhh, now I know what fresh roasted coffee truly is... nirvana.

Home Roasted Coffee

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Take about 1/3 pound of green coffee beans and spread them out evenly on a perforated cookie sheet.  Every two minutes quickly stir so as to promote an even roast.  At first things move along slowly but towards the end of the roasting process things happen quickly so it is very important to stay right there with the beans.  At approximately 11 minutes into the process (depending on the bean) listen for the "first crack."  It is a popping sound that the beans make that is not quite as loud as popcorn popping.  Your roasting time will vary depending on your oven, the desired roast, and the bean.  We like to pull ours out at approximately 15 - 16 minutes and somewhere before the "second crack."  If you hear the second crack you are into a darker roast or a "full city plus" roast.  Pour the roasted beans into a colander to cool and swirl them around to help them cool quickly as they will continue to cook.  The beans will not smell like the fragrant coffee at this point, not to worry it has to rest for You will see lots of chaff flaking off the coffee beans.  Just blow on the beans to help rid them of this.  Let your beans cool completely.  Store coffee in an airtight glass jar after a few hours.  It needs to vent off the CO2.  Wait 12 to 24 hours for the coffee to attain its peak.  

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We recently returned from our family's annual trek to the lake cottage in northern Michigan.  As always, I returned home completely rejuvenated by the fresh clean pine scented air, the cool blue lake and a creaky old cottage.  These lovely memories will play over in my mind during the winter when a mental break is needed.   I'll close my eyes and recall the many fun porch parties with family and friends, the delicious food and wine that we consumed, and the natural beauty of northern Michigan, the land of inviting front porches...

My sister and brother-in-law, the newlyweds, enjoyed a sunset together on the lake front.  As the sinking sun melts into the horizon, it also melts away ones cares if you are still and quiet enough to let it.

Our northern Michigan friends love good food as much as we do and our dinner parties are always so memorable.  Keeping it simple, everyone usually brings their best dish and we always swap recipes after.

One of the newer traditions is our annual "Cottage Crawl."  It is a combination of a pub crawl, progressive dinner, and history lesson.  We all travel from cottage to cottage with the appetisers at two cottages, main course at two cottages and finally, dessert at the last two cottages.  Each cottage owner supplies a signature beverage and gives us a brief but rich history lesson of their family cottage.  Many of the cottages are up to 125 years old and most have been in the same family for generations.  As we rounded the corner heading for cottage #3, Robin surprised us with "Jello shots" arranged as old time lemonade stand. Brilliant!

You may remember from last year that my family makes an annual pilgrimage to Mackinac Island, the charming island void completely of cars but filled with the only modes of transportation...horses and bikes.  The excitement builds as we take an early morning ferry to the island, while debating the best place for coffee and lunch.  

Our first stop is always the tiny postage stamp sized coffee house out on a dock with a gorgeous view of the water and sailboats...

My husband enjoys his coffee, anticipating a glorious morning of biking around the island. 

(Note to self...stay on the outer perimeter of the island while on a bike.  If you turn into the center of the island you are doomed to steep hills but rewarded with great beauty.)

We are back at home gently sliding into our daily routines as school will begin again next week for our kids.  I'm so grateful for our time of summer rejuvenation in northern Michigan and I now feel ready and able to approach this new season with purpose, creativity and love.

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Simple. Summer. Soup.  I enjoy the slow rhythm of summer as the hectic pace of the Florida 'season' gives way to longer slower days, empty beaches, and plenty of parking spaces.  Our seaside town becomes a small community once again as the locals emerge to enjoy all the beauty and culture that our lovely town has to offer, without the crowds.  The Europeans that come to vacation here during July and August seem to understand our summer pace and they fit into our slower rhythm very nicely.  

One of my favorite summer pleasures is preparing a simple supper, music playing, while sipping on a glass of cool French rosé.  I love to slow down and be in the moment...  to just enjoy the feeling of my knife as it slides through the carrots and the smell of freshly cut herbs as I add them to my soup.  My heart fills with gratitude for the simple pleasures of this life. They are there. They are abundant... when I take the time to enjoy them.

Summer Lentil Soup 

1 1/2 cups French green lentils

4 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed)

2 tablespoons orange juice (fresh squeezed)

1/2 coarsely chopped fresh herbs (such as dill, parsley, basil, and thyme)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine lentils, carrots, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan.  Cover with water by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until carrots are tender. Stir in the citrus juices and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with fresh herbs before serving.

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Over the 4th of July weekend my sister-in-law, Amanda, married her best friend, Trey, in what was the most picturesque wedding I have ever attended.  Their outdoor Jackson Hole, Wyoming wedding had a sweeping view of the Grand Tetons... breathtaking as was the bride.  The week was full with celebrations and as with all great celebrations, the food was stellar.  

We started off our week long festivities with a 4th of July parade in Jackson Hole.  Americana at its best.  A parade alive with cowboys and horses, they even threw corn husks to the kids.

And then we settled into a lazy afternoon barbecue of delicious brisket, ribs and chicken where people started to gather as they made their way into Jackson for the impending nuptials. 

The elegantly named  "Beer up the Butt Chicken" was so moist and flavorful.  This chicken received its name from the method of grilling... with a beer can shoved into its cavity.  The invasive beer can added much flavor and moisture and was well worth the intrusion to the bird.  (so says me)

Some of our group enjoyed a trip down the Snake River as we winded through the ever present scenic mountains teeming with wildlife. 

And of course my husband needs his snack of local cheese to heighten the experience.  

It rained on our official kick off party but it didn't dampen our merriment nor the beauty of the surrounding mountains.

The rehearsal dinner was a "Shin-dig" at a local barbecue joint called "Q".  The happy couple is just practicin' for the real thing.

And then the stunning wedding with the imposing Tetons witnessing their vows along with the rest of us...

My daughter was thrilled to be her Aunt Amanda's flower girl.  The bride was truly beautiful... she glowed from within that day.  Every detail was delightful...

Good bye Jackson Hole.. I'll miss your ever-present scenic mountains surrounding me from every angle and your amazing wildlife meandering throughout.  Now back to sea-level and moist air where the white clouds of Florida will have to stand in "ghost like" as my Tetons.  

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Ahhh the sweet juicy flesh of a ripe mango... it is such a sensual fruit if ever there was one.  Are we certain that Eve didn't lure Adam with a mango instead of an apple?  I adore mango season and it is in full swing around here as my grand-daddy sized mango tree is in high production mode.  Our biggest predicament is finding new ways to enjoy these luscious gems dangling from our tree.  

I was watching and waiting on the above mango for days... waiting for it to become fully ripened on the tree.  It was hanging low and on the edge of our yard right next to the golf course so I knew it was in jeopardy of being plucked by a passing golfer, or if it fell to the ground the squirrels would nibble upon its juicy flesh before I could get to it.  It was a gamble, knowing just the right time to pick this perfect mango.  Well I apparently lost the game to a sticky fingered golfer (literally and figuratively).  One morning I noticed the mango was gone... oh well, I truly hope the golfer enjoyed that perfect mango as much as I did waiting for it.  So, on to watching and waiting for the next perfect mango, fortunately, there are a bountiful bunch to choose from.

Recently, my daughter has been interested in developing her knife skills and helping me to chop the vegetables needed for this salad.  At this point, it is much more work for me to help an eight year old chop them safely and properly than to just quickly bang out the job myself, but safe and effective knife skills are an essential life long skill for those who like to cook and I hope to pass on that capability to her.  Plus, it is great fun to have her in the kitchen with me!

Mango Salad

This goes nicely with a piece of grilled fish such as grouper or sea bass or any other white fleshed fish.

1 pound ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 cup minced red onion

1 lime, juiced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Add remaining ingredients and gently toss until

coated.

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For 30 days, my husband, Mike, and I are going gluten-free, not for reasons of celiac disease or even gluten intolerance.  After my husband had a friend, Dr. David Perlmutter, recommended the book  "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, MD, he wanted to give it a try and see if we would feel as good as they say after the 30 days. We love to try things for 30 days... you can do anything for 30 days and some of our best habits have started out this way.  

Currently we are coming upon week three and so far so great.  Mike has quickly dropped 6 pounds and we both feel overall more energetic.  Most of the foods we eat are naturally gluten free but I had to try my hand at some baked goods as a little treat.  I must admit, I was extremely sceptical of chocolate chip cookies made with brown rice flour, amaranth flour and tapioca starch in lieu of all purpose flour.  But these were fantastic... with a slightly nutty flavor and nicely chewy.  

Not until after my children had gobbled down a couple cookies each, did I reveal that they were gluten free.  It didn't faze them in the least.  Just today my daughter asked me today to make those "cookies without glue" again.  I couldn't imagine what she meant until she said, "you know, those "glue free" cookies."  So here you have it... no Elmers glue in these cookies!

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip cookies with Fleur de Sel 

(recipe from the mostly gluten- free and beautiful blog, Cannelle et Vanille)

makes 2 dozen cookies

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup natural cane sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, at room temperature

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup amaranth flour

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus more for topping

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine the butter, brown sugar, natural cane sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer using your paddle attachment on medium speed for two minutes.  Add the egg and mix until combined.

In a bowl, mix together the brown rice flour, amaranth flour, tapioca starch, fleur de sel and baking soda. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together.  Add the chocolate chips and mix.

Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and roll into a log that is about 2" in diameter and 12" long. Refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the log into 1/2 disks and place on a cookie sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper.  Sprinkle the tops with a little bit of fleur de sel.  

Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until they are slightly golden around the edges.  They should look a bit undercooked as they will harden as they cool but will remain chewy.

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One of my husband's many talents is roasting the perfect chicken.  Over the years he has fine tuned his recipe and every time he roasts a chicken, he claims it is truly simple.  This is one of the basics in cooking that everyone should master before leaving home.  And if you have long since left home and still haven't mastered the roast chicken, today is your lucky day because now is your chance.  

Introducing our Charlie Brown Meyer Lemon tree.  We planted this slightly pathetic tree in honor of a recent anniversary that we celebrated.  Not that the past 19 years have been in any way pathetic, on the contrary, we know that this little tree will flourish like the vine on Jumanji after it gets one rainy season under its belt. We harvested the first ripe lemon from our tree to stuff into Mike's chicken.  Wave at him there on the bottom left branch in the above photo.

Ripe and ready to pluck, our very first Meyer lemon pictured with the thyme from our garden.  I think that if any part of a meal is grown at home, it makes the enjoyment of the food that much more intense.   

Not a very ladylike position for a chicken, but one must stuff the cavity with the aromatic thyme and lemons.

Legs crossed, all trussed up and ready for the oven.  In an hour and a half we will have a golden and juicy chicken for dinner.

Basic Roasted Chicken with Meyer Lemon and Thyme

1 fresh, preferable organic 3 1/2 to 4 pound chicken

2 tablespoons butter

1 large bunch of thyme

1 lemon cut into slices

2 tablespoons butter

kosher salt and pepper 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

To make carving easier, remove the wishbone.  Lift up the flap of skin.  Insert a small knife into each end of the breast and slice diagonally along both sides of the wishbone.  Loosen the bone with your fingers and pry it out.  Remove any lumps of fat in the cavity. Cut off the wing tips at the joint.  

Gently slide your fingers under the skin of the breasts to loosen.  Slide 1 tablespoon of butter under the skin of each breast.  Stuff the chicken with the lemons and thyme.  Truss the chicken shut with cooking twine.  Drizzle the bird with olive olive and sprinkle salt and pepper and some leaves of thyme.  

Roast on a roasting pan in a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 400 degrees and roast for another 50 minutes  or slightly more, depending on the size of the bird.  Check for doneness by piercing the breast of the chicken with the tines of a carving fork.  If the juices run perfectly clear yellow then it is done.  If their is a trace of pink, it is not done.  Place on a cutting board and let the bird rest for 15 minutes before carving.  

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