Tuscan Farro and Bean Soup

There are many, many, many wonderful things about my job that I love - the work event that took place last Wednesday would qualify as one of those wonderful things. We hosted a book event at the once Marshall Fields now Macy's department store on State Street. No matter how many times I go into that store, I am forever lost. I forget which entrance I came in, which floor the item I am looking for is on and don't even begin to ask me where the restrooms are.

The fact that I would willingly, with a smile on my face, attend an author event says something about the author being featured. I am not a book lover. I haven't read most of the classics. I haven't completed the Harry Potter series. I'm not up on the Top Ten List of the New York Times Bestsellers. I don't participate in a book club. The idea of not being a reader used to bother me. Surely, I should take 5-10 years and spend some time tackling that enormous list, but I honestly am just not interested. I have different interests and reading literary pieces of work just isn't one of them.

The author that was highlighted at our book event was Gale Gand, who was promoting her new book Brunch. Gale once hosted a Food Network TV show called Sweet Dreams and she is currently the pastry chef at Tru in Chicago. Dawn was gracious enough (no threatening or bribing was involved, honest) to give me the task of sitting at the table with Gale as she signed her books. I contemplated whether or not to stand next to Gale as she signed, remaining slightly out of the way, but secretly wanting to be as close to her as possible. When I saw the empty chair sitting right next to her, empty, I immediately snatched it. It was amazing to sit next to Gale for an hour, chat with her, listen to her interact with the guests, share her food memories, recipe tips and cooking advice. She was so normal and yet so inspiring. The raspberry bread pudding that she did a cooking demo for lived up to her pastry chef superstar reputation - so creamy and delicious.

As I continue to clean out my pantry cabinet this month, the list of possible recipes seem to be throwing themselves at me - so many choices and yet not quite enough pantry staples to go around. This cleaning project gives me good reason to go out to the store and restock the cupboard with new ingredients that I haven't passed over for months on end. The winning pantry ingredients for this recipe were my almost empty bag of borlotti beans from Rancho Gordo and a remaining half package of farro. I promise to slow down on the soup recipes once the Chicago weather takes a turn for the better. Well who are we kidding, you might as well sit back and relax and buy yourself a new Le Creuset soup pot, because it's going to be a long winter.

This soup is extremely simple to make as long as you have about 2-3 hours to be around the house while it simmers on the stove. And bonus points if you have an immersion blender, as it makes the process even easier. This soup makes for a great meal because it has the protein and richness from the beans as well as a nice chew with the tender bite of farro. The original recipe called for water instead of stock, but I thought stock would give it more flavor. I also spiced it up with a little red pepper flakes. Healthy, hearty and warming - what more could you ask for?

Tuscan Farro and Bean Soup

adapted from Epicurious

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1 cup dried borlotti beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

6 small carrots, coarsely chopped

2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2 boxes chicken stock

2 cups of water

1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup parsley

10 fresh sage leaves

3 springs of fresh thyme

1 cup whole grain farro

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Place dried beans in a large bowl. Cover completely with water. Let soak for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic - saute for about 10 minutes until vegetables start to soften. Stir in chicken broth, water, drained beans, canned tomatoes, parsley, sage and thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, keeping the soup at a bare simmer. Cook on the stove for about 2-3 hours until the beans are completely cooked through. You may need to add more liquid as the soup continues to cook.

Discard the sprigs of thyme. Use your immersion blender to puree the soup completely. Add farro, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Simmer on the stove until the farro is cooked through - about 30 minutes.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

I'm gradually going through my pantry cupboard to try and rid myself of the half open bags of rice, scraps of different dried pasta, random cans of sauce and plastic containers of mixed grains that seem to be taking up space on my 2 shelves designated to be canned/dried goods. I go through cans of tuna, canned beans, crushed tomatoes and cartons of chicken broth as if it's going out of style - but other items not so much. I am not a rice fan. I wouldn't go as far to say I despise it, but I'm very comfortable admitting it is not my favorite food. A rice cooker will never be on my wedding registry.

To prove to myself that I was serious about this whole going through the pantry thing and being truly inspired to use these ingredients instead of throwing them out - I went ahead and made a pot of the wild brown rice blend last night - eek. I haven't sat down for dinner yet tonight so there is still time to change my mind, but I do have plans to eat it with some sauteed tofu and roasted butternut squash.

A couple of months ago I was eating dinner over at Ben's condo with with him and Anne. I don't remember what we were having that night but I do remember the small plastic container of chewy chocolate cookies that were sitting on the counter. Anne nonchalantly offered one to me. I'm not a huge fan of cookies. I love my dessert via the ice cream route and can easily pass up a plate of cookies sitting in from of me. In short, I wasn't expecting all that much from the taste test - but oh was I way off base. WOW. These cookies were extremely chewy, densely rich in chocolate flavor yet light as air. It was really the perfect sweet bite. Anne and I both continue to talk about these cookies from Whole Foods and I was set on finding a recipe to recreate it.

If you haven't made a recipe from my blog, I would really, really, really suggest and hope that you would be inspired to make this one. These cookies I made are that good - and that means a lot coming from a non-cookie lover. I'm sure you have the ingredients in your kitchen right now: powdered sugar, egg whites, vanilla, cocoa powder and espresso powder. There is no oil, butter or flour in this cookie - which is perfect for the gluten free folks. A slightly healthy - you wouldn't ever know it - delicious chocolate cookie.

A few tips for the recipe:

1. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray as well. The cookies are a little sticky when putting onto the baking sheet, so this will ensure easy removal.

2. Use a tablespoon to scoop your batter - it keeps a great uniform shape. Slightly wet your fingers once you place the dough on the cookie sheet to help shape the cookie into a smooth, round circle shape. Also tap the top of the dough lightly to slightly flatten the cookie.

3. Feel free to add toasted walnuts to the batter. I made half with walnuts and half without. I preferred those without nuts.

4. I thought the cookies were better the second day. They get chewier, which is the ideal texture you are going for.

5. Use a good brand of cocoa powder. I know you might be tempted to use the Hershey's that is in your cupboard, but slightly splurge on a better brand. It will truly make a difference.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

adapted from King Arthur Flour

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2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, espresso powder and cocoa powder. Put the egg whites and vanilla into your mixing bowl. On low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. The batter will seem dry at first, but after about 2-3 minutes of mixing on low speed it will become very shiny. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 2-3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray - this helps to make sure the cookies won't stick. Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and put it onto the baking sheet. Lightly wet your fingers and form the dough into a circle, and lightly press down on the top of the cookie to flatten it slightly. Bake the cookies for 13 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will store in an airtight container for days.

Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding

I think I say this every Sunday afternoon, but where does the weekend go? Apparently, three days goes by just as quickly as two when you are away from the office. Mom was in town on Friday and Saturday for a day of dress shopping in the city for the upcoming wedding. Being the host for the weekend, I volunteered to pick the restaurant for dinner on Friday. Thank goodness for OpenTable which allows you to make reservations online for just about any restaurant in Chicago. It's also the perfect accessory for someone who changes their mind every time the wind blows - could you imagine how many phone calls I would have to make if I still had to do it the old-fashioned way?

I started out with reservations at Sunda - too early, switched to Cafe Spiaggia, Ben and Anne decided to join us and I couldn't get a reservation at Cafe Spiaggia for 4, decided to go with Hub 51, didn't think Mom would love dinner at Hub so I changed my mind to get one of the last reservations at Perennial, which time wise then seemed too early in the evening to have dinner, so I made one final switch. My inbox was filled with notification and modification emails from OpenTable.

We ended up having dinner at Bice, which is an Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. I've been past the place more times than I can count, but had yet to step inside. Upon sitting down at the table, I realized I had been pronouncing the name of the restaurant incorrectly for about the past - oh - I don't know, 5 years maybe? I had been pronouncing it 'bee-s' - sounds like peace with a b. Apparently, the correct pronunciation is 'bee-chay'. 9 times out of 10 when eating at an Italian restaurant, I will order the spaghetti with clams - something else caught my eye this time. I had a thick cut pork chop topped with toasted hazelnuts, served over a light chestnut sauce. It was accompanied by a side of sauteed spinach, butternut squash, apples and roasted chestnuts. I finished off the meal with hazelnut gelato. I can't wait to try and recreate the pork dish.

If you haven't read A Homemade Life, written by the Orangette blog creator Molly Wizenberg, I highly suggest you do. Molly also writes a column for Bon Appetit each month titled Cooking Life. I've been wanting to make her Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding recipe that she wrote about in the March 2009 issue for quite sometime now. Last weekend was Dad's birthday and I thought this this would make the perfect dessert. Molly learned to like rice pudding through her Dad's love for the dessert. Her article begins with the line "When it came to food, my father was very predictable" - which just hits home for me. Just like you can predict I will order the spaghetti with clams, you can predict that my Dad will order the spaghetti and meatballs.

The pudding is simple, comforting and absolutely delicious. It was the perfect end to a meal and I am already thinking about the next time I am going to make it. The subtle flavor of the milk, cooked with the sugar and vanilla bean, just creates a bit of creamy goodness in your mouth. I altered Molly's recipe slightly and used 4 cups of whole milk instead of the 3 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream that she called for. I happened to have brown basmati rice on hand and that worked just fine - although I think the cooking time was a little longer because of that. I served the pudding at room temperature with a sprinkle of cinnamon - it would be good served warm or completely chilled too.

Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding

adapted from Molly Wizenberg's Cooking Life column in Bon Appetit (March 2009)

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1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup basmati rice

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Bring 1 1/2 cups water, rice and salt to simmer in a heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Add milk and sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add it to the pot. Increase the heat to medium and cook uncovered until rice is tender and mixture thickens to a soft creamy texture. Stir often for about 45 minutes.

Remove pudding from heat and discard vanilla bean. Divide pudding evenly among small bowls. Serve or press plastic wrap directly onto surface of each pudding and chill thoroughly.

Note: pudding can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Turkey Chili

I've made the statement before that I'm not the world's best chili maker, but I am trying to rectify that situation. It's practically a rule that every good home cook should be able to make a standout pot of chili - especially one who is a Chicago Bears fan and loves to spend a Sunday afternoon with a pot of soup on the stove, cozied up on the couch in sweats, watching the game. If friends decide to come over to watch the game, I don't want to serve them chicken salad and crackers or halibut ceviche with tortilla chips - I want to warm them up with a bowl of my chili. So to get myself on the right path of this chili making ability, I'm on the hunt for a really can't miss recipe. I was searching through Cooks Illustrated online and found this turkey chili recipe.

Just as the chili was starting to simmer, I did a taste test and I must admit that I was slightly disappointed - it didn't taste as I was expecting. Feeling a little dejected, I called home to ask Mom and Dad what ingredients were in the chili that Dad always makes. I tried to explain to my Mom that the chili just didn't taste like Dad's. In a very helpful and understanding tone, she replied with:

Mom: Did you use ground beef?

Me: Well, no I'm using ground turkey - it's healthier.

Mom: (in the background as I hear her talking to my Dad) Emily's on the phone and she can't figure out why her chili doesn't taste like yours - she's not even using ground beef.

Mom: Did you add tomato juice?

Me: Ummm....no, my recipe calls for chicken broth.

Mom: Did you use chili beans?

Me: Well, no, but I have kidney beans in there.

Mom: Why don't you go out an buy a can of chili beans to add to the pot?

Me: I already have 2 cans of beans in there, 3 cans might be a little much.

Mom: Does your recipe call for tomato paste?

Me: No, just crushed and diced tomatoes - but I did use fire roasted.

Mom probably thought I was nuts as she tried to explain to me that the difference in those 4 ingredients was most likely the reason for the taste discrepancy. We hung up. I added a few more spices to the pot, squeezed in a few tablespoons of tomato paste and let the chili simmer away - not really expecting much and slightly frustrated that I had such a large pot of ingredients on the stove that wasn't going to amount to anything special.

I know what you are thinking - wow, Emily, you are really tempting me here to make this chili recipe. The story goes up from here I promise. After a good hour and a half simmer on the stove and the few tweaks I made to the recipe, I did another taste test - and let me tell you, I did a complete 180. Wow - the chili had flavor. It was spicy - both hot and smoky. The beans all of a sudden didn't taste so bland. The soup actually thickened up. It really tasted like a wonderful pot of chili.

So the moral of the story is, don't taste test your chili prematurely. Chili is a pot of love and it needs time to let the ingredients simmer together. Is this my knockout-go-to, must have, can't live without chili recipe? No. But it is a very tasty, healthy pot of chili that just might be exactly what you are looking for on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Turkey Chili

adapted from Cooks Illustrated

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2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, pressed through a garlic press

1/3 cup chili powder

1/4 cup ground cumin

2 tablespoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons red pepper flake

2 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound ground turkey

2 cans kidney beans or chili beans

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 28 oz. can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

3-4 cups chicken broth

Salt

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add onions, red pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flake, oregano and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have begun to soften, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium high. Add the ground turkey and begin to break it up into small pieces as it begins to brown - this will take about 5 minutes.

Add the beans, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Season once again with salt and pepper. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for about an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. If you mixture gets too thick, add a little bit more water or chicken broth. Let cook until the chili has thickened. Season with additional spices if needed. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese and fresh cilantro.

Pumpkin Muffins

My apartment is filled with hand-me down furniture: a kitchen table from the house in Effingham, a handmade bookshelf (originally for Ben) from my Dad, a ceramic tile end table that my Dad and I made together, a green couch that was in our back room at 4603 and Chloe loved to lay on it, high back kitchen chairs from my Grandparents, a cedar chest from my Great Grandma, the bedroom set from when my parents were first married and about 4-5 items that I have 'borrowed' from Ben over the years. I think that aspect of my apartment makes it feel like home. I can look around my place and be surrounded by memories of home.

My Grandpa handmade me this cobalt blue platter as a centerpiece for my kitchen table and I absolutely love it. The bowl has remained empty, sitting on the table just begging to be decorated - Mom to the rescue. Mom brought me fake persimmons to put in the bowl and it is just what that piece needed. I have never tried a persimmon before, so after putting them on display, I thought it was only right that I actually buy one to give it a taste. How awkward would it be for someone to come over, ask me what a persimmon is or what it tastes like and me not have an appropriate answer? Luckily, persimmons have been available in the produce section at Whole Foods.

I can't really say what I was expecting. The inside texture is that of a mango - juicy and creamy - so far so good. The taste however, well where do I begin? I wasn't aware that a piece of fruit could absolutely take every last drop of moisture out of my mouth in one bite. Eating a slice of the fruit created the most uncomfortable, oh my God am I still going to be able to swallow cotton mouth type feeling that I've ever experienced. I don't move quickly - but I was to the refrigerator in no time - downing a few chunks of pineapple to restore the normal flora in my mouth. Needless to say, one bite was enough and now I guess I have a good persimmon story.

Persimmons have nothing to do with the pumpkin muffins that I made last week a la Smitten Kitchen. It was a fall day and my list of possibilities included pumpkin scones, pumpkin muffins or even pumpkin butter - I won't tell you how many different recipes I had printed off for each. This recipe is simple - and that is why I like it. It isn't out of the ordinary yet it produces exactly the muffin I was hoping for. I love that muffins can be made in one big bowl, without pulling out the mixer. I veered from Smitten Kitchen's original recipe by cutting just a touch of sugar and almost tripling the spices. I love the scent and taste of cinnamon, ginger and cloves in my baked goods so I have a heavy hand when adding it to the mix. The muffins have a cinnamon/sugar crunchy layer on the top which keeps you thinking about the next time you get to bite into this muffin.

Pumpkin Muffins

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional:

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray regular sized muffin tin with cooking spray or line tin with muffin liners.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, spices, sugar and eggs in a large bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring just to combine. If you are using the walnuts and cranberries, add them now. In a small separate bowl, stir together the 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon - reserve.

Divide the muffin batter throughout the cups - each cup should be filled about 75% full. Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake until golden brown and puffed - about 25 minutes.

Cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.