Thanks to Ana at Sweet Almond Tree for choosing our Halloween themed dessert – jack o’lantern oranges with sorbet. I used orange sherbet for mine. This is a really cute dessert that would be perfect for little kids. Carving a pumpkin is a lot of work for little kids and takes forever in their eyes. This is quick and then you get to fill it to make a nice little dessert. Loved it!

It’s my pick for next week and I already know what I want to do! The Chocolate Beet Cake from November Living (if you need the recipe, let me know).

Thanks to Ana at Sweet Almond Tree for choosing our Halloween themed dessert – jack o’lantern oranges with sorbet. I used orange sherbet for mine. This is a really cute dessert that would be perfect for little kids. Carving a pumpkin is a lot of work for little kids and takes forever in their eyes. … Read more →

I recently bought a package of Paper Chef Parchment Bags to try. These are bags made out of parchment designed for cooking. I loved the concept – just put the food in the bag and fold one end.

I decided to try a new recipe for kale (serves 4)

3 cups packed kale leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

2 ounces cooked chopped pancetta or bacon

I preheated the oven to 400, placed my ingredients in the bag and shook them up a bit. I placed it on a baking sheet and baked for 15 minutes. I lifted the bag, about to give it another little shake, and it ripped. It had soaked through (something that has never happened to me with parchment paper).

The kale, however, was delicious. I would make this again in a parchment paper packet (kale on the bottom, other ingredients on the top). The cheese gave it a nice bit of creaminess and the pancetta gave it a little smokiness. In the past I’ve been puzzled by kale – it wasn’t a veggie I ate as a kid and so I have been looking for ways to make it. This one is a winner.

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the bags. It ripped immediately. I also felt it did not create as nice of a presentation. The bag was not flat on the bottom, so you would need to lay it on its side, put your food in from the side, fold it and then cut it open to have a dish you could take from bag to plate easily. With parchment you just unfold and there your dish is sitting.

Maybe if you double bagged the food it would work. I use Wilton parchment and I have never had it rip.

I recently bought a package of Paper Chef Parchment Bags to try. These are bags made out of parchment designed for cooking. I loved the concept – just put the food in the bag and fold one end. I decided to try a new recipe for kale (serves 4) 3 cups packed kale leaves salt … Read more →

I was dying to try making my own sauerkraut after seeing Martha’s article on it in October Living. It sounded so easy! My mom remembers her German grandmother making homemade sauerkraut, which she kept in a crock on the kitchen counter. My mom says she just remembers it smelling awful. I wasn’t afraid (and mine actually did not smell at all).

To start you thinly slice up a head of cabbage and mix it with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon caraway seeds. You let it sit for about 5 minutes then you are supposed to squeeze the cabbage to release the juices. This was not easy! I kept squeezing and squeezing, and didn’t get much. Next you’re supposed to put it in a jar and cover it with a cabbage leaf and put a lid on it, opening it each day to let the air out. I decided to follow the method in a book I have, DIY Delicious, and instead covered the jar with a cloth attached with a rubber band. You were supposed to make sure the cabbage was covered in the liquid. It was, but barely. You leave it out on the counter for several days until it reaches the sourness you like. I left mine out for 5 days and it did not get very sour, but that was ok with me. (Next time I will let it sit a little longer, just to experiment with the level of sourness).

The problem I did have was that the liquids evaporated a bit and it grew kind of a white crust on top (which I scooped out) after a few days. I checked with some friends who said that was ok – and also that I probably should have added some water if the liquid went down (I’ll do that next time).

I put my jar in the fridge for a few days, then decided it was time to use it in a dish, so I came up with this hearty supper:

4 bone-in pork chops

1 small shallot, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

4 slices bread

3 corn muffins

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups sauerkraut

4 apples, cored

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

Spray an 8×12 pan with cooking spray. Cut a deep, wide pocket in each chop. Rip up the bread and muffins and mix with shallot, garlic, sage, thyme, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add water until the stuffing is moist enough that it holds together. Stuff the chops and place them in the pan. Season them with salt and pepper.

Distribute the sauerkraut around and on the chops. Cut each apple into 4 slices and place on top of the chops. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours, or until the chops are completely cooked. Be sure to spoon some of the liquid from the pan onto your chop and stuffing when you serve it.

This was fantastic. First of all, the kraut. It wasn’t very sour at all, but it had a little bite. It tasted so much fresher and sweeter than kraut I’ve purchased in the past. I will definitely be making this again, particularly since you can keep it in the fridge for months. And this time I’ll add a little water.

The chops baked up very moist, which pork chops often do not do when they are baked. The kraut and apples added moisture and lots of flavor. The stuffing had interest because of the corn muffins. The apples were tender and pretty and tasted delicious with the chops and kraut.

This was the perfect fall meal! I want to make it again soon because I just could not get enough of it!

I was dying to try making my own sauerkraut after seeing Martha’s article on it in October Living. It sounded so easy! My mom remembers her German grandmother making homemade sauerkraut, which she kept in a crock on the kitchen counter. My mom says she just remembers it smelling awful. I wasn’t afraid (and mine … Read more →

To celebrate the publication of my new book, The Parchment Paper Cookbook, I’m giving away a copy. To enter, leave a comment on this post.

You must enter by midnight ET on Wednesday October 26. I’ll randomly and blindly select the winner by random number drawing (numbers assigned in order of comments here). Sorry, offer limited to U.S. addresses only and entrants age 18 and up only. One entry per person. Winners notified by email given when entering, not responsible for email transmission problems. You are responsible for notifying me of your correct mailing address if you are selected as a winner. Contest closes at midnight Eastern time on 10/26/11. Prize is nontransferable and may not be redeemed for cash. NoPotCooking reserves the right to announce the name of the winner on the blog.

And if you’re feeling lucky, you should also enter to win a subscription to Everyday Food Magazine on my MarthaAndMe blog.

To celebrate the publication of my new book, The Parchment Paper Cookbook, I’m giving away a copy. To enter, leave a comment on this post. You must enter by midnight ET on Wednesday October 26. I’ll randomly and blindly select the winner by random number drawing (numbers assigned in order of comments here). Sorry, offer … Read more →

October 22 marks the third anniversary of MarthaAndMe. It’s been a fun and amazing three years. I started out the first year blogging every single day, and unofficially apprenticing myself to Martha. I learned so much in that year and it ended up being a great bootcamp for me. In year two, I slowed things down and added in my own recipes. The third year was an even bigger change, with more and more of my own recipes. I also wrote and sold three cookbooks in year three! I have Martha and this blog to thank for that!

Along the way I’ve made some great friends, tried new and different projects, and continued to expand my love of cooking and my skills with decorating, organizing and (sometimes!) crafting. What will this fourth year bring? I don’t know for sure, but I do know Martha Mondays continues (click the tab at the top of the blog to learn and to join!), I’ll continue to share my own recipes and my forays into Martha’s world. Cookbook #1 (The Parchment Paper Cookbook – You can enter to win a copy of that on my other blog) is out. The Organized Kitchen and The Muffin Tin Cookbook will be coming soon. I’m contemplating a major site redesign this year as well, so that will be an exciting change.

Mostly I want to thank all of you who have followed me, commented, read along, popped in occasionally, and become my friends. My thank you gift to you is a one year subscription to Everyday Food Magazine. I’m giving away one to a lucky reader. To enter, just leave a comment on this post.

You must enter by midnight ET on Wednesday October 26. I’ll randomly and blindly select the winner by random number drawing (numbers assigned in order of comments here). Sorry, offer limited to U.S. addresses only and entrants age 18 and up only. One entry per person. Winners notified by email given when entering, not responsible for email transmission problems. You are responsible for notifying me of your correct mailing address if you are selected as a winner. Contest closes at midnight Eastern time on 10/26/11. Prize is nontransferable and may not be redeemed for cash. MarthaAndMe reserves the right to announce the name of the winner on the blog.

October 22 marks the third anniversary of MarthaAndMe. It’s been a fun and amazing three years. I started out the first year blogging every single day, and unofficially apprenticing myself to Martha. I learned so much in that year and it ended up being a great bootcamp for me. In year two, I slowed things … Read more →

Sweet Almond Tree has chosen Orange Jack O’Lanterns with Sorbet for Monday. Can’t wait to see how everyone’s turns out!

Sweet Almond Tree has chosen Orange Jack O’Lanterns with Sorbet for Monday. Can’t wait to see how everyone’s turns out!

It was a cold night and I was down in the dumps. The cure? Cozy, warm, fall comfort food. I put together this tian (which is kind of like a gratin, minus all the tons of butter and cream) and let it slowly cook in the oven. It came out perfectly – pretty and tasty. It serves 4 with leftovers.

1 parsnip, peeled, thinly sliced

1/8 large sweet onion thinly sliced

15 baby carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 rutabaga, peeled and thinly sliced

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

Thyme

Olive oil

1/4 cup heavy cream

Cut a 24 inch piece of parchment. Make about a 9 inch circle with the parsnips, layering them over each other around the circle and in the middle. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle half the onions on top. Layer carrots on top of this and repeat salt, pepper, thyme, oil, onion. Then layer rutabaga, repeating seasonings and toppings. Layer potato slices on top, repeating toppings again. Pour cream over the entire thing. Fold the parchment (see Technique page on this blog) – for this one I used the folded ends instead of the twisted ends. Bake at 350 for an hour.

You could add chopped garlic to this, grated cheese (Parmesan would be my pick, included in the layers), or 1/4 cup milk to boost the creaminess. You could also drizzle with melted butter instead of olive oil for a deeper flavor. I liked it being pretty basic and was able to enjoy all the flavors of the vegetables.

It was a cold night and I was down in the dumps. The cure? Cozy, warm, fall comfort food. I put together this tian (which is kind of like a gratin, minus all the tons of butter and cream) and let it slowly cook in the oven. It came out perfectly – pretty and tasty. … Read more →

I was really excited about this recipe, Savory French Toast, chosen by Tiny Skillet. I love recipes that take boring old concepts and reinterpret them in fun new ways. This one was totally up my alley. It was pretty easy to make, so no problems on that front (basically French toast but you cook mushrooms and onions first and chop half up and put them in the batter; the rest go on top). It did taste like French toast, but as my son said as he wrinkled up his freckled nose: “It tastes like mushrooms.” I actually did not think it tasted that much like mushrooms and if I make this again, I would probably at least double the amount of the vegetables so that there would be more on top when served. I think I would also crumble the bacon and mix it in with the mushrooms and onions. And I would likely use milk instead of cream. My verdict: I liked it a lot, but I had to sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on the top to make it feel complete, otherwise it was somehow like eating naked French toast (I was kind of longing for a sauce of some kind, but am not sure what). Mr. MarthaAndMe liked it as well. TeenMartha wasn’t home and missed out on this one. Thumbs up and this was a fun one to try!

I was really excited about this recipe, Savory French Toast, chosen by Tiny Skillet. I love recipes that take boring old concepts and reinterpret them in fun new ways. This one was totally up my alley. It was pretty easy to make, so no problems on that front (basically French toast but you cook mushrooms … Read more →

Check out the new book trailer for The Parchment Paper Cookbook. Amazon is shipping the book already, so you can get yours now!

Check out the new book trailer for The Parchment Paper Cookbook. Amazon is shipping the book already, so you can get yours now!

If you’re curious about my new book The Parchment Paper Cookbook, you can check out the new book trailer for it. Amazon is already shipping it (ahead of schedule), so you can get yours now!

If you’re curious about my new book The Parchment Paper Cookbook, you can check out the new book trailer for it. Amazon is already shipping it (ahead of schedule), so you can get yours now!