Category Archives: Cooking

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Caramelized Pear and Arugula Salad

Wow! Do I have a lot to talk about.

First, I really enjoyed not blogging for a week, and staying as far away from the internet as possible. Second . . . I’m glad to be back!

So much has happened in the past few weeks–my band’s first experience playing at a wedding–the marvellous wedding of Kevin and Katina! This included the Chicken Dance, in case you were curious. Jazz was sung. Tambourines were hit repeatedly, and hard. I was also the backup photographer, so there’s a whole ‘nother can of something. A Christmas party for Lydia high school students that I photographed. Our Christmas celebrations. Our trip to Wisconsin. Baby James! A visit with my grandparents (yes, the notorious Mama Kitty). Our New Years party! And the inevitable return to ye squeaky chair in ye Chi-town office.

Wow, wow, wow. Do you know how many pictures await processing? Do you know?? You don’t want to know. Heck, I don’t want to know. Even thinking about opening Photoshop makes me get cold shivers up and down my spine. By indulging in excessive photography, I’ve gone and created a beast.

So my simple solution is to take it nice and easy. Nothing ever happens in January and February anyway, right? So I can take my time and blog about December for the next 6 to 8 weeks?

Oh, good–I’m so glad you don’t mind.

Now let’s talk food.

Do you all know Donna Hay? She’s an Australian recipe developer and food stylist, and I latched on to one of her cookbooks during my first year of marriage. Latched on and didn’t let go. That Christmas everyone got a Donna Hay cookbook for Christmas. The photography and the simplicity of her recipes make her books fabulous–they’ve got the looks and the goods.

So based on the very first Donna Hay recipe that ever graced my table, I bring you an incredible salad. It serves 4 as an appetizer or side, or you can do as I did and simply have it as the main and only dish for dinner (in that case it serves 2).

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

2 oz (4 TBS or 1/2 stick) butter
3 TBS white wine vinegar
1 TBS brown sugar
2 firm brown pears
1/2 cup walnuts
4 oz arugula or mixed greens
5 oz soft blue cheese such as Cambozola

Wash, core and quarter the brown pears. Why must they be brown, you ask? Well, Donna says so. And I think the brown kind are softer than the green kind . . . maybe?

Place the butter, vinegar and brown sugar in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

When the butter is melted, add the pears (flesh-side down) to the skillet.

Well bless my buttons, it’s a perfect fit! Oh lawsy.

Sprinkle in the walnuts too.

Cook for 8 minutes, until the pears are just softened. Turn the pears halfway so that both sides of the flesh get browned.

Not quite there . . .

But close. We’re looking for this lovely color:

Yes, yes, yes. Make sure you move the walnuts around during this time if they appear to be burning.

Cut the blue cheese into slices or wedges.

Place the arugula or mixed greens on serving plates and top with the pears and walnuts.

As long as you’re not afraid of a little butter, spoon the pan juices over the salad and top off each plate with a slice or two of blue cheese.

Let’s cut into one of these delectable pieces of fruit . . .

Mmmmmm. You won’t know how good this is until you taste it yourself!

So what are you waiting for??

(Sorry, am I coming on a little strong? Because I really love this salad, see.)

Happy New Year everyone! I can’t wait to read about your holiday experiences on all your blogs–I’ll be stopping by to catch up asap!

Click here for printer-friendly version: Caramelized Pear and Arugula Salad

Christmas cake revisited

We’re getting ready to go to my in-laws’ for Christmas–we leave tomorrow, as soon as I get off work. The day after Christmas, we’re connecting with Heidi, Mike and little James in Indianapolis and driving to Wisconsin, where we’ll spend three days with my parents and touch in with Mama Kitty and Big Jake. From there, my husband and I hop on a train back to Chicago, where our good friend Tyler and his lovely lady Liz will be at our apartment (we mailed them a key in case you’re curious). And the day after that, we head to South Bend for our annual New Years party!

So if you’re wondering where the heck I am in the days to come, now you know.

The preparations involve:

-Packing for a week, and light enough that we can carry it all back on the train.

-Packing every single outfit I may possibly want to wear . . . which conflicts with the whole concept of ‘packing light.’ I’ll be duking it out with the suitcase tonight.

-Packing up my old camera for bequeathment to Heidi–more about that soon!

-Cleaning the house! We can’t have Tyler and Liz entering a den of filth.

-Trying to rid the hallway once and for all of its weird funk. Help me, Airwick!

–Figure out the computer situation so that I can manage to log in remotely to my work computer on a daily basis. Yep, I’m “off” for the week between Christmas and New Years . . . but not quite “off” if you know what I mean.

Presents have already been transported to Indiana, materials to make my annual Christmas cake await in the kitchen of my mother-in-law Sara, and, well, there you have it. Now if you feel the need to send Christmas mojo, good karma, well wishes, or prayers my way, you can locate me . . . in your mind.

Alrighty then! For the rest of what I want to share this morning, check out this link, which will take you to my post last year about Christmas cake. My husband and I don’t have a lot of traditions at this point. We’ve never celebrated Christmas on our own, and have no kiddos. But the one thing that I’ve made a point to do every year is whip up an angel food cake and . . . well, you can read it about it yourself. It’s my favoritest thing. It makes me feel all Christmassy inside.

So! Where are all of you going to be next week? And anyone want to jump on the Christmas cake bandwagon?