Sharing Delicious Art

Sharing Art and Food

This past weekend was VERY exciting!  Galentine's Day (February 13th) was spent dining and laughing with an incredible group of ladies.  We made plans to eat an see a movie.  Sign of a good night...we were having so much fun at dinner that we blanked on the movie and just opted to drink wine and talk until 1:00am!  In honor of Valentine's and Love, I shared some treats with the ladies.  I made these incredibly decadent chocolate cookies that were packed with peanut butter, chocolate, toffee, and oats.

So full of GOODIES!!

These bad boys came out pretty good but I wish they were a little more chewy...so let me test this one before I share the recipe!

Looking good! (despite the hideous wood paneling...)

The best SHARE of the weekend was a sharing of theatre on Valentine's Day!  ArmChair Theatre is a group here on Nantucket that hosts an evening of theatre and food.  This is a free event and everyone who attends is encouraged to bring a dish to share and everyone gathers to shares food and wine.

The crew gathers around the goodies

A gathering of Artists and Art Lovers

We all gather around in a cozy room to listen to a play.  This past week we read Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo.  My hubs and I were part of the cast that read and it was so wonderful acting with him.  It brings me so much joy!

Preparing for the Read

"We get to act together?!?!"

Sharing Delicious is not just about food.  It is really about the act of Sharing!  How can we all be generous and share our time, our energy and our love?  I look forward to more evenings of sharing Art, Community and Food!

  

Super Sunday, Part 2

Super Sunday, Part 2

Super Bowl...it is just the best!  I would not describe myself as a football super-fan but I am a fan of gathering together with awesome friends and sharing delicious snacks!  I also just love the ritual of football.  It is a comforting Sunday tradition that brings people together...what's not to like!

Jonathan and I decided to have a little competition to make this Super Bowl extra exciting.  We had a battle of the cheese dips!

We made 

Beer Cheese Dip

The Recipe  

 and

Vegan Queso

The Recipe

The mix for the vegan queso!

Thank you Food52.com and CookieandKate.com for the great recipes!

We also decided to make homemade soft pretzels!  

Pretzel Recipe

We had a blast putting these together and we will definitely be making them again soon.

Ah...the KithchenAid!  It is my favorite tool!

Mastering the technique

We were curious about what gives the pretzels their distinct flavor.  The answer: A Warm Bath!  You simmer the dough in a mix of water, baking soda, and brown sugar and that is what gives them their pretzel-ness.  The recipe said they would come out "shaggy".  I love that description.

Simmering away!

Once they were simmered, they baked for 18 minutes and this is what came out of the oven!

Chewy, Soft Pretzels!

We brought all the goodies to a friends house and they were a hit!! Non-vegans ate up that queso and LOVED it!  There was not a clear winner for the dips. We decided they were both just too good.

Our Spread!

Our snacks were in good company.  We had chili and mac and cheese and dips galore!  Our friend made his family's traditional Clam Chowder.  This recipe is handed down to the sons when they get married...its a secret and a beautiful tradition.  Food and tradition...friends and wine...It was a good day!

View from our Super Bowl Party!

GO DENVER!!!

Super Sunday, Part 1

Super Sunday, Part 1

Sundays are just the best.  It is a time for really good coffee, walks and making really delicious food.

Chemex...the best

Hand grinding the beans...bless him!

A morning stroll

I started my morning with a little project.  I am a grapefruit fanatic.  It's a love affair that borders on obsession.  I peel them like oranges and go to town.  Last week I realized that all those delicious grapefruit peels should not go to waste.

I decided to save the peels to create a yummy little treat,

Candied Grapefruit Peels
Spiced with Cardamom and Cinnamon

Ingredients
Peels from 4-5 Medium Grapefruits
1 cup sugar, more for dusting
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
4-5 cardamom pods
1 star anise

Cut the grapefruit peels into small pieces or strips.  My were all shapes and sizes because I didn't want to waste.  Put the peels in a large pot and cover with cold water.  Bring the peels to a hard boil, drain and repeat 3 more times.  This helps to get rid of some of the bitterness in the peels and gives them a gummy-candy texture.

After you go through the boil, drain, repeat activity, put the peels back into the pot with 1 cup of water, 1 cups of sugar, and the spices.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer the peels for 20-30 minutes.  After the simmer, drain the peels BUT SAVE THE LIQUID.  It's perfect for cocktails.  Mix that with some gin and club soda...YUM!!

Put the peels on a drying rack and let them dry for 5-6 hours.

After they dry, place them in a bag with sugar and give it a shake.  And now you have these delicious little morsels of grapefruit goodness!

I did some research to find this recipe and I used a combination of techniques.
Check out http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/simple-candied-orange-peel-350798
and http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/candied-grapefruit-peel