Happy Halloween!

Tastes of around India for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the MLCC

 Last night I had the distinct pleasure of presenting the following recipes for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy at the Madison Square MLCC.  Education Coordinator, Bonnie Tulloch, presented on plants from the regions while Scott Strizic of the MLCC presented beverage pairings and the following welcoming beverage.

The Kerala Shrimp and the Aloo Gobi were served on Red Rice that had been parboiled.  It has a lovely nutty bulgur flavour and is available at Dino's Grocery Mart on Notre Dame in Winnipeg.  

The remaining pairings are coming asap.

Indian Spice Milk Punch

4l 2% milk

1 can coconut milk

1 can cream of coconut

1 lemon rind strip

1 star anise, whole

1 tsp whole cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

Amaretto Liqueur, optional

Bring first 8 ingredients to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring often.  Strain into heatproof pitcher.  Add Amaretto liqueur, 2 tbs per one cup just prior to serving.

Enjoy!

1. Kerala Shrimp

1/4 kg small shrimp
1 tsp ground chilies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp vinegar

1 tbs cooking oil (grapeseed oil or canola so as to not add flavour)
1 large onion, chopped
a few curry leaves
1/4 tsp. paprika or chili powder (depending on how spicy you like the food)
1 tsp coconut oil (optional)

Clean and marinate shrimp in chilies, turmeric and vinegar at least 1/2 hour before cooking.

Heat oil in pan and saut� onion until golden brown. Remove from oil and set aside. Fry the shrimp in the same oil until crispy. Then add the fried onion, curry leaves and optional paprika or chili powder on low heat. Add the coconut oil for good Keralan flavour. Test for salt and serve with rice, roti or chappati, etc.

2. Bengali Squash
4-5 small zucchini or yellow squash (I am also using winter squashes, peeled)
2 tbs mustard oil
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds, crushed
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp sugar
pinch salt

Slice zucchini or squash lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Heat the oils in a large wok or a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the turmeric, mustard, cayenne and sugar and fry for about 10 seconds. Add the zucchini and cook, turning and moving the slices for about 3-5 minutes until softened through but not mushy.

Remove the slices and drain of oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss. Serve hot. If any oil is remaining, reserve for reuse.

Enjoy!

3, Aloo gobi

• 2 cups of cut cauliflower (cut into small florets)
• 2 medium potatoes (cubed into bite sized pieces)
• 1/2 inch shredded ginger
• 3 teaspoons coriander powder (dhania)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( lal mirch)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons oil
• Pinch of Asafetida (Hing)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 green chilies, sliced in long pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro (green coriander)
• 1/4 cup water as needed
• � cup raisins
• � cup chopped cashews

Method:

1. In a small bowl, mix the shredded ginger, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and 3 tablespoons of water to make a paste.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add hing and cumin seeds to the oil after seeds crack add the bay leaves and green chilies and stir for a few seconds.
4. Next, add the spice paste and stir for a minute until spices start leaving the oil.
5. Add cauliflower, potatoes, 2 tablespoons of water and salt. Mix well. Cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Make sure to stir gently every 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Lastly, add the mango powder and fresh cilantro (green coriander). Mix everything and cover for a minute. Adjust the salt to your taste.

Variations:

Add some green peas and/or sliced red bell peppers. The red bell peppers should be added at the end of the recipe as they cook quickly.

Tips:

Making a paste with the spices will prevent the spices from burning.

4. Squash Halwa- Easy Diwali Sweet Recipe

• Acorn Squash- 1
• Milk- � cup
• Condensed milk- � can or 150 ml
• Saffron, strands (optional)- � tsp strands soaked in 1 tbsp milk
• Ghee- 4 tbsp
• Roasted Almonds, whole or chopped- � cup (roasted in � tbsp ghee)

1. Peel the skin off the squash and dice it into medium size.
2. In a non-stick cooking pan, cook the diced squash in water till it turns tender and well cooked.
3. Drain the water from the cooked squash and put it back into the pan.
4. Using a wooden spoon, mash the cooked squash without any lumps.
5. Switch on the stove to medium heat and place the pan with the mashed squash over it.
6. Add milk and combine well stirring constantly breaking any lumps present in it.
7. Add the condensed milk to it and combine well stirring constantly.
8. Pour 2 tbsp of ghee at this point and keep stirring.
9. If you are adding saffron, add the soaked saffron to the mixture.
10. Let it thicken and don�t forget to stir it.
11. When the mixture is no more watery and has thickened, add 2 tbsp more of ghee.
12. Keep stirring for a minute and remove from the heat.
13. In a small pan, roast whole or chopped almonds in � tbsp ghee till it turns golden in color.
14. Grease a platter with little ghee and spread the squash halwa onto the plate.
15. Even out the halwa level using a flat spatula.
16. Garnish the squash halwa with roasted almonds.
17. Chill the halwa for an hour and serve.

Notes

You could tweak this recipe according to your needs.
You could adjust the sweetness, amount of ghee added accordingly.
Also add pistachios, raisins or other nuts for extra crunchiness.

New Post on Eat Move Sleep Blog

Yesterday, the Dan's Plan blog Eat Move Sleep published a blog post I wrote about sleep, artificial light, your brain, and a free computer program called f.lux that can help us live healthier lives.  Head over to Eat Move Sleep to read it.

Halloween Peanut Butter Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

Let�s talk about trick-or-treating for a minute. Do you only give candy to little kids, or will you also shell out for bigger kids (ahem, cough, adults)? I guess who you give candy to is your business, but I think, in the spirit of Halloween, anyone who takes the time to put on a costume and knock on your door should at least get a bite-sized Snickers. Just sayin.

But maybe I feel this way because I didn�t have normal trick-or-treating as a kid (and because I love Halloween and I�m all about everyone at every age getting festive!). We lived in the woods, down a long driveway, with only about 10 houses within a mile on either side of us. So Amanda and I didn�t really get that door-to-door experience. Instead, my parents would drive us from house to house, hoping our neighbors would be home and would have candy.

We always lucked out at the bottom of our hill, when we hit Hank & Vesta�s house. They were an adorable little old couple, who always bought loads of Girl Scout cookies from us, and always handed out fresh made popcorn balls for Halloween.

Eventually I got �too old to trick-or-treat� (which doesn�t actually exist�that�s like saying you�re too old to believe in Santa� um, also false), and Hank & Vesta�s house sold and became a winery, and I grew up and moved to Seattle, and I developed this weird thing where I like popcorn but thinking about eating it makes my teeth hurt, and I totally forgot about popcorn balls.

That is, until I saw these amazing brown butter marshmallow popcorn balls! WHAT! Guys, we�re talkin� rice crispy treats, but with popcorn. Genius work here. The brown butter mallow combo is amazing as-is, but I decided to gussy these up a bit for Halloween, with orange and black Reese's Pieces that get all melty and peanut buttery. It's pretty amazing. 

And guess what� if you come knocking at my door on Halloween, all costumed up and saying those magic words (minus the smell my feet part), I will definitely drop one of these in your candy bucket, whether you�re 4, 14, or 45. Especially if you�re 45.    

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

Adapted from Love + Cupcakes

Makes about 30 2-inch balls. The original recipe has instructions for popping your own popcorn. I'm lazy, so I used 3 bags of lightly salted, unbuttered microwave popcorn. If you make your own, or use unsalted, just add a bit of sea salt to the mallow mixture. Also, the standard bag of mallows I found was 16 ounces, so I just didn't use the whole thing. One more thing: be sure to not get the unpopped kernels in your mix... they make for a hard little surprise when you bite down (trust). 

7-8 cups popped lightly salted popcorn 

1- 10oz bag marshmallows

1 stick butter

1.5 cups Reeses Pieces candy 

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set aside. 

In a large pot (I used a big stock pot), melt butter over medium heat, stirring until lightly browned.  Turn heat to low, add marshmallows, and stir until melted. Remove from heat, and add popcorn. Stir (sort of gently) until all the popcorn is coated. Add about half the Reeses, stir and fold, and add the rest. Stir a few times�some of the candy will stay whole, and others will split and ooze out yummy peanut buttery goodness. Lightly coat your hands with butter or coconut oil, and get busy rolling. Let popcorn balls cool on wax paper. 

Sick Day Chicken Noodle Soup

I'm here to tell you that you don't need a whole chicken carcass to make really good chicken noodle soup. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan and proponent of homemade chicken stock. But, the times I need chicken noodle soup the most, are typically also the times that I don't have the patience, energy, or time to deal with a whole chicken. Like when I'm sick. 

I make a pot of chicken noodle anytime Evan or I get even the slightest sniffle. It's so quick and easy, and maybe it's just because we're nostalgic for sick days home from school with mom's chicken noodle soup, but it always seems to do the trick. I came down with a nasty cold this week, and all I wanted was a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup. But I wanted it like, instantly� but also semi-homemade. 

I use store-bought broth or stock (honestly, Swanson's low sodium is my very favorite, I think it has the best flavor�but use whatever you prefer) and dried noodles. Trader Joe's egg pappardelle pasta is my favorite�when I use that, I'll just boil the noodles directly in the broth, because they make it a little creamy and thick. If I use other noodles, I'll boil them separately. Sometimes I dice up and saut� a chicken breast, sometimes I don't even add chicken. I love the addition of frozen peas and shredded cabbage, but I'll use whatever I have on hand, sometimes just carrots and onions. I always throw in a whole bunch of thyme (fresh or dried), and if I have fresh parsley on hand, I'll add that as well. Go ahead and get creative, or use what you have� it's that easy! And in addition to making me feel warm and cozy, it tastes delicious too!

PS. As you read this, I'm snuggled up on my couch with some cough drops, a glass of hot tea, and a cup of this chicken noodle. Work your magic, soup!  

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

1-2 chicken breasts, diced

1 clove garlic, minced 

salt & pepper

fresh thyme

8 cups chicken stock 

1-2 carrots, diced

8 oz package egg noodles

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup shredded cabbage

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, and add a swirl or two of olive oil. Add the onion, and cook until translucent. Add the chicken, and cook through. Add garlic, salt & pepper, and thyme, and cook another minute or two, until garlic is fragrant but not burned. Add chicken broth, and turn up heat to bring soup to a boil. Add carrots and egg noodles, and boil until noodles are done. Lower heat to simmer, and add peas, cabbage, and parsley. Simmer until cabbage is cooked. Add salt & pepper to taste, as needed. 

Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas with Nuts, Spices, and Raisins

I know that pumpkin and pear month is in full swing, but you know what else just screams fall? Other than, you know� ghosts, black cats, witches, and goblins. Cauliflower, nuts, and lotsa warm spices! 

I made this cauliflower couscous a little while ago, and was crazy about the flavors. So good. Like, I just wanted to eat it every day. But, the problem is that my food processor is really small and sucky, so processing a whole head of cauliflower into tiny little couscous-like balls takes forever, is a major pain, and makes a big giant mess. So, I combined that recipe with Gwyneth's roasted cauliflower and chickpeas. OMG GUYS! 

This dish is so freaking good, I'm seriously obsessed. I mean... it might be the best cauliflower I've ever had. EVER. I made it last week and ate it all, the entire thing, by myself. That's an entire head of cauliflower in one meal, in case you were wondering. I just can't stop. And it takes like five minutes to prep (plus 40 or so to cook), so it's super duper easy. Please say you'll make it! 

Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpeas with Nuts, Spices, and Raisins

Adapted from this recipe and this recipe

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed, drained and lightly dried (with a towel or paper towel)

1 head of cauliflower, cut up into florets

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon za'atar 

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt & pepper

3/4 cup cashews

1/2 cup golden raisins

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread chickpeas and cauliflower on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil, za'atar, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. I use a pretty generous amount of salt, but you can taste the raw cauliflower or chickpeas to get it how you want it. Toss everything together or give it a good shake to mix. 

Roast for about 30 minutes, then add the cashews to the tray, and roast another 5-10 minutes, until cauliflower is golden. Remove from oven, and add to a big bowl. Toss with raisins, lemon juice, and parsley. I like a lot of parsley, but that's up to you. 

Enjoy! 

Sleep and Genetic Obesity Risk

Evidence is steadily accumulating that insufficient sleep increases the risk of obesity and undermines fat loss efforts. Short sleep duration is one of the most significant risk factors for obesity (1), and several potential mechanisms have been identified, including increased hunger, increased interest in calorie-dense highly palatable food, reduced drive to exercise, and alterations in hormones that influence appetite and body fatness. Dan Pardi presented his research at AHS13 showing that sleep restriction reduces willpower to make healthy choices about food.

We also know that genetics has an outsized influence on obesity risk, accounting for about 70 percent of the variability in body fatness between people in affluent nations (2). I have argued that "fat genes" don't directly lead to obesity, but they do determine who is susceptible to a fattening environment and who isn't (3). I recently revisited a 2010 paper published in the journal Sleep by University of Washington researchers that supports this idea (4).

Read more �

Tempting Thai Treasures with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the MLCC

 Tomorrow I will be presenting the following recipes for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy at the Madison Square MLCC.  Please check the Leisure Guide to register for others.  Loads of fun.  Bran Adams, Education Coordinator at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy will lead the discussion on the plant life represented in the recipes and MLCC Product Consultant Jody will present beverage pairings.

Last week it was too hectic to take photos.  I hope that I can get some photos tomorrow.

1. Crab Rangoon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 (6 ounce) can crabmeat, drained and flaked

2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce

48 wonton wrappers

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine garlic, cream cheese, crab, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in a bowl. To prevent wonton skins from drying, prepare only 1 or 2 rangoon at a time. Place 1 teaspoon of filling onto the center of each wonton skin. Moisten the edges with water and fold the wonton skin diagonally to form a triangle, pressing edges to seal. Moisten one of the bottom corners. Create a crown by pulling both bottom corners together and sealing. Arrange the rangoon on the baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

2. Salad wraps with peanut sauce

SERVES 4-6 as an appetizer

1 pkg. small, round rice wrappers (dried)

1 to 1 1/2 cups thin vermicelli rice noodles, cooked and run through with cold water, drained

3/4 to 1 cup cooked shrimp, OR 3/4 cup baked or fried tofu, or roasted chicken or turkey, cut into matchsticks

1-2 cups bean sprouts

� cup fresh Thai basil or sweet basil, roughly chopped

� cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped

� cup shredded carrot

3-4 spring onions, cut into matchstick pieces

2 Tbsp. soy sauce (or wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets)

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp.fish sauce (use black vinegar if vegetarian

1 tsp. brown sugar

Optional: TAMARIND DIPPING SAUCE:

� cup water

� tsp. tamarind paste

2 tsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. soy sauce (or wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free diets)

1 Tbsp. fish sauce OR vegetarian black vinegar

1 heaping tsp. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) dissolved in 3 Tbsp. water

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green or red chili, finely sliced OR 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili or cayenne pepper

Peanut Dipping Sauce

2 tbs grated ginger

1/4 cup hot water

1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

2 tablespoons Soya Sauce

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sweet miso

2 tablespoons mirin or sake

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (add more for spicier satay)

1.             Set rice wrappers aside. In a cup, stir together the soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce (if using) and sugar.

2.             Place all other ingredients for the fresh rolls in a large mixing bowl and drizzle the soy sauce mixture over. Toss to mix.

3.             Fill a large bowl with hot water (but not boiling, as you�ll be dipping your fingers into it). Start by submerging one wrapper into the water. It should soften after 30 seconds.

4.             Remove the wrapper and place on a clean surface. Add another wrapper to the hot water as you fill and roll the first one.

5.             Place a heaping tablespoon of roll ingredients toward the bottom of the wrapper. Spread out the ingredients horizontally (in the shape of a fresh roll).

6.             Fold the sides of the wrapper over the ingredients, then bring up the bottom. Tuck the bottom around the ingrdients and roll to the top of the wrapper.

7.             To serve, place your platter or bowl of rolls on the table along with the dipping sauce. Eat with your fingers and lots of napkins. Enjoy!

To make the Tamarind Dipping Sauce (optional): simply mix all dipping sauce ingredients together in a saucepan and heat.

When near boiling, reduce heat to low, stirring until sauce thickens.

Taste for saltiness, spiciness, and sweetness, adding more fish sauce (instead of salt), more sugar, or more chili as desired.

Note: the sauce can be served warm or cold. With fresh rolls, I personally prefer a warm sauce to contrast with the cool rolls)

3. Pork Satay

1 lb pork shoulder or butt in slices

2 tbs grated ginger
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
2 tablespoons Soya Sauce
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sweet miso
2 tablespoons mirin or sake
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (add more for spicier satay)

Mix ginger, water, peanut butter, soya sauce, vinegar, miso, mirin or sake and pepper flakes. Add vegetarian chicken strips. Let marinade in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Skewer and grill on the BBQ or saut� in a non-stick skillet. Enjoy as an appetizer, salad wrap or with rice or noodles.

Enjoy!

* Traditional recipe for pork, chicken, or beef satay.

3. Thai Coconut Curry (serves 2-4)

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
� tin �Lite� coconut milk
2-3 tbs yellow curry paste, to desired heat (yellow curry paste does not contain any shrimp)
1 tbs grated ginger
1 tbs grated lemon grass
1 tsp sugar (optional)
splash Mirin
3-5 Kefir Lime leaves
drizzle olive oil
salt, to taste

Mix the last 9 ingredients in a bowl and add chicken thighs. Marinate for a few hours. Place on a hot grill, turning for grill marks at two minutes, and flipping over at four minutes. Repeat for grill marks at the next two minutes.

Serving suggestion:  Place rested cooked chicken on a toasted or warmed flatbread such as naan or pita. Add favourite grilled vegetables and wrap up. Wrap again in foil and place in an insulated bag or enjoy cold.

* These ingredients can be found at most Asian specialty stores such as Sun Wah and Oriental Market on King St. or Young�s Market on William and on McPhilips.

For an elegant entr�e presentation, try using a stem of fresh lemon grass as a skewer before grilling or frying.

Pear & Bleu Crostini with Salted Maple Caramel Drizzle

Alright friends, I'm feelin' classy right now. Get this girl a glass of champagne or something in a martini glass already! 

But seriously, I just bought two really awesome cocktail-party dresses, so I'd love an invite to your fancy autumn cocktail party. Okay, thanks. 

And also, if you invite me, I might bring these fall crostinis with pears, bleu cheese, sage, walnuts, and salted maple caramel. It's all kinds of sweet and salty and nutty in one bite. You get that invitation in the mail, and I'll get these guys on a platter. Let's do this. 

Pear & Bleu Crostini 

Makes about 20 crostinis 

1 large pear, diced small

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped or broken 

1-2 tablespoons of crumbled bleu cheese

4-5 large sage leaves, thinly sliced

Spritz of fresh lemon juice

Fresh cracked black pepper

1 baguette, sliced in thin rounds, lightly toasted

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Heavy pinch of good flaky sea salt

Toss together pears through black pepper, and top baguette rounds with mixture. Stick under broiler until cheese is melted, for just a minute or so (keep your eye on it). 

Add butter, brown sugar, syrup, and sea salt to a small, heavy bottomed pot, and heat over medium-high, stirring the whole time, until everything is melted and bubbly and mixed together. Taste and add more salt if desired. 

Drizzle caramel on top of crostini. 

Mediterranean tour of flavours for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the MLCC

 Tonight I have the pleasure of presenting the following sampling from around the Mediterranean for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the MLCC.  Bonnie Tulloch, Education Coordinator for the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, will be presenting on the origins of the plant life represented here and TBA rep from the MLCC will be providing beverage pairings.  Photos to come after tonight's event.
I am presenting a dish from ancient Greece, Turkey, Italy and Spain.



1. Greek Fava Beans

Soak 2 cups large dried fava beans overnight.  Peel
1 chopped onion
olive oil
oregano
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook peeled fava beans until soft. Drain.  In a saucepan, heat up olive oil and cook chopped onion until soft and translucent.  Add beans and slowly cook over medium heat, stirring so as not to burn.  Add remaining ingredients.  Serve hot or cold.  Has a remarkable floral taste.  Serve with breads.

2. Patli�an Yog�rtl�

1 lg eggplant sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 c plain yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt

Slice and salt eggplant and let sit in a bowl of cold water. If eggplant is very young, skip the step of salt and water. Rinse and squeeze out water from slices.

Mince garlic and stir into yoghurt with salt.

Saut� eggplant slices on medium high heat until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and let sit for a moment on a paper towel. Place on platter and top with yoghurt mixture. Sprinkle rubbed oregano and paprika over yoghurt. Top with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with baguette slices or water crackers.

Enjoy!

3. Sage Butter pasta (Burro e salvia) (back by popular demand)

1/3 cup butter.
Bunch of fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Black pepper.

Wash and dry the sage leaves. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sage. Cook very gently over a low flame taking care not to let the butter burn. Pour over cooked pasta and stir through well together with freshly grated parmesan. This super-quick sauce is ideal with 'naked ravioli' (ravioli filling without the pasta) but is also suitable with any short pasta. In this case, drain the cooked pasta keeping back a little of the water. Return the pasta to the saucepan, add the sage and butter and stir over a low heat for a minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in a good helping of grated Parmesan.

The sauce should look smooth and creamy; if it has dried out too much, add a few drops of milk or fresh cream. Grind a little black pepper over when serving.

Enjoy!

4. Spanish Smoked Paprika Shrimp

1 lb peeled, wild caught shrimp
1 tbs butter
Drizzle olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika
Pinch sea salt

Heat butter and oil in saut� pan. Add shrimp and toss well. Add garlic and then paprika. Serve with bread when shrimp is firm and pink.

Wild Mushroom & Pumpkin Pasta

October! You�re here! I love you! I love hot cider at the pumpkin patch. I love pumpkin cakes and cookies and soups and chilis (and beers). I love sunny but crisp days, and orange leaves, and red leaves, and scarves. Guys, I have a serious scarf problem (I have like� 35 scarves. Yikes!). I love cinnamon and nutmeg so, so much.

But what I really love�are scary movies and haunted houses! I know it�s only the first of the month, but� Halloween. Do you guys have your costumes or party food picked out yet? Please tell me your house is covered in fake blood and fake cobwebs.  

I�m so excited! I have a major urge to watch Are You Afraid of the Dark right now. Did you watch that as a kid? We didn�t have cable tv, so I only watched 5 episodes that a friend recorded (on VHS) for us. Amanda and I watched those 5 episodes a hundred times. Here are my top 5 (and only 5) favorite episodes:

1. The Tale of the Lonely Ghost: By far the best episode! An old haunted house, a creepy-ass child ghost, a bitchy but super popular teenage cousin. All keys to a good story.
2. The Tale of the Twisted Claw: �It�s the clor of a vulchah!� Amanda and I know this one pretty much word for word.  
3. The Tale of the Prom Queen: Um, who doesn�t love a ghost prom queen from the 50s. I know I do!
4. The Tale of the Pinball Wizard: The entire mall turns into a deadly pinball game. And there�s obviously a teenage love story in here. Enough said!
5. The Tale of the Phantom Cab: Brothers get lost hiking and a creepy old dude in the woods who holds them captive� um. It�s more PG than it sounds.

I may have also spent an entire Saturday a year or two ago watching YouTube recordings of AYAOTD. Just sayin�.

Anyway, that was worthwhile! Also, to celebrate the amazingness of October I made pasta with pumpkin (fall, check), wild mushrooms (fall, check), and sage (yep, check, check, check!). It�s sort of loosely based on a Rachel Ray recipe, but don�t let that stop you from making it.

Wild Mushroom & Pumpkin Pasta
Adapted from this recipe

I used lobster mushrooms and chanterelles, but also threw in some crimini for bulk. The wild guys add in all that wild, earthy flavor I love, and the crimini are the work horse, ensuring that you have a little bit of mushroom in every bite (without costing a million dollars, because let me tell you, wild mushrooms aren't cheap!). But, feel free to use whatever you can find, afford, forage. I also added in a splash of truffle oil, because it just brings out the flavor of the 'shrooms even more. It's totally optional though. This makes a bunch, so it's great for a crowd, or for leftovers. I tossed some diced dry-cured Spanish chorizo into my leftovers, which was pretty tasty! 

1 lb pasta (shells, mac, etc)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb wild mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1.5 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
pinch nutmeg
pinch cinnamon
pinch cayenne
8-10 sage leaves, sliced thin
salt & pepper to taste
truffle oil (optional)
Grated parmesan

Heat water for pasta, salt it and cook penne to al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water, drain and set aside. 

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute until soft and golden, about 6 minutes (add more oil or butter if they stick), sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Whisk together broth, pumpkin, milk, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add to mushrooms in pan, and when everything starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 to 6 minutes to thicken. Stir in sage and truffle oil if using. Add in pasta, and reserved pasta water if it's too dry. Serve with cheese.