Panfusine

There's a new Thanksgiving tradition that's taken root at home for the past five years that I've been blogging. A new dish added to the repertoire, its not one of those things you put together at the spur of the moment, -- Thanksgiving is way too special for quick hacks even if its just the immediate family at the supper table. No, its always a recipe with seasonal ingredients with a unique 'Panfusine' twist infused. This year,  I may have very well tossed  the quote 'As American as Apple pie' out the window. All along I've always referred to some standard measurement of what apple pie should be, what spices should traditionally be added, etc.  Those time honored notions went south this time around, and I mean it in a literal and figurative sense. I'm not really a fan of cinnamon and vanilla the way its unilaterally used in practically almost any dessert found in Western cooking, in tiramisu and cinnamon buns yes, in apple pies, I just about ...

The Holiday season is officially upon us. As the manic 'shopping' season get underway, I just got over clearing out all the dishes from my food coma inducing Thanksgiving feast. Thanksgiving must be the most festive non-denominational holiday in the US, irrespective of religion, social status, geographic location, Everyone gathers around as a family to celebrate and eat. and eat, and then fill up on dessert and coffee!  For me, Its an opportunity to shift to high gear and get cracking on experimenting with the flavors of Fall ingredients - Pumpkins, cranberries, apples. This year, I volunteered to test a 10 cup stack n'snap food processor from Hamilton Beach and I received a package last Monday. While my kids had a little spat over what the packaging carton would be converted into, (a cloning machine vs. a car), I took the opportunity to explore the new gadget..  My first food processor was a Hamilton Beach which was a perfect workhorse until a little pi...

 As I slowly cobble up my thanksgiving menu, The natural curiosity in me seems to have allowed me to go haywire with whatever fall produce is available. I had plenty of leftover puree from my cheesecake that I did not want to toss away so decided to incorporate it for a savory recipe, So just added it to some spinach to make a savory Saag curry paired with piping hot Naans. To make this a vegan version, use olive or vegetable oil. I diced some Delicata squash,  and added them both as a complementary textural ingredient (sauteed) as well as a garnish (Pan fried). If access to  delicata squashes is restricted, feel free to substitute with any other squash. Saag Delicata You need: 2 bunches fresh spinach 1 delicata squash , Peeled, cored and diced 1 cup shallots or red onions, sliced thin 1 teaspoon garam masala 2 + 3 (total 5) tablespoons Ghee or Oil (if you prefer a vegan option) 1 tablespoon cumin 1-2 blades mace 2 small sticks cassia cinnamon...

  As if to compensate for the dreary daylight saving change of time, the short day's and the brown scattered leaves fluttering about in the cold breeze, Nature gives you glimpses of some pretty spectacular colors that are best appreciated in autumn, like this gorgeous sunset a couple of days ago  I'm gracefully resigning my self to the crisp cold sunny  days of Fall, and beginning to look forward to the seasonal bounty that the season brings along, The bright colored winter squashes & pumpkins, the gemstone colored cranberries, Persimmons, pomegranates..and the list goes on. The recipe for this post ironically uses none of these, relying instead on a canned ingredient. Yep, I'm referring to the good ol' canned pumpkin that makes its appearance around now. Its convenience lies in the fact that the texture and flavor is consistent and pleasantly enough it wasn't too sweet, which meant that I could use the contents from the same can in a...

Come this Thursday, i.e, Thanksgiving day, I'll be one of the few who will retire in a stupor that decidedly will NOT be induced by that 'Turkey-philic' amino-acid, Tryptophan. Mine will be a blissful state of lethargy brought about by sheer Carbo loading, despite my best efforts to acheive a balanced feast.. All it takes is the dessert pies to upset that apple cart!. I'm far from deciding what I'll actually make for our Thanksgiving family dinner except that I plan to definitely include the traditional ingredients as far as possible. Squash, sweet potato, corn & beans..and a cauliflower soup that I had made a month ago and still crave. Its been a while since I tried my hand at making gnocchi and I had a little gnocchi shaping gadget that I was itching to try. There is absolutely no potato involved in this pasta, but the results were better than I expected. The sweetness of the roasted squash and Sweet potato is offset not by heat from chile pepper,but fr...

When November rolls around, so do a slew of events preparing you for the short cold days ahead. The first weekend is 'extended' by an hour thanks to  daylight savings, which brings on a spot of depressing evenings with the sun disappearing under the horizon an hour early (yes, it does rise an hour early as well, but no one bothers to take that into account). the leaves litter the lawn, and thoughts turn to the preparation of that time honored American event. Thanksgiving. The nice part about thanksgiving is that there is a list of ingredients that are staples on the festive table, pumpkin (pie), cranberry (jellied or in sauce form), brussel sprouts (roasted), Green beans (casserole), turkey (roasted), & ham, corn (cornbread), apples (cider & pie), chestnuts.. of course, there is no set rule that corn HAS to be in the form of cornbread, or cranberry must absolutely be jellied.. Of course, being vegetarian, no turkey or other recipes with meat on the table! My r...