Pumpkin Pie (with Trader Joe's Shelf Stable Whipping Cream)

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Pumpkin Pie
Happy Thanksgiving! I still can't believe it's already Thanksgiving and the whole holiday season. Has this year been flying by? I think it's on overdrive or something.

Here is a simple Pumpkin Pie recipe. It's adapted from the Libby recipe on the can, but I used some brown sugar and extra yolk.

I topped it with this new Trader Joe's product. It is ultra pasteurized whipping cream. You can keep it on the shelf until you need it (refrigerate for at least 6 hours before use). It contains cream and carrageenan so it's been prepared for shelf stable-ness (sure, that's a word). I whipped it by hand at Friendsgiving (with some super fine sugar and vanilla), and it takes longer to whip than regular cream. The Kitchn has this review of the $1.29 product...I'm definitely going to keep some in the fridge in case I run out of regular cream.

Recipe:
Pie Crust (for one 9" pie crust)
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1 t sugar
4 ounces/1 stick butter
3 to 4 T ice water

Using your fingers, quickly cut in butter until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. Add water until dough just holds together. How much water you use can depend on the humidity in the air. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then roll out as needed for your pie.

Pie:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree (NOT the pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

Prep: Preheat oven to 425° F oven.
1. Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl.
2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs together.
3. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture into large bowl with eggs.
4. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
5. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell. Put pie on a cookie sheet for easy transport into oven.
6. Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
7. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
8. Top with whipped cream before serving.

The Food Librarian's Gift Ideas 2012

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Season's Greetings! Seriously can't believe it is December 1st already. Haven't started my holiday shopping yet...have you? Anyway, here are some things that I own and can't live without, or can't wait to explore that someone in your life may want. I can't guarantee that this will be the most awesome gift for your friends and family...but it may give you an idea for things to buy For Yourself. :) Remember to treat yourself this holiday season too!

It's a pretty random list... here goes (click on links for Amazon pages - full disclosure: I'm part of the Amazon affiliate program and get pennies if you happen to purchase items from this link...and I end up buying more cookbooks! Ah, the circle of life :)

\Cookbooks - For the Baker of all levels:
Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
If you've followed my blog, you know this book is a huge part! I was part of the Tuesdays with Dorie group and we baked our way through this book. I consider it a classic, and perfect for both the beginning baker and expert. Dorie Greenspan is amazing...she has very good instructions and wonderful flavor combos. This collage is just a few of the things I made from the book!

Some of the recipes from Dorie's book: Baking: From My Home to Yours

For the more advanced baker: Bouchon Bakery - This new book by Bouchon Bakery is beautiful. I haven't baked anything from it, but can't wait. Fortunately, Bouchon had a pop-up bakery in Beverly Hills (now they have a permanent bakery) and I went on my 40th birthday for delicious cookies and signature bouchon "cork" brownies. Everything is in weights and they have a chapter about throwing out your measuring cups. Woo hoo...speaking my language.
A few more books that I use a lot:
The Art and Soul of Baking - This is a great book with lots of instruction and easy to make recipe. It's by Sur la Table and pastry chef Cindy Mushet. Some of the items I've made include Orange Chocolate Chip muffins, Nectarine Upside-Down muffins, and Chocolate Chip Toffee scones.

Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe - Oh man, I love this bakery and this book. Joanne Chang has some detailed instructions and very delicious recipes. The yellow cake is worth buying this book alone. And the lemon ginger scones? Please. Just add it to your cart already.

Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours - This book came out in 2010 and I find myself reading it often. Sarabeth Levine has her bakery in New York...and until I get myself there, I'll just have to bake up a lot of yummy desserts from her book. 
Mochi: recipes from savory to sweet! by JustJenn Fujikawa ($12.50). My friend JustJenn has this great recipe book of all mochi related recipes! From Savory to Sweet! Get your mochi on this holiday season. JustJenn is so creative and makes awesome recipes - you'll really enjoy this book!
Salter 3003 Aquatronic Glass Electronic Kitchen Scale (about $40)
Speaking of scales, I've had this one for a few years and love it. It easily switches from grams to ounces, and  has large numbers. Weighing ingredients is much faster and saves washing dishes. Luckily, more cookbooks are published with weights, as well as food sections of newspapers like the Los Angeles Times.

Portable Speaker  ($15-20 Available in Blue, Black, Red and Silver)When I bake, I love listening to audiobooks. However, I'd rather not have headphones in my ears (have you caught the cords on a drawer and have them yanked from your ears? Totally sucks). This cute little plug-in speaker does the trick. My colleague uses it with her iPad to watch movies in bed, and another friend uses it in her car. It charges via USB on your computer, and the charge lasts awhile.

Roku HD Streaming Player
Do you have Netflix streaming, Amazon Prime or watch Amazon videos or Hulu? This really small Roku box lets you stream videos via WiFi. It's way cool. Most of my friends have an XBox or Blueray player that will stream videos to their TV, but I don't have those fun things. This box works great, and takes very little space. Before I got it, I bought a DVD player with streaming from Costco. It wasn't set up for Amazon Video so I would have to open a browser, use a little remote without a keyboard and it didn't work great. The Roku has it set up to work with the major streaming players so you don't go crazy.

P.S. Thanks to my twitter buddy Erica @epeureka for helping me find the remote too! I tweeted, "If I were my Roku remote, where would I be?" and she said, "Couch cushion crack." Score! (And I found some lose change too).
They have a bunch of different types of Roku... but I really love it for streaming. It's amazing that something so small can deliver my favorite shows! :)
For the runner:
While I'm hardly a big time runner, here are a few things I wear while running so I'm not hit by a car. Because that would suck. Big time.


Road ID Engraved Emergency Contact Wristband ($20) - I run with my phone and dog. But if something happens, my phone has a pattern lock, and my dog doesn't talk. So I have a pink Road ID that can talk for me should that ever happen. This would make a very valuable gift to anyone who exercises or even just walks the dog.Road ID - Reflective Ankle Bands (Pair) ($10)



Traveler stuff:
This is a great bag. It is called the Patagonia MLC or Maximum Legal Carry-On bag. It has a zillion zippered pouches and can be carried like a brief case or worn like a messenger bag or backpack. My friend Sumi has taken hers all over the world, and well, I've taken mine to San Francisco and the east coast. It's perfect for probably up to 4 days, if you don't have too many shoes. It's $160 but I think it's going to last many years and miles.

Donations:
Of course, the best gift is giving to others. Consider a donation to your friend's favorite charity - service organizations, libraries, museums, zoos, and so many worthy causes!

Updated: See part 2 of my gift list here. 

JustJenn's New Year Oshogatsu Feast 2013

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New Year's Feast at JustJenn's House!
My friend JustJenn cooked, baked, and then cooked & baked some more! She hosts a great New Year's Oshogatsu feast on New Year's day. Fun times!

Here is JustJenn's post about it as well as the recipes. I'll just leave you with some photos so you can get jealous. I mean, enjoy the deliciousness with me.


What a spread!!!
Shrimp salad

Sushi from old school Sakae Sushi in Gardena

Somen salad


Root beer pulled pork, guava jelly chicken wings and tamale pie... perhaps not enjoyed by our samurai ancestors in Japan, but us Japanese Americans put our own spin on things.

Guava jelly chicken wings

You had to save lots of room for dessert - homemade an mochi, brownie mochi, mochi bundt and broken glass bundt!

I brought a bundt, of course! And the mochi in the ozoni soup was from our annual mochi making day.

Thanks for a delicious New Years lunch, JustJenn. What a great way to start the year!

For more info and recipes, see JustJenn's post! Also, don't forget that JustJenn has a MOCHI COOKBOOK! From sweet to savory - find it on Amazon.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Yeah, I know. Nothing says Valentine’s Day like Barley Kale Salad! I did have visions of posting cookies, cupcakes or something else sweet and gooey, but after thinking about Valentine’s Day as the day to celebrate love, instead of a day to gorge on sweets, I decided to take a different path. The love of my life, the one I’ve been married to for almost 20 years, has been battling high cholesterol for most of his adult life. I’ve made changes in what we eat to help with his cholesterol, so we are now eating more fish, whole grains and good fats, and less meat, white flour and saturated fats. Some weeks are better than others, but on the whole we have been making progress, and his numbers have been looking good!

So, with my Valentine in mind, I decided to share my friend Beth’s Barley and Kale salad. Beth served this salad to go with my beans, and barbequed tri-tip for a camping trip last June (We eat really well on our camping trips!). I made her salad this Sunday, so Les and I could bring it for lunch during week. I packed Les some for his lunch Monday, and as I was sitting down to eat my bowl, I received a text from him saying he really liked the salad, and he hoped there was more for Tuesday. Awh, how sweet! I’m glad he liked it!

Barley and Kale salad is low fat, tasty and filling. The dressing adds a tartness that blends nicely with the kale, the edamame adds a nice amount of protein, and the cranberries are just plain yummy. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Barley Kale Salad
Printable Recipe
1 10-ounce bunch Lacinato (dinosaur kale), washed, leaves trimmed from stem and chopped
½ cup chopped parsley, one bunch
½ cup chopped red onion
½ cup good quality balsamic vinegar
Juice of two lemons
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Generous grinding of freshly ground black pepper
3 cups cooked barley
2 cups frozen edamame, cooked and cooled
½ cup dried cranberries

In a large bowl, combine the chopped kale, parsley and red onion. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Add the vinegar mixture to the kale and toss together. Stir the barley, edamame and cranberries into the kale mixture. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Refrigerate for 1 hour to let the flavors combine. Serve.

Jackie Kennedy's Beef Stroganoff Recipe

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If you're looking for something to make for dinner on election night, we recommend this one direct from Camelot. You can fill up the slow cooker before you head out to the polls on Tuesday and by the time the election results begin to trickle in, you will be enjoying one of Jackie's best recipes.

From Holiday Slow Cooker by Jonnie Downing....

Was there anything this amazing woman wasn't good at?  Try the first lady's delicious beef stroganoff recipe and judge for yourself.  While this version is modified for the slow cooker, you'll still need to do some prep work.  It's worth it.

Ingredients:
2 pounds top sirloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch strips
1/4 tspn salt
1/4 tspn pepper
1/4 cup grated yellow onion 
1 1/2 cups sliced baby portabello mushrooms
2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tspn onion powder
egg noodles, for serving
1/2 cup sour cream

Preparation:

1. Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. Season the beef strips with the salt and pepper and place in the slow cooker.
3. Lightly saute the onions. 
4. Add the onion, mushrooms, broth, tomato paste, and onion powder.  Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, until the beef is tender.
5. Shortly before serving time, cook the noodles according to the package directions.  While they are cooking, mix the sour cream into the meat mixture in the slow cooker.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as needed.
6. Serve the hot stroganoff over the noodles. 

Russia  [ print this recipe for Jackie Kennedy's Beef Stroganoff ]

Jackie Kennedy's Beef Stroganoff Recipe

To contact us Click HERE
If you're looking for something to make for dinner on election night, we recommend this one direct from Camelot. You can fill up the slow cooker before you head out to the polls on Tuesday and by the time the election results begin to trickle in, you will be enjoying one of Jackie's best recipes.

From Holiday Slow Cooker by Jonnie Downing....

Was there anything this amazing woman wasn't good at?  Try the first lady's delicious beef stroganoff recipe and judge for yourself.  While this version is modified for the slow cooker, you'll still need to do some prep work.  It's worth it.

Ingredients:
2 pounds top sirloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch strips
1/4 tspn salt
1/4 tspn pepper
1/4 cup grated yellow onion 
1 1/2 cups sliced baby portabello mushrooms
2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tspn onion powder
egg noodles, for serving
1/2 cup sour cream

Preparation:

1. Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. Season the beef strips with the salt and pepper and place in the slow cooker.
3. Lightly saute the onions. 
4. Add the onion, mushrooms, broth, tomato paste, and onion powder.  Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, until the beef is tender.
5. Shortly before serving time, cook the noodles according to the package directions.  While they are cooking, mix the sour cream into the meat mixture in the slow cooker.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as needed.
6. Serve the hot stroganoff over the noodles. 

Russia  [ print this recipe for Jackie Kennedy's Beef Stroganoff ]

Pumpkin Pie (with Trader Joe's Shelf Stable Whipping Cream)

To contact us Click HERE
Pumpkin Pie
Happy Thanksgiving! I still can't believe it's already Thanksgiving and the whole holiday season. Has this year been flying by? I think it's on overdrive or something.

Here is a simple Pumpkin Pie recipe. It's adapted from the Libby recipe on the can, but I used some brown sugar and extra yolk.

I topped it with this new Trader Joe's product. It is ultra pasteurized whipping cream. You can keep it on the shelf until you need it (refrigerate for at least 6 hours before use). It contains cream and carrageenan so it's been prepared for shelf stable-ness (sure, that's a word). I whipped it by hand at Friendsgiving (with some super fine sugar and vanilla), and it takes longer to whip than regular cream. The Kitchn has this review of the $1.29 product...I'm definitely going to keep some in the fridge in case I run out of regular cream.

Recipe:
Pie Crust (for one 9" pie crust)
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1 t sugar
4 ounces/1 stick butter
3 to 4 T ice water

Using your fingers, quickly cut in butter until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. Add water until dough just holds together. How much water you use can depend on the humidity in the air. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then roll out as needed for your pie.

Pie:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree (NOT the pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

Prep: Preheat oven to 425° F oven.
1. Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl.
2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs together.
3. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture into large bowl with eggs.
4. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
5. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell. Put pie on a cookie sheet for easy transport into oven.
6. Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
7. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
8. Top with whipped cream before serving.