The Perfect Weekend

My husband planned an absolutely wonderful weekend to celebrate my birthday, which was earlier this month. We started out with a trip to the Fair Park Music Hall to see the Tony winning play, The Color Purple. The play was beautifully done and the performances spectacular.

After leaving the play, we checked in to the Hilton Anatole and headed to the Nana bar for appetizers and cocktails. The Nana is perched high above Dallas on the 27th floor of the Hilton Anatole. The restaurant and bar boast panaromic views of the city with floor to ceiling windows throughout the bar and restaurant. At the bar, I indulged in a delicious coconut mojito. The coconut flavor was not overpowering. The drink was light and refreshing. While enjoying the dazzling city views and jazz music at the Nana Bar we shared an appetizer of Idiaazabel and Manchego cheeses with carrot star anise marmalade. The pairing was lovely and we devoured the whole thing quite quickly! After our cocktails, we proceeded to the lovely Nana dining room. The Nana has long held a special place in our hearts. We have had several romantic and memorable meals there over the years. We have not yet found a restaurant in Dallas that has a better atmosphere than Nana. We decided to try the seven course tasting menu with an accompanying wine tasting. The current Nana chef, Anthony Bombacci specializes in molecular gastronomy so his dishes tend to be very inventive with unexpected twists. I don't have a copy of the tasting menu so I can't provide detailed descriptions of all the dishes, also seven glasses of wine had a slight affect on my memory! Some of the highlights of the tasting menu were the liquid baked potato soup, seared diver scallops, and crispy pork belly. It was definitely an amazing meal and a perfect evening.

Before we headed back to the real world, we went to Sunday brunch at La Duni. La Duni is rated as having one of the best brunches in Dallas and we can see why. I've always loved La Duni for lunch and dinner but now I'm also a fan of their brunch. It was absolutely decadent. My husband and I split two entrees, one sweet, one savory. The Rollo de Canelo French toast was one of the best I have ever had. The menu describes the sticky roll as La Dun's famous pecan sticky roll vanilla batter dipped, topped with warm Rum-Pecan Pure Maple Syrup and Bacon Strips. The pecan mixture added a crispy crunch to the exterior to the French Toast. The dish was more than enough for two to share. We also ordered the brunch chile relleno. The roasted poblano pepper was filled with filled with refried Beans, 2 Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Cheddar, Provolone and Gruyere Cheeses, Stone Ground Corn Tortilla Chips, topped with Queso Fresco and choice of Salsa. Also included were a delicious side of roasted potatoes. We thought both dishes were beautifully executed. We can't wait to go back to try several other items on the menu. It was a wonderfully relaxing way to end such a splendid romantic weekend.

Butternut Squash Risotto

A day late but definitely not a dollar short on this recipe! This dish was even more delicious than I could ever have imagined it to be. This is quite possibly the best risotto I have ever had. The wonderful flavors of the risotto are the perfect compliment to the tender, sweet caramelized roast squash. This dish is a wonderful way to welcome fall. It would be an ample meal on it own but is also a nice side dish. I served mine along side filet mignons that I pan seared. The two together with a glass of red wine were decadent. I also served a delicious fall salad with dried cherries, pear and candied pecans over baby romaine. A big thank you to Rachel of Rachel Likes to Cook for this week's Barefoot Blogger pick.

Butternut Squash Risotto
Source: Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

• 1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 ounces pancetta, diced
• 1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.

Vegetable Casserole

I was really excited when I saw this slow cooker recipe in this month's issue of Better Homes and Gardens. I'm always on the look out for something new and different to make in my slow cooker. Overall, this was a great healthy and hearty meal. I added sausage to mine to make it a complete meal. I used a chicken with spinach and feta but next time I would probably use an Italian sausage. I recently saw a chicken parmigean sausage that I think would be a great match with this. I would also change the recipe next time and include a layer of marinara sauce to add a bit more flavor to the dish.

Vegetable Casserole
Source: Better Homes and Gardens, October 2008

• 2 19-oz. cans cannellini beans
• 1 19-oz. can garbanzo or fava beans
• 1/4 cup purchased basil pesto
• 1 medium onion, chopped (omitted)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed (I used a mix of oregano and basil)
• 1 16-oz. pkg. refrigerated cooked plain polenta cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices (I used a garlic basil polenta)
• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 8-oz. pkg. finely shredded Italian cheese blend (2 cups)
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup torn radicchio (omitted)

Directions

1. Rinse and drain beans. In large bowl combine beans, 2 tablespoons of pesto, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning.

2. In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker layer half of bean mixture, half of polenta, and half of cheese. Add remaining beans and polenta. Cover; cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or on high heat setting 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Add tomato, remaining cheese, spinach, and radicchio. Combine remaining pesto and 1 tablespoon water. Drizzle pesto mixture on casserole. Let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Applesauce Spice Bars

I saw this recipe a while back on Jaime of Good Eats Sweets and Treats Blog. I immediately starred this one for fall. When I got an invitation to a neighborhood potluck for National Night Out I knew these bars would be perfect. This is the second recipe I have made from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours and it just amazes me how perfectly the recipes from that book turn out. My previous favorite was my pumpkin variation of the granola grabber cookies. The book is very well written and the directions concise and easy to follow. The helpful hints also make it seem as if Dorie is along side helping. These bars were moist and tender. The base was very cake like. The glaze added a nice sweetness and caramel flavor but the bars were not overly sweet. These would be perfect for a fall picnic in the park or for tailgating. I will definitely be making these again. I can't wait to go try them with the burnt sugar ice cream that Jaime serves hers with. I can only imagine how decadent that would be!

Applesauce Spice Bars
Source: Baking From My Home to Yours: by Dorie Greenspan

For the Bars:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I found organic unsweetened at Whole Foods)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp applejack, brandy, or dark rum (optional) (I omitted)
1 baking apple, such as Rome or Cortland, peeled, cored and finely diced or chopped
1/2 cup plump, moist raisins (dark or golden)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I omitted these)

For the Glaze:
2-1/2 tbsp heavy cream
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2-1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust the inside of the pan with flour. Tap out the excess flour and put the pan on a baking sheet.

To Make the Bars:
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir with a whisk until it is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Still working in the saucepan, whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until they are well blended. Add the applesauce, vanilla and applejack, if you're using it, and whisk until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is once again smooth. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear, then mix in the apple, raisins and nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the bars just start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and let the cake cool while you make the glaze.

To Make the Glaze:
In a small saucepan, whisk together the cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup. Put the man over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Adjust the heat so that the glaze simmers, and cook, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Turn the bars out onto a rack, remove the paper and invert the bars onto another rack, so they are right side up. Slide the parchment paper under the rack to serve as a drip catcher, grab a long metal icing spatula and pour the hot glaze over the bars, using the spatula to spread it evenly over the cake. Let them cool to room temperature before you cut them.

Cut into 32 rectangles, each about 2-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches.

Yield: 32 Bars

Storing: These will keep for about 3 days at room temperature. Because of the glaze, they cannot be frozen.

E for Excellence Award

Thank you so much to Colleen at Cooking This and That for giving me this award. I love Colleen's blog. Colleen has a great blog and great taste in recipes! We consistently find that we are making or have made and liked the same recipes. I'm certain if I had dinner at her house it would be something I would really like! I can't wait to make the Chicken Cobbler she just made and several other yummy recipes from her blog. Since there are so many great blogs out there and its so hard to choose who to give this to, if your reading this blog consider this award for you!

Sugar Cookies

Not much cooking has happened in my kitchen this week as I have been busy getting ready for our son's birthday party. He turned two today! The time sure has flown but we have enjoyed every minute. He got his first kitchen for his birthday and I think we have a future Emeril in the making! As part of my preparations for the big party, I made sugar cookies to add to our party favors. We had an Elmo/Sesame Street themed party. I created tags using a cookie monster graphic and the label XXXX's Party was brought to you by the Number 2 and packaged them in cellophane bags. I used Martha Stewart's Sugar Cookie recipe and thought the cookies had a great flavor and were really tender. This recipe would be great for Christmas cookies too. I cheated and used Wilton premade cookie icing instead of making my own royal icing. Its a really great product. My only complaint is that it doesn't allow you to make a very good border before you flood the cookie like the royal icing does.

Sugar Cookies
Source: Martha Stewart

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons brandy, or milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar; add dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated. With mixer running, add egg, brandy (or milk), and vanilla; mix until incorporated.
2. Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape into 2 discs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in between. Leftover dough can be rolled and cut once more. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
5. Decorate with Royal Icing, optional.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

This recipe from Giada's Everyday Pasta has been on my list of recipes to try for a very long time. For some reason I just now got around to making it and I'm glad I did. Even though the chicken wasn't breaded, the first thing I thought when I tasted this dish was chicken Parmesan deconstructed! This dish was extremely easy to make and my husband liked it so much, he requested it be in our "regular rotation!" I read some reviews that suggested this dish was a bit bland so I kept that in mind while making it and made a few changes. I also changed up a few of the ingredients based on what I had on hand. My changes are noted below.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina
Source: Everyday Pasta by Giada de Laurentis

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta) (I used orzo)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion) (omitted)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice (I used canned stewed tomatoes)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used dried and also mixed in dried oregano and basil)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I used shaved Parmesan)
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.