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I had my last first date 21 years ago tonight - October 30, 2007. At the time, I didn't know it would be my last first date nor did my date, I'm sure. Lisa and I went to a play (Elizabeth the Queen) on campus and we've been together ever since.
I have a Spirited Child. Actually I have two spirited children but this post is about the younger one - Oliver. His preschool had a fall awards banquet this week and he was named Most Spirited. I don't think that term was used for kids back way back when. Horses were spirited. We had other words to describe children. Even if the term had been around, it would not have been used to describe me. I was a compliant child. If I was told to do something, I did it. No questions asked. I think a little more spiritedness could have done me some good. I'm glad I've got spirited children. I think they grow up to be impassioned adults.
Right smack dab in the middle of a bout with a particularly cantankerous stomach virus, came submission day for the manuscript - Home Grown Indiana: A Food Lover's Guide to Good Eating in the Hoosier State. This is the project Christine Barbour and I have been working on for almost a year and a half (the idea was born here, on the day we met) and after two gracious contract extensions - October 15 was the the day it had to be turned in. With Christine out of town on a long-planned trip, we relied on round-the-clock emailed revisions and tweaks to get it into shape, printed, and ready for me to drive down to Indiana University Press on Wednesday afternoon. I managed to do all this in between dashes to the restroom.
What's the book about? Well, its all about eating local in Indiana - the who, what, where, and why. We locate over 400 delicious destinations on Indiana ’s culinary map including 160 profiles and detailed information on 240 farmers, artisans, restaurants, shops, food festivals, farmers markets, retailers, wineries, microbreweries, and other people and places - all representing the best of home-grown Indiana foods. All this is organized by region of the state. We also feature 17 recipes from Indiana's top chefs. These are recipes that use fresh, seasonal, local ingredients - designed for the home cook.
We're proud of the book and can't wait for it to hit the streets. We're hoping for as early in 2008 as possible - maybe early July.
Originally published in melt-in-your-mouth newspapers on October 11, 2007
With the holiday season just around the corner, many of us will have homes filled with family and friends - parties, open houses, and social visits occupying much of our calendars during the cooler months. We start this season with Halloween parties and Thanksgiving gatherings and nearly every weekend in December can be filled with holiday parties and we conclude the season with New Years festivities and Super Bowl shindigs.
With all that entertaining, many of us find ourselves cooking more and looking for foods that can hold up in buffet lines and have staying power during those come-and-go open houses. We all have our go-to favorites like the crock pot full of meatballs, the cheese log, and the vegetable tray.
Low-maintenance dishes are a must, unless you want an excuse to stay in the kitchen and away from Uncle Ned. There are lots of good fix-it-and-forget-it choices and I’ve got a new one in my repertoire for this holiday season - Pumpkin Flatbread with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola, and Crispy Sage. I realize this is one of those pretentious recipe titles that sounds more like a grocery list than an actual food, but I can’t come up with a better name.
Regardless of what you want to call it, this is good stuff. The caramelized onions carry plenty of sweetness and the gorgonzola adds a distinctive earthiness. The crispy sage helps bring it all together.
This is great for a buffet or open house because it is a good at room temperature as it is right out of the hot oven. Cut it into small pieces and put it on a platter and you forget about it completely. When in non-party mode, pair it with a nice-sized salad for a surprisingly hearty meal.
Pumpkin Flatbread with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola, and Crispy Sage
Flatbread
Toppings
Fill a small bowl with the 3/4 cup warm water and stir in the yeast. Let this stand for about five minutes or until the yeast dissolves. Mix the two flours, salt, and sugar in a food processor, pulsing a few times to combine. Add the water and yeast, along with the olive oil and processes until it forms into a ball.
Move this to a floured work surface and knead until smooth, adding more all purpose flour, if needed, until the dough is smooth and not sticky. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm dry place to rise until doubled in volume, about an hour.
Punch down and the dough is ready to use immediately or placed in a plastic zipper bag (quart-size is perfect) and stored in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to make the flatbread preheat oven to 475 degrees. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil. Saute the onions, adding salt and pepper to taste, until caramelized. About 10 minutes.
Remove the dough from the fridge, if refrigerated, to get the chill off (handles better when not too cold) and divide the dough in half for two flatbreads. Use a floured surface, a rolling, pin, and your hands to get the flatbread very thin. Work on getting it into a 13-1/2 by 8-1/2 rectangle. Do this with both portions of dough. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Top each flatbread with half the onions and gorgonzola. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Remove, top with sage leaves, return to oven for an additional five minutes. Cut into pieces about 3” by 3.” As an appetizer, two flatbreads will serve about 12.
I try not to make this one of those "aren't my kids cute" blogs but most of my readers are friends and family who love my kids and often ask why I don't post more photos and write more about the boys. Well, here is Henry's soccer photo. This is his first team-sports experience and he has really enjoyed it. Practice once each week and Saturday games for just six weeks - not too much of a commitment, just about right for a 6 year old. He has really done a great job over the last few weeks. We've seen all the best that sports can bring out in a kid - building self-confidence, being part of a team, being respectful of the opposing team, learning to listen to the coach. I can't think of a better first coach than "Coach Jason." He's been patient and wise with his team of 1st and 2nd graders. Even Oliver, our two-year old, walks around the house talking about "Coach." I have no idea if Henry will ever be a sports superstar. Doesn't matter to me. I was a a high school athlete with average skills but I learned lessons that helped me become the man I am.
Readers forgiving me. It has been 18 days since my last post. The reason - too many words. Remember the part in Amadeus where Emperor Joseph II tells Mozart that his work has "simply too many notes?" That is how I feel - too many words. This is manuscript submission week for Home Grown Indiana: A Food Lover's Guide to Good Eating in the Hoosier State. My co-author, Christine Barbour and I have been working at a fevered pace the last couple of weeks to finish up. We're just about there but it has left little time for blogging.
I did take time this weekend for a visit with friends-authors-bloggers Will Samson and Lisa Samson. They were on a promotional jaunt for their new book, Justice in the 'Burbs and got to spend some time at our house. It was great to see them and Will and I are talking about the possibility of working on something together in the near future.
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