Last night my daughter and I were perusing through my laptop photo album and we both started to giggle when we came to this photo: Little Man and Big Girl having a little post walk siesta.
My daughter giggled and said “Mom, we (her sister and herself) call that puppy shavasana, cause it’s just like the corpse pose in Yoga!”
She was right.
And I giggled some more!
Looking for an entertaining appetizer that will disappear and have your guests or host scraping the bowl for? Well, this one is to die for.
While roaming the aisle of my local grocery (yes, I roam when I have the time) I spied these new chips from the company Food Should Taste Good – Harvest Pumpkin. We started buying this brand because the line delicious and gluten free. Recently they have really branched out and experimented with some fun new flavor combinations. The pumpkin one really peaked my interest to use as a signature fall appetizer.
I opened the bag and tasted a chip, wondering was it sweet? Savory? Or both?
Both. The chips have pumpkin and sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice, but they are not sweet. There is just a touch of sugar in them but are dusted with sea salt and that balances the flavor.
I then headed over to the cheese department and my favorite cheese expert was there. We have spent countless hours together creating dishes that pair well with cheeses. We contemplated what would pair best with these chips as a dip and together came up with this combination. I have served it twice since then and both times, with all ages, it was extremely well received.
If you cannot find a whipped goat cheese, simply find the creamiest brand you can find, add a bit of cream and either whisk or use a hand blender to mix. (Do not use Feta, use Chèvre) You will be adding the chutney to taste, just be sure to not add too much. There should be a balance of sweet/tangy and savory. For the container shown in the photo, I added about 2 heaping tablespoons of chutney. Mix the two together and serve with the chips on the side.
This appetizer will be out for Thanksgiving in my house. I hope you enjoy it too.
Please, let me know what you think!
1 container whipped Chèvre Cheese
2-3 heaping Tablespoons Apple-Cranberry Chutney
Food Should Taste Good Pumpkin Tortilla Chips
Peeling garlic can be tedious and messy. One day, while contemplating the daunting task of peeling two heads of garlic for a recipe that needed 40 whole cloves, I recalled a commercial for a garlic peeler I had seen on TV. They were peddling a tube made of rubber that you put the garlic into, roll, and voila! Out came the peeled garlic cloves all pretty and naked!
Well, I’m not a fan of gadgets and I’m kind of a kitchen minimalist. I’m not a big fan of single task tools, (unless I use them quite regularly) which is why I have never thought to buy one.
It dawned on me however, that the rubber gizmo was made from material no different than my Silpat mat. I grabbed my baking mat (You can find off brand non-stick baking mats but the original is called a Silpat) and gave it a whirl:
Simply lay the cloves in a line parallel to the edge, and then ‘roll’ them gently, pushing down slightly while you roll. Use the palm of your hand to roll and keep the pressure firm but light as you feel the cloves turn under your hand.
I found I could process quite a few at a time if I kept them about the same size. I would remove the ones that were peeled and if needed, rub a couple more times to remove the stubborn skins.
This may sound almost simplistic, but trust me, it works. It saved me a good chunk of time and more than a few pennies for a product that I would have to store and only use once in awhile. And clean up is a breeze! Simply wipe down your mat with a damp cloth and let dry. If the garlic was juicy and you pressed too hard, you might need a bit of soap, but still…what a breeze!
I use this method for large quantities of garlic. You can use it for one or two cloves, also. I have an amazing garlic press which I use for one or two cloves which ‘minces’ the garlic and leaves the skin behind. Not the same result as whole cloves, but a tool I found worth the investment for minced garlic. That tip might be for another post.
Or maybe I should start a product review category?
Your thoughts?
Rockin the Mom Role 