Chicken Casserole

Finally, the house is finished being decorated for the holidays. Or at least I have given myself permission to stop. Up next on the list of things to do is to begin planning Christmas dinner (a menu more than likely that will undergo multiple revisions), begin shopping for gifts (am still waiting for some inspiration), and put together packages of homemade cookies and candies for friends (am still deciding what to make this year). For me, Christmas means finding a balance between honoring traditions (aka expectations) and adding elements of surprise. Some of the best gifts I have ever received were not the ones I had hoped for (don't we all have shared and unshared wish lists?). Instead, they were the ones only someone who cared, who was really paying attention would give. For St. Nicholas Day this year, my stocking was filled with a gift card to my 'new' favorite coffee shop, some new running gloves, and a set of copper measuring cups. These thoughtful, perfect unexpected presents made me scream with delight and weep.

Gifting is an art, a reflection of our ability to remain attentive to what matters to our family and friends. If I could re-do some of the gifts given to my niece and nephew over the years, I would replace 'things' with 'events' as the stories we tell (and embellish) have come from the time spent and travels with one another rather than from the 'material' gifts received (the 8th grade graphing calculator graduation present may be one of the few exceptions). What I have learned over the course of my life thus far is that gifts from the heart are some of the best ones, because they are not always the ones money can buy. Gifts of 'time', ones like spending time together or the putting of time into the making of a gift, are priceless treasures.

'Tis the season for holiday parties, gatherings, dinners, luncheons, and potlucks. Other than making certain you have plenty of alcohol (or at least a really good scotch and vodka) and a supply of your favorite red and white wines, having an easy, not time intensive, make-ahead main course to go along with all of the appetizers and holiday cookie platters makes entertaining (almost) stress-free. 

Enrolled in a doctoral program many years ago is when I first met Kristina. At the time she was the wife of one of my cohort members and as I subsequently learned, she and I had pledged the same sorority while in the college (the first time around). Little did she or I know at the time but Kristina would ultimately become my doctoral dissertation advisor, the person responsible for pushing me to finish what I had started. Although I can't remember when I first tasted her PiPhi Chicken Casserole, I recall asking if she would share the recipe. Recently while searching for Chicken Casserole recipes, I remembered I had Kristina's recipe, somewhere. All I had to do was find it.

Feeling some degree of culinary confidence after reading dozens of chicken casserole recipes, I decided to take a few liberties with the original shared recipe yet stay true to the basic elements. 

Rotisserie chickens might be one of the best things to come into the grocery store in the last decade. They also happen to provide all of the meat needed for this casserole. After removing the skin, the meat is simply torn off and shredded. If you have ever done this before, you know how much easier it is to do when the rotisserie is still warm. (Note: Buy only a rotisserie chicken you have tasted before as there is a great deal of variability in their moistness and taste.)

Since the casserole was made with onions and celery, I thought why not replace the canned mushrooms with fresh ones. And while I was at it, increase their presence from four ounces to eight.

In two to three tablespoons of unsalted butter, the minced onions and celery are cooked for several minutes or just until they begin to soften. After adding the sliced mushrooms to the pan, the entire vegetable mixture continues to cook for additional 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to slightly soften.

Okay, this is the point in the recipe where I may lose some of you. Before you make up your mind, please know I had done a fair share of chicken casserole research which had caused me to (briefly) consider making an ingredient replacement change. Many of the chicken casserole recipes I came across were made with a homemade white sauce. This one uses a can of cream of mushroom soup (Yes, I know this is the second recipe on the blog this year using a canned soup.). After weighing the options between the two I decided to use the cream of mushroom soup (and you should too!). Combined with mayonnaise, some dry white wine (strongly recommend using a Pinot Grigio), grated white aged cheddar cheese (Cabot's Farmhouse Reserved Aged Cheddar is amazing), kosher salt, and pepper, the soup is a necessary ingredient for creating the most delicious binder for this casserole.

The shredded chicken and sautéed vegetables are mixed into the wine/soup/mayonnaise mixture and spooned into a lightly buttered casserole dish.

Adding a buttered Ritz cracker crumb topping seemed to be a characteristic of many of the chicken casserole recipes claiming to be Southern in tradition I found in my search. Whether this is true or just an over generalization on my part, I thought it would bring some added flavor and further crunch to this Chicken Casserole. Note: I kept the water chestnuts in this casserole, but omitted the half cup of slivered almonds. If you want even more crunch, add the almonds.

The chicken casserole can either be placed in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven and baked for 40-45 minutes or it can be covered, placed in the refrigerator, and made later in the day (or even the next day). 

Served with some wild rice, a beautiful salad, and of course, some white wine, you have one of the most flavorful, perfect, impressive meals. And it is almost effortless to make. No one will guess it is made with a rotisserie chicken and a can of cream of mushroom soup (and you don't have to tell them if you don't want to!). There are a lot of flavors and textures going on in this Chicken Casserole. It is rich without being heavy as well as has elements of creaminess and crunch. It is everything you wish a Chicken Casserole would be. This may be one of the most versatile Chicken Casseroles you will ever make. It is perfect for a luncheon, dinner party, or holiday buffet; it is the kind of dish you want to bring to a potluck; it is the casserole you should bring to the home of a neighbor or friend in need of some comfort food; or simply a dish you want to make for your family as a way of showing some of your love for them. 

The weeks ahead can feel hectic, leaving some of us feeling as if we are being pulled in a million different directions. Yet how we spend the time we have or the time we make is really what this holiday season and life are all about. "Never be too busy for the people you love. Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relationships. Love is what gives meaning to life." 

Recipe
Chicken Casserole (inspired by Kristina Hesbol's PiPhi Chicken Casserole recipe)

Ingredients
1 Rotisserie Chicken, skin removed and meat shredded while chicken is still warm (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, minced
2-3 stalks of celery, minced
8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced 
2-3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonaise 
4 ounces white aged cheddar, grated (strongly recommend Cabot Farmhouse Reserve Aged Cheddar)
1/2 cup dry white wine (recommend Pinot Grigio)
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces Ritz Crackers, crushed
6-7 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Optional: 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly butter a 9"x13" casserole dish. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onions and celery and sauté until slightly softened (approximately 3-4 minutes). Add sliced mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have slightly softened (an additional 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, white wine, salt, pepper, grated cheese and water chestnuts.
4. Add shredded chicken and sautéed vegetables and mix thoroughly.
5. Spoon chicken mixture into the prepared baking pan.
6. Melt 6-7 Tablespoons unsalted butter. Add crushed Ritz crackers. Mix until all butter has been absorbed into the cracker crumbs. Spoon crumbs over the chicken casserole.
7. Bake chicken casserole (uncovered) for 40-45 minutes or until top is lightly browned and casserole is bubbling on the edges. Remove from the oven. Allow to sit at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes: (1) The chicken casserole can be assembled early in the day or the night before, covered, and refrigerated. Before baking remove oven for 30 minutes before placing in the oven. (2) If you do not want to buy or have access to a store-bought rotisserie chicken, roast a whole 3-4 pound chicken.

Chocolate Brittle Brownies

There was a time when I went through a period of holiday insanity. Succumbing to the influence of Martha Stewart, I spent hours painstakingly making strands of garland out of the tiny acorns and pine cones collected in my yard. Shlepping through an untold number of stores to find glass ornaments to hang on the several themed trees (searching for glass fruit and nut ornaments almost sent me over the edge). Putting up five trees (while working full-time), setting two holiday tables, and artfully arranging fresh greens so that hundreds of people could traipse through my house (talk about a going over the edge experience). This was followed by a long period of recovery from holiday decorating overload along with some consideration given to converting to a religion that didn't include all of the holiday hoopla. An excessive number of boxes and containers of ornaments and various Christmas collections stored in the attic remained unopened for several years. Maybe it was seeing the museum worthy antique collection of Christmas ornaments and decorations in the home of a friend, maybe it was planning ahead for creating a memorable family Christmas dinner, or maybe the world now just seems like a more fragile, unpredictable place, but this year some of those holiday collections acquired over the years would again see the light of day. In the spirit of scaling back, only two trees will be going up. And oh, although I may be lapsed in my religious practices, I have not yet abandoned them.

Everything I learned about decorating a Christmas tree I learned a very long time ago from a friend who created some of the most beautiful, enviable trees I had ever seen. From wrapping the lights around branches to creating a sense of depth to the tree with the selection and placement of ornaments, let's just say a significant amount of time, energy, and patience go the process of trimming the tree. Particularly for those of us trying to emulate (as best as one can) the incredibly talented, artistic eyes of a friend. Needless to say the simple process of decorating a tree is nothing like the hanging of red, green, and gold ornaments on the flocked trees of my childhood.

In the middle of the holiday decorating chaos, I needed to take a deep breath and walk away from it all for a little while. In spite of the chaos of having boxes stacked in rooms and trees in various stages of decoration, I decided to make an even bigger mess and bake some Chocolate Brittle Brownies. The inspiration for a rich fudgy brownie topped with chocolate coated cocoa rice krispies came from a recipe in the cookbook written by Mindy Segal, a multi-talented Chicago chef with extraordinary pastry making talents. Trading her recipe for creme brûlée for these brownies with another chef, she named these unbelievable bites of chocolate deliciousness Barter Brownies. Of course Mindy had to 'gild the lily' and top them with the chocolate coated cocoa rice krispies. Seems there are some similarities between her process of making a brownie and my process for decorating for the holidays.

Three kinds of chocolate, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, extra-large eggs, kosher salt, vanilla, baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa rice krispies create a rather extraordinary brownie. Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies (one I took the liberty of renaming Decadent Chocolate Brownies) have been my hands down favorite for years. Because the bar was set so high with those brownies, I have been a little reticent in trying another brownie recipe. But if there was ever a recipe I thought might rise to or exceed Ina's deep chocolate, fudgy brownie insanity, I was pretty confident it wouldn't be that much of risk if Mindy Segal was its' creator. 

These brownies are really easy to make. My only contributions here (other than taking the liberty to rename them Chocolate Brittle Brownies) were to increase the amount of vanilla and add some sea salt to the chocolate/rice krispie mixture. And my only advice is to choose really good chocolate. 

The brownies bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 30-35 minutes. As the brownie bakes it will form a thin crust on top. When testing for doneness, a toothpick inserted the center will draw out wet crumbs. Over baking these brownies would be akin to under decorating a tree. It wouldn't be pretty. 

Assemble the chocolate and cocoa rice krispie topping once the brownies have cooled.

After spreading the chocolate-cereal mixture evenly over the brownies, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill. Chilling the brownies makes them easier to cut 'cleanly'.

Remove the chilled brownies from the baking pan and place on a cutting board. After cutting the brownies in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, each half is cut into twelve slices. For a bakery finish look, Mindy recommends trimming the edges of the brownies. I decided my brownies would have a refined rustic kind of look.

One slice of these brownies is a substantial portion. Even for those of us who love chocolate. So I decided to cut each slice in half. But you don't have to choose. Your platter can have both the larger and smaller slices of brownies and your slices can be trimmed or untrimmed.

After eating these Chocolate Brittle Brownies, I am happy to share with you that I am no longer a one brownie kind of girl. The combination of the tastes and textures of the fudgy brownie bottom and the crunchy, crispy chocolatey topping is unbelievably delicious. The brownie and candy bar combination is pure genius. Served either at room temperature or chilled (my personal favorite way to enjoy them), you need to make these brownies for your family and/or friends. For those of you (like me) who have been a one trick pony brownie baker, these Chocolate Brittle Brownies are bound to bring about as much of the joy, giddiness, and delight as one feels on Christmas morning. Which is pretty close to how how you feel when you finally finish decorating for the holidays. Wonder what I am going to have to make to get me through the end of the season undecorating process.

Recipe 

Chocolate Brittle Brownies (an ever so slight adaptation to Mindy Segal's Barter Brownie recipe shared in her cookbook Cookie Love)

(24 large brownies or 48 brownie bites)

Ingredients

Brownies

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (64%-66% cacao), broken into pieces

3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

4 extra-large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Brittle

8 ounces dark milk or semi-sweet chocolate (39%-53% cacao), broken into pieces

1 1/2 chocolate puffed rice (such as Cocoa Rice Krispies)

generous pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly spray a 9"x13" pan with non-stick baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1 inch overhang on the long sides of the pan. Set aside.

2. Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate over simmering water. Set aside but keep warm.

3. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together dark brown and granulated sugars until blended. 

4. Add melted chocolate, on low speed mix to combine. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure batter is brought together. 

5. Crack the eggs into a measuring cup. Add vanilla. Set aside.

6. Sift together flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Once sifted, whisk in kosher salt.

7. Add eggs one at a time to the chocolate/butter/sugar mixture on medium speed. Mix each egg until incorporated (5 seconds per egg). Scrape down sides of bowl and mix on medium speed for 20-30 seconds to make batter nearly homogenous.

8. Add the dry ingredients and mix until dough comes together, approximately 20 seconds. Do not over mix, dough may look slightly shaggy.

9. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a thin crust is formed on the top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan draws out wet crumbs. Cool completely in pan.

9. To make the brittle, melt dark-milk or semi-sweet chocolate over simmering water. Remove and stir in chocolate puffed rice.

10. Spread chocolate/cereal brittle over brownies in an even layer. Cover and refrigerate until chilled (approximately 2 hours).

11. Lift brownies out of pan and transfer to a cutting board.

12. Cut brownies in half lengthwise, then cut in 12 strips across (yield will be 24 large brownies). For small brownie bites, cut each strip in half.

13. Serve brownies at room temperature or chilled.

Note: Brownies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

The historic Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana built in 1878.

Brown Butter Sea Salted Cookies

As much as I would have loved to host the Thanksgiving family dinner this year, I have always longed to be able to run the Turkey Trot in the town where I live. Not that running a 5k was going to mitigate all of the holiday meal calories consumed (more than likely it would take an Ironman Triathlon for that), but a fresh air, running for a good cause start to the day felt good. Really, really good. Not even having to navigate around all of the strollers, walkers, dogs on leashes, groups walking 5 across, or the threat of an overcast, waiting to rain sky could spoil this Thanksgiving first. Already I am thinking ahead to next year, trying to figure out how to manage the possibility of hosting my favorite holiday meal and running this race. Because of course, I don't want to have to choose between the two.

And for the first time in years or I should say decades, I didn't succumb to the lure of all of those Black Friday sales or the endless number of emails offering all of those savings over the Thanksgiving weekend. That too felt good, surprisingly good actually. Over the years, but even more so recently, I have come to realize there is something to be said for savoring all of the sentiments of Thanksgiving for as long as possible. At least for a couple of days more.

Earlier this fall one of my best friends texted to tell me she had just tasted the ultimate, absolute best, most incredible cookie ever. The discovery of 'the' cookies sold by the Brown Butter Cookie Company occurred while she was on vacation in California. While she was savoring every bite of these cookies, I was left wondering 'so what does such a cookie taste like?' Not that I doubted her (okay maybe I did just a teeny tiny bit), but this was a rather significant claim. Fast forward to this past week when an unexpected, most generous gift of these cookies arrived. It took me all of ten seconds to tear open the box and taste one of these cookies. In a single bite, I learned what the ultimate, absolute best, most incredible ever cookie tasted like. After devouring one of the brown butter sea salted shortbread cookies, I thought 'okay now I need to find the recipe for cookies thousands are willing to drive hours to buy and many more thousands are willing to pay $1.00 per cookie for'. So I embarked on the search for this buttery, sweet, salty shortbread cookie. The looming holiday cookie season was an added incentive.

What I found on this search were a myriad of recipes all claiming to taste just like the ones sold at the Brown Butter Cookie Company. Ha! Like most shortbread cookie recipes the most significant difference amongst them is in the flour to butter ratio. These copycat recipes were no different. To make this slightly more challenging, this cookie had a tenderness to it I didn't think could be achieved by simply using only the recommended all-purpose flour. So I had a few decisions to make before attempting to replicate them. Or rather to get as close to them as possible.

For some unscientific, unable to explain from a culinary perspective reason, 6 ounces of unsalted butter and 12 ounces of flour made sense to me. Less butter or more flour just didn't seem right. But the browning of the unsalted butter would be key to the success of this cookie. Too light and the browning flavor would get lost, too dark and it would overpower the sweetness of the cookie. After listening to the which flour to use debate going on in my head, I decided to use a whole wheat pastry flour. If it didn't work, I would have wasted a stick and half of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, a teaspoon and a half of vanilla, some sea salt, some fine red Hawaiian sea salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the whole wheat pastry flour. Hardly the end of the world in terms of ingredient cost. Culinary ego and self-esteem were a completely different matter. Okay, yes I know, this is only a cookie.

This is a two bowl cookie recipe. The flour (the whole wheat pastry flour), the sea salt, and the baking soda are mixed together in one bowl. The browned butter, light brown sugar, and vanilla are mixed in another. And then the still warm browned butter mixture is stirred into the flour mixture just until combined. At this point you want the cookie to rest for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes (I waited 20 minutes but a 30 minute wait would not be too long) to enable the flour to fully absorb into the butter as well as to allow the dough to cool slightly. As a side note, whole wheat pastry flour is not as fine as all-purpose flour, thus it is slower to absorb the liquid (the browned butter/brown sugar mixture) due primarily to the fiber it contains.

There are two benefits to using an ice cream scoop to form the cookies. In addition to creating uniformed sized cookies, it prevents the dough from being overworked and toughened. After removing the dough from the ice cream scoop, it is quickly rolled into a ball, placed on the baking sheet, and pressed down ever so slightly before being dusted with a very light sprinkling of fine Hawaiian red sea salt. Hint: A little of this salt goes a long way.

On a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet, the cookies are baked fro 13-15 minutes in a preheated 325 degree (F) oven (my baking time was 15 minutes). After transferring the baked cookies to a cooling rack, allow to completely cool before eating and/or packaging. Remember wait time is all relative. 

The cookie baking stars were aligned on the day I made these Brown Butter Sea Salted Cookies. These were definitely the dense, buttery, salty, melt in your mouth balls of deliciousness I hoped they would be. If the brown butter sea salted cookies from the Brown Butter Cookie Company can sell for $1.00 a cookie, these would be worthy of a 95 cents each price tag. Seriously.

These Brown Butter Sea Salted Cookies will definitely be making an appearance on all of my Christmas cookie platters. However, don't think of them as just another holiday cookie. No, these are kind of cookie you will want to bake year round. Once you taste them you will understand why they shouldn't be relegated to a single month a year. When the cookie connoisseurs in your circle of family and friends first see this rather simple, unassuming cookie, they may look at you and wonder what all of the fuss is about. But trust me, one bite and they will find them hard to resist. This is one incredibly delectable, decadent shortbread cookie. If you haven't noticed, browned butter is one of my favorite things. Fine red Hawaiian sea salt is now added to that list.

Recipe
Brown Butter Sea Salted Cookies (inspired by a recipe shared by Jason Hill)
Makes 15 cookies

Ingredients
12 Tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed 
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (recommend Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Hawaiian red sea salt, finely ground

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Line a 12"x18" baking pan with silpat or parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over low-medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until the melted butter is a deep golden color (approximately 8-10 minutes).  Remove from stove and pour into small-medium sized bowl.
3. Add light brown sugar and vanilla, stirring until brown sugar dissolves and is fully incorporated into the browned butter. Set aside.
4. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
5. Pour butter/brown sugar mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold until combined, being careful not to overmix. 
6. Allow the dough to cool slightly and rest for 15-30 minutes before shaping into balls.
7. Using an ice cream scoop first and then your hands to make one inch bowls. Place on prepared baking sheet. Press down on each cookie ever so slightly. Very lightly sprinkle with red Hawaiian sea salt.
8. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Be careful not to over bake.
8. Transfer cookies to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before eating or packaging.

Baked Ricotta with Blistered Tomatoes

My most favorite of all holidays is just days away. As Thanksgiving approaches the food-asphere is stuffed with simple, complicated, traditional, and trendy recipes; sage advice from cooks everywhere; reminders of the rules for entertaining etiquette; a myriad of table setting ideas; and, of course, let's not forget the wine pairing recommendations. Makes one wonder how the Pilgrims ever managed to get that mythical, yet legendary meal on the table (Spoiler alert: It isn't what we were taught.) Unless one thrives under pressure (at least one for certain, but probably all of my former administrative assistants can tell you what it feels like to work with someone possessing such a quality), by now you have probably made 98% of your Thanksgiving dinner menu decisions (those of us who have second guessing tendencies always needs to leave some room for a last minute change or addition). For some of us, this meal means making multiple trips to grocery stores and food emporiums to get everything needed for that good as or hopefully even better than the dinner made last year. Yet, in spite of all of the time, planning, endurance, and love going into the making of this meal, the food is merely the backdrop for this holiday.

So I am not going to mess with your Thanksgiving dinner plans with this blog post. I am not going to tempt you to switch out your cranberry sauce for this Spiced Cranberry and Dried Fruit Chutney, or persuade you to replace your favorite creamed spinach recipe with this Boursin Spinach Gratin, or have you consider substituting your pumpkin pie recipe for this Brûléed Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Swirl, or even suggest you add a Potato Leek Gratin to your holiday table. No, I am not. Instead, I am going to focus all of my energies on sharing a recipe for an appetizer you are going to need for all of your impromptu or planned gatherings in the weeks and months ahead. Yes, you really, really need this Baked Ricotta with Blistered Tomatoes recipe in your life.

Nothing takes the chill off of a cold night better than a warm appetizer and glass of wine. Well, okay, maybe there are a few other things.

The savoriness of the ricotta, goat cheese and herbs and the sweetness of blistered, caramelized baby heirloom (or cherry) tomatoes become the perfect bite when spread on a crostini baguette.

This absolute deliciousness begins with whole milk ricotta (don't even think of making a 'lighter' substitution here), chèvre (or goat cheese), fresh thyme, finely minced garlic, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and an egg.

Thyme was my herb of choice but you could also use fresh marjoram. In the summer or in the warmer parts of the country, you could substitute freshly sliced basil for the thyme. While some will say fresh herbs are more flavorful than dried, there are some herbs you can use in either fresh or dried form without sacrificing all of the flavor. Thyme and marjoram are two of them, however, basil is a fresh only herb. In general, follow a 1:3 dried to fresh to dried ratio if making this substitution (1 teaspoon of dried to 3 teaspoons of fresh). Side note: 1 Tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons.

If you are not using your own homemade ricotta, use a high quality whole milk ricotta (my personal favorite is made by BelGioioso). The higher quality the ricotta, the less the liquid there will be when allowed to drain for thirty minutes before mixing with the other ingredients.

The drained ricotta, chèvre (or goat cheese), and egg are mixed until creamy in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. After blending in the minced garlic, chopped thyme, sea salt and black pepper, the mixture is ready to be spooned into a dish generously brushed with olive oil. Take a lesson for me and choose a baking dish allowing you to easily invert the baked ricotta onto a platter.

At this point you can cover your baking dish and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to put into a preheated 375 degree (F) oven. It takes only 40 minutes for the cheese to puff up and very lightly brown.

Baby heirloom and cherry tomatoes are always in season. Extra-virgin olive oil, light brown sugar, fresh thyme, and dry vermouth are all you need to caramelize these tomatoes. But before sharing just how easy it is to make these blistered tomatoes, let's talk about the vermouth, the dry vermouth. Something we can thank 18th century Northern Italians for creating. Borrowing from Cook's Illustrated description, 'the base of a dry vermouth is white wine, presumably not of particularly high quality; fortified with neutral grape spirits which slightly hike up the alcohol level; and, 'aromatized' with 'botanicals' such as herbs, spices, and fruits.' Relatively inexpensive due to its' low alcohol content, dry vermouth is also called extra-dry vermouth. As a side note, if you ever see a recipe simply calling for vermouth and recommending white wine as a substitute, they are really recommending the use of dry vermouth. Save the sweet stuff red or pink stuff for the Manhattan, Negroni, and Rob Roy.

In a heavy skillet, heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil before adding the baby heirloom or cherry tomatoes. Cook, swirling often, over medium heat until the tomatoes begin to blister. or slightly split. When adding the dry vermouth, remove the pan from the heat (remember there is alcohol in it). After stirring the dry vermouth into the tomatoes, return to the heat and add the light brown sugar, sea salt, and fresh thyme. Immediately lower the heat and continue to cook until the juices from the tomatoes, the dry vermouth, and the brown sugar become slightly syrupy. Some of your tomatoes may have fallen completely apart, however, if all of them do, then you 'blistered' them too much before adding in the other ingredients.

The tomatoes can be made midway through the ricotta baking process. If they are done before the ricotta has baked and allowed to rest slightly, remove them from heat and gently reheat before getting ready to serve.

Slice up a fresh baguette into 1/2 inch slices or brush your baguette slices with some extra-virgin olive, season with salt and pepper, and bake in a 350 degree (F) oven for 10-15 minutes (or until they are lightly golden brown). While the baked ricotta is resting, you can throw a sheet pan of prepared baguette slices into the oven.

Baking time on the ricotta, goat cheese, and herb mixture is approximately 40 minutes (it will puff up slightly and have some light brown coloring along the edges and on top). After removing from the oven, allow it to rest for approximately ten (10) minutes before inverting onto your serving platter (again trust me when I say choose a baking dish amenable to inverting).

Top the baked ricotta with your blistered tomatoes and surround with your bread of choice. Garnishing with thyme is optional. While meant to be served warm, this Baked Ricotta with Blistered Tomatoes is still delicious and equally addictive as it comes to room temperature.

My list of all of the things I am thankful for this year continues to grow daily. Unexpected kindnesses, the support and encouragement of family and friends, new friendships, enduring friendships that continue to strengthen over time, and my new appreciation for being healthy are just some of them. And in the words of Thornton Wilder 'We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.' It is with a very grateful heart that I wish all of you a most happy and filled with blessings Thanksgiving.

Recipe
Baked Ricotta with Blistered Tomatoes (inspired by the Runaway Spoon's recipe for Baked Ricotta and Goat Cheese with Candied Tomatoes)

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer

Ingredients
Baked Cheese
15 ounces whole milk ricotta (recommend BelGioioso whole milk ricotta) or use homemade ricotta
4 ounces chevre or goat cheese, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme (or marjoram or basil)
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
Generous grinding of black pepper
Generous sprinkling of sea salt (or kosher salt)
Extra-virgin olive oil for preparing baking dish

Blistered Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
12-14 ounces baby heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes (mixed colors if possible)
1/4 cup dry or extra dry vermouth
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 sprigs of thyme
sea salt

Directions
Baked Cheese
1. Place the ricotta in a colander lined with cheese cloth. Allow to drain for at least 30 minutes, pressing down to extract the liquid.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Brush inside of a 2 cup baking dish with olive oil.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the drained ricotta, goat cheese, and egg until smooth. Beat in herbs, pepper and salt. Taste for seasonings. Alternately, place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy (this is my preferred method).
4. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and puffed in the center.
5. Allow the cheese to cool for at least 10 minutes. Invert on serving platter.
Note: The baked cheese mixture can be prepared several hours in advance before baking. Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking.

Blistered Tomatoes
1. While the cheese is baking, heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 
2. Add tomatoes, stirring frequently until the skins of the tomatoes begin to split.
3. Briefly remove from heat, add vermouth, then return to heat. 
4. Add brown sugar and herbs, stirring until sugar has melted.
5. Add a generous pinch of sea salt.
6. Lower heat and cook gently until liquid is reduced to a syrupy coating. Note: Some of the tomatoes will begin to fall apart, but not to worry.

Assembly
1. Spoon the blistered tomatoes over the baked ricotta.
2. Serve with crostini or a sliced baguette.

First snowfall at Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.