The Accidental Epicurean

Thanksgiving is right around the corner so here is a recipe for pumpkin bread I think you will enjoy. This makes a nice sized loaf of very moist pumpkin bread. Since we have recently been working around a dairy and soy allergy, I especially like it because there is no dairy in the bread itself. I have included the recipe for the streusel topping. I have been using goat butter (most people allergic to cow’s milk are not allergic to goat milk) in the streusel and haven’t been able to tell a difference in flavor. If you don’t want to bother with the streusel topping just dust the top with powdered sugar or serve with some fresh whipped cream. This bread has been a popular breakfast item at our house this fall. 1 ½ cup sugar ½ cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 can organic pumpkin 1/3 cup water 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1 t baking soda ¾ t salt ½ t nutmeg ½ cinnamon Streusel Topping 1/3 cup flour 1/3 cup sugar 1 T cinnamon 2T Butter (or goat butter) Place dry i

I know it has been a long time since my last recipe post. Delusions of grandeur, that's my problem. I imagine relaxing summer days or berry picking, corn blanching, jam making, and shopping at the farmers market. Summer arrives and passes in a complete chlorine scented blur. I did pick berries and make jam. I did go to some farmers markets. I did blanch corn and freeze it along with some berries; however it's already been eaten. If I were a pioneer mother who salted and smoked meats and fish, stored up root vegetables in the cellar, and canned fruit, my family would be starving by November. Back and rested from a recent trip to Maui I have gotten back on the culinary horse. I arrived home armed with some brown cane sugar, alaea sea salt, and three Maui Gold pineapples. While we were in Maui we tried to eat at some "local" places. One of our favorite places was the Paia Fish Market, a casual place with picnic tables and a walk up counter. The fish is as fresh as it

Gourmet Garden Tomato Salad Recipe As promised here is the first summer recipe.  This recipe was the winning submission from a contest I won a couple summers ago and was published in Country Magazine.  What an awesome way to use those luscious garden tomatoes we will soon be enjoying.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Stacy Kibler CENTERVILLE OHIO,  I came up with this invigorating salad at our weekly pool gatherings with friends. Each of us brings our own meat to grill and a side to share. This dish was definitely a hit. Ingredients 1-1/2 pounds red, yellow and/or orange tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar or honey 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced Directions Arrange tomatoes on a serving platter. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Drizzle over tomatoes. Sprinkle with cheese and basil. Yield:

Life had been busy around here lately. Things have finally slowed back down as the school year is winding down. I have been thinking a lot about summer and all of the farmer’s markets and the opportunity we in the Midwest have to enjoy fresh local produce. I am even doing my part this year and have our garden ready, we have even been able harvest some of our strawberries. This was the perfect opportunity to have my daughters do a taste test as we had some store bought strawberries in the fridge. They both overwhelmingly agreed that our berries that were grown organically (probably not certified as I can’t attest to the ingredients in the pot, but organic soil and fertilizer) tasted much sweeter than the store bought berries. One of the reasons organic veggies and fruits taste better is that they are allowed to grow at their own pace, usually in a very nutrient rich soil. They also tend to be sweeter, brighter in color, and higher in vital nutrients and antioxidants. Summer is the perfe

This recipe for Sloppy Joe’s has gotten the stamp of approval from my picky eaters and it’s so easy you will never go back to the canned stuff. What’s great about making your own Sloppy Joe’s is that you control the sodium and spices so you can customize it for your own picky eaters. Another healthful benefit to making your own is that there will be no high fructose corn syrup or other nasty ingredients. Did you know that for just a few cents more you can buy organic ketchup and it does not have corn syrup in it? Here’s what you will need…. 2 pounds of lean ground beef, organic preferably                1 can organic tomato sauce 1/3 cup organic ketchup 1 onion chopped 3 cloves of garlic finely minced 2 tsp dry mustard 3 T Worcestershire sauce 2 T brown sugar 1T apple cider vinegar Salt and Pepper to taste Sauté beef in large sauté pan on medium heat and drain any fat if necessary. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, d

I find that in my quest to create cooking classes I sometimes get lost in the “fancy” recipes that I am researching and developing. Perusing the French Laundry cookbook makes being satisfied with simpler fare difficult. The truth is my family prefers simpler fare as does my wallet. While I love trying to duplicate the Black Truffle Mac N Cheese recipe from Nick’s Fish Market in Maui, my true passion is to get everyone at home to break away from those pre packaged or frozen meals they are buying at the grocery. With the snow blowing repeatedly these past few weeks I made a few meals that are not at all gourmet, they are just good food. The first recipe is for Chicken Tortellini Soup. This is so simple and actually both of the recipes start with the same ingredient, chicken. I cook boneless skinless chicken in my crock pot on the 4 hour setting. I always use all natural chicken. It is not injected with salt solution, it’s free range, and it is fed diet free of antibiotics and animal b

With the feasting of Christmas behind us it’s time to get back on the wagon, the cooking wagon that is. I don’t know about you, but for our family the last two weeks have meant parties with friends, family parties and eating out. It’s hard to get back into the routine of meal planning and cooking “real” food. With today being the first day back at work and school this seemed as good a time as any to start. For our first meal back in the saddle I decided to make shrimp scampi and pasta. I want to use this meal as an example of how easy it is to cook from scratch using whole fresh ingredients. Sam’s Club sells boxed shrimp scampi that is loaded with fat, corn syrup solids and other things I cannot pronounce. It involves sautéing the shrimp and tossing with your cooked pasta. To make the “real food” version I used thawed peeled and deveined shrimp, jumbo size about 25-30 count per pound. I sautéed the shrimp in olive oil then removed to a plate. Tossed about four cloves of minced garlic