Even though I find myself in Germany days before the most American of holidays, we’re still planning to cook a Thanksgiving meal this week. And thankfully my sister just happens to be in town, along with some of her best friends from New York, so we have some great company to celebrate with! Although I’m going to try and find a turkey to roast for TH, I’m also planning on including a few German recipes in the menu.

One dish that I’ve made for some of our best Thanksgiving meals is German red cabbage. It’s something that I’ve been eating, either out in German restaurants alongside a nice plate of bratwurst and potatoes, or this home version, since I was a child. A good dose of tangy apple cider vinegar mixes with brown sugar to create a tart, slightly sweet flavor, helping to cut through rich meat preparations (making it an excellent addition to the Thanksgiving table). And it’s simply made, just chop up onion, apple, and cabbage and let the dish cook while focusing on the more intricate elements of the meal.

German Red Cabbage
Servings: 4 quarts
2 tablespoons bacon fat
1 medium onion, skin removed and thinly sliced
2 medium red apples, cores removed and thinly sliced
1 medium head red cabbage
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup water
1¼ teaspoons salt

In a medium-sized, heavy-bottom pot, heat the bacon fat over medium heat. Add the onion and apple and cook 5 minutes until it just starts to sweat. Add the red cabbage, cover with sugar, vinegar, water, and salt, and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is soft.

This time of year cinnamon seems to go with just about everything. Try adding a dash to a latte, a handful to the brine for pork chops, and a sprinkle on top of an apple tarte tatin. But nothing says autumn splendor quite like the spicy bite of gingersnaps, when the power of cinnamon, ginger, and funky blackstrap molasses combine in the quintessential holiday cookie. Gingersnaps are one of my favorite cookies (any time of the year really), and the delicious smell of these beauties baking helps set the festive mood.

Although I don’t go overboard with the ginger in my version (I skip the grated fresh ginger),  I do like to add chopped ginger chew candies, creating a spicy caramel-like bite in each one. I also roll them in sugar twice, ensuring a nice crunchy exterior. If you prefer the commercial, crisper taste, cook these at 350°F as the recipe instructs, but if you’d like a chewier, softer cookie, reduce the oven temp to 315°F.

Gingersnaps, slightly adapted from Bon Appètit
Servings: 4 dozen cookies

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground clove
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
½ cup blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼cup finely chopped ginger chews candy
1 cup sugar 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, salt, and pepper, and whisk together. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or using an electric mixer), beat brown sugar, shortening, and butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides halfway through. Reduce speed to low and add egg, molasses, and vanilla; beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat on low just to combine. Mix in the ginger chews (dough will be very wet and sticky).

Place dough on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and form a log. Roll the plastic wrap around the dough, making it even all around, and refrigerate until firm, for roughly 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick baking mats. Remove the dough from refrigeration and unwrap. Fill a wide, shallow bowl with the sugar. Using a sharp knife, cut several ½-inch pieces from the dough and drop into the sugar. Cover the dough completely in sugar, roll into balls, then re-cover in sugar. Transfer onto the baking sheets, spacing balls 1½-inches apart. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and centers appear cracked, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool.

I’m one lucky gal—part of my job as a writer for StarChefs.com has me tasting with chefs all over the country, and for the past few weeks I’ve been in San Francisco. I’ve had a number of fabulous delicata dishes, making it one of my favorite gourds lately. The crispy skin and creamy texture of the winter squash offers the perfect contrast all in one vegetable. And it’s super easy to cook at home; just coat it in a little butter and brown sugar, and it roasts into a delicious side dish.

This dish is inspired by Chef Marty Cattaneo, who recently prepared a similar, stunning composition at his Los Gatos outpost Dio Deka. Cattaneo infuses the rich, smoky flavor of bacon into a consommé, which he pours over perfectly cooked abalone and scallops. For texture, he adds a mixture of soft and crunchy quinoa. It is a divine dish, one I still can’t get out of my head, weeks after I originally tasted it. In my version, I’ve swapped in delicata for the abalone, toasted the seeds to provide crunch, and put together a simplified bacon jus. It’s a warm, comforting fall dish, a perfect way to enjoy the autumn flavors and relax after a long week. It would also make a wonderful addition to the Thanksgiving table, if you’re already starting to put together your November menu.

Brown Sugar Roasted Delicata, Buckwheat, and Bacon Jus
Servings: 4 portions
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus extra
1 onion, diced
12 ounces apple wood-smoked bacon, diced
1 medium-sized delicata squash
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
Salt
Black pepper
1 cup dried buckwheat groats
Arugula

For the bacon jus: Heat a pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil and onion and cook until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the bacon and continue to cook until the bacon becomes aromatic and the fat renders. Cover the bacon and onion with water, cover the pan, and simmer for two hours. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer, reserving the liquid. Freeze overnight.

For the delicata squash: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, and reserve. Cut one half of the squash in half again, and then quarter. Cut the other half into thin strips. Place the squash on a lined sheet tray and rub the butter onto the squash. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the squash and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, removing the thin slices after they are crispy and golden. Continue roasting for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the larger pieces are fork tender. While the squash is roasting, clean the seeds of any fibers, and season with salt, pepper, and additional olive oil. Place seeds on the sheet tray during the last five minutes of the roasting period, and cook until the seeds are golden and crispy.

For the buckwheat: In a small sauce pot, combine the buckwheat groats with 2 cups water. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the water has reduced and the buckwheat groats are tender.

To serve: Remove the bacon jus from the freezer and use a sharp knife to cut the white fat layer off. Discard. Place the remaining brown layer into a small saucepan and cook over medium until jus is melted and warm. Lightly season arugula with olive oil, salt and pepper. Plate the buckwheat, delicata squash pieces and slices, and squash seeds. Garnish with the arugula salad and bacon jus.

I didn’t make it to the farmer’s market during my trip to San Francisco last week, but Chef Banks White, at Hotel Shattuck Plaza, was kind enough to send market fruit to our rooms. I quickly gobbled up the late season Cherokee tomatoes and juicy figs, but saved the plums for home.

Santa Rosa plums are one of my favorite varieties, with their rich ruby  color and juicy, tangy flesh. Add a little creamy hazelnut frangipane and a nice tender dough, and you have quite the pastry. This tart is very easy to make—the dough and nut paste are quite simple—but it’s a stunning, rustic presentation, a great dessert for dinner parties topped with a little whipped cream.  And it’s fun to save a little of the frangipane to put together makeshift poptarts with the extra dough scraps.

Santa Rosa Plum-Frangipane Tart, adapted from Chez Pim
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
8 ounces cold butter, cubed
¼ cup cold water
½ cup whole almonds
2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 large Santa Rosa plums, thinly sliced 

For the pastry dough: Place the flours and 8 ounces butter into a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat the butter in flour. Using two forks, slowly break up the butter chunks until walnut-size pieces form. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the cold butter.  Working quickly, combine the water into the flour, forming a shaggy dough. Fold over several times, shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove dough from refrigerator, unwrap, and place on a well floured surface. Roll out into an elongated rectangle and fold in half. Turn dough 90 degrees, roll out again, and fold in half. Repeat one more time, then roll out to a ¼-inch square. Place dough on a lined sheet tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the frangipane: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place almonds on the tray and bake for 10 minutes until the nuts are toasted golden. Cool and grind in a food processor with the 2 tablespoons sugar. Add the butter, egg, and cinnamon and pulse until well combined.

Remove dough from the fridge and use a pairing knife to round the edges into a large circle. Spread the frangipane into an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border along the edges. Form circles with the plum slices, completely covering the frangipane. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar onto the edges of the tart shell. Bake the tart for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Cool slightly and slice.

After the rush of ICC, I’ve been running around San Francisco, meeting and tasting with some of the city’s top up-and-coming talent for my job at StarChefs.com. But I wanted to take a few moments to share a recipe that I was able to sneak in before my trip. This wonderful foccocia recipe comes thanks to the time I spent working at Bastide restaurant in LA. Bastide had a fantastic bread program—we made the most perfect mini baguette, fragrant and crisp potato-fennel rolls, and this olive focaccia every day. Tossed in plenty of olive oil, the focaccia bread literally fries itself as it bakes, creating a lovely, crunchy exterior.

My good friend Jessica, now chef de cuisine at Bay Area restaurant Manresa, asked me to pull out the recipe a few weeks ago. I couldn’t help but make a batch myself, adding some whole wheat flour and a little rosemary. The bread is a real treat, wonderful all on its own but perfectly ample for sandwiches as well. Enjoy!

Olive-Rosemary Focaccia
Servings: 6 to 8 slices

7 tablespoons olive oil, plus more
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup chopped black olive

Lightly oil a large bowl; set aside. Combine the all-purpose and wheat flours, salt, sugar, yeast, 3 tablespoons oil, and ½ cup water in a bowl. Stir to combine until a dough forms into a ball. Lightly flour a work surface and knead dough until smooth, adding additional flour to prevent stickiness. Transfer dough to oiled bowl, cover, and rest for 1 hour.

Brush a large rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil. Stretch and press dough on the sheet into a rectangle slightly smaller than the sheet. Brush dough with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm area until dough has almost doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove plastic wrap and dimple dough with your fingertips. Scatter rosemary and olives over dough. Bake focaccia until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before cutting into slices.

The StarChefs.com 3rd Annual International Pastry Competition

Last week was a bit crazy for me—I spent the first few days running around the StarChefs.com 7th Annual International Chefs Congress—and the last few recuperating. (I’m still trying to get over a nasty cold!) For those of you who don’t know about ICC, it’s a three-day, industry-only event that includes chef demos, competitions, food carts, and more.

I started working for StarChefs.com last year just as the ICC week was getting started, and it was a complete boot camp into the buzz of working for the company. This year was even better—the Congress is a ton of fun to attend, but being a part of putting it together is pretty special. Seeing hundreds of chefs learning, discussing, eating, drinking, and getting to know one another is such a pay off. And getting to learn about chocolate from Francisco Migoya and hear Jordan Khan and Michael Laiskonis discuss the route to becoming pastry chefs was pretty incredible.

My favorite part of ICC, and the part that took up almost all of my time, was the 3rd Annual International Pastry Competition. We had 20 wildly talented pastry chefs in the mix this year, and their creativity in each round showed it. For the pre-dessert round, the competitors presented everything from a Tom Yum-inspired panna cotta, complete with fried chicken skin, to a slew of beautiful concord grape desserts. In the plated dessert round, many choose to add depth of flavor to the required hazelnut paste with savory elements like carrot purèe and parmesan cheese.

Sugar Globe Pre-Dessert from Pastry Chef Salvatore Martone

The final round was already tough: each finalist had to create two identical layered cakes, bon bons, and a showpiece, and to top it off, they were also asked to make a dessert cocktail at the last minute. As a former pastry chef, it was so much fun, inspiring, and a little nerve racking to watch these chefs create their elements, plate desserts, and work under such pressure. In the end, Pastry Chef Salvatore Martone really wowed the judges with his sugar skills, taking first place and the grand prize of $5,000, courtesy of PreGel America. (That’s his stunning pre-dessert above.)

You can catch-up with everything ICC on StarChefs.com, and can even watch many of the events, including the pastry competition, online. And of course, we never stop. Tomorrow I’m headed to San Francisco to start meeting and tasting with chefs for our 2013 Rising Star awards. Life is pretty good around here!

They say never judge a book by its cover, but when I stumbled upon Allegra McEvedy’s Bought, Borrowed & Stolen a few weeks ago, I could tell just by the bright turquoise cover and gold detailing I would like the cookbook. Flipping through the pages of her honest, heart-warming photography and stories, my feelings were confirmed. The book is more a journal of her travels then anything else, with notes and memories jotted down from the past 20 years of trips she’s taken, and as I mentioned on Friday, traveling can be vastly inspirational.

Crafted around the theme of her culinary knife collection, and the blades she has bought or borrowed across Europe, Asia, and America, it’s a book that’s easy to just sit down and read. And her traveling stories come with recipes, the “stolen” element, for everything from a Japanese Rising Sun Salad or Brazilian Seafood Stew to Pumpkin Doughnuts from New York City. McEvedy is British and the recipes are written in her a conversational locals tone—many of the terms and ingredients are specifically geared for her hometown audience. (“Knock up the glaze by melting the butter in the milk and whisking in the icing sugar…”) She’s also a popular chef abroad, and this collection of recipes is certainly meant for a more advanced cook who is quick thinking on their toes—her methods are often more suggestion rather then tried and true specifics.

None the less, when flipping through the beautiful book of adventures it’s hard not to head straight into the kitchen to cook up a worldy feast (or book a plane ticket straight to Thailand!). This simple yet delicious Spanish frittata called out to me, because it’s one of my sister’s go-to recipes and she’s currently traveling in Spain. The sweet onions and spicy sausage make the perfect breakfast, and paired with a simple salad, it’s also a filling lunch.

Catalan Sausage Tortilla, adapted from Bought, Borrowed & Stolen
Servings: 8 – 10 slices
3-4 red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
8 or 9 eggs, beaten and seasoned
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
Pinch dried oregano
Salt
Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 340°F.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil with the potatoes in it and cover. Simmer for about eight minutes until the potato pieces are just cooked, then drain.

In a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, fry the sausages in the oil until lightly browned. Remove using a slotted spoon and reserve.

Reduce heat to medium-low and fry the onions in the same pan, stirring regularly as you don’t want too much color on them.

As the onions begin to soften, after about 10 minutes, stir in the garlic. Cook gently for 5 minutes, then add the sausages and potatoes. Stir to combine, then turn off heat.

Pour the eggs into the pan; all the solids should be covered by egg, so you might need to add another egg, depending on the size of your pan.

Arrange the tomatoes on the top, pushing down gently with a knife. Season with salt, pepper and, oregano.

Place pan into the oven and check after 25 to 30 minutes. Eggs should be set around the edges, and just slightly runny in the middle. Serve tomato-side up.

Apple doughnuts are a specialty of the shops near my mom’s house in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, and when I saw this recipe in Allegra McEvedy’s beautiful book Bought, Borrowed & Stolen, I knew it was what I wanted  to make after our recent apple picking trip. The recipe is a variation on a holiday classic from New York’s famous Doughnut Plant, and it’s a perfect fall sweet snack. Although I’ve replaced the pumpkin with fresh apple purée, you can simplify the process by using your favorite applesauce (or canned pumpkin).

Like any frying technique, you’ll need a decent amount of oil to crisp up the doughnuts, so plan ahead and try making them on a day you’ll be frying something else as well. Once used for frying, oil is really only good for this task, and it only lasts a few rounds before it will start imparting a bitter flavor to your food. Although a diet rich in fried foods certainly isn’t advisable, as Julia Childs said ‘Everything in moderation… including moderation,’ and if you’re going to use the oil you might as well use it for all it’s worth. Perhaps tempura for dinner and doughnuts the next day?

Whether you find to a way to use the oil twice or not, these crispy, spicy doughnuts are a great splurge for fall—a perfect party item or afternoon treat. And if you do go apple picking, make a batch of apple sauce and use a portion for these!

Apple-Ginger Doughnuts, adapted from Bought, Borrowed & Stolen
Servings: 15 doughnuts

Apple-ginger Doughnuts:
4 medium apples, halved and cores removed
150 milliliters whole milk
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
100 grams sugar, plus 1 teaspoon extra
1 kilogram all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ – 2½ pints fry oil

Ginger Glaze:
2 teaspoons butter
150 milliliters milk
350 grams confectioner’s sugar
3 teaspoons ground ginger
2-inch piece ginger, washed and unpeeled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the doughnuts: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the apple halves, flesh side down, on a lined sheet tray, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until soft to the touch. Cool completely, remove flesh from skin, and purèe flesh.

Heat the milk gently until it’s just warm to the touch, whisk in the yeast and the 1 teaspoon of sugar, and reserve for 20 minutes, until frothy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 350 grams of apple purèe, cinnamon, ginger, salt and sugar. Add the yeast mixture, beaten egg, melted butter, and the oil and bring it all together to make a soft, slightly tacky dough, mixing for about 5 minutes. Place dough on a well-floured surface and knead with floured hands for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary in order to create a soft, elastic dough.

Roll the dough out to a ¾-inch sheet and use two circular cutters to create doughnut shapes. Re-roll the trimmings once. Cover the dough with a slightly damp towel and reserve in a warm area for 30 to 45 minutes, until the dough is springy to the touch.

For the glaze: While the dough is resting, create the glaze by melting the butter in the milk and whisking in the confectioner’s sugar, ground ginger, and vanilla extract. Coarsely grate the fresh ginger and squeeze the juice into the mixture. Reserve on low heat.

Pour the frying oil into a wide, thick-bottomed pan. Heat it to 350°F. Cook the doughnuts in batches, frying for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove from oil and briefly rest on a wire rack to allow oil to drain. Dip doughnuts into the warm glaze, covering on both sides, then return to the wire rack to dry. Serve immediately.

I came across this recipe on The Kitchn a few weeks ago and I went home and immediately made a batch with a yellow squash and green pepper from our CSA. The combination of the crunchy bite of the squash, sweet-tart brine, and serious garlic bite is so addictive, I made a second batch the next week. And I’ve been rationing the pickles ever since—cautiously sharing with friends and occasionally putting them on my lunch time salads.

What’s the secret to such great pickles? Starting with delicious produce certainly helps. And a flavorful pickling liquid is key. I used a combination of organic apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, toasted spices, and mustard seeds to create this one, and it’s so good, I’ve taken to using the leftover liquid for whatever vegetables we happen to have (including those pretty tomatoes from last week).  I love the pop of the tart mustard seeds on your tongue against the squash.

And while it may be a condiment, just like the best old fashioned “pickle” pickles, this squash dish is good enough to eat all on its own (it’s also great on top on sandwiches). It’s definitely my new favorite pickle. Do you have a favorite? What have you been pickling for the fall?

Pickled Yellow Squash, adapted from The Kitchn
Servings: 2 pints
3 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
½ sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 small green or red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely diced
¼ cup kosher salt
½ tablespoon pickling spices
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2½ cups apple cider vinegar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground mustard

Combine squash, onions, peppers, garlic, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add a few ice cubes and enough cold water to just cover. Combine and set aside for 30 minutes.

Rinse the vegetables well and place in a colander to drain. Meanwhile heat a small saucepan over low heat and toast the pickling spices and mustard seeds. When the spices are aromatic, add the vinegar, sugar, and ground mustard and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stirring to make sure the ingredients are dissolved, and cool for 3 to 5 minutes.

Gently pat the vegetables dry with a towel and place in canning jars or an airtight container. Pour vinegar, spices, and seeds over the mixture and use a knife to push seeds and spices down around vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for up to one month. Strain from brine before serving.

I mentioned last week how nostalgia, and the flavors we grew up, influence the recipes we make today. Newton cookies are the perfect example of a childhood treat often recreated in grown-up fashion. These cookies were a regular part of the rotation when I was a pastry cook at Spago—we made big batches of cookie dough and spiced fig filling every few days for the restaurant’s popular cookie plate.

In my home version I’ve swapped the traditional fig filling for a golden raisin-chocolate ganache. The filling oozes when you bake them, so they do require a little extra clean-up, but these newtons are worth the extra effort. They’re absolutely addictive—rich, chocolatey, and tender. And although the homemade version is more sugar-cookie like than the spongey store-bought variety, take one look at these treats and you are instantly reminded of childhood lunch snacks.

Golden Raisin-Chocolate Newtons, adapted from Desserts by the Yard
Servings: 30 cookies
Raising Filling:
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 cup semisweet chocolate, melted

Cookie Dough:
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg white
1½ cups cake flour
1 egg, whisked
Powdered sugar 

For the filling: In a small sauce pot, combine the raisins, sugar, and orange juice. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Purèe and pass through a chinois. Combine thoroughly with the melted chocolate and refrigerate.

For the cookie dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffily, 3 to 5 minutes. Add in egg, scrape down, and then add in flour. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch strips. Fill a pastry bag with the raisin filling. Brush dough with egg wash, pipe raisin filling down the center of dough, and fold sides over filling. Refrigerate until firm, 10 to 15 minutes, then cut logs into 1/2-inch cookies. Bake on a lined cookie sheet for 12 to 15 minutes, turning after 7 minutes. Filling will ooze out as cookies bake; carefully remove cookies from tray after baking, using a knife to remove extra filling. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.