Mishmash Party Mix (with Bugles!)

“For me, running is both exercise and a metaphor. Running day after day, piling up the races, bit by bit I raise the bar, and by clearing each level, I elevate myself. At least that’s why I’ve put in the effort day after day: to raise my own level. I’m no great runner, by any means. I’m at an ordinary – or perhaps more like mediocre – level. But that’s not the point. The point is whether or not I improved over yesterday. In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be.”

-Haruki Murakami in What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

So what do I think about when I think about 2015? Well, my feelings are a bit all over the place. It was a year with many great experiences and achievements but some really low points thrown in there as well. Early in the year I experienced heartbreak for the first time as well as the loss of a family member. What ensued after this were many terrible hangovers and some pretty awful and awkward blind dates (thanks for nothing okcupid).

Putting all of those things aside though, a lot of really great stuff did happen. I visited Charleston, Nashville, Boston, and Nola, watched two friends get married, started a new job, reached my 100thblog post, overcame my fear of roller coasters, and moved into my own place, just to name a few.

I also ran a lot this past year. It’s not exactly something new for me; I’ve been running regularly for about 10 years. It felt different this year though. When it previously used to be about times and placements, this year the running was more of a means to improve myself and put a focus on who I am and who I want to be. When you spend an hour trying to forget how much it hurts to be running, you do a lot of thinking to distract yourself. But this thinking leads to healing, leads to decision-making, leads to enlightenment and the euphoric feeling of release when you burst into tears midway through your 6^th mile.

Today is the last day of a 37-day run streak, a pledge my friends and I took to run at least a mile a day from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. It wasn’t easy and some days it took all mental effort I had to force myself to shuffle around the block for a mile at 6:30 in the morning. Looking through my log of miles, I certainly do not see drastic increases in mileage and my legs do not feel well rested in the least but I don’t think it’s the physical and tangible aspects that really matter. Those ten minutes or so a day of running allowed me the time to clear my head and reset, to put yesterday behind and get myself ready for tomorrow.

I go into 2016 with clarity, knowing that the world is going to throw me a mishmash of wonderful and terrible things but when mixed together, they are the things that shape this crazy and wonderful life I’m making for myself. Making the most of all of the good and bad things that come my way and striving to use that to be the best me that I can be is my resolution for the year.

But speaking of a hodgepodge of things coming together to create one beautiful and wonderful thing, let’s take a look at this crazy party mix I made for a New Year’s Eve celebration last night! It’s insane to think that something that is a mix of so many disparate elements can come together and form a cohesive snack is possible, but it’s true. You get a bit of salty, sweet, savory, buttery, spicy, and bitter in every bite. It has good crunch, an even mixture of small and large pieces and, most importantly, the star of this party mix is Bugles. I can’t even remember the last time I had Bugles (probably in an airport come to think of it) but there is so much nostalgia packed into this light, crispy, and buttery snack. The reminiscence hit so hard I couldn’t help but doing this…

Regardless of how you eat your Bugles, definitely make the effort to seek them out for this recipe. The other ingredients are totally negotiable so play around with the mixture as much as you like. Just like life, party mix is what you make it.

Mishmash Party Mix (with Bugles!)

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Makes enough to feed a large crowd

Ingredients

5 cups original flavor Bugles

3 cups Snyder’s Butter Snap Pretzels

2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts

1 cup sesame sticks

1 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds

1 cup wasabi green peas

6 Tbs. butter

6 large garlic gloves, peeled and crushed

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. mustard powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. smoked paprika

¼ tsp, cracked black pepper

3 cups crushed taro chips

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the Bugles, pretzels, peanuts, sesame sticks, pumpkin seeds, and green peas. Mix to evenly distribute.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and continue cooking over low for 5 minutes to infuse the butter with garlic flavor. Transfer the butter to a bowl and discard the garlic pieces. Add the soy sauce, Dijon, mustard powder, salt, paprika, and pepper to the butter and whisk to combine.

Pour the butter mixture over the dry ingredients and use your hands or a large spoon to toss the ingredients with the butter to evenly coat them. Divide between 2 sheet pans and bake for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool. Once cool, add the taro chips to the mixture and stir to combine.

Pumpkin-Caramel Tart With Toasted-Hazelnut Crust

Have you had your fill of pumpkin pie yet? Are we moving on to all things gingerbread and eggnog in flavor? To be fair I wouldn’t blame you if you swore off pumpkin till next September when the craze picks up again. But can I urge you to make room for just 1 more pumpkin thing? It’s a pumpkin caramel hazelnut tart and I swear it’s going to completely change the way you think about pumpkin pie. Here, take a look.

Warming up to the idea yet? Maybe it’ll make a difference that the filling is not predominantly pumpkin at all. Instead it starts with a base of homemade caramel sauce, one where you let the sugar get just to the point of almost burning before dousing it in cream. Only then does this rich and intensely flavored sauce combine with a modest amount of pumpkin and cinnamon and a good dose of freshly grated ginger.

No, still not convinced?

Well maybe I should mention that this caramel pumpkin filling is baked inside of a wonderful crumbly, shortbread-like hazelnut crust. Almost a full cup of hazelnuts go into this crust along with a good amount of butter for good measure, giving the each and every bite of the tart the slightest amount of crunch and an underlying nutty flavor.

And if you’re still hesitant, I should probably add that the entire tart is topped with a generous sprinkling of candied hazelnuts for an ultimate sweet caramel crunch.

And of course there has to be an enormous dollop of whipped cream on top.

So really, you shouldn’t even compare this to pumpkin pie, it’s in a category all to itself. But if you still refuse to have a slice, if you’re too pumpkin-ed out, I guess I can’t complain… more for me!

Pumpkin-Caramel Tart With Toasted-Hazelnut Crust
Serves 8-10
From Bon Appetit Magazine

Ingredients

For the crust
1¼ cups hazelnuts
1 cup flour
2 Tbs granulated sugar
¾ tsp. salt
½ cup (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into cubes

For the filling and topping
1¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
pinch of cream of tartar
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 Tbs light brown sugar
1 Tbs flour
1½ tsp. freshly grated ginger
¾ tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. salt
3 eggs
whipped cream, for serving

Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the hazelnuts on a sheetpan and toast in the oven for 10-13 minutes, until fragrant. Remove and let cool. Once cool, use a clean kitchen towel to rub the hazelnuts together and remove most of the skins.

Transfer ¾ cup of the hazelnuts to a food processor and set the rest aside for the candied hazelnut topping. Add the flour, sugar, and salt to the food processor and pulse until you have a coarse meal. Add the butter and continue pulsing until you only have a few pea-sized pieces of butter left. Transfer to a bowl and add up to 3 tablespoons of water to the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it forms a dough.

Press the dough into the pan so it goes 1½ to 2 inches up the side. Place the pan with the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes and then transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes and then let cool slightly.

To make the filling combine 1 cup of the sugar, the cream of tartar and 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan. Over a medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar begins to melt. Once it is melted, stop stirring and occasionally swirl the pan to evenly distribute the caramel. The caramel is ready when it turns a deep amber color. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the cream. Whisk until it is smooth and set aside to cool slightly.

In a bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt and the eggs until it is smooth. Slowly incorporate the caramel. Pour the filling into the hazelnut crust and bake, rotating halfway through, for 35-45 minutes until the edges are set and the center jiggles just slightly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the tart cooks, make the candied hazelnuts. Roughly chop the remaining ½ cup of hazelnuts. Add to a saucepan with ¼ cup of sugar and a tablespoon of water. Place over a medium heat and stir until the sugar melts and coats the hazelnuts. Pour onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to cool. Once cool, break into pieces and scatter over the cooled tart. Serve with whipped cream.

Rye Pasta with Salmon and Tomato Cream Sauce

In an effort to take advantage of the relatively mild weather before the inevitable cold spell comes (though the winter wonderland decorations already bedazzling just about every outdoor space have me believing that it’s already here), I’ve been booking my weekends with just about every outdoor activity possible. From long walks and wineries to old college town tailgating and, just last weekend, to the delightfully food-oriented Emporiyum.

Essentially a pop-up market, Emporiyum set up shop at Union Market in DC and about 100 chefs, creatives and artisanal food-makers brought their beautiful and delicious creations for all to eat, drink, and purchase. With free samples at almost every stall, my friends and I spent a good two hours meandering through every inch of the space, robotically reaching out to try everything presented to us. Scattered amongst some more well-known purveyors like Shake Shack and Route 11 chips, it was actually the tiny food businesses, the ones really experimenting with their subjects of choice, that impressed me the most. A crowd favorite was Buredo, the sushi burrito sensation that’s taking DC by storm (and yes, it is as good as it looks). I also ended up walking away with cod brew coffee aged in whiskey barrels from Vigilante Coffee, spicy maple syrup from Mixed Made, a smoked cinnamon ice cream from Little Baby’s Ice Cream, and some rye trumpet pasta from Spoglini Pasta Shop.

I’m not entirely sure why I bought the pasta. I honestly don’t even really eat that much pasta. But something about the unique and interesting shapes they offered, the rough-textured exteriors of the dry noodles, and the array of flavors from Everything Bagel Fusilli to Mint Cavatelli, had me suddenly needing to buy a bag. When it came time to make a dish out of it, I started with my favorite tomato butter sauce and built upon that with ingredients typically paired with rye, in this case hot smoked salmon and capers. I cut the tanginess of the sauce with a little bit of cream and added some freshness with spinach, fresh dill and a touch of lemon juice and zest. The dish is comforting and hearty without being overly heavily – it is Thanksgiving in 4 days after all – and once the sauce is done it all comes together fairly quickly. Of course the dish would still be great with any standard pasta, but if you can get your hands on some made with rye (Spoglini sells online!) you’ll see just what a difference it makes.

Rye Pasta with Salmon and Tomato Cream Sauce
Serves 4-6
Sauce recipe based on Marcella Hazan’s tomato butter sauce

Ingredients
1x28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
5 Tbs. butter
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
½ cup heavy cream
1 lb rye trumpet pasta
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large bunch of spinach
2 Tbs. capers
juice and zest of a lemon
8 oz hot smoked salmon, torn into large chunks
1 Tbs chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper

Start by making the sauce. In a large saucepan combine the tomatoes, butter and the two halves of the onion along with a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer to cook for about 45 minutes, until thick. Occasionally use a wooden spoon to stir and break up chunks of the tomato. When the sauce is done, transfer the onion pieces to a plate, cut into rough chunks, and return to the pot with the sauce. Stir in the cream and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve a half-cup of the pasta water and drain. Pour the noodles back into the empty pot and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium in a large skillet. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted. Add in the capers and the lemon zest and pour in the tomato sauce to warm it back up.  Once hot, add the sauce to the pot with the cooked noodles. Add the salmon pieces and the dill to the pasta along with a squeeze of lemon juice and gently mix to combine. Pour in some of the reserved pasta water if it looks a little dry. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Eating my way through New Orleans

So what do I think about when I think about New Orleans? My recent 5-day trip to this non-stop party of a city left me thinking just that and I honestly don’t even know where to begin. The answer I’ve been giving when asked about my vacation is that it’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. That it feels vaguely as though I’ve walked onto a trippy carnival-esque movie set of a place full of gluttony, debauchery, and excessive libations.

It’s a place where you can get a double vodka soda for a mere three bucks… if you know where to go. A place where the daytime has you eating beignets by a water fountain but a few blocks away in the evening you find yourself passing a voodoo shop as a sleazy man outside of Lipstixx Gentleman’s Club announces that “It’s titty time!” A place where groups of twenty somethings gather in the street and play some fantastic bayou tunes on everything from a banjo to a washboard yet at night, nothing gets a group of tipsy fifty somethings more excited than a cover of Jon Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer. But most importantly, it’s a place with a passion for its food and drink culture and the people there will do all they can to hook you up with finest, greasiest, richest, and most decadent dishes that New Orleans has to offer.

Going there with the number one priority of running the Jazz Half Marathon, trying as many iconic Nola food items as possible was a very close second. My friends and I stayed a good ways away from the French Quarter in Uptown, so we tended to stick to nearby Freret Street for a good number of our meals and were very pleased with what came of it. And we certainly found that when it came to eating and drinking, we also had to treat it like a marathon. From frozen Irish coffees to étouffée fries to countless beignets, it started to feel like making room in our stomachs what a more difficult task than running the 13 miles. In the end, feeling like I need to go though some serious detox therapy, I can certainly say that it was completely worth every bite. 

Here's a look at our 5-day Nola food marathon: 

Wayfare – A trendy bar and sandwich shop with quite possibly the best sandwich I’ve ever had, the Knuckle Sandwich, pictured. It’s roast beef and horseradish salad topped with pickled red onions, crispy onions strings, and arugula on a pretzel bun with housemade chips. The friend green tomato BLT and Cuban got rave reviews as well. 

Café du Monde – The obvious option for beignets and café au lait. It’ll be crowded at all times so get your loot to go (with A LOT of napkins) and find a bench somewhere secluded where you don’t have to feel ashamed about covering your body entirely with powdered sugar.

Erin Rose - A cool, divey bar with cheap brunchtime drinks including their Irish coffee slushies. Really it's more like a milkshake but that just makes it all the better. If you walk all the way to the back of the bar it turns into a tiny shop called Killer Poboys, a short and sweet menu of some really innovative versions of the classic sandwich. I tried the pork belly but was quite envious of the meatloaf poboys my friends got.

Dat Dog - Another spot on Freret Street, Dat Dog is just that, a lot of hotdogs, but unlike you've ever seen before. They have about 15 varieties of hotdogs with an endless list of toppings. I recommend getting the chef's choice for toppings. I went with the Duck Dog and they mounded it with a hot blackberry sauce, spicy mustard, bacon and bbq sauce. Pair it with some étouffée fries and an Abita beer, of course, and you'll be good to go.

Antoine's - If you're looking for a fancy place to bruch with accompanying jazz music, then head over to Antoine's. To be honest, it probably wasn't the smartest decision for the group of us to plan to eat three courses of rich heavy foods like shrimp and grits and hollandaise on everything to the sounds of upbeat jazz after a New Orleans Halloween. However, if your Saturday night was on the tamer side then jazz brunch will be perfect for you. But no matter how hungover you are, be sure to order the bread pudding. You won't regret it.

Humble Bagel - Our final Freret Street find. It's in no way a classic Nola dish but it is a damn good bagel if you're looking for cheap, delicious, and filling

Central Grocery - Home of the Original muffuletta sandwich, a pressed sandwich stuffed with italian deli meats and cheeses and an olive and pickled vegatable salad on soft sesame bread.

The Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone - Swanky drinks on a rotating carousel bar. Dont worry, it takes 15 minutes for 1 full rotation so there is no risk of motion sickness. Just make sure that you become friends with someone already sitting at the bar when you get in so they give you their seats when they leave 

Apple Cider Caramels

It has very quickly started feeling like fall around here. The other night I walked outside and it smelled exactly like a snow and the my first thought really was, “oh god, winter actually is coming.” Luckily I’ve been packing my weekends so full with fall activities (i.e. haunted houses at BuschGardens), college homecomings at schools I didn’t even go to, drinking beers while wearing flannel. You know, the usual stuff) that it kinda keeps my mind off that sad fact.

You know what else makes me forget about the impending horrors of winter? These apple cider caramels! So do apple cider donuts for that matter, but that’s a story for a different time. I know that the Internet has already said a lot about these caramels and they need no further verification that they taste like the actual essence of fall itself, but here I am doing just that.

The intense apple flavor is what makes these caramels so notable. It has both that rich, nearly buttery flavor of caramelized apples while retaining that tart aspect that really gets the salivary glands going. This comes from boiling 4 cups of apple cider down to about a half cup of pure apple syrup. The syrup then gets a hefty dose of sugar, butter, and cream and flaky salt and cinnamon help to counterbalance the richness and sweetness. The end result is what I can only describe as all things that are good in one single bite. I would go on about how it makes me reminisce about walking through a brisk park while admiring the changing colors of the leaves or something along those lines, but then I might start sounding like this guy. So, I’ll just stop here before things get too carried away and tell you to make these now.

Apple Cider Caramels
Recipe from Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
4 cups apple cider
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tsp flaky sea salt
8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cups heavy cream

Pour the apple cider into a saucepan and heat on high until boiling. Continue boiling until you have only ½ cup of cider remaining. This should take 30 to 45 minutes. In the meantime, measure out all of your ingredients since the process goes rather quick once the cider is ready. Also, line the bottom and sides of a square brownie pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper.

Once the apple cider has reduced, remove from the heat and add in the sugars, butter and cream. Return to a medium-high heat and stir until all ingredients are melted and incorporated. Stop stirring and attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Let the mixture boil until it reaches 252 degrees Fahrenheit. This will take 4-5 minutes.

Once it reaches temperature, remove the caramel from the heat, quickly stir in the cinnamon and salt and pour the caramel into the pan. Set aside until completely cool. You can also place it in the fridge in you are in a bit of a rush. To cut, remove from the pan and peel off the parchment paper and transfer the caramel to a cutting board. Coat the blade of a large knife in vegetable oil and cut in to 1-inch squares. Wrap each in parchment paper if you are patient like that.