Livin' La Vida Pumpkin!

Tis the season indeed!  Everyone knows I'm obsessed with all things pumpkin (in addition to numerous other food obsessions).  This obsession became more apparent when I tried Trader Joe's Pumpkin Ice Cream.  I really should stop raving about this product for fear of increased competition.  It's only available for a limited time and last year and I was left with no choice but to ration a cup's worth.  One teaspoon serving at a time.  It was torture!

Since I  adore lemon bars, I decided to make a pumpkin version.   I found a couple recipes to use as basic guides and then created my own.  I have since received several requests to recreate this treat!  Some said that the crust was too salty.  While others expressed how they loved the contrast of the salty crust and the sweet top.  So... you decide and adjust accordingly!

For The Crust:

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus more for pan

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center of oven. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

To make crust: In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt; process to combine. Add butter to processor and process until mixture is pale yellow and resembles a coarse meal, about 10 seconds. If you don't have a food processor, whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and work into flour mixture using a pastry blender or your fingers.

Pour crust mixture into prepared baking dish, pressing down with your fingers to create a 1/4-inch-thick layer along the bottom and 1/2-inch up the sides, pressing firmly at the edges to seal. Transfer pan to freezer and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to oven and bake, rotating pan once during baking, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

For The Filling:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cups canned pumpkin

½ cup pumpkin butter

3 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon TJ’s Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the remaining stick of butter and 3/4 cup of brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg yolks, cornstarch, Pumpkin Pie Spice, cinnamon and salt, then beat in the milk.

In a stainless steel bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry, then fold into the pumpkin mixture until no white streaks remain.

Remove baking pan from oven. Stir topping and pour into warm crust. Return pan to oven and continue baking until topping is just set but not browned, about 20-25 minutes.

Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 20 squares. Serve immediately or wrap each bar tightly with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Optional: top with confectioners’ sugar

Crust recipe by Martha Stewart.  Filling recipe adapted significantly from Food & Wine.

Sqirl with G&B

There's been quite the buzz stirring around jam-maker Jessica Koslow and her brand Sqirl.  Obviously I got excited when I read that she was opening a storefront within walking distance.  In addition, she teamed up with G&B coffee (operated by two Intelligensia alumni) who have set up a coffee bar on one half of the space.  I finally visited this past weekend and am convinced I will frequent it often.

We ordered the first two Brioche Toast items on the menu.  I was too preoccupied with ensuring that I consumed half of each (I was sharing with my boyfriend) that I totally forgot to take some photos.   Needless to say, it was YUMMIE!!!!!!  The first brioche listed is a must-try.  It's topped with kale, tamatillo puree, hot sauce, and a fried egg.  The hot sauce gives it quite a kick so eater beware!
Note: A notable amount of photos are already on their Yelp page.

My two qualms however are:
1. There is no inside seating.  (I know, it's super tiny and quite impossible to accommodate such an idea.)  Seating outside is small but functional.  However, there are too many flies to make the meal even slightly enjoyable.
2. The counter directly outside of the entrance is void of flies but the stool height vs. counter height do not marry to each other.  The stool is way too low.  Or is the counter too high??

Concise and Simple Menu

Filter Coffee - Esperanza, Guatemala; Espresso - Epic

Open Kitchen  (Jessica on the right)

Dog-Friendly Exterior ;)

Another great review of Sqirl with G&B on Food GPS.

Sausage Lasagna

Last week I had to make a dish that would reheat easily and last for a few days.  What better dish to feed a growing Italian boy than lasagna?  I'm not a huge fan of ground beef so I decided to substitute it with chicken sausage.  Using only the best mozzarella and ricotta by Polly-O, my lasagna was rated delicious even by the most unforgiving critic (me).  

(adapted from one of my favorite chef's: Giada De Laurentiis - Classic Italian Lasagna )

Ingredients

Bechamel Sauce:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for the lasagna
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk at room temperature
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil Marinara
• Salt and white pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 oz. Trader Joe's Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage  
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese (Polly-O)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 box of Barilla No Boil Lasagna (or 1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente)
• 1 package (16 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella (Polly-O)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 10-15 basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bechamel sauce:
In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and marinara sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the sausage and cook on medium heat for 4-5 mins on both sides.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  When cooled, cut in 1/2" thick pieces.

In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of pasta sheets and spread all the sausage on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bechamel, mozzarella, Parmesan cheeses, and ripped pieces of basil. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover with foil and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.