Jalapeño Jelly

When we were packing up to leave Christchurch, car full to bursting, every bit of consolidation seemed a small victory. I took our bulging bag of jalapeños and reduced half of them into jalapeño jelly. It was my first attempt at making jelly, and it turned out great, so I decided to share the recipe here.

New York Bagels in New Zealand

Earlier this week I posted about my first attempt at bagel making. Today I perfected the art! I used the dough and most methods described here, with a couple small differences.

Boiled Bagels

I lived in New York for 5 weeks on Criffer's couch. Technically, that could be called visiting, but I consider anything over a month living. I also lived with bagel snobs in college, including Jersey-born Sarah, who took me to NYC for the first time, and Manhattan-born Maia, who introduced me to the term "bread circles."

Bread Cir•cles noun

1. An inferior bagel that has not been properly boiled, lacking the interior/exterior texture of a true bagel. See also: Roll with a Hole.

Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Sauce

Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Sauce

Adapted from Bigoven.com

• 10 ounces pasta

• 1 large red pepper

• 1 head of broccoli, chopped into medium pieces*

• 2 cups heavy cream (I used 1.5 cups cream, some cream cheese and milk)

• 2/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

• 2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed

• 1 pinch salt

Playing House

Vintage alpaca love

We're not only house sitting at the moment; we're dog sitting a very sweet old bird dog named Bella. Last week the family discovered she has renal failure, so we're making her very comfortable and trying to make sure she's eating enough. She's a bit feeble, but still feisty enough to sneak into the alpaca paddock behind me and frolick through the garden when I'm collecting zucchini.

Rhubarb Blueberry Crisp

Gardens in New Zealand are teeming with rhubarb, one of my favorite vegetables that I never use. Our lovely hosts Chris and Paula sent us away with a large bunch of their crop, so I decided to do some baking.

Pumpkin, Bean & Corn Stew

This stew is an old favorite of mine, and I've made it twice in the past few weeks to rave reviews. I've been making this stew for years, but I forgot about it for a while, so this is the first time I've made it since meeting Sam.

It's great with butternut squash, but pumpkin works just as well as I discovered in New Zealand, where I haven't seen many butternut squashes. Pimientos are available here, but for $8 a jar, I discovered it is much cheaper to roast a red pepper, and the taste is just as delicious.

Halloumi Kebabs

For as long as I've been making them, my halloumi kebabs have been making people swoon. At every barbeque or pot luck, they disappear and are replaced with oohs, ahhs, and requests for the recipe. The recipe is so simple and easy that I know it by heart, making it easy to share. Although they're a hit at barbeques, I prefer to make them in the oven, rather than on an open grill, in case some halloumi fall off. Thou shalt not waste halloumi.

¡Jalapenos!

Sam & our host Chris brought home a small bag of jalapenos a few days ago from a farm stall down the road. I was thrilled, because they were the first fresh jalapenos I've seen in the four months we've been in this country.

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

I'd like to take a moment to share a tasty recipe with you all. My mom and I have been making these for years, and I can't remember where she found the original idea. I've made all sorts of variations lately and I've found that it's a pretty flexible recipe.