We finally had a hard frost this past week, three crisp and clear nights in a row actually. We woke up each morning with the fields as white as snow, shimmering in the morning light. I have to say, it was quite beautiful. The hardier flowers such as calendula and petunias are still hanging in there, but tender vines are shriveled as well as tender herbs. But it is all good, because once the garden is all cleaned up and put to bed, we settle in to late fall, time to light the fire, do some baking, and catch our breath. Well, sort of. My November is already shaping up to be busy with a houseful of college kids coming for a long weekend which will be great fun, a family baby shower here (it’s a girl!), my youngest granddaughter’s school play, oh, and Thanksgiving as well. Yes, the holidays are coming, and as usual, way too fast! It’s always fun to take some time and find something new to serve, as long as I keep the expected dishes on the table.

New recipes?

People often ask me how I come up with new recipes. There’s certainly no one answer to that question. Inspiration can come from anywhere, a glance at a produce aisle when the artichokes look too luscious to be true, a comment from someone in a movie theater lobby about that old family recipe for stuffed peppers they can’t find, or a photo of a blueberry scone in a cookbook that wants to jump off the page and onto my kitchen counter. It could be a smoked trout and goat cheese tart that my sister couldn’t stop raving about, but the chef wouldn’t part with his secrets. It doesn’t really matter what is in the actual recipe, I’m hooked, the wheels start turning and I almost immediately begin thinking of what I like about this, and of course, how I would change it up to make it how I’d like it even more.

It’s all an experiment

I’m sure you’ve done the same thing, looked at a recipe, maybe even one of mine, and thought “I don’t really like apricots, but maybe peaches would be good here,” and your new recipe is born. You might have to fiddle with it, you might even have a flop, but that’s alright too because it’s all about experimenting, having some fun in the kitchen, and putting your own stamp on things while you gain confidence. In the end, it’s really all about feeding yourself and your family and hopefully giving you all full and happy bellies, a little satisfaction, and maybe a measure of joy in the process. Who cares if the custard didn’t set, it could be a great sauce. The edges of the toast burnt? Many of us like it that way.

Always a way to change things around

I never really feel married to any of the dishes I come up with since I know in all likelihood I’ll change it up the next time too. It’s a good thing I put them on my blog! I do like to stick to some of our old family recipes out of a feeling of connection with tradition, but that doesn’t mean I’ll always make it that one particular way. For instance, when the extended family is gathering for a holiday, I’ll make my mom’s deviled eggs just the way she did. There’s a lot of memory connected to those flavors, and it brings joy to the table. But since my husband had his heart attack and I have to keep a close watch on my own cholesterol levels, I know we have to reduce the saturated fat in our diets. I’ll use fewer yolks in the deviled eggs I make for just us, substitute a bit of non-fat yogurt for some of the mayo (shh, don’t tell him that part), and perhaps add some extra dill or other flavorings just for interest. They taste delicious, and feel a bit naughty, but the essence and general flavor is still the same. Also, the dogs will get an egg-yolk treat in the bargain which is good for their coat, or so I’m told.

Real food, real exercise

I love the food from my childhood, and a lot of it was really healthful. We grew a lot of our own food and frequented local farm stands, had chickens, and mom cooked from scratch. We didn’t eat much in the way of processed food, it was too expensive, and we enjoyed lots of vegetables (green and yellow for balance), greens, and beans. That’s the good part. However, our diet also relied heavily on meats and starchy potatoes, lots of butter, baked goods made with white flour and white sugar, as well as white rice, vegetables cooked to death, too much sodium (I remember everyone adding MSG in the form of Accent seasoning to just about everything) and sweet desserts a little too often. Wonderful for treats, but if we want to ward off diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, not so good. My parents were active as well, hard-working, and they didn’t have much in the way of modern conveniences, so wood had to be stacked and hauled, laundry hung out on the line, and all this after working full-time jobs. They never really had to think about things like gym memberships and counting steps.

Today’s checklist

It’s not how we eat today, at least if we are thinking about our health and longevity. We need things a little lighter, a little less of that sugar and white flour, less sodium and saturated fat, certainly less processed foods and we have to be ever vigilant about food additives, pesticides, and plastic residue. There wasn’t much packaged in plastic when I was a kid, it was glass or a metal can. Now, it’s increasingly hard to find even organic peanut butter packed in glass!

Sometimes, it seems like we’re navigating land mines when doing our weekly shopping.

We do the best we can, all the while hoping our muse will offer a flash of creativity when we’re trying to figure out what to make for Wednesday night dinner that isn’t the same old stir-fry or sheet-pan concoction. Sometimes, we get lucky and even find one of those creations we do want to keep and hand down to our kids. Of course, they will change it in turn, probably adding butter or sugar.

My inspiration

The inspiration for this dish came from the Thanksgiving edition of Bon Appetit magazine for a Maple Bourbon Chicken with Brussels Sprouts. But I wanted to dress up (disguise) some tofu without resorting to one of my go-to recipes, always looking for something different here especially since the meat-loving husband is not the biggest fan. This caught my eye because of the maple and I have a nice supply of this year’s darkest amber in the larder. No bourbon, but I thought my bottle of French Armagnac brandy (a must for holiday eggnog) would do nicely here. I changed up a few of the other ingredients and used low-sodium soy sauce, and less of it, to cut down on the salt content, adding a little more brandy in its place. Not a bad move.

Another substitution

I was also without Brussels sprouts because sadly the deer have eaten two of my four plants, and the other two have been partially stripped and are not producing very large sprouts. In shock no doubt. This year’s Thanksgiving sprouts will have to come from the farm stand I’m afraid. According to the original recipe, the sprouts were to be disassembled so the leaves would cook quickly and char on the edges. I substituted a large leek I had on hand, nothing like the brassica but it was in the fridge and I didn’t have to go to the market for something different. In the end, I thought it was perfect with the leek, which I let get just a bit of char on some of the edges. With the smoky maple syrup, this proved to be really nice.

Vermont syrup, if possible

The recipe looks like a lot of steps, but it comes together quickly, and is really appetizing to behold on the table, definitely a keeper. Please use real maple syrup here, preferably from Vermont because I’m a snob, and don’t substitute with pancake syrup. I have to admit here, I left the pecans on the counter, so they don’t show up in the photographs. However, when we had leftovers the next day, I sprinkled them on and rather enjoyed them. I didn’t miss them the night before so you can call them optional, but they did add some nice texture. Of course, you can substitute another favorite nut or seed if there is an allergy.

Of course, if you are so inclined, you can substitute some local chicken for the tofu, Brussels sprouts for the leek, bourbon for the Armagnac…

Tofu with Maple and Armagnac

• 1 ½-inch (4 c.) piece of ginger, grated
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• ½ cup Armagnac brandy
• 1/3 cup dark amber pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. non-GMO cornstarch, divided
• ¼ cup plus one tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1 pkg. extra firm tofu, pressed
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus a bit more
• 1 large leek, diced
• 1 cup roasted pecans, rough chop, optional
• Brown rice for serving

First, get your tofu pressed. Either fit into a tofu press, or place some toweling on a large plate, add the tofu, more towel, another plate, and top with a heavy can of tomatoes or something similar. Let the water press out for a half hour.

While this is working, mix together and set aside: ginger, garlic, brandy, maple syrup, vinegar, water, pepper flakes, and 1 tbsp. of the cornstarch. Whisk this well and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium high and add the 2 tbsp. of oil. Sauté the leeks until they soften and are just starting to get dark brown on some of the edges. Place these in a large bowl.

Cut up the pressed tofu into desired size. Gently toss it in a bowl with the remaining tablespoon of corn starch and tablespoon of soy sauce. Coat evenly using your fingertips so as not to break up the tofu.

Add more oil to the pan and brown the tofu in a single layer, on both sides. Add these to the bowl with the leeks.

Whisk up the sauce and add to the hot pan and reduce the heat a bit. Let this simmer until it starts to thicken. Add the tofu/leek mixture back to the pot and let it marry for a couple of minutes, then turn into serving bowl and top with the pecans if using. Or, save the nuts on the side and let people choose.

Serve over brown rice. This reheats beautifully.

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking, you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” ~ Julia Child

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