vegetable curry with coconut milk

Although our meat consumption has been creeping up over the past few months, Sarah and I try to eat vegetarian (or mostly-vegetarian) meals as often as we can, and we’re trying to make more of an effort these days. This is a good template for a quick stew-like curry that you can spoon over rice or eat on its own. It relies on a can of coconut milk, which is one of the best pantry staples out there. You can find coconut milk at any supermarket (look in the Asian foods section) but you will find a better selection and better prices at any grocery store that carries a lot of Asian or Latin ingredients. I like Chaokoah brand, but get whatever you can find. Stay away from light coconut milk if at all possible.

Other than coconut milk, everything in this is very straightforward. I like to cook the potatoes and cauliflower separately so that I can make sure they’re each done to my liking (I hate it when starchy vegetables overcook and fall apart). However, you could absolutely do this all in one pot without losing much of anything – I’m including directions for either. This is also a great way to incorporate bits of leftover vegetables you might have floating around the fridge. Bell peppers, zucchini, green beans, or broccoli would all be great in addition to or instead of the cauliflower. A cup of frozen peas tossed in during the last 5 minutes of cooking, would bring some much-needed color and a nice grassiness to the dish. Nuts (cashews or peanuts, I think) would be a nice touch, either added at the end for crunch and/or thrown in near the beginning for tenderness. I don’t consider the cilantro to be optional, but of course you could omit it if you simply can’t abide.

As for the curry powder: you could make your own following one of the many recipes online, but don’t feel bad buying a pre-packaged variety either. You can buy inexpensive (and high-quality) curry powder at Indian or Middle Eastern markets, or check the bulk section at your local grocery store.

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound red-skinned potatoes, washed and cut into 1″ chunks
• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into 1-2″ florets
• salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, butter, or a combination.
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced or grated
• 3 tablespoons curry powder or garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and/or 1 teaspoon minced fresh green jalapeno or serrano [or more to taste, as always]
• 2 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
• 1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 8 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped (stems OK)
• juice of 1/2 lime, plus more wedges for serving
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions

If you have the time, pre-cook the potatoes and cauliflower. Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt heavily (about 1 tablespoon, as if you were cooking pasta). Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 5-10 minutes depending on the amount of water and the size of your potatoes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. Add the cauliflower and cook until similarly tender, about 4-5 minutes (again, time will vary). If you’re not feeling up for this, just set the raw vegetables aside and proceed.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and/or butter over medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and cayenne pepper or chilies. Continue to cook another minute or so, or until the spices are very fragrant.

Add a large pinch of salt (1 teaspoon if using kosher salt), the chicken stock or water, coconut milk, chickpeas, spinach, and potatoes and cauliflower (if you did not pre-cook the potatoes and cauliflower, add an extra 1/2 cup of water). Cook 5-10 minutes, until liquid is reduced a bit and the flavors have melded (if using raw vegetables, this will take considerably longer, but that’s OK). Add the cilantro, juice of 1/2 lime, and taste for seasoning. It may need some more salt, lime, cayenne, or a bit of sugar. Check the consistency, too: if it’s really thick feel free to add more liquid; if everything is thin, crank the heat to high and let it reduce.

Serve over rice with lime wedges.

steak salad

I’m trying to get back in the blogging saddle. I sort of fell out of the habit sometime last year, and other than sporadic updates here and there, I’ve had a hard time writing regularly. Now that the weather is finally getting nicer and the days are getting longer, I’m hoping I can keep the blogging momentum going!

One thing that we’ve really enjoyed since moving to Illinois is being able to grill more often. Around here, lots of people like to relax on their back porches, and what better way to relax than with a cold drink and a grill full of meat? I like to fire up the grill as often as possible, and often look to Mike Vrobel of Dad Cooks Dinner and Josh Bousel of The Meatwave for equipment tips, recipes, and other general grilling advice.

RIP Mulligan’s.

Grill or no grill, one of my favorite ways to enjoy a steak is over a bed of greens. This recipe combines rich grilled (or broiled, or pan-fried) steak with bright southeast Asian flavors. If you’re trying to eat less meat for any reason (health, economic, eco-footprint, etc), it’s an excellent way to stretch a small piece of meat to feed a lot of people. With meat, peanuts, herbs, and tons of salad greens, it’s an excellent one-bowl meal. It also packs well for lunches the next day.

The dressing is pretty much the same as for the Vietnamese chicken salad that I posted last month, but we added a little vegetable oil and a little more lime. If you wanted to take this in another direction, you could use any other salad dressing you like, although I would recommend a little extra acid to balance out the richness of the steak.

You can cook the steaks however you want. I splurged on a $30 ribeye roast at our local grocery store, and cut it into four huge 1 lb. steaks. I froze two and am cooking the other two tonight. We had plenty of meat for 2 dinners, 2 lunches the next day, plus some extra to use for sandwiches or tacos later this week. We like ribeye steaks, which I can usually find for about $6/lb. here in Waukegan. Other good options are New York strip (probably around $9/lb), flank steak ($5/lb?), or hanger or strip steak (price varies, and can be hard to find in supermarkets).

For a great guide to grilling steaks, check out Kenji Lopez-Alt’s article and recipe. If you don’t have a grill, you can follow any grilling recipe by using your oven’s broiler instead. Set the rack about 4-6 inches from the broiler and put your element on “high”. This is pretty similar to a medium-high or high level on a gas grill, or having the coals on a charcoal grill banked all the way to one side.

Once you have your steak figured out, round up your other salad ingredients. Other than lettuce (use either a boxed mix or chopped romaine lettuce), we like shredded carrots, chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, sprouts. and peanuts. Feel free to add or omit anything that you don’t have or don’t like.

So get out there, fire up your grill (or broiler), and eat some steak!

Southeast-Asian Style Steak Salad

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 – 1.5 lbs. steak, preferably 1 large, thick ribeye or New York strip
• kosher salt and pepper
• vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or substitute an additional lime’s worth of juice)
• 1/4 cup water
• Juice of 2 limes, plus more to taste, plus additional lime wedges for serving
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• about 6-8 cups salad greens, or about 2 heads of lettuce
• 2-3 carrots, julienned or grated
• 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced thin (white and green parts)
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1 cup bean sprouts

Directions

Sprinkle both sides of the steak liberally with salt and black pepper. Let sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Grill or broil the steaks following the method here or however you like. Set the steaks aside to rest.

Meanwhile, assemble the dressing. Combine the fish sauce, sugar, water, limes, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Whisk in about 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed – you may need a little more fish sauce or a little more lime. Set the dressing aside until you are ready to serve.

Once the steak is cooked and rested for at least 10 minutes, slice it thinly against the grain (if you’re serving just 2 people and having the rest for lunch tomorrow, only slice as much as you need — steak keeps better when left whole). Toss the greens in a large bowl with the carrots, cilantro, scallions, peanuts, bean sprouts, and about 1/3 cup dressing. Plate onto bowls or plates and top with the steak and more dressing if desired. Serve with lime wedges.

Leftover dressing will keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks (longer if you didn’t use garlic), and is excellent on leftover rice or with any cooked meat or vegetables.

Gỏi Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Salad)

One of our favorite restaurants in Seattle is Ba Bar. Right in between Capitol Hill and Seattle’s Little Saigon, Ba Bar has Vietnamese food, French bistro stuff, a great bar with Tiki-inspired cocktails, and a full bakery and coffee bar in the morning. Seriously, Seattleites, check this place out. The night before we were supposed to leave Seattle to move to Illinois, or car broke down and our plans were pushed back a day. After a few stressful hours finding a mechanic and getting the car towed, we decided we needed two things: cold drinks and this chicken salad from Ba Bar.

Although I first had this salad at Ba Bar, it is a classic Vietnamese dish. The idea here is to take wispy thin shreds of cabbage, dress them with an assertive, oil-less vinaigrette (Thai and Vietnamese dressings do not have oil: they are usually equal parts lime and fish sauce, with aromatics added in varying amounts), and top them with chunks of juicy poached chicken, roasted peanuts, and fried shallots. And while this sounds like a lot to put together for a simple chicken salad, you can throw it together in about 10 minutes if you have a well-stocked pantry and fridge. Finally, if you’re into this sort of thing (I’m not), note that the peanuts are the only real source of fat in this whole dish.

The only “unusual” ingredient are fried shallots, which you can make yourself or buy in an Asian market. Look in the Thai, Vietnamese, and/or Indonesian aisle for a small plastic jar labelled “fried shallot” or “fried red onion”

These things last forever and are a great addition to Asian dishes as well as Western ones (green bean casserole!), so I recommend buying them when you see them. If you can’t find fried shallots and don’t want to make your own, it’s OK to leave them out – but you will be missing out.

One thing that really helps when you’re making any slaw is a good mandolin or V-slicer. My favorite is the Benriner, a Japanese brand favored by chefs all over the world, but you can use anything that will give you thin shreds. You can also use a knife (see these directions). If you really want to cheat, buy bagged pre-shredded cabbage (or “coleslaw mix”).

After you have the cabbage shredded (protip: shredded cabbage keeps for a week or so in the fridge. I like to buy a large head, shred most of it, and then use it for slaws, tacos, and fried rice throughout the week), it’s just a matter of tossing it with your dressing, peanuts, shallots, and some shredded chicken. Enjoy!

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

serves at least 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup lime juice from 2 large limes, plus more to taste
1/4 cup fish sauce, plus more to taste
1/4 water
2 teaspoons sugar, plus more to taste
1 small clove garlic, very finely minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1 small head cabbage, shredded (use green, red, or a combination)
1 small carrot, grated or shredded with a mandolin and cross-cut blade (optional)
3 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally (optional)
1 bunch cilantro and/or mint, washed and coarsely chopped (optional)
12 ounces cooked shredded chicken (use leftovers, or buy a rotisserie chicken, or poach a 1 lb. bone-in chicken breast half, cool, then shred)
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts, plus more for garnish (nothing fancy, just the kind in the plastic jar that you buy in the snack foods aisle)
1/2 cup store-bought fried shallots, plus more for garnish

Method

Make the dressing:
Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, water, sugar, garlic, and cayenne pepper in a small jar or bowl. Shake/stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as you like: it should be an even mix of salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy. Set aside.

Assemble the salad:
Place the cabbage, carrot, scallions, and cilantro or mint in a large bowl. Add about 1/4 cup dressing and toss well (clean hands are better than tongs for this). Taste and add more dressing if needed. Add chicken, peanuts, and shallots and continue to toss until well combined (once dressed, this salad doesn’t keep more than an hour or two, so if you’re making enough to eat for lunches throughout the week, prep all the ingredients and then assemble the salad at the last minute).

Serve in bowls with additional peanuts and fried shallots, if desired. Pass extra dressing at the table. Leftover dressing will keep for weeks and is great on rice, noodles, or cooked vegetables.

Thai-style fish and potato cakes

Back in Seattle, Sarah used to love to go to Coppergate, a Scandinavian bar in Ballard known for the pirate ship-shaped bar and abundance of nude photos. I enjoy a bottle of Carlsberg as much as the next Nordic-looking white guy, but I wasn’t a big fan of the food — too much dill! There were a few other ordering mishaps – Pamela and I once ordered a plate of fiskkakkor (fish cakes) that were so doughy that they were really more “cake” than “fish”. But hey, the fries were consistent, the drinks were strong, and the place was so quintessentially Seattle that I’m sure we’ll be visiting again the next time we’re in Seattle.

These fish cakes are completely different. I originally got the recipe from Mark Bittman’s column a few years ago, and I have been playing with this method since then. Basically, you use mashed potatoes to bind some flaked-up white fish (I used cod, but tilapia works fine too), add some delicious aromatic herbs, and pan-fry, broil, or bake until crispy.

We have a terrible range with an awful broiler (seriously, I thought I would love having a gas stove but this thing is completely under-powered, plus what is the deal with those drawer-broilers?) so I baked them at about 475 degrees for 20 minutes or so. They always fall apart a little bit, but that’s OK. Tonight I added an egg to the mix, which helped keep things together a little bit more. These are awesome on top of rice with a spicy dipping sauce (and if some of the sauce creeps onto your rice, so much the better) – I am including a recipe for a creamy avocado sauce as well as a simpler Sriracha crema. I usually make the avocado sauce, but we each had half an avocado with breakfast so I thought I’d make the much healthier version with Mexican sour cream.

Serve these cakes with a side of greens: I like to stir fry bok choy with some garlic and oyster sauce but kale, broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach would be good too. Or serve a big salad alongside the fish cakes. Or, hell, put the cakes on top of the salad and make it like a vamp on one of those faux-fancy goat cheese salads. Or make the patties a little bigger and put them in a potato bun with some lettuce, tomato, mayo, and Sriracha and call them fish burgers. Honestly, I don’t care what you do with them, just go make these fish cakes, because they are completely delicious.

Roasted, Broiled, or Pan-Fried Fish Cakes

Adapted from Mark Bittman
serves 4-6

Ingredients

• salt
• 1 pound Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized chunks
• 1 pound mild white fish such as cod or tilapia (any format is fine, but fillets are easiest – thawed frozen is fine)
• 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (remove the seeds before mincing for a milder version)
• 2 limes, one juiced and one cut into quarters for serving
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (if you insist on omitting this, substitute the greens parts from a few scallions, minced)
• 1 egg, beaten
• soy sauce to taste
• fish sauce to taste (optional, but recommended)
• vegetable oil

Method

Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt. Taste the water; it should be fairly salty, almost as salty as pasta water. Add the potatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until they are very tender. Remove with a slotted spoon, being careful to drain off as much water as possible, and place in a bowl.

Add the fish to the water, return to a boil over high, then reduce to medium. Cook until the fish is flaky, about 3-7 minutes depending on the type and size of your fish. Remove with a slotted spoon, draining well, and place in the same bowl as the potatoes.

Add the ginger, jalapeno, juice of one lime, and most of the cilantro. Mash with a potato masher or fork until everything is all mixed together. Taste for salt; it will probably need at least a teaspoon each of soy sauce and fish sauce. Once the seasoning is where you want it, add the egg and stir to incorporate. If you have time, chill the fish-potato mixture in the fridge for about an hour. If not, proceed!

Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack 5-6 inches from the element, OR preheat your oven to 450 degrees, OR find your widest nonstick skillet (a big electric griddle like you’d use for pancakes would work great), depending on how you want to cook these.

If you’re pan-frying, preheat the skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. You’re going to have to cook 3-4 patties at a time, so scoop out about half of your mixture and form them into 4 patties. Add them to the pan and leave them alone for about 5-6 minutes, or until they start to develop a nice crust (this is what helps them stay intact). Using a spatula, carefully flip and cook the other side until well-browned, another 5-6 minutes. Set in a 200 degree oven while you cook the rest (you’ll need to add more oil).

If you’re broiling or roasting (my preference), generously oil a baking sheet with 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Form the mixture into 8 patties and brush each with a little more oil to help with browning. Place in the oven or under the broiler. If you’re broiling, look for the tops to get well-browned, about 5-7 minutes depending on your oven. Flip carefully and continue to cook until well-browned on both sides. If you’re roasting, you’ll do the same thing but it’s going to take a little longer and the bottoms (not the tops) will brown first. Mine took about 20 minutes in a 475 oven; yours could take more or less time. Just be patient, don’t poke at them too much, and don’t be afraid to add more oil if they seem like they’re sticking.

Speaking of which: if you’re using the oven, they might want to stick to the pan a little bit. Just be gentle and patient and remember that even if they all fall apart they’re still going to taste good.

However you cook these suckers, serve with a dipping sauce (below), sprinkle with more cilantro, and give everyone a wedge of lime to drizzle on top.

Creamy Avocado Sauce

Using a food processor, blender, or immersion blender, combine the following until smooth:

• 1 avocado, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha
• juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons cilantro

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You may need more lime juice or soy sauce to cut the richness of the avocado.

Sriracha Crema

Whisk together:

• 1 cup Mexican crema, sour cream, or mayonnaise
• 1-2 tablespoons Sriracha, or to taste
• juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

thanksgiving menu

We are ready for Thanksgiving! I thought I would post our menu here on the blog. We will be sure to take lots of pictures and I will post some recipes after Thursday. We are planning on a lot of different dishes, but a lot of the prep is already done. Sarah and I wanted to have a fairly traditional turkey / gravy / stuffing spread, but we are adding some more Asian-inspired vegetable sides.

• Butterflied Turkey (using this recipe from Serious Eats)
• “Churkey” Gravy (I made a double stock with some bought turkey parts and frozen chicken stock a few weeks back, then concentrated and froze it. On Monday, Sarah used it to make a rich, wine-y gravy that we refrigerated and will reheat with the pan juices from the turkey)
• Sausage-Sage Dressing (with this recipe from SE)
• Cranberry Sauce
• Mashed Potatoes
• Braised Collards with Shiitakes and Oyster Sauce
• Stir-Fried Green Beans with Shallot, Butter, and Soy
• Gingered Glazed Carrots
• Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce and Bacon
• Roasted Pear Salad with Pomegranates, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese
• Curried Squash Soup
• Homemade Dinner Rolls

• Browned-Butter Caramel Ice Cream
• Pumpkin Pie
• Cranberry-Blueberry Pie

• Applesmack (this a Sarah creation – it’s sort of like an Applejack Old Fashioned, but with honey. Delicious!)
• Wine
• Beer

What are you having for your Thanksgiving?

thanksgiving prep and fried rice

Things are busy here at the Hershmossi household. We are hosting Thanksgiving on our own this year, and while we will be missing our loved ones in Spokane and Seattle, Sarah and I are excited to have people over. At the risk of sounding like a smug married, having 8-10 folks over for a casual Thanksgiving meal is going to be NO SWEAT after all of the formal dinner parties that we’ve thrown over the years. As Sarah pointed out to someone the other day, dinner parties for us usually involve such involved preparation that I end up tipsily sneaking into the kitchen to deep-frying or sauteeing the main course while everyone is still enjoying their salad. I know that Turkey Day is still pretty involved, but I am looking forward to throwing some meat in the oven, making some casseroles ahead of time, and kicking back with a glass of wine when 5:30 rolls around.

Not that we’re not totally geeking out either, though. I’m currently working on what I’m calling a “churkey stock” (frozen chicken stock from a few weeks ago that I am enriching with some turkey parts I picked up at the Mexican market) that we’re going to use for our gravy. Sarah is in charge of dessert and stuffing and is trying to come up with a signature Thanksgiving cocktail. I’m going to attempt to butterfly my turkey and serve it with sides both traditional (mashed potatoes, gingered carrots) and non-traditional (collards with shiitakes and oyster sauce, green beans with butter and soy). Sarah and I love to entertain, and the planning is half of the fun!

Part of planning for Thanksgiving involves clearing out the fridge. When it comes to fridge cleaning, I love to make fried rice.

In my mind, fried rice is just a combination of these four things:
1) cold rice that is at least a day old (ours was pushing a week)
2) some sort of meat, raw or leftover cooked
3) egg
4) vegetables

You can tweak the proportions to your liking, using as little as 1 ounce of meat per serving or leaving it out all together, using more or less rice as you like, and mixing up the vegetables to fit your taste. I’m going to give a very loose recipe for the fried rice that we usually make, but keep in mind that this is an extremely flexible, forgiving recipe – use what you have on hand.

Fried Rice with Egg

serves 4 as a main course

Ingredients

• vegetable oil
• 4-6 cups cold cooked rice that is at least one day old, preferably on the dry side (if you’re making rice the night before for this purpose, use a little less water)
• soy sauce to taste
• oyster sauce to taste
• 2-3 eggs
• up to 12 ounces any raw or cooked meat or shellfish, cut into little bits; leftover steak or pork works very well, as does shrimp. You can also use a few ounces of bacon, diced fine
• about 3 cups leafy vegetables that will cook down quite a bit, shredded (cabbage is our favorite; surprisingly, lettuce works well too)
• about 1-2 cups other vegetables, cut small (I like lots of scallion, Sarah likes lots of carrot. Mushrooms are good too)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• about 1 tablespoon ginger, minced (optional, but recommended)
• Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste

Directions

Preheat your largest nonstick skillet over high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Crumble the rice into the pan with your hands, breaking up any large chunks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is separated into individual grains and is very dried out. Add about 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and mix well.

Clear a well in the center of the rice and add a little more oil. Break the eggs into the pan and stir them into the rice, letting them coat the individual grains. When the egg is mostly set and the rice is well-mixed, remove the contents of the pan to a large bowl. Put the pan back on the heat.

If you are using bacon, add it to the pan now. If using any other meat, add a little oil and then the meat, cooking until no longer raw (if you’re using leftover cooked meat, all you have to do is warm it up). Add about 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and about 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Add to the bowl with the rice and return the pan to the heat.

Add a little more oil and the leafy vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and crisp-tender. Remove to the bowl and repeat this process with the rest of the vegetables. When the vegetables are almost done, add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 30 seconds or so, or until the aromatics are flavorful.

Toss everything together in your bowl and taste for seasoning. You might need more soy sauce or oyster sauce. If you worked quickly, everything will still be quite hot. If it has cooled down a bit, you can carefully return the contents of the bowl to your frying pan and reheat, although the pan may be a bit crowded.

Serve with additional soy sauce and Sriracha at the table.

olive oil pumpkin bread with bourbon cream

Last night, four medical students sat in my living room studying a box of bones. Actual human bones. Apparently, when you’re in medical school, the library will check you out a tenor saxophone-sized case full of bones if you need to study or try your best “alas, poor Yorrick”. I am not a superstitious person, but I’m pretty weirded out by this terror box that my spouse brought home. So when dinner was over and the bones came out, I made myself busy in the kitchen making dessert.

This is a simple pumpkin bread recipe that relies on ingredients that you should already have on hand (except for the pumpkin puree). And quick breads are very forgiving – you have to try very hard to mess one of these up, and even if you under- or over-bake it, you’re still going to end up with something pretty nice. The bourbon cream is (just lightly sweetened boozed-up whipped cream) elevates it a bit, bringing it out of breakfast territory and into casual entertaining dessert territory. It would also be great with some ice cream or goat cheese.

A quick note on scale: this recipe supposedly makes three loaves. I poured half the batter into a loaf pan and half into an 9×9 pan like you’d use for brownies. Feel free to cut the recipe in half (in which case you should be able to fit it into a large loaf pan or a square baking dish of some sort) or just make the whole batch and wrap one of them up. Sealed well, this should keep at least a week in the fridge and a couple of months in the freezer.

makes 3 smallish loaves or 2 medium-large loaves (easily scaled down)
adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup bourbon or water
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin puree (canned is fine, or roast a pumpkin or squash and puree the innards)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves (I used 1/2 teaspoon, since I find cloves overwhelming sometimes)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds (white or black, or a combination)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
• 1/4 cup good bourbon (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• sugar to taste (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans or square pans, or three smaller loaf pans.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until well-combined. Add the olive oil, bourbon or water, sugar, and pumpkin and whisk until well-combined. Add the flour, salt, spices, and baking soda and stir with a wooden spoon until well-combined (do not overmix). Stir in the sesame seeds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and put them in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pans and continue to bake for another 15. Test a loaf by inserting a toothpick or skewer into the middle – if it comes out clean, they’re done. If not, continue baking and re-testing at 10 minute intervals (the bread that I baked in the 9×9 pan took about 55 minutes and the loaf took about 65 – be patient!).

While the bread is baking, prepare the optional bourbon cream. In a stand or hand mixer, mix the cream on high until it begins to form very soft peaks. Add the bourbon, vanilla, and about 2 teaspoons of sugar. Continue to mix until the cream is as stiff as you like – for this I think that medium-soft peaks are nice, but it’s up to you. Just watch the cream and stop when it’s the way you like it. Taste for sugar – you might want to add a bit more if you like sweeter whipped cream.

Remove the bread from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the bread to a cooling rack (I do this by inverting the pan onto a cutting board so it’s upside down, and then re-inverting onto the rack so it’s right-side up again) and cool for at least another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with a hearty dollop of whipped cream.