Throwback Thursday: Texas Caviar

Happy Thursday!

My week so far has been mildly entertaining. The best part was Tuesday. I went downtown to the Aquarium to see my Shedd friends because I missed them and all the animals I used to care for. It was a perfect day out...so nice that I took one of our tortoises out for a walk. The other awesome part was to see all the new stingrays for Shedd's new exhibit. My old supervisor is leading the team, so she gave me a tour of the new exhibit space and a little sneak peek behind the scenes. They are incredible creatures, but man do they like splashing you with water! I am so proud of her and extremely happy she gets this opportunity. I can't wait for it to open...We will have to bring Li back sometime this summer!

On a different note, this bean dip reminds me of summer. It's so simple and delicious and perfect for sharing. I can't wait to spend my days outside...reading, playing, swimming, strolling, maybe even gardening if I get to it.

Texas Caviar

Ingredients:
4 peppers (green, red, yellow, and orange), diced
1 white onion, diced
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can white beans
1 can shoepeg corn

Sauce:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup white or apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Combine peppers, onions, beans, and corn in a large bowl.
In a small sauce pan, bring sugar and vinegar to a boil, and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Pour sauce over bean mixture and chill for about an hour.
Serve cold with tortilla chips or over a bed of lettuce. Or simply eat it right out of the bowl. (We all have).

Enjoy everyone! It's raining here...a perfect opportunity to try and finish a book!

Love, Heika

Throwback Thursday: Cranberry Pecan Biscotti

Food speaks to me. It inspires me. It's not just the eating. It's the experience. The feel and smell. The color and textures. The challenge. The empowering feeling when it turns out well. The opportunity to share your creation with others and the opportunity to share the creating with someone.

Today I got to experience all of the things I love about food. Heika came over and we put a new twist on a recipe. There was the sweet smell of almond extract, the warm scent of pecans. The smooth feeling of the dough. There was shaping and egg washing. We baked on crackley brown parchment paper and sliced to bake again.
There was the photography, conversation, laughter and peace. There was French press and floral fabric. There were birds and sun beams, there were babies and make believe. It was air and life. I don't know about you, Heik, but it was just what I needed.
Our Friend Press FrenchShip. Thank you.

This recipe is for Cranberry Pecan Biscotti. We had made a cranberry almond biscotti a long time ago but this isn't it. This recipe is completely new. It's adapted (barely) from my Aunt Linda's friend. I don't know her name, but I'm thankful for her. My Aunt brought her scones to Easter and they were a hit! Her recipe calls for white chocolate instead of pecans and they were great. We made this small change just to try something new. It's what we do. Feel free to use the chocolate instead or try changing something else. There's some leeway for it. Just at least try. Or try something else. Try a recipe that speaks to you. One that makes you excited. You can. You do have enough time and you'll love it. It's not all about the outcome. It's about the process and what you learn along the way...

Cranberry Pecan Biscotti


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
2 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 egg white

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, eggs, and almond extract. Blend well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Combine two mixtures and add in cranberries and pecans.
Divide dough in half and form two 2 1/2 by 9 in logs with 1 in thickness.

Transfer logs onto baking sheet, spacing evenly.
Whisk egg white until frothy, and brush egg white glaze on the top and sides of each log.

Bake for 35 minutes.
Cool completely on baking sheet and set on top cooling rack. Transfer to a work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut logs on a diagonal into 1/2 in wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down on same sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Turn biscotti over and bake until they begin to brown, about 5 mins.
Transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Love Heika and Darla