Happy Halloween!

Over the years I've been known to throw my share of Halloween parties where everything was cobwebbed, punch bowls bubbled and skeletons popped out of closets (HA!). But the truth is that I'm not that much of a scary Halloween fan. I'm more a cute, decorative and pumpkin kind of Halloween fan. Besides, those of you that know I live in New York and just endured the wrath of Hurricane Sandy can understand that we've had enough scariness for a while.

Creamy Potato and Leek Soup...and Hunkering for Sandy

As you read this, we are in the process of hunkering. I'm not sure I've ever fully understood the meaning of that word but we've been instructed to hunker down so we're giving it our best shot. As most of you know, we live in New York and, consequently, are in the path of Hurricane Sandy. No, we won't take the biggest hit but she's definitely coming to call. There have been mandatory evacuations in the most flood prone areas but we are fortunate enough to be safely ensconced on a high floor of a solid brick hi-rise building. Nevertheless, the city's hurricane prep affects us as well. As of 7:00 pm last night, all trains and buses have been suspended and we're told that bridges will be open only on a case by case basis depending on wind speeds. Schools and offices are closed.

Cinnamon Candied Walnuts

A couple of days ago, I declared a sick day for myself. I hadn't slept well and woke up early to a bad headache and the sound of rain pounding on the windows. The room was chilly and I was happy to be tucked under my comforter. The pup was snuggled up against my leg. So I got up, took some aspirin and fed the pup her breakfast. Then I went back to my bed and warm comforter. I turned on the morning news but quickly fell asleep and, when I woke up again, the pup was asleep in the crook of my arm, it was still cold and rainy and now it was nearly 11:00 am. Oh, and I also still had that damn headache.

Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Recently I decided to fill some holes in my baking pan collection and so I picked up my very first bundt pan. That began a search for the perfect bundt pan cake recipe to break it in. Given that it's pumpkin season I had my eye (and my pins) on some spiced pumpkin cakes. But then Anuradha from Baker Street posted a chocolatey, pumpkiny, marbleized, swirled, glazed creation that was baked in a bundt pan. My choice was made!

Autumn in the Valley

Brian and I have a few traditions throughout the year and one of them is a road trip north into the Hudson River Valley at some point in October.

  Most years it happens a little earlier in the month but extra warm conditions have kept the leaves from turning until now.

Old Fashioned Pot Roast with Onion Gravy

When I was growing up, my mother's best dish was pot roast with onion gravy and no one was ever late for dinner when she served it. Brian grew up about 50 miles away but with basically the same mother's special pot roast. As I grew up and learned to cook, I became more adventurous with my flavors and ingredients and craved more complex tastes. But sometimes, I just want the original.

A Tutorial: Working with Photo Sharing Sites

Joan from Chocolate, Chocolate and More has been doing a series of tutorials on blogger resources such as Facebook and Pinterest.  She asked Carla of Chocolate Moosey to write the tutorial on using Twitter and has asked me to share my knowledge about photo sharing sites.  I believe they can be a huge driving force for blog traffic and I've spent a lot of time getting to know them.

Pumpkin Party Martini

As much fun as it can be to create creepy, spooky Halloween foods, they don't always entice me to eat them. And the cocktails are sometimes the most gruesome with "blood" dripping down the sides. Fun, sure...creative, sure...will I be posting one...maybe. But I probably won't be drinking one.

Sponsor Shout Out - Part 2

On Tuesday I introduced you to two of Hungry Couple's amazing sponsors this month and today you're going to meet the other two.  Check out these talented cooks and get to know their blogs, stories and delicious recipes!

Creamy Spinach with a Sweet Potato Dumpling Crust

There are some food words that just make me happy. Chocolate, cookie and gravy are some examples. But one of my favorite happy food words is dumpling. Something about it conjures up all sorts of delicious, comforting thoughts. Dumplings in soup, dumplings in stew...yum. You could, of course, make dumplings using a box of Bisquick. It's quick, easy and tasty. That partially hydrogenated oil part doesn't make me so happy, though.

Sponsor Shout Out - Part 1

You may have noticed at the beginning of this month that four sponsors joined Hungry Couple.  Today I'd like to introduce you to two of them.  If you're not already following these two fantastic bloggers, I hope you get to know them because you will certainly love them.  And come back on Thursday for part 2 of this feature where I will introduce you to the other two amazing sponsors for October.

An Apple a Day...

What could be healthier than an apple...even if it is occasionally accompanied by some sugar? 

We've been celebrating apple season with old and new favorites. Check out all the apple recipes below and maybe some can become your favorites, too.

Death by Pumpkin Cocktail

If you like pumpkin and own an ice cream maker, you've probably already made a batch of pumpkin ice cream. I've certainly been seeing recipes for it everywhere. Alas, I don't own an ice cream maker...yet. I also can't say that I crave ice cream much in chilly weather. But the other day, as I was walking the pup past Sedutto's, a local gourmet ice cream shop, I saw a sign in their window announcing that pumpkin ice cream is now available. I just couldn't resist finding out what it tasted like so I went in, bought a small container and took it home. YUM!  As I was shoveling it in and making plans to purchase more, it also occurred to me that it had cocktail potential.

Creamy Parmesan Corn

Did you ever have one of those experiences where you come across a recipe, possibly with a fetching photo, and feel an urgent need to make it right away, even if you don't necessarily have all the ingredients on hand? It's not just me, right? OK, maybe it is. Anyway, that's how it was the day I came across Simply Gourmet's recipe for Creamy Parmesan Corn. Of course, you have to have at least some of the ingredients in order to do this. I mean, it's hard to make a corn dish without, say, corn. But I knew that I had a lonely can of plain corn sitting in my pantry, just hanging out, doing nothing. And I had Parmesan cheese because I always have it. The dog won't eat her kibble without a sprinkling of grated Parmesan on top. It's not just my dog that's like this, right? OK, maybe it is. I don't usually have bacon but that day I did (left over from my Butternut Squash Pasta Bake recipe) and I figured I'd wing the rest. Off to the kitchen I ran!

Pumpkin Streusel Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

Lately I've been having a huge craving for pumpkin bread. I've made it before and I've even made a skinny version but this year I was inspired by Pinterest (pinspired?) and all the cream cheese swirl recipes. Um...did you know that all those recipes are different from each other? Which one to choose? So, I wrote 'em all down and then compared them to each other and to my own recipe and did some calculations (math was involved!) and made some assumptions and...well, here we are.

Apple Pie Martini

Sure it's autumn and it's apple season and we've been baking them into cakes and tossing them into salads. Sometimes we even get a little crazy and just eat them as they are! When I was growing up my mother would frequently make me an afternoon snack of apple slices and cottage cheese...and yes, I loved it. Sometimes I still make it for myself although I can't quite seem to get Brian excited about the cottage cheese...

Happy National Vodka Day

One of my fellow bloggers keeps track of the national food days and always lets us know.  Taco Day?  Roast Beef Sandwich Day?  If I ever run out of creative cooking ideas I could always just cook whatever food is on the calendar that day!  Fortunately, we're not there yet...

But, considering how extensive our cocktail collection is, it does seep appropriate to celebrate that most versatile of all liquors, vodka.  We have a lot of vodka recipes.  A lot.  Yes.  We do.  So today we're taking a break from apple crumb cakes and pumpkin doughnuts to honor the basis of some of our most favorite cocktails.  There's sure to be a variation that appeals to everyone.  Enjoy!

Click here to see our entire collection of vodka based cocktails.

Baked Pumpkin Doughnut Holes

Doughnuts? Donuts? I went so far as to take a poll. Opinions seem to be fairly evenly split but doughnuts did get a slight edge. Either way, they are seriously delicious. So, have you been seeing these "doughnut muffins" all over Pinterest? The taste of doughnuts without the deep frying. If, you, like me, are tragically afflicted with DFP (deep fry phobia) then you probably have a few of those recipes pinned. They were on my long, long list of treats to try when I happened upon a pumpkin version in an adorable doughnut hole size and the recipe quickly shot to the top of my list. So now that I've made them, let's discuss.

The Month in Review: September 2012

September was a particularly fun and delicious month here at chez Hungry Couple!  It was also a time to catch up. The second half of August is usually a whirlwind for us because it's when we like to take our summer vacation. We usually get back just in time to head out east for the long Labor Day weekend so we tend to spend a few weeks living out of travel bags. But we love it!

As we finally settled back into our routines and welcomed the cooler days of autumn, we started enjoying the start of apple season and those lovely first pumpkins. Oh, how we've missed the pumpkins... Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I know many people like their smoothies for breakfast but, in the mornings, I'm a quick bowl of high fiber cereal kind of person. The afternoons, though, are my ideal time for this treat because it gives me natural energy and keeps me full till dinner. Oh, and it's completely delicious...and skinny as well!

Sweet Potato Salad

We usually think of potato salads as summer grilling and picnic food and once the cooler weather sets in, we want them baked or mashed. But the white spud's second cousin once removed (botanically, they're not even related), the sweet potato, makes for fine cool weather fare.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

We enjoyed the first official weekend of fall and took advantage of a lovely, lazy Sunday. It had been a bit of a tough week for both of us with some family stresses so it was great to have a day of leisure just to ourselves. We slept in, lazed around all morning and then headed out with the pup to enjoy the nice cool weather. We shopped for some pumpkins, picked up a bottle of pumpkin spice liqueur and headed home for an afternoon cocktail. Dinner was a great butternut squash pasta bake but we definitely left room for the dessert.

Pear Cosmo

These days we're kind of in that middle place between mourning the passing of summer and our great vacation and the anticipation of autumn and pumpkins and a slight nip in the air. So what kind of cocktail goes with that? We've pretty much put away the blender and our beloved frozen cocktails until next year. But it's still a bit warm for some of our great winter drinks. We need something in between.

A Review of Earth at Hidden Pond

354 Goose Rocks Road, Kennebunkport, ME, 207-967-6550 earthhiddenpond.com

When we were inquiring about good restaurants in the Kennebunkport area during our recent vacation, we were directed to Earth at Hidden Pond. Ken Oringer, famed Boston chef and James Beard award winner, created this "farm to fork" restaurant with a vision of forging a close knit community and relationship with local growers and purveyors of meats, produce and seafood.

Summer Vacation Heaven on the Coast of Maine

It's been a few weeks since we got back, at least physically.  Emotionally we are still lounging in our cottage by the water, strolling through adorable towns with interesting shops, running with our pup along the rocky coastline of southern Maine, driving through green, lush and pristine countrysides and admiring stately waterfront homes.  It wasn't our first time in Maine and, hopefully, it won't be our last.  Relief at getting back home to sleep in our own bed?  Nope, just misery that our heavenly vacation was over.

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake

For those of you who will be celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the holiday begins at sundown on Sunday evening and includes eating sweet apples as part of the festivities. For those of you not celebrating Rosh Hashanah, apple season begins in autumn and includes eating many delicious apple desserts. In our house, we celebrate both!

The First Pumpkins!

OK, I'll be the first to admit that I didn't want to let go of summer. Even while my fellow bloggers claimed to detect a late August nip in the air and began musing about fall recipes and sweaters and boots, I clung to summer. New York was still hot, we still had lots of summer vacation plans and I'd waited far too long for my beloved summer to let go so easily.

Baked Rice and Zucchini Cakes

Don't you just love happy food accidents, successfully thrown together bits of this and that and necessity producing tasty inventions? On the Friday before Labor Day I was still unpacking from our Maine vacation, getting laundry done so we could go away for the long weekend and baking Brian's birthday cake. He was going to be working late and we needed to hit the road so I told him I'd make him dinner and bring it with us. I knew I had some leftover ground beef and several ideas for quick tasty dinners.

The Cottages at Cabot Cove

7 South Main Street, Kennebunkport, ME 04046, 207-967-5424 cabotcovecottages.com

"Harbor" cottage

Two summers ago we vacationed, for the first time, in coastal Maine. I'd done extensive research on all the quaint inns and B&B's in the area and we settled on Captain Jefferd's Inn. A close contender though was the Cottages at Cabot Cove. We loved the look of them and the reviews on Trip Advisor were good. But we were slightly concerned that each cottage was independently owned and we might not have anyone to talk to about problems. So we chose the inn and were reasonably pleased.

Blueberry Cheese Crumb Cake

Over the Labor Day weekend, we also celebrated Brian's birthday. He doesn't like much of a fuss but he does like my cooking and baking so I usually try to make him something special. I happen to know that his two favorite desserts are my cheesecake and blueberry crumb cake so I decided to combine them in one, evil genius, birthday dessert.

Easy BBQ Pulled Chicken

In general, I'm a make-it- from- scratch kind of cook. No, I'm not churning my own butter and I've been known to reach for a package of frozen spinach, but I usually prefer homemade to store bought and am willing to put in some extra effort. There have been plenty of Sundays when I've roasted a chicken, complete with stuffing and veggies. The leftovers make great sandwiches and chicken salads. But, then again, sometimes that much effort just seems like a deal breaker.

The Month in Review: August 2012

August is always one of our favorite months. It's still very much summer but not as hot and humid as July so we usually schedule our summer vacation for mid-month. This year we headed back to the southern coast of Maine and we'll post some stunning photos and reviews in the next couple of weeks. But between long weekends out on Long Island, the trip and several late summer birthdays, we found ourselves quite busy.We ended the month, as we always do, with a final long weekend of grilling, frozen cocktails and long lazy days in the garden. And sadly, we also folded up the market umbrella and stored away the garden furniture.

But before we said goodbye to summer, we enjoyed some wicked cocktails (did we mention that National Rum Day falls in August?!), delightful dinners and a couple of decadent desserts. Because August is National Peach Month, we kept plenty of the sweet fruit around and used them in all kinds of delicious ways. All that plus a sinfully rich guest post recipe and a guest stint in the kitchen by our furry sous chef. Wow, it really was a busy month. Enjoy!

Loaded Potato Salad

I remember the first summer that Brian and I started entertaining as a couple. We bought steaks and corn to put on the grill and were discussing what to serve alongside. I suggested a potato salad and he immediately launched into a litany of all the things wrong with most potato salads. He complained that the dressings are always bland and that there are never enough ingredients mixed in with the potatoes. I told him that I grew up with a mother who always put lots of "stuff" into her potato salad and that I was up to the task.

Sweet Potato Biscuits for a Lunatic

Today I have the pleasure of guest posting for my favorite lunatic, Kim Bee from Cravings of a Lunatic. Kim is always hysterical to read and her food is wonderfully decadent. But deciding what to make for her was daunting. She's a self-confessed very picky eater and unless it was ice cream or chocolate turtles, the chances of appealing to her were slim.

Orange Mojito with Mint Skinny Syrup

Let's discuss a delicious and refreshing summertime cocktail. No, wait. First let's discuss a minor life annoyance. You go to a restaurant and order a chilled beverage such as iced tea or coffee. It arrives unsweetened along with a dish of various packets of sweetening options but you just know they will not blend perfectly. In some of the finer restaurants, the problem is resolved for you as your beverage arrives accompanied by a little jug of simple syrup. That elegant solution insures a perfect blend of sweetener to beverage but...what if I don't want actual sugar? What if I'd like to choose a sugar alternative? Back to the dish of packets we go...

Juanita is in the House!

Brian and I are off to the coast of Maine for a vacation. We fell in love with the area a couple of years ago and didn't even want to come home. Somehow we fought the urge to chuck it all and sell lobster rolls on the beach but it remains to be seen how we do this time!

A Round Up of Peachy Delights

As we wind down our celebrations of National Peach Month we look back to all the delightful peachy creations we've been enjoying around here.  There are still plenty of sweet peaches in the market so it's not too late to try some of these yourself.  Enjoy!

Peach Crumb Bars

As you know, we've been enthusiastically celebrating National Peach Month around here. And since we're getting ready to head out on vacation, I planned to give you all a round up and say farewell to the sweet summer peaches. But when I was at the market on Friday the peachy aroma was still calling out to me and I'd kind of wanted to try my hand at making some of the crumb bars I've been seeing all over. So I figured one more peach treat won't hurt.

Peach and Banana Smoothie

Continuing our month long obsession with all things peach, today we present this rich, creamy, velvety, decadent...oh, wait...it only tastes like it's those things. In reality, it's skinny, healthy and amazingly refreshing. Made with fresh fruit, fat free yogurt and low fat milk, this smoothie is a serious energy boost and vitamin powerhouse.

Happy National Rum Day!

Today we take a brief hiatus from our National Peach Month celebrations to inform you that it is National Rum Day.  I don't believe it is a federal holiday, although it certainly should be, and I doubt your boss will let you off of work.  But that is no reason not to get into the holiday spirit of this...um...spirit!  Rum is very tasty when accompanied by some lime and sugar and the occasional piece of fruit.  So remember to drink early and often and enjoy the...um...the...er...hmm.  I've forgotten what it is we're supposed to be enjoying but this rum drink is deeelicious.  Cheers!

 Click here to see our delicious collection of rum based drinks.

Peach Scones

Continuing our love affair with peaches during National Peach Month, we present peach scones recipe round two. What happened to round one, you ask? Well, round one was definitely not blog-worthy. I'd never made peach scones before so I followed someone else's recipe and ended up with scones that were dry, under sweetened (despite using very sweet peaches), contained too little fruit and lacked flavor. They'd looked so fetching in the photo but with so many problems, I decided to scrap the recipe rather than tweak it.

Peachy Martini

It's no wonder that August is National Peach Month what with all the beautiful specimens I'm finding in the market. Whether I intended to buy peaches or not, the sweet aroma pulls me in as soon as I walk past them. And while I stand there admiring, my mind races with possibilities for what to make. Pies, cakes, cobblers, fruit bars, ice creams, sorbets...I don't know where to begin.

A New Take on Shepherd's Pie

For years, traditional shepherd's pie, using a basic recipe, was on my regular dinner rotation. It was easy to make, healthy and fairly lean. It was also a great, make-ahead meal on the weekends so that during the week all I had to do was add a salad or quick steamed veggies and dinner was on the table in 20 minutes. But I started to notice that for the past year or so, I wasn't making it. A couple of times I was even planning to make it and, at the last minute, decided to make something else. Somehow I'd fallen out of the mood for this dish. But why?

Raspberry Sorbet-tini

When cocktail recipes call for flavored liqueurs I typically reach for the actual fruit and make my own puree. In the summer, however, I might reach for sorbet. Frozen cocktails, while refreshing, can be heavy and filling whereas a touch of fruit flavored sorbet can do wonders for a drink.

The Month in Review: July 2012

Today we're starting a new monthly round-up feature.  You'll be able to see, at a glance, the recipes that were posted during the previous month and get a recap of any special events, celebrations, holidays, drunken debaucheries...oops! :)  Enjoy!

July was a busy month here at the Hungry Couple household.  We cooked up lots of great summer food, drank our share of cocktails, guest posted for a friend who was on vacation, had one of our drinks featured in an article, celebrated a birthday and even won a frog naming contest.  Whew!

Rustic Peach Pie

I like my homemade Thanksgiving pies to have perfect top and bottom crusts with perfectly crimped edges.  Yet, my summer fruit pies tend to be rustic and free-form and anything but fussy.  No doubt my pies reflect my feelings and summer is way too fun and relaxed to worry about perfect edges on a pie!  The choice of fruit also changes with the season.  Although apple pie is my favorite and mandatory on my holiday table, I keep those flavors for autumn.  Summer is about sweet peaches or plump berries and I let the choice of filling be dictated by whatever is ripe and fresh at the farm stands.

Birthday Wishes from a Grasshopper

Today is my birthday and as I always joke around with my friend Heidi from Young Grasshopper, I am now less young. It's kind of a big birthday to me because it is the last year in a decade that I will miss. And to celebrate, Brian is taking me away for a long weekend. We will stroll on the beach, dine by the water, wander around quaint villages, drink many cocktails and generally spend happy work-free time with each other. I can't think of a nicer way to spend my birthday weekend.

A Contest, A Cookbook and a Frog Named Ambrose

I have won a frog naming contest. Yes, you read that line correctly. Now, I don't know how many people can claim that honor but I certainly never expected to either enter or win such a contest. Let me explain.

Bread and Asparagus Salad

Sometimes great recipes are deceptively simple. A while back I was watching a re-run of Top Chef Masters and during one of the challenges, chef Naomi Pomeroy made this delightful looking salad. There was thinly sliced asparagus, toasted bread and a dressing made with lemon but I wasn't sure about the rest. A quick online search, however, produced the recipe.

Mango Lassi Milkshake

I am a latecomer to the world of mangoes and I don't really know why. I'm not a picky eater and am willing to try many new things. But somehow this big, oval shaped fruit escaped me. It was at our anniversary dinner back in June that I tasted my first mango cocktail and was delighted. When I recreated the recipe at home, I was hooked. I'd always heard the term mango lassi but never knew or paid attention to what it was. But with my new found interest in mangoes, I was now off to explore this odd sounding dish.

Happy National Daiquiri Day!

Today is National Daiquiri Day and all I can say is...what a great country we live in!  Brian and I are quite enamored of daiquiris, particularly the frozen kind, and the hot weather lately has been supplying us with ample opportunity to indulge in all our favorites.  As for the classic, non-frozen version, we've jazzed it up with a touch of Cointreau and a bit of mint for a delightful year round cocktail.

Click here to see all our daiquiri recipes and enjoy the day.  Cheers!

BBQ Pulled Beef

This week, as I was pondering the age old question of what to cook for dinner I had an urge for BBQ pulled beef. I've been seeing a lot of recipes for pulled pork and BBQ'd meats. I've even seen recipes for slow cooker briskets. But I don't have a slow cooker and none of those recipes were exactly what I had in mind. I did a search but still no exact matches. Oh, well. It seemed as if I was going to have to invent the recipe.

Lemon Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping

I have a love / hate relationship with lemon cakes. Most of the store and bakery options I've tried have tasted harsh and artificial. No doubt they rely on lemon extracts and flavorings and those do not appeal to me. Even my own attempts to make lemon cake, using lemon juice, have been too harsh. But I'm still tempted whenever I see a photo or recipe which explains why I pinned this beautiful looking cake from Martha Stewart. A few weeks later, I saw that Elyse from The Cultural Dish had made the recipe and her photo was as tempting as the original so I was determined to give it a try.

Mock Apple Strudel Cups (Guest Post at The German Foodie)

Today I have the pleasure of guest posting for my friend Sofie, The German Foodie while she and her family are on vacation. Sofie and I hit it off right away both on email and on the phone. When we finally had the chance to meet in person last April, our bond was sealed! She's smart and fun, has a wicked sense of humor and is one hell of a cook!

Deep Blue Sea Martini

There's just something about a blue drink... It's interesting and enticing, fun to look at, to serve and best of all, to drink. And when that blue drink is called Deep Blue Sea and is served in the summer it's pretty much irresistible.

A Trio of Spiced Chickpeas

Can a healthy snack taste really, really good? Yup, and this one definitely does. If you're not already eating chickpeas than you're missing out on 6 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber and heaps of deliciousness. The downside is that on their own, the little garbanzo beans are pretty mild tasting...and pretty boring. But the good news is that it's very easy to add a ton of flavor with very little work.