Hey all- sorry to say our cameras were stolen in Costa Rica and we've yet to replace them but I made a couple of things last night that you might like to try and so sans photos here's the recipes.  First: Cod Cakes or in this case Hake Cakes: 1 1/2 lbs. cod or other white fish, 1/2 lb. cooked, mashed potatoes(boil 2 medium sized), 1/2 cup chopped cilantro,  1 T minced ginger, 1/4 t. cayenne, salt and pepper.  Poach the fish by covering with water in a skillet, bring to a boil, cover, turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Mix everything in a bowl and form 8 cakes.  You could brush them with olive oil or peanut oil and broil on each side until nicely browned or you could fry them in a little oil which is what I did. Squeeze some lime over each and they are delicious. Pretty easy but fragile so don't flip them like burgers. Try refrigerating the cakes after forming to firm them up.
Second: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon and Garlic: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 1 1/2 lbs of sweet potatoes peeled and cut into cubes, 6-10 unpeeled garlic cloves, 3 T olive oil, a couple of fresh thyme branches(or 1/2 t. dried thyme), 1 cinnamon stick broken into pieces, salt and pepper. Mix it all together, spread out onto a baking pan in a single layer and roast for 30 minutes or so depending on the size of your cubes. Squeeze the garlic out of their skins to eat with the potatoes.  This was soooo good. Very simple.  I might add some cayenne next time just to see...

Puttanesca

Garlic
28 oz. can of whole tomatoes
8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 t oregano
1 t red pepper flakes
1 can anchovies, drained
1 T capers, heaping, drained
15 pitted olives, halved or quartered
1 lb. spaghetti

• In a processor, chop peeled garlic cloves and add them to the olive oil heating in a skillet.  Add the canned tomatoes to the processor, pulsing to well chopped, but not pureed.
• Add oregano, red pepper flakes  and anchovies to the garlic and oil and slowly cook, breaking up the anchovies with a spoon.
• Add the tomatoes from the processor, the tomato sauce, the capers, and the olives and simmer for 20 minutes or so.
• Toss with pasta.

This is really quick to put together and better than good.  Even if you think you don't like anchovies do not leave them out for they add umami to the sauce.  This sauce does not even remotely taste fishy. You can use any type of olive-green, black, cured, whatever. I use at least a half a head of garlic.

Spice Cake with Caramel Icing

Cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 stick  margarine
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t mace
1/2 t allspice
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1 cup plus 2 T whole milk
1 t vanilla
 Icing:
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 t vanilla

• Heat oven to 325. Grease and flour tube pan.  With a mixer, cream butter, shortening, sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and mix until smooth.
• Sift dry ingredients, twice.  Add to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk and vanilla.  
• Pour into pan and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan 10 minutes and then turned out onto a rack until room temperature.
• Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the sugar and cream until smooth then bring to a boil for 1 minute.
• After the mixture has cooled, beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Ice the cooled cake.

This cake was added to the Thanksgiving dessert list this year instead of the fig thing. It's essentially a pound cake topped with an unbelievably delicious layer of unsightly icing.  If the icing seems too thick, keep beating it and adding dribbles of cream until you like it's spreadability.

Soup or Stew?

Mushroom, Barley and Potato Soup

6 T pearl barley, cooked separately. Boil 50-60 minutes and strain
1 1/2 oz. dried mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup boiling water 10 minutes, drained (strain liquid and
  save) and finally, chopped         
12-16 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 T olive oil
3 T olive oil
1 med. red onion, chopped
3 or 4 garlic cloves, chopped
1-2 T parsley, chopped
1 T sage, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 medium potatoes (8 ounces, about), diced into 1/8" cubes
3 cups broth
14 oz. can whole tomatoes, crush each tomato with your hands or buzz in processor, or chop

• In a skillet, on medium high, heat 2 T olive oil and fry 1/2 garlic with the now not-dried-mushrooms, for a few minutes and then add the fresh mushrooms.  Add salt and pepper and cook until dark, 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 T olive oil in a pot. Add the remaining garlic, onion, herbs and cook until soft. 
• Add potatoes, cooking 3-4 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and their liquid, broth, and mushroom liquid.  Simmer 15-20 minutes.
• Stir in the barley and the mushrooms.

If you don't have barley, try orzo, ditalini, or any small pasta.  Rice might work. If you don't have fresh sage, try 1 1/2 T of dried sage.  Fresh rosemary might be a good substitute but chop it very fine or buzz it in your coffee grinder.  Crushed or diced canned tomatoes can be substituted.  If you don't have a fine meshed strainer,  strain the mushrooms by lining a colander with a paper towel.  We usually eat this with croutons I've made by cutting bread into cubes and sauteeing in a skillet with butter or olive oil until toasted.

Umami

  Noodles with Shrimp and Chicken

 6 cups water
 1 cup soy sauce
 1 cup sake
 1/2 mirin, sweet sherry, or sweet vermouth
 12-16 oz.  soba noodles
 1 cup spinach, chopped
 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs, thinly sliced
 12 -15 deveined, shelled shrimp
 1 medium onion, very thinly sliced
 3 T fresh lemon juice
 2 T asian sesame oil

• In a large pot, combine the water, soy sauce, mirin and the sake and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes
• Cook noodles separately
• Add chicken, shrimp, onions and spinach to broth and simmer for 10 minutes or so
• Take off the heat and add the lemon juice and sesame oil
• Udon noodles would be good.  Use cheap sake.  I use reduced sodium soy sauce. Try frozen peas, thinly sliced mushrooms, snow peas, and/or...

Four Ingredient Heaven

    Parmigiano-Regianno Potatoes

    2 1/2 lbs. potatoes, sliced very thin
    1/3 cup butter, melted
    2 cups packed, grated parmigiano-regianno
    2 cups whole milk

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Butter 13x9x2 glass or ceramic baking dish
• Layer a 3rd of the potatoes in the dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with a 3rd of the butter and then a 3rd of the cheese
• Repeat
• Pour milk evenly over
• Layer the final 3rd of the potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with remaining butter and the the rest of the cheese
• Bake 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another hour.
• Let stand for 10 minutes before digging in
• The potatoes have to be sliced as thin as you can manage. I use a mandoline. A spoon works well for drizzling the butter.  If the potatoes start to darken too much, cover with foil.  I like them dark...

Soup Divine

Curried Carrot and Parsnip Soup

2 T butter
1 1/2 cups of chopped leeks or onions
1 lb carrots, chopped coarsely
3/4 lb parsnips, peeled and chopped coarsely
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 T curry powder
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

• In a soup pot melt the butter, add the leeks and saute until soft
• Add the carrots and parsnips and cook for several minutes
• Add the curry and broth, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft
• Cool slightly and puree
• Add cream and reheat
• This soup only improves with age.