I like summer sausage!

Red wax gouda and summer sausage with apples is a perfect wintertime treat. Creamy cheese plus salty spicy meat plus crisp and fresh apples equals yummy.

Add a glass of prosecco and some friends and you have perfection. 

You know who else likes summer sausage?

This (almost 6 year old) guy!

The super bowl is the official cutoff date for summer sausage consumption. Shelf stable meat products can't possibly be good for us so we limit their consumption to the period of time between Christmas eve and the super bowl.

Spiced Nuts of Dreams

I made these sweet and savory cashews for a recent gathering of friends. One friend said that she had a dream she would be eating these cashews the night before the party and then she got to my house and there they were.

They are that good.

They are even better with a glass of sparkling wine like Domanie Chandon blanc de noirs (white wine made with pinot noir grapes) which is fruity but dry and in my opinion good with everything.

To make you need:

• 1lb Raw Unsalted Whole Cashews* (I buy mine at Trader Joe's where they are also not too expensive)
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder (The kind that is a blend of ground dried peppers and spices like cumin, cloves and garlic powder. If you have to substitute cayenne or chipotle powder add in some cumin and garlic powder.)
• 1/4 Cup Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar (Also purchased at Trader Joe's but available in the health food section of Wegman's and the baking aisle of Whole Foods. You can substitute regular white sugar but not brown sugar, you want grainy sugar not clumpy sugar.)
• 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt (If you can't find unsalted cashews then use less salt)
• 2 large sheets parchment paper.

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Spread cashews in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Roast for approximately 10-15 minutes checking frequently after the 10 minute mark for even golden brown color. Nuts burn easily so don't walk away from them.
4. While nuts are roasting, mix honey and spices in a large heat proof bowl (glass or metal).
5. Pour roasted nuts into honey mixture and toss to coat. 
6. Spread honey and spice coated nuts onto a parchment lined baking sheet (same one from step 2 is fine, no need to dirty an extra dish.)
7. Roast honey and spice coated nuts in 350 F oven for another 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
8. While nuts are roasting for the second time, mix sugar and salt in another large heat proof bowl. (metal or glass)
9. These next steps must happen in quick succession for best results. Also be really careful since hot and sticky can cause a bad burn. As soon as nuts come out of the oven scrape them into the salt sugar mixture and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a new clean sheet of parchment paper and allow to cool.
10. Nuts hold on to heat for a long time and the sugars take time to set so let them cool for a good 10 minutes before consuming. Or just eat them and burn your mouth.

*I like raw nuts the best because they give you more control over salt and roast level. If you can't find raw nuts use what you can find.  

Raw Cashews:

Roasted cashews with honey and spice:

Finished Product!

White Bean Sausage Soup (or just Sausage Soup so my 5-year-old will eat it)

I took this recipe from my mom, who adapted it from a recipe from the magazine Bon Appetite. Click here for the original recipe. The original version contained escarole, which my 1996 sister would probably not eat. I'm not convinced I would have been thrilled to eat it either. I've never been a fan of mushy soup greens. Our version has potatoes instead of escarole, which makes it thick and more stew like. It's essentially meat and potatoes in a soup bowl.

To make, you need:

• Sweet Italian Sausage, maybe a pound or so of the usual package size at the grocery store is what I get. You can get pork or turkey or whatever you are in the mood for. I tend to get turkey.
• A 32 oz container of Chicken broth or stock, beef is fine, if that is what you have. You can also use the equivalent of bouillon cubes. 
• 1 medium to large white or sweet onion chopped. Don't use red onions, it will look weird.
• 3-4 large potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/2-1/4 inch pieces. I like a thin skinned potato for soup. Yukon gold works well. I don't typically use russet since I find their texture in soups to be mealy. 
• 1 15 oz can of cannellini beans 
• 1 large bay leaf or 2 medium or small bay leaves. (Note from husband: Amanda actually uses like 4 bay leaves)
• 1 bottle of good white wine. Some for the soup, more for the cook. I like an oaky Chardonnay but use whatever you like. 

1. Cook the sausage whole in just enough water to cover on medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the whole batch of soup. (Did I mention this was a one pot meal?) Pay close attention since the sausage will burn pretty quickly after the water boils away. It will take about 20 min or so for the water to just about cook off and the sausage to cook through.
2. Once the water has entirely boiled away and the sausage has released some fat and cooked through, remove the sausage to a bowl or cutting board to cool temporarily. Don’t brown the sausage.
3. Add onions with some salt (1/2 tsp or so) and the bay leaves to the pot and sauté.
1. Before adding onions you should assess the fat that has rendered from the sausage. If you used pork sausage and it released enough to cover the bottom of the whole pot, I would suggest removing some. If you used turkey sausage and the pot seems dry go ahead and add some olive oil or butter back into the pan so you can sauté.
4.  Once onions are translucent, add the potatoes and wine. How much wine? That depends. If your wine rack is full, go ahead and add a ½ cup. If this is the last bottle in the house and no one is willing to make a wine run, just a splash or so will be fine. Save the rest for drinking with the soup.
5. Cook for a few minutes to allow wine to soak in and then add the 32 oz broth with an additional 2 cups of water.
6. Slice sausage into coins and  add it back into the pot along with any juices.
7. Simmer until potatoes are soft, approximately 20-30 min. Smash the potatoes with the back of a spoon or a hand-held potato masher if you have one.  You don’t want a smooth puree. This just releases more of the starch into the soup and helps to thicken it.
8. Drain and rinse the beans and add them into the soup.
9. Continue cooking for another 20-30 min at low heat until reduced and thickened. At this point it is up to you how thick or thin you want your soup. Keep in mind that the soup will thicken as it cools.
10. Once you are at the thickness you like, taste and season with salt and pepper.
11. Serve with bread and cheese (Baked Brie if you have it) and a glass of wine*.
12. Tell your friends and family that it is good luck to find the bay leaf in their bowl.

*As I said before, I like a buttery oaky chardonnay with this. Something like Toasted Head Chardonnay or Cupcake Chardonnay are both reasonably priced wines ($12 and $8 respectively) that I cook and drink with this soup. Pretty much whatever you like drinking will go well with this, including Beaujolais Noveau, Sancerre, Pinot Noir or Prosecco.  Just don't use a red wine in the soup or it will end up pink.