Friday, November 23, 2012

Pear Crostini + a thankful giveaway!

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

Is your belly still as full as my belly?

I sort of feel like a big roly-poly.

But a really happy one.  A full day in the kitchen with my mom, some unbelievable food, and a wonderful night with friends and family.  Everything that Thanksgiving is all about in my book.  How could I not be a big, fat, happy roly-poly?



Was your holiday just as wonderful?  I sure hope so.  And I definitely hope you ate as well as we did.  What all did you have?  What was your favorite?  Are you so excited for leftovers?  Because I am.



Alright let's get to the real point of this post.

I'm not one to get all mushy gushy.  Ask anyone.  It's just not my thing.  So this is going to be short and sweet.  Just the way it should be.



I'm super duper thankful for YOU.  I basically started this blog to log the recipes I was making and keep some Missouri friends and family updated on our Boston escapades.  But it's grown into something so much more.  This blog is so much a bigger part of my life than I ever expected it to be.  And there is a reason for that.  That reason is you.  It's almost mind blowing how supportive all of you have been.  Every time you visit, leave comments, or send me emails my heart sings.  Seriously.

So THANK YOU.  You don't know how much you mean to me.  And like I said...I'm not good with the cheesy stuff and don't usually whip it out so, I actually mean that one.



In spirit of the holiday, I decided there was no better way to truly say thank you than by doing a giveaway.  Well...the better way would probably be to give each and everyone of you a cookbook...but that seems a bit far fetched right?  Right.

Today I'm giving away a copy of Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty.  Have you seen this beautiful thing?  Yes?  Then you know how fabulous it is.  No?  Click {here} now.  Swoon.  Drool.  Swoon.  Drool.  You need this cookbook.  I promise.  I've been ogling over it at Shake The Tree (my super fabulous somewhat new workplace) and knew I had to share it.

To make this baby yours do the following:
  1. Follow this blog by email or Google Friend Connect
  2. Leave me a comment to tell me something about your Thanksgiving.  Anything.
  3. Receive extra entries by sharing the giveaway on Facebook or Twitter and then leave another comment telling me you've done so.
  4. Cross your fingers and check back on November 30th to see if you've won yourself a cookbook!
  5. And until then...please make these crostinis.  I whipped them up a few nights ago while no one was "that hungry" to find that they disappeared in minutes.  Scrumptious I tell you.  And they are only a small glimpse of what this fabulous cookbook has to offer!
pear crostini with goat cheese


from- Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi

Makes: 4 generous servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to finish
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 large slices sourdough bread, cut 1 1/2 inches thick
  • 3 semi-ripe pears (unpeeled)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 4-5 ounces good-quality goat cheese
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 400°.  Place the pine nuts, 4 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and mix to a wet paste.  Use a brush to apply to one side of every sourdough slice.  Lay bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly colored.  Remove and allow to cool slightly.
  2. While the bread is in the oven, prepare the pears.  Stand each pear on a cutting board and trim off a very thin layer of skin from each side.  Then cut each pear lengthways into four thick slices.  Remove the core with the tip of a knife.  Place the slices in a bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  Toss gently.
  3. Take a ridged griddle pan and place on a high heat until very hot.  Lay the pear slices gently in the pan and leave for about a minute on each side, just to make char marks.  Turn carefully and then remove with tongs, trying not to break the pears.
  4. To assemble the crostini, slice the cheese thinly and arrange over the toasts, alongside the pears.  You want to see both clearly, so allow them to overlap and rest on each other to create height.  Place the crostini in the oven for 3-4 minutes, just to warm up and for the cheese to partly melt.  Remove from oven and garnish each slice with a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper.








27 comments:

  1. Looks delicious! :P This year I´m thankful for having my whole family here together! :)
    Nenna
    minuhno@gmail.com

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  2. This year I actually tried something new for Thanksgiving dinner - stuffed Portobello mushrooms instead of stuffing the turkey! Reviews were excellent!

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  3. This year I said I was thankful for all the wonderful friends I've met in Boston - which includes you, Nick and Kaston obvi ;)

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  4. I'm thankful for all the friends who have helped me study for my qualifying exams next friday!

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  5. I'm in law school and finals are next week so I couldn't go home to my family. my friends and I celebrated together, potluck style. it's not home, but I am so thankful for these friends!

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  6. Hi Emilie! I am home for the holidays, and I'm so thankful for my family! And most of all, my sister. I don't know what I'd do without her! I miss you! :)

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  7. I am not Hungry either, but I am so totally craving these crostinis right now! This year I am so Thankful to have 2 Thanksgiving - one with my future in-laws and one with my parents... I love being engaged to one of the most amazing guys around!

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  8. This is too beautiful not to share.... I posted this to TeacherChef on Facebook!

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  9. AND I went ahead to share on Twitter too (TeacherChef)

    :-)

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  10. follow on GFC....my pumpkin pie was AMAZING!

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  11. tweeted - https://twitter.com/1byspike/status/272179430598782977

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  12. We are a family of 4, my husband and our 2 sons, 3 years old and 10 months, so for me Thanksgiving is all about building nice memories for them.

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  13. MmmmM! Love that book! I bought it last year. I love thumbing through the photos. They are stunning. Great post. Love crostini - especially with fruit and cheese. Yum! Glad you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xo

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  14. I follow you by e-mail :) My Thanksgiving at home was untraditional in the way that we made lasagna and vegan stuffed shells. We are weirdos like that and we love it. Thanks for the giveaway :)

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  15. I shared your giveaway on Twitter!

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  16. Hi Bella!

    I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the fam, but I missed having you around to make delicious concoctions with! That just means we will have to do extra on Christmas Break!

    Miss you

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  17. At thanksgiving this year I learned a valuable lesson according to my Grandfather: Milk is NOT an adult beverage. I found this out as I was gulping down a glass with my pumpkin pie.

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  18. Over Thanksgiving, mom and I made some brownies (far below your caliber) called "Slutty Brownies".

    Layer #1: Chocolate chip cookie dough
    Layer #2: Oreos
    Layer #3: Brownies

    Why are they called Slutty Brownies, you ask? Because they are EASY and just once is enough ;)

    Love you much, Em!

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  19. These look FANTASTIC! And your photos are just beautiful. :)

    I made my first Thanksgiving feast this year for my boyfriend and his family. A lot of work, but soooo delicious! Especially the stuffing... Ohh, the stuffing... I also stopped by my family's celebration for a Thanksgiving-sized spread of desserts! Just... Desserts... It was heaven.

    Love your blog!
    -Monica

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  20. These look great! I think I'm going to make them for a Christmas party I'm hosting next week. :o)

    I spent Thanksgiving in an Alaskan cabin with my boyfriend and sister. The turkey we brought didn't quite work out, so I ended up cooking it last night instead. :o) We ended up having rabbit (fresh from the woods...) for dinner. First time I've ever had rabbit for Thanksgiving, and first time ever! Figuring out how to cook it without the internet or cookbooks was interesting, but fairly tasty! :o)

    Thanks for hosting the giveaway! I love your blog - Great pictures and great food!

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  21. I follow you on GFC. Our Thanksgiving was delicious and decadent with a non-traditional menu that celebrated the bounty of our county. Thanks for hosting this giveaway; the book looks lovely!

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  22. I tweeted: https://twitter.com/Culinary_Cam/status/274574042315517952

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  23. I have got some pears at home and can't wait to try this recipe. Stumbled upon this blog and I am enjoying every single click and post. Off to further explore. Following you too, so that I will be in touch with updates. Cheers, Jo

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