By Sidonie Maroon, The Food Co-op Culinary Educator, abluedotkitchen.com

Follow Sidonie on The Food Co-op’s Facebook group Cooking with the Co-op

The weeping poplar, towering over the garden, sent flurries of golden leaves down as we sat at the kitchen table eating sweet potato pie. It was our third day of savouring slices. Christopher worked his crossword puzzle as I sipped milky chai. A glorious ordinary day between us, and I’m grateful for a life where sharing autumn leaves and pie is enough.

I’ve spent 35,000 hours cooking; a lifelong devotion to transform ingredients into meals. That’s plenty of time to get over my self-inflicted suffering. The kitchen’s my practice. It’s where I cook what’s raw and untutored in myself towards a more grateful heart.

Cultivating a kitchen attitude of gratitude is humbling and difficult to stick with, especially when things spill, spoil, boil over and burn. It’s disheartening to spend so much time and effort and not have it appreciated or acknowledged.

I can’t say I’ve succeeded, but I’m further along my path of “know-thy-kitchen-self”. At least, at this point in the game, I have strategies to survive the endless round of meals.

Focus on gratitude

Gratitude is a skill, and we have to train to get good at it. I have a friend who’s kept a gratitude journal during the pandemic, and it surprised her how much her brain’s changed through this practice. Now, she notices what’s working first.

Cultivate Enjoyment

Find something that brings you pleasure — the color of a red cabbage — the smell of a sliced lemon, cranberries in a bowl—and take an extra 10 seconds to focus on your delight. It might feel awkward, but keep at it throughout your time in the kitchen and after a while, you’ll notice a difference in your attitude.

Go with Seasons

The seasons provide us with endless variation and new experiences. They ground us into place and culture. When we make distinctions between what we eat and when we eat it, then our food life opens up. Immerse yourself in each month’s bounty.

Find Beauty

Use good recipes; buy ingredients that inspire; set a gorgeous table and atmosphere. Make your meals beautiful as well as tasty.

Create Style

What’s your signature kitchen style? Minimalist or Cottagecore? Have fun curating and crafting the details of your pantry, spice drawer, dishes and aprons. Is your kitchen the place you want to hang out? Make it so #One.

Set Boundaries

We show up best for ourselves and others when we have clear boundaries. How many days a week are you willing to cook? Who shops and cleans up? Do you give yourself days off? No one wants to cook all the time!

Train your Team

Don’t be a martyr. I’ve trained my family to have some manners at the table. They also wash the dishes and clean up. You get what you accept.

Believe Cooking is Important

For 50 years, our culture has given us mixed messages about kitchen work. We have to believe in its importance for our wellbeing and health. Cooking is one of the best activities we can give to ourselves and family. It’s true. It’s also exciting, engaging, complicated and keeps our brains healthy. Cooking Rocks! Cooks are Super Heroes!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Autumn Ginger Spiced Garnet Sweet Potato Pie

Makes one 9-inch round pie

Filled with Autumn spices, lusciously creamy, and oh so decadent with a gingerbread inspired granola like crust. This pie will please on the Thanksgiving dessert table. Once you ensemble the ingredients and grind the fresh spices, it’s ‘easy as pie’ to put together.

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup raisins

½ cup dried cranberries

¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

2 tablespoons unsulfured blackstrap molasses

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Spices

¼ cup ground flax seeds

1 tablespoon roasted chicory root or 1 teaspoon instant coffee

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoons fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon decorticated cardamom

Filling

1 ½ cups mashed garnet yam (sweet potato)

1 (13.5 ounce) can full fat classic coconut milk

1 cup pitted deglet dates, chopped

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste

Spices

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice berries

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

3 whole cloves

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients. Roast or steam a large garnet yam and mash.

2. Using a coffee or spice mill, grind the crust spices into a rough powder and set aside. Separately, grind the filling spices and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Using a food processor, process the crust ingredients, including the spices, into a rough paste. Run the machine until the ingredients form a sticky mass. Evenly press the bottom and sides into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Use your palm to firm the crust in place. Bake for 7 minutes on a middle rack. Remove from the oven and lower the heat to 350 F.

4. As the crust bakes, puree the filling ingredients, including the spices, together in a high-speed blender until creamy and smooth.

5. Use a rubber spatula to fill the crust and smooth the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until set. Crimp foil around the crust edges so they won’t burn.

6. Allow the pie to cool. You may serve immediately or refrigerate. Its flavors will further develop if refrigerated overnight.

Anise Coriander with Cranberries and Walnuts Biscotti

Anise and coriander are a great holiday cookie combination. This rich biscotti after all the baking turns out crunchy and delicious. Simple to make, and with less effort than standard biscotti.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups gluten-free pastry flour (recipe below)

2 tablespoons flax meal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup coconut sugar

¼ teaspoon 100% monk fruit powder

1 tablespoon anise seed

1 teaspoon whole coriander seed

1/4 teaspoon white peppercorns

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

zest and juice of one large lemon

zest of one large orange

2 large eggs

1/2 cup cooled melted butter

1 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F

Mixing the batter

Grind the spices together and set aside. Sift all the dry ingredients together including the ground spices. Combine the melted butter, lemon juice, zests and eggs, and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet 1/3 at a time, mixing well. Mix in the nuts and cranberries.

Baking

Spread the batter out on an oiled parchment lined baking sheet in a 1/2 inch thick rectangle

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 F. Cool for 10 minutes. Lower oven temp. to 325 F. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Turn them onto their sides and bake for 8 minutes. Turn them over and bake for another 8 minutes. If you like your biscotti very crunchy, then put them into a food dehydrator at 160 F for 5 hours.

Gluten Free Pastry Flour

Mix and store in refrigerator

4 cups sorghum flour (552 grams)

1 cup potato starch (152 grams)

1 cup tapioca starch (113 grams)

2 tablespoons flax meal

3 teaspoons xanthan gum

Cranberry Relish with Orange and Ginger

Instant Pot

Makes 8 cups, enough to can, freeze or use in baked goods.

Quick

This is my favorite cranberry relish ever. It’s lip puckering sour, but with a rush of sweet to follow. The orange flavors come through with a hint of heat from the ginger. The Spanish sherry adds complexity and lifts it beyond the commonplace. Best of all it’s easy to make in the Instant Pot and makes enough to gift or add to the larder.

Ingredients

16 cups fresh cranberries

12 fluid ounces frozen organic orange juice concentrate

4 cups coconut sugar

2 tablespoons fresh ginger paste

1 cup Oloroso sherry

1 cup water

Directions

In the Instant Pot, add all the ingredients and stir to combine. Set the I.P. to high pressure for 3 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. After opening the pot, set it to high saute and allow the relish to reduce and thicken, this should take 3 to 5 minutes. Stay with it, stirring often. It will thicken further as it cools. The sauce is wonderful warm.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Serves 6-8

A sweet potato casserole that will bring everyone into the kitchen wondering what smells so good.

Ingredients

2 cups mashed sweet potato, one large sweet potato

1 can classic unsweetened coconut milk (13.5 ounces)

½ cup brown sugar or 1 teaspoon monk fruit powder for a sugar free recipe

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon whole allspice berries, ground

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns, ground

1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste

3 eggs

Topping

1 cup pecans (cashews are another option)

1 cup dates, chopped

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a deep dish pie pan.

2. Using a food processor or Vitamix, pulse the pecans, dates, coconut and vanilla together into a coarse meal. Set aside.

3. Using a spice or coffee grinder, grind the dry spices together. Add sweet potato, coconut milk, sugar, salt, spices and eggs to the food processor or Vitamix and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pie pan set on a baking sheet to catch drips. Sprinkle the topping over the top. Bake the casserole until set — about 45 minutes. Note: Cover the casserole with foil or a large metal bowl after the first 15 minutes. Remove the foil or bowl for the last 10 minutes.

4. Serve warm or cold.

Spicy Gingerbread Cookies Nouveau Breads

Rollable dough

Makes 7-10 averaged sized gingerbread people

Ingredients

Dry

½ cup prewashed quinoa, heaping

⅓ cup raw chickpeas

½ cup raw buckwheat groats

2 tablespoons flax meal

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ cup coconut sugar

Spices

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 whole cloves

¼ teaspoon allspice berries

½ teaspoon coriander seed

½ teaspoon fennel seed

¼ teaspoon whole peppercorns

¼ teaspoon decorticated cardamom (taken out of pods)

1 ½ teaspoons powdered ginger

Wet

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into small pieces

½ cup black strap molasses

Directions

1. Using a Vitamix or high powered blender, grind all of the dry ingredients including into a flour. I run the machine at the highest speed for 1 minute.

2. Sift through a sieve over a large mixing bowl.

3. Return the flour to the Vitamix. Add the butter pieces and pour in the molasses. I make a small well into the top of the flour. Mix at a medium high speed until the butter and molasses are well incorporated and a soft dough forms.

4. Remove the dough. Break into two even balls and form into flat disks. Chill the dough for 20 minutes.

5. Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes. This dough also makes molded shapes and raised forms well. Gather cookie cutters, rolling pin, chopsticks, pastry wheel... anything you can find that will make interesting textures or impressions

6. Have baking sheets ready. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C

7. Work on small pieces of parchment so that the cookies can be lifted to the cookie sheet on the parchment paper. Cookies will need to be a similar thickness to bake evenly. Dough rolled ¼ inch/6.5mm thick is great.

8. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Cookies will be soft when hot and firm up as they cool.

Poached Figs with Mascarpone

Ingredients

2 cups dry white wine

1/4 cup honey, or to taste

12 whole dried white or black figs

Water as needed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Generous pinch freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon sea salt salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese or whipped cream

Instructions

Combine the wine, honey and figs in a 3- or 4-quart non-reactive saucepan. Add enough water to barely cover the figs. Stir in the cinnamon, pepper, salt and vanilla. Bring to a simmer. Cook partially covered for about 30 minutes or until figs are tender, but not falling apart. If making ahead, cool and refrigerate the fruit in its syrup.

Boil down cooking liquid until syrupy (about 8 to 10 minutes). Spoon over the fruit. Place a generous daub of mascarpone or whipped cream next to each serving.