why I shouldn't be cooking

In my last post, I was drooling over lots of autumny baked goods. Sweet potato bourbon bundt cake was the winner. Except...

1. Shockingly, my husband was all out of bourbon. Well, that's not true. There was an unopened bottle of 10-year Pappy Van Winkle but I figured he'd have a mild heartache if I used that. I instead opted for Drambuie, a fortified scotch, which turns out is not that much cheaper. Oops. It did add a lovely warmth to the cake, but next time, I'll make sure we have Maker's Mark.

2. And then I forgot to add the nuts. And the butter seized up into little chunks when I added cold squash puree to the batter. I just shouldn't be cooking. Pregnancy makes it difficult, I'm finding. But the cake still turned out tasty.

Yes, I used cushaw squash puree instead of sweet potato. Why? This 16-pounder is why (the middle one):

Not sure how long the two on the right took to grow, but the one on the left has been growing for 29 weeks.

It's a sweet and tasty winter squash, but I'm thankful it was 10 pounds smaller than the monster we got last year. We ate half with a Moroccan pork stew that I baked in it and then I froze the other half (9 cups of squash puree) for the future.

So back to the bundt, now I'm all caked out and ready to move on to bigger and better things - like PIE. (Edit: I just got back from a pie contest, and having consumed 6 decent slices, I can't really think about any more pie right now. *So full*)

Also craving oatmeal cookies the other day. Lord help me if this baby is giant.

baking craving

Maybe it has something to do with this cold snap we're just now experiencing. (It was 44 degrees walking the dog this morning!) It finally feels like fall, and I really want to bake something. Well, technically I really want to eat something baked fresh from the oven, but that means I'll need to bake.

Plus, my Pinterest board has been getting mighty full of delicious-looking recipes to taunt/tempt me.

Pumpkin gingerbread?

Chocolate chip olive oil banana bread?

Pumpkin muffins with cheesecake filling?

Sweet potato bourbon bundt cake?

Sigh...decisions, decisions...

Hmm, I think the husband should decide since I really shouldn't eat an entire dish myself!

THE apple pancake

This weekend's breakfast recipe was another winner. A big winner. And I'm glad I didn't thoroughly read the ingredient list before I started making it or else I never would have even printed it out (discovered it on www.thekitchn.com). Let's just say there's a bit more butter and sugar involved than I'm usually comfortable handling.




A giant caramelized apple dutch baby is what's on the menu. I kind of have a dutch baby obsession - they're just fun to make (and eat). Kind of like popovers. I've also been told the pancake needs to make an appearance while we're entertaining family in the next few months. So watch out.

With all the caramelizing going on in the bottom of the cast iron skillet, I was certain the only outcome would be disaster, but I guess tons of butter wins out in the end. Cleaning my cast iron was a breeze and I'll no longer fear cooking in it.

The Apple Pancake

(adapted from The Kitchn)

2 large or 3 medium apples, preferably tart ones like Granny Smith
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup unsalted butter (I might try it with 1/4 cup next time)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (unpacked)
3/4 cup flour (optional: whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs
Powdered or cinnamon sugar, to serve (optional)

• Heat the oven to 400°F. Peel, core, and quarter the apples, then cut them into medium slices (1/4-inch thick or less). A apple peeler/corer/slicer do-hicky works perfect. You should have about 3 cups of chopped apples.

• In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon and ginger and set aside.

• Cut the butter into chunks and place them in a deep cast iron skillet or 8x8-inch baking dish. Put the skillet or baking dish in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the butter is melted. Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the 1/3 cup brown sugar over the melted butter. Carefully spread the apples on top of the brown sugar and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the apples. Put the pan back in the oven to caramelize the apples and sugar.

• Whisk the flour with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly with a large wire whisk to beat out any lumps. When the flour is smoothly incorporated into the milk, beat in the vanilla and the eggs one by one. Beat by hand for 2 minutes, or until foamy. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes. By now the sugar should be bubbling around the apples, about 7-8 minutes.

• Take the pan out of the oven and pour the batter over the apples. Bake for about 20 more minutes or until center is set and sides are lightly browned. The pancake will puff up dramatically but fall after a few minutes after you take it out of the oven.

• If you want, serve with powdered sugar or more cinnamon sugar but it really doesn't need any extra sweetness.

flavors of fall

Fall is my absolute favorite season. And even though we now live in the Southwest where, in October, we anticipate the drop below 100 degrees instead of the drop of the leaves, at least I can still have my fall flavors. Yes, we're still getting watermelons, tomatoes and peppers in our CSA basket, but winter squash is also starting to roll in and apples and pears are in full force at the store.

This weekend, I dove into a can of pumpkin puree to whip up the fluffiest pancakes ever. This recipe is so fail-proof that even I, the impatient queen of high heat and flat flapjacks, can create perfect pillowy pumpkin pancakes. Also, hooray for alliteration!

This recipe makes stacks and stacks of pancakes. So either have four hearty eaters on hand or be ready for leftover pancakes which really never hurt anyone. Also, I switched out the all-purpose flour in the original recipe for whole wheat pastry flour because I love the texture of whole grains and it's such a simple way to boost the healthiness of your breakfast.

Pumpkin Pancakes

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

1.5 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

• In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt and stir just enough to combine. Don't overmix.
• Heat a lightly oiled frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

frozen meal suggestions?

I'm starting to think ahead to January - when I'll have a newborn to figure out and, I'm assuming, not much time/energy to cook. I'd like to put some home-cooked meals in the freezer so we're not eating grilled cheese or take-out Chinese everyday.

The sloppy lentils we had last night (which were shockingly tasty, after I threw in a few more spices) would freeze nicely and I know soups would store well. (Bonus - it'll be soup weather come January!) But one cannot live on soup and lentils alone. Or doesn't want to anyway...

Any extra-tasty recipe suggestions for heartier fare that I can whip up and throw in the freezer?

mexican bruschetta chicken

Chicken. Tomatoes. Chiles. Feta. Not nearly as challenging a mystery basket as the ones on Chopped, but yesterday I had to figure out how to turn these ingredients into dinner. I toyed around with making a tamale pie (like cornbread pot pie), but that would be too labor-intensive after a tiring day of work. So I threw this together instead:

Mexican Bruschetta Chicken

1. Make fresh salsa: chopped tomatoes, chopped roasted chiles, diced onion, crushed garlic, chopped cilantro, squeeze of lime & a few dashes of salt.
2. Pound chicken flat (I use saran wrap and my fist - it's more fun that way), sprinkle with chili powder, cumin & salt. Spray with oil. Grill. 
3. Serve salsa and crumbled feta (or cotija cheese) over chicken.

We ate this with cast-iron skillet cornbread made with fresh corn & roasted chiles, but I think it needed a second side dish - a green veggie or salad.

bits and bobs

• I finally bought the makings for smores which I've been craving (along with every other sweet known to mankind). Now if only it'd cool off outside. Toasting marshmallows over the grill when it's 113 out just doesn't seem very pleasant.
•  Just discovered a dark chocolate/caramel/sea salt candy bar at Trader Joe's. It's divine and messy and I bet it'd make uber-divine and uber-messy smores...
• How great is this idea - watermelon salad in the form of "pizza"?! I'd definitely go the feta + mint route.
• Even though I currently can't partake in adult beverages, I'm looking forward to celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary at Roy's for happy hour next week. It's "Hawaiian Fusion" cuisine and we ate at the one in Maui on our honeymoon. If you happen to have a Roy's near you, I'd highly recommend their "aloha" happy hour - great food and bev deals. It's one of the handful of chain restaurants we food snobs will eat at. Well, I'll gladly eat at more than my husband. How can you not like Carrabba's?!

make this now

I just got up from the dinner table and HAD to post about this dish. Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad. It's amazing. And it probably would have been even better if I had the requisite cilantro, or at least it would have looked prettier. But still, the flavors are wonderful - sweet roasted squash, nutty tahini, tart lemon, creamy chickpeas. It's perfect for this time of year - the transition from summer salad season to autumn squash season. (Granted, not here in Phoenix where it's supposed to hit a ridiculous 114 tomorrow. Not sure how our CSA farm is growing butternut squash...)

Here's the link!

Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad

squash ribbon salad

A follow-up from yesterday. This may actually be my absolute favorite way to prepare/eat summer squash. A light vinegary salad to combat sweltering summer evenings. But just a warning - it needs to be prepared 2 hours ahead of mealtime. I forgot about that when I started making it last night. Doh!

Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash Salad
(adapted from Health Magazine, March 2009)

1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
2 lbs. zucchini and/or yellow squash
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes.

• In a bowl, combine vinegar, sugar and 1/4 tsp. salt until sugar dissolves. Trim ends of zucchini and squash; cut into thin ribbons with a mandolin (1/16" thickness) or a harp-shaped peeler. Add to vinegar mixture. Cover and chill 2 hours.
• In a food processor, add garlic, basil, lemon juice and olive oil, 1 Tbsp hot water and 1/4 tsp. salt. Process until smooth.
• Drain squash and divide among 4 plates. Top with cubed mozzarella and drizzle with basil oil.

Note: I'm quite intrigued by all the squash ribbon salads out there. This one with feta and mint sounds especially delicious!

stuffed summer squash

Being a CSA member has its ups and downs. The surprise of what's in this week's basket is fun. The challenge of putting together menus centered around the veggies is also fun. But week 6 of carrot-fest is not fun. The first few melons of the season are wonderous! Then a month of melons goes by and your melon-logged. Cucumbers are probably the most uninvited long-term guests. There's only so much you can do with a giant Armenian cucumber (especially when your husband doesn't even like cucumbers!)

It's summer, so in addition to being melon, cucumber and waning tomato season, summer squash season is in full effect. One can only eat so much grilled squash so recently I tried a fun new recipe - squash boats! Definitely a welcome addition to my squash repertoire.

Stuffed Squash with Turkey Sausage
(adapted from Simply Recipes)

6 medium zucchini or yellow squash
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 *healthy* Tbsp. dry white wine (I always add extra wine to recipes!)
1 lb. ground turkey
2 diced tomatoes (or a can of diced tomatoes, drained a little)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1 Tbsp. dried)
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (or dried)
A dash of fennel seeds
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper

• Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides, leaving shells about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Reserve about half of the insides.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft. Add reserved squash insides and saute another 2 minutes. Pour out into a bowl.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in the skillet. Add the ground turkey. Lightly brown the turkey, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Stir in the onion mixture. Add the wine. Stir in tomato, basil, rosemary and fennel and cook 1 minute longer. Remove mixture from heat and set aside.
• When mixture has cooled, add cheese, egg, salt and pepper. Fill the squash shells with mixture. You're going to have some mixture left over - put it in a greased ramekin to bake alongside the squash. Place squash halves in a baking dish and pour water into the dish around the squash, about 1/4" deep. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove squash from dish and serve while hot.

lamb in Turkey

When we plan a vacation, my numero uno priority is to compile a list of restaurants and foods to try. I hate to miss out on the best local cuisine, especially if it's probably the only time we'll ever visit the certain destination. Special meals make special memories. But if the city is very large, for example Istanbul, sometimes schlepping across town to hunt down a "must-try" place can become a fiasco.

July 2009, we spent 2 weeks traveling through Turkey. Turkey had  never even been on my radar, but I'm so glad we got the opportunity to see this amazing country. It has some of the best ancient ruins in the world (Ephesus), landscape that looks like another planet (Cappadocia) and a crazy metropolis full of different cultures and my favorite cathedral-turned-mosque-turned-museum (Aya Sofia in Istanbul). 

But back to the food. Kofte is a Turkish specialty - grilled meatballs made from beef and/or lamb. One of the most popular places to eat them in Istanbul is Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi which has been around since 1920. See?

It's conveniently located right near the major tourist sites, making it the perfect lunch spot. And the kofte are delicious.

But I still wanted to try kofte in a restaurant geared towards locals. A hidden gem. And I just so happened to have the place on my restaurant list: Kofteci Huseyin. It wasn't too far from our hotel, based on the marker I had placed on my map of Istanbul. So one day for dinner, we trekked up the hill to Taksim Square. (No one told me how hilly Istanbul is - nearly as bad as San Francisco. It definitely made getting around the city a sweaty endeavor.) And then we wandered around the alleys where I had placed the restaurant on the map, argued a bunch and FINALLY found it. And it was closed. And full of old men playing okey. Dejected, we picked a random restaurant nearby and much to Todd's chagrin, it ended up being vegetarian.

I wanted to try again on the last day of our trip, but someone had a hangover from staying out until 4am with his buddies at the conference they were attending. Hmph.

It ended up being a comical memory, but that's how it goes when you're crazy like me. But I'll continue to make my "must-try" lists because I don't want to be eating bad vegetarian food in a foreign city every night of vacation. I may just rely a bit more on recommendations from locals.

Here's the kofte recipe I use to recreate our time in Turkey. It's even more delicious when made with ground lamb. There's just something special about the combination of lamb and mint (although I've never had mint jelly - that just sounds gross.)

Superfast Kofte

(adapted from Cooking Light, March 2007)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1 lb. lean ground round (or ground lamb)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Combine all ingredients, except the meat, in a large bowl. Add the meat and stir until just combined. Divide mixture into 8 portions. Shape each portion into a 2-inch oblong patty. Place patties on a broiler pan coated in cooking spray. Broil 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Watch carefully for grease splattering onto the oven coils!

Serve with pitas, sliced tomatoes and plain yogurt (or this yogurt sauce):

Yogurt Sauce for Kofte

1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt

A dollop of sour cream (if you want a richer sauce)

A splash of lemon juice

1 Tbsp. chopped mint

1/2 cup grated cucumber (optional), salted and drain 10 minutes to remove excess water

Mix all ingredients in a small serving bowl.

...And one more recipe. This is the ubiquitous side dish of Turkey. It rounds out the above meal nicely.

Piyaz (Turkish white bean salad)

(adapted from Simply Recipes)

1 14.5 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 tiny red onion, thinly sliced

juice from 1 lemon

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

A big handful of shredded lettuce

Slice the onion, squeeze lemon juice over it and let it sit while you prep the other ingredients. This helps to cut the onion's sharpness a little.

Combine all ingredients except lettuce in a serving dish. Prepare a few hours ahead of time to allow flavors to develop in the fridge. Add lettuce just before serving so it doesn't wilt.

smoothie of the day

1 banana, sliced up and frozen

1 spoonful of peanut butter

4 spoonfuls of plain nonfat yogurt

1 splash of milk

Throw it all in a food processor and blend until smooth. Drink it up.

Best smoothie/pseudo-milkshake ever!

chilaquile-say-what?

Over the last 8 years, we've zig-zagged across the country, and in each temporary home, my culinary horizons have expanded further.

In Northern California, I learned about the magical cut of beef called tri-tip. And I still can't cook it properly. I discovered Mexican street tacos sprinkled with refreshing cilantro, onion and lime. My first time savoring gelato was in California too.

In South Carolina, I developed an appreciation for great BBQ. Pulled pork with a delicious bark, fantastic mustard-based sauce and don't forget the decadent sweet potato casserole and banana pudding. I learned to avoid sweet tea, that vile substance you get by default when ordering "iced tea". I learned you can turn summer squash into a cheesy casserole. And interestingly enough, I further developed my love of Mexican street tacos at one of the few hidden gems in our tiny town.

Here in Arizona, I'm still learning about Mexican and Southwestern specialties. I had never tried a chile relleno before moving here (or actually knew what one was). Now it's the only thing I order at one of our usual restaurants. Chilaquiles - crisp tortillas smothered with chicken, cheese, salsa verde and an egg - is another new delicious discovery for me. I actually learned how to make tamales, having only eaten them a handful of times in the past.

Because I'm so obsessed with food, I'm sure I'd still have a curious palate if I never left Ohio. But I'm thankful for being able to live in other corners of the country to experience authentic regional cuisine. The only downside is now I get cravings for dishes I can't drive around the corner for anymore! Fruit nachos, I'm talking to you.

almost ice cream

Lately I've been not-so-inspired and too busy and tired to post. But today I remembered something that I needed to spread the word about. Banana ice cream. I was obsessed with this last summer and then plain forgot about it. Until today.

One ingredient ice cream! And the only ingredient is bananas. Just try it (if I haven't forced you to try it already) and you'll be amazed.

BANANA ICE CREAM

1. Slice up a banana onto a wax paper covered tray.

2. Stick the tray in the freezer.

3. When the banana slices are frozen, take them out and throw them in a food processor.

4. Wait a few minutes while they defrost a tad and then turn on the food processor.

5. After a minute or so, the banana chunks will magically turn into a smooth ice cream-like consistency.

6. Enjoy your guilt-free frozen treat!

Note: If you're feeling fancy, you could mix in some peanut butter, cocoa powder or chocolate syrup once the bananas are blended.

snack o de day

Been eating a lot of Turkish dried apricots lately - they remind me of our trip to Turkey and they're almost as satisfying as snacking on chocolate chips. I just threw together a fancy-hat snack, adapted a recipe from Sunset magazine.

It's simple.

apricot + goat cheese + basil leaf + marcona almond + honey drizzle (which I forgot but didn't miss)

Now that's definitely more satisfying than a palmful of chocolate chips.

fun with artichokes

On Easter, I cooked the baby artichokes from last week's CSA haul. Cleaned them down to their tiny hearts, sauteed them with garlic and walnuts, and tossed that with some gnocchi and lemon zest (and perhaps a pat of butter). Springy and lovely, but I think I'll try something even simpler with this week's even-tinier artichokes:

Braised Squid with Artichokes, courtesy of Mark Bittman

It's perfect because I've been craving calamari. I just hope they have chopped squid at the grocery store...I'm not sure I'm ready to dissect a whole squid. My first time cooking live clams and mussels freaked me out enough.

takes a lot of leaf-removing to get to the heart

gnocchi with artichokes and walnuts - not so pretty when your artichokes turn brown the instant you slice them

easter

Easter was a lovely day, you know, aside from being thousands of miles away from all of my family and my husband spending the day at work. But I got dressed up anyway and schlepped off to church where I had to park a bazillion miles away because I didn't get there an hour ahead of time. On the upside, it was another warm sunny day, mass was outdoors under a giant tent, and the choir sang, I kid you not, the version of Joyful, Joyful from Sister Act 2 (minus the rap obviously and possibly unfortunately). The reason I recognized it? Sister Act 2 happened to be one of my sister's and my favorite movies when we were teens. We had practically every line memorized. Embarrassing, maybe, but who doesn't have a guilty pleasure movie...or 5?

I cooked a nice dinner too (although in my mind, I usually cook a nice dinner!) One thing I re-learned: don't roast a leg of lamb to 163 degrees. Seriously, Trader Joe's, I knew that was too high, but I followed your package instructions anyway. Dry lamb just isn't as good as juicy pink lamb. The leftovers made decent tacos though!

Lamb Tacos:
1. Simmer cut-up lamb in 1 cup water, 0.5 cup ketchup, 1-2 chopped chipotles in adobe, 2 crushed garlic cloves, oregano & salt & pepper.

 
2. Serve on corn tortillas with queso fresco or feta, lettuce, and other desired taco fixings.

One of my taco fixings was the nopales (cactus pads) I mentioned last week. 

Luckily, the needles had already been scraped off when we picked them up at our CSA. I experimented with this foreign food by searing them in a hot frying pan and slicing them up. 

Unfortunately, the amount of slime that came off the sliced cactus was alarming. They tasted good - surprisingly lemony - but the texture was similar to okra (kinda icky). Next time I have the chance to cook them, I'll try another method I found online: chop raw, boil in salted water with baking soda, rinse, and then sear in a hot pan.

Have you cooked with any adventurous ingredients recently?

tiny things = cute

Our CSA haul is pretty exciting this week. It includes 6 adorable artichokes and 2 nopales. I'm skeptical that the tiny artichokes will yield much edible matter but they'll be fun to photograph. Here's a bad iphone preview:

Can you see my battle scar from yardwork? I almost lopped off my fingertip with pruning shears last weekend. It bled A TON and warranted a tetanus shot for me but looks nowhere as painful as Todd's arms - completely covered in scratches from removing deadwood from all of our shrubs. I'll spare you from that image.

And more than likely you're wondering what nopales are. Prickly pear cactus pads! More on that in a few days. Off to hunt for a recipe...

is this weird?

It's my new favorite snack that I concocted using random ingredients lying around in the pantry. I wanted to try bulgur wheat as a breakfast cereal but it just wasn't that good heated up with milk. This is MUCH tastier.

1. Cook up some bulgur.

2. Spoon some warm bulgur into a bowl.

3. Add a bit of honey, shredded sweetened coconut, salted nuts and dried cranberries.

4. Stir and eat!

It's kind of like a granola bar that doesn't stick together. A little sweet, a little salty, a little chewy - a tasty way to get some whole grains into your tummy. Unless I'm just weird.

carrots and Santa Barbara memories

I've been stock-piling carrots from our CSA for 3 weeks now. Why? Because cleaning and peeling carrots is a drag! I finally tackled the task yesterday (netting 4 pounds of carrots) - in fact, spent a few hours in the kitchen cleaning veggies and preparing dinner. It's so nice to be back in my element. And my Sunday dinner turned out surprisingly delicious.

The line-up: grilled porkchops, roasted carrots & fennel, and a grilled flatbread dish from a Santa Barbara restaurant that I attempted to recreate. Back in November, I tagged along with Todd to a work conference in Santa Barbara. While he was stuck in a room full of geeks discussing boring things, I gallivanted and had dinner at Julienne, arguably the best restaurant around there. It was a wonderful meal. I sat at the tiny bar with the chefs cooking right in front of me and plowed my way through 5 courses. Full by course 3, I ended up giving my leftovers to a transient on the walk back to the hotel. I hope he liked duck!

My favorite course of the night was a grilled flatbread topped with grilled radicchio, lardo and parmesan-pine nut butter. Bitter, smoky, salty, and sweet all on one plate - it was the perfect little dish. My pine nut butter didn't turn out exactly like Julienne's but I had to guess what was in it based on a 5-month-old memory. I think that this is still a good interpretation though.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!
 
Salty-Sweet-Smoky-Sharp Grilled Flatbread

radicchio or endive (I used endive since it showed up in our CSA share last week; radicchio will hold up to the grill heat better)
prosciutto
flatbread (2 6-inch rounds, or more if you want to spread the pine nut butter thinner)
1/4 cup pinenuts, toasted
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
olive oil
agave nectar or honey

To make the pine nut butter: In a food processor, chop pine nuts until very fine. Add the parmesan, a few drops of olive oil and a few drops of agave nectar/honey. Process until smooth and creamy. Add any additional oil to achieve nut butter consistency and additional cheese to taste.

Brush the flatbread with olive oil. Grill the radicchio over a high flame to achieve a char but don't cook it beyond recognition. Grill the flatbread until charred.

Assemble: Spread pine nut butter on flatbread. Top with prosciutto and then radicchio. Drizzle/spray with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.