Gluttony, Pheasant Branch Conservancy, and Fake Thanksgiving

It's catch-up time again, dear readers.

Maple sweet potato pie at Pie Palooza

Two weekends ago, we feasted on a gluttonous level. On Friday, a group of us went to the Avenue on East Wash for a traditional fish fry. The wood paneling, the beehives, the assemblage of homogenous Wiscoheads: I was transported back my small-town upbringing. Some were enamored with the traditional surroundings, but the kitsch eluded me, perhaps because it was ubiquitous where I learned to tie my shoes.

Saturday held hiking at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, followed by beer and my beloved nachos at the Great Dane. Walking around afterward to banish the overwhelmingly large platter of nachos from our system, we stopped into the recently re-opened Argus. (I used to meet there for a drink with my Madison City Channel-12 colleagues occasionally, so it has a nostalgic charm.)

This is from our hiking trip to Indian Lake, not Pheasant Branch Conservancy, but I neglected to post it when I wrote about Indian Lake. And we didn't take pics at Pheasant Branch. So just deal with it. :)

We ended the weekend on a resounding note with Pie Palooza. Benefiting the REAP Food Group (http://www.reapfoodgroup.org/), this year's event was held at the Goodman Community Center. Between us, we tried two slices of country cheese pie with prosciutto, a maple sweet potato pie, and a mushroom spinach quiche. The maple syrup and sweet potato did make a lovely combination, but the crumble on top added too much sweetness.

A snapshot of our pies--and deliciously creamy vanilla ice cream and coffee and salad--at Pie Palooza

Last weekend, we attended S. and N.'s Fake Thanksgiving. I made Brussels sprouts sauteed with prosciutto and Parmesan. I don't have a recipe, but basically, I halve the Brussels sprouts, coat them with olive oil, and roast for about 15 minutes. Then I remove them from the oven, slice them, and saute them with onions and garlic. Once the onions are translucent, add the prosciutto and cook until crispy. (And don't be stingy with the prosciutto!) Plate the hot sprouts and top with slivers of parmesan. I also made pureed, gingered sweet potatoes with orange-infused Craisins. Here's my bastardized version of the recipe:


Gingered Sweet Potato Puree with Craisins
-5-6 organic sweet potatoes (I specify organic because I'm more inclined to leave the skin on with organic root vegetables. The skin holds nutrients, but I think it can also be a depository--or perhaps a filter--for pesticides. If they're traditional ones, I'd scoop out the cooked insides and discard the skins.)
-1 large onion
-6 cloves of garlic
-2-3 Tbsp. grated or finely chopped ginger
-2 Tbsp. butter
-drizzle of milk, rice milk, almond milk, or soy milk
-handful of Craisins

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce whole sweet potatoes with a fork and bake for 1 hour or until soft. Saute onions, garlic, and ginger with a few drops of olive oil. Once the sweet potatoes are done, plunk them into a food processor with the onions, garlic, and ginger mixture, the butter, and the milk. Process until smooth. Top with Craisins.