Croque Monsieur

Did you know that a humble grilled ham & cheese sandwich becomes a French bistro classic if you use Gruyére cheese? Well you do now! Behold the Croque Monsieur! The best use of leftover holiday ham.

Tips:
- Don't be shy with the butter!
- Grate your cheese; slices won't melt well.
- Add a small amount of your favorite mustard.
- To melt your cheese without burning your bread grill your sandwich in a skillet then finish it in the oven or microwave.

Chris' Ultimate Pumpkin Bread

Hooray for my first Baking post!

If you're anything like me you'll agree that there is no such thing as Fall without Pumpkin. Pie, Bread, Muffins, Seeds, Ice Cream, Lattes and Coffee Creamer, Rolls, even snuck into Mac n' Cheese. Give me ALL THE PUMPKINS!!! 

This recipe is adapted and expanded from the very incomplete Bobby Flay recipe here http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500191_162-2104698.html

Preheat oven to 350

In this Pan:

• 1 Stick unsalted butter
• 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg 
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Clove
• 1/4 Tsp Ground All Spice
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Ginger

Melt the butter on low heat and add the spices. Swirl them in the pan until your entire house is WONDERFULLY fragrant. This blooms the spices and really takes the flavor to another level. You may need to turn the heat up to medium low, butter should be warm and fragrant, not foaming. Remove from heat and let the butter cool. 

Whisk together:

• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour (10 ounces)
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Salt

In baking it's always important to use the correct amounts of dry ingredients. It's best to weigh your flour. If you have a kitchen scale, now is the time to use it.

Whisk together: 

• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 15 ounces Canned Pumpkin
• Spiced Melted Butter, Cooled
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Tsp Vanilla 

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir gently until just incorporated. Pour into a buttered and floured 9" loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 1 hour. Or as long as you can stand ;) 

Awesome bonus: Store the bread in a airtight container and it will actually become MORE moist and sweet overtime thanks to the brown sugar!

OH, and did I mention my wife's HONEY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING?!?!
Just blend Cream Cheese, Honey and Powdered Sugar.

Quick Pic: Bruschetta

Here's a quick post for a quick appetizer:

Salt & Pepper to taste

Good bread + good tomatoes + good mozzarella + fresh basil + olive oil = Great appetizer!