Manchego and Quince Skewers: Scratch That by Connie Fairbanks

(All photographs in this post are courtesy of Connie Fairbanks.)

Fall has and will always be my favorite season, but there's something about spring that makes me wake up with a grin on my face despite the fact that the weather during this weird cusp between winter and summer is incredibly unpredictable in Chicago. The tulips lining Michigan avenue and the daffodils in front of Victorian homes in Hyde Park are nice. The ability to go outside without a cumbersome down jacket is nice too. But those are just icing on the cake. What's the cake? Farmers' markets.

Rejoice. Rejoice. Rejoice.

Soon it will get warm, though there's no sign of that just yet. Soon outdoor farmers' markets will resume. Soon I will get to walk in the sun, filling up my bamboo basket with berries, sunchokes, and fresh baby corn. Chicago is the place to be.

Connie Fairbanks, a proud Chicagoan and the author of the new cookbok, Scratch That, agrees with me. After visiting the city many times on business, Fairbanks and her husband decided to make Chicago their hometown. "Even though our growing season is short, we have wonderful farmers' markets in the summer and fall. With the farmers' markets we are on the same playing field as the James Beard award winning chefs in Chicago," says Fairbanks. A seasoned traveler, she also appreciates the vibrant and exciting multi-ethnic food scene in Chicago, "From where I live, I can easily get to Chinatown, Pilsen, Little Italy, Ukranian Village, Argyle Street, Greektown, and Devon." She keeps a notebook handy to take notes on the many dishes she has at these wonderful restaurants and experiments with making them at home.


Scratch That arose partly out of Fairbanks' frustration from the fact that she couldn't find all of her recipes in one place as they were in files, on her computer, in boxes, on scraps of paper, on handwritten scribbles, etc. The cookbook, therefore, serves as the place in which all her tried-and-true recipes are systematically arranged in one place. The menus are designed around seasonal ingredients and accompanied by wine suggestions.

Asked what made Scratch That stand out in the era wherein there is no shortage of cookbooks or food blogs, Fairbanks has her answer ready. A preliminary competitive search showed that there were very few menu-based cookbooks with wine pairings. She then decided to proceed with what she had already started- a cookbook with menus. Fun and practical elements, such as her husband's page on how to load the dishwasher, were added. Fairbanks wanted her cookbook to feature not only modern ingredients that could be found in most grocery stores, but also the basic old fashioned recipes that couldn't be improved upon, e.g. her mother's rhubarb pie.

She also hopes that the chapter on getting the best meal when dining out makes the book unique. The book also features a basic 101 chapter on wine and beer, including pronunciations. It should be noted that the wine pairings are designed based on a home chef's perspective not a sommelier's. "As a home chef, there are meals that we can't make, because we don't have the knowledge, time, ingredients, or staff. I wanted to take the intimidation factor out of dining at 3-star Michelin restaurants by adding definitions, pronunciations, and humorous stories of what not to do in a fine dining or any restaurant," she added.

Ultimately, other than great recipes, Fairbanks hopes that the readers would come to realize through her book that homemade meals made from scratch don't have to be difficult. "Planning as our mothers, grandmothers, and Julia Child did to get meals on the table has not gone out of style. With a little planning, you can have a stable of 10-15 "go to" meals that are good enough for company," she said.

But recipe compilation is merely one reason why Fairbanks decided to self-publish Scratch That. An actor with a background in sales and marketing, she would be a natural as a cooking/travel show host. Publishing a cookbook provides that extra stamp of credibility that she hopes will help launch a career in what she loves -- food and travel. (You aspiring cookbook authors out there, take note.)

Self-publishing is not an easy venture. While the advantages are numerous, the disadvantages present a sizable hurdle for aspiring authors to overcome. You can read Fairbanks' short article summing up her experience as a first-time self-published author, featured in Today's Chicago Woman magazine, here (scroll down to "magazine" section and click on Today's Chicago Woman, July 2007).

Connie has allowed me to reprint one of her recipes from Scratch That. The simple yet elegant appetizer of quince paste and cheese skewers in the photograph above can be done in a cinch. Time to hit the farmers' market, dear readers. Get your green bags ready.

Manchego and Quince Skewers
Reprinted with permission. For more information on Connie Fairbanks and Scratch That, please visit her official website.
(Serves 4-6)

¼ pound chunk of aged Manchego or Parmesan cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
About 2 ounces baby arugula leaves (1/4 cup)
6 ounces quince paste, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
Toothpicks or wooden skewers

Stack a cheese cube, several arugula leaves, and a chunk of quince paste on 12 small wooden skewers. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Serve at room temperature.

Connie’s Notes:

• This recipe was inspired by a cheese course served at brunch buffets in many European cities.
• Quince paste is a thick paste that tastes like a cross between apples and pears. It can be found in many grocery stores and in gourmet food stores, near the cheese section, and it can also be purchased online.
• Quince paste is very good with cheese, especially Parmesan and Manchego.
• Store any leftover quince paste in the refrigerator, and have it as a snack or light dessert with a piece of cheese. If you can’t find hazelnuts, substitute almonds.
• Use any leftover arugula in a salad, on a pizza, or add to pasta at the last minute.