Ronni's Sweet Tooth

New digs

2009-06-28T16:38:00.003-04:00

As you've noticed, I haven't kept up with the whole blogging thing.
I won't make excuses, but there are thousands (millions?) of blogs out there and, well, I'm throwing in the towel.
But fret not, one person reading this: I still love food and I'm still cooking lots of it. I've set up a Flickr page. It's photos with a small description of the dish and, if available, a link to the recipe. It should be easier to keep up and just more fun to look at. I hope.
So come on over to my Flickr page and check things out there.
Thanks!

Revisited: Chickpea salad

2009-05-19T15:51:00.004-04:00

I'll admit: It doesn't look so great. But this chickpea salad/dip is so easy and so good that you'll wish you'd made it sooner.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-04-22T15:57:00.003-04:00

These cookies could not be easier to make. Really, they couldn't. And they're really tasty and full of flavor. You have to try them.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Candied Ginger

2009-04-09T12:23:00.006-04:00

If you read as many food blogs as I do, you'll inevitably have some favorites. Some of my favorite blogs read like stories, some are really funny and others just get straight to the point: the food.

After reading some blogs over and over again, you start to feel familiar with the writer: not like a friend, so much, but just familiar (I know that makes no sense).

I've noticed with certain blogs, my favorites, I'll think, "Oh, I wonder what Kristen (The Kitchen Sink) made today." Or "I can't wait to see what Molly (Orangette) posted this week."

It's a strange world the Internet has created with blogs and message boards and the like. Strange, but sometimes great. Especially when you come across a recipe like this.

I love banana bread and have a recipe that I pretty much use all the time. But I wanted to try something different one day and headed over to Molly's site and Oh, Lord, what a revelation. Her (or her friend's) Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Candied Ginger is out of this world good. I've made it four times in the past 30 days (two for others, two for us) and everyone has loved it. I would have never thought to put candied (crystallized) ginger in banana bread, but I'm glad to know that's an option.

I'll still use my go-to, simpler banana bread recipe for everyday eating, but when I want something a little different, or if I want to knock someone's socks off, I'll serve this one.

Head on over to Molly's blog to get the recipe and read her other posts.

What's up with me

2009-03-23T23:38:00.009-04:00

No recipe today, but one to come. Jasper says "Hi."

Just out of the oven and cooling on the counter: A lemon poppy seed loaf from Cooking Light. Recipe to come. It's really good.

Will be cooking for dinner tonight: Well, I'll be working. But today I made Mark Bittman's egg noodles with soy broth. It's quick and easy and the broth is addictive. I used spaghetti noodles and it was perfect. I also added a splash of sesame oil.

Currently drinking: Water.

Playing on the iPod right now: I'm listening to 'The Break-Up' from "30 Rock" Season 1. "I cried like a big, dumb homo." So wrong, but so funny.

Currently checked out from the library: Um ... I'm having issues with the library right now. They say I returned a damaged book. That is crap.

Currently reading: The Southern Vampire Mysteries Book 1. These are the books from which HBO's True Blood is based. I said I wasn't going to get sucked (pun intended) into the books because I enjoy not knowing what's going to happen, but I am weak and I caved.

Would like to buy: Honestly? Nothing at the moment. I got my ice cream maker, so I'm good.

Laughing about: 'The Wonder Years.' Winnie Cooper got married and a coworker and I were talking about how much we loved that show and she said there was a boy in her class who looked like Paul and we were laughing about that.

Currently knitting: Don't knit.

Anxiously awaiting: Making hummus and baba ganouj tomorrow.

Needs: More dresses. It's going to be a dressy spring and summer.

Crazy Future Aspirations: To own a bistro/bookstore/coffee/tea shop.

Playing on the iPod now: Didn't I just say '30 Rock?'

Attempting to Learn: How to make cheese. Ricotta and paneer.

Must Resist: Life is about moderation, right?

What’s Keeping Me Busy: Work. The fun never ends.

Hyped Up About: There's a big trip on the horizon this year.

Waiting For: Work to end so that I can go home and finish my book.

Craving: Hummus and baba ganouj.

Playing on the iPod now: Dude. Seriously.

If I had magical powers: I would fly fly fly.

Looking forward to: Cherries. I generally hate summer, but I love the fruit.

Party menu

2009-03-08T15:55:00.008-04:00

You asked for them, so here are the recipes that I served at dinner. If you weren't at dinner: I had a dinner and served some food :)

For the turkey and the macaroni and cheese, I followed the basic recipe with some additions/substitutions of my own, but the tiramisu recipe, I followed by the letter. Just make sure you have enough ladyfingers.

Ginger, soy and whiskey grilled turkey (chicken) from Steamy Kitchen. She used chicken, I used turkey tenderloins. I found the tenderloins, two to a package, in the meat section near the fresh ground turkey breasts. If you can't find them, you can also use fresh turkey breasts, chicken, pork, salmon. Anything would work with this marinade. I grilled them, turning every five minutes, until the internal temperature reached 160-165. This probably took about 20 minutes.

Macaroni and cheese from epicurious. I made a few tweaks to this one. I halved this recipe and it still served seven ramekins full (1/2 cup) with an additional pan full of leftovers. The recipe is for a ton of mac and cheese, so unless you're feeding a football team, I suggest halving it.

For the asparagus, I just rubbed it with olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar and grilled it for about 5 minutes. Easy as pie.

The Tiramisu is from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I followed the recipe exactly. I used brandy because I didn't have Marsala wine, and I didn't make it in a 9x13 pan, because I didn't have enough ladyfingers or my ladyfingers were too skinny. Either/or. Buy a big pack of the fat ones and you should be OK. The only thing I'd do differently next time, and I will make this again, would be to halve the coffee/brandy mix because you're going to end up with leftovers. But if you want to drink brandy-laced coffee, that's fine, too.

So there you go!

Macaroni and cheese
For topping
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cups panko (coarse Japanese bread crumbs)
1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (1 1/2 cups)

For macaroni and sauce
1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2.5 cups milk (I used 1%)
3 coarsely grated Cheddar (I used a sharp yellow cheddar and a sharp white cheddar)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup goat cheese
3/4 pound elbow macaroni (which is a little more than half a box. I didn't really measure it, but 3/4 sounds right)

Make topping:
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

Melt butter, then stir together with panko and topping cheeses in a bowl until combined well.

Make macaroni:
You know how to cook macaroni. Drain it and then use the pot to make the sauce.

Make sauce:
Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes, then whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in cheeses, 1 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth.

Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce. Stir and pour into a prepared pan.

Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

Tortilla soup

2009-03-05T14:44:00.006-05:00

I've been eating this soup for four days because this recipe makes a ton of it, but it's so good that I'm not sick of it yet.

My recipe is based on about 18 that I read. It comes closest to the America's Test Kitchen recipe that I wrote down about four years ago, but for some reason I can't find that recipe now, and they charge for an online memebership. So whatevs.

Make the recipe as I did or add you own ingredients. Go crazy. It's highly adaptable and very, very good.

Ronni's Tortilla Soup
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika*
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon annatto/achiote powder**
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 to 1 cup corn
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
A cup of shredded, rotissere chicken

Toppings:
Shredded cheese
Fresh cilantro
Lime
Avocado
Tortilla chips

In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients and cook until the onion is soft. About 3 to 5 minutes.
Add garlic. Cook one minute.
Add tomato paste. Cook one minute.
Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, corn and chicken to the pan. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve with your choice of toppings, but be sure to at least use tortilla chips, cilantro and lime juice.

* I like the smokey flavor this lends to the soup, but if you don't have smoked, that's fine. Some kind of red pepper flakes or chipotle would be good, too, just adjust to your level of heat.
** If you don't have this, leave it out. It's not super important, but it's good.

Yogurt cake

2009-03-02T15:41:00.004-05:00

Why didn't I know this cake existed?

You know those times where you're sitting at home and your sweet tooth hits you so hard that it's like a physical reaction and you have to have something sweet RIGHT NOW OR YOU WILL DIE? (I know it's not just me.)

I felt like crap this past weekend. It was a cold. I ate wonton soup for three days straight. And this cake. The sweet tooth hit me Friday night and I needed something fast. This cake is perfect. If you're like me and always have yogurt in the house, you can make this any time. It's so easy and so quick and tastes so damn good that I can't believe I've never made it before. I added lemon juice and zest to the basic recipe, but, really, it's perfect. It also would be great in the summer with some fresh strawberries or blueberries (yum!). A simple glaze of lemon juice and powdered sugar is a nice addition.

French Yogurt Cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup oil (I used an olive oil/canola oil mix)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray pan (I used a bundt pan, but a loaf pan or round pan would work just as well) with cooking spray.
Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until combined. Transfer batter to pan and bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Let cool for at least 10 minutes and serve.

Spicy roasted potaotes and asparagus

2009-01-27T14:23:00.006-05:00

Is anyone reading this blog? Really?

This side dish of spicy roasted potatoes and asparagus is inexplicably good. It's so simple and uncomplicated, yet oh so delicious. Maybe it's the simplicity of the ingredients that shine through. I don't know. But I dare you not fall in love with this.

Spicy Roasted Potaotes and Asparagus
Cooking Light

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 small red potatoes (about 3/4 pound), quartered (I've used red and Yukon Gold)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 pound asparagus spears

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine oil, salt, thyme, peppers and potatoes in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450º for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Combine garlic, asparagus and cheese. Add asparagus mixture to dish. Bake for 10 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender.

North Woods bean soup

2009-01-07T02:25:00.004-05:00

I planned to share two soups with, but one of them wasn't share-worthy. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. I tried to make a similar red lentil recipe before and I was met with the same "eh" feeling: not awful, but not inspiring.

This North Woods bean soup, on the other hand, is fantastic. This is the soup that I made a double batch of for New Year's lunch that was finished off by 6 p.m. that night. It's good comfort food: it warms your insides and makes you feel good. And it's insanely quick and easy to make. It tastes like it would take hours to get that smokey, slow roasted flavor, but this soup is done in less than 30 minutes. I know! Serve it with some cornbread and you'll be good to go.

The recipe is just about perfect as is, but when making it this time, I modified a few things:
I added a teaspoon of salt. This is a judgment call. The kielbasa has enough sodium, but I think a little extra makes a big difference.
I like my soups more thick than thin, so: I used a little less broth than called for: maybe 3 1/2 cups. And when it was all done, I added about an 1/8 cup of whole-wheat couscous.

North Woods Bean Soup
CookingLight.com

Cooking spray
1 cup baby carrots, halved
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
7 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (6-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach leaves

Heat a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and kielbasa; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, pepper and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Place 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to pan. Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Add the spinach (I chopped it first), stirring until spinach wilts.

Happy New Year

2009-01-04T15:30:00.004-05:00

I had a terrible stomach ache that started on Friday. I spent the next 48 hours either curled up in bed or curled on the coach. 'Curled' was the only position that seemed to make me feel better. I feel much better now, thanks for asking. I don't know what the eff was wrong, but I'm about 95% better, so I'm happy.

After subsiding on pretzels and ginger ale for almost two days, the photographer made me black bean soup last night and it was delicious. I don't have a recipe, because he just goes with what's on hand, but it was soooooooo good. Black beans, tomatoes, onion, chipotle, cinnamon ... I know those things were in there, but I don't know about quantities: I was just grateful to have some real food.

I made soup on New Year's Day and we had a few people over for lunch. I was going to take pictures, but it was all gone before I could photograph it. Every last bit. But don't worry, I'll make it again (it's that good) and post a picture.

I've decided that January is soup month. I'm going to make a different soup at least twice a week and I'll share the recipes with you.

I was going to make a joke about a super January, but that's just dumb, so I won't.

Vegetable Enchiladas

2008-12-18T22:42:00.004-05:00

If it weren't for leftovers, I wouldn't eat nearly half as much as I do. Most days I pack my lunch/dinner for work and it's usually something I ate the day before. If I had to think of something new for dinner every day, I'd just end up at Chipotle ordering a burrito bowl.

Some people don't like leftovers. I don't understand these people. Actually, I take some of that back; I do understand a bit of it. It can get boring eating the same thing day after day. After Day 5 of something, I'm about ready to tear out my hair. Or order a burrito bowl. But some things just taste better "left over." Day 1 lasagna is good, but Day 2 lasagna is so much better. Most soups and stews taste better after the flavors have had a chance to meld. I think enchiladas taste better the next day, too.

These vegetable enchiladas from Martha Stewart are good, simple and quick. They have no meat, obvs, but adding some chicken would work, too. And if you don't eat them all the first night, just add a little broth to the pan, cover and reheat for about 15 minutes. Muy bunea.

Vegetable Enchiladas
marthastewart.com
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking dishes
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cups grated pepper Jack cheese (12 ounces)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 box (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 box (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
16 corn tortillas (6-inch)

Directions
Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, flour, and tomato paste; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Make filling: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups cheese, beans, spinach, corn, scallion whites, and remaining 1 teaspoon cumin; season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil two 8-inch square baking dishes; set aside. Stack tortillas, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute. Or stack and wrap in aluminum foil, and heat in oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Top each tortilla with a heaping 1/3 cup of filling; roll up tightly and arrange, seam side down, in prepared baking dishes.
Dividing evenly, sprinkle enchiladas with remaining 1 cup cheese, and top with sauce. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; serve garnished with scallion greens.

Happy birthday!

2008-12-11T01:55:00.006-05:00

That's what Frosty always says when he 'come to life,' but he means 'Merry Christmas.' I haven't seen Frosty the Snowman in years. Working nights sucks for TV viewing. I'll either see that something has aired two days prior, or I'll see that it's airing that night and I didn't set my DVR. I'm debating downloading it to my iPod, but how old am I?

I'm finally decorating the place for Christmas. I don't have a tree because cat + tree = disaster. I just don't want to deal with coming home one night and finding the entire tree on the floor. It will happen. I bought a floor lamp once. It lasted for 12 minutes. Lesson learned.

I don't know where I got so many damn snowmen. Or so many decorations for that matter. I guess living on my own for 9 years, I've collected a lot of stuff, but when I pulled down the big, red plastic bin from the closest today, I couldn't believe that I'd collected so many Christmas decorations. There are eight different items of snowmen. Where did they all come from? I didn't even realize I liked snowmen that much until I rounded them all up.

I have a couple Christmas-decorating rituals. A) Make a peppermint martini and b) turn on Christmas music. This really is the best way to decorate.
Also, if I offend you, sorry, but I wait until December to decorate. I know there are people who decorate the day after Thanksgiving and (gasp!) even before, but I wait. Why? Because that's what we did growing up, so that's what I do now. It works for me.

So back to the martini and Christmas music. Since iTunes has entered my life, I have all my Christmas CDs under one playlist entitled Christmas! I put it on shuffle and it plays for a couple hours. My favorite CD actually is a couple years old, but I really enjoy it. It's Chris Isaak "Christmas." It's a lot of fun. Others include: Christ Botti, Diana Krall and Harry Connick, Jr. I highly recommend the Isaak CD.
Martini: Be warned: this will get you drunk. I always try to serve it to people because it's good and it will get that person flat out drunk, which is fun.
So I'm decorating and making cookie dough and not shopping. I'm a last-minute person.

Peppermint Martini
2 parts vodka
1 part (white) Creme de Menthe
1 part Peppermint Schnapps
mini candy cane

Pour ingredients first 3 ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into chilled martini glass. Add a candy cane in each glass for garnish.

No soup for you!

2008-12-08T13:53:00.006-05:00

Even when I mean to write up a proper post, it doesn't work for me. I was going to take a picture of the Spicy Mulligatawny I made and realized I forget my camera. Ugh. So there's that. I will say that this soup is fantastic. It's so easy to make and it cooks up in no time. It's delicious, spicy, warm and full of flavor. I would even suggest doubling the recipe (this made enough for three servings. The original recipe says four, but that would be a small four) because you will gobble this up. Remember the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld? Mulligatawny was Kramer's favorite.

Also, I'm making a batch or oatmeal raisin cookie dough today. I've posted the recipe before, but since it's such a good, easy and universal recipe, I thought I'd link to it again. They're not called vanishing oatmeal raisin cookies for nothing. The only thing I'm doing differently is adding dried cranberries instead of raisins: Everyone seems to love the Craisin cookies.

So since I don't have a picture of the stew or the cookies, here's a leftover picture from Thanksgiving. I made lunch: turkey tenderloin stuffed with cornbread stuffing, roasted sweet potatoes with cinnamon and roasted asparagus with Parmesan.

Made of fail

2008-12-07T16:02:00.002-05:00

I'm quite aware that I suck. There hasn't been a new post in almost a month. That's just not right. So I'll be back later tonight with a nice, spicy soup that I hope you'll enjoy. In the meantime, to anyone who is still reading, thanks for checking back in! I swear, I'll try and get better about updating.

Archives: Leek and potato soup

2008-11-16T18:35:00.002-05:00

Golden Potato-Leek Soup

Have you made this yet? It's so easy and quick and warm and filling and good. I make it without the cream, and it's still fantastic. Make it. Now. Do it.

Polenta pound cake

2008-11-03T21:52:00.005-05:00

OK. This will be the last polenta recipe this year. Maybe. I can't be sure.

This cake is fantastic. I gave it as a gift and forgot to take a picture. Sorry. But you should totally make it. It's sweet with a little crunch and full of lemon and almond flavor. I just love it. It tastes even better Day 2 after the flavors have had a bit to settle. If I had to change one thing, I would maybe use less sugar next time, maybe 1/2 to 3/4 cups, but that's it. And I didn't make the syrup, but I'm sure it's good, too.

Polenta and shrimp

2008-10-29T15:48:00.005-04:00

I think I've mentioned my love of polenta before on this site. It's just so corny and cheesy and creamy and warm and delicious. Yum!
One of my favorite restaurants makes a shrimp and grits dish this is so good it almost takes your breath away. Well, here's my quick, bastard version of that dish with polenta instead of traditional grits (although, I love grits, too).

Polenta* and shrimp

Polenta:
6 cups water
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup milk
Handful of cheese (I used Cheddar)
Shrimp:
Olive oil
Half pound of shirmp
1 slice of (turkey) bacon, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
Hot sauce or red pepper flakes
Chicken broth
salt, pepper

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 1 3/4 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, you can switch to a wooden spoon for easier stirring. Add the milk and cheese and stir.

Add olive oil and bacon to a pan. Cook until almost done. Add garlic. Cook 1 minute. Add shrimp, hot sauce or pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Cook until the shrimp are no longer pink. Deglaze the pan with bit of chicken stock. I'd say 1/4 cup or less. Serve shrimp on top of polenta.

*This makes a ton of polenta. Feel free to cut the amounts in half

Anelletti Pasta with Sausage and Greens

2008-10-22T15:29:00.005-04:00

This is my new go-to meal when I'm starving and need something to eat NOW that also tastes really good. I've made it twice in the last two weeks. If you don't have Anelletti Pasta (it's at Trader Joe's) that fine. Last week I used Orecchiette and they worked just as well. I used a sun-dried tomato chicken sausage, also from Trader Joe's, but use any kind of sausage you like.

Anelletti Pasta with Sausage and Greens

Going to the chapel of love

2008-10-18T13:56:00.003-04:00

No, I didn't get married. Jeez.

I've been on vacation and for part of that time I was in Las Vegas where friends of mine got their vows renewed for the 10th anniversary.

I cooked a couple of things before going and will cook some more while back (still have a couple of days off work), but I haven't taken pictures or stored recipes or anything: I've relaxed.

So I hope you're still out there, in the world, checking the blog. I'll post an actual recipe next week, I promise.

Asian chicken soup

2008-09-29T14:05:00.004-04:00

This recipe is, like, 10 cobbled together. The great thing about it is you can add whatever you want or have on hand and it will be delicious. I'm a big ginger fan, so I always add lots of it. You can poach the chicken yourself or just shred a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket. I used watercress, but spinach would work just as well. Baby bok choy would probably be really good, too. Again, use what you have and what you like and you won't be disappointed.

Asian chicken soup
3 cans chicken broth
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced lenghtwise
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons Asian hot chili sauce
1 tablespoon ginger, minched
3 cups diced poached chicken
1 bunch watercress, stems trimmed
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Bring broth, bell pepper, carrot, soy sauce, chili sauce and ginger to a simmer; cook until peppers are crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.
Add chicken and watercress; cook 1 minute. Ladle into bowls, and top with scallions and cilantro.

Curried Chicken Salad

2008-09-22T16:02:00.004-04:00

Curried Chicken Salad

Corn fritters

2008-09-14T12:56:00.004-04:00

I'm excited that fall is on the way. Summer is great and all, but fall is where I shine. Pretty colors outside. Warm, toasty things baking inside. A slight chill to the air. Nothing beats it. You can keep your humidity and pollen; I'll take pretty leaves and chilly nights.

That being said, I will miss fresh corn. I think I've mentioned it before, but corn is one of my favorite things about summer and one of my favorite foods in general. I almost always just eat it straight off the cob with butter, salt and pepper, but sometimes I like to shake things up and actually use it for something else. Enter these Spicy Corn Fritters from Simply Recipes.

I've tried a few of Elise's recipes before, and they've never failed me. I decided to tweak her fritter recipe a bit and make them without the spices because I just wanted a plain fritter where the corn was the star. While they were fine, they were about 1,000 times better when I followed her recipe and added the spices. I should have known, but hey, that's what cooking is right: experimenting. These are so freaking good. I ate four without even realizing it and had to make myself stop. Then JLW came home and ate the other six. I got 10 out of the recipe, but I made them a bit bigger than Elise: I used a little less than 1/4 a cup of batter for each fritter. I didn't make the dipping sauce and added some salt and pepper to the fritter batter.

The Omnivore’s Hundred

2008-09-07T17:45:00.010-04:00

I just found this online (actually, I saw it some time ago, but totally overlooked it) and have decided to play along.

The Omnivore’s Hundred

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

There's a vegetarian version here and even a vegan version here. I may try the vegetarian one one next. I have a feeling I'll bold more on that list.

Cormeal cookies with lemon and rosemary

2008-08-29T14:29:00.004-04:00

I'm a gripper. I can't just hold something, I grip it. I grip the steering wheel. I grip the hair dryer. I grip my toothbrush. I grip my fork. I don't know why I grip, but I do. At the dentist, I'm sitting there with my jaw all tight and the dentist is like, "Dude, relax." I'm getting my nails done and the manicurist is like, "Lady, relax your fingers." And it's not as if I'm stressed out or anything. I can't explain it. I've tried to stop, but it does no good: it's my default.

What does this have to do with cookies? Absolutely nothing. I just felt like sharing.

So these cookies are great. Some people have a hard time bridging the savory/sweet gap, but it's a really easy, tasty thing to do. I love rosemary. Love it. I love how just a little of it perfumes everything it comes in contact with. And I love these cookies. They're not overly sweet so you don't feel bad for eating four at a time. The cornmeal gives them a nice, crumbly texture and the hint of lemon is just perfect with the rosemary.

Lemon-Rosemary Cornmeal Cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemarY
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
Juice of half the lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, lemon zest, rosemary and salt.
2. In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, egg and lemon juice until combined. Gradually add dry ingredients until moistened.
3. Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 1/2 tablespoons; place on 2 baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. With fingers, flatten balls to 3/4-inch thickness.
4. Bake until lightly browned around edges, 20 to 25 minutes; transfer to racks to cool completely. Cookies keep 3 to 5 days in an airtight container.