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.

Share and share alike

2008-08-25T22:16:00.003-04:00

Do you share recipes?

I always do. Of course, there are some recipes that I love and would love to take credit for and get all the praise for, but they're not mine. Therefore, if someone asks, I'll share.

However, there are those people who are all, "It's a secret."

Whatever.

I mean, again, I understand wanting to be the star of the show and wanting to enjoy the praise when all your friends and family go "Ooooh" and "Ahhh," but for me, food is meant to be shared and enjoyed and a recipe should be passed on to anyone who will have it so that it can be enjoyed for years and years to come.

So tell me, do you share recipes?

Pizza topper

2008-08-21T23:03:00.002-04:00

Why did I not know this is a thing?
Maybe it's because I hate ranch dressing, but 'Ew.'

Facing your fears

2008-08-13T12:20:00.007-04:00

Is there any ingredient that you're afraid to cook with? Mine is yeast. I just have this notion that it's very temperamental and fussy to work with, so I avoid it at all costs. It kills me that I'm missing out on fresh baked breads and cinnamon rolls. I've had a hankerin' for cinnamon rolls lately, I tell you what. I really want to make some, but my fear of yeast is stopping me. I decided to make a bastard version today using puff pastry and while very, very good (I ate half of them while typing this up. In 5 minutes. I'm going for a walk.), it's not the traditional, made-from-scratch roll that I want to make.

I will conquer my fear. Soon. Hopefully.

So tell me, is there anything that you're afraid to make/have trouble making?

Easy cinnamon rolls
1 sheet puff pastry
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray or butter a muffin pan. Thaw the puff pastry for about 10 minutes on the counter. Roll it out little with a rolling pin and cover with cinnamon sugar mix, saving about a teaspoon. Roll into a log and slice into six pieces. Place cut side down into muffins tins and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Icing
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 + 1/4 teaspoons of milk

Whisk together and pour over rolls

Blueberries part 2

2008-08-11T15:15:00.004-04:00

The pictures of my buckle look like hell, so there you have it. But the buckle was perfect. It's basically a blueberry coffeecake. Very moist, not too sweet, great blueberry flavor. The streusel topping is very good, too, but when is streusel bad?
I got the recipe from simplyrecipes. It's one of my favorite sites. I didn't change a thing except I baked it in a square pan instead of round. It's perfect. Check it out.

I also grilled some shrimp and zucchini. I marinated the shrimp in soy sauce, chili oil, ginger, lime juice and rice wine vinegar for about half and hour and then threw them on the grill with sliced zucchini brushed with olive oil, salt and pepper. Very quick, very easy, very good.

Blueberries part 1

2008-08-07T18:53:00.003-04:00

I always forget that I actually like blueberries. I never crave them and hardly ever buy them, but then I'll have something with blueberries and go, "Actually, I do like them." So I bought some at the store today. I'm pretty sure I'm going to make a buckle, but I'm still online looking at various recipes and came across this one. It sounds fantastic, so I'm passing it along.

Tony's Breakfast Couscous

Be back soon with the buckle!

My official drinks of summer

2008-07-30T22:52:00.003-04:00

Sangria and Mojitos are the definition of summer drinking, in my opinion. As soon as it's even remotely hot outside, I'm pulling out this sangria recipe and making a pitcher to drink. By myself.

As far as I'm concerned, Bobby Flay's recipe is perfect. It's the only one I use. It seems like a lot of alcohol, and, hell, it probably is, but who cares?

Depending on what's on hand, I may mix up the fruits or use a blueberry/pomegranate juice blend. Sometimes, I add a splash of seltzer water or club soda just before drinking. Also, I usually halve the recipe. If all this sangria were sitting in my house, I would feel the need to drink it all. And that probably wouldn't be the best idea.

I would post a picture, but I drank it all.

Swiss Chard and Potato Enchiladas

2008-07-22T13:39:00.003-04:00

I went to the farm market the other day to get zucchini and potatoes and passed a booth with big, fresh bags of swiss chard. Chard isn't something that I crave, but I couldn't resist grabbing a bag. It was so pretty! Of course, I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but that's what the Internets are for. So I got home, went to Food Network and came across Swiss Chard and Potato Enchiladas.

All I can say is, "Yum!" These are so good. The swiss chard, potato and cheese mixture I could have just eaten out of the pan, but I held myself back and made the complete recipe. The Tomatillo Salsa is excellent. If you make this recipe and think about skipping the salsa and using a jarred one, just trust me and make it. It's so quick and so easy and it tastes so good.

If you can't find or don't like Swiss Chard, you can use spinach. But give the chard a chance. It's good and good for you.

Swiss Chard and Potato Enchiladas

Enchiladas:
1/2 pound Swiss chard (stems and leaves), rinsed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus as needed
1 teaspoons kosher salt
6 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Fresh ground pepper
4 ounces cojito cheese, crumbled, divided (I used Monterey Jack)
8 corn tortillas

Tomatillo Salsa:
8 tomatillos (about 12 ounces), husked and well rinsed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 jalapeno chile (with seeds)
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

Serving suggestions: sour cream
To make the enchiladas filling: Strip the leaves from the stems of the Swiss chard, and chop the leaves and coarsely slice the stems; and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the 2 tablespoons oil. Add the potatoes and cook until golden brown and tender, about 8 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and pepper, to taste. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the Swiss chard stems, cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the leaves, and remaining salt and pepper, cover, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a strainer over a medium bowl, drain off any excess liquid, and cool. Combine the potatoes with 1/2 cup of the cheese and the Swiss chard mixture, and set aside.

To make the salsa: Put the tomatillos in a medium saucepan and cover with water by about an inch. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until tender, about 7 minutes.

In a blender, combine the onions, garlic, jalapeno, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and puree until smooth. Using a slotted spoon transfer the tomatillos to the blender, along with about 1/4-cup of the cooking liquid, puree until smooth. Add the coriander and blend briefly.

To assemble the enchiladas: Pour enough vegetables oil into a skillet so it is about a 1/4 deep, and heat over high heat. Fry the tortillas one at a time, until they are soften, about 5 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour about a cup of the tomatillo salsa into the bottom of 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Put 2 heaping tablespoon of the Swiss chard mixture in the center each tortilla and roll them up. Place the tortillas, seams side down, on the sauce laying the enchiladas snuggly next to one other. Spoon the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is softened, about 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream on top, if desired.

Couscous salad with Curry Vinaigrette

2008-07-18T12:53:00.004-04:00

It's hot. This is quick, easy and very very good. The Curry Vinaigrette is from Giada. The salad is a mix of vegetables I got from the farm market.

I made this and had some and while good, something was missing. I added a cup of golden raisins and that made all the difference. If you don't have golden, use regular ones, or even dried cranberries or apricots, but add some kind of dried fruit: the sweetness really brings out the other flavors.

This really is a 'use what you have' recipe so feel free to make variations. But try the Curry Vinaigrette. It is really fantastic.

Couscous Salad with Curry Vinaigrette
1 cup couscous
1 can garbanzo beans (drained)
1 cup golden raisins (or regular raisins. Pour hot water over and let them sit for about 5 minutes them to fluff them up)

Add whatever vegetables you want. Here's what I did:
Half a red pepper, chopped
Half a green pepper, chopped
Half a yellow pepper, chopped
Half a zucchini, peeled and chopped
Half a cucumber, peeled seeded and chopped
3 scallions (green onions) chopped

Curry Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Cook the couscous in one cup of boiling water. Let sit, covered for 5 minutes. Mix everything together and enjoy. It tastes even better the longer it sits in the fridge.

I don't like you

2008-07-15T00:58:00.005-04:00

I was looking at blogs tonight. Since it's summer and hot almost everywhere, mostly everyone is cooking light and making a lot of salads. I've seen a lot of Arugula. I hate Arugula. OK, hate is a strong word. I can tolerate it if it's in a mix, but just Arugula on it's own? Yuck. But people seem to love the stuff.

So it got me thinking: what food do you strongly dislike?

Look at the cute necklace I got this weekend. It's an R!

Cocoa brownies

2008-07-01T11:37:00.008-04:00

Who doesn't like a brownie?

The problem (or the good thing - It depends on if you're a glass half-full type of person) is that many people like brownies, therefore there are millions of brownie recipes from which to choose. And then there's the whole cakey/fudgey debate. And the whole nuts/no nuts debate.

I like a combination of cakey and fudgey, leaning more towards fudge than cake, but, really, right down the middle is perfect for me. And no nuts. I mean, if they're there, I'll eat them, but I think the perfect brownie is just chocolate goodness.

This is not the perfect brownie, but it is good. I found my go-to recipe last year, but I'm always willing to try something new. This is a very dense, chocolatey brownie. That first bite kind of takes you aback. It also could have something to do with the espresso powder I added at the last minute. It really gives it that extra something.

So not my favorite brownie of all time, but since I've eaten one for breakfast for the past 4 days, not that bad either.

Cocoa brownies
Adapted from Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate

1 1/4 sticks butter (this really could be cut down to one stick)
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons cocoa
1/7 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Melt and slightly cool the butter. Add sugar, cocoa and salt. Stir in vanilla. Add 1 egg at a time. Add espresso powder. Add flour slowly. Stir 40 times (I know. But trust me). Bake for 20-25 minutes.* Let cool, cut and serve.

*Yeah, I had to bake my brownies for, like, 40 minutes. I checked at 20 and they were nowhere near done. So ... check at 20 minutes and go from there.

Double chocolate mint cookies

2008-06-26T12:36:00.005-04:00

You know a cookies is good when you hear people talking about it behind your back. I even heard someone say they're better than his wife's cookies, and she's the cookie queen.

I'm not a big chocolate and mint person. I don't hate the combo, it's just never something that I seek out. I know people who save Thin Mints in their freezer to eat throughout the year. If I never ate another Thin Mint in my life, I wouldn't miss it. So I was going to bake these cookies with the mint, but then my friend Lisa baked a similar batch and said she got rave reviews, so I decided to forge ahead.

They are really good cookies. They have a crunch on the outside and they're chewy on the inside. There's just enough mint so that when you bite into it, you know what you're getting, but not so much as to be overwhelming. Actually, they taste like a chewy Thin Mint, but with better chocolate.

I think they'd be great as ice cream sandwiches. I'll have to try that later this summer.

Double Chocolate Mint cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped*
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped*
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
Melt chocolates with the butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir to combine until all the chocolate is melted. Let cool slightly.

Beat the chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, vanilla and peppermint in the bowl of an electric mixer or a handheld mixer. Mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill for 45 minutes or more.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. If you don't have a small scoop, just make sure they're roughly the size of a golf ball. Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces crack, about 9 minutes. Let cool on parchment on wire racks.

*You can use whatever kind of chocolate you like in these cookies and I think they'd still turn out excellent. I had semisweet chips and a bar of 71% dark bittersweet chocolate here, so that's what I used.

Blog roundup

2008-06-11T23:20:00.004-04:00

I've eaten out waaaaay too much recently. So for the remainder of this week, I'm cooking and eating at home. My body will thank me for it.

Here are some recipes I'm dying to try:

Double Chocolate Cookies: Martha Stewart's Double Chocolate Cookies. I've been obsessed with these for two weeks now, but haven't baked them because I'm TRYING to get back on a healthier eating kick. But once something sets in, I have a hard time ignoring the urge, so you'll probably see these on the blog soon.

Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake: Slow Like Honey: Do you love polenta? I LOVE polenta. Just thinking about polenta makes me all warm and happy. I like my polenta creamy and full of cheese. The baked squares are OK, but warm and creamy and cheesy gets me every time. Then there's cake. Cake! I make a rosemary, cornmeal cookie that is always a hit, so why not a cake? This one looks perfect. I'd likely use raisins, too, since I'm not a fig fan.

Mojitos: The Recipe Girl: Summer means four things to me. 1) Cherries 2) Corn 3) Sangria and 4) Mojitos. Here's a different take on the classic. Warning: If you don't like basil, skip this one.
Jasper likes corn, too.

Black bean salad: 1 tsp love: I'll be making a version of this tomorrow. It's one of those throw-everything-into-a-bowl kind of recipes.

Cherry Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips: simplyrecipes: This ice cream had me looking up ice cream makers on Amazon today. The Cuisinart is, like, $40. Just what I need: one more appliance. But it would be worth it just to eat this ice cream.

Palmiers

2008-05-26T13:52:00.006-04:00

I needed to take something to work and I only had a half a stick of butter and I didn't feel like mixing and baking all day.

Viola. Puff pastry.

I got these sheets of puff pastry at Trader Joe's about a month ago. I figured they'd come in handy for something and they did.

Palmiers are super quick and super easy to make and they can be sweet or savory (think sun-dried tomatoes and/or pesto). I decided to go with the standard cinnamon/sugar filling.

Baking the first batch, I found that the key to making sure they have the right shape is to make sure the middle parts and sorta 'pinched' together. Otherwise, they'll come apart.

Still, if that's the worst thing that happens, you're not doing too bad.

Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers

1 sheet of puff pastry
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Let the puff pastry sit on the counter for about 10 minutes or in the fridge for about half an hour.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle sugar over your counter or cutting board. Roll out the puff pastry to about 10 by 12 inches. Sprinkle another the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough.
Roll up the left side inward, stopping in the middle. Roll up the right side of the dough. The two rolls should be meeting at the middle and touching. Press the two sides together gently and let the dough chill in the fridge for at least half an hour or in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Cut off pieces of the log, in slices about 1/2 inch in thickness. Pinch and press the sides of the two rolls together to make sure they don't unroll during baking. Place on parchment lined baking sheets. They'll spread a bit, so leave room between each cookie.
Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly brown. Cool on a wire rack immediately and serve.

Chickpea salad ... of sorts

2008-05-23T00:14:00.006-04:00

Do you like egg/tuna/chicken salad? If so, you'll like this recipe. If not, boo for you.

Edited to add: This is from another blog.

It's pretty easy and uncomplicated, and is very open to interpretation. I've made it three times in the past two weeks. It's good as a sandwich, it's good on crackers, it's good as a dip, it would probably be good on a lettuce leaf of with a firm avocado: it's just good.

And legumes are good, y'all. You should be eating more.

Chickpea salad

1 can of chickpeas
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 an onion, chopped
1/4 cup sweet relish
2 tablespoons of mayo
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt*
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor or blender (or mash them with a fork) until mashed, but still have some texture.
Add the other seven ingredients, mix well and adjust to taste.

*Yes, I use a lot of Greek yogurt. I love the stuff. If you don't have it, just drain some regular plain yogurt until all the liquid is gone. Or use all mayo.

Coffee cake

2008-05-21T15:23:00.004-04:00

I started thinking about coffee cake three days ago, and, of course, I became obsessed and had to make one. After looking at a bazillion recipes, I settled on this one. I'm happy with it, but it won't be my go-to recipe. But don't think that makes it bad: it's really good, I'm just looking for something with a little more 'punch.'
(As always, my changes in ital)

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
use real butter

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream (1 cup Greek-style yogurt)
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix the streusel ingredients well and set aside. Cake: Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in sour cream. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and add to the wet mix. Beat until just combined. Spread half of the batter into a greased and floured pan. Sprinkle 3/4 of the streusel mix over the batter and then pour the rest of the batter into the pan. Top the cake with the remaining streusel. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs.

I also made a powdered sugar glaze to pour on top. Whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar and about 3 tablespoons of milk.

Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad

2008-05-15T20:18:00.003-04:00

I'm lately obsessed with noodle bowls. It started when I went to a friend's last year for dinner and she made this sort of Asian chicken soup with shrimp and lime and shoots and all kinds of add ins. I ate the whole damn bowl and I was so stuffed that it was hard to drive home. It was sooooo good. I've asked her to make it for me again and the one night she could, I had to work or some dumb shit like that. I also had a great bowl of a similar soup last year in Vegas. I can't remember the restaurant (I know!), but it was great.

So as soon as I saw this recipe for Thai Chicken Noodle Salad in Everyday Food, I had to try it.

I like Everyday Food because it's accessible. Just about all the recipes call for ingredients that one (well, someone who cooks often) would have in their pantry. The recipes are fairly easy and I haven't been disappointed with one yet.

So back to the Noodle Salad: yum! It really hit the spot. I don't know how to describe it but to say that if you like Asian flavors, you'll like this. Be sure to use a few of the suggested garnishes. I used extra scallions and chopped peanuts because that's what I had, with extra lime juice squirted as a finish. I'm thinking cilantro would be good, too. The marinade is great, and it can be used for more than this recipe. I'm thinking grilled chicken this summer.

Sorry I didn't get to take a picture. It was basically finished in one sitting, although not all by me this time.

Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad
Everyday Food
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced crosswise (I used boneless, skinless thighs)
Spicy Asian Dressing*
Coarse salt
3 1/2 ounces Chinese rice noodles, broken in half if long
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
2 carrots, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (I used a 'regular' one with the insides scooped out)
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
Bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, fresh mint leaves, red-pepper flakes, and sliced scallion greens, for garnish (optional)

1. Place chicken and half of dressing in a resealable plastic bag (reserve remaining dressing). Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight).
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until tender. Drain, and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer to a platter.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Working in batches, cook chicken (do not crowd skillet) until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to platter on top of noodles.
4. Top with carrots, cucumber and basil. Drizzle with reserved dressing, and sprinkle with garnishes, if desired.

Spicy Asian Dressing
4 thinly sliced scallion whites
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 minced canned anchovy, this is what I used)
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Lemon poundcake for mom

2008-05-09T13:31:00.006-04:00

Every year for the past, I don't know, five years or so, all my mom has wanted for Mother's Day is a lemon poundcake. I don't know what brought it on, but that's what she wants, so that's what I make.

Over those years, every year, I've tried a different recipe. She's never complained. She also doesn't share. Like, not even with my grandma (her mom) or my aunt (her sister) and she and my aunt and connected at the hip. But the poundcake is all hers and she eats that thing in a week.

I'm glad I can do something that she enjoys so much.

My mom and I, like all moms and daughters, have our moments. Sometimes she drives me nuts, as I'm sure I drive her, but I love her beyond words. My mom was young when she had me and like most young moms, I know she was overwhelmed. Given the odds stacked against her, I'm proud to say she did a damn good job raising me. She has always believed in me and encouraged me to do any and everything; even if it was something outside her own comfort zone. She always told me and still tells me she loves me. She always told me that she's proud of me and that I could do anything in the world. I think that's the greatest gift my mom gave me: no limits. She never made me think that I couldn't achieve anything. She never made me feel like I wasn't good enough. For those of you with daughters, remember that.

She's a great mom and I know I don't tell that often enough. And she doesn't have a damn computer, so I can't send her this link. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to be a girl and tell her. Or write it on her card.

(P.S. I think I found the perfect recipe this year. It's so light and airy, and full of lemon flavor. I'm not sharing: it's just for me and my mom.)

How many cookbooks is too many cookbooks?

2008-05-08T12:53:00.008-04:00

54 cooksbooks
36 Everyday Food magazines
A subscription to Bon Appetit
10 miscellaneous cooking magazines
A binder full of printouts and pages
An e-mail folder with 138 recipes
A bookmarks folder of link to other 32 food blogs and counting
A DVR full of cooking shows (America's Test Kitchen, Everyday Food ...)

I finally got around to (this took me about 2 weeks) going through all my old Cooking Light magazines and tearing out the recipes I'll actually make. Those made it to the binder, too. I have no idea how many recipes are in there, and I'm not counting them, but here's a picture:

Yeah.

Obviously, I haven't cooked something from each of these books and/or magazines. And I'm OK with that. Well, sometimes I'm all, "This week, I'm making one new recipe a day," but it never happens. Remember 54 weeks of baking? Didn't happen. But I love looking through the books and magazines and reading other blogs and watching cooking shows and getting ideas.

Food porn, indeed.

Carrot cake

2008-05-05T00:55:00.004-04:00

I have surprisingly little to say about this Carrot and Pineapple Cake except it's damn tasty. It's chunky and moist and full of flavor.
Bake it or pass the recipe along and maybe someone will bake it for you.

Carrot and Pineapple Cake
Ina Garten: The Barefoot Contessa

For the cake:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I used large eggs)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 pound carrots, grated
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple (I used canned)

For the frosting:
3/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature (I used 1/3 less fat)
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted

For the decoration:
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

For the cake:
Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light yellow. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, the cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Fold in the carrots and pineapple. Add to the batter and mix well.

Divide the batter equally between the 2 pans. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set over a wire rack.

For the frosting:
Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until just combined. Add the sugar and mix until smooth.

Place 1 layer, flat-side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with diced pineapple.

Moroccan-style chicken breasts

2008-04-28T17:28:00.003-04:00

Still no camera, although FedEx was at my house today while I was off getting a (late birthday) massage. So soon. Yea!

This sounds yummy, don't you think?

Moroccan-style chicken breasts
By Jim Romanoff
For The Associated Press

1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, cilantro, oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
Place the chicken in a shallow dish and spread with half of the yogurt mixture; turn the chicken over and spread with the remaining yogurt mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 10 hours.
Preheat a gas grill to high or prepare a charcoal fire. Grill the chicken until it is cooked through and no longer pink at the center, about 5 minutes per side.

Storage tips

2008-04-15T20:52:00.003-04:00

My camera is on the fritz. Grr. I sent it in today, so it should be back to me in about a year. Hopefully, I'll get in back in 7-10 business days, but you never know. So no pictures until I get it back.

So I thought I'd give some tips on how to store various items.

Nuts: Store nuts in the freezer to keep them fresher for longer. You can eat them right out of the freezer, but if you want to 'wake up' the flavor, just toast them quickly in a hot skillet, just until they release their aromas. Or just leave them on the counter for about half an hour.

Oil: Keep oils that you don't use daily (nut oils like sesame oil) in the refrigerator. They may become a little cloudy, but just put it on the counter for about half an hour before you want to use it.

Flour: Keep flours in a cool, dark place. Store wheat flour tightly sealed in the refrigerator or freezer.

Cheese: Cheese is best stored in the refrigerator in the vegetable compartment. Once you take it out of the original plastic, wrap it in aluminum foil or waxed paper (the best). After you use the cheese, the best way to keep it fresh is to rewrap it in new foil or waxed paper.

Herbs: Herbs are tricky and I'm always learning better storage techniques. People also have different techniques, so keep that in mind. The best way I've found is to store them in a glass jar with water. Snip the ends, put in the jar and either put in the fridge, loosely covered with plastic wrap or a plastic baggie, or on the countertop. You may need to change the water every few days. Here are some common ones.
Basil is best stored on the countertop
Rosemary is best stored on the countertop
Mint is best stored on the countertop
Cilantro is best stored in the fridge in plastic wrap
Parsely is best stored in the fridge in plastic wrap
You also can chop and freeze all of these. You'll lose some of the texture, but it's good for throwing in a dish a minute or two before it's done cooking. You can store asparagus this way, too. Fill a glass halfway with water, cut the ends off the asparagus and place them in the glass in the fridge. They'll last for awhile.

The best way to use leftover basil? Pesto, of course. Some of my friends hate pesto. I don't understand these people. I love it ever so much. And if you've never had it fresh, you just don't know what you're missing. The tubs from the supermarket are fine, but once you make a batch of it, you won't ever want to be without.

Keep your vodka is the freezer. Who wants warm vodka?

Basil pesto
(based on numerous recipes)

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1-2 cloves of garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano

Into the bowl of a food processor, add the basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse until finely chopped. With the blender still running, slowly pour 1/2 cup of olive oil. Check for a thick, yet smooth consistency. Add more oil if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan-Reggiano.

Parmesan Chicken

2008-04-11T02:03:00.007-04:00

I have a love hate relationship with chicken. There are times when I can eat it with no problem and there are other times when I ... can't. I have meat issues, I admit it. For the past few months, I've been back on chicken. Back up to summer of last year, and I wouldn't go near it. What changed? I really don't know. My body was craving protein, maybe? I honestly don't know. One day I can eat and cook it with no problems, the next day, I may be able to eat it but not cook it and another day, I won't go near it.

I'm weird.

Anyway, this recipe for Parmesan Chicken is from Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa. It's quick and simple and very, very tasty. It's one of those things you can easily make when you don't have a lot of time to make something elaborate, but you still want to eat something good. I took liberties with the recipe because I used what I had on hand, so I'm going to give you my recipe and link to hers.

The 3 bean-salad also is something I made with ingredients I had on hand. There are millions of variations on the bean-salad recipe, I just used this one because it's quick, simple and, again, it's what I had.

Parmesan Chicken
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1/2 cup allpurpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large eggs
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
olive oil

Pound the chicken tenders until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Season on both sides with salt and pepper

Combine the flour and Italian seasoning on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the egg. On a third plate, combine the panko crumbs and Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken tenders on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.

3 Bean Salad
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of chickpeas (garbonzos)
1 can of green beans
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup sugar
salt and pepper and 1/8-1/4 cup of cayenne pepper

Rinse and drain all the beans and put into a large bowl. Add the chopped onion. Mix the vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and peppers. Add to beans and let sit for at least half an hour in the fridge. This tastes better the longer it sits.

Pea soup

2008-04-08T19:02:00.005-04:00

I don't have a picture for this Pea and Basil Soup because I made it for Easter and today is April 8. Oh, well. It's yummy and you should make it. Now. It seems simple and even a little boring, but trust me, it is very, very good. Lick the bowl good. I made a few modifications, because, well, 2 cups of cream is a little ridiculous.

(Above picture: It finally feels like spring, so I was out this weekend enjoying the weather before the temperature drops again it starts raining for the next 150 (slight exaggeration) days straight)

Pea and Basil Soup
Everyday Italian

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds (about 4 1/2 cups) frozen peas
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cups chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup fat-free half and half

Place a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, butter, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and basil, and heat until the peas are thawed. (About 5 minutes)

Place the pea mixture in a blender. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and pulse until pureed, adding more broth, if necessary, to puree. Return the pureed mixture to the pot. Stir in the remaining chicken broth and half and half. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until hot, but not boiling.

Apple muffins

2008-04-07T15:19:00.006-04:00

I bake a lot of muffins, I know. Here's the thing: I'm not a breakfast person. That's not to say that I don't enjoy sitting down to a nice stack of pancakes and some home fries, because I do. But on a typical day, I just ... don't. I'm an eat-breakfast-on-the-go type of person. So if there's not something around that I can quickly grab and munch on, I generally won't eat. And that's not a good thing. Therefore, breakfast for me is usually toast, a muffin, or, if I feel like taking 5 minutes to sit down, yogurt with granola or a bowl of cereal.

But really, what could be easier and tastier than a muffin? This recipe for Apple Muffins is from Ellie Krieger. The minute I saw her bake them, I knew it was only a matter of time before I whipped up a batch. The muffins are really good. Very moist and sweet and chewy. They also freeze well. Just take one out before bed and in the morning it's perfectly thawed. The only thing I changed was adding vinegar to skim milk, because I didn't have any buttermilk.

Apple Muffins
Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger

Cooking spray
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup natural applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-capacity muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, the pecans and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and oil until combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla.

Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the pecan mixture. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on the rack.

* I love whole wheat pastry flour. It has more fiber than all-purpose flour and it's not as heavy as regular whole wheat flour. It's perfect for making your baked goods a little bit healthier without making them so heavy and dense. Put in the fridge or freezer, and you can keep a box for a long time.

Cozy kitchen

2008-03-30T20:47:00.005-04:00

Yes, it's time for me to move. Yes, I need a bigger kitchen. I know, man. I know. It's a wonder I get anything done in there. But it's gotten me through many a dinner party and/or big dinner, so I shouldn't complain too much: I've had some good times in there.

I baked some Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Chip cookies, but didn't take pictures. It's this recipe, with a few modifications:
1. I didn't add raisins, I just added an additional cup of dried cranberries
2. I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
3. I added 1/2 cup to 1 cup of white chocolate chips.

Madeleines

2008-03-13T15:46:00.004-04:00

Don't talk on the phone while you're baking. Otherwise, you leave things in the oven too long. That's what happened with these Madeleines. If I had taken them out 2 minutes earlier, they would be a nice shade of butter yellow and perfect. But I was on the phone. And they cooked too long. And they're brown. But they're still damn good.

Madeleines are super easy to make as long as you have a good recipe and the proper pan. Luckily, I have both. Without those two things, you're going to run into all kinds of trouble. I made some last year with a different recipe, and they were just wrong. They fell in the middle and were still doughy. I don't know what the hell happened.

There are tons of recipes on other blogs going into great detail about baking Madeleines, but I'm just going to give you my go-to recipe. They're spongy with just a little sweetness. And I love the addition of almond extract. It just adds that little extra bit of sweetness that you don't get with vanilla extract. I love almond extract. I should use it more.

Tips: Get a good pan. I have one similar to this and it's perfect. It's supposed to conduct heat better than the nonstick pans. You could get nonstick or silicone, I suppose, but I don't get the big deal with silicone baking equipment. If you butter and flour and/or use parchment paper correctly, your food won't stick.
Make sure to generously butter your Madeleine tin with melted butter, getting it in all the grooves.
After buttering, flour the tin. Not all recipes call for this step, but I really think it helps. Just make sure you shake the pan over the sink or trash to get off the excess flour.

Honey Madeleines
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus melted butter for molds
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon pure almond or vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, being sure to not let the butter brown. Remove from heat, and stir in honey and almond extract (or vanilla extract). Let stand until room temperature. In a small bowl, whisk together, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula mix the eggs and sugars until combined. Fold in flour mixture, until just combined. Add the cooled butter mixture, and continue to fold until combined. Cover the bowl, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees; with rack in center. Brush madeleine molds with melted butter; set aside.
4. Fill each mold three-quarters full, using a spoon or a pastry bag. Do not overfill the molds. Bake until puffed, and the edges are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack until pan is just cool enough to handle. Invert onto wire rack and serve warm, if possible. If not serving warm, once the madeleines are cool, sift some confectioners' sugar over the seashell side.

I will bake

2008-03-06T22:49:00.003-05:00

I know, I know: the blog is called Ronni's Sweet Tooth. I'll bake this weekend. In the meantime ...

Smitten Kitchen: This coffee cake looks fantastic.

Cupcake Bakeshop: If you want a great basic vanilla cupcake recipe, look no further.

Cookie Madness: Yum! I've been thinking about cheesecakes lately, and these chocolate cheesecake squares are just feeding into it.

Under the High Chair: One of my favorite things to bake recently is anything with cornmeal, so these cornmeal cranberry muffins sound great.

101 Cookbooks: I'm not a very patient baker. These Reese's Cup Remix might make me change my ways.

Quinoa 'burgers'

2008-02-27T13:57:00.004-05:00

I eat my fair share of Boca Burgers. They're easy and quick when there's just no time to fix something noteworthy. And out of all the grocery store veggie burgers I've tried, I tend to like the Boca brand best. I've attempted to make veggie burgers, mostly bean burgers, before, but they always turn out wrong. They usually fall apart or they're tasteless. So I'd just given up and resigned myself to a life of Boca.

Well, God bless the folks at Everyday Food. They had a burger show on a couple of weeks ago and one of the recipes was for a Veggie Burger with Tahini Mayonnaise. I subscribe to Everyday Food and haven't been disappointed in a recipe yet, so I thought I'd give it a try.

It turned out really, really well. Lots of flavor and it's substantial and doesn't fall apart. I would think you could start with the basics of this recipe and add all kinds of flavors and spices to your liking. That's what I did. The recipe calls for bulgar, which I didn't have, so I used equal parts quinoa, which worked. I added a clove of minced garlic and about half a teaspoon of cumin. I also added the zest of half a lemon. I sauteed the garlic and beans for a few minutes and mashed them in the pan before adding to the quinoa mix. And I just pulsed one slice of sandwich bread in place of the dried breadcrumbs. Other than that, I kept the recipe the same :)

This is going to be my go-to veggie burger. You can double the recipe and cook and freeze them or even shape them and freeze them uncooked and cook them as needed. Just like a meat burger, remember to let them cook for a least 5 minutes before turning: they need to sear.

Nobody is going to confuse these for a meaty burger; they're just meant to be a good alternative for those who don't want a beef or turkey burger. I think they fit the bill.

Veggie Burger with Tahini Mayonnaise
Serves 4

1/2 cup medium-grind bulgur
1 can (14.5 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
4 hamburger buns, split and lightly grilled or toasted
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large egg
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 whole-wheat English muffins, toasted
Tahini Mayonnaise
Lettuce

1. In a medium bowl, mix bulgur with 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 cup boiling water. Cover bowl, and let sit until bulgur is tender (but still slightly chewy), about 30 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to remove liquid.
2. Place beans in a medium bowl; mash with a potato masher until a coarse paste forms. Add breadcrumbs, scallions, egg, carrot, cayenne, tahini, and bulgur. Season with salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Form mixture into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low. Cook patties until browned and firm, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Serve on English muffins with Tahini Mayonnaise and lettuce.

Tahini Mayonnaise
Makes 1/2 cup
1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup light mayonnaise, 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame-seed paste); season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

Take 2

2008-02-14T14:03:00.002-05:00

I hate when recipes don't work. Well, let me rephrase that, I hate when I can't make a recipe work. You think you're doing all the right things and you just end up with a mess.

I made falafel yesterday. And again today. Why you ask? Because I effed it up yesterday. I've made the recipe at least five times before, so there was no reason for me to mess it up. But mess it up I did. The good thing is that I learned a lesson or two, so that when I made the recipe again today, it turned out just fine.

So here are my tips:
1) Make sure your chickpeas are drained really well. Otherwise you end up with a wet mess and it's hard to form them into a ball and even harder for them to fry up with any kind of form. See. A mess.

2. Therefore, I advise forming them into balls and freezing them on a baking sheet, lined with parchment, for at least 2 hours. Trust me, It'll help.

Then fry those babies up. If you're not using a deep fryer, I highly recommend a nonstick pan. I think that also contributed to my problems. So follow those steps and you'll end up with some tasty falafel.

Here's Bittman's recipe. If I had looked for this recipe first, I probably wouldn't have had any problems. Oh, well: live and learn.

How sweet

2008-02-13T00:52:00.002-05:00

I make a lot of sweet breads. Why? Because I'm not a morning person. You know how some people get up, read the paper, make coffee, watch TV and take the time to make breakfast? I'm the opposite of those people. I get up approximately 21-33 minutes before leaving the house. I would much rather sleep than do any of those things mentioned before. Therefore, I need something quick to eat for breakfast that, ideally, can be eaten in the car.

Enter sweet breads and/or muffins. They are easy to bake, filling and most-importantly, can be eaten quickly and on the go.

Since I bake sweet breads and/or muffins quite often, I pretty much have the standard recipe down. Whether it's banana, pumpkin, cinnamon raisin or maple (my new favorite), the basic ingredients are the same. But there's always room to adjust. I always use a bit of applesauce to make a moister bread and cut out some fat. I also usually omit an egg and use the white instead. I like a lot of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg is always good. And if there are extra raisins, or chocolate chips or dried cranberries or pumpkin seeds lying around, I can throw some of those in, too.

So here's my recipe for pumpkin bread. It's a combination of a lot of recipes, and it's what I used today.

Dry ingredients:
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup to 1/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
generous pinch of salt
peeled pumpkin seeds

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl with a whisk and the wet ingredients in another with an mixture until incorporated. Add the dry to the wet and stir until just combined.

Spay the pan(s) with cooking spray and fill. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top. Bake for 30-45 minutes (start checking at 30) until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Fish tales

2008-02-12T21:50:00.003-05:00

Do strange occurrences ever happen to you?

For example, today I had to run (well, drive) to Trader Joe's to get cumin. Of course, I can never leave that store without buying at least 5 more things than intended. As I was driving, I was thinking, "I really want some tilapia," but I haven't bought any in months because all of Trader Joe's frozen tilapia has come from China. I used to buy it at least twice a month, but since hearing about/reading numerous reports about contamination (I would link to it, but you know how to use Google), I've gone cold turkey.

So I'm there today looking at the frozen fish. After reading all the labels, I end up getting some sole from the U.S.

Then I get to work and read this. Funny, right? The store isn't saying the fish isn't safe, they're just saying that consumers are concerned so they're going to stop selling it. I know it's probably a financial decision on their part more than anything else, but it's nice to at least think that they're taking their consumer's concerns seriously.

Hummus a tune

2008-02-06T14:24:00.000-05:00

Man, do I love hummus. I remember the first time I had it. I was in college (probably 19) at a restaurant with a friend, her parents and a bunch of her dad's coworkers. About five or six appetizers were ordered and passed around the table. This dip made it's way to me. I didn't know what it was, but thought, "Can't hurt to try it." And so began the love.

Over the years, I've eaten pounds upon pounds of hummus. Some of it has been excellent and some of it has been awful, but it's always something on the menu I'll try. The best I've had has been at a Lebanese restaurant (no surprise there).

It's also really easy to make at home. Even if you're not a cook, you can blend up a batch of hummus with no problems. I've made it a few times and I've always used canned chickpeas. They're a staple in my house. I could also wax poetic about my love of them, but I'll spare you.

So anyway, back to the hummus: I decided to used dried beans this time to see if there is a difference in taste. I soaked them overnight (up to about 8 hours) and then cooked them for about 2 hours. Another tip is to peel the skins off the beans. I tried this, but after awhile, I gave up. It's a tedious job and I just didn't want to peel two cups worth. It's supposed to result in an even smoother dip, but whatever.

The verdict: It's good. Really good. Making it at home, you can control the consistency of the dip. I tend to like mine a lot smoother and creamier, so I just let it process for a little longer and add a little more of the water. Try it. It's also really easy to flavor. Since I ended up with 4 cups of cooked beans, I made another batch of hummus this morning and flavored it with jarred jalapenos and about 2 tablespoons of the jalapeno juice. When I make this recipe again (which I definitely will), I'll use horseradish. Once you have the basics down, you're ready to go. And even if you just stick the this basic recipe, you won't be sorry.

Hummus
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chickpeas
1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)*
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons of water from the chickpeas
minced, fresh parsley leaves

If you're starting with dried beans, soak and cook them according to the directions on the package. If you're starting with canned beans, rinse and drain them, but reserve some of the liquid.

In a food processor, blend together the garlic, chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and cumin until smooth, scraping down the sides. Add the water and salt and pepper to taste. Blend to desired consistency. Serve with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

2008-02-05T21:09:00.000-05:00

To get away from Elise.

If anyone wants to make homemade chicken stock, I suggest clicking on that link. It's pretty interesting. I just ... don't think I can do it. Dealing with skinless, boneless raw chicken is sometimes more than I can handle, so I know that making this stock would probably kill me. But it's probably damn tasty.

Stay tuned for spaghetti sauce (more up my alley) and hummus (mmm...hummus).

(I can't come up with a clever title)

2008-01-30T21:51:00.000-05:00

I made some kick-ass enchiladas last week, but, well, they were eaten and no pictures were taken. And the recipe was totally made up with no measuring or anything, so No Post for You!

I'll cook and photograph something soon. I promise. I know the, like, 1.34 people who read the blog are counting on it.

So to give you something to do while you're on the Internets, read this blog. Mindy is a writer/actor on The Office and she's effin hilarious. Anybody who can mix shopping and humour, with some food thrown in, is OK with me.

And because this is a totally random post, here's a picture of me if I were Ronni Simpson and lived in Springfield.

You can see what you look like by clicking here.

It's a holiday: Chocolate cake day

2008-01-27T01:35:00.000-05:00

Today is National Chocolate Cake Day. Really. And for the past couple of weeks, I've really been wanting to bake a chocolate cake. I don't know why, exactly, but it's one of those simple recipes that every baker should have down.

So I went hunting.

I wanted simplicity: one bowl chocolate cake, one bowl chocolate icing. Nothing fancy, just a good old-fashioned easy chocolate cake. Of course, there are about a gazillion recipes from which to choose.

While looking, I came across a few recipes for egg-less, butter-less cakes. As a baker, this intrigues me because you always think that you need eggs and butter for baking. Which isn't necessarily true. Vegan baking has come a long way, or so I'm told, and it's a growing market. Therefore, vegan and nonvegan bakers are working hard to get great-tasting recipes out to a growing public. Plus, with food allergies, too, there's just a whole other side to explore. So I decided to try an egg-less, butter-less chocolate cake. The icing has butter, though, so this isn't a vegan dessert.

Verdict: It's a good cake. It's not my favorite cake, but it's enjoyable. It's dense and has a balanced chocolate flavor. But it's definitely not as moist or sorta soft and melty, as I like. The icing is kick-ass, though. Really easy and really tasty. This will be my go-to chocolate icing recipe. So all in all, it's a nice cake recipe if you can't have butter or eggs, for whatever reason. Otherwise: butter and eggs all the way.

Vegan Chocolate Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used a little more than 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two round pans.
Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the
oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth.
Pour into prepared pans and bake for 20-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean (I started checking at 20 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before icing.

Chocolate frosting (www.foodtv.com)
3 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 stick butter, softened
3 - 4 tablespoons heavy cream (I used milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift sugar and cocoa together into a large bowl. In another bowl combine 1 cup of sugar mixture with butter and 1 tablespoon cream, beating until smooth. Add another cup of sugar and another tablespoon of cream, beating well. Continue until all ingredients are combined and frosting is fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Spread frosting on top of one round. Top with second round and cover top and sides completely with frosting.

Update on this entry: I got the frother from Williams-Sonoma, but not the Aeropress. And the shoes? Not ... so great in real life.

Latte love

2008-01-24T19:09:00.000-05:00

I'm a latte lover. I get a small, nonfat latte from the big coffehehouse, or sometimes the local one down the street, probably 5 days a week.

Let's do the math (this is gonna hurt):
$2.85 x 5 = $14.25
$14.25 x 4 = $57
57 x 12 = $684

Good grief. That's $684 dollars a year. On coffee.
This has to stop.
But making my own coffee at home is so boring, and to be quite honest, I'm not that great at it. Plus, I like lattes. So I'm online today poking around and I come across this Aeropress Espresso Maker. Hmm ... interesting. But I can't drink espresso. It's just ... {{shudder}}. So I need a milk steamer/frother, as well. After a little search, I find a milk frother. So that's $25.95 + $14.94. $40.89. It just makes common sense to order these, right? I mean, $684 is a plane ticket to Wales. So I'm impulse shopping and ordering these right now.

I'm also {{this close}} to ordering these shoes, but I'm trying to exercise some self control. When ballet flats finally go out of style, I'm going to be shoeless.

Blog roundup

2008-01-15T22:03:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite blogs.
Simply Recipes: One of my favorite sites. I made these muffins today* (with a couple modifications, recipe below, my modifications in parentesis) and they are moist and delicious.
YumSugar: One of my favorite features on this site is Name that Dish. Can you?
Confections of a Foodie Bride: I recently discovered this site and I'm really enjoying it. Plus: panini!
The Paupered Chef: I've been wanting to make ricotta for awhile now. Maybe now I will.
Tartelette: I adore the photos on this site. The recipes look great, too.
Cookie Baker Lynn: I've made these PB&J bars (they're a Barefoot Contessa recipe) and they are fantastic.
Vanilla Garlic: This is so damn funny, I burst out laughing and can't really stop. It's example No. 3 that did me in.

Even Jasper reads cookbooks.

Banana Nut Muffins Recipe
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed (I used 3)
1/3 cup melted butter (I used 4 tablespoons and 1/4 cup applesauce)
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tbsp espresso or strong coffee (optional) (I used a tablespoon of molasses)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup of flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 cup chopped walnuts (toasted or raw) (I mixed 1/4 cup walnuts with a teaspoon of brown sugar and sprinkled it on top of half the muffins)

No need for a mixer with this recipe.

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.

2 Mix in the sugar, egg, espresso and vanilla.

3 Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.

4 Add the flour, mix until it is just incorporated. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

5 Pour mixture into a prepared muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, it's done. Cool on a rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Blackened Shrimp with Pomegranate-Orange Salsa

2008-01-12T20:36:00.000-05:00

The ventilation in my kitchen is horrible. Hor.Rib.Ble. So it was a bit smokey while I was cooking. I also used stainless steel, which may have had something to do with the smoke factor, as well.
Nonetheless, this is quite a tasty little dish. Spicy, too. The salsa is really good and the sweetness from the oranges really pops out. I followed the recipe exactly except I didn't add the jalapeno. I'm glad I didn't, because it's spicy enough for me.
I served it with cilantro rice, which is just rice with a little cilantro and salt added after cooking.
All in all, a tasty meal.

P.S. I got a panini maker today at Tuesday Morning for $49.99! So expect some paninis in the near future.

Orange you glad you read this post?

2008-01-08T00:10:00.001-05:00

I know the title sucks. Sue me.

It's winter, which means it's citrus time. More importantly, it's Clementine and blood orange time. I have a love/hate relationship with oranges. I love the way they taste and the nice burst of juicy fruit, but oranges are just a mess to eat, what with the sticky white skin and the seeds, and I Usually don't go through the trouble.

However, I make exceptions for Clementines and blood oranges. I love Clementines. They're so cute and just perfect to eat. Peel those babies and they're ready. You don't get any seeds and they don't have all that yucky white skin to peel off. I bought a pound of them a couple of weeks ago, and they're gone.

Today, I bought blood oranges. They, too, are messy and have too much white skin to peel off, but they're oh so good. I don't know if it's the color or the taste that makes me like them so much, but either way, I'll keep eating 'em.

The thing is, I hardly ever cook with them. I know they're supposed to be great in salads and as sauces even, but I'm used to just eating the fruit as a snack. Fact (from Redbook.com): Blood oranges are slightly less acidic than regular oranges. They contain 120 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, 12 percent of the amount of fiber, and also potassium, calcium, and vitamin A.

So I'm looking for recipes in which to use oranges. Cosmos don't count. This Baked Snapper with Mandarin Oranges, Cashews and Ginger looks pretty good. As does goat cheese crostini with blood orange and black pepper marmalade. So does Grilled Mojo Chicken Salad With Asparagus and Oranges. Blackened Shrimp with Pomegranate-Orange Salsa sounds delightful, too. Hmm ... that one might be my weekend project. Oh, hell: one drink recipe won't hurt. Blood Orange Margaritas sound yummy.

A pressing problem

2008-01-03T21:57:00.000-05:00

You know how you become obsessed with something and can't rest until you get it? (I hope that's not just me.) Well, I'm obsessed with panini presses at the moment. I have a faux Foreman, and while it's been good to me, it's time to replace it. I've owned it for at least 5 years and the coating on the stainless steel has started to wear off. Of course, I can't just go to a store and buy one. I have to research and think and do more research and more thinking. It's ridiculous, but that's how I roll.

So after much researching and questioning, I'm down to choosing one of these:

The Krups: America's Test Kitchen's favorite and also a Good Housekeeping favorite

The Wolfgang Puck: a Good Housekeeping favorite

The thing is, I'll go to Amazon and read the reader comments and then I'll start rethinking my decision. Like, ATK loves the Krups, but Amazon reviewers only give it 3 out of 5 stars. ATK also says that removable plates aren't the best, but the Wolfgang Puck one has removable plates, and it's gotten decent reviews. I also want it to do more than sandwiches (chicken, fish, veggies). Amazon reviews love the Hamilton Beach, but ATK says it's crap. There's also the Griddler, which lots of people seem to like.

I.Just.Can't.Decide.

I'll make a decision soon and keep you posted. If you have any suggestions, please comment!

Above photo: Cuisinart The Griddler

The best peanut butter fudge

2007-12-29T21:41:00.001-05:00

Y'all, this fudge is perfect. There is nothing nutritionally redeeming about it: it's just butter and sugar and peanut butter. An insane amount of butter and sugar. But it's good. So very very good. I'm sure we're all resolving to eat better in the new year, so let's go out with a bang.

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup JIF (any kind of creamy) peanut butter
1- 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Add the peanut butter, stirring until melted. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla; beat until well blended.

Spread in a buttered 9 x 13 x 2 - inch pan*. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate. Cut into squares when firm.

*I recommend buttering and using parchment paper. It'll be much easier to get the fudge out later.

Off to bake the cookies

2007-12-22T00:06:00.000-05:00

I started at 7 p.m. on the dot. It's 12:07 a.m. Five hours and a quick trip to Meijer later (with flour on my face! People, always do a quick look in the mirror before you leave the house), I still haven't started the sugar cookies. That'll just have to wait.

But I have made peanut butter, oatmeal raisin and two batches of chocolate chip cookie doughs. I even baked some tonight for my uncle to take with him to visit my cousin on Sunday. I've only tasted the chocolate chip (yummy Nestle Tollhouse) because, after awhile, it just gets to be too much. I'm sure I'll have a peanut butter cookie or two for breakfast, though.

So enjoy the pictures and just imagine how good my place smells right now.

Oatmeal raisin cookies

2007-12-15T15:59:00.000-05:00

It's snowing outside. I went out to wipe down the car and it's the wet, slushy snow. Yuck. And since people drive like assholes when it snows and I don't have anything pressing that I need today, I'm in my pjs catching up with shows on the DVR and baking cookies.

I bake cookies every year as Christmas gifts. I don't know exactly when it started, I just know that now I can't not do it. I start hearing about the cookies at Easter! But it is nice to know that people look forward to getting them and that they're enjoyed.

I bake chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and peanut butter. In 2005, I added sugar cookies to the mix because that's what my little brother likes. I would do fancier, more adventurous ones, but everyone seems to like the classics, and I have no problem with that.

That being said, I'm always on the lookout for a better recipe. I've tried a few chocolate chip recipes, but, honestly, nothing beats the Nestle recipe.

I have a fantastic peanut butter cookie recipe that I'll never change. It's perfect. But I'm not sharing that one.

I also love my oatmeal raisin recipe. It comes from the lid on a container of Quaker oats. Oatmeal raisin cookies, while nice and simple, vary so much. They can be chewy and soft or crunchy and dry. They can have a lot of spice flavor or hardly none at all. Since it's my personal favorite, I've tried tons of them. I favor chewy and spicy, which is the recipe I generally use.

Martha Stewart, good old Martha, has a recipe I've been wanting to try for a couple of years. Today is as good a day as any. The recipe states that they'll be soft and chewy.

The only difference (and this may make a big difference, I don't know) is that I used quick oats instead of old-fashioned because that's what I had. Other than that, I followed it to the letter.

Edited to add: Looks like the oats do make a difference. Oh, well, next time I'll buy old-fashioned insted of quick. As you can see, the cookies are pretty flat. They are good, though. Chewy and just spicy enough. I took them to work and someone who has had many of my baked goods over the year said they're the best cookies I've brought in. So there you have it. But I'm still going to use old-fashioned oats next time.

FYI: This recipe makes a buttload of cookies.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: Martha Stewart Living

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together oats, flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add oat mixture; mix until just combined. Mix in raisins.
Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly.
Bake until golden and just set, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks using a spatula; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Chicken, lasagna, popovers, cookies and more

2007-12-03T23:15:00.000-05:00

So I had people over on Friday and Saturday night. It was a lot of fun to see everyone and catch up. Plus, it was fun to cook and bake.

So what did I cook and bake, you ask? Friday, we had chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, mashed potatoes and popovers that didn't, well, pop over. I don't know what the hell I did wrong, but I was very disappointed.

On Saturday, I decided to try a different recipe for the popovers and it worked perfectly. There was a difference between the baking technique, and this one worked better. I also used milk and eggs that were at room temp. Don't know if this helped or not, but it didn't hurt.

I also made Giada's butternut squash lasagna. So.Very.Good. I highly recommend it. And it tastes even better a couple of days later. The only change I made to the recipe was using 1% milk instead of whole. I also didn't use as many lasagna noodles, but my layers would have been too high for the pan. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly.

I baked your standard-variety brownies (there are a million recipes online) and Brandied Cranberry, White Chocolate Chip Cookies. I also had some of those chewy ginger cookies left that I froze, so I served the rest of them. And I made a pear tart. It was based on different recipes I've read, but I guess it's closet to this. But I used pears instead of apples.

40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken: myrecipes.com

2 (3-pound) whole chickens
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
40 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
24 (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Remove and discard giblets and neck from chickens. Rinse chickens with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat; remove skin. Cut each chicken into 8 pieces. Combine butter and oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over chicken. Add half of chicken pieces to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.

Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently. Arrange chicken on top of garlic. Add broth and wine; cover and cook 25 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Serve sauce and garlic with chicken and bread. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Perfect Popovers: Martha Stewart

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing tin
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a popover tin.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Pour over flour mixture, and fold until just blended.
Fill the popover cups two-thirds to three-quarters full.
Transfer tin to oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until well browned and crusty, about 20 minutes. Remove popovers from the oven, and unmold onto a rack. Puncture the sides with a sharp knife to let steam escape, and serve immediately.

Butternut squash lasagna: Giada De Laurentiis

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
3 amaretti cookies, crumbled
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
Pinch nutmeg
3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Thin French Apple Tart (with pears): myrecipes.com

(I suck at crusts. I admit it. So I bought a frozen one from the health food store. It doesn't have all the trans fats and preservatives.)

1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425°. Place dough on a lightly floured surface; roll into a 12-inch circle. Place on a 12-inch pizza pan. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar mixture over dough. Arrange apple slices spokelike on top of dough, working from outside edge of dough to the center. Sprinkle apple slices with remaining sugar mixture. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Brandied Cranberry, White Chocolate Chip Cookies: simplyrecipes.com

1 cup of brandy (to soak the cranberries in, then saving 1 1/4 teaspoons of it for later)
1 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup (two sticks) of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
3/4 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of white chocolate chips

Put the cranberries in a wide and shallow bowl, pour in a bit of brandy. Enough so they're surrounded by it, but not drowning. Cover and place in the fridge for an hour or more. Afterwards, place a colander over a bowl and pour the cranberries and brandy through, putting the cranberries and the brandy they soaked in aside. Preheat oven to 375 F.
Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light, fluffy and well incorporated.
Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and add 1 1/4 teaspoons of the brandy that the cranberries soaked in (as for the rest, I suggest popping it in a glass and topping it off a bit for yourself). Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixture a bit at a time, beating until just mixed. Fold in the brandy soaked cranberries and white chocolate chips. Let chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a baker's best friend) and place rounded spoonfuls down on the sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Green with envy

2007-11-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

Oprah had her Favorite Things show today. I've stopped watching them because I can't stand to see adults act like fools over, you know, soap or pajamas or whatever. But I do read the list of things she gives. This year, I am totally jealous. I couldn't care less about bath and beauty items. They're nice, but whatever: not my thing. What I do care about, no surprise, are kitchen/cooking-related items and these bastard audience members (yes, I'm jealous) got some great things this year.

O must have hooked up with Williams-Sonoma this year, because many of the items came from the store. Among them, a $100 panini press, a $350 stand mixer (which yes, I bought my own, but still) and a $3799 fridge! Like I said, lucky bastards. They also got some pajamas and soaps and ice cream and cupcakes (which I'm getting sick of) and Ugg (ugh) boots.

I really want that panini press. Looks like I know what my Christmas gift to myself will be this year. (Last year it was the stand mixer)

Coming out of a rut

2007-11-18T17:11:00.000-05:00

Update: I made this today. It's good: not great. It's a little dry. After eating a first serving, I added a cup of light coconut milk and an additional teaspoon of curry powder. It helped a little.

You know how sometimes you just don't feel like cooking and/or nothing inspires you? That's been the last two weeks for me. There are millions of great recipes out there, but when I start to even contemplate making something, I get overwhelmed just by the thought and I end up going to Chipotle or Subway for dinner. Or worse, my whole day will consist of a pumpkin scone (which is the one of about two things I baked/cooked this past week), a bag of microwave popcorn, some almonds and a burrito bowl from Chipotle. There's nothing balanced about that.

So I'm trying. With this being Thanksgiving week, I'm sure starting Thursday, I'll consume more than my fair share of food and I will enjoy every last bite of it. But I also need some nourishment Sunday thru Wednesday, so I'm cooking this week SO HELP ME GOD.

After looking through some old recipes stored in my files, I came across Curried Rice and Red Lentils from The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. I'm not going to go on and on about Bittman, because I swore this was going to be a quick post, but he's a food writer for the New York Times, he has a show on PBS and he, Mario Bitalli and Gwyneth Paltrow, yes, you read that right, are teaming up to do a show for PBS about Spain and food and I can't wait.

Anyway, this is Bittman's recipe, it looks yummy and I'm making it tomorrow.

Curried Rice and Red Lentils
(4-6 servings, adapted from The Best Recipes in the World, by Mark Bittman)

2 T vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 T curry powder
3/4 cup red lentils (also called dal or pulses)
1 cup long grain rice
3 cups water
salt, pepper to taste
1-2 T melted butter (optional)
chopped parsley or cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Put the oil in a large, heavy pan with a tight lid and heat for one minute. Add onion and saute 3-5 minutes, until starting to brown on the edges. Add curry powder and saute 1 minute, then add water and bring to a boil. Add lentils and rice, bring back to a boil, then lower heat to a steady simmer and cover.

Cook 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender. (Bittman says if the liquid is not all absorbed, boil off the excess, but after 20 minutes all my water had been absorbed.) Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the melted butter just before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro if desired.

P.S. If you're reading this, please leave a short comment. I'm interested to know what you think. Thanks!

What's in your fridge?

2007-11-13T21:28:00.000-05:00

Beer
champagne
orange juice
pomegranate juice
milk
half and half
water
Stirrings pomegranate martini mix
chicken broth
yogurt
eggs
artichoke ravioli
raisins
whole wheat flour
apples
pears
lemons
limes
cheese (about four kinds. Shut up)
parsley
half an onion in this
peanut butter
jelly
jam
butter
a hunk of dark chocoalte
condiments (too many to name)

Favorite things: Peppermint!

2007-11-07T00:16:00.000-05:00

What is it about peppermint that makes it so sweet?
I wasn't always the biggest peppermint fan. After you've had one too many lint-covered ones from the bottom of your grandma's purse, they lose the 'cool' factor (if they ever had one). But in recent years, I've fallen in love with the sweet, cool taste.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. It started with Martha Stewart's recipe for peppermint bark. I was looking for something different to make around Christmas time. I kept reading story after story about it and decided to give it a try. Needless to say, everyone loved it. White chocolate and peppermint: what's not to love? Now I make a batch or two every year. People at work harass me if it's not there.

2. After that little experiment, I started trying more recipes. My favorite, by far, is this Chocolate Peppermint Cake. Again: Martha Stewart. Love the woman or loathe her, the recipes never fail. I love this cake. It's so easy to make, yet so very good. It's another holiday staple: The Griswolds and chocolate peppermint cake.

3. Last year, I discovered a bath and shower gel made by philosphy called Candy Cane. They only make it this time of year, and it's great. I was looking forward to ordering a bottle this year and, lo and behold, Bath & Body makes a very similar product and it's cheaper and easier to get (there's no Sephora in my city). It's such a sweet little treat. It's nice when you're showering and makes your bathroom smell amazing, but it doesn't linger on you all day.

4. Starbucks makes a great peppermint mocha latte. I'm sure you can get it all year long, but there's just something about it being cold outside (which it is here now. grr!) and sipping on one of these chocolate-y, sweet treats. Now that I think about it, it has a similar taste to the cake.

5. I bought a great little air freshener for my car today. I stopped in Yankee Candle to get my old reliable honeydew air freshener and saw one called Jack Frost. I thought it would probably smell like a holiday cookie so I grabbed one. Guess what? It's peppermint! Now, I realize this is a bit overboard, but it smells really good. I may well indeed get sick of it very soon, but for now it's great.

Peppermint bark (my bastard version)

1 bag white chocolate chips
1/2 - 1 bag peppermints (or 12 candy canes)
1/2 teaspoon natural peppermint flavoring (optional)

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, stirring after every 30 seconds, until melted.
2. Meanwhile, put candy canes in a plastic bag; crush into 1/4-inch pieces with a rolling pin. Stir peppermint flavoring and candy canes into melted chocolate.
3. Remove from heat, and pour mixture onto lined sheet. Refrigerate until firm; break into pieces. Refrigerate bark until ready to serve.

Chocolate-Peppermint Cake

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan; line bottom with parchment or waxed paper. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches water to a boil. Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl; set over (not in) water. Turn off heat; let stand until melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Stire to combine. Remove bowl; cool 5 minutes.
3. Whisk in sugar and vanilla, then eggs and buttermilk until combined. Fold in flour mixture until combined. (I usually melt the butter and chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave, but whatevs).
4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake pulls away from sides and a toothpick inserted in center has a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert onto a wire rack (and leave inverted) to cool completely, about 1 hour.
5. Set cake on a serving platter. Tuck parchment or waxed paper under sides of cake. Pour chocolate icing onto center of cake and spread evenly over top and sides. Let set, about 40 minutes. Serve cake with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or peppermint candies, if desired.

Chocolate-Peppermint Icing
4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1. Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a boil over high heat; stir in peppermint extract. Strain cream into chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes; stir until smooth (mixture will appear oily at first.) Cool until mixture falls in ribbons when spoon is lifted, 2 to 6 minutes.
2. To ice cake, set the cake on a serving platter. Tuck parchment or waxed paper under sides of cake (to keep platter clean). Pour icing onto center of cake. Use an offset spatula or a dinner knife to spread evenly over the top and down the sides. Let set, about 30 minutes.

Going Greek

2007-11-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

Yogurt that is.
When I was a kid, I hated yogurt with a passion. Why why why would a person want to eat that sour, nasty stuff? {{shudder}}
A few years ago thanks to Lisa, I tried Yoplait Key Lime Pie yogurt and fell in love. But that and the orange flavor was the only kind I would eat. And it had to be Yoplait smooth. I still wasn't down for that fruit on the bottom stuff. {{shudder again}}
Now, I probably eat yogurt on a daily basis. I've totally gotten used to the 'sour' taste. It took me awhile to make the jump from flavored yogurts to plain, but now that I have I'll probably never go back. I'm convinced that high fructose corn syrup is the devil, but that's another post.
My favorite yogurt now is Greek style. Man, that's some good stuff. Rich and thick and oh so creamy. I usually have it for breakfast or a late-night snack with some granola. I was running late today and just poured a bit of honey over it and it was just so damn good. I can't even explain it. It's just sweet and creamy and perfect.
Sometimes doing things the simple way is so much better.

Gingerbread cake and leek and potato stew

2007-11-01T23:27:00.000-04:00

Update: Poking in to add that the cake was a success. It's very moist and full of spice. Yum! I think I may add raisins or nuts if I make it again, but it's pretty perfect as is ... even without the chocolate (although I'm sure it wouldn't hurt).

So I made a Dark Gingerbread Bundt Cake today to take to my cousin's house this weekend. About four hours after the fact, I realized I forgot to add the chocolate. D'oh. How the bloody hell did I do that? Oh, well. Hopefully it'll still be tasty.

I probably forgot because I also was preoccupied with making this Leek and Potato stew, as well. And I was rushing to finish all this in about two hours.

I can't speak to the cake, yet, but the stew is very good and very filling. I had a big bowl at about 4 p.m. and I'm still not entirely hungry as I type this at 11:30 p.m. Granted, I have eaten an ounce of almonds with dried cranberries and chocolate chips* a banana, yogurt, a pear, a mini bag of popcorn and a cookie, but I haven't had anything heavy. Heehee. Just reading that sentence makes me laugh. I guess that is a substancial amount of snacking. Anyway, try the soup: it's good.

Dark Gingerbread Bundt Cake Recipe

2 1/2 cups all Purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons ginger

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2 eggs

1 cup molasses

2/3 cup oil (canola)

1 cup waterpowdered sugar -- if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees f. Spray 12 cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; sprinkle with flour. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; mix well. In medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add molasses and oil; beat well. Stir in water. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; beat just until combined. Pour batter into sprayed and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert on serving plate. Cool 30 minutes or until completely cooled. Just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Leek and Potato Stew

2 bacon slices (I used turkey bacon)

3 cups chopped leek

4 1/2 cups chicken broth

4 cups cubed Yukon gold potato

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation: Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. Add leek; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 3 minutes. Add stock, potato, salt, and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove 1 cup potato with a slotted spoon; place in a blender. Add 1/2 cup cooking liquid to blender; process until smooth. Return puréed mixture to pan. Sprinkle with parsley.

* This is my go-to snack. All the ingredients are healthy in moderation and it really is nice to eat between meals instead of loading up on chips or even snack bars. I keep it in snack-size plastic bags. I usually measure it out on a kitchen scale:
1 oz. almonds
1/2 oz. dried cranberries
1/2 oz. chocolate chips (I use dark chocolate)

Food for thought

2007-10-29T22:54:00.000-04:00

I readily admit that sometimes I can be an absolute freak when it comes to food. Meat especially. Sometimes I can eat chicken. Sometimes I can't. It all depends on my 'mood.' I have red meat exactly once a year: in pastistio at the Greek festival. I can't remember the last time I had pork. Maybe a rib at a family event?
This is all to say I'm not vegetarian. But whenever I turn down a burger or pass on chicken that day, people usually say, "What are you, vegetarian?" Like it's an accusation.
No, I'm not vegetarian, but I do have some issues with meat. The main issues being the way in which it's produced. For example, is that chicken I'm going to eat stuck in a dirty cage with hundreds of others chickens rolling around in poop and vomit? Is it being shot full of hormones or feed that is making it sick? Because if it is, that can't be good for me either, right? I have to believe that the health of the chicken, or the waters in which the fish swim, or the foods that the animals are eating is going to have a direct result on my health, as well.
But when does it cross the line from being informed to being too informed? I guess you can never be too informed, right? Free range, cage free, organic, farm-raised, hormone free. It can all get to be a bit too much sometimes. If I'm standing in the dairy case for half an hour trying to figure out which eggs to buy, am I crazy? Sometimes, I think so.
This is a very long-winded and ramble-y way to say that I picked up this book in an airport on my way to Las Vegas. Usually at the airport, I buy all the girlie magazines I can possibly read in the amount of time I'll be on a plane: Marie Claire, Glamour, InStyle, US Weekly. It's mindless entertainment and helps me pass the time. But this time I wanted to read about something other than panty-less Britney or whether Angelina is anorexic or not.
So I picked this up. It's very very good. Basically, it's about the state of food in this country and what we eat, how we eat it and how it's prepared. From organic fruits and veggies, to farm-raised meats to factory-raised meats, it covers a lot of information. Whether you agree with the author or not, or see his points or not, it is an informative book. That's what I like most about it; he's not advocating one way of eating over another (for the most part), he's just saying be informed about what you're eating, which is just good advice for everyone.
I can't say the author has changed my mind about anything I eat, but he has made me think more. I've visited farmer markets more in the past couple of weeks buying more local produce than I did before. I bought chicken from a local farmer last week. Does it make a difference? I don't know. Will I keep doing it? Absolutely. Will I still go to the supermarket down the street, too? Yep.

Ginger Chewies

2007-10-22T18:19:00.000-04:00

I haven't made the pumpkin biscuits yet. I keep forgetting to buy pecans. So I made these instead. They're very chewy, very good and very addictive. They're definitely going into my permanent cookie-recipe collection.

I did do two things differently, though:
1. I rolled 1/8 cup of dough into balls. I didn't want ginormous cookies. I ended up getting about 20-22 cookies instead of the 9-12 in the original recipe.
2. I chopped up some candied ginger (about 1 teaspoon, I guess) and added it to the sugar for rolling.

I usually bake, eat some of it and then bring it to work because I don't want 100 cookies or an entire cake or whatever at home. These? These are all mine.

Super Sized Ginger Chewies
From Elinor Klivans's 'Big Fat Cookies'

2 ¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cloves
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter at room temp.
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup molasses
about ¼ cup granulated sugar

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg and molasses and mix until blended and an even light brown color, about 1 minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate.

Spread the granulated sugar on a large piece of wax or parchment paper. Roll 1/8 cup of dough between the palms of your hands into a 2 inch ball, roll the ball in the sugar and place on one of the prepared baking sheets. Continue making cookies, spacing them 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm, but they are still soft in the center and there are several large cracks on top*, about 10 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Don't overbake these. The best part about them is the chewiness

Pecan Pumpkin Biscuits

2007-10-14T19:13:00.000-04:00

These sound delicious and I will be baking a batch of them this week. If anyone beats me to it, let me know how they turn out.
Stay tuned ...

Sweet potato-carrot soup

2007-10-10T15:11:00.000-04:00

I know ... it's been awhile. I've been traveling and not cooking (and I had some good food), but now I'm home and it's time to start cooking again. More than that, it's fall and time to start cooking again. I love fall: pumpkins and squash, apples, pears, Brussels sprout (seriously) and more. You can't convince me it's not the best time of the year for food.

So here's my first soup of the season: Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup from "12 Best Foods Cookbook." You can make it anytime, but it just feels and tastes and looks better in fall. It's really easy: just roast and puree. It's also really creamy without any added fat. Another reason to try it. Trust me on this one, you'll enjoy. I am. Yum!

Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut into pieces

1 tablespoon butter or canola oil

1 shallot (or half an onion), chopped

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400. Rub potatoes, carrot and apple with 1 tablespoon of oil. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

2. Heat butter in a large pan. Add shallot/onion and saute until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the roasted veggies and apple and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

3. Puree the soup in a blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with dried cranberries or, you know, whatever you want.

Are you a mindful eater?

2007-09-18T18:02:00.000-04:00

I just read this article and I think we can all admit that we've raided the fridge at 1 a.m. eating cold chicken or cheese. C'mon; I know it's not just me. I'm telling you, there's nothing better at 1 a.m. than cold chicken and a little Dijon mustard.
Aaaaaaaaaaanyway, here are some tips to be a mindful eater:

* Eat at regular times. "Rhythms are important in everything we do, from sleep to eating, so try to eat fairly consistently each day.
* Avoid other distractions while eating, except for music and conversation.
* Start your meal with "grounding" statements such as "I'm getting ready to eat" to set the tone and focus on the activity.
* Eat off a plate, not out of the package, and sit at a table for meals.
* Rate your hunger from 1 to 10, with 1 being extremely famished and 10 being that "post Thanksgiving" feeling. Eat when you are at a 2 or 3 and stop eating when you are at a 7 or 8.
* Put your fork down between bites and chew each mouthful thoroughly before picking up your fork.
* End the meal with an awareness of fullness and make a closing statement, like "I'm feeling satisfied and the meal is over."

P.S. I heart this shirt.

And the winner is ...

2007-09-15T19:59:00.001-04:00

Red velevet cupcakes won 3 to 2. It's small, but it's a majority.

I got the recipe from Emeril.

I probably looked at 20 different recipes. I don't think there's any cake I've found more debated than Red Velvet. It seems to be a Southern staple, but nobody can seem to agree on the right taste and texture. Should it be dense? Should it be chocolate-y? Should it be really red or kinda red? Should you use food coloring* or should you use beets? And on and on and on. Reading over comments, I almost gave up.

But I also was really intrigued so I thought, even if it's not a great cupcake, it'll still be a cupcake, you know? Who doesn't love a cupcake?

So this is what I got.

This is a damn good cupcake. It's really light and moist. I followed the recipe exactly except for the cocoa powder. Emeril's recipe calls for 2 teaspoons. That just seems ... off. I even triple-checked it. I don't think 2 teaspoons is nearly enough. So I added 2 tablespoons.

And I made a Cooking Light version of the cream cheese frosting, using 1/3 less fat cream cheese. It's also really good. Some things I'll skimp on, some I won't. Using 1/3 fat vs. full-fat in the icing recipe doesn't make any difference at all, so why not save a few calories if you can. Besides, you're going to eat more than one of these cupcakes. I've already had two!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
2 tablespoonos cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 ounces red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare the cupcake tins. In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla. Spread the batter a little less than half full in the cups.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn onto a rack to cool.

Cream cheese frosting

1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-1/3 less fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
1-2 teaspoons milk

Place the cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth (do not overbeat). Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Add the milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Spread frosting over top of cucakes and enjoy.

* A little note about food coloring. Some people hate it and think it's the devil. That's why some recipes I read called for beet juice or puree. I don't have a problem with it, so I used it.

Drink up

2007-09-15T14:58:00.000-04:00

It's not all about food here. Sometimes it's about drink, too. And what better way to get into the fall spirit than a little pumpkin ale? Here a six that I bought today. If you've never tried a seasonal beer before, I suggest you start soon. It's a great way to enjoy the best of the season.

They are (from left): Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, Samuel Adams Octoberfest, America's Original Pumpkin Ale (Buffalo Bill's Brewery), Summit Oktoberfest, Bell's Octoberfest Beer and Ichabod ale brewed with pumpkin (New Holland Brewing).

I love fall.

Food for health

2007-09-12T20:50:00.000-04:00

Tips for Mental Agility As Your Age
Special to The Washington Post

Eat brain food: Chowing down foods rich in antioxidants helps because they cleanse the brain of so-called free radicals that corrode connections between brain neurons. Foods rich in antioxidants include leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and cauliflower, and fresh fruit such as strawberries, cranberries and blueberries. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold-water fish such as salmon and trout, and in pills sold over the counter, also help fight brain decay.

Also, check this out.

Microwave flounder

2007-09-10T14:19:00.000-04:00

Yes, you read that right: fish from the microwave. I wasn't sure about it either, but after watching an episode of Everyday Food on PBS, I decided to give it a try.

You know what? It really works and the fish turns out really nice and flaky. You place the fish in a glass bowl or dish and cover with a paper towel. The moisture is trapped inside the bowl, in essence steaming the fish. The key is to not overcook it. Otherwise, it's just a dry mess.

This can be one of those quick, go-to meals when you're hungry and don't have time to cook anything complicated, but want more than, say, grilled cheese. But it also would be good for a crowd ... and again, quick.

I always have a bag or two of large, jumbo shrimp in the freezer and another kind of fish. This week I have flounder. Another week it may be salmon or tilapia. Fresh fish is always great, but frozen is one of those things that you'll never regret having on hand. And it only takes an hour to thaw if you stick it in cold water (in a zipper bag, in the fridge, of course).

You can pretty much 'dress' the fish with whatever you want. I got this great little herb butter a couple of weeks ago with parsley, red onions, garlic and other spices, so I used that. Add a little sweet corn to the mix, and you have a nice, healthy, quick meal in, like, 5 minutes. Can't beat it.

Microwave flounder

1 2-4 oz. piece of flounder

salt, pepper to taste

1 teaspoon herb butter

Thaw the fish and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of herb butter. Place fish in a glass bowl/glass dish and cover with a paper towel. Microwave on highest setting for 3 minutes.*

*If you're cooking more fish, or a larger piece of fish, up the time to 5 minutes.

First post

2007-09-09T13:00:00.001-04:00

So I'm giving this blogging thing a try. (I know, like it's not 2007 and blogging isn't old news.)
Since I'm always forwarding recipes and sending mass e-mails, I thought, "I should just post recipes on a blog. That way, everyone can read them at their leisure."
So here's the blog. I can't promise that I'm going to update it often, but I will try for once a week.