sophisticated pie

citrus cake - iron chef : battle citrus

2012-01-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

My friend Heather has continued her tradition, which she started in Chicago, of coordinating a little "Iron Chef" battle between friends. It's a fun event, that has been made a little more intense recently by the addition of multiple professional chefs to this challenge. I'm generally not a competitive person, well not with others anyway, but this challenge brings out that spirit in me, which with chefs in the running, I'm not sure is the best for my self-esteem...

This time around the event was hosted in a professional kitchen, thanks to the many "real chefs" who join in on the fun, and it was a lot of fun to finally cook in that environment. Though the equipment was a little foreign to me (how do you turn on that oven??), I hope we get to go back and perhaps I'll feel a little more comfortable using it all (hello professional deep fryer, large Wolf stove and grill!)

The battle this time, named by the previous winner, was citrus, and you know what, I copped out a little. just a little. I've had this cake on my mind for what seems like years, though it was months I'm sure. It's probably one of the most gorgeous cakes I've seen (and made). I just had to give it a try and this felt like the right opportunity, being a citrus battle and all.

Inspired by Stella McCartney's citrus prints, I first spotted this cake at Apollinas, or maybe it was all over pinterest, but when Estelle gave it a go, I was inspired even further... (and totally used her tip on chilling that cake after filling it, thanks Estelle, it worked beautifully)!

So, without further ado, here is my entry into Battle Citrus: the Stella McCartney inspired Citrus Cake. YUM! (which, by the way got 3rd place, under some pretty crazy good fried chicken & lemonade... I mean come on, how can you beat that??)

Citrus Cake

inspired by Apollinas, recipe adapted from here

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pans

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup whole milk

lemon curd (see below)

lemon frosting (see below)

slices of citrus fruit (oranges, lemons, limes, blood oranges, etc), for decorating

fresh mint, for decorating

Heat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, butter again, and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).

Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Transfer one of the cooled cakes to a plate and spread with 1 cup of the lemon curd. Top with the remaining cake and refrigerate to set, 30 minutes. Some of the curd may have spilled out of the sides. If so, either gently scoop up and back into the filling or remove. Spread the top and sides with the frosting. Decorate with slices of citrus (lemons, limes, blood oranges, or grapefruit) and fresh mint leaves.

lemon curd

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt. Add the butter. Set the bowl over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of mayonnaise, 12 to 15 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper directly on the surface of the lemon curd and refrigerate until completely cool, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

lemon frosting

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1 pound confectioners’ sugar (about 3 3/4 cups), sifted

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and lemon zest on high until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the sugar, then the salt, and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

11 for 2011

2012-01-04T23:24:00.001-05:00

It's that time again. Time to look back quickly over the past year and filter out for you my most favorite recipes of 2011. I've sorted, thought, wondered, and finally come up with the top 11, for 2011, of course. These are, to me, the most delicious, must make agains, and while it's always a hard choice, as I'm already fairly selective on what I post, I think I've done a good job, and with a good amount of diversity too!

green lentil soup

vegetarian tostadas

oven roasted dungeness crab

baked chicken meatballs with pepperonata

homemade nutella

churros!

mini cherry cordial cupcakes

pasta caprese (w. fresh pasta & slow roasted tomatoes)

roasted acorn squash + candied lemon zest salad

salted bourbon caramels

ina's irish soda bread

Also, check out my favorites from 2010 and 2009.

2011 was pretty groundbreaking on the personal side too... ever so quickly, maybe too quickly...
We traveled a ton (skied in Tahoe, ate in Portland, reminisced in Chicago), got to know Northern California a little better (drank in Wine Country, ate oysters and cheese in Tomales Bay/ Point Reyes, relaxed in Carmel), got ENGAGED!, met best baby ever (Brayden), saw some best friends get MARRIED (Abbie + Mike), and generally ate a lot of great food, saw a lot of great sites, relaxed, laid low, read, sang, danced, and had a great 2011 in the bay area.

holidays 2011

2012-01-02T16:50:00.000-05:00

As always, the holidays passed by much to quickly this year. With almost 2 weeks off work, I was able to pack a lot in, but with minimal time to record it all. So here is a quick glimpse at holiday season 2011, according to my iphone.

A few days in NC pre-Christmas made everything feel just right, especially our colorful tree in the corner with my grandmother's hand-crocheted snowflakes, cat fur on my new pj's, presents under the tree, spending time with my family, lots of meals out, all that...

a hop up to unsnowy Minnesota for nearly a week was a great time with my soon-to-be family. With a houseful of colds keeping us in (for once, not the weather), we mostly stayed in playing bored games until we were bored, doing puzzles, drinking wine, cooking up a storm, with a fire or two in the background. We did make it out for the annual trip to see the British Commercial Awards at the Walker, and while there I fell hard for this crazy beaded masterpiece... can you even imagine all the work?

back to California, I dressed in my beaded best for a quiet (and super delicious) New Year's Eve with Kevin at Frances... I'd been dying to go, and it definitely lived up to the hype on both food and service. I also fell hard for the decor there, and not one to usually pull out my phone at dinner, I had to snap a picture of the front nook. With the simple garland draped around the windows, I think I have inspiration for next Christmas already!

Finally, a New Year's Day feast of homemade cavatelli and sauce... and a quiet night at home. Can't complain. 2012 is looking good!

I hope your holidays were as fantastic as mine. Here is to an amazing 2012! With loads of excitement in store (i.e. the wedding), I can barely contain myself... Cheers!

october - november 2011

2011-12-08T17:57:00.002-05:00

My oh my, how two months can pass ever so quickly. Life has been a little crazy, and then yet not. I've been thinking about starting a new blog, because the food just isn't coming out of my kitchen as quickly as I'd like it to. The general order of things around here includes quick weeknight meals (not particularly worth sharing) and meals out on weekends. I absolutely love writing this blog and getting to know some amazing ladies I've met through it... so, would a new blog be the answer? A place wehre I could write about topics other than what I've cooked lately, other inspirations, other thoughts.

While, I'm pondering this, I thought I would at least update with some of the major happening of the last 2 months. They've gone by quickly because they've been so jam-packed with goodness, really.

Back in the end of October we had some of our favorite people come visit us. We packed 5 of us (4 adults, 1 baby) in the car and headed to Napa for two days, strolled the streets of San Francisco, had beers and calamari by the water, and even did a little wedding dress shopping (boys not included, of course). The loveliness of that long weekend will stick around for long to come. That baby, he is one easy-going kid, and he just may be destined to be a sommelier; I'm fairly certain he has already been to more wineries than I ever have.

By the end of November we saw some more of our favorite people get married on the eastern shore of Maryland. That weekend is another one that will just marinate and stay in my thoughts for a long time coming. These two... they are the stuff marriage is made for. It was a beautiful, super fun love-extravaganza that wedding was, and I couldn't be more happy for the two of them! Both of their families are pretty amazing to boot, and her mother quite possibly lives in one of the most idyllic spots of all time. I seriously wanted to quit my day job and be her lady-sitter, just so I could live there (and take the boat out from time to time).

I have to give a big Thank You! to Lauren from Second Star Photography, for letting me use her photo here... Lauren was so much fun to chat with and her photos beautifully capture that amazing day. I had such a hard time picking one to share, because there were so many great options!

A week at Thanksgiving led to lots of wedding planning, which has been unusually easy and stress-free for me. We met our amazing photographers for the first time and had a little engagement shoot, which I just can't wait to see the results of! We tasted some delicious cake, picked out wine and food, and tables, and all that. Only the little details are left, I'd say, and that feels pretty great to me. For those interested, here is a little sneak peak/ inspiration board for "the-big-day".

Well folks, that's about it. Hopefully i'll be back soon with some new holiday treats or possibly even a new blog... but in the meantime, if you're looking for sweet Holiday recipes, here are some suggestions from my past lives...

caramel corn, my all time favorite, no joke
chocolate peppermint bark cookies, i've been craving these since july
eggnog french toast, just do it, ok?
nutmeg logs, of course!
tres leches cake, we always seem to have this at Christmas, I have no idea why, except that its delicious
carrot cake cookie sandwiches, you really can't go wrong giving out these
brown butter cranberry cookie muffins, odd sounding, supremely delish

blue cheese dressing

2011-10-03T22:51:00.000-04:00

Being a self-proclaimed foodie, I'm often embarrassed to admit that there are a few main-stream ingredients I tend to steer clear of... olives are included in that list.

I have a thing for olives in things... like olive tappenade on my grilled tuna or a good muffaletta sandwich, but all alone, gah- I just don't know, too salty? too strong? who knows?

Blue cheese is another one of those things... that is, until I made my own blue cheese dressing. Turns out I'm not a bad foodie, just a total food snob. Once I mashed up some Roquefort with some quality sour cream, half-and-half, and little else, I was more than pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this dressing.

You know, this isn't rocket science here, I just mixed together a few things, then seasoned to taste and added half-and-half to a consistency I liked, but it seemed like something more when dotted on top my homegrown (and somehow overly sweet) tomatoes. It was the perfect accompaniment. I wanted... more, can you believe it?

Like I tried to say, this is simple stuff, and totally worth the effort. Obviously, adjust amounts to preference. If you have no use for this much, cut in it half or quarter it. Making your own blue cheese dressing is super quick and, I think, tastes so much better than most of that jarred stuff. How could you not make your own? Simply put, this is just another example of how homemade really can make a huge difference.

blue cheese dressing

4 oz. blue cheese (roquefort)
1/4 c sour cream (low-fat or regular)
1/4 c half-and-half, heavy cream, or buttermilk
1 Tbsp chives, chopped
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
fresh ground black pepper

In a small bowl, crush blue cheese with fork until crumbled. Mix in sour cream, half-and-half, chives, vinegar, and black pepper. Add a little extra vinegar or lemon juice for added tang, if desired. If dressing is too thick, stir in a little more half-and-half. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

happy weekend

2011-10-01T13:07:00.000-04:00

Hi friends. Where have I been? Oh lost amongst the beautiful September weather here in the bay area, and not to mention lost amongst the amazing pins over at Pinterest. I've been on a pinning rampage lately. It's one of those new obsessions that has grown out of me not wanting to take part in yet another social media outlet, much like twitter. What can I say, sometimes I wrong, and my friend Abbie is right.

Anyhoo- I'm heading camping with Kevin, Emily, Rob, and friends this weekend, but I actually have some fun things coming up next week. Hold me to it, and I'll produce. Have a great weekend!

wedding weekend: DIY (budget friendly) engagement photos

2011-09-17T14:09:00.001-04:00

Cooking around here has been decidedly slow as of late. This week's dinners mostly consisted of a loaf of acme bread, some cheese, that homemade nutella, and large salads with fresh figs, pistachios, and shaved fennel. While pretty delicious, I hardly think it's worth chatting too much about.

So, as a means of checking back in, I thought share a little tip for anyone planning a wedding out there. Kev and I are getting married over what could be considered a holiday weekend (around the 4th of July next year), so we are working on getting out save-the-date cards out stat, before everyone starts to schedule up their summers. With our wedding photographer in NC, no budget to hire on another out here in Cali., and sadly no photographer friends we could beg to help us out, we grabbed my trusty DSLR and a tripod, headed to a nearby park with dozens of amazing spots, and swallowed our pride.

We ended up with a few good shots, which I will share, many hilariously bad shots, which I won't, and some awkward "trying to re-create shots I've seen in wedding blogs" shots, which I also won't.

In the end, I was fairly happy with the few choices we walked away with. I think we're going to go with the first shot, even though I really wanted the shot with the tree to work out. So, if you're looking for a budget friendly way to get some good engagement shots, or heck Christmas Card shots, or something else, invest in a tripod (it doesn't have to be expensive), head to a local spot with good light and neat backdrops, and you've got yourself a budget friendly photo session... and as I'm quickly learning, any way to do something budget friendly, can be a really good thing, especially when planning a wedding.

weddings and a little homemade nutella

2011-08-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

so, as you may understand, my mind has been utterly in wedding mode lately. we've got just about 10 months to go, and I'm having so much fun dreaming up everything from all the big ideas to all the little details.

we mostly have the big stuff pinned down, as it seems you have to do these days. when we went down to NC (where the wedding will be) in july, the venue we wanted was already booked for all of the next april, may, & june, so july it will be. with the venue, band, and photographer booked, it's time for the fun stuff...

I am totally inspired by blogs (when am I ever not), and lately by pinterest (did I tell you I'm obsessed? a couple of my wedding boards here and here), and have gathered/ dreamed up some amazing ideas. one of these, which i'm not totally sure I can follow through on, even though i want to ever so badly, is to make an assortment of homemade goodies as the wedding favors.

so, i've done a few trial runs (made some homemade lemoncello, um... yum!) and now this homemade nutella. do you know what? it's not an exact replica of nutella, but i think i like it even better. it's a little richer and a little darker, maybe not quite as smooth, but totally amazingly delicious just the same.

i adapted this recipe from the LA Times, and mostly changed it up by adding a little more sugar and a pinch more salt. it was a fun process, to blend the hazelnuts until they were liquified, to add in the cocoa powder and cross your fingers, and then finally to taste it and think that yessss this is exactly what i was hoping for.

homemade nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread)

adapted from LA times, here

note: i used hazelnut oil here, but would think a neutral flavored vegetable oil would work too. i halved this recipe from the original, so feel free to double up, quadruple up or make as much as you need.

1 c raw hazelnuts
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp hazelnut oil, more as needed

Heat a saute pan over medium-low flame and spread hazelnuts out evenly in pan. Toast the hazelnuts, tossing occasionally, until they darken and become fragrant. If hazelnuts are still in their skins, transfer to a damp towel and rub to remove the skins. Let cool.

In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts to a smooth butter (you will notice the oil come out), scraping the sides as needed so they process evenly, about 5 minutes.

Add the cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, salt and oil to the food processor and continue to process until well blended, about 1 minute. If the final product is too dry for your liking, process in a little extra hazelnut oil until the desired consistency is achieved.

Remove to a container, cover and refrigerate until needed. Allow the spread to come to room temperature before using, as it thickens considerably when refrigerated.

in my pantry

2011-08-02T21:51:00.000-04:00

First and foremost, thank you so much to everyone for such nice comments on my last post. As I think you can tell, we are very excited these days, very excited. We've begun the beginning stages of wedding planning, and I'm mixing up some ideas and inspiration over at Pinterest, if anyone is interested.

In other notes, I'm here today to talk about soup, but first my pantry. I'm sort of crushing on the idea of a good pantry these days. I've been stocking mine with lots of dried things (beans of all kinds, lentils, quinoa, rice of all kinds, pasta, the list goes on...), jars of homemade strawberry jam, canned tomatoes, canned beans, peanut butter...

... you get the drift. I'm big into my pantry. BIG. I've made an excel file to keep track of what I have, what I don't have, and what I need. Whether or not this will prove to be useful, only time can tell. For now, I'm pretty hype about it. Hype about an excel file, hmm... sad, but true.

In that file, I've even included frozen things, a couple of fresh things, and then the usual flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, etc. It's my collection of either the things I can store for long periods of time (the dried and canned things) and the items I use just about everyday (onions, lemons). I keep a few maybe not so traditional ingredients in my pantry too. Things like coconut milk, because I love it so much. Build your pantry out of the ingredients you love and love to use and hopefully, this is my goal, there will always be something to throw together for dinner.

So this most amazing soup comes from just that, pantry items (at least to me). This recipe comes at you right from one of the most lovely cookbooks I've picked up in a long while, Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Everyday. The whole book is amazing, and I'm not the only one out there who thinks so. Blogs, papers, critics have been raving since it came out, and for good reason.

I am not joking when I tell you this is the best soup I've made in a long time, and I'm one for soup, so I think that says something. Somehow, without being complicated the brown butter, the curry, the coconut milk all come together and just completely sing. I am 100% in love with this soup. If those ingredients sound good to you. Don't hesitate... make this ASAP.

green lentil soup

adapted from Super Natural Everyday

serves 4-6

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
5 1/2 c vegetable broth
1 1/2 c green lentils (or green split peas), picked over and rinsed
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp Indian curry powder (I used Madras)
1/2 c coconut milk
salt to taste
chives, chopped (optional)

In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and stir often until onion softens, a few minutes. Add vegetable broth and the lentils. Simmer, covered until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes (can take up to 50 min).

Warm other 3 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and brown, until it begins to smell nutty and fragrant, but don't let it burn. Stir in curry powder and saute until fragrant, less than 1 minute. Set aside.

When lentils are tender, remove from heat, stir in coconut milk and 1/4 tsp salt. Puree using an immersion blender, leaving the soup a little chunky, if you like, or until perfectly smooth. Stir in half of the spiced butter. Taste and add salt, if needed. Serve drizzled with remaining butter and sprinkle with chives.

a new beginning

2011-07-19T22:01:00.000-04:00

time for a new post.

i've been delaying and delaying writing this. looking and thinking of the best recipe I can think of that perfectly signifies how special this moment is. something sweet, of course.

but nothing has come to mind, and i've come to realize that nothing will, this is much to special.

if we are friends on twitter, you may (or may not) have figured out by now that a few weeks ago Kevin and I took a trip a few hours south...

... we sat on a sandy beach at sunset and watched as surfers were finding their last waves of the day, as bonfires were being lit, and families were packing up to go home. we sat for a while, resting and relaxing, and there with sand in our toes, kevin asked me to be his wife and i said yes.

words really can't describe my excitement as i am in the beginning stages of planning a wedding to signify a new beginning and our choosing each other to spend the rest of our days with and to build a family and a new life. kevin is my best friend and the kindest man I know, and I can't wait to call him my husband.

churros!

2011-06-29T20:01:00.001-04:00

I have a short history with churros, but a pretty deep one. My first churro was approximately two or three years ago, can you believe that?

Mama Inez in West Lafayette, IN she is the one who got me onto them, and let me tell you she knows what's up. I love and curse her for it every day.

Then there was a trip to Mexico last summer where I ate just about as many as I could fit on my plate. Despite the way this photo looks, that statement is indeed true. Also despite the photo, I never cut my hair to look like a little boy's, its just a bad picture, ok people? Yikes, should I really post this?

Finally there was last weekend, when I had a small little dinner party with and Emily & Rob and some co-workers of Kevin. Flank steak was grilled and tomatillo salsa was made, a la Rick Bayless, Emily brought a delicious salad filled with organic produce from her farm adventures earlier in the day, and yes, oh yes, churros were fried, covered with sugar, then devoured. I might mention it was quite a fun and hilarious kitchen adventure with the girls. Note: if you don't use the star tip to pipe your churros, you might get some pretty great shapes, that after a few Mexican beers you just can't stop laughing about... you get my drift, yes?

Without having made them before, I scoured the recipe sites and went for one of the easier recipes around the interwebs, with a shorter list of ingredients than many (i.e. no eggs or butter included), and though I was worried they wouldn't be as good, they tasted just like perfect little churros to me.

My only few notes of caution are not to make them too thick, otherwise they may not cook enough (mine were about 1/2-inch diameter and perfect) and to definitely eat them within a few hours of frying... day after churros, not so great (sad but true).

So, if you're up for some deep frying, have a hankering for churros like I did, here is a pretty straight-forward recipe to follow with super yummy results. It also doubles super easily, fyi. Comamos!!

churros

serves about 4, makes 25-30 small churros (2-3 inches)

recipe adapted from here

1 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts oil for frying
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball and is smooth.

In a paper bag or in a plate, combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, or deep fryer, heat a few inches of oil to 375 degrees F. With a large star tip (optional), pipe strips of dough into hot oil using a pastry bag. Alternatively, place dough in a plastic ziplock bag and cut tip off so diamter is about 1/2-inch, then pipe strips into hot oil. Fry until deep golden. Drain on paper towels. Shake or roll churros in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature (same day!)

gwyneth paltrow's grilled halibut with mango avocado salsa

2011-06-23T00:29:00.000-04:00

i'm here to tell you that I miss you guys. Three weeks without posting is just not what I want to do here. I'm not going to lie, a lot has been going on, but that's no excuse. It's good for me to be here. It gets my creativity flowing, and I honestly wish I had a more time to play around with that.

With all that has been going on, a lot of it being very, very happy news that I just can't wait to share with you... very soon, I promise, when the time is just right. And anyway, today I want to leave you with something nourishing and satisfying and just right for this time of year. Something with fresh mangoes and avocados, some of my favorite things. Something healthy and citrusy...

... something developed by my number one girl crush of all time, Gwynie Paltrow, of course. The woman is pretty amazing, don't you think? With the release of her new book, My Father's Daughter, she was the cover for June's Bon Appetit (where this recipe comes from), and honestly, even though I wasn't sure about that at first, but what I am sure about is that the girl knows her food and how to cook it. I have her new cookbook, which is just completely lovely, that she worked oh so hard on with the amazing Julia Turshen. It looked too beautiful, easy, and delicious to pass up, and is certainly not a typical celebrity cookbook, this book has heart (and great recipes), I promise you that. I can't wait to set aside some time and dive in even more.

Based on history, I'm clearly a sucker for white fish with citrus salsa on top, and this recipe is totally great. A favorite meal from the past few weeks. It reminded me, a girl who isn't the biggest lover of fish in the world, how delicious halibut can be... and how beautiful is that piece of fish? Gorgeous, I know! The super fresh California produce didn't hurt either, oh and that salsa, its as simple and yummy as it should be, and its just great on its own too! I love how easy the recipe is and how quickly you can make such a great meal. It also reminds me that cooking great food after work isn't impossible, it is in fact as easy as this!

now back to the business of things. I hope you are loving this recipe as much as I am, enjoy!, and I'll be back soon, this time, it's a promise!

p.s. I'm totally needy tonight... shoot me a comment or a tweet, if you're still there, because I just love saying hello!

grilled halibut with mango-avocado salsa

adapted from June 2011 Bon Appetit, here

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice

1 medium ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

4 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6-ounce halibut fillets

lime wedges

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Gently combine the avocado, mango, tomatoes, basil, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Season salsa to taste with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature, gently tossing occasionally.

Place fish fillets in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoon lime juice over. Season fish with salt and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes, turning fish occasionally.

Brush grill rack with oil. Grill fish until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Spoon mango-avocado salsa over fish. Squeeze a lime wedge over each and serve.

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oatmeal muffins

2011-06-02T23:38:00.000-04:00

dear readers,

thank YOU for hanging in there. Are you hanging in there? I sure hope so. Like I said before, transitioning to a new job, is well, a transition to me. I went from having almost infinite "free" time to trying to figure out a new pace of waking up early, getting home late, and trying to squeeze in grocery shopping and cooking meals somewhere in between. I'm getting better, much better, and it's only been a few weeks.

Not that I expect to be cooking "post-worthy" meals quite as much as perhaps I was before, I still hope to be making and posting things that excite you, and well, excite me too.

Who knows, this could be a great opportunity to see what else I can and may want to do with this blog...

Well, one thing that is important to me that doesn't come up quite as often as it should on here is staying healthy. Sure, I love a big ole huge slice of cake and I can't seem to help myself anytime a plate of cookies are around (hellooo sweet tooth), and guess what (well, you know), I cook/bake with butter... and sugar!

To me, staying healthy is about consuming food (real food), just in small proportions. This is better said by Michael Pollan, who I've quoted on here before, "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants". Those words are currently scribbled across a little chalk board in my kitchen. I agree with that 100%.

But sometimes I wonder, and I asked you guys on twitter, do I still need supplements? Am I getting enough Vitamin D? What about Omega-3's? Am I eating enough vegetables? Does it really make a difference if you take those Vitamins or not? These questions I'm not so sure about still... if you have more thoughts, I'd love to know... i.e. comments, please! :)

Ok, while I'm thinking about that and talking a little, ever so little, about health, I wanted to give you my favorite healthy muffin recipe passed onto me from my mother, I'm sure when she was in her Francophile phase, and reading about how to stay slim like a French woman.

These muffins, have ZERO sugar in them, so they aren't the muffin you make for a special brunch, in my opinion. They are the muffins you make for everyday, think bowl of oatmeal. They are tasty (yes, they are!), especially with a little of this jam, and pretty darn guilt free if you ask me. I've added some roasted flax seeds to the mix for a little boost of those Omega-3's and because I like the flavor, but you can leave that out if you want. These muffins also freeze extremely well, so I basically immediately put half of the cooled muffins into a freezer bag and in the freezer and when I need one, pop them in the oven until they are hot.... perfect & perfectly healthy!

oatmeal muffins

adapted from Anne Barone (& my mom)

4 cups low-fat or non-fat buttermilk or sour milk  

4 cups rolled oats, quick or old-fashioned 
4 eggs (or 4 egg whites) 
1/3 cup cooking oil 
4 cups unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda  
1 teaspoon salt
4 Tbsp roasted flax seeds, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Oil the cups of two muffin tins (12 muffin capacity) with cooking oil.

Put four cups of buttermilk in a large (4 quart capacity) mixing bowl. Stir in the rolled oats. If using regular or old-fashioned (not quick) oats, allow the oats to absorb the milk for 15 minutes. Beat 4 eggs into oat and milk mixture. Stir in the oil. Put the unbleached flour on top of the oat mixture. Sift on the baking soda. Stir soda lightly into flour. Stir in the salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet only until well-moistened. Do not beat.

Spoon the batter into the 24 muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Or until the muffins are golden on top. Remove from muffins from the tins and cool on a wire rack.

These oatmeal muffins freeze well. When completely cool, place muffins in a zip plastic bag, seal well. Store in the freezer of your refrigerator. To reheat 1 muffin, take the muffin from the freezer. Place on a paper towel and heat in the microwave for 1 minute on high. To reheat in a convention oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the frozen muffin on a metal pan. Heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until hot in the interior.

Point Reyes & Tomales Bay - weekend edition

2011-05-31T00:35:00.000-04:00

In search of a little food, a little sea, and a little shopping, Kev and I hopped in the car on Sunday for a quick jaunt up to Point Reyes Station & Tomales Bay. If you've never been, I can not recommend a trip up there more highly. The drive from Easy Bay is gorgeous, winding through state parks and red woods, passing pasture after rolling hill of grazing cows (happy cows!), sometimes catching site of a few deer, and often slowing down for wild quail crossing the street.

We first went up to the Point Reyes National Sea Shore for a night of camping a few weeks ago. We stayed in Coast camp, and these two photos below were the views from our tent. Not too shabby, right?

This time, we made the ritual stop at the Pine Cone diner, strolled along the main street, stopping in all the amazing shops, including coyuchi (an amazingly lovely organic bedding shop), running into an absolutely lovely little new & used bookstore and, of course, picking up cheese @ Cowgirl Creamery & bread + pastries @ the Bovine Bakery.

a neat little park in the sun, perfect for snacking on Bovine Bakery goods

treasures picked up while shopping in town

With supplies in hand, we headed to Tomales Bay for some Hog Island Oysters, and were lucky enough to grab a bench + grill in the sun despite the huge crowd. The picnic area was full of energy, with fun music blasting, games being played, champagne popping, and the weather was sunny as can be. Most importantly, I shucked my first oysters, adding a necessary check to my list of "cooking things I want to know how to do".

So, all in all it was a pretty great Memorial Day weekend. I hope it was pretty great for all of you too!

all is quiet

2011-05-23T18:55:00.002-04:00

hello my friends. i'm simply here to check in today.

it has been a roller coaster, to be honest, these past few weeks, as I've been preparing and then starting a new job. Change has always come a little bit hard for me, and I can be slow at getting back to normal, and that is exactly what is going on these days. As I am ramping back up to my normal pace of life I wanted to leave you with a few blissful things that have brought me back to equilibrium, even if just for a few moments.

1) My beautiful best friend Abbie sent me lots of pictures of her wedding dress shopping excursion, since I couldn't be there with her. Let me just tell you, she is going to be the most beautiful bride in the world.

2) My grandmother's spaghetti sauce, which I made for the first time, ever. This is a recipe I could never share on here, not because I'm a hoarder of family recipes (darlings, I'm all about the sharing), but because I'd be infinitely embarrassed if you knew what went in there. It's just one of those things I grew up with, that I will always love. I made a ton and froze just as much to make dinners easier as I'm transitioning into this job.

3) Reading. I've been behind on reading books and have had An Object of Beauty on my list since it came out, well I'm finally digging in and loving it so far. It makes my long commute (luckily on public trans) a lot nicer.
4) Fresh cherries. Apparently it is cherry season around here. I've bought 4 lbs in the last couple of days, that are sweet, ripe, and just in season. Cherry sauce + vanilla ice cream, here I come.

5) My ity bitty potted herb + flower + tomato garden. City livin doesn't allow for much more than this, but that's ok!

Tell me, friends, what do you do at times like these?

baked chicken meatballs with pepperonata

2011-05-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

This has already become one of those weeks. Starting with my poor mama, who broke her ankle on Saturday and was promptly sent to surgery on Sunday, just in time for mother's day. Hope you're feeling a little better today! Add to that a loaded schedule, all the stress that comes with starting a new job on Monday (wheee!), and now what seems to be an annoying car problem (again). Luckily, Kevin's sister will be in town on Thursday night, so no matter what we get done and what we don't and what's left to figure out, we will be relaxing and having a great weekend. So, thank you Laura, for the ever needed forced relaxation and break in the busyness. Can't wait to see you!

It's times like these when I go back to old favorite recipes, so I don't have to add figuring out what's for dinner to list of craziness. Though we really don't eat that much meat around the house, these chicken meatballs have become a favorite. I first made this for my friends Jess & Dan, almost two years ago now, when I was visiting them in Portland. I was reading my trusty Bon Appetit on the plane ride over and tagged this recipe based on the picture alone. When I decided to make dinner one night for us, I pulled out my magazine and went straight for the meatballs.

These are absolute best chicken meatballs I've ever had. I happen to love them served with the recommended pepperonata and a hearty piece or two of garlic bread, though you can serve them however you choose. Above, I made them into open faced sandwiches with a little fresh mozzarella.

Though the recipe may look a little long, it's not hard or complicated at all, I promise. Basically, you cook up the pancetta + onion, then toss everything together, form into balls, and bake. Like I say in the note, if you want to serve with the pepperonata, but don't have the time for roasting, buy a jar of roasted peppers and put everything together while the meatballs are baking. Voila - an easy, healthy, delicious recipe, that has become one of my favorites and immediately comes to mind when I just don't know what to make.

baked chicken meatballs

recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, here

note: if in a time pinch, use jarred roasted peppers instead of roasting your own.

for the pepperonata:
1 red bell pepper

1 ½ tsp capers, drained

1 tsp evoo + 1 tbsp for roasting

2 tsp red wine vinegar

pinch red pepper flakes

for the meatballs:
3 slices Italian bread, crust removed & torn into pieces, about 1 cup
1/3 cup milk
3 ounces sliced pancetta, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 pound ground chicken (I use 1/2 dark + 1/2 light, but any combo will do)
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon tomato paste

for the pepperonata:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Place pepper on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Rub olive oil all over pepper then place in oven. Roast for about 45 minutes, turning pepper 2 or 3 times, until skins are wrinkled and charred in places. Remove from oven and carefully wrap pepper loosely with the foil. Let sit about 30 minutes to cool. Open foil, remove stem and seeds from inside of pepper, peel of all the skin, and slice into strips.

In a bowl, combine all pepperonata ingredients and toss to coat. Let sit while preparing meatballs.

for the meatballs:
Bring oven to 400 degree s F.

Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil and cook pancetta, onion, and garlic with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper, until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Cool slightly.

Squeeze bread to remove excess milk, discard milk, then break up into small pieces.

Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then using a fork, combine with chicken, pancetta mixture, bread, and parsley. Form 12 meatballs and arrange on a baking pan.

Stir together tomato paste and remaining tablespoon oil and brush over meatballs, then bake in upper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

baked chicken & bean taquitos

2011-05-05T11:47:00.000-04:00

Hola and Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Today, I'm over at Michelle's blog, Pretty Mommy, with a guest post while she is spending some much needed time with her new beautiful baby girl!

If you're looking for a yummy, healthy riff on a Mexican favorite of mine, taquitos, head over to her blog and check out my recipe!

cardamom angel food cake with balsamic strawberries

2011-05-04T17:09:00.001-04:00

alright, this will be a quick one, because I've got a ton of things on my to do list, not yet crossed off, and even more the weather is so crazy, beautiful today that I would just be crazy to not go enjoy it. That said, I wanted to get this post to you asap, as mother's day is coming up after all, and what better way to thank your mama and tell her you think she is just heavenly than to make her an angel food cake?

it is also still strawberry season around here, which is just perfect timing. If you're looking for something light (check the ingredients folks, no egg yolks, no butter, no oil), but still sweet, this is your cake. If you've never had homemade angel food cake, um... I'm sorry? :) run, go make this! It is terribly easy and quite rewarding. Your mama will be proud!

I served mine with a little side of balsamic strawberries. What's that?, you ask. Cut up strawberries into quarters (or halves, or even pieces if you like), sprinkle with just a little sugar and splash with some good balsamic vinegar (this is where I say "good balsamic" and actually mean it). Give it a stir and add a little more sugar/ vinegar if you see fit. Let sit for a bit, maybe an hour or even all day, and serve. Voila.

On a completely separate, but utterly important note. Isn't this just the cutest little hokie you've ever seen? That's my main squeeze Brayden and I'm pretty sure he's quite happy in his 8th week of life, bopping around, going to National's games and Top Chef Spike's burger joint, and even a Smithsonian musesum! What a complete joy it was to meet him this past weekend!! Now, off to the kitchen, and enjoy this cake!

cardamom angel food cake

note: I loved the pop of cardamom in the cake, 1/2 tsp is just the right amount. If you would rather make a traditional angel food cake, simply leave the cardamom out and make no other changes!

basic recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

1 c cake flour
1 1/2 c superfine sugar
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (I bought pods, popped out the seeds and ground them to 1/2 tsp)
1 3/4 c egg whites (from about 12 large eggs), at room temperature
1 Tbsp warm water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, 3/4 c sugar, and ground cardamom four times.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and water on medium-low speed until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla, and beat on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Leaving the mixer on, slowly add the other 3/4 c sugar to egg whites. Beat on high speed until stiff and glossy peaks form, about another 2 minutes. Be careful not to over-mix, creating dry whites.

Sift 1/4 of the flour mixture over egg whites and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Repeat for the other quarters. Gently transfer batter to an un-greased 10-inch tube pan. Run a knife through the batter to release any air bubbles. Smooth top with spatula. Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when touched, 35-40 minutes.

Invert pan onto its legs and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Carefully run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen and invert on a plate or wire rack. Cake can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.

Before & After (& DIY) Home Decor - April 2011

2011-04-28T12:33:00.002-04:00

so there has been a lot happening around my home these past few months. I finally decided it was time to bite the bullet and get the new digs (ok, the "digs" were new in October, but still...) spruced up. I wanted to share a few before & afters to give a little perspective and sneak peak into my un-trained design mind. I should also note that I am an obsessive (or is it compulsive?) re-decorator, I'm constantly shuffling things around, from room to room, from table to table, trying to get things right. It seems once things are right for a few days or weeks, they're wrong again. Am I the only one here like that? Luckily for me, my storage, and my budget I'm more into buying things I love for my home and shuffling them around in stead of buying a ton of new things all the time. So here goes, a break from recipes for a moment...

1) a dresser DIY (inspiration & DIY directions @ Marcus Designs). I saw Nancy's amazing tutorial for her dressers, and I knew it would be perfect for the side table in my living room (+ the price was right!). The gold paint I bought failed, and I'm now deciding if I should just leave off a gold Draper-style design. **My fav feature: I left off the backing of the dresser so I can run cords through the back, store laptops in the drawers, and leave those cords out of site; I love it!!

Rast Dresser from Ikea ($29.99). I won't show you what was there before. It's too embarrassing! :)

2) A pillow DIY!! I loooved this silk dress and the pattern from Martin + Osa (which sadly no longer exists). I bought it for a trip to Mexico, and darlings, it was just far too short for me. It worked in Mexico, but not in my normal life. I tried it as a shirt, and no, it looked crazy, so I took the scissors and sewing machine to it and made this little pillow for the couch, which I adore! *My DIY tip is about "up-cycling". If you don't use something as it is anymore, could you use it in another way??

sheep skin pillow from west elm

3) the bedroom: bedding & lamps (jewelry organizing, here). I don't have a real before photo (which is a good thing for you) so this mid-way through photo will have to do. I chose neutrals for the bedroom, whites + grays, because I like my bedroom to be as serene as possible. I'm in love with how it turned out.

white bedding from west elm, marimekko bedding from crate & barrel, lamps JC Penney

4) Bedroom Dresser - also an Ikea fixer-uper (can you tell we were on a major budget?). I simply bought some new drawer pulls, the ones from the living room dresser, and I think the impact is huge. *Minor (& budget friendly) changes can make a huge difference. New drawer pulls are a great way to modernize/ freshen something up.

5) Last but not least, and I'm a little embarrassed to say this on my blog, in full disclosure, I still have a futon in my living room. Ok, I told you we were on a budget, so a new couch wasn't in store yet. A new pillows are all it took to somewhat hide the fact that indeed we had a futon. A new cover would work great as well, but I tried a white one, and it looked awful, so stayed with navy. Some gold and ikat pillows freshened up the look, don't you think? **Searching the interwebs for ways to update a futon is DIFFICULT. I went with my gut instinct, a) buy what you love and b) lean towards richer fabrics & prints to offset the futon-ness of it all. I think it works well enough for now, and I love the pillows.

ikat pillow from west elm. gold pillows from Pier 1

Hope you enjoyed this little before-and-after home tour (let me know what you think)!! I'm headed out of town today to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends and her new bebe in DC. I'll be back next Tuesday or Wednesday with something yummy!

hollandaise

2011-04-26T15:02:00.000-04:00

Something healthy for today... ok, or not. Hollandaise is certainly a guilty pleasure of mine. Unfortunately, it is not one of those things when you make it at home, you feel better about eating so much of it. Hollandaise is butter; butter and egg yolks, and that's pretty much it. The upside is that making hollandiase leads to a feeling of accomplishment. I've now made it twice, both times being totally successful and yummy, and both times I started with a feeling of dread that all that butter and all those eggs would go completely to waste. When that doesn't happen and the result is perfect, accomplishment ensues.

Luckily Julia Child stepped in and I read her section on hollandaise as if it were a text book, which it very well is. I won't go into all the tips and details here, but I will leave you with the recipe I used both times which worked beautifully for me. If you are looking to figure out how to squeeze a little more butter in there or the science behind the method, please, go read Julia Child, but if you just want to know a great recipe/ method for making the sauce, read below.

One benefit of making this sauce by hand is that your arm (ok, I should say my arm, because I have quite literally no upper body strength, so this may be different for everyone) may be a little sore after all that whisking. A benefit?, you might ask. Think of all those burned calories... more room for more hollandaise!

p.s. so, I posted poached eggs for you, and now hollandaise. though, believe it or not it wasn't in the plans, how about I make and post some homemade english muffins for you, for a full-on homemade eggs benedict? You in??

hollandaise sauce

adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

**add corn starch only if needing the sauce to hold warm for a long period of time. I have made this with and without the corn starch and the results were very similar in taste and texture. With the corn starch, the sauce did hold for > 2 hours over a pan of warm water

12 Tbsp (6 oz) unsalted butter, melted

3 egg yolks

1 tsp arrowroot or cornstarch**

1 Tbsp cold water

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

large pinch of salt

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold

salt, pepper, more lemon juice, to taste

Melt 12 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan and set aside. Add an inch or so of water to a medium size saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn heat down so water is barely simmering.

In large glass bowl, whisk egg yolks for one minute until they become thick and sticky. Wisk in corn starch, if using. Add in cold water, lemon juice, and salt and whisk for 30 seconds. Add in 1 Tbsp cold butter then place over simmering water.

Stir egg yolks with whisk until they thicken into a smooth cream, 1 to 2 minutes. The yolks are thick enough when you can see the bottom of the pan between strokes and the mixture forms a light cream on the whisk.

Remove from heat and whisk in the other 1 Tbsp cold butter.

Whisking the entire time, add the melted butter by droplets (1/4 tsp full, approximately) until sauce begins to thicken into a heavy cream. At this point, butter can be added a little faster, while whisking. Once all butter is incorporated, season sauce to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Serve hollandaise warm. I keep mine warm by turning the heat off the simmering water then placing the bowl of sauce back on top, stirring occasionally. It could also be kept warm in a thermos.

happy birthday kev!!

2011-04-22T20:21:00.000-04:00

an ode to kevin (the best man I know) in so many photos (& words), for your birthday.

kevin is someone who:
loves the outdoors

can dork out, just like I me. Yes, that says "measurement of thermionic electron emission from modified graphene petals", right.

who loves when I take his picture while driving

who loves my family's dogs, even though they are the worst-dogs-in-the-world!

who takes me to pumpkin patches and to pick apples from trees

who wears my college's t-shirt (and admits my mascot looks way better in that stance than his does)

who is a lover of fine foods

who doesn't know karate, but karate chops things when he thinks no one is looking

who is almost as silly as I am

and who loves me a lot!

...for all those reasons and so many more, I love you, my boy. May this year be filled with just as much joy, fun, and love as the last. Happy Birthday!!

Brownie recipe found here (per Kev's request) + PB icing, PB m&m's + birthday candles!

swiss chard & a poached egg on toast

2011-04-18T19:03:00.000-04:00

what's with today, today? 10 points if you know what that quote is from! what is with today? the sky is completely gray and it's monday. blah, right? luckily there are about 3 things keeping my spirits up. 1) the coconut pound cake I made for a potluck yesterday 2) emily's earthquake blackout party tonight and 3) this yummy very local dish I put together for meatless monday.

Last Friday, I gave you a little how-to on poaching eggs. You guessed right, I did that on purpose. Well, what I said in that post was 100% true, I'm trying to learn here and that post was part of the experience, but at the same time, I wanted to serve that farm fresh poached egg with my swiss chard from the farmer's market, and if good (which as you can hopefully see, it was) I wanted to share that with you.

Spring produce is a favorite of mine. There was lots of green showing at the market last weekend, and I picked up this rainbow chard, some fava bean leaves (made pesto!, just sub basil for fava leaves for a nuttier, slightly earthier sauce), a couple of artichokes, and some avocados, as well as strawberries (they are so, so good right now), flowers, and eggs.

The bread I used for this dish came from an uber cool local company, sour flour. Thanks, Danny! I was turned onto it from an event I attended last week, and am hooked. It was amazingly delicious, and I am just dying to learn a little more about bread baking from Danny, himself. Hoping to sign up for a class sometime soon!!

With that amazing sour dough bread turned to toast, the fresh chard simply sauteed and liberally seasoned, and a wonderfully poached farm fresh egg, I really couldn't ask for a more healthy, quick, and seasonal meal. Hope you enjoy!

Swiss Chard & a Poached Egg on Toast

serves 2 to 4

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large bunch of swiss chard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, diced
1/8 to 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
4 large slices of country bread, grilled or toasted
4 poached eggs (see link)

To clean swiss chard, cut down both sides of stem to remove it. Plunge leaves in a large bowl of water and mix with hands. Let sit for a few minutes, letting dirt fall to bottom. Remove chard, drain water and repeat a few times. Dry chard either with a salad spinner or on towels. Once dry, cut chard into large (1/2-inch wide) ribbons.

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds. Add chard and nutmeg and cook until chard is soft, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside, or leave on low heat until ready to serve.

To serve, arrange 1/4 of chard mixture onto each piece of bread. Top with a poached egg and season with a little salt and pepper if desired.

how to poach an egg

2011-04-15T13:47:00.002-04:00

There are a few reasons I write this blog, and there are even more reasons that I write this blog about food. Cooking, and specifically cooking well, is something that I feel passionate about, so the topic falls from that tree. On a broader sense, though, blogging helps me navigate through and, of course, documents my path towards learning. To learn and to be inspired are two guiding forces in my life. Writing this blog has led me to both. It has given me the strength to be a little more curious about food and to try new things. It has provided me something to hold on to, so that when and if something doesn't work, I want to make it work, so I can blog about it. It has led me to other blogs filled with endless inspiration (not just in food, but also in home, in design, in fashion, in just plain living).

For these reasons, I am ever grateful to this funky, free, easy way to publish yourself on a global stage. I am even more grateful for the nice comments I get, keeping my head up on otherwise difficult days, so thanks to you!

This blog has helped me not only learn about new things, but compelled me to finally learn about the most basic parts of cooking, the parts that often get neglected, the parts that I feel that as someone who claims to love to cook and to be fairly good at it, I feel I should be able to execute to perfection. Poaching an egg is one of those things.

If you are like me and are someone who is always striving to learn, because what more noble thing is there?, then I hope you like what I'm going to say. On occasion (i.e. when it comes up), I'm going to pop on my cooking 101 hat and really teach myself how to execute these basic techniques/ recipes, and then I'm going to post it here. I'm even going to make a special little spot on the top of my recipe index, labeled as "basics". Though I have some other posts that may qualify as basics, like those cream scones for example, this is my first with intention. Here you go!

poached eggs

Bring a pot of water to barely a simmer. Bubbles should be rising from the bottom, but the water should not be near a boil. Add about 1 Tbsp vinegar for every pint of water (not absolutely essential, but highly recommended).

Crack an egg into a small bowl or ramekin and when water is ready, pour egg into water gently (getting as close to the water as possible helps with this) and stir egg whites towards the yolk with a wooden spoon, to keep it all together.

Let eggs cook 3 to 4 minutes, keeping the water at barely a simmer by adjusting the heat. To test, remove egg with a slotted spoon and check that the white is set and the yolk is soft.

Either let dry on a towel and serve or drop in a bowl of cold water to remove the vinegar & stop the cooking. You may also trim off any stringy pieces of the white at this point. (DO AHEAD: In cold water, poached eggs will last several hours. This is a great tip if serving a larger group).

To re-heat, set egg(s) in a bowl of hot water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve immediately.

cream scones: basic recipe + pistachios

2011-04-14T13:39:00.000-04:00

Hello to Thursday, loves. For a moment when I woke up this a.m., I thought it was Friday!, but no, simply Thursday. That's good, because I have a new little thing I've been working up for you tomorrow, but not today. Today, I have exactly what you need to go with that orange curd... scones of course! In fact, it is my favorite go-to recipes for perfectly fluffy cream scones.

I already have a few scone recipes on here (a whole grain coconut chocolate chip recipe, which I looove and these oatmeal, maple, pecan scones, also delish). Both of these, however, come from the wee early days of this blog. I must have been on a scone kick, and then nothing, no scones for years, at least none posted. What I've done in that time is gone back to the basics. Don't get me wrong, I love me an oatmeal based scone and anything with coconut and chocolate I can hardly say no to, but I wanted to build my favorite basic scone recipe and adapt from there, and that is what I have for you today.

Adaptation is why I love me a basic recipe. Take this one, for example. You can add in a little citrus zest + dried fruit, or how about chocolate + cherries?, or even a toasted pistachio (like I did in these photos) or any other type of nut? Add a little (or a lot) of honey in place of some of the sugar. The list is endless, and you can use whatever you have on hand. bam, love it!!

I also learned a pretty amazing trick from Martha, which I'm totally loving and is making having hot scones on weekend mornings and/or entertaining totally attainable. (I like to sleep in on weekends). Here it is, should I make a graphic? We need a graphic!

Weeks, that is! I make a full batch of 16, throw them in the freezer and you are golden!! Love it, and they bake up as if they are fresher than fresh, just perfect. I used to freeze the baked scones and that worked okay, but this is like honestly a revelation to me. Why, oh why had I not thought of this before! A little spy I know told me they do this at bakeries too, so it's like a insider secret as well.

cream scones

makes about 16

nota bene: As I said above, you can add in just about anything you want to. Some of my favorite combos I already listed, but I'll do it again... dried cherries + chocolate, dried fruit of any kind - apricot, currants, cranberries + citrus zest, toasted nuts (pistachio here, yum!), any combination of fruit + nut, crystallized ginger, etc. If not adding any nut or fruit, I highly recommend adding in some citrus zest (lemon or orange).

4 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/4 c sugar

2 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 c unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (kept cold)

1 c toasted nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc (optional)

1 to 2 tsp citrus zest (optional)

2 c heavy cream, or more

sanding sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Line 2 baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with mixer on low speed. Add bits of butter and stir on low speed until butter resembles the size of peas. Add in nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, citrus zest, etc. and mix on low speed just until combined. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in 2 c of cream into the flour mixture just until the dough comes together. If too dry, add a little more cream, 1 Tbsp or so at a time.

Turn out dough onto a floured work surface. Gently press dough together and pat it down so it is about 1 inch thick. Using a floured biscuit cutter, cut out scones and place on prepared baking sheet. Once scones are cut out, gently work dough back together, pat out again and cut more scones. Repeat until all dough is used up. Cover scones with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour. (Note: this step is somewhat optional, but does produce nice looking scones. After this step is where you can leave them frozen for weeks. After 1 hour or more in the freezer, I take scones off the sheet and put into freezer bags.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat together 1 egg + 1 Tbsp cream or water. Brush egg wash over scones and sprinkle them with sanding sugar (if using) or granulated sugar. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through (if using baking 2 sheets of scones), until scones are golden, about 30-35 minutes. (Note: if scones have been frozen for longer than 1 or 2 hours, check for doneness - that they are not frozen- in the middle of one). Cool scones on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

blood orange curd

2011-04-12T12:33:00.002-04:00

I made this curd quite a few weeks ago when I came upon a bag of blood oranges for under $3. This was about a month ago now, back when I posted those blood orange margaritas for you. Somehow this lovely recipe never ended up being posted. I hope it isn't too terribly late and you can still find some blood oranges out there. If not, any orange would work here, as well as lemons too, though I may add a bit more sugar to the mix.

I was making myself a little tea party and thought making a curd out of the remaining oranges sounded just perfect. With some freshly baked scones, it was, and the curd added nice girly (read pink) touch to the mix. On that note, the weather is delightful here today, and I'm off for a little walking, wandering, and window shopping. Happy Tuesday!

blood orange curd

6 Tbsp sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c blood orange juice
2 tsp blood orange zest
6 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
pinch of salt

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the eggs and sugar, then whisk in blood orange juice and zest. Place pan over medium-low heat, and stir slowly but constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove the zest and bits of cooked egg. Stir in the butter and a pinch of salt while the curd is still warm. Transfer to a jar with a lid or leave in bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and store curd in refrigerator. It will keep chilled about one week.

napa valley & a buchon lemon tart

2011-04-08T15:54:00.000-04:00

today let's go traveling...

Last weekend, while Kevin's parents were in town, we took a little overnight trip to Napa. Even with my oenophilia, I hadn't made it up to California wine country, and since Kevin's dad is also a huge wine lover, it was the perfect time to make the first trip. Let's just say I'm hooked. I would go back today if I could. Can't you see why? Besides the wine, could the scenery get more beautiful?

We started our trip fairly early, hitting the first wine tasting room (at Hess) by, oh, I'm not sure, before lunch. The picture below is me taking a little sitting snooze in the sun after a few glasses of morning wine and only a bowl of cereal in my tummy. We'd packed a lunch, so before our next stop had a little picnic at one of the wineries on Hightway 29 (though I think we would have chosen a more remote winery if we'd known better). At any rate, cheese, bread, & fruit were eaten and we were off to more tastings.

Beaulieu Vinyards was next and though I enjoyed the wines and was lucky enough to have a pour of their George de Latour (which was quite good and quite expensive), the setting wasn't my favorite. I think I prefer the wineries that are a little more set back and off the main trail, that have a unique feel and ambiance. That said, I would still go back to BV. Next we stopped over at my dad's favorite, Silver Oak, and basked in the sun, the good wine (especially the 2004 Alexander Valley they were pouring, can we say yum!), and the beautiful scenery - see below.

We headed to our hotel, the Vintage Inn (thanks to Jetsetter), which was totally amazing, had a little afternoon tea, and got ready for our dinner at Ad Hoc. That meal was basically to die for. We had a lentil salad, which while it may not sound so glamorous, had me taking seconds and thirds, even knowing 3 more courses were on the way... I wish I could get my hands on that recipe!! That was followed by osso bucco which had been cooked sous vide for 36 hours (I think, something close to that) on saffron risotto, then a little cheese (delicious!), and finally a blueberry financier and vanilla ice cream which had everyone up in arms about how good it was! So, would I go back? Umm.... yes, anytime!

The next day, Kev's mom and I got a pretty amazing pedicure at the spa, did you know the new thing is to lie you down on a comfy heated seat? It does make it hard to drink your glass of champagne you have and it also makes it pretty hard to stay awake! We then soaked up a little more sun, wine, and scenery before heading back home.

Pretty much everything about our little trip to Napa was perfect. I wish I had a recipe to share for you, from our meal (I might need to pick up Ad Hoc @ Home), but alas all I have for you is a recipe for a delectable lemon tart that comes from another Thomas Keller restaurant, Buchon (the bakery is pictured below).

I actually made this tart for the Ladies Activity Club last week. I thought it was great and I think all the ladies did as well. It was fun to make, and I've never actually made a lemon tart using sabayon as the base, so it was fun to learn that method. It was also fun to eat, and putting it under the broiler sure made it pretty, don't you think? This really is a winning recipe for me, and one I am sure to make again, which as you may know, actually means a lot.

lemon tart

adapted from Tarte au Citron at Buchon (here)

note: the crust is my recipe. If you want to use Buchon's pinenut crust, the recipe is here.

for the crust:
1/4 c shelled pistachios, toasted and cooled
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
pinch of salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp ice water

for the filling:

2 large eggs, cold

2 large egg yolks, cold

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c fresh lemon juice

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut in 6 pieces, cold

for the crust:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse pistachios to grind finely. Add flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until it is the size of peas. Add vanilla and water while leaving the processor running until the dough comes together. Remove the dough and place onto prepared tart pan. Press dough down onto the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan with fingertips. There should be just enough dough to fill the pan completely. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and place pie weights on parchment to weigh it down. Cook 30 minutes then remove from the oven. Let cool just a minute or two, then remove parchment and weights. Place tart shell back in the oven and cook 15-30 minutes more until slightly golden and cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Shell may crack in places, but it will not effect the tart

for the filling:

Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. In that large bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth. Set the bowl over the boiling water and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). When the eggs are foamy and have thickened, which may take a few minutes, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be about 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the cooled tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.

pasta caprese

2011-04-06T14:40:00.000-04:00

I believe fresh, simple ingredients can create some of the best food. I know this isn't a ground breaking statement, but I certainly think it is true, and I'm sort of stuck on this concept right now, trying to work with as few ingredients as possible to make some of the best dishes I can. Don't get me wrong, I do love a hearty soup or a braised meat or a pot pie every now and then, but when I really think about what I want to eat on a regular basis the word fresh comes to mind.

After I made those roasted tomatoes, I knew I wanted to throw them into a pasta dish, and I knew I wanted it to be something special. Since I had a free day and wanted to make something nice for Kev when he got home from work, I decided on making fresh pasta, as you may recall from my last post. I always have in my mind that making fresh pasta is going to be some huge task, a project that will take all day. I'm not sure why or where this belief came from, because, as I said before, it really isn't! I seemed to pull it together in no time and that has inspired me to make it more often. With such a delicious meal coming together, I decided to create a little impromptu Monday night dinner date, right on our couch, just a nice table setting, some candles, and fresh flowers... a great meatless monday.

While I was kneading the pasta dough, somehow throwing together the ingredients for a caprese salad into a pasta sounded just right, and that's basically what I did here. I punched it up with some garlic and the roasted tomatoes, but this dish is fairly simple, relying on delicious ingredients and good seasoning (don't be scared to add salt!). Kevin seems to think this is one of his favorite meals, and I have to agree. We also served it again for his parents who were in town for a few days, and as far as I can tell, they agreed too. It's easy to make, but feels so special when you serve it. I absolutely love dishes that turn out that way.

pasta caprese

serves 4 to 5 large dinner servings
for the slow roasted tomatoes, see this post. for the pasta, see this one.

1/4 c olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
fresh pasta
1/4 c slow roasted tomatoes
1/2 c quartered cherry tomatoes
12 basil leaves, chiffonade
8 oz fresh mozzarella cut into 1-inch size pieces
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic, turn heat to low, and let cook while preparing the rest of the meal. This allows the garlic to infuse into the oil. If garlic starts to turn golden, turn heat off.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add fresh pasta. Let cook 2-5 minutes, depending on pasta shape, until tender. When pasta is ready, turn heat back on oil (if you've turned it off) and add cooked pasta to the pan with a slotted spoon, letting some pasta water get into the pan. Add roasted tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, most of the basil, and the mozzarella to the pan. Toss everything to combine well. Liberally season with salt and pepper to taste. You may also add a little more olive oil if needed. Serve immediately, topped with any remaining basil.

fresh pasta

2011-04-01T02:39:00.000-04:00

I grew up with the belief that i could do anything if i tried. I believe most of my generation was brought up this way, and I happen to believe it, in its most basic meaning. However, there is one thing in life that i aspire to be that can never be no matter how hard I try, and that thing is to become an Italian grandmother.

I want to have huge, elaborate Sunday meals with my hoards of grandchildren running around, fresh pasta with ragu, fresh mozzarella, imported olive oil, cured meats, a huge perfectly cooked roast, or maybe a perfectly roasted chicken, polenta, spaghetti, you name it... the sad thing is that to my knowledge i have no Italian ancestors, and I'd believe it because I'm about as pale as one can get and freckled from head to toe; Irish, would be one way to describe me.

Kevin had an Italian great-grandmother, who as much as I know about her was a phenomenal cook, and in fact once or twice a year I get to eat her homemade cavetelli (pronounced govadill, naturally) with an all day on the stove meat sauce full of sausages, meat balls, ribs, the list goes on. Kevin also had a Italian grandmother who said "damn" a lot, which is also something I would totally expect to do if I were an Italian grandmother.

Since I just don't have the blood-line, and can never actually be an Italian anything (grandmother or not), I've resorted to perfecting roast chicken, teaching myself to cook polenta properly, drinking lots of red wine, and learning to make phenomenal fresh pasta. After many attempts and many different recipes from as simple as it gets, flour + water, to egg-yolk loading the dough, this is the way I like to make my fresh pasta. It's a version that has stuck in my head since I read the book Heat (which, by the way, I totally recommend), because it's easy enough to remember: 1 etto (100 grams, of flour that is) + 1 egg (1 good egg specifically, though I just use what I can get). I also glug in just a little olive oil for good measure, and the result is always amazing.

It's also easier to make and throw together than one might think... completely inspiring guests, I can assure you. This is also part of that pasta recipe I mentioned to you last time, which I promise is on the way!

fresh pasta

serves 4

400 g flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

Measure out flour and place in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add eggs. Using a fork, begin folding in flour from the edges of the well. Continue to fold until flour is all wet. Add olive oil and salt and fold until dough comes together. Place dough on a work surface and knead for a few minutes until dough is very smooth, flouring the work surface as necessary. Cover dough with a bowl or wrap in plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

Roll out dough by hand or with a pasta machine to desired width.

For the spaghetti you see here, I cut the dough into 6 pieces, and rolled it out to the 3rd smallest setting on my pasta machine. For fettuccine, I unusually roll to the thinnest or 2nd thinnest setting. I then let the strips rest on a floured surface about 10 minutes then cut into the desired shape with the machine. Pasta is then tossed in a little flour and immediately cooked or covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to cook.

To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook 2-5 minutes, depending on pasta shape. Taste pasta for doneness and once it reaches desired consistency, drain.

slow roasted tomatoes

2011-03-25T00:30:00.001-04:00

First off, thank you all SO much for your input, comments, and feedback on my last post. I appreciate every single thing you said!

Now, tomatoes. I know, I know... it's March, and I'm posting about tomatoes. Don't think for a minute I don't have some tinge of guilt about this, some thought that this is so not seasonal, some feeling that I'm being an awful blogger, but sometimes... sometimes I just can't help myself. I walk down the produce aisles at the grocery store and these bright and shiny red orbs just stare at me and tell me to take them home. See them there below? Don't they look so lovely and red? Yes, yes they do. So, a few days ago I gave in and bought them, and that night I made a pasta dish that was just totally beyond.

Well, I promise to have that recipe for you soon, but for today (tonight) I have these tomatoes. I have made these slow roasted tomatoes a few times now, and they are most definitely deserving of their own spot on this blog. I was just hoping that post would come in the summertime, but it can't always be as we foresee it, and I want to get this to you before that pasta recipe.

A few notes: first, yes these are better with the freshest of the fresh summer tomatoes. I've had them that way, I can tell you that for sure. I wish above all that I had those for you (ok, I wish I had those for me), and soon enough I will, but for now, these grocery aisle pint of tomatoes will make do. Second, roasting them just makes the flavor deeper, richer, more "tomato-y". They're great in pasta, and Kevin loves eating them straight from the dish. Third, depending on what size tomatoes you have, they may require more or less time. Take the photo below as my "Journal of Negative Results" entry for this recipe... I popped the first batch in the oven for about 30-45 minutes too long, and about half were too dried out to enjoy, as in not juicy at all. The ideal tomato would be slightly dried at the edges but retain juiciness in the center (see photo above). So use my negative result as evidence, don't forget about the tomatoes; check them about every 30-45 minutes and make sure they are just right.

the negative result

slow roasted tomatoes

recipe adapted from Goutmet, August 2009

note: these are cherry tomatoes, but you can use other sizes of tomatoes too, just adapt the roasting time (more time for larger tomatoes)

1 pint cherry tomatoes
drizzle extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.

Cut tomatoes lengthwise and place cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle ever so lightly with extra virgin olive oil and toss. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours (or more), checking tomatoes after the 1st hour about every 30 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.

vegetable pot pie (vegetarian) - meatless monday

2011-03-21T12:53:00.000-04:00

As the gloominess of this weekend continues into the this week, I'm sitting at my kitchen table starting this post. I've been thinking a lot lately about this blog. I love writing this blog. I love everything about it. From coming up with ideas, to cooking, to taking photos, to learning to take photos better and cook better and even healthier at times. That said, I am starting to feel that there are a few things I'm missing, and one of those things is in the writing, in the fact that I have completely neglected the writing.

I thought a long time when I first began this blog about how to approach the writing. Do I just write as I think? Do I wax poetic about the things that interest me? The question of "what is my voice" lingered, and I didn't know how to answer it. I think that I let my voice fall silent, since I didn't know where to take it. I didn't know what I should write, so I wrote some descriptions about the food (honest enough), a smattering about my life, my day, my week, whatever came to mind at the moment, but all this is somewhat strange to me, because believe it or not, I've always been a writer. It might surprise many of you to know that I once wanted to be a writer, not a scientist/ engineer. I wanted to be a story teller. Not a food writer or a non-fiction writer, but an honest to goodness creative writer, and I almost transferred schools in college to join a creative writing program, instead of the engineering degree I completed. While I know now I made the right choice for me (I do love science!), that doesn't mean writing needs to be erased from my life completely.

Somehow the writer in me has gotten lost in this blog. It may have surfaced a few times, but certainly not too often, and though I don't plan on writing stories, or poems, or novels into these pages, I want to honestly know, do you read the writing? I've worried that no one will actually read the posts anyway, that the writing would be unnecessary extra goop, that the blog is only about the pictures and the recipes. I'm starting to think that perhaps I was incorrect, perhaps the blog is about whatever I make it about. You guys tell me, if you will, if I wrote more, would you read it? Would you prefer it?

I miss writing, and when I do it, I remember parts of me that have seemed lost. So, as I'm sitting here, dwelling on these thoughts, with the floor open to you to tell me any and all of your thoughts on this, I'll have a little vegetarian vegetable pot pie, to warm my body and soul. Comfort food, it is. Steaming hot, rich, full of the bounty of the farmer's market, with a little crust to hold it all together. It doesn't get better than this, especially on such a dreary weekend like we've been having. I really would love your thoughts, so comment away if you have a moment!

vegetable pot pie (vegetarian)

serves 8

note: I baked this in a souffle dish and the filling amount worked out perfectly

2 pie crusts, homemade or store bought

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 c chopped leeks, cleaned and dried

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 c carrots, diced

1 c asparagus, tough stems removed, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 c broccoli florets, in bite size pieces

1 rosemary sprig

1 thyme sprig

4 Tbsp flour

2 c good vegetable broth

juice ¼ lemon

1 c frozen peas

¼ c heavy cream

1 egg

blind bake bottom crust:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out one pie crust into a 9-inch round. Place in bottom of a deep dish pie pan or a soufflé dish, letting dough cover most of sides. Freeze 30 minutes. Cover dough with parchment paper and fill at least ½ with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and after a few minutes remove parchment and pie weights. Pierce bottom with fork, then bake 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool on rack until ready to fill.

for the filling:

In a large saucepan, heat oil and butter together over medium-high heat. When hot, add leeks and garlic and sauté about 2 minutes. Add carrots, asparagus, broccoli, and herbs. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables become tender, about 15 minutes. Remove rosemary and thyme sprigs. Add flour and stir into vegetables. Let cook about 2 minutes. Slowly add in vegetable broth, stirring continuously. Cook until sauce becomes thick. Add lemon juice and stir. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add heavy cream and stir to combine.

to assemble:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour filling into pre-baked bottom crust. Roll out second pie crust 1-inch wider than the top of baking dish. Folding the extra length of crust under, top filling with the crust. Whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp water. Brush top of pie crust with egg wash, cut a few holes in top of crust, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in oven 45min to 1 hour, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling.

for japan with love

2011-03-18T12:43:00.000-04:00

besides this small comment, i'm being silent on this blog today.
silent for Japan, because it is still hard to come up with words to talk about it.
Please donate, if you haven't already, to this organization or any other.
The money raised by For Japan with Love goes to Shelter Box, an organization providing emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for those in need, and there are still many, many people in need.

Irish Soda Bread

2011-03-17T13:40:00.001-04:00

Happy St. Patty's Day to ya. I sort of forgot St. Patty's Day was coming up. I'm going to blame that on not living in Chicago anymore, and not hearing the local news stories about dying the river green and the crazy drunken Irish parades. Without that, the holiday just slipped my mind. Luckily enough, I just did the dark laundry, so have green items to wear!, and more luckily, Ina Garten has the perfect recipe for a super delicious, quick and easy Irish soda bread so no one (except you) is of the wise that the holiday was indeed forgotten.

Now, I've made a few Irish Soda Breads in my day, and I have to say that this is the best I've made. It is sweet, orangy, and full of dried current goodness, yum! Oh yeah, and not super dry, like Irish Soda Bread can be. Also, even being an Ina Garten recipe, it only has 1/2 stick of butter! Hooray!! So, if you are making an Irish meal tonight, or even if you aren't, add this to the mix, you will not be disappointed.

Ina's Irish Soda Bread

recipe from Barefoot Contessa at Home, also here

serve with a pint of Guiness, of course

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 cup dried currants

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour. With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound. Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

blood orange margarita

2011-03-15T13:55:00.000-04:00

If you know me personally, you will know that I believe whole heartedly that you cannot have Mexican food (i.e. yesterday's recipe) without a good margarita. You probably also know that you want to drink my margaritas slowly, or in small quantities, because they've been known to knock your socks off.

The problem, is that they're good. The problem is also that the margarita is probably a be-all-end-all cocktail for me... I sort of love them.

This time, instead of making my typical knock-your-socks-off version, I used some amazing blood oranges I found at the market and dialed back the alcohol content (just a little, it is a weekday after all! What turned out what a pretty amazing blood orange margarita, if I do say so myself.

blood orange margarita

2 servings

4 oz blood orange juice
2 oz lime juice
4 oz tequilla
2 oz orange liquor (cointreau, grand marnier, or tripple sec)

for the sugar rim (optional):
zest of 1 lime
zest of 1 blood orange
4 Tbsp sugar

If making a sugar rim, combine lime zest, orange zest, and sugar in a shallow bowl, rubbing zest into sugar with fingers. Run a wedge of lime around the rim of your serving glass, then dip glass in bowl of sugar, turning it back and forth to coat with sugar-zest mixture.

In a shaker filled with ice, combine orange juice, lime juice, tequila, and orange liquor and shake vigorously for a few seconds. Pour margarita into serving glasses (with or without fresh ice) and garnish with an orange wheel, if desired.

vegetarian tostadas - meatless monday

2011-03-14T14:47:00.000-04:00

Just for my lovely friend, Abbie, Happy Pi Day! Do you remember way back to the very beginning of this blog? Probably not. Well, I started this blog, thinking I would write about both cooking + science, and maybe some other topics too; however, I quickly found out that I wanted this blog to solely be my creative outlet, since I work 40+ hours a week in science/ engineering. I quickly dropped the pseudo-philosophical science chat from any other posts, but for today, just for my gal, I'll celebrate Pi Day (3.14...), and here is a little ditty just for that: "3.14159, integrate, integrate, graph that line"! Woo, Happy Pie Day! Now onto the show:

Remember yesterday? Remember when I said I was going to give you "a recipe that I've already eaten 3 times since the first time I made it"? Or when I said that it "isn't going to be complicated... [or] something crazy, or insanely creative, or completely different from anything you've had before" Or when I said that it is "one of the best dishes I've made in a long time; one of the easiest dishes I've made in a long time; and a dish that is the definition of highlighting an ingredient and letting the "good stuff" (i.e. homemade refried beans) shine through"?

Well, here it is... vegetarian tostadas in all their splendor. I told you, this isn't wacky, crazy stuff, just fantastic food, food that I could literally (or figuratively) eat every-single-day. I may no longer have a boyfriend anymore, if I do such a thing, but at least I will have my beans...

Now about those beans, to make this dish as delicious and amazing as I'm making it out to be, you really should make your own homemade refried beans. I promise, you won't be disappointed. Enjoy! and have a fantastic Meatless Monday!

vegetarian tostadas

serves 4 (2 tostadas per person)

8 corn tortillas (I prefer "handmade" style, if you can find them)
canola oil
2 c refried beans, approximately
1 c lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1 avacado, diced
1 lime, zested
1/2 c light sour cream

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat beans in a pot over medium-low heat, just until warm.

In a small saute pan, add enough oil so that there is a 1/2 to 1-inch deep layer. Heat oil over medium-high heat until very hot. In the meantime, prepare lettuce, tomato, and avacado; stir about 1/4 tsp of lime zest into sour cream and add enough lime juice to thin sour cream into a "pourable" consistancy; and line a plate with a few paper towels. Test oil by placing a small edge of a tortilla into oil; if it bubbles rapidly, the oil is hot enough.

Once oil is ready, dip a tortilla into the oil using a pair of tongs, and holding it into the oil, let it cook until lightly browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip tortilla over and fry on the other side. Remove tortilla with tongs, letting excess oil drip back into the pan, then place on paper towels to soak up any extra oil. Place cooked tortilla on a sheet pan and into the pre-heated oven to keep warm while frying the other tortillas. Repeat for all tortillas.

Once all tortillas are browned, remove from oven and assemble tostada. Place about 1/4 c warm refried beans on each tortilla. Top with lettuce, tomato, avacado, and sour cream-lime mixture.

homemade refried beans

2011-03-13T21:35:00.000-04:00

I know what you are thinking... you're thinking, "beans"? "she's giving us refried beans"? "How un-sexy!!" "What ever happened to bourbon caramels? or oven roasted dungeness crab or even beet & fennel soup?" Beets are definitely sexier than pinto beans, definitely.

Well, the reason I'm giving you beans today, is to change your mind about canned refried beans, and... to set up a recipe I'll have for you on Monday, a recipe that I've already eaten 3 times since the first time I made it, and, in fact, have already gone out and restocked the ingredients so that I'm at the ready next week.

I'll give you a heads up. Monday's recipe isn't going to be complicated. It isn't going to be something crazy, or insanely creative, or completely different from anything you've had before. However, it will be the following: one of the best dishes I've made in a long time; one of the easiest dishes I've made in a long time; and a dish that is the definition of highlighting an ingredient and letting the "good stuff" (i.e. homemade refried beans) shine through.

That said, and I'll probably say it again tomorrow, making these refried beans from "scratch" is key. You can use canned beans if you really have to, but I guarentee it just won't be the same. These beans have changed my mind about canned beans. These beans have made me decide that whenever possible, I'm making them this way, and I will never look back.

re-fried beans

for about 1 1/2 c re-fried beans

note: You can cook dry beans multiple ways (soaking them first or not). I prefer to not soak the beans because I find it to be easier to control the texture. Pre-soaking may quicken the cook time, however.

1 c dry pinto beans
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Place beans in a pot and cover with 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, so that the beans come to a soft boil. Partially cover pot with lid. Let beans cook, checking for doneness every 15-30 minutes, then stirring and adding more water, if necessary. Cook until beans are done to your preference. Drain beans and reserve until ready to fry. Beans may be refrigerated if not frying within a few hours.

When ready to fry beans, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add onions when oil is hot. Let cook until onions begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Add in cumin and stir, then add beans. Mash beans with a fork, the back of a wooden spoon, or a potato masher and stir. Continue until most beans are completely mashed. Some bean pieces are okay. Stir in cayenne pepper and season liberally with salt and pepper. If desired, dilute beans down to a creamier texture by adding water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until they reach your desired consistency.

lemon pudding with lavender whipped cream

2011-03-11T13:43:00.000-05:00

First and foremost, my heart is going out to everyone in Japan today. The footage from the earthquake and tsunami is just heartbreaking.

It seems such a contrast to have such a happy looking recipe for you today, and in fact I'm a little distracted, watching news reports and seeing what's happening in Japan and what, if any, the effects are on the bay area here (It is my first ever Tsunami Warning, after all).That said, I will keep this post short and sweet for you.

Did you ever eat lemon pudding growing up? I don't have many memories tied around a lemon pudding, but when I took my first bite of this, I instantly felt like I was young and back in NC at summertime. I just love summertime. I love everything about it, from constantly wearing dresses and sandals, to ice cream, to swimming pools, to riding bikes and taking daily walks, to picnics in the shade, to days at the beach, the list could go on... Summertime always makes me feel young again.

Since it isn't summertime all year long, I think it's terrific to have a recipe like this that can transport you there if you're feeling cold, locked inside, and/or a little blue. Even more, it is recipe you can make in the wintertime with completely seasonal ingredients. I enjoyed the pudding topped with a little lavender whipped cream (recipe to follow) and ginger cookies (straight from Trader Joe's, "Tripple Ginger Cookies").

lemon pudding
adapted from Luscious Lemon Desserts

3/4 c sugar
1/4 c arrowroot (or corn starch)
2 1/2 c whole milk
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/8 tsp (pinch) salt
2 Tbsp lemon zest (from 2-3 lemons)
1/2 c lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Over medium heat, whisk together sugar, arrowroot (or corn starch) and milk in a medium saucepan until mixed together and smooth. Whisk in egg yolks, stirring rapidly until mixed in, then add lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and butter. Strain mixture into serving bowls. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate at least two hours prior to serving.

If desired, serve topped with lavender whipped cream (recipe to follow) and ginger cookies.

lavender whipped cream

1 c heavy cream

1 tsp dried lavender

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, mix together cream and dried lavender over medium heat. Once the cream reaches a simmer, turn off heat before it boils. Let lavender steep in cream 20-30 minutes, while cooling to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.

Once completely chilled, whip cream until it begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar 1 Tbsp at a time and whip until soft peaks form. Serve immediately.

hungarian paprika chicken with spaetzli

2011-03-09T15:52:00.000-05:00

Did you enjoy the few snapshots I took in Budapest and the interview with Gabby? I really did enjoy Budapest, and I sincerely wish I could have spent more time there, more time to sit back, relax, eat, watch the people, and get a real sense of the culture and the place. That is how I like to travel best. The tourist attractions are great, but not what I usually take away from the places I visit. I like to soak in the feel of a place and the food too, of course.

That being said, I really only remember one dinner I had in Budapest. I searched and searched, looking for the restaurant we went to, but I just couldn't figure it out. I remember it being a little away from any busy areas. I remember it being really dark when we went in, and I think it was sort of half-pub, half homey restaurant? Though I wish I could remember, the point is that I ordered a very traditional dish, paprika chicken with spaetzli. I remember the chicken being tender and so flavorful, but most of all I remember the spaetzli. It was the first time I'd ever had spaetzli, and in fact the first time I'd ever heard of them. Have you had them? If not, they are small egg dumplings or noodles (egg, flour, a little oil and that's it). I simply died when I had my first bite; I thought they were just the most perfect things, especially to accompany the paprika chicken.

For all these years, I've been wanting to make them and just hadn't gone through with it, even though I bought a spaetzle maker... yes you do need one, but they're only $8 on amazon and are totally worth it (this coming from a girl who doesn't like to fill her kitchen with tools that are just good for one thing). I think I was afraid I couldn't make them quite right, that I wouldn't be able to get that eggyness that I remembered or the soft texture of them. A few weeks ago, I finally gave it a try, and thanks to Saveur Magazine, the spaetzli (and the chicken) turned out perfect! The dish brought me right back to the small restaurant in Budapest...

... then Kevin asked, "can we have these everynight?" I think that's a sign of a job well done!

hungarian paprika chicken with spaetzli

adapted from Saveur Magazine, recipe here
*I used Szeged paprika ($4 at the grocery store here). Totally worth it, good quality can make all the difference in this dish, plus you can use it any time you need paprika (it's really not a specialty item just for this dish)

for the chicken:
1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 tsp. sweet Hungarian paprika*
1⁄2 tsp. hot Hungarian paprika*
2 fresh plum tomatoes, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 tsp. salt
4 boneless chicken breasts
1⁄2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. milk

for the spaetzli:
1 cup flour
Salt
1 egg
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. melted butter

for the chicken:

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add garlic, sweet and hot paprikas, tomatoes, red pepper, salt, and 1 cup water and stir well. Add chicken, cover, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes, turning chicken once about halfway through. Remove chicken from pot and set aside.

Strain sauce in a fine strainer, pressing down on vegetables to release all liquid. Discard solids. Return sauce to pot, increase heat to medium and simmer until sauce has thickened, 20–30 minutes. (If you've used skin-on, chicken with bones, once the chicken is cool enough to handle remove the bones and skin at this point). Return chicken to pot, reduce heat to low, and keep warm. Mix sour cream and milk in a small bowl and set aside.

for the spaetzli:

Combine flour and 1 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Beat together egg, oil, and 1/2 cup water in a separate bowl, then whisk egg mixture into flour mixture. Set aside and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. Place spätzle maker over a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat. Fill hopper with batter, then move hopper back and forth over grate, allowing dumplings to fall into the boiling water. Cook until dumplings float, 1–2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon, refresh under cold water, and transfer to a cookie sheet to cool. Repeat process, forming, cooking, and cooling dumplings until all the batter has been used. Preheat oven to 350°. Gently toss dumplings with melted butter in a baking dish. Season to taste with salt and keep warm in oven.

To serve, arrange chicken on a large platter and spoon sauce over and around it. Serve with spaetzli and sour cream on the side.

budapest travel & an interview with Gabby of Gypsy*Diaries

2011-03-09T12:49:00.002-05:00

Do you read the blog Gypsy*Diaries? Gabby, the lovely lady behind the blog, is fun, super creative, fashionable, and she has traveled the world! In Gypsy*Diaries, she tells us all about her fashion, traveling, her journey to becoming a photographer, and all things that inspire her. I thought it would be a lot of fun to have her help me write this Budapest post (she lived there until she recently moved to Berlin). So, I did a little interview about the city and about herself, and I'd love to share it with you today! Thanks so much, Gabby!! It was a lot of fun learning more about you! First a few of her thoughts on Budapest:

photo courtesy of Gabby (Gypsy*Diaries)

E: I went to Budapest a couple of years ago and had a great time. I was only there for a few days so only got to do the main touristy things. Could you suggest some things to do or see that are a little off the beaten path?

G: Budapest is one of the most amazing and most understated cities in Europe! There are so many cool things to see and to do that I don't even know where to start! :D Actually put together a little Budapest guide on my blog a few months ago, this pretty much summarizes my favorite places in the city!

(E: check it out, it's a really good guide. I'm bringing it with me next time I go back!)

My friends and I in the city.. see the Parliament building behind us?

E: What are some of your favorite restaurants or bars in Budapest? What kinds of foods do you get there?

G: The thing I love the most about food in Budapest is its diversity. I really don't think there are any nationalities which are not represented on the local restaurant palette, not to mention that the menus are usually much longer than anywhere else in the world (from what I've seen so far :)). Most typical would probably be Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Mexican restaurants.

Myself and M. on one of the many bridges, photo credit Nate Brown

E: If you could sum up Budapest in a couple of sentences, which I know is crazy hard to do, what would you say about the city and the people?

G: It's always extremely difficult to just sum up a city in a few sentences! I'd say fun, unique, retro, laid back and simply COOL!

E's thoughts... From what I saw, I would agree. I remember Budapest being laid back and very cool. Actually, the first thing I remember about Budapest is being alone when I arrived at the airport and not being able to read the signs! I was scared for a minute, then I quickly found some very nice people working at the informational booth, who also spoke English, and guided me to a taxi that took me to my hotel. After that, it was smooth sailing and the game was on. I loved what I saw in the city!

My favorite experience there has to be going to the baths. My friends and I went to the Szechenyi bath, which has lots of indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, steam rooms, you name it. We also took a tour of Buda castle, toured caves with lanterns (which, was hilarious!), roamed the streets and bridges, watched the Danube, watched the people, shopped, ate, and drank lots of beer (didn't try the palinka, sadly. next time, next time...). I would go back for sure, and I'd love to spend more time there, actually!

p.s. come back later on today for a post on a re-make of the best dish I ate while in Budapest!!

(credit)

Now, a little more about Gabby:

E: You have just taken the huge plunge to become a photographer and from your blog we all see you are becoming really great at it! How did you get started? What do you love about it?

G: Exactly one year ago I started my blog, Gypsy*Diaries. After seeing how important having original, good quality pictures in your posts I've purchased a DSLR and bammmm I was hooked. :) I always admired photographers and I always thought they have the coolest job in the world but somehow I never thought it was something I could be doing as well. However, I've read some amazing stories about strong and wonderful women who decided to change their lives and I got so inspired that I decided if they can do it, I can do it as well! I was looking for something new in my life for a long time and photography turned out to be the change I was longing for. I love the creativity that photography requires, I love to organise the shoots and think about concepts, I love post processing and I just love showing the finished products around (most of the time :). A photo really can capture moments and emotions in your life that you'll remember forever. I love to create beautiful pictures and I just love to see smiley faces when I deliver the final results. I started a photography school and now I'm kind of levitating between school, assistant jobs and online courses to learn as much as I can, as quick as I can. I'm hoping to open my own photography business later this year! :)

photo courtesy of Gabby (Gypsy*Diaries)

E: Besides photography, what are some of your favorite things to do? I’m going to guess travel is on this list!

G: Haha yes! :D Traveling definitely tops my list, but I also love being engaged in the blogging community, going to spinning classes, staying at home watching movies the whole weekend, dancing and exploring new places!

E: You have traveled so many places! I am completely envious. Do you have a favorite place you’ve been or a place you can’t wait to get back to?

G: I have many favorite places and I love them for different reasons. Barcelona took my heart as favorite city the first time I've ever visited, Zanzibar had the most beautiful beach I've ever seen and the culture of Thailand has been really fun to discover! I normally don't like to go to the same place twice (there is so much new to explore! :) but to the big European cities like London, Paris or Barcelona I'm always glad to go back!

Thanks again, Gabby!! Now, go check out Gabby's blog, Gypsy*Diaries, if you haven't already! You are definitely in for a treat!!

grilled red leaf lettuce salad with blood orange, pistachio, and roasted garlic vinaigrette

2011-03-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

Today I have just a little Meatless Monday post for you. Something light and bright to start your week. It's a salad, and though I've said time and time again that I'm not a salad person, I've been coming back to them. I still pass over your basic salad (lettuce, meager tomatoes, shredded carrots) any day, but one with fruit and/or nuts and/or some other special element I just love.

Here is a great salad made special by grilling the lettuce to add some heartier flavors and with blood oranges, one of my favorite winter ingredients. The vinaigrette is pretty special too; I can't resist roasted garlic. Enjoy! and Happy Meatless Monday, folks!

p.s. check out the new buttons on my side bar, what do you think? Let me know!

grilled red leaf lettuce salad

serves 2

1 head red leaf lettuce
2 blood oranges
1/4 c pistachios
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp roasted garlic vinaigrette, recipe to follow

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes until hot, then brush with oil. Meanwhile, cut red leaf lettuce in half, lengthwise, and cut the blood oranges into segments (chop the top and bottom of each orange, then remove the peel and pith by cutting it off in strips. Using a paring knife, make a cut on both sides of each membrane, releasing the orange segment). When the grill is hot, place lettuce on grill, cut side down, and grill for 4-5 minutes. Remove from grill and immediately place on serving plate. Serve with orange segments, pistachios, and drizzle with roasted garlic vinaigrette.

roasted garlic vinaigrette

5-6 cloves of roasted garlic (see here for roasting garlic)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Place garlic in the bowl of a small food processor (mini chopper) and pulse to chop. Add the vinegar and honey and pulse a few times. With the blade running, drizzle in all olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper and more honey, if needed.

To Portland or Bust: Oven Roasted Dungeness Crab

2011-03-01T16:24:00.001-05:00

I told you almost a couple of weeks ago now, that Kevin and I were heading up to Portland for the weekend. Well, we went. We had an amazing time with friends, ate a ton (and I literally mean a ton) of food, notably at Screen Door, drank gallons (and I literally mean gallons) of wine and beer, showed Kevin the sights around the city, then took a day trip to the Oregon coast. After driving through the mountains, we started the day at Cannon Beach. With the huge rocks jutting out of the ocean, the place is beyond gorgeous. Unfortunately, without rain in the forecast, the moment we stepped foot out of the car, the sky fell upon us. We took a short stroll down to see the rocks a little better, but got soaked to the bone, and shivering, I couldn't snap any photos.

A beautiful drive down the 101 took us eventually to Tillamook. Along the way, we made a couple of pit stops to catch the views, as the clouds parted, of course, the minute we got back on the highway. If you've ever been to Tillamook you know that there is a mandatory stop at the creamery. We took a short tour of the place (my engineering senses buzzing with views of all the mixers and process equipment), ate sample after sample of cheese, then sat for a few minutes to enjoy a quite large amount of their ice cream (delicious)!

Directly across the highway we spotted this great little fresh sea food stop, so we ran in, grabbed a few dungeness crabs, and made our way back to Portland. With a recipe that I'm pretty sure changed my life (orange zest, use orange zest people!), we gobbled up the crab as quickly as they were prepared.

Now, if this story were a fairy tale, I would have for you in this post the recipe for said crab. Oh wait, I do!! I do, I do! Hopefully Jess won't be too disappointed that I snooped around the internet and found the secret to her MAJOR crab success. I'm not joking when I say this changed my life. I've never actually prepared dungeness crab before this last experience (though all I really did was help Jess with some chopping and measuring), but I'm pretty sure that I don't need to look any further for another recipe. I can't imagine ever, ever getting tired of this. If it wouldn't have been bad ettiquette, and remember I'm a southern lady, I would have mopped up all that sauce with a whole loaf of baguette and eaten every last crumb, and if there was no bread, I would have licked the plate. Yes, yes I would have licked the plate, but not to worry mother, I didn't. I was as refined as one can be while eating crab, which is to say not very refined at all, but not crude either.

If you're planning on making dungeness crab sometime, seriously try this recipe!

And if you're planning a trip to Portland, here are links to a few places I've been and absolutely loved:
Ken's Artisan Pizza - delicious pizza, delicious everything. be prepared to wait; it's worth it!
Cupcake Jones - bite size cupcakes let you taste a few. flavor change daily.
Screen Door - great southern style food. come VERY hungry for brunch, get a spicy bloody mary, and splurge on the calories (I can recommend bananas foster french toast, and kev had biscuits + gravy with friend chicken)
Adelsheim Winery + Erath Winery (not in Portland, but a trip to Willamette Valley is so worth it!)
Powell's Bookstore - huuuge selection, both new and used. plan to spend a few hours in here. plan to get lost.
Voodoo Doughnut - ok, I haven't actually been here, but I'm going next time! p.s. you can get married in the store, too.
Pambiche - Cuban food + Drink (white wine sangria, need I say more)?
Moonstruck Chocolate - famous, delicious chocolates
Papa Haydn (Jo Bar) - went for lunch while shopping on 23rd, delicious salad + wonderful sangria
Shopping on 23rd St. - loved the neighborhood, great shops, lots of restaurants (see above)
Food Carts - most were closed when we tried to go. There are a ton of them, lots of clusters, and I can't wait to check some out!
The Observatory - if you're in NE Portland. Deliciuos and interesting cocktails. Good food.

Oven Roasted Dungeness Crab

recipe from Bon Appetit, February 2005, here

note: this sauce is for want of a better word, MAH-JOR, so get rid of those silly crab forks and dig in with your fingers. Serve with crusty bread. Also, read the comments below & find out doubling the sauce is a very good idea! I won't change the recipe, but write in bold DOUBLE the sauce, folks, double up.

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp minced shallot

1 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper

2 large Dungeness crabs, cooked, cleaned, and cracked (about 4 1/4 pounds)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

1/2 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 500°F. Melt butter with oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, shallot, and dried crushed red pepper. Add crabs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped thyme and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley over crabs. Stir to combine. Place skillet in oven and roast crabs until heated through, stirring once, about 12 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer crabs to platter. Add orange juice and peel to same skillet; boil until sauce is reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Spoon sauce over crabs. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

bourbon caramels (salted, chocolate covered, with pecans, or not)

2011-02-25T18:24:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things in this world is caramel. Another one of my favorite things is bourbon. So, it only made sense for me to make bourbon caramels. I also like pecans and chocolate and sea salt, so I threw some of those in too. Of course if you don't like bourbon, or don't have any around like I always do, you can just use vanilla. Easy-peasy.

I made a few iterations of these candies and love them all! I was going to do a taste off and tell you which is my favorite, but I can't. I really can't; they are all so good!! I love chocolate so, so much, and the caramel-pecan covered in chocolate is so pretty, but then there is the salted caramel, which, oh, is just amazing. Luckily, I took photos of them all, so you can decide which (if not all) you want to make! Each photo follows with a short description, in case it isn't obvious.

Nuts sprinkled on warm caramel (before caramel set), then when set submerged in chocolate & topped with a few pecans.

Original caramels, caramels sprinkled only with sea salt, and caramels topped with pecans before caramel set.

Caramels with tops dipped in chocolate then sprinkled with pecans.

Caramels either submerged in chocolate or not. Both drizzled with chocolate with a fork and both without nuts.

I don't know what to tell you other than that these caramels are to die for. They aren't too terribly hard to make or even very time consuming, and it is so rewarding in the end to have that little pretty piece of candy you know you made yourself. What isn't rewarding is when you realize you ate them all in record time (I'm not giving numbers here, people)... but it felt so rewarding along the way. Enjoy and happy weekend!

p.s. tweet me and let me know what you think!!

bourbon caramels

notes: If you want to make traditional caramels (as in not bourbon flavored), add 1 tsp vanilla instead of the bourbon. To decorate, see tips in the recipe and below the photos in the post above. Also, I love the salty-sweet combination, but I know everyone doesn't (i.e. Kevin), so salt as little or as much as you prefer on all of the different iterations (chocolate or not).

for caramels:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 tsp sea salt + more for sprinkling (I used pink Himalayan)

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c light brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 Tbsp whiskey (or 1 tsp vanilla)

1/2 to 1 c toasted pecans, optional

for dipping chocolate:

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 tsp canola oil

Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper.

Combine all ingredients except whiskey (or vanilla) and nuts in a medium pot and head on medium-high until it begins to boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, insert a candy thermometer into mixture, turn heat down to medium and cook until mixture reaches 245 degrees F, gently swirling but not stirring occasionally. Monitor temperature closely at the end, so mixture does not reach 250 degrees F.

Remove pot from heat, and gently stir in whiskey (or vanilla). Pour into prepared dish. If using, sprinkle pecans on top while caramel is still warm. Let cool at least a couple of hours or until set. Cut caramels into bite size pieces. If not dipping in chocolate, sprinkle with extra sea salt (if desired) and serve.

To melt chocolate, place chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water. Stir occasionally until completely melted. Stir in canola oil.

To cover caramels in chocolate, place caramel on a fork and quickly roll in chocolate to completely coat. Do this as quickly as possible. Using two forks may help. Once coated, remove from chocolate with fork, shake off excess and place on a piece of parchment or on a silpat. Alternatively, dip just the top of caramel into chocolate then place on parchment or silpat. Once all chocolates are covered, top with any extra nuts, salt, or other topping, then place in refrigerator about 30 minutes to let chocolate set.

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cherry tomato and sausage bake

2011-02-24T15:04:00.000-05:00

There are certain cooks out there who inspire me to no end, and Jamie Oliver leads the pack on this one. Besides his amazing cookbooks, his drool worthy TV cooking shows, and his always-a-hit recipes, his passion for feeding the world real, healthy food is beyond inspirational.

I also love that his way of cooking teaches me something every time I read a recipe of his. Every time I make one, I feel I'm eating something of a revelation. Not trying to be overly goopy here, just sayin he's pretty amazing. This recipe is no exception to the rule. It is so simple, like beyond simple, like so simple I almost felt silly posting about it, but I loved it and I want to remember to cook like this more often. I've honestly never thought to cook sausages in the oven (always on the grill or sliced and in a pan). Making this dish made me feel like I was cooking how I always want to cook, with Jamie of course!, and by putting a few fresh ingredients together and with little effort to create a supurbly delicious meal that lets the ingredients shine.

Since the ingredients are so few, I definitely suggest investing in some good (as in handmade) sausages, because they play such a crucial role in the recipe. I promise if you can find them, they will be worth it. I also highly suggest investing in some delicious crusty bread for serving. You see polenta in the photo here, but I'm changing my mind, it's all about the bread! I also suggest using a pan that properly fits the amount you're making, you can see at the top there were a few burned spots, which wouldn't have happened with a bigger pan.

p.s. are we friends on twitter? I just joined and I'm totally obsessed!

cherry tomato and sausage bake

adapted from Jamie Oliver, Jamie At Home

also, here. I love the way Jamie's recipes are written out, as if you can hear him speaking to you.
serves 3-4 and is easily doubled

2 lbs ripe cherry tomatoes
1 fennel bulk, sliced (optional, I added it because I had it, and because I love fennel)
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried orgeano
6 good Italian sausages
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the tomatoes, fennel, the herbs, oregano, garlic and sausages on a baking sheet or roasting pan so that the fit in one layer. Liberally drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss everything together, making sure the sausages end up on top. Bake for 30 minutes, then stir the vegetables and turn the sausages over. Put back into the oven for 15 to 30 minutes more.

After cooking, if the sauce is a little too thin, remove the sausages and place the pan on the stove to thicken, then put the sausages back in. Check the seasoning and serve either with a good-quality loaf of bread warmed through in a low oven for 10 minutes or with mashed potatoes or polenta.

hazelnut & coconut shortbread cookies with raspberry jam filling

2011-02-18T17:38:00.000-05:00

It has been raining, raining, raining all week here, and I have pretty much been glued to the house since Monday. I'm so glad to be going out of town! We are headed to Portland to spend some much needed time with my friends Jess and Dan and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us. Last time I was in Portland, we ate some majorly deliciuos pizza at Ken's Artisan , went wine tasting in the Willamette valley, and noshed on cupcakes from Cupcake Jones. Of course we also checked out Powell's for what seemed like hours... love that place! I'd be happy to re-visit each and every spot, but hopefully I'll check out some new places too (like the food carts!)

As a little "thanks for letting us stay" gift, I spent yesterday afternoon rolling, cutting, baking, and filling these cookies. I nabbed a few for me and Kev, to make sure they were good, naturally. It was also a lot of fun to have a plate of freshly baked cookies waiting for Kevin when he got home. I felt so June Cleaver, without the pearls and the circle skirt...

The cookies were divine (how can you go wrong with hazelnuts an raspberry jam?); however the coconut did get a little lost in there. I think I might not chop it us as finely next time and add a little more. Regardless, they were delicious. I wish I could have a few more right now, but sadly they are packed and ready to get to Portland.

I'll be back home Monday night with hopefully some great new Portland spots to check out. I sure do like that city! Have a great weekend!!

hazelnut & coconut shortbread with raspberry jam filling

Using a 3-inch diameter cookie yields approximately 22-25 sandwich cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c coconut, toasted
1/4 c hazelnuts, toasted
raspberry jam, for filling
powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium blend together sugar and butter until soft and light yellow, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile finely chop (either with your knife or in a food processor) the coconut and hazelnuts. Blend vanilla into butter and sugar mixture, then add salt and flour with mixer on low. Once incorporated, add coconut and hazelnuts and stir just until blended together. Remove dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes or until firm.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. With a cookie cutter, cut dough into large circles. Cut out a small circle in half of the circles (preferably the best looking circles) using a smaller circle shaped cutter. Place all circles onto cookie sheets.

Bake cookies 12-14 minutes until edges begin to brown, rotating sheets halfway through if baking more than one sheet at a time. If not, refrigerate dough between baking. Remove trays to cooling rack to let cool for a few minutes. Remove cookies from tray and place onto cooling rack to cool completely. Once completely cool spread about 1 tsp or more of raspberry jam onto the bottom circle cookies and top with doughnut shaped cookies. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

roasted tilapia, citrus-fennel salsa, and coconut rice

2011-02-17T14:09:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited today to take part in Michelle's recipe exchange (Hello to all the Pretty Mommy readers)! Michelle challenged everyone to come up with "lighter and brighter" recipes... hello, citrus!! I happen to think February is the perfect time for this. Hearty, thick stews and braised meats are fabulous, but my belly can only take so much. With citrus booming this time of year, it is certainly time to trade in those heavy meals for something a little less rough on the belly, something, as Michelle said perfectly, lighter and brighter.

To be brutally honest, I'm not a huge fan of fish, and it has only appeared in recipe form on here a few times... (maybe only here and here, actually). However, when cooked well and with the right seasonings, I can totally get into it. Cue this recipe. I love the salsa and I love the way it works with this tilapia (or any white fish, really), and I absolutely love the way the tilapia gets those brown, crispy edges when roasted in the oven. Seasoned well, which for me, means seasoned a lot, the fish is totally delicious.

Added bonus, if this recipe happens to sound difficult or like too much fuss, it's not! It's totally easy!! You basically throw a little oil, salt, and pepper on the fish, throw it in the oven, top it with some simple salsa and make rice. done.

Before I go on too long, I have to tell you one more thing. I'm totally, undeniably obsessed with this rice. I kind of want to make it every night. It might be that sweet tooth I have, but it's really not that sweet... it's the coconut, yum! With all that said, here is the super simple and totally savory-sweet-citrusy-delicious recipe. I hope you enjoy!

coconut rice

1 c water

1 c light coconut milk

1 c basmati rice

1/4 tsp salt

sweetened coconut flakes, to garnish

Place water, coconut milk, rice, and salt into a saucepan and stir together. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes then turn off heat and let steam 5-10 minutes, or until ready to serve. Meanwhile, toast coconut flakes in a saute pan over medium heat until golden brown. Remove from heat. When ready to serve, fluff rice with a fork and garnish with coconut flakes.

roasted tilapia with citrus-fennel salsa

note: I only used orange in the recipe, so I'll write it as such, but I think it would be great with other citrus as well... grapefruit, maybe a little lime if you added some agave nectar or honey to balance the sour.

for the salsa:

1 to 2 oranges

1/2 fennel bulb, cut into matchsticks/ thin slices

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1 tsp chopped parsley

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt, to taste

for the fish:

4 tilapia fillets

olive oil, for drizzling

salt and pepper, to taste

for the salsa:

Segment the orange by cutting away the peel and pith from the flesh then holding the flesh over a bowl, slice between the membrane and the fruit to release the segments into the bowl. Once all segments have been removed, squeeze what's left in your hand into the bowl below. Add about 1 Tbsp olive oil, or more, depending on the amount of juice in the bottom of your bowl, and stir carefully with a spoon. Add fennel and onion slices, chopped parsley, and season with a little salt. Set aside and stir before serving:

for the fish:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place fish fillets on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and liberally season with salt and pepper, on both sides. Place in center of oven and roast about 14 minutes until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve warm over coconut rice and topped with salsa.

DIY for your home - jewelry organizer

2011-02-16T15:25:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before that we are still working hard on decorating our (somewhat) new home. These things take time for me, but I am finally beginning to figure out what I want to do. Though we haven't put too much work into the bedroom yet, I'm itching to get it finished. It is such a cozy spot in the back of the house, with a big window by the bed and a little window above the dresser. It's not a huge space by any means, and the closet is teeny tiny, but it seems to be just enough room for us.

my perfumes: a pretty little element that makes me smile, in the "accessory nook"

The first thing we did do was to paint the awful bright yellow walls, then we got a new quilt and a large dresser, and though we're still working, it's coming along nicely. A major spruce-up to the room came with this DIY project I did in a small nook that I use to keep my accessories (jewelry, sunnies, perfumes). I had been using a plain cork board, papered in white (like this one) to hold my necklaces, see below. Pretty rough looking, no? With just $3 worth of paint from Michael's (1 black, 1 white, & 1 yellow) and a little extra wall color paint, I transformed the space into something much neater and with a little chevron pattern, because doesn't everyone need a little chevron these days?
before:

after:

Though it doesn't need much of a tutorial, here is what I did to the pin board:
1) paint the entire cork portion in my wall color. let dry.
2) using drafter triangles, make a chevron pattern then sketch onto the board with pencil. you could also print out a pattern from a photo online.
3) paint on dark gray color by hand. let dry. touch up any mistakes and let dry again.
4) paint the wood boarder in pure yellow, using a piece of cardboard to keep paint off the cork. let dry.
5) hang up on wall and hang jewelry with pins of your choosing.
*note: if you want more exact edges, you could tape the pattern to make sure your lines are very straight. I didn't do this, as I like the free form and it saved a lot of time.

beet and fennel soup - meatless monday, valentine's day

2011-02-15T15:16:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day yesterday! As I said before, Kev and I decided to stay in for the night. We had a delicious home-cooked meal with some of our favorite ingredients (wine, manchego cheese, beets, homemade pasta, hand made pesto, and caramel), then watched a classic love movie, Sleepless in Seattle. It was a great night that was very relaxed and a lot fun.

A couple of days ago, I was flipping through some old Bon Appetit magazines and came across the recipe for this beet soup... a hot pink soup with white hearts, yes! I'm in. Also, we happen to love beets around here, especially in this salad, and we love fennel too, so I knew I had to try it out. I whipped up the soup in a flash, it's pretty easy, though it did leave me with beet stained hot pink hands for a few hours. We enjoyed every last drop of our servings and I can't wait to ladle me some more for lunch today!

I thought about waiting on this post, for next year even, since Valentine's Day is past, but I decided that it is certainly never ever to late to tell someone you love them, and more, who says you can only make hot pink soup with white hearts on Valentine's Day?!? So why not throw this soup together today or some day in the future and surprise and impress the one you love when they least expect it. I hope you enjoy!

beet and fennel soup

adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2011

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped fennel bulb

1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds

2 large or 3 medium beets, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups water

1 cup low-fat greek yogurt

salt and pepper, to taste

Additional yogurt, to garnish

Fennel fronds, to garnish

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, and fennel seeds. Sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add cubed beets and stir to coat. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low and cook until beets are tender, about 20 minutes. Puree soup in batches in blender, or use an immersion blender. Strain soup into original saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup yogurt and season soup with salt and black pepper. Keep soup warm until ready to serve.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 to 2 Tbsp extra greek yogurt with a little water or milk, just enough to thin it out to a slightly runny consistency. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Make drops of yogurt and water (or milk) mixture on top of soup, then drag a tooth pick through the center of the dots to create a heart shape. Garnish with fennel fronds.

mini cherry cordial cupcakes

2011-02-09T16:32:00.000-05:00

I've started to write this post a few times now and I keep getting stuck. Stuck because I'm not even sure how I feel about Valentine's Day. On one hand, I can't deny I like the idea of a holiday that celebrates your loved ones. On the other, it can be too commercial, over the top saccharine, and it can make people feel bad, which is totally the worst. To make things more complicated, Kevin and I had our first "official" date on Valentine's Day, which, I guess, gives it some sort of special meaning, but I still prefer to steer clear of the trap of doing something special just because we feel like we have to.

For the past couple of years, we've taken a more low key approach, by staying in and cooking a special meal together. Last year we made lobster tail, and though I don't yet know what this year's plans are, I want to make sure we have a nice date night in. We'll get a little dressed up, put on some good music and sit at the dining table (without watching Jeopardy)...

...but, I'm getting away from my point. To me, Valentine's Day is a celebration of everyone I love, and that includes all of my friends and all of my family. Since I can't be with all of you, I'm sending you this post as a virtual valentine... in the form of cupcakes, since I thought chocolates would melt on the way over. I hope you like cherries! I hope you like hearts made out of icing too, I couldn't help myself!

Since there is no such thing as taste-o-vision (or taste-o-blog, I guess...), let me describe them as eloquently as possible: they good, they reaaaal good. As you can guess, they are perfectly chocolaty, with just the right amount of cherry, and they happen to be superbly delicious, if you like that sort of thing. Though you don't get that burst of melted fondant when you take a bite, as in cherry cordial candies, the flavors are all there, and the icing does a nice job of doing what it can to melt in your mouth. And, I mean, come on, a cupcake in two bites with a cherry in the middle, Swoon!! Though I do wish you all were here to share these with me, my thighs wish you were here even more (these cupcakes have been irresistible to me).

I think it goes without saying that these cupcakes would be amazing any time of year, icing hearts or not, so enjoy some now, or save the recipe for later, but what ever you do, try them!! ...and enjoy!!

mini cherry cordial cupcakes

makes 30 mini cupcakes

for the cupcakes:
1 1/4 c flour
3/4 c cocoa powder
1 1/4 c sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 c milk
5 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c warm water
1 jar maraschino cherries (with at least 30 cherries)

for the icing:
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 c powdered sugar
4 tsp juice from maraschino cherries

for the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a mini-muffin tin with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Turn mixer on low to stir together. Lightly beat eggs into milk then add to flour mixture. Add oil vanilla and warm water and mix on low until well combined and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Fill cups with a little batter to cover the bottom. Place one cherry in center then cover cherry with more batter and fill until cups are about 3/4 full. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the center of one comes out clean. Remove pan to cooling rack for about 5 minutes then remove cupcakes from pan and place onto cooling rack and let cool completely. Repeat for remaining batter. When cupcakes are completely cool, decorate with frosting (recipe to follow) and 1/2 maraschino cherry on top.

for the cherry icing:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. With mixer on low, add sugar 1/4 c at a time, and beat until smooth. Add cherry juice and beat to combine. Add more sugar or cherry juice to adjust to desired consistency.

chipotle turkey chili

2011-02-08T17:36:00.001-05:00

With most of the country being hit by a harsher than normal February, I'm not here to gloat about the summer-like tempertaures we've been having in the bay area. In fact, I whipped up this super flavorful and super delicious bowl of chili in honor of you!

If you're cold, if you're simply in the mood for a hearty bowl of meat and veggies, or if you're looking for an excuse to take a night in with your honey and cuddle up with a bowl of chili (it is Valentine's time), this recipe is for you. With tons of flavor, just enough heat, and turkey instead of beef, making it a little healthier, this chili is one of the best chilis I've ever made. You won't miss the beef, I promise.

I enjoyed mine with a huge dollop of sour cream, a cold beer, and a side of sun dried tomato corn bread! I suggest you do the same. Are you looking for something just as hearty, but quite not as rich? Try out my recipe for White Bean Turkey Chili, along with this recipe, it ranks up there as one of my favorite go-to's for cold days.

chipotle turkey chili

note: this recipe packs a little punch of heat. It wasn't too much for me, but if you prefer a milder chili, try leaving out the jalapeno, using only 1 chipotle, and/or using a milder chili powder.

1 large poblano pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. ground lean turkey
3 tsp chili powder (I used Medium Hatch Chili Powder)
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1 Tbsp adobo sauce from can of chipotle peppers
1/2 c chicken stock
1 14.5 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

salt and pepper
sour cream, for serving
chopped parsley, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place poblano and jalapeno peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil, drizzle with olive oil, and rub to coat. Roast peppers in oven about 30 minutes, turning once during roasting. Remove from oven, immediately wrap loosely in foil, and let sit 15-30 minutes. Peel off and discard the skin. Remove the seeds and ribs, and discard. Dice peppers and set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp olive in in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add ground turkey and heat until cooked through, breaking up into pieces and stirring occasionally as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper. Once cooked, add chili powder, chipotle peppers, jalapeno and poblano peppers, and adobo sauce. Stir to combine then add chicken stock, beans, and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat to low, and let cook at least 1 to 2 hours, stirring ocassionally. Season with salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste before serving.

Serve in bowls topped with sour cream and chopped fresh parsley.

super bowl party table style

2011-02-04T15:07:00.000-05:00

As I've said, in different words before, I am big (BIG) into effortless party decorating. What I mean by this is namely, not running out and buying tons of new table pieces for a party. This is certainly not to say I never would, in fact, I'm sure I will, but when I can, I love to use things I already have around the house. It's a fun challenge; it builds creativity, I think.

Especially when it comes to something like the Super Bowl, I'm not going to go out and spend a bunch of money on stuff I'm just going to store away until I have another football party. Also, I live in a small space, where there isn't a lot of room for storing unnecessary objects. So, like usual, I rummaged around the house, and found this brown table cloth from Target I got on sale for $5. As you see in the picture below, I styled it similarly to those brownies, by tucking in the corers of the rectangular cloth to form somewhat of a football shape and then cutting out strips of white computer paper to act as the laces. It turned out pretty cute and works perfectly as the backdrop to a buffet.

Again, being a football based party, beer is the "cocktail" of choice. Since buckets of beer are so traditional, I wanted to do something with that, but I didn't have any metal pails lying around. Instead, I found clean planters I wasn't using, tied some ribbon around them (with the playing teams' colors) and filled them with ice and beers.

Finally, I love to have a little raffle of sorts with the winnings being leftover food (ahem, the brownies). Anyone that wants to join in simply writes their name down inside one of the pieces of paper that has the color of the team they think will win. The first name drawn with the winning colors gets the brownies! Just a little something extra.

p.s. if you're still in need of some good ideas for game day option, how about some of these:
nacho cheese for nachos or pretzels; guacamole; gluten free pita chips with hummus; pancetta crisps with pears and cheese; spicy and sweet candied nuts; honey roasted feta cheese with crackers; caramel corn; peppermint iced brownies

p.p.s. it came to my attention it was difficult to follow this blog. I just placed the followers tab on the sidebar, and I'd love for you to join in if you'd like.

game day brownies with peppermint cream cheese frosting

2011-02-03T15:07:00.000-05:00

Sit down. Relax. Have a brownie. Delicious, yes?

I've told you about these brownies before. Twice actually. First here when I stopped making all other brownie recipes and devoted my life (ok, not my life, my brownie making) to this recipe. You see, I look at recipes like I look at clothes. I don't need a million of either, I need my very favorite things that for me work perfectly, that I will love forever. So is this blog a quest to find those recipes? Perhaps. Blogs are how I came to find this brownie recipe, which is my perfect brownie fit, and blogs, like Michelle's Blog, are also how I came to find some amazing wardrobe pieces, like my Clare Vivier bag, a piece I will love forever. Isn't the blog world amazing? I think so.

So, really this frosting is like a "mah-jor " accessory to go with the classic tried and true brownies. Why is this clothing theme still going on? Maybe because I've been doing a lot of "virtual" shopping lately (stocking my wish lists full of things I can't have, that is. It's almost like having it, right?). Like any good accessory, the frosting is absolutely delicious on its own, it would be great on other recipes too, like chocolate cupcakes, and it definitely "glams" up an otherwise basic (but delicious on its own) recipe. For decorating, I took a cue from Martha Stewart, herself, and double accessorized, making little football toppers out of Andes mints. Simple, adorable, and so ready for the big game on Sunday.

I'll be back tomorrow with a table setting, that might just look a whole lot like these brownies...

peppermint cream cheese frosting

4 Tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract

2 to 3 cups confectioner's sugar

peppermint candies, crushed into very small pieces (optional)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat together cream cheese and butter until well blended. Add in peppermint extract and mix to combine. With the mixer on low, add in at least 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 c at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Add in crushed peppermint candies, for a little texture, if desired.

Note: To assemble brownies, let them cool completely after baking. Spread frosting on top of brownies, and cut into pieces of desired size. Slice all corners off a large Andes mint, to create a football-like shape. Use either pieces of the corners as laces on top of the football, or pipe any extra frosting on top. Repeat for as many brownies as you have. Place one football on each brownie and serve.

gameday grub - homemade nacho cheese

2011-02-02T14:19:00.002-05:00

I started watching nfl football ~~when Tom Brady came onto the scene~~ ~~when Philip Rivers graduated from NC State~~ ~~when Bret Favre retired, the first time~~, when I started playing fantasy football at work. Yes, that's right, a little known secret until now, I'm totally into fantasy football. It's a weird thing to me. I've never played team sports, expect for 1 year in middle school when I played soccer and ran track, but does track even count?, and only really watched college games if I was attending. So basically, pro-sports has never been at the forefront of my mind, that is until fantasy football came into my life. For once I felt like the "cool girl" who could hang with the guys, who knew a little something about the game and the players. Sweet. That said, I still enjoyed (and enjoy) asking questions like "So, how many periods are there in a game, 3?" and "Now, who is this Peyton Manning fellow?".

Beyond all that, why I really love watching sports is, you guessed it, the food. Another little known secret about me, I love bar food. Ugh. Typing that on a mostly food blog is sad, but undoubtedly true. What I hate, however, is fake cheese. Ok that's a lie, I kind of love it, but I also pretty much hate it. It's a tug-of-war between my healthful minded brain and my child-like heart that lights up at the site of orange cheese. Though I could convince myself to eat it at a game (there are no other options!), I cannot and never will be able to convince myself to buy it at home. So, in preparation for Sunday's Super Bowl, I whipped up my own version on nacho cheese, real cheese and all. I struggled with whether this recipe had a place on this blog, I assume most of you aren't avid football fans looking for game day snacks, but maybe you are! or maybe you're hosting a super bowl party and trying to think of something good to serve, and this was indeed very good. Kevin agrees and gives it two very enthusiastic thumbs up. Beer and cheese and cream... how could you go wrong?

Also coming up this week, I have a game day dessert (that may involve one of my favorite recipes, this) and a neat trick for your game day table.

nacho cheese

note: To make ahead of time, place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of slightly cooled cheese and press down. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then place on stove to re-melt. Add extra milk to achieve desired consistency.

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 yellow onion, minced

1 jalapeno seeded and minced (or include seeds for a spicier cheese)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 ¼ to 1 ½ cup whole milk or heavy cream

½ c beer

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 1/2 c grated Monterrey Jack cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, chili powder, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring, until onion is soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add milk (or cream) and beer. Cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, 5 minutes. Add cheeses and cook until melted and smooth. Add more milk, if necessary, to reach desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

cauliflower fennel and parmesan cake - meatless monday

2011-01-31T13:11:00.001-05:00

Happy (meatless) monday everyone! Over the weekend, Kev caught a dose of whatever I had last week, so we hung low and had a pretty low key couple of days. Since it rained all Saturday, there wasn't much complaining to do about cuddling up under blankets with tea and watching movies. Sunday, the sun broke out for a little while and we were able to take a stroll around the neighborhood.

Low key weekends always make me crave something super healthy to start the week off right; thank goodness for meatless mondays, right? At the store I spotted some some beautiful fennel and cauliflower and knew without a doubt they were both coming home with me. Unsure of what to make, I didn't want soup since I got more than enough last week, somehow the words cauliflower cake came to mind. I instantly searched for what that might mean and I came up with this recipe, exactly what my mind was thinking of!

Though it can't be described as low-fat, I learned the hard (& good) way that this recipe makes a lot. Like enough to serve at least 8 people with. It is most certainly best the first day, served warm, so I might suggest cutting the recipe in half and baking it in a smaller pan. This is what I will be doing next time, and there will be a next time!

The cauliflower cake was even better than I expected it to be, absolutely delicious in fact, and it did feel like a "cake" rather than a heavy egg dish. I think it would be perfect served for a brunch or, as we had it, for a lighter dinner with a salad on the side.

cauliflower, fennel, and parmesan cake

adapted from Yotom Ottolenghi

note: Yotom Ottonlenghi writes the new vegetarian column in the Guardian, a great resource for meatless recipes

1 medium cauliflower

1 large fennel bulb

1 large red onion

6 Tbsp olive oil

1 large sprig fresh thyme

8 large eggs

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 Tbsp fennel fronds, chopped

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp kosher salt

freshly grated black pepper

2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese

Butter, for greasing pan

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Cut cauliflower into small to medium florets. Place florets in a pot with a teaspoon of salt, cover them with water and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft. Strain and leave in the colander for a few minutes so they dry and cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the batter. Peel and slice your onion in half, then cut a few thin rings off the end for the top of the cake; set them aside. Cut the stalk and end of the fennel bulb, reserving the fennel fronds from the stalk, and slice bulb in half. Remove outer leaves, if tough, then slice a few thin rings of the end for the top of the cake; set them aside. Coarsely chop the remainder of your onion and slice the rest of the fennel. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and saute the chopped red onion, sliced fennel and sprig of thyme together until soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Whisk eggs and onion mixture together. Whisk in chopped thyme and fennel fronds. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, turmeric, parmesan, salt and black pepper together then add to egg mixture, whisking to remove lumps. Gently stir in cauliflower.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch (24cm) round springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the sides of the pan then put the sesame seeds in toss them around to coat the sides. Pour in the cauliflower batter, arrange the reserved onion and fennel slices on top and bake cake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown and set. Serve warm.

chocolate cherry clafoutis

2011-01-27T19:59:00.002-05:00

Now that I am finally feeling better (yay! and thanks so much for all the well wishes!), I can finally share this amazing dessert with you. Amazing, that is, if you love chocolate and cherries like I do.

This recipe has a bit of a history, as it was a bit of a baking disaster, but a baking disaster with a happy ending, you might say. You see, when Kevin's sister and her boyfriend were visiting us a few weeks ago, their flights home were canceled and we were lucky enough to have them for an extra day! I got excited about using that time to make a fabulous send-off dinner for them. I immediately thought a clafoutis would be such an easy, no-fuss type of dessert, perfect for a homey but delicious meal. So, I halved and hand-pitted all the cherries, made the batter, poured it in my beautiful tart pan (ahem, with a removable bottom), and watched, after putting it in the oven, as the batter slowly poured out of the tart pan and onto the sheet pan I luckily had placed it on. I might have wept a little or maybe even a lot, but then miracle of all miracles, Kevin's sister came home with surprise cupcakes from Miette!!

After that, I had to redeem myself, but this time I made it with frozen (thawed) pre-pitted cherries to save some time. The clafoutis was just as light and delicious as I thought it would be! That's right, if you were thinking this is something heavy and dense, think again, it puffs up and turns into a light custard like dessert. This recipe is definitely one to pull out of your back pocket when in a bind and needing to throw together something fabulous, easy, and quick. It's also one to make whenever you're feeling a little French country-like or when you simply want a little chocolate. Just remember to use a pan with a fixed bottom, or at least wrap your bottomless pan with some foil.

chocolate cherry clafoutis

adapted from Gourmet, March 2009

note: you can sub any number of berries for the cherries. The original recipe called for raspberries, which I'm sure is amazing, but I wanted to be traditional and use cherries instead. Plus, if you read up on the history, you will learn that when using anything other than cherries, the dish is called a flaugnarde.

12 oz fresh (or frozen) cherries, pitted
1 to 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 c whole milk
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F and butter a 1 1/2-quarts shallow baking dish (I used a 9-inch pie dish).

Toss berries with 1 to 2 Tbsp sugar, depending on sweetness of cherries, and let stand 15 minutes.

Whisk together milk, butter, eggs, brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and salt in large mixing bowl until smooth. Scatter berries with their juices evenly in baking dish, then pour batter over top. Bake until slightly puffed and firm to the touch, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Cool until warm, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or creme fraiche.

lemon fusilli with arugula - meatless monday

2011-01-25T16:35:00.000-05:00

well, it looks like this cold/ sinus infection/ whatever it is is about to get its butt kicked. with a healthy dose of lying on the couch, watching re-runs of bored to death and boardwalk empire (and possibly catching up on the bachelor), and eating lots of soup, I'm finally starting to feel human again.

My magic cure is, not that homemade chicken noodle soup I posted yesterday (as I certainly did not have the energy to make that!), but, believe it or not, Lipton's Noodle Soup, you know, in the packet. It's what my mom used to make me when I was sick and it always seems to make me feel better, even if just for a moment. Though, I'm sure it has enough sodium to kill a horse, it's what I want when I'm sick. What are your sick day essentials? I'm curious to know!

Though this recipe is not a "sick day essential", but what I whipped up for the picnic on the beach that didn't happen this past weekend. Despite no picnic, it was still a delicious meal! I've actually made this dish a few times now, and have decided that it deserves a spot on this blog. It's great for a picnic and also perfect for quick weekday suppers. It is best when served warm or at room temperature, which is something I don't usually think about pasta salads, and it has a perfect amount of lemon it it. You could of course add other veggies, like zucchini or broccoli, if you'd like, but I was loving these beautiful tomatoes and the arugula, so I stuck with them.

lemon fusilli with arugula

adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

note: if milk curdles with the addition of the lemon juice, don't worry! just keep stirring over medium heat, and the sauce should come back together nicely.

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups half-and-half

2 lemons, zested and juiced

salt and pepper, to taste

1 pound dried fusilli pasta

1/2 pound baby arugula

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the the pot. Immediately stir in the sauce and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, and tomatoes. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot or at room temperature.

sick day

2011-01-24T17:58:00.000-05:00

I had great plans.

I had great plans for the weekend (a little hiking, a little ocean, some fresh oysters, some cheese, hopefully some elk), but that fell through.

I had great plans for a post today and late last week too, but those all fell through too...

all because, I'm sick as a dog. Just about all I can stomach thinking about is this big warm bowl of homemade chicken soup.

I promise to come back soon with those posts I've been talking about! Hope you're all feeling much better than I am!

giveaway winner!

2011-01-19T23:02:00.000-05:00

Thanks, everyone for hanging in there. This past week has been so much fun and totally crazy, with being a host to Kevin's sis and her boyfriend, being a tourist in my own city (love it!), and spending a long active weekend skiing in Tahoe!

Here's a view of the lake from on top of one of the mountains, and a promise I'll be back very soon with some delicious posts!!

p.s. the winner of the first ever giveaway is Jennifer!
Jennifer, email me at sophisticatedpie@gmail.com to claim your prize!

sophisticated pie giveaway

2011-01-12T10:51:00.000-05:00

Guess what? I'm here to announce the very first ever Sophisticated Pie Giveaway!

The lovely folks over at CSN Stores wants to give one of you a $35 gift certificate for one of their websites!! Check out allmodern.com if you're in the market for some great home decor, like the Dwell Studio pillows and Thomas Paul accessories below, or checkout cookware.com for something new for your kitchen.

All you have to do is check out the modern furniture and other home accessories then post a comment and tell me what you would get with your gift certificate. I will announce the winner on the 19th (in 1 week), so get your comments in before then. The winner will be chosen at random.

dwell studio pillows @ allmodern.com

Design House Basket, Marimekko wall paper, Thomas Paul phone case + plates @ allmodern.com

kitchen aid mixer, le creuset pot, wooden spoons, all clad roasted pan @ cookware.com

Good Luck!!

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around my home

2011-01-11T16:45:00.000-05:00

A few of you have asked for a little "blog tour" of my new home in California. While, I'm still working on all the little details of decorating, I thought I could share a few scenes for you. I'm really happy with the energy and feel of the space. It has a ton of light, a large kitchen (a must for me, natch), and a cozy bedroom with a view of our lime tree, perfect for curling up and reading on a rainy afternoon.

My living room was painted sage green when we moved in, and I had to figure out how to get my green couch to work with the walls. With a lot of color coming from our books on our built-ins, I got this black and white ikat pillow to incorporate some neutrals. Our second couch needs a little love, namely some pillows and a throw.

Our living room is quite large and luckily was large enough to fit a small dining table, since we don't have a dining room. As you can see in some older posts (here and here), I choose a glass table to keep the room from looking too closed off. Right beside the table, in the corner, is our lovely wine bar, decorated with new low ball glasses and our favorite liquors.

A few final decorative touches are below, both in the living room. My cute little paper mache bird lives on our TV stand, to feminize all the tv man gear, and I added the jade plant on top of my book case to bring some life to all those books.

More to come as the decorating comes along...

gluten-free "pita" chips and hummus - meatless monday

2011-01-10T18:35:00.001-05:00

While this "recipe" is scarcely a recipe, I was so excited to come up with a good gluten-free substitute for pita chips, that I wanted to share the results with you (especially any of you out there with celiac's or any of you simply working on a detox).

Very simply, I cut up some brown rice tortillas (Food for Life brand) and baked them in the oven for a few minutes. They turned out crispy and slightly still chewy. While that may sound weird, I thought it worked, and when served with hummus and carrot sticks, it was the perfect gluten-free snack to eat while vegging out and watching football. Just in time for the play-offs!

gluten-free "pita" chips with hummus

brown rice tortillas

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

kosher salt for sprinkling

your favorite humus recipe (or store bought)
smoked (or not) paprika, optional

Preheat oven to 375. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Place wedges in a single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let bake 5-10 minutes until lightly browned and crisped. Remove to serving platter with humus and carrot sticks. If preferred, drizzle humus with olive oil and sprinkle with a little smoked paprika.

detox fruit & almond-milk shakes

2011-01-07T18:04:00.001-05:00

These shakes are as simple and delicious as it comes. They can be made with a minimum of 2 ingredients (a frozen fruit + almond milk), and all you do is throw them in a blender and press blend. I've had these nearly everyday since I started my mini-detox, and I don't think I'll stop making them even after I've decided meat and gluten (and dairy) can come back into my life.

With almond milk in the picture, being off dairy has been super easy for me. I'm surprised, as I love cooking with butter and I generally can't get enough cheese, but so far I haven't missed it one little bit! As a side note, while I love ice cream and cereal, I don't actually like milk, as in drinking a glass of milk, so perhaps the almond milk transition is easier for me than some. At any rate, I've tried numerous brands of almond milk along the way, and have found a huge variation between brands. Some tasted just like soy milk, which I don't love, and some tasted like what I would imagine almond milk to taste like (almondy!), which I do love. My favorite brand by far is Silk's Pure Almond. I try and get the unsweetened version, but if I can't find it, I opt for the original, as it's still low in sugar.

My favorite part of the whole mini-detox is by far these fruit shakes, probably because I have such a sweet tooth and they help me curb those cravings. I've had these shakes as part of a light lunch and also as an afternoon snack. They're filling and yummy and cold, and I'm having one right now, as I type this, and extra bonus, you can make multiple servings and store what you don't use in the refrigerator, at least overnight. Whether or not you are on a detox or a diet of any kind, these shakes are a super healthy, digestion friendly, and an absolutely delicious snack. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

flavors: blueberry-banana (w. dollop of coconut milk yogurt), peach-mango-banana, strawberry basil

fruit almond-milk shakes

1 serving

note: I've used a ton of different fruit/ flavor combinations, as you see above, so be creative, use what you have on hand, and I'm sure they will come out supurb. I haven't added sweetener (honey or agave), because my fruit hasn't needed it. However, I listed it as an optional ingredient, as not all fruits are created equally sweet.

1/2 c frozen fruit

3/4 c almond milk

1/2 banana, optional

1 tsp honey or agave nectar, optional

fresh herbs, such as basil or mint, optional

Add all ingredients, except sweetener, to a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively add to a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender. If necessary, add more fruit and/or milk and blend, to get the consistency you want. This may depend on the type of fruit you use. Taste mixture and add honey or agave then re-blend, if shake needs sweetening. Serve and enjoy. Refrigerate covered, if not serving immediately, up to 1 day. Stir before serving.

roasted acorn squash and candied lemon zest salad - meatless monday

2011-01-03T20:16:00.000-05:00

Last post I said goodbye to last year, so here's a post to say hello to 2011 (meatless monday style).

I don't really do resolutions for the new year, everyone knows those are things we don't keep up, but I do like to reflect on what I would like the new year to bring. Of the few things I'm concentrating on, being nice to myself is high on the list, and that includes being nice to my body.

To start the year, I'm going on a mini-detox diet. What I mean by "mini-detox" is that I'm not following any crazy or strict routine or trying to keep up a diet I know I'll fail. I'm simply cutting out gluten (yikes!), dairy, and red meat for as long as I can stand it. I'm also trying to cut out caffeine, alcohol, and overdoses of sugar for a while, and ramping up my water consumption, fruit and veggie intake, and personal activity (dare I say exercise? nah, I'm not an exercise kind of gal). I'm excited to be creative in the kitchen with the plan, and hopefully steer clear of anything uber boring and bland.

Though salads are an easy non-meat dish to whip up, I don't love traditional salads, this and this being exceptions (and now this one too). Sometimes, however, something light and refreshing is what I crave for supper and a salad is an easy way to remedy that craving. I threw this recipe together after not having a clue of what I wanted to eat, but I fell in love at first bite with the warm squash on top of crisp romaine lettuce with surprise bits of sweet lemon and crunchy almonds. I happen to think it's a great salad to start the year and to start my mini-detox, and one I think I'll be coming back to again and again. Happy meatless monday, everyone!

p.s. how cute and girly are the squash slices? I just love them!

roasted acorn squash and candied lemon zest salad

notes: serve salad with warm squash for best results. also, the lemon zest is best the longer it sits mixed with the sugar, so do ahead if possible. finally, i find the peel of the squash to be too bitter for my taste, but love the way it looks. You can easily remove peel for guests after the squash is cooled slightly, or if you prefer to leave it on for color, simply provide a knife to help guests remove peel on their own.

1 acorn squash
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 lemon, zested
1 tsp sugar
1/4 c sliced almonds
4 large basil leaves, julienned
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice top and bottom of acorn squash, to remove stem and tip end of squash. Halve squash lengthwise. Remove seeds and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices on heavy duty baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven 40-45 minutes until lightly browned, turning once halfway through cooking. Let cool slightly before serving.

Meanwhile, toast almonds in a saute pan over medium heat until lightly browned. Stir together lemon zest and sugar and let sit, the longer the better.

On serving platter, lay down chopped lettuce. Top with squash slices and sprinkle with lemon zest, toasted almonds, and basil. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and squeeze lemon juice all over.

best of 2010

2011-01-02T15:46:00.001-05:00

Though I am completely looking forward to 2011, I think it's fun to look back at the past year and see what I ate and what I did. In 2010, we ate a lot of delicious meals, and listed below are some of my absolute favorites, i.e. the recipes I want to remember to cook (and eat) again. Though it was tough to choose, I've narrowed it down to the top 12.

neo-neopolitan pizza dough

roasted beet salad with candied nuts and goat cheese

roasted feta cheese with honey and thyme

manicotti with homemade ricotta cheese

peanut butter cupcakes with dark chocolate icing

pumpkin waffles

pumpkin ice cream sandwiches

lemon and raspberry perfect party cake

french potato salad

caramel apple cupcakes

eggnog french toast

red wine and sherry braised beef short ribs + roasted garlic mashed potatoes

2010 was certainly a big year not in food, as well.

We went skiing in Michigan, we went hiking in Indiana, we ate picnics in the sun, watched the blackhawks win the stanley cup, traveled to MEXICO with fabulous friends, Kevin got his MASTERS, we took a looong trip across the US and moved to the SF Bay area, ate lots of sourdough bread, visited with West Coast Friends!, walked all over SF, celebrated because our BESTIES got engaged! (congrats again, Abbles and Mikeles), saw some redwoods, and ended the year with a huge feast!

I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store! Happy New Year Everyone!!

p.s. check out all best of posts here

christmas scenes, 2010

2010-12-24T06:19:00.001-05:00

last year I posted a few of the Christmas decorations I had around the house, and I thought it would be a fun tradition to continue. here are some of my favorite moments from this year...

favorite ornaments:

blue and gold on the kitchen table & a beaded Christmas tree made by my grandmother

and wreaths on my doors:

happy christmas, everyone!

christmas table setting

2010-12-22T14:19:00.000-05:00

One last post of my oh so delicious "Christmas" dinner, this time of the table setting, which I happened to pull together at the very last minute and quite enjoyed.

I'm pretty good at rummaging around the house and finding the right things to use for decorations, a technique I like to call "found object decorating". I should probably do a whole post on it sometime, because I've been pretty happy with the results so far.

For this dinner, I wasn't planning on doing a center piece but at the last minute, aka 20-30 minutes before Kevin walked in the door, I decided I should. I found this green dish towel in my linen closet, pulled the wreath off my front door, the ornaments off my coffee table, and the candles off the mantle. I threw them together and voila!, a Christmas inspired table setting!

I was also really excited to use my china and crystal for the first time! I thought the plates worked perfectly for a holiday themed table. I was lucky enough to be handed down both the china and the crystal from my grandmother, and extra lucky in that I love this china pattern, despite really disliking most china I've come across. To top it all off, Christmas songs, of course, were playing in the background.

p.s. even though he might kill me for this, check out Kev in his new Christmas attire. Doesn't he look handsome??... and happy? I think I did good this year.

roasted garlic mashed potatoes

2010-12-20T14:18:00.022-05:00

Ok- I'm sure you've been waiting for this, but I had to get up the roasted garlic butter recipe first. Why? Well, because it's in the potatoes, of course. You can always just add the roasted garlic and butter separately to these potatoes, but why would you, when you can have the roasted garlic butter and the roasted garlic mashed potatoes for the same amount of effort?!

I'm not fooling around when I say these are to die for. I like my potatoes creamy (not lumpy!) with lots of butter and milk and salt. It's what I grew up on and it's what I love. They're really whipped potatoes, I think that's what my grandmother called them, maybe? mom, help me out here. Regardless, it's my favorite and the only way to eat mashed potatoes in my mind, and with the addition of roasted garlic, yum!

It's also the only recipe of my grandmothers that I got just right. Her recipes/ cooking instructions usually entailed phrases like "heat oil until it's the right temperature" or "add cream until the consistency is right." I've had a hard time navigating these recipes, you could guess, and to this day I still don't have her fried chicken down. However, her whipped or mashed or whatever you want to call them potatoes, I got. The directions I give to myself usually are a lot like hers, "add enough butter until it's rich enough", "add enough milk until it's creamy enough", and finally "add enough salt until it's seasoned perfectly". Luckily for you, I measured it all out and wrote it down this time! Here you go.

here they're served alongside these beef short ribs and roasted broccoli

roasted garlic mashed potatoes

serves 2-3, but this very easily scales up! find the roasted garlic butter recipe, here

2 large yukon gold potatoes

2 Tbsp roasted garlic butter, at room temperature

3 Tbsp milk or cream

salt and pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and cut into large pieces. Add potato pieces to a large pot of cold water with some salt and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

Return potatoes to pot and mash pieces down with a whisk or beaters of an electric mixer. Whisk/ beat until potatoes start to break down and cream together. Add butter and milk and contniue to whisk/ beat until no lumps remain and potatoes are creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. If made in advance, reheat over double boiler. Serve warm.

roasted garlic butter

2010-12-18T14:18:00.025-05:00

this is simple enough, but oh sooo good, and a great way to fancy up a dinner party. Why serve plain ole butter when you can serve roasted garlic butter! It's delicious spread on a crusty baguette, it's delicious in your favorite recipe (see my roasted garlic mashed potatoes coming up next post), and it might even be delicious on its own (shhh... I didn't tell you that).

I like to have basic recipes on here, because sometimes I forget things, like at what temp I like to roast garlic. So, here is my roasted garlic recipe + mixing it together with some butter and salt to make it even better! Enjoy and come back for those mashed potatoes, you know you want them for Christmas dinner!

roasted garlic

1 head garlic

olive oil, to drizzle

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel extra layers of skin of outside of garlic, not peeling cloves themselves. Slice about 1/4 to 1/2 inch off top of garlic head, exposing the tops of the garlic cloves. Place both pieces in a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Gather foil around garlic and twist to close. Roast in oven about 40 minutes. Open foil and let garlic cool completely.

roasted garlic butter

1 head roasted garlic, see above

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

kosher salt, to taste

Squeeze the cloves out of head of cooled roasted garlic into a bowl and discard skins. Add softened butter to bowl. Mash garlic and mix with butter, using a fork, until garlic is in small chunks and incorporated into butter. Place into fancy bowl and serve!

christmas dinner - wine and sherry braised beef short ribs

2010-12-16T15:40:00.000-05:00

Since we are heading to Minnesota to be with family in a matter of hours, Kev and I celebrated Christmas together last night. We put together one of the best meals to ever come out of my kitchen, in my opinion and had a great night of food, presents, and Christmas carols. If you're still looking for something really delicious and special to serve at your Christmas gathering, let me very highly recommend the wine and sherry braised beef short rib recipe at the bottom of this post. Oh, and also the roasted garlic mashed potatoes, served right next to the meat, recipe coming up soon!

The meat was most definitely fall-off-the-bone-tender, as one actually did fall-off-the-bone, and it was so rich and flavorful. The gremolata of orange zest and parsley (and not garlic, because I ran out, oops!) was divine and totally brightened up the rich glaze, and made for better presentation too. I find it so hard to photograph meat, mostly because it's monochrome, and beyond that it's brown. For me, the amazing flavors don't often come through in photos. The gremolata helped with that, in photos and in person, I'd say. Anyway, I don't know how else to tell you that you NEED to make this (if you eat meat, obviously), and you NEED to make the roasted garlic mashed potatoes coming up next (they're veg but certainly not vegan)! Enjoy!

p.s. we rounded out the meal with an adorable little panettone for 2 and some orange slices, yum!!

wine and sherry braised beef short ribs

recipe adapted from here

1 sprig fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 whole star anise
2 4-inch beef short ribs, tough membranes removed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c chopped onion
1 carrot, peeled and thinly slice into rounds
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp coarsly chopped and peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 c red wine (I used tempranillo)
1/2 c sherry
1 1/2 c beef broth
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 garlic clove, minced (optional, only because I ran out!)

Line a large baking sheet with foil and place trimmed short ribs bone-side up on pan. Sprinkle both sides of meat heavily with salt and pepper. Turn on broiler (or pre-heat first, if using a conventional oven) and broil ribs 5 minutes on the bone side. Turn ribs over and broil on meat side 10 minutes more. Transfer ribs to a large bowl then reduce heat to 350 degrees F in oven.

Meanwhile, place parsley, thyme, rosemary, and star anise on a large piece of cheesecloth. Gather cloth around the herbs and tie with kitchen string.

Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown in spots, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes. Add wine, sherry, and herb bundle. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, and let boil 5 minutes. Add ribs in a single layer, bone side up, and add beef broth. Bring to a boil then turn off heat, cover pot with foil then lid and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is very tender and falls off bones, about 2 hours.

Transfer ribs to a large bowl. Spoon off fat from surface of pan juices, reserving 1 Tbsp and discarding the rest. Pour pan juices through a strainer into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids. Return juices to pot, boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Whisk reserved Tbsp fat with 1 Tbsp flour in a small bowl then whisk into juices until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Season with pepper. Return ribs to pot. **Can do all this 1 day ahead. Cool then chill. Before continuing, rewarm ribs in sauce until heated through, 5-10 minutes.

Make gremolata by mixing parsley, orange zest, and garlic in small bowl. Serve ribs with a sprinkling of gremolata.

pancetta crisps with pears and cinnamon cheese

2010-12-15T01:32:00.000-05:00

The holiday season is flying by so quick, I can hardly believe it. We've been having an amazing time checking out some of the city's best Christmas decorations, including the Opera House all decked out for the Nutcracker (with snow machines!! can you see the "snow" the photo below?) and Union Square filled to the max with shoppers and ice skaters! I love that even some of the public transit stations are decorated inside! It all has certainly kept me in the Christmas spirit.

Amidst all the holiday spirit, the time has gotten away with me and I haven't been cooking as much as I'd like. We did make these sugar cookies (but decorated for Christmas, of course) and I'm about to make a few batches of this caramel corn for gifts. Oh, also we made that Eggnog French Toast again. If you haven't tried it yet, do it!!

Switching gears a bit, if you remember back to Thanksgiving, I said I made some pancetta crisps with cheese and pears for appetizers. I also said they were delicious, and they are! How can they be bad, really? These crisps + toppings would make a quick and excelent appetizer for a Holiday party (or any party), so I thought right about now would be quite the appropriate time to post the recipe. Check out the "what I'm doing" button on the right (or click here) to scroll through other Holiday inspired ideas!

pancetta crisps with pears and cinnamon cheese
for another version, try goat cheese and figs, a la this recipe

12 thin slices of pancetta

12 slices of pear, cored and not peeled (from ~ 2 pears)

12 slices of Cinnamon dusted Toscano Cheese (@ Trader Joe's)

freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place pancetta slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisp, 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely and then place on serving platter. Top each crisp with a slice of cheese then a slice of pear. Drizzle with jam, if using, and season with a little freshly ground pepper

eggnog french toast

2010-12-06T19:28:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure my boyfriend is a genius. You want proof? Last night, I said to Kev, "let's make french toast with of that leftover baguette for dinner," a pretty great idea on it's own, right?

Kev didn't reply with the "yes!" I was so expecting, what he said was...
"No, let's make eggnog french toast with that leftover eggnog for dinner."

He blows my mind sometimes.

Also, I'm pretty sure I will never want regular french toast again. Ok, while that might be a little lie, I think my point is clear, eggnog french toast is one of the best things ever. Seriously. I kind of want it for dinner again tonight. I might have also just picked up TWO baguettes today, secretly hoping one might stale before we get to it and we'll have to make eggnog french toast again! Oops, I guess the secret's out... Enjoy!

eggnog french toast

serves 2-3 as is, but a little more bread can be added without adding more egg mixture

1/2 loaf baguette
3 eggs
1/4 c eggnog
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
lavender vanilla sugar (or granulated sugar), for sprinkling on bread
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
powdered sugar, for serving
pure maple syrup, for serving

Slice baguette into 1-inch thick slices.

Lightly whisk together eggs, eggnog, and spices in a large dish (I used a 9x13x2 baking dish). Place slices of bread in egg mixture and let sit 5-10 minutes. Turn slices over and let sit 5-10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, heat skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter. Sprinkle sugar generously over one side of the bread slices and place slices sugar side down into melted butter. Let cook 2-3 minutes or until browned on bottom. Sprinkle sugar on the second side and flip bread over to cook until brown on that side. Remove from pan to serve. Repeat for remaining slices of bread. Served with powdered sugar and/or pure maple syrup.

an activity advent calendar

2010-12-03T14:59:00.000-05:00

It seems advent calendars are all the rage this week (see here, here, here, etc ). I was particularly inspired by Jordan's and Emily's advent calendars that are full of Christmas activities. Since Kev and I are new to the bay area, I thought having our own little activity advent calendar would be a great way to introduce us to new places in the city and our first SF Christmas. I've stocked my calendar with activities ranging from drinking hot cocoa to mixing up holiday cocktails and from singing carols around the house to going to opening night of the Nutcracker. I can't wait for every single day!

I made the calendar super simple by folding up scraps of paper into faux envelopes, marking the day with a black sharpee, and hanging them on kitchen twine with paper-clips. I really love the way it turned out!

thanksgiving recap - sweet potato casserole

2010-12-01T12:41:00.001-05:00

oh, i've been meaning to get this post up since Thanskgiving, actually. but, i'm trying to look forward and have been completely busy decorating for Christmas around here! The tree is decorated (yay!), the stockings are up, and even a batch of cookies have been baked. This season is starting of right, to be sure, but I don't want to completely forget about the amazing Thanksgiving we had. There was sooo much delicious food (see one very moist turkey recipe, sweet and savory cornbread stuffing recipe, & a simply lovely cranberry sauce recipe), and we've finally managed to eat it almost all of it.

I loved the table, too! Complete with a soft brown runner, white plates, gold/glitter pumpkins for name cards, and white tea lights, it was a romantic and lovely setting for the big day.

The main appetizer deserves a post of it's own, so that's coming soon, but the thing I really want to tell you about is the sweet potato casserole. For me, it's a Thanksgiving must. I've always loved toasted marshmallows on the top, but what can beat a brown sugar and pecan topping? I thought this gingersnap topping would do the trick, but I was a little underwhelmed by it. What I did take from the recipe, though, is I love how folding in beaten egg whites really lightens up the texture of the dish. Next year, I'll be sure to continue this tradition but with my old school recipe of butter, milk, eggs, a splash of orange juice and/or vanilla extract, and a little brown sugar. The topping? That's always up for debate, but I'm into a little bit of everything, see!

sweet potato casserole with gingersnap topping

adapted from here

for the topping:

3/4 cup coarsely chopped gingersnaps

1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

for the filling:

3 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams; about 3 large), scrubbed

3/4 cup half and half

1/4 Tbsp orange juice

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar

1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

4 large egg yolks

4 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

for topping:
Toss first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter; using fingertips, rub in until well blended. Cover; chill. Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

for the filling:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast potatoes on baking sheet until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool. Cut in half lengthwise. Scoop flesh into bowl; mash. Transfer 4 cups potatoes to large bowl. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2- inch baking dish. Add half and half and next 5 ingredients to potatoes. Using mixer, beat on low speed until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Add yolks 1 at a time, blending after each addition. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in another large bowl until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar. Beat until peaks form. Fold whites into potatoes; spoon into dish. Sprinkle with topping. Bake until puffed and brown, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.