Use the Good China

Kitchen-Quintessential Quinoa Cakes

2010-09-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

I'm quite excited to share this incredibly delicious recipe with you folks! I first learned of quinoa's existence when I was about twenty-two or twenty-three. I had just embarked on my veganism journey and couldn't devour vegan cookbooks fast enough. It was such a new, inspiring, and exciting world. I had lots of experience with vegetarianism, but veganism was a new animal. (Pun very intended!) Two years later I went on to attend a unique and mostly unheard of culinary school in Manhattan based alone on this new eating lifestyle I had acquired. If I might name drop a bit, Bethenny Frankel also attended the Natural Gourmet Institute of Health and Culinary Arts!

But in the beginning it was all very new. Tamari, tahini, miso, seitan, tempeh, Earth Balance... Using flax seeds in place of eggs for baking, silken tofu replaced cream cheese in cheesecake, I started eating more falafel and whole grains. And that brings me to quinoa. The first time I made it I used it like rice for a stir fry. It was strange. It tasted just fine, but how odd this little seed was, with it's perfect presence of all nine amino acids, creating an almost perfect protein. When it cooked it had these little tail-like strings that sprouted out!

I only lasted as a vegan for a couple of years. You might wonder what made me fall of the wagon. Cheese. Cheese Pizza. I was sitting on a lonely bench in a gorgeous park along the bay here in Bellingham, maybe I was hungry at the time, I don't recall what exactly created the perfect moment for me to fall off of veganism. I do know that there was a young couple sharing a pizza just down the way, and if you can believe it, another young man was just a bit further down the grass and he too was eating a pizza! The speed and direction of the wind was just right in that the aroma from that hot, melty, salty, real cheese and possibly more pizza wafted my way and was just more than I could take. I sat on that bench and pondered if quitting was really worth it?

I guess I decided that it was because the next morning I went to a local cafe with my sister Tara and our friend Jessi and we all shared a huge plate of Potatoes O'Brien. And, oh how it was laden with butter, camped out under a bed of melted cheddar, and smothered in sour cream. I knew I was in. There was no looking back at that point. After two years, I was a 'normal' eater again. I did continue on with my plan to attend a mostly-vegan culinary school, making up for it by sampling foie gras, fancy bleu cheese, and creamy chorizo grits at the James Beard House, where I interned. For the most part, culinary debauchery followed. In a way, I turned my back on veganism and without meaning to, turned my back on health...

Fast forward over five years and here I am. Maybe I'll fill in the gaps for you one of these days. But for now, the good news is that quinoa has made it's way back into my heart. I've been using it again off and on, but this last weekend I tasted it in a way I never have before and boy did it leave a mark! As many of you know, I belong to the most fabulous cooking group on the planet, Around the Table, we had our monthly dinner this last Saturday evening and the appetizer just so happened to be a little quinoa cake topped with a gorgeous and ultra-flavorful heirloom tomato salsa. I'm eating a lot healthier now and I'll tell you why soon. Tasting this gourmet, wholesome little delight just lit me right up and tickled my tastebuds. I knew right then and there it was going to become a staple on our table. And in this week alone, I've already enjoyed them three times! I just knew I had to share them with you.

These little cakes are thanks to a wonderful and lovely woman Caitlin, she's been in the group for about four months and is a fantastic addition in many, many ways. I can't wait to see what other gems she pulls out of her apron! These quinoa cakes are incredible. They are tender, chewy, and satisfying. They are great all on their own and I know they are wonderful on salad or topped with salsa! Mo just made them and put grilled zucchini and a poached egg on top. They are sinful dipped in a bit of ketchup or would be great with a light aioli or other sauce. And, the really cool thing is they are kind of like crab cakes! Texturally they remind me a lot of a good crab cake. Anyway, the options are endless and because they are so easy to make I know you will be trying on all the options! Okay, okay, enough yakking... just get to the recipe already I know you are begging!

Quinoa Cakes

(adapted from a Food and Wine recipe)

1.5 C. White Quinoa

2 C. Water

2 Lg. Eggs

1/2 C. AP Flour

3-4 T. Milk

1/2 C. Cotija Cheese, crumbled

1/4 C. Curly Parsley, minced

1/4 C. Shallot, minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Measure out the quinoa into the baking pan you plan to cook it in, cover completely with cold water and soak for at least fifteen minutes up to an hour. Pour into a very fine sieve and rinse throroughly. Put back into pot and add two cups of water and a couple pinches of salt. Put on high and bring to a medium boil stirring a couple of times, then put a lid on the pot and turn the heat all the way down to the lowest setting. Keep an eye on the quinoa until all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is very fluffy. Let sit covered for about five minutes and them fluff a bit with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and combine gently.

Then using a large skillet, add a generous amount of canola or vegetable oil to pan fry, using about a 1/4 or 1/3 cup scoop if you have one, scoop the mixture into the pan making around four cakes total. Cook on medium high until golden on each side, about four minutes per side, keep an eye on them and adjust heat as needed. Set on a paper towel when finished.
Enjoy right away or reheat later in toaster oven, etc. I'm guessing they would freeze quite well also! If you can't find cotija cheese, you could use a hard Italian cheese or no cheese at all. Get the cotija though if you can. The salty little crumbles make the cakes divine!

Let me know if you love them as much as I do!
Thanks for reading! xx

Bruschetta

2010-09-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

In this post, we are going to talk about bruschetta. How much do you love bruschetta? I am downright crazy about it! The silly thing is that as much as I love it, I hardly ever make it! Why, why, why? Did you know it's pronounced brewsketta? For more than half a decade I called it brush-etta, which put on the end of my name, giving my name a slight mispronunciation would be a crazy Rushella Brushetta. Say it a couple times, it's fun! Anyway, to me, the quintessential bruschetta uses tomatoes, basil, and olive oil. There are recipes out there using beans, peppers, and the list goes on and on. But, there is just perfection when you combine tomatoes, basil, bufula mozzarella, olive oil, balsamic vinegar. It's as though they were all made to go together. A close relative, the panzanella salad is also a personal favorite!

I'm definitely not an authority on Italian cuisine, but to make really memorable bruschetta, I believe some special care is required. First of all, you have to select a proper bread. You don't want a light, airy french loaf with a thinner skin. You want to look for a hearty, dense, crusty Italian loaf, a pugliese or rustic country variety. Also, you want to slice the bread in 1'' slices, the difference between crostini and bruschetta toasts are that crostini is thinner. Also, I read that that bruschetta comes from the Italian bruscare, which means to cook over coals. After rubbing garlic on the slices and drizzling them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, it would be a fantastic idea to grill them lightly. That black searing adds so much flavor and character, of course I don't have to tell you that! I know this step is well worth the effort, but honestly, I rarely do it. To cheat, you could turn your oven on broil for the last seconds. Also, the tomatoes. Choose ripe, flavorful ones. Be sure to seed them before you dice them up. I've seen some recipes call for good, canned tomatoes. This would be a good option in the winter. I think you can still sneak in some good summertime bruschetta with fresh tomatoes though. It would really be the perfect way to say farewell to the season!

If you want, you can always add red onion, capers, olives, or whatever else you think would taste great in the topping. I like to keep it pretty simple with diced tomatoes, basil chiffonade, bufala mozzarella (diced the same size as the tomatoes), olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and a balsamic reduction syrup to finish. I always used to eat this with the topping fresh, but lately, have been putting it back in the oven for a bit to meld the topping and melt the cheese slightly.

I don't think a recipe is needed here. Just add ingredients to your preference. I always use about equal parts tomato and mozzarella. The basil and lemon juice is to taste, as well as the salt and pepper. Toast the bread at 325-375 depending on your oven, until just crisped and slightly golden, then turn the broiler on and just let them get a bit blackened and then remove. The broiler step is not necessary though. And then just eat up! Aren't you crazy about bruschetta, too?

Holy Mushroom Soup

2010-09-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

You know, there really isn't that much to say about this soup. It's just really darn good. It's pretty simple and straight-forward yet it yields a really dreamy mushroom soup. If you put the texture issue aside, this soup is really like mushroom meets silk or satin and ends up in a bowl together. It's so luxurious and smooth. If you pureed it then it would really be smooth. I think I'd miss the tender slices too much though if it were blended! Also, notice those little oil spots floating on the surface? If you've read other posts on soup here, you know how much I adore them. They make for an amazing mouth feel and give soups a richness they often need in my opinion.

This soup is comprised of three main flavors. Mushrooms. Butter. Sherry. Think of them as a trinity. A heavenly trio: savory, rich, intoxicating. Sure, there's some onion and herbs in there, but when all is said and done, and you sit down to a bowl of this glorious soup, that first spoonful will blast you with mighty and bold flavor. The taste of mushrooms so pure and intense, it's like they take the stage, the big shiny star, and those big red velvet stage curtains behind? Yeah, they are made from butter and trimmed with sherry tassels?

And the texture, oh, the texture. I realize that there are mushroom haters out there. Maybe even quite a lot of them. And I'll admit, this soup would be a mushroom nightmare for them. But if you even remotely like mushrooms, trust me, you'll like this soup a lot. And if you love mushrooms? You will want to marry this soup. There is just something about the silky broth, the buttery smoothness, and the thin and tender mushroom slices. Am I allowed to say that it's succulent? We enjoyed it on a Sunday afternoon. Can't you just tell that that is Sunday afternoon light below? Soft, lazy, beckoning. And now that fall is practically knocking on our doors, it's really, really time to start making lots and lots of soup. Sunday Succulence, anyone? Recipe below.

Holy Mushroom Soup

(think it comes from Epicurious under a different name)

1/4 pound unsliced white mushrooms

1/4 pound unsliced cremini mushrooms

4 oz. dried porcini mushrooms (makes it amazing, didn't have this last time, still incredible!)

1 large onion, tiny dice

1/2 tsp. dried and crumbled tarragon

1/2 tsp. dried oregano, Mexican oregano if you can find

4 c low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 c flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 T dry sherry

couple splashes heavy cream

4 T unsalted butter

start by chopping onion in as small as dice as possible. heat up a pan over medium-high heat and add two Tbsp of butter. once melted and bubbling hot, add diced onion. stir.

immediately start THINLY slicing the fresh mushrooms. about as thin as you can manage. either blend dried porcinis into a powder or pain-stakingly chop them up as fine as you can. assemble these ingredients into a bowl along with the salt, pepper, oregano, and tarragon. once onions are translucent add this mixture. sautee for about five more minutes until mushrooms are tender.

add remaining butter and once it has melted stir it into mixture a bit. then scatter the flour over the mixture and stir carefully. let this cook together, stirring occasionally for about four or five minutes. brown bits will accumulate on pan surface. this is good. makes for a nutty, deep flavor. then slowly pour in about one cup of chicken stock making sure to stir well and gather up any bits stuck to the pan. let this simmer for a bit and add rest of stock. bring up to a simmering bubble.

add cream and sherry. return to a simmer. taste. can be made ahead and kept in fridge until ready to serve. just reheat. this is DELICIOUS. garnish with thinly sliced scallions (green onions). cutting them on the bias makes them gorgeous.

serves 6.

Happy Fall, everyone. I can't wait to share it with you.

Happiness in a Bowl

2010-08-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

Albert Einstein said, ''A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?'' I mostly agree with that. There's a lot of happiness in a bowl of fruit. What is better than a bowl of fresh sliced golden orange Elberta peaches? Or a dish of cold, juicy watermelon? What is more quenching and cleansing after a bout of naughty eating than a dozen pink, glistening segments of grapefruit? What would a pie be without apples? Or shortcake with out strawberries? Is there anything sweeter or more romantic than a gorgeous cherry clafoutis? Well maybe, especially if your name is Bananas Foster? Speaking of bananas, I go bananas for perfect honeydew, something so rare I'm almost more likely to be hit by lightening. Sweet, crisp, plumpy red grapes?

Did you know fruit is one of the best ways to start your morning? Eaten on an empty stomach it quickly travels through (we're talking half an hour folks!) and serves to clean out your intestines? It doesn't even really digest. It cleans. It cleanses. It also hydrates your thirsty and restful body after a nights sleep. It's best to eat first thing because if you combine it with other food it will get caught up in the stomach for about three or four hours and will putrefy instead of giving you it's true goodness... I know, kind of gross and scientific, not at all what I go for with this blog, but, I find it important that you know that. I was doing really great at eating a big bowl of fruit every morning before consuming anything else. I felt so good! So light. So clean. Try it. It works. It's like starting the day with a giant bowl of happiness. In the words of my beloved Ina Garten, ''Who wouldn't love that?''

In fact, at this moment I can smell peach cobbler starting to do it's thing in the oven. My fingers smell like butter. Many of you bakers are very familiar with this occurrence I know. You can wash your hands with water, but the aroma and essence of butter remains! Okay, back to fruit. And, I have an introduction to make. I've never introduced you to my husband. Maybe it's this adorable picture of him just as he is starting to whistle that's inspired me? My whistler's name is Ethan. We're coming up on our 3rd anniversary in a couple days and I thought, why not? You should know of the man who eats my peach cobblers, picks me blackberries to make pie, and tells me my cooking is better than any restaurant... We've had our struggles lately, I hear it's somewhat common in the beginning of this crazy thing we call marriage. Anyway, if you could sends us floating hearts and stars, in the way of warm thoughts and wishes we could use them! We're going to make it, no worries! He's starting to think about making me dinner once a week. I'll keep you posted.

Okay. Fruit. One morning I got the impulse to make a very flavorful fruit salad. We've all heard of the salt and watermelon connection. Or the sweet, citrus-y syrup concoction. Perhaps you've seen those cups of fresh fruit spears sprinkled with chili powder often served from taco trucks? Well, I kind of combined all of those together to make a syrup from turbinado, honey, cayenne, lemon and lime juices and zests, and a good hearty pinch of salt of two. It was sweet, sour, tart, salty, earthy... it was alive! It was almost too much! I couldn't decide if I loved or hated it? But I had to have more. Talk about a wake up to the tongue. The cool thing is that it can really be adjusted to taste of course. Add some water to dilute. Just make it as you wish. It's not scientific, and, you can combine any old combination of flavors you like. A drizzle of honey and a oven-dried lime zest sugar dusting is delightful. When I'm feeling nostalgic about fruit, I always recall a layered fruit salad my mother used to make with melons, grapes, strawberries, and a luscious yogurt and cream cheese mixture. I could practically jump in that trifle bowl and set up shop. If I was miniaturized of course.

As summer draws to a close, I'm already missing the massive variety of fresh fruit we've come to expect and love. I'm also already pining for sunny, sparkly days at the lake. A place where I enjoyed many delightful dips. One was at midnight, the night enchanted and magical, a skinny dipping adventure on my best friend Mo's birthday. Imagine: Perseid meteor showers shooting golden streamers here and there, silky smooth black water, more than a handful of kindred spirits, a big wide sky lit with thousands of bright stars, American cheese and bologna sandwiches on 88 cent white bread, champagne, gourmet cupcakes, floating firewood housing dainty tea lights? I mean isn't that right out of a dream or novel? To me, that's summer. Friends, fruit, skinny dipping, living. It's cool outside, and I can feel fall in the air. It might be a few weeks away still, but it's coming. And I'm okay with that. I love fall. Maybe even more than summer. But, man. It's been a good summer. Okay, I have to go. The cobbler calls. Oh, one more thing...

I'm feeling a bit needy. Needy for comments! I'm wondering if you all would mind helping to make this the most commented on post of all time! I know there are readers in Canada, France, and Italy and lots of other places! Who are you? And all of you crazy Americans... say hi! I'd love it dearly. Almost as much as skinny dipping. xx

Best Potato Salad Ever

2010-08-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

I am a crazy, crazy fan of potato salad. Not just any potato salad, good potato salad. We all know there are a lot and too many very mediocre, even poor potato salads out there. You've had them, I've had them, we've all had them! Bland, commercial ones that taste like plastic and preservatives, potatoes too firm, not enough sauce, too much sauce, under-salted, uninspired, and the worst, plain old forgettable. Potato salad should be such a delectable side dish that you know you shouldn't eat too much of it because there is a main star to save room for, but yet you just can't help eating way more of it than you should because it's so irresistibly delicious! It should scream summer and picnics. You should look forward to potato salad not just put up with it! Heck, I turn it into the main dish. With a fresh, side salad? Yes! So, being the potato salad lover that I am, I've done quite a lot of reading up on the dish. Since first researching, I think I've learned quite a lot and know the ways around making an utterly magical potato salad. And... I think I've created the perfect classic potato salad. Wanna hear about it?

To me, the perfect potato salad has all the right textures and flavors. I've made lots of recipes, one from the Pioneer Lady that called for mashing all of the potatoes. Another that requires dousing the drained, hot spuds in a tangy vinaigrette. And somehow, after combining the secrets and techniques of all these great recipes, I've put them all together and this is what I've come up with.

To get the right texture, some strategic care must be given to the potatoes. I prefer using waxy, smooth Yukon golds. The bigger the better. I dice them all up into about 1'' cubes and and cover with cold water and some salt. Then after bringing them to a boil and letting them simmer, I take out about quarter of them when al dente, then half of what's left when they are creamy but still a firm. Then, I cook the remainder until they are very, very soft in order to mash them. All the while draining each batch, and sprinkling them while still hot with a vegetable oil-based vinaigrette with cider and white wine vinegar, paprika, minced garlic, sugar, parsley, and of course salt and pepper. This way, the potatoes soak up all of the wonderful spices and flavors and result in a potato salad with much more depth and character.

You're going to have to bare with me, here. We're just getting started. If you love potato salad like I do though, it will be worth your time I promise! I should have mentioned that before you even get your potatoes on the stove you should very thinly slice one or two large onions depending on yield you're going for. You will be caramelizing them in a half or whole stick of butter until they are as brown as they can get and reduce to a piddly little ball of what I like to call, onion jam. Onion jam is loaded and loaded with sweet, robust flavor and will take this potato salad into galaxies it only dreamed of! Now, I love potato salads with just a vinaigrette, but, in order to create the perfect potato salad with all the right elements, there just has to be a creamy factor as well. So,in addition to the vinaigrette, we'll be combining a less than usual amount of mayonnaise and sour cream. This will add the creaminess we are looking for, it's really just combining the two styles which I think go very well hand in hand.

Then, to finish you've gotta have boiled eggs. Three to six depending on the size of the salad, or, however many you prefer. My perfect potato salad also has to have pickles. And I want them crunchy. To add sure crunch and a bit of class, I go with cornichons. They are dainty, flavorful, and crunchy as can be. They are perfect. I slice them into little disks. A good amount of them. And for some freshness, celery. The key is to mince the celery very well. It's there for flavor and crunch, but shouldn't overwhelm or stand out too much. Also, I don't care for raw white onions in a potato salad and sometimes scallions can get slimy, so tah-dah... chives, and dried are just fine. This may seem like a lot of work, and truthfully, it kind of is. It's definitely a bit time consuming of a process, but oh-so-worth-it. IT'S INCREDIBLE.

I'm a little leery giving you a recipe and here is why. I've only made this version a couple times and haven't jotted down the exact measurements yet. The next time I make it, I'll jot it all down and share it with you. I can tell you though that you can do it! It's much more about intuition than anything else. I would say if you used about 3 and a half pounds of potatoes, you would want to make about a half cup or a bit more of the vinaigrette, standard 2/3 to 1/3 oil-vinegar ratio. I use vegetable oil because it allows the other flavors to stand out as they should, use olive oil if you prefer. I prefer Wessons. Add minced garlic to taste, a few pinches of sugar or honey, a good amount of paprika, you want the liquid to be a medium orange color, it adds a nice color to the potato salad. Dried parsley, salt and pepper finish it out. For the mayonnaise and sour cream mixture, maybe another 1/2 cup? Add some whole grain mustard as well, maybe a tablespoon. Caramelize one large onion and add the melted butter that comes with it. Then slice up a stalk or two of celery, and then the right amount of cornichons, the chives and celery add necessary freshness. It's also best at room temperature or slightly warm. Due to the fats, and I know, there's a lot of them, eating it straight from the fridge isn't recommended.

I enjoyed some time at Barnes and Noble today and made my way through the latest issue of Fine Cooking. And, to my glee, there was a whole spread of potato salad. It was actually pretty genius. It broke potato salad down into all the elements. Based on three and a half pounds of potatoes, it told you how to cook them (not my method), then to choose a creamy dressing or vinaigrette which they offered recipes for, then lists of enhancements. Check it out if you can. They also suggest making the creamy dressing with 1 part mayo and another part either sour cream, yogurt, creme fraiche, or buttermilk. Then you can select up to six of the following to aromatics and flavor-boosters to enhance your dressing: anchovies, chipotle in adobo, horseradish, ginger, lemon or lime zest, turbinado sugar or honey, garlic, or orange zest. There are many more you could think up as well. Then, you get to pick your mix-ins, up to six again, and no more than four cups total: artichoke hearts, bell peppers, dried apricots, peas, chickpeas, red onion or shallot, celery, radicchio or endive, granny smiths, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, fennel, raisins, green beans, sweet corn, scallions, tomatoes. Again, you can probably think of many more mix-ins! Also: pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts. Don't forget proteins: bacon, eggs, smoked salmon or trout, turkey, chicken, pancetta, shrimp. Can't leave out cheese: cheddar, feta, blue! And then for real flavor: capers, cornichons, pepperoncini, fresh herbs, olives, jalapenos, etc! There really are so many options. Some of their favorite combos that I thought looked good were:

-Corn, Bell Pepper, and Cheddar: creamy dressing with lime, garlic, oregano, and cumin. Fresh corn, red bell peppers, cheddar cheese, scallions, and cilantro (I would never use cilantro, parsley instead and also a few jalapenos!)

-Bacon, Pickle, and Caraway: vinaigrette dressing with grainy mustard and caraway seeds, then sweet onion, bacon, dill, and parsley.

- Shrimp, Tarragon, and Celery: creamy dressing with lemon and tarragon, shrimp, celery, and chives.

- Pancetta, Peas, and Mixed Herbs: creamy with buttermilk and lemon juice, peas, sugar snaps, pancetta, mint, basil, and chives.

I think a creamy based version with curry powder, green beans, raisins, and peas would be interesting?

Sorry for the long potato salad article here, it's just that potato salad calls for such verbosity, doesn't it? I really hope I've opened your eyes to the possibilities and perfection that can be in potato salad. If you wouldn't mind, tell me about your favorite version of the dish? I've love to hear about them!

The Best Kind of Evenings

2010-08-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just get really lucky on a Sunday evening, that's what happened to me here. Don't you just love dinner parties where you get to show up, sip, relax, indulge, marvel, and generally just enjoy a really special moment? Those moments where you realize you are probably taking part in the most enchanting meal happening in your entire town at the moment? And all you have to do is sit and take it all in? Those moments always require a great host or hostess. My friend Mallory is pretty much the queen of hostessing delightful dinners. She takes such pleasure in it and is also very good at it. This is where I get lucky being her friend. I wanted to post some of the moments from this Sunday Evening Dinner to inspire you and get you reminded or turned on to the greatness that is the Dinner Party.

To create a truly special dinner, styling and decorating your table especially is really key in my opinion. Mallory is passionate about tablescapes like none other I know. These extra touches and really add atmosphere and charm! Don't you just love the moss runner?

No soiree is complete without a good drink. Even it's virgin, there are a lot of dazzling beverages out there that don't involve alcohol. I make them at home quite often actually. But when socializing, I happen to be a fan of the slightly amped-up options. This was a lemon and berry concoction of some kind. I go absolutely nuts for straws with polka dots. They make drinking a beverage oh-so-fun.

A little bite to start things off is certainly a good idea. In this instance, Mo fried up some cornichon and served them with a mustard sauce. These came with mixed reviews but as you will soon see, I loved them.

The fancy little cornichon were very crunchy to begin with, but when you dredge them in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs they develop this irresistible crispy coating. Salty, briny, oh my.

The main course can be ultra fancy and complicated, or as simple and perfect as slow-roasted pork shoulder which we all know usually turns into succulent, saucy BBQ pulled pork, which Mallory heaped a homemade burger bun. She picked them up from a local, gourmet burger joint Fiamma Burger downtown, they make them fresh daily. She also made a fabulous slaw to accompany them along with store-bought extra-salted sweet potato fries. Ina Garten always emphasizes the importance of not making every single thing from scratch when entertaining and after plenty of rebellion of my own to that theory, I've wizened up and heeded those words. You never want to be so exhausted and sick of being in the kitchen by the time your guests arrive! They will feel it!

I wasn't able to nab a shot of the the dessert fully plated but I did get a picture of the little homemade shortbread numbers Mallory made to go with fresh fruit, ice cream, and vanilla whipped cream! I'm a major sucker for scones and these little biscuits were like scones, sugar cookies, biscuits, and shortbread all rolled into one heavenly vessel. I know that Mallory has the recipe on her blog and referred to it recently.

Here is our adorable hostess in all of her charming glory!

Ending the evening around a fire doesn't hurt either...

Thanks, Mo! xx

Happy summer entertaining and eating, friends...

Chocolate-Cherry & Rose Layer Cake

2010-07-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad blogger. It's true. The trouble is that I've just been feeling so uninspired. Food and cooking isn't really the problem either. It's more of a logistical thing. My camera is ancient and insufficient at times, my workspace needs a makeover, and my little blog feels inadequate. Wow, someone is being a big cry baby! It's just that my dear friend recently turned me onto a gorgeous blog, Sunday Suppers, and ever since viewing it I have come down with a serious case of envy, greed, and slothfulness. Sunday Suppers is a beautiful piece of work, check it out, the palette is clean and elegant, I love the logo... I WISH IT WAS MINE! It's so well-designed and lovely, makes me turn my nose up at my own and obsess about higher classes of blogdom! I know, I know. Buck up and get over it. And that's exactly what I'm trying to do today! Speaking of those deadly sins I mentioned earlier, they are the perfect introduction to this cake story.

It's a bit pitiful that I actually made this cake over a month ago! As many of you know, I'm part of a completely delightful and special gourmet cooking club, Around the Table. For the month of June our theme was The Seven Deadly Sins. This theme was one of the most exciting for me to date, I don't know why exactly, perhaps the drama and promise of such passionate themes and dishes. I got lucky and ended up with dessert course and lust. Chocolate seemed like a must, berries or fruit also seemed necessary. Through some different phases and planning I came up with the idea to follow the natural course of lusty exchanges. I knew it would be a lot going on on the plate, but I thought it might work. On a large, white rounded square plate I placed three frozen raspberry chocolate kisses to start. Cold, tangy zingers to get things rolling in the mouth. Then came a big hunk of this moist, chocolaty cake filled with silky rose butter cream and Bing cherry bits. This was the big act you could say. Then, I took some Strawberry Poprocks and tossed them in cocoa powder, clever I thought, it disguised their identity and the chocolate kept them in line with the theme. They were popping and carrying on before I even got the plates on the table for my lovely lady diners. So now that we had the fireworks it's time for a smoke, right? Now, I'm down for the occasional Saturday Night Smoke. Maybe twice a year if the feeling is right? It gives me a headache every time and basically lets me down! So, being aware of this and the fact that many of the girls may not be into smoking nicotine, I talked with my sister and she suggested this herbal smoke blend that the local specialty tea shop sells. Bam. Perfect. So her and I rolled up six, herbal ciggies. So to finish the plates presentation, I took a tablespoon of sugar or so to make a sandy platform for the cigarette to rest on and voila. I thought it was pretty fun and thankfully, so did my fellow food lovers.

The base for this cake is a recipe I make time and time again. I found it years ago when googling the best chocolate cake ever. If you google Only Chocolate Cake You'll Ever Need, several sources will pop up boasting the greatness of this recipe. It is pretty great. First of all, no mixer. Also, no creaming of butter and sugar, not that I really mind doing that anyway, but sometimes when you are making a cake and must oil and line baking pans, create icing, etc. it's just kind of nice to skip a couple steps if possible. This cake calls for very ordinary ingredients that should typically be laying around in your pantry. And, the best part is that it's like mixing up pancakes. Stir together the wet ingredients, whisk the dry, and combine. I'm going to say it again... Bam. It's easy, it's very moist and pretty much fail-proof, and really, it's the Only Chocolate Cake You'll Ever Need. It has a tons of liquid and is a very runny batter which ensures moistness. It's basically a Devils Food Cake that you could enhance with peppermint oil, chocolate chunks, etc. It's great. The original recipe calls for vegetable oil only, I melt butter to create a half oil, half butter ratio because I just like the taste butter imparts into baked goods. To skip another step and make it easier, you could just use all oil... I also make 1.5 times the recipe to make really tall, full 9" rounds.

Only Chocolate Cake You'll Ever Need

2 C. AP Flour

1 t. Salt

1 t. Powder

1 t. Soda

3/4 C. Cocoa Powder

2 C. Sugar

1 C. total oil/melted butter

1 C. hot coffee

1 C. Milk or buttermilk

2 Lg. Eggs

1 t. Vanilla

Easy as pie. Oil a 9 x 13 inch pan, oil and line 8 or 9" cake rounds, or prepare cupcake tins. Preheat the oven to about 325'.

In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.

In another medium bowl, whisk thoroughly all wet ingredients, about two minutes.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until smooth. Expect batter to be very thin.

Pour batter into baking vessels and bake until top just springs back. There's nothing worse than over-baked, dry cake. A good sign to start checking it is when the luscious smell of cake starts filling your home! For two 9" rounds, about thirty minutes. If you fill them extra full like I do, add another five or ten minutes, just check in near the end.

It's great smothered in a buttery, chocolate icing. Or cream cheese!

Cultured Vegetables

2010-06-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

Alright. Let's get in an afternoon quickie, shall we? My last two posts were pretty long-winded! I'm about to do something I rarely do on this site, tell you about something healthy! You may have noticed that I gravitate to comfort foods and foods that aren't so good for you! Truthfully, with all of this love for foods that don't always love me I've had to pause and evaluate my health. Look into the business of balance. The culinary school I went to was big into the idea of acid and alkaline balancing. Since then, I've always believed in its validity but never made it a priority in my diet or in my stomach! After reading a book called the Body Ecology Diet, I have become aware of the value of cultured vegetables. They do wonders in aiding with the digestion of protein and help to create a overall balance with your internal flora. The standard American diet isn't dotted with many bitter foods. The taste is not something we gravitate to and is not usually present in our favorite foods. Other cultures, especially Asian, are much better in the department of consuming alkalizing, bitter, and fermented foods. Yogurt is a good start but there is really so much more you can do! Kefir, raw apple cider vinegar, and cultured vegetables!

I have to be honest. These are funky. Think sauerkraut only quite a bit more funky. I think they are most palatable tossed into a green salad. You hardly notice them there and are in fact a nice addition in flavor to a basic green salad. Throw some avocado, croutons, or anything else delicious into the salad and then you really don't even notice their presence. The photo of above is day one of the process. They don't look quite that beautiful on day four. Here's how make them...

Basically, you just need to buy a good amount of organic vegetables. I used red and green cabbage, yellow beets, carrots, kale, and a bit of arame. You wash and put all of the veggies through the shredder on your food processor. It's a very healthy process, you will feel so wonderful going through all of these veggies and creating a colorful shredded pile. Then, you take a few handfuls of the mixture and put it into a blender with enough purified water to make a liquidy brine. You can also add dill, caraway , mustard, or cumin seeds or whatever else to flavor if you'd like. Then you just pack the mixture into a large glass and pour the brine over the top. You want to leave room in the top for the expansion that will take place through out the process. Then you roll up some cabbage leaves and stuff them on the very top, seal it up, and leave it out on your counter for 4-6 days at room temperature, make sure your home is 70 degrees or higher. I had to take mine to work where I know it is always quite warm. You will start to notice little changes day by day, bubbles form, the liquid moves to different areas, the color changes, the mixture grows. When you open the jar at the end a large popping sound will occur. You can salt the mixture if you'd like afterwards. It keeps in the refrigerator for months. Cultured vegetables take some getting used to! But eating them is something you can feel really good and proactive about! Your stomach will thank you!

BBQ Beer Can Chicken & Carrots Vichy

2010-06-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

BBQ Beer Can Chicken. You can see it there below. My sister made me painfully aware of the fact that she does not find the picture below the least bit appetizing... I suppose I can see her point, it's just that I really wanted to show you how brilliant the beer can really is, and I wanted you to see it! Do you see it peeking out down there? You can also see the tasty and very simple rub I massaged into the little baby. I've said it here before, I'm not a huge fan of chicken. If it's not seasoned quite heavily or just the palette for say curry or tacos, I'm usually just not that into it. I really like don't how 'fleshy' it can taste. I haven't completely lost all my vegan repulsions. Though a juicy, rare steak doesn't give me one problem anymore. I really can't make sense of it. But, I will end there by saying this chicken is amazing. And I like it. We've made it three times in the last month now! And it couldn't be easier or better in my opinion. And then there are the Carrots Vichy...

There is the start of them below. Carrots à la Vichy are basically thinly-sliced carrots authentically cooked in sparkling Vichy water, which is apparently mineral water that comes from the springs surrounding Vichy, Frances well-known spa city. Add some butter and sugar, then simmer it all down gently until the water reduces and the carrots are oh-so-perfectly glazed and without any added color. Sprinkle with parsley and then voila as the French would say. I stumbled across this dish at my new job surprisingly. I didn't use Vichy water of course, that would really call for some serious ooh-la-la but I did use San Pellegrino and I think my carrots were quite happy in it.

Okay, back to the chicken. As I just wrote, this beautiful grilled chicken couldn't be any easier. Simply choose the right chicken, you know, there is always the right one. Mine always makes itself known to me. I usually glance down in the refrigerated case and it's usually the first or second one my eyes land on and return to after a quick scanning look over. I pick it up, feel it, meet it. That's usually the one. Sometimes, you get lucky and the wrapping is clear so you can make sure there aren't any gross and unsightly big red marks or weird discolorations. For a girl who isn't always so crazy for chicken, my birds have to be gorgeous if you know what I mean.

I hope you had a nap or snack recently, I'm really yanking you around in different directions here. Chicken, carrots, chicken, back to carrots... Stay with me. So the carrots, basically, thinly slice about four cups of carrots. Barely cover with water, sparkling is ideal if you have it, and half a teaspoon of salt and simmer until al dente. Drain. Heat one-quarter of a cup of butter and two tablespoons sugar in a pan over medium heat until melted and mixed, then toss the carrots gently in the pan until coated and cooked through. Additionally, season with salt and white pepper to taste and garnish with minced fresh parsley. These are kind of like candy. And so, so good straight off the heat. Be ready to pop the little glazed, butter slices like caramel corn. They're that good.

Okay, back to the chicken. So, now that you've selected the right bird and brought it home. Get it out of the fridge. Grab a twelve ounce can of beer and drink about half of it. Fire up your barbie while you're at it. You need nice hot heat, mound the coals on one side of your grill by the way. You will place the chicken near the coals, but not directly on top of them. Rinse your chicken with cool water and pat completely dry with good paper towels. I'm a fan of white Viva. Set the chicken on top of the beer can, it will stand up nicely for you. Then, make a rub. If you already have a purchased one that's fine, we make our own mix with about two tablespoons of salt, two tablespoons of paprika, two tablespoons of brown sugar, and a good pinch or two of cayenne pepper. Some granulated garlic would be great in there as well. Mix it up. Then simply oil the outside of the chicken with a good amount of vegetable oil. Massage it around thoroughly and then sprinkle and rub on seasonings. That's it. It takes about ten minutes from start to finish. As I mentioned, place your chicken on the other side of the grill away from the coals, we put the breast side towards the coals. Cover and for a 4 pound chicken, it takes about a hour and fifteen minutes. All three times we've made this the chicken is always so juicy it almost seems wrong. It gets this great color and is much a like a rotisserie. Flavorful, tender, juicy, dare I even say succulent? You'll know it's ready when a knife inserted into the thigh produces clear juices. The thigh will also pull right out...

We got crazy and had a Thanksgiving in June. We had the chicken and carrots with buttermilk-mashed potatoes and Stovetop Stuffing. The stuffing is a bit embarrassing but it was our last plastic bag of the stuff. When we lived in our old apartment near the University, students would move out and live very miscellaneous boxes of things in the hallways or out in the front lawn. One day I came home and saw a large box of food items sitting at the base of the first flight stairs, tan cardboard box sitting on dusty hardwood floor, seemed innocent. I scored some good canned olives and for some reason grabbed a few bags of stuffing. For those poor, ramen noodle type meals, maybe? It isn't bad. I kind of like it's basic, gooey goodness. If only it didn't have hydrogenated oil...

So there you have it, BBQ Beer Can Chicken and Carrots à la Vichy. And, my thoughts on Stovetop Stuffing. My husband and I actually like this chicken so much we are considering making it on Real Thanksgiving as opposed to fussing with a turkey that somehow always gives me a headache. It's really, really good poultry. And that says a lot coming from me! Now that it's officially summer, well, almost, it's really the perfect time to start grilling. You could also serve this with that Barefoot Contessa salad I told you about! That and some lightly sauteed asparagus, a glass of crisp Pinot Grigio... Voila! Happy, happy summer, friends!

Crack Slaw

2010-06-18T23:56:00.000-07:00

It seems a little crack-like that I'm sitting here at midnight in a quiet, quiet house writing to you about this unbelievably delightful dish that is Crack Slaw. I've just come over the mountains and through the woods to my Mother's home, it's my Dad's too, he's the reason we're really here this weekend. It's just that my Mother's home oozes her personality and touch so I think of it as mostly hers. The house is quiet tonight. All of it's inhabitants are peacefully sleeping. I peeked in on my sister and nephew Charlie in the other guest room, heavy sighs of deep breathing swirled through the dark black air. I just had to turn on the nearby restroom light so I could look for the tiny and very precious silhouette of my dear little Charles! What a treasure that little boy is. I should be sleeping too, but my husband and I only arrived here about an hour ago and while my late-night shower in a nicer bathroom than my usual (I have a thing for nice bathrooms) was terribly relaxing I'm just not ready to turn in. Outside, it's quite enchanting as well, there is a light, rainy breeze. And it's the kind of early summer breeze where you can't tell if the air is more warm or more cool. It's a bit beguiling. So, it seems like the perfect opportunity to come and tell you about something I've been meaning to share with you for over a year. Not too mention that I'm a wee (possibly more than a wee) behind in blogging.

Coleslaw is one of those dishes that we've all experienced our whole lives but can sometimes be quite boring and under appreciated. It's often made poorly: way too much mayonnaise if it's the creamy variety, under seasoned, or just plain uninspired! It's one of those dishes you could just toss easily together with very little thought or care. But why would you? It's such a necessary fresh and crunchy component to so many foods. I completely adore it on top of a salty, snappy hot dog. How about nestled between a warm, buttery bun and lots of BBQ pulled pork? It's also just lovely beside fried chicken or other rich, flavorful meats. Ina made a slaw once on her show that was gorgeous, I've never forgotten it and I've never made it either. I will though. She used mainly the usual suspect ingredients but it seems like she added something very green, I don't know if they were collards or kale? But she shredded them in such a way that the stands were very long and rather unwieldy and vibrantly colored. This slaw is of the Asian-flare I know, I know. We've all had the cabbage-ramen noodle concoction in a sweet, balanced dressing. But this version is different. It's out-of-control. It's best within the first few minutes it's made and in those first few minutes I guarantee that you cannot even begin to shovel it in fast enough. It's perfection for the mouth. No joke. You'll see. I'm not going to rattle on about it any further. I just really, really suggest you make it. Soon.

I have only a couple of things to stress about this recipe. The first is, you HAVE to let the nut mixture cool completely before adding it to the cabbage. Otherwise you can imagine what will happen, it will quickly heat and wilt the cabbage and that will totally take away from the crack effect. The other thing is that you really do have to eat this right away. It's best when the cabbage and noodles and everything else is super, super crunchy! I stumbled across the recipe at East Village Kitchen.

Crack Slaw

1 14 oz. bag of coleslaw mix

5 scallions, sliced on the diagonal

3 T. butter

2 T. sesame seeds

1 C. sliced almonds

1 package ramen noodles, crushed, don't use seasoning packet

Dressing:

1/2 C. vegetable oil (I love Wesson's)

1/4 C. sugar, or less to taste

2 T. soy sauce

Combine the coleslaw mix and scallions. Over medium heat, melt the butter. Add noodles, sesame seeds, and almonds. Stir often and heat until mixture is light and golden brown. Remove and cool completely. Stir up dressing ingredients and then combine with cooled nut mixture and vegetables. Stir quickly, serve up quickly, and eat quickly! Your fellow diners will adore it and it will become part of your recipe world!

Enjoy it, let me know if you love it as much as I do! I see a Rihanna-covered Elle lying on the carpet nearby, might have to thumb through it and then it's finally to bed for me!

Peonies and Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2010-06-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

I kind of have a love affair with this cake and these moments. First of all, cake. I love cake. I love cakes that are light and bright, angel foods blanketed in strawberries and vanilla bean whipped cream. I love cakes that are fruity, apple spice or pumpkin with cream cheese icing. I love classic vanilla with butter cream. I love dense, rich chocolate layer cakes with their deep, dark sophistication. A grand, tall coconut layer cake, what could be better? Vegetable... I crave a piece of cold, moist carrot cake with pineapple and no nuts or raisins. And morning or afternoon coffee cake is no exception.

I also adore peonies. They are my favorite flower and these pink beauties simply fill my soul with sweet enchantment. It pains me that you can only find them for a mere few weeks a year. I could be surrounded by them everyday. I don't believe it would be possible to fill my home with too many of them. I can just see it now.

Don't you want to dive head first into this round pool of rhubarb, vanilla, and cinnamon?

Although Ina didn't say to add fruit to this cake, I just couldn't help myself. I wondered what would happen if I thinly sliced up some deserving rhubarb from my sister's garden, dusted it with plenty of snowy sugar, and gingerly laid it down into the center of this cake. I also pondered whether or not to pour in the juice that formed in bottom of the rhubarb bowl, I did. This was not a mistake!

As you can see, this cake is very, very moist and tender. It starts with a solid, thick batter loaded with lots of sour cream and cake flour. It then gets layered between three rounds of buttery, brown sugar crumbs. Add fruit to the middle of leave it out. Bake it for an hour, let it cool, then drizzle it with just the right amount of maple syrup glaze. Perfumed by cinnamon and vanilla? Sign me up.

Be still my heart. If only every plate of food could be surrounded by gorgeous pink peonies. Or white ones. Or salmon toned. Though I've only seen salmon peonies online, I will find them for real. You can see the gooey, rhubarb filling practically tumbling out of this cake!

While we are nearing the end of this story, there are a few more images to take in. Told ya I would be adding a third installment to my Barefoot Contessa series here! I read one review of this cake where a viewer accused Ina of taking this recipe right from a first edition copy of the red and white checkered Betty Crocker cookbook. Of course I wouldn't dare investigate that one. I'm leaving all the glory to Ina.

I think this cake would be delicious and delightful filled with blackberries, nectarines, pears, or cherries. Just chop up about two cups or so of fruit, sweeten if necessary, and drop into the second layer of streusel filling. Citrus zests would also be nice mixed into the fruit of course, lime with blackberries, lemon with cherries, orange with rhubarb, etc. While reading the recipe reviews it was very apparent that most people recommended doubling the crumb recipe which I did. I also left out the walnuts it called for. You could add them or pecans if you wish?

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Barefoot Contessa

serves 8-12

Cake:

12 T. butter, unsalted, room temperature

1.5 C. granulated sugar

3 Lg. eggs, room temperature

1.5 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 C. Sour Cream, room temperature

2 T. warm water (my addition)

2.5 C. Cake Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

Streusel:

1/2 C. Brown Sugar

1 C. AP Flour

3 tsp. Cinnamon (or less if you're not a huge fan)

1/2 tsp. Salt

6 T. butter, cubed, cold

1.5 C. walnuts, chopped, optional

(1.5 - 3 C. Fresh fruit, sliced, optional)

Glaze:

1/2 C. Confectioner's Sugar

2 T. Real Maple Syrup

For the cake, grease and flour or sugar a 10' tube pan. The type you would use to make an angel food cake. You also want the pan to be aluminum, light in color, none of that dark, non-stick stuff! I also lined the bottom with wax paper (out of parchment) to ensure the beauty came out easily. Preheat the oven to 350. If your oven runs hot like mine, go down to 335. Nothing worse than over-baked, dry cake right?

Make up the streusel first so it is all ready once you've finished the batter and are ready to assemble the cake. Also prep your fruit if you are using... set both aside.

Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy, about five minutes on medium with paddle attachment. Sift or whisk together the dry ingredients and reserve. Once butter and sugar is ready, slowly add eggs one at a time until each is incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the bowl now and then. Then add the vanilla, warm water, and sour cream and mix until smooth. Then add the flour mixture and mix on low or stir setting until JUST incorporated. Remove from mixer base and carefully use a spatula to make sure all ingredients are mixed up from the bottom of the bowl.

Place 1/3 or just under of the streusel on the bottom of the pan. Then spoon in half of the batter. It's very thick, don't be alarmed. It will still rise and bake beautifully. Then add your fruit if using, then add just over a third of the streusel. Add the rest of the batter and smooth around evenly. Then add rest of streusel filling. Bake about 1 hr, check for doneness. Let cool for 10-15 minutes in pan and carefully remove cake and set on serving dish.

Mix together the maple syrup and confectioner's sugar and drizzle in whatever artistic style you desire on top the cake. Let cool completely before covering with cake dome or lid. Then just marvel at your work and beauty of the cake. Which you will! And then dive into that pool, people! : )

A couple dozen crumbs remind us of what was.

Fresh Corn Salad

2010-05-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

Ina Garten... Oh, how I adore her. My fancying of Ina will be quite clear after I will soon blog three posts in a row all dedicated to the East Coast Cutie. There are many, many reasons why I adore her. Good reasons, silly reasons... But I suppose I will spare you on this Memorial Day. The most important reason I love her is because of her food. It without fail, ALWAYS looks unbelievably delicious! And, it always is just that. Unbelievably delicious. The picture below shows a piece of grilled chicken breast. The poultry itself looks a bit scary to me in this shot, but the thing tasted amazing! It's chicken from Trader Joe's and it comes in this little pouch, with lots of liquid... I know it sounds horrific but something about all of those mysterious chicken juices kind of brines everything, in my opinion. I say that because this particular brand always grills beautifully and is very, very tender and moist. It was juicy and flavorful already with lots of salt and pepper, but then we gilded the lilly by butter-flying the breast, and then filling it to the brim with my mother's homemade pesto, mozzarella, and sliced of fresh vine tomatoes. It was devilishly good, and I'm not even a huge fan of the bird.

But, as good as this chicken was. That's not what I'm here to tell you about. What I'm here to tell you about is this gorgeous corn salad. I first had this recipe at my parents house in central Washington. They live way out in the county and have a lovely, sprawling view of the area and a massive covered deck to accompany it. They also have a huge gas grill and lots and lots of comfortable seating. You can see where this is going. I don't remember the occasion but we had a fabulous BBQ and this corn salad was in the mix. My mother had ear-marked the recipe from one of Ina's books and also happened to have a nice crate of fresh corn. So that was that. This recipe couldn't be simpler, well, it can be if you use good canned corn, but then it loses a bit of its glory... still excellent though! Corn, basil, red onion, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. That's it. My husband could eat gallons of this salad. Possibly in one day. It's that good! The last couple times I've made it I've used canned corn, and not to sound like a Trader Joe's Advertisement, but the best corn for crunch that I have found comes from them too. Nothing is as good as making this salad from sweet, fresh ears of corn. But out of season and in a pinch, canned corn is just fine. This recipe is delicious because you have crunch and sweetness from the corn, interesting flavor from the fresh basil, tanginess and brininess from the simple vinaigrette, and then plenty of salt and pepper ensure tons of flavor. It's great alongside grilled meats or just all by itself with a big bowl and spoon! You also might consider doubling the recipe because it will undoubtedly vanish way sooner than you will like it to!

Fresh Corn Salad

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, 1999

5 ears corn, shucked

1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 tablespoons good olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves (directions follow)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob. (Yes, you can use leftover, cooked and cooled corn.)

Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature. Makes about 4 or 5 servings.
To make chiffonade: Stack basil leaves, then cut across the stack to make small "ribbons."

Ina's Double Chocolate Cookies

2010-05-16T23:25:00.001-07:00

These cookies are special. They are special because they are fudgy, buttery, and tender. They are also special because everyone I know and love likes them a lot! These cookies even helped me get a job once. I knew they would seal the deal. I saw Ina make these on her show a several years ago and they just looked so tasty that I had to make them right away. And I've been making them regularly ever since! I believe she turned them into Ice Cream Sandwiches for her guests although I've never used them for that. They don't taste like any other chocolate cookie I've had, a lot of butter and vanilla. Nice saltiness. These cookies really can change depending on how long you cook them. They are supposed to look pretty gooey in the middle when they come out of the oven. Just keep an eye on them! I think it's a must to serve these with a very indulgent sized class of ice cold whole milk. Let me know how you like them!

Barefoot Contessa's Double Chocolate Cookies

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2/3 cup good unsweetened cocoa
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds good white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix well. Add the cocoa and mix again. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the chocolate with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Fold in the chopped white chocolate.
Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

A Great Gazpacho

2010-05-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back! The dark cloud of depression actually lifted months ago, it's just taken me some time to really get back. I've had intentions of blogging for a few months, I suppose I just wasn't quite ready or inspired enough! My dearest girlfriend, Mallory, from A Sofa in the Kitchen, is so talented and with her post of pictures from our cooking groups dinner last night I just couldn't resist any longer! I have missed taking pictures of food, having a great reason to try new recipes, writing about this subject I adore, and basically just sharing myself with you! It's been awhile, so bear with me as we get back into the swing of things around Use the Good China...

I find it a bit surprising that the first food I should blog on after this long, long hiatus is gazpacho. To tell you the truth, I've had it several times and really didn't love it enough to ever crave or desire it, let alone make it for any purpose! However, I recently had a delightful friend over for dinner and decided to grill up some vegetable and cheese paninis. I really wanted to serve them with a nice cup of soup but decided that it just wouldn't be right, it's time to pay some respect to spring and the gorgeous weather and warmth we've been experiencing here in the Northwest. So then, I thought, well, vegetable salad? No, too boring. And with all of the veggies going into the sandwiches? GAZPACHO? Really? It's practically a salad, super fresh, light. So, I went to my favorite food resource of all time: Epicurious. I found a recipe that looked easy and flavorful and got down with my bad self and my Cuisinart. I have to say, I just Love this stuff. If too many hours pass, I start craving it. It's salty, savory, spicy punch. I also like the little bits of vegetables that don't get completely pureed. And, as you can see in the photo above, there are little oil bubbles hovering over the soup. To me, a good soup always has that layer. Fat makes for a silky mouth feel, and in my opinion, even light soups need it! I've always liked V8 and this isn't a far stretch, the thing is, I don't like it cold. I've never been one for cold soups. It just doesn't seem right. No matter how open I try to be, I just can't do it. Don't get me wrong, I like cold things. Water... I prefer it ice arctic cold. Fruit... colder the better. It's just that I've got it in my head that soups should be piping hot. So, I really prefer this gazpacho at a slightly cool room temperature. When its icy cold you can't really taste the depth of flavors that lie within anyway. I also highly recommend giving this soup several additional hefty lashings of tabasco when you serve it individually!

I love that this recipe is so easy to prepare. No cooking. All you have to do is roughly dice up some herbs and veggies, measure a few flavorings, and blend. It gets better with time and will last up to a week chilled in the refrigerator. I think it will become a summer staple, if you know what I mean. Thanks for having me back, I won't leave again for a long, long time! Stop in often, I'd love to have you!!!

Really, really Good Gazpacho

adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

6 c tomato juice

2 large tomatoes

1/3 Lg English Cucumber

2 lg bell peppers, I used Red and Green

1 T honey

2 clove crushed garlic

4 scallions (chop to light green part)

juice from 1/2 lemon & 1/2 lime

1.5 Tbs red wine vinegar

3 T fresh chopped basil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/3 cup chopped parsley

dash tobasco

4 T. olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (up to 1/4 tsp if you like the extra bite)

Directions:

1. Chop veggies and fresh herbs into chunks.

2. Put in Cuisinart and Chop until chunky (about 10 - 15 seconds)

3. Add 3 c. of the tomato juice and chop some more until thick but still have small pieces of veggies. Don't puree completely.

4. Pour into Container, taste and season as necessary.

Add more tomato juice and stir well, continuing to add until desired consistency. I used all 6 cups.

5. Regrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve topped with creme fresh or Sour Cream, and chopped scallion.

Going away...

2009-09-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

I've always intended for this blog to be one of enchantment, beauty, and all things fabulous. I try to make it something that you can come to, get lost in, and leave feeling good about the possibilities in life. Especially the lovely, comforting food possibilities in life. It's supposed to be a dreamy place to escape to and look forward to. Something to feel good about.

What I'm about to share with you all is not enchanting in the slightest. It's not pretty or nice or dreamy. I'll just come out with it. I'm depressed. I've been fighting it and hoping it isn't what it is but I can no longer deny it! It definitely explains why I've had zero interest in blogging lately which I'm sure you have noticed... I hate to address the issue here on this space which is supposed to represent good things and passionate creativity. I know I have readers and some of you come back often to see what's brewing and I'm sure it's very disappointing to see that nothing is ever going on! I felt I owed you an explanation of some kind.

I hope this feeling passes soon and you'll know when it does because I'll be back up and blogging. Till then, please bear with me and come back in a month or two. I know this can't last forever. It better not! The holidays are soon approaching and bliss will fill the air and if I don't get stung by that, please send a rescue squad in for me! I'll be doing my best to get back to you.

Belated

2009-09-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

I had a birthday a few weeks ago and I can truly say it was the most special one I've ever had. This would be because my treasure of a friend Mallory created the most beautiful, magical brunch for me and my nearest and dearest here in town. It was the best engagement at 11 a.m. on a Wednesday that I'll ever take part in. This girl has such great taste and such a sweet heart for the ones she cares about. She throws the best bashes around and I couldn't be more happy to call her friend! Get a load of that below....it's also her photo by the way! I'm really late in getting this posted but better late than never I suppose! I hope it inspires you to lavish a beautiful meal on someone. I don't think there's a better gift...

I'm just going to give you a slew of photos. I mean isn't that what you really look for anyway? It's really the best way I can share it with you anyway. She garnished each place setting with a precious little potted lemon thyme and a french soap-filled gift bag that had little facts about my birth date on them. So cute and creative!

Looking at it all now, I'm still in heaven!

I'm still basking in the fact that Coco Chanel and I share birthdays! How cool is that?!!

My sweet friend made me a sweet treat. Homemade caramel with vanilla beans. Mallory and I had went out for breakfast a week prior to the brunch and I had ordered a homemade caramel sauce latte and the waitress ended up coming back to our table about thirty minutes later and explained they were out of the caramel sauce and wondered if I still wanted the latte. I said no and what do you know? Exactly one week later someone remembered my latte and made me an even better replacement. So darn thoughtful! (I know, I know, but you can't have her...)

I'd been going on and on for weeks about green beans and how I'd been practicing to make them the way great restaurants do... of course they found their way to the table!

Bacon. Actually, this should be called pig candy. Thick cut bacon with a beautiful brown sugar and cayenne lacquer. Baked in the oven to chewy, gooey perfection. Oh man.

Pommes Anna. Thinly sliced potatoes cooked in lots of butter and studded with strips of roasted red peppers. She topped them off with creme fraiche and chives. Sinfully delicious let me tell you!

Hollowed out strawberries with whipped cream. Beautiful little bites!

As if all of this wasn't enough, Mallory got me a bunch of goodies from Anthropologie! This birthday was just too, too good!

I thought it was rather appropriate that a bee should decide to stop in for a visit. Mallory HATES bees! It was kind of cute, all of her squealing and shrieking! My hubby took care to make sure the bees stayed away from her. They added to the charm I thought.

The star of the meal was Mallory's Eggs Benedict on a savory Belgian waffle. Underneath perfectly poached eggs and hollandaise was King Crab morsels.

This isn't a great shot but here's the plate of delights. Breakfast and birthdays. They should always go hand in hand. I saw a recent new episode of Barefoot Contessa and Ina made a Birthday Breakfast BBQ. Very interesting...

Champagne grapes. They are so gorgeous and basically just spell F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!

Thanks Mallory for giving me the best birthday I could ask for. I'll always remember it!!

French Food for All

2009-08-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

Good evening dear readers. This isn't really a food post though I assure you I have some good things coming up shortly! I've been very disassembled these last couple weeks as I've had birthdays to tend to, gourmet dinners to host, a fairly emotional move out of my charming apartment, and some other news I hope to share with you soon! I've felt terrible about not getting on here to give you something tasty to feast on. So I just wanted to say hi. And to tell you to stay with me and hold on tight because I've got goodies. They are coming. I promise.

I'm sure you've guessed by the photo that I've just seen Julie and Julia. Of course I totally loved it. What wouldn't be to love? Paris, Julia Child, Meryl Streep, a blogger, book deals, and LOTS of cooking and food joy. Movies are funny things, they often hold such promise but the thing is is that until you go and actually seem them they can't be yours. I've looked forward to seeing this film for months now and had ideas of how it would be but nothing beats going and actually letting it take you away. This movie definitely took me away and I love that I was able to share it with my favorite ladies in town, the Around the Table gals. Our group is blossoming into something beautiful and I'm constantly amazed by how special it truly is. We spent eight hours around my dining room table this last Saturday night blissfully talking and eating our way into the morning hours. More on that to come. I guarantee it will get you wanting some Italian food... But so yeah, all us girls are turning into a bit of a sisterhood and I can tell that beautiful friendships are beginning to form. Food and friends. Isn't that just about all you need?

Before I go I just want to add that the blog may start feeling just a bit more personal. I originally started the blog because of my love of food and wanted a way to journal it and share. I wanted to keep it semi-professional in the case that potential employers could use it as a way to see my culinary perspective and style, etc. I still want it to be those things, I just want to start feeling a little bit more free with it. So that means more stories, thoughts, and basically just more of plain ol' me! How do we feel about this? I welcome lots of feedback, just so you know!

During the film this evening, I noticed many things similar about Julia and I. And I liked it. I'm pretty good... but not great. And I'm starting to get pretty okay with that! So while I think on that note and really should probably go and try to unpack a couple more boxes, I think I'm going to curl up on the sofa and catch up on the new season of Project Runway. It's been days since I've had some lazy me time.

I just wanted to say hello before another day passed. Goodnight friends...

Sweet as Pie

2009-08-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

I come to you this evening bundled up in my favorite down comforter and sniffling up a storm. I'm right in the middle of a cold. It's been so long since I've had a real case of one of these that I'd really forgotten how irritating they are! You become very aware of the anatomical parts that hover over your shoulders. They are all affected. Nose, ears, throat, even hair. My hair looks like that of a sick person today! Stringy and gutterish. Gutterish. I do realize this isn't an actual word but it just seems perfect! So, while I deal with ailment after ailment over here, it's been a week people, I'd like to give you a reason to stop and dwell on pie. Pie is a very good way to start the weekend indeed.

This whole week while I've been sick I've had the darnedest time making decisions. Case in point, all of these photos. I just couldn't make up my mind. Thinking just hurts too much. So here is a lil' smorgasbord of pie pictures for your viewing and taste bud pleasure.

Some people spend their childhoods growing up with things like meatloaf or weekly helpings of liver as my husband. His Dad believed it was very good for his growing, thriving young family so they like clockwork had it every Sunday night. To this day, if Ethan gets even a whiff of a smell remotely reminding him of liver he gets pretty weirded out.

Lucky for me, I grew up with pie. My mom happens to be known for her pies. I remember many a Friday night when my mother would make and roll out her olive oil pie crust between wax paper. The raw dough which I must have only tried once or twice, tasted like a salty, dull, floury wad. And definitely oily. But when she filled it with apples and sometimes peaches or rhubarb, and topped it with an egg wash and lots of sugar, people always had lots of good things to say about it. My dad could swoon for days about her pies. I always liked how proud he was to be married to the Pie Lady.

I think I'd like to try my hand and being a Pie Lady. Being a pie lady isn't as sweet as it sounds. It takes a lot of hard work and love. It takes years of practice and determination. Well maybe not years, but it sounded good right? It definitely takes practice and that's what I need. My pa came to town last weekend and we met up for a little dinner at my sisters. She made chicken tacos with her own seasoning concoction and served them with jack cheese and a lovely cabbage slaw. I brought the pie. For some reason, I got a bee in my bonnet to make strawberry rhubarb pie. It sounded like such a sweet idea in the beginning.

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that that pie dough gave me a good run for my money. As a budding chef, there's little that bothers me more than battling with pastry. Namely rolling it out when it's too warm or has too much liquid in it and has crossed over into what we will call goo. It was hotter than hell last Sunday and my chilled pastry quickly warmed up and for several minutes there I didn't know if I was going to be able to pull it all together. But like any true pie lady, even an amateur, I didn't give up. I got that pie crust in line and luckily it turned out. Beautiful even. So beautiful that I will keep on trying my hand at pies. I will struggle with pastry no more! Plus, I picked up two new friends, well kind of new: egg wash and sanding sugar. They make everything look pretty!

I read lots and lots of recipes for the crust. Ashley over at Not Without Salt is a Pie Lady. And she has lots of good looking pie and tart dough recipes. But being the stubborn girl I am, I wanted to try and replicate a Martha Stewart pastry brisee recipe I used a couple of years ago. You can use any recipe you like, if fact, I'd love to hear about your favorite pie dough recipes. They seem like handy things to know about!

So just whip your favorite and least stress-inducing pastry recipe and make sure there is enough for a top and bottom of a very deep pie. Head to the store and buy lots of strawberries and rhubarb. Throw in a vanilla bean if you want to make your pie feel like a diva. Slice the strawberries any old way you like, and thinly slice the rhubarb. I left mine in too big of chunks and let's just say some were a little too al dente. You want a little more rhubarb than strawberry in your ratio. You will need about six cups of fruit or more to make a really deep, tall pie. Add around 1/2 - 2/3 Cup each of white and brown sugar. You also need to add about a couple pinches of salt, a sprinkle of cinnamon, several good shakes of cornstarch, about a quarter cup. You can also add a little vanilla extract or vanilla beans like I did. Blind bake your bottom crust and then fill with the fruit filling mixture. Cut up lots of little pieces of butter and scatter them over the fruit.

Now you have to pick between a lattice or regular top. Do your thing, add cut outs if you want, I chose hearts. Whisk and egg white with a little water and brush all over the top of the crust. Then sprinkle with lots and lots of sanding sugar and bake at 375' for about forty-five minutes or until golden and the juices are all bubbly. You really want to bake your pie several hours before you will be serving it because it takes almost that long to set up. We enjoyed ours with some organic vanilla ice cream.

You can expect more pies from me as I work to become a Pie Lady. It's really a title any decent woman should aspire to possess. Right? Have a good weekend everyone and I'll try to work on getting better over here. I've got a gem of a salad coming up for you. Till then, shall we have pie?

Baby, let's BBQ...

2009-08-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

Exactly twenty-four hours ago I was still enjoying an amazing evening and meal. Around the Table met up for the July dinner by honoring the essential summertime classic, the BBQ. Of course we kicked it up a notch and a thought a bit outside the box to come together and enjoy one delightful dining affair. I have to say that it was up there with one of the best we've had. This is good news! Many of you recall where we started and what we had to go through to get here! I don't know if these posts about our dinners are something you like reading about or not as I usually don't get many comments on them, but I share them in hopes that you will find the menus appealing or perhaps get inspired to start a fabulous group like this in your area. Joining this group is honestly one of the neatest things I've ever done and I don't think I'll be without one ever again. The whole thing is just way too good!

So sit back and make room for a lot of beautiful, mouth-watering photos and recipes. You might have to loosen your belt a bit... The talented and ever domestically-inclined Mallory hosted the soiree and will be blogging about it herself soon and very soon. I invite you to pop over to her site to see her take on things.

As usual she did an absolutely bang-up job making the atmosphere gorgeous and special. She actually drug her kitchen table out to the back deck. When it comes to entertaining Mallory does all that she possibly can and I really love that about her. All of her efforts are very worth it because what it brings to the dinners are touches that make it unforgettable. I think atmosphere and aesthetics are almost as important as the dishes we create. Wasn't it gorgeous?

I had the task of providing the beverage for the night. I knew weeks ago when we started brainstorming our dishes that I wanted to make sangria. I personally love the stuff because of it's easy drinkability and endless flavor possibilities. You could make a lovely, refreshing white sangria enriched with peaches, pears, lemons, and nectarines. Or a rosé version filled with plums, strawberries, and grapes. Or you could stay classic and make a red wine concoction like mine. I wanted to be playful with it by adding lots of fruit and just making it gorgeous. Mallory's precious antique white cart housed the drink beautifully! My sangria didn't realize how good it was going to have it! I'd live in there if I could.

I used a very traditional recipe that involved eight cups of Burgundy wine, don't be afraid to reach for low-grades like Carlo Rossi, by the time you add all the fruit and liqueurs any fine nuances of expensive wine will be ruined. To the wine I added two cups of orange juice, one-third cup each of lemon and lime juices, one-third cup as well of Triple Sec and brandy, one-half cup sugar, and one cup of filtered water. After letting that sit overnight to meld the flavors and get very nice and cold, I added one apple thinly sliced on a mandolin, an orange, lemon, lime, peach, and both bing and maraschino cherries. This will yield four quarts which will be about the perfect amount for six.

Dipping the glasses in key lime juice and then super-fine sugar made for pretty and very delicious framework for the sangria. It was perfectly sweet and tart and paved the way for the cold, fruity wine to spill over your taste buds like a wave hitting the shore. Seriously. : ) There were many moments in the evening where I looked at my glass and couldn't get over how gorgeous this cocktail really is. Red, green, pink, orange, yellow. Ooh la la.

Okay, just one more for the cheap seats in the back...

Ahhh, Ina Garten. And Mallory. Two women to treasure. And when you put them together what you get on a warm, summer evening is caramelized onion dip. So simple and easy but unbeatable in taste. We seriously couldn't stop ourselves from gorging like it was going out of style. Unable to find sweet potatoes for her oven chips, Mallory used yams and purple potatoes. Chives garnished the dainty bites.

To make enough for six, you simply caramelize five Walla Walla sweet onions for about an hour or so over low heat. Midway through season them with a good sprinkling of salt, pepper, and cayenne. Let the onions cool and mix into one-half cup each of sour cream and softened cream cheese. Season to taste and serve with home-made potato chips or your favorite store-brought brand. Trust me, your guests and taste buds will thank you for making this.

One of our members is moving away to Portland unfortunately and she actually shared her last dinner with us yesterday evening and said her goodbyes with some mighty fine grilled halibut, more about that to come. So, we've added a new member, Annika, a close friend of Laurel who is also in the group and will be the star of the dish following this one. There is always some pressure on a newbie to 'measure up' and impress the first time they attend and it's always fun for us veterans to see what kind of flair and personality they will bring to the group. You can usually tell a lot about people with their first dish. I'll just leave it at that. Annika delighted our senses with a light and zingy first course. We deemed this dish: Cucumber, Orange, and Radish Salad with a Sweet Soy Vinaigrette. She didn't work from a recipe and created this beauty all on her own. It was just heavenly in my opinion.

To make this crunchy and refreshing salad, thinly slice radishes and red onion. Peel, de-seed, and dice cucumber. Supreme and orange and dice the segments in like-sized pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and minced parsley. Seems easy enough, right? Here's where it gets tricky. This is one of those vinaigrette's where there is practically a dozen 'this and that's' and you are just going to have to tinker and make it delicious. It will be worth it. Here we go, for the vinaigrette... Canola oil, sesame oil, rice wine, a couple drops of Balsamic vinegar, fish sauce, Worchestire, soy sauce, and a generous amount of brown sugar. Annika did a great job with this dish and made a fabulous and very promising first impression. I could eat this every other day at least! Just take in those gorgeous colors! It tastes as good as it looks, friends...

Laurel furnished us with another lovely salad. This bacon-studded one was loaded with rich avocado scoops and watercress.

I thought this Tyler Florence-inspired salad was so pretty set on top of this lovely blue and white dish Laurel picked up on a trip to Mexico. Doesn't it just look like an utterly perfect summer salad? She layered lots of fresh, peppery watercress and big spoonfuls of ripe avocado and dressed it in the most classic vinaigrette there is: Olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. To garnish she added a few big chunks of lemon for additional usage and topped the whole thing off with crumbled, crisp bacon...

If you added some roasted grape tomatoes you could turn this into a BLAT salad! So good, Laurel! But wait, she didn't stop there...

To accompany her salad Laurel made some delicious corn bread cakes which at dinner time she decided would best be served with the fish that was grilling away on the BBQ. It was a good plan. This is a recipe that you can find over at Cook's Illustrated, if you really want to make it just write a comment and I'll try to track down all the details and whereabouts for you! She added lots of fresh dill which is why she thought it would go nicely with the fish and served them with two amazing spreads. One was a whipped honey butter spiked with lots of cayenne pepper. The other was of the cooling variety and was made by mixing sour cream with chives, shallots, salt, and pepper. We discovered that they were most tasty by alternating bites of the sweet and then savory. Even with all of the food and courses, most of us had seconds! So, so good!

We're nearing the end our our evening but the best parts of dinner are still to come, the entree and dessert. We've had some really intense heat waves here in the Northwest for the last couple weeks, so when Laura was planning her entree choice she quickly switched from ribs to halibut. And boy, were we glad she did! Grilled halibut with onions and dill and then topped with an herb compound butter that melted ever-so-perfect and puddly that you practically wanted to dive into the dish head first!? There's just something so wonderful about grilled fish on a lazy summer evening. It was divine and such a classy way to say farewell to the group! We're going to miss you, Laura! May Portland bring you many blessings and most importantly, delicious meals!! Thank you!

Oh how I love this picture...

And last but not least, but unfortunately always the last to be eaten and photographed... dessert! No matter how we try to plan and roll things along, dessert always gets eaten at about ten o'clock at night. Too late for any good natural light! I couldn't leave it out though and ran inside to steal a couple little peaks of it for you.

Alexis is a wonderful woman and also a vegetarian who has really stretched her boundaries and been trying lots of new things at our dinners. It's quite endearing and fun to observe! She's a sweetheart and has really been pushing herself to try new things and really get creative in the kitchen. It's delightful to see. For dessert she chose to roast peach halves and topped them with homemade mascarpone cheese! She made her own mascarpone! How many of you have ever done that? I have always wanted to but never had the guts to try it! She did it and it was lovely. She also topped the dish with some candied walnuts by using the recipe on here I recently posted that was part of the granola. It was simple, elegant, beautiful, and balanced. We all loved it!

Well there you go, folks. I hope that one or several of these dishes make their way onto your tables this summer! They really were delicious and so inspired! Everyone did a really lovely job!

Stay tuned for August's dinner where we will be serving up some Italian fare and will have Ashley back as she's been in Idaho for a few weeks! I'll give you a little sneak peak, well sneak mental image I suppose, I'm hosting and I'm making a giant ravioli pillow for the second course... Can't wait! Happy Summer, everyone!

Best Granola Ever

2009-07-16T23:36:00.001-07:00

I think I'll look back on my twenties and remember them as the decade that I fell madly in love with breakfast. I don't ever really remember caring that much for breakfast up until these last few years. To be honest, I also didn't care that much for mornings! Now, I like them quite a bit and have become somewhat of an early bird. The thing about breakfasts is that once you start having them regularly, you usually wake up hungry for them. Then... you're hooked.

Maybe there is just something about the kinds of food we eat in the morning hours. Though there is nothing wrong with cold pizza or pasta salad. I've certainly been known to go down that road. The morning time is fresh and perky, looking out at a day full of possibilities and goodness. I'm a big dreamer and idealist (sometimes to a fault) so these early hours of the day cater to my personality. Not only the day has many possibilities, but so does breakfast. There are so many items to consider and all of them perfectly fabulous. Start with your beverage. Would you like to start gently with hot water and lemon? A big glass of water is always healthy. Coffee. Black with just enough cream and brown sugar? Iced and milky with caramel? Though that's usually best in the afternoon. Juices? Perhaps a dainty glass of ice cold orange juice? Maybe you're a meal in a cup type and smoothie is on your agenda? I'm getting excited already and we've only covered drinks!

Let's move to the food portion of this topic. Depending on what's in your fridge and pantry and what's going through your food mind, there are so many great places to go. I usually find my body knows just what it wants. Usually it wants a lighter breakfast, relatively speaking I suppose. I don't do non-fat dairy or even close to it so my term 'light' could be a grey area. As featured here, I just love tart, unsweetened yogurt topped with granola and fresh fruit. It's filling, creamy, refreshing, and full of tastes and texture. My favorite yogurt for this purpose is Annie's Plain Whole Milk Yogurt with Honey. You can find it in huge tubs which provides for many and many quick breakfasts.

I'm also a huge fan of eggs. I love them scrambled with with vegetables like onions, broccoli, and peppers and then served along side a small quesadilla. Poached perfectly and laid over salmon-cream cheese-covered crostini with fresh fruit on the side. You can always scramble them into a little round and put them between a gourmet English muffin with pesto, provolone, ham, and thinly sliced red bell peppers or anything else you feel like. One of my favorite pairings is a warm, fresh scone with cream and jam served with scrambled eggs and fruit. One day, I'll make my Sunday Eggs and share that with you as well.

Are you with me yet on how fantastic breakfast is? We are near the end but I've saved the best for last. While I don't eat these delights very often, they really are the grand climax of breakfast. They bring everything together in one giant swoop. A rich, indulgent, sweet & savory morning time culinary gold mine. You can pair them with salty, rich breakfast meats when you really want to go all out. Which we do once in a while... Okay, let's get started. Pancakes. Love them. I make some out-of-this-world buttermilk flapjacks. That would be our go-to. I also have a really great whole grain recipe from Martha Stewart. To balance that, I also have a favorite, very indulgent recipe from Gourmet that calls for loads of butter and results in a very beautiful, thin and crepe-like pancake which is perfect for special occasions. My favorite topping for all of these cakes is fresh fruit compotes and vanilla bean whipped cream. I also love sweet, gooey fruit jams smeared all over the top. Let's not even get started with the thought of Creme Brulee French Toast. Or thick Belgian waffles. Or pastries. Croissants! Dutch babies with lots of butter, fresh lemon juice, and confectioner's sugar. With all these choices, I must admit I rarely make room for oatmeal of cold cereal... Can you hardly blame me?!

Now that I've taken you on the breakfast tour of delights, let's get back to this granola. I do things a little differently but I thought I should honor the recipe of origin. The biggest change I make is to cook the granola at a much lower temperature that doesn't require stirring or overly brown as easy, also, this makes the granola a giant block which means huge, crunchy chunks which is what you want. It's also just a lot easier. I would say set the oven to 200-225' and watch it. It will really harden and crisp up out of the oven also. You want a light golden color. This batch I shot went a bit over... Enjoy!

Really Good Granola

adapted from Ina Garten

Homemade Granola

4 cups (14 oz.) rolled oats
2 cups (6.5 oz.) sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups (6.75 oz.) sliced almonds
½ cup (4 oz.) vegetable oil
2/3 cup (7.25 oz) honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt or 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 heaping cup (5.25 oz.) dried cherries or cranberries ( I like combining bright orange apricots, blueberries, and cherries or cranberries)

candied nuts (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut and almonds and gently stir or toss with your hands to mix well. In a small saucepan, combine oil, honey, vanilla and salt and heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to emulsify slightly. Pour over the oat mixture and with a spatula stir until evenly coated. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir well. Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Stir well again. Repeat twice more until the granola is golden — be very careful at the end: The coconut will burn easily, leaving the granola with a bitter, burnt taste. Remove pan from the oven, place on a cooling rack and leave undisturbed until completely cool, at least one hour. Meanwhile prepare the nuts:

Candied Nuts:
neutral oil such as canola or vegetable
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1½ cups raw, unsalted cashews
1½ cups raw, unsalted almonds (skin on)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Oil a rimmed baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar with ¼ cup water, the salt and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Add the nuts and let the mixture simmer for one minute, stirring constantly to coat them with the syrup. Remove the nuts with a slotted spoon and spread them on the prepared baking sheet — don’t be tempted to drizzle the excess syrup on the baking sheet as well (it will just burn). Bake for 15 minutes, stir and return to the oven until golden and crisp, about another five minutes. Remove pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool, about an hour.

To finish the granola:

Using a bench scraper, carefully remove the granola from the pan and transfer to a bowl, keeping the granola in chunks as best as possible. Add the nuts to the bowl, breaking up the mass into small clusters. Add the dried fruit and toss mixture lightly to combine. Transfer to an airtight container to store.

Pioneer Woman's Potato Salad

2009-07-16T09:25:00.001-07:00

It's approaching midnight here, I've got a bit more energy to give and I can't think of a better thing to do than think on potato salad. Who doesn't like potato salad? Anyone? I suppose there are those weird people out there who don't like mayonnaise or things that are creamy. I've never understood these types of folks. You know, those people who say, "I just really don't care for cheese of any kind." Or even worse, they casually murmur, "I'm not really a sweets person..." I guess truth be told, sometimes I wish I was one of those people, my waistline would thank me. But then I'd be one of those people and I hardly know which one is worse! But if you can stomach mayonnaise and like potatoes then I think we can both agree that potato salad can be wonderful. It should be wonderful. Of course it isn't always. Potato salad really must be homemade. It should also be made by someone who cares for it with passion. Anyone can throw together a potato salad, but the right person makes it great. I've decided to be one of those people.

I came across the Pioneer Woman's blog quite some time ago while on the quest for a fantastic homemade ranch dressing recipe. I guess it was quite fitting to find a killer ranch recipe on the Pioneer Woman's site. Pioneers, ranch... they go together, yeah? It was a killer recipe and I along with thousands and thousands of others frequent her site regularly. She does it all. Home schools, cooks, makes art, etc. And she makes it all look incredible. She's pretty much the pioneer of Awesome. She's super mom and wonder woman.

When I saw a potato salad she featured here I was sold. I liked this recipe for a couple of reasons. For one, you put the potatoes through a ricer or food mill. We all know that most potato salads call for one to cook the potatoes perfectly in order to keep their shape when cubed and be cooked through but not mushy. It's a bit of a balancing act! So to have a recipe deliberately turn the potatoes to a fine mash was intriguing to say the least. Also, it's just a really basic recipe. Mayonnaise, pickles, boiled eggs, scallions, mustard. That's practically it. It's a purists salad. The thing with potato salads is that most of them are truly pretty similar. They just are. To make one really unique and have it stand out, I think you have to consider adding some interesting ingredients. Caramelized onions (which I've done), olives, yogurt, bleu cheese, red pepper flakes, celery, bacon, or dill. The list really could go on and on. A bit like I'm doing! This is a good salad. Hands down. I like the creamy texture and simplicity. It's straight forward and classic. If you want something fancier play around with some of those other ingredients. I think some fresh parsley would be nice here. And you simply must sprinkle in some good old fashioned white sugar. Before I go, I'd love to hear some of your most beloved go-to Potato Salad recipes...

Classic Potato Salad

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

5 pounds russet potatoes (about 8 medium russets)

1 1/2 cups real mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)

4-5 tablespoons prepared mustard (regular, Dijon, or a mixture of both)

5 green onions, sliced up to the darkest green part

8 small sweet pickles (or dill if you prefer)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 T. sugar

4 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

Fresh dill or parsley

Cut potatoes in halves or thirds, then boil until fork tender. Drain.

Mash potatoes or run them through a ricer or food mill to make them extra fluffy.

Fold potatoes together with mayonnaise, mustard, green onions, salt, pepper, and other seasonings you like. Fold in pickles and eggs, then taste for seasonings, adding more salt, mustard, or mayo as needed. You may also splash in juice from the pickle jar if salad needs a little moisture.

Enjoy, friends! And get to me about your favorite versions! That's an order! : )

To Market, To Market

2009-07-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

To Market, To Market is one of my favorite episodes of Sex and the City. If you haven't ever seen the show it would be a great place to start! Season 5, I believe? Well, this post has nothing else to do with Sex and the City but it does have everything to do with a market. Here in Bellingham where I live, I think we have a pretty decent Farmer's Market. It has lots and lots of produce, flowers, handmade items, and yummy, yummy food.

Another great thing about it is that it's only about three blocks from my house. I went this last weekend with my dear sister Tara. We stopped in at a produce stall of her friends, a beautiful gal with awesome scrolly tattoos on her feet and ankles and the hands of someone who works in the earth. I was impressed. Also, I think she had the best looking produce in the whole market. The way it was displayed had something do with it, but I think what really pushed it over the top was that everything was wet and shiny and just glistened in the bright sunlight. Unfortunately, you can't really tell from my photos!

Don't you just love pretty little bushels of radishes? And sweet onions? Those are fabulous just thinly sliced and stuck between two pieces of bread with mayo...

Curly, tangly squash blossoms. I should have bought some...

A tostada, enchilada, and rice from one of the vendors. This plate was on display. I love the three tostada plate for five or six bucks. Fresh, crispy corn tortillas with lots of beans, fresh cabbage, pico de Gallo, and lots of cotija cheese. They are so balanced and refreshing. If only everyone would make their salsa without cilantro for me. Is that too much to ask? Okay, I suppose it is. It sure would make my life a lot easier though! I guess I'm pretty lucky if I actually consider dealing with cilantro and the task of avoiding it a major life crisis. I'll stop whining now.

The couple that mans this stall with all the dirt and flower-stuffed boots and tea pots also sells the most beautiful eggs. Little cartons filled with eggs big and small, brown, blue and green, sometimes I even get lucky and find a couple wispy little feathers on one. I always like that. One Saturday the lady told me all about how I would go about setting up some chickens in my back yard and how they really aren't hard to look after, that a big bag of feed is only about ten dollars and would last two months at least. I knew my husband was wrong. If only I had a backyard, there would be chickens.

Now onto a stall that belongs to another one of my sister's friends, Azizi Tookas. He runs the Brandywine Kitchen company and is known for growing some of the best heirloom tomatoes around. You may recall that Brandywine's are some one of the most prevalent heirloom toms. If you're starting to gather that she knows a lot of cool people you're right. She's got ins with some of the most creative folks in town. They make their own baguettes the night before and use the freshest and best ingredients possible. This particular one is locally smoked-salmon and quinoa croquettes with lettuce, tomato, and a wonderfully flavorful roasted red pepper sauce. Really, really good.

I couldn't resist throwing in this shot of my precious little nephew. I wish the market sold some of those!

A Delicious Mistake

2009-07-06T16:05:00.001-07:00

Usually when a boo-boo occurs in the kitchen it's just that: a flop, disaster, waste, blunder, the list goes on... But every now and then it turns out to be a surprising and delicious delight!

This last weekend I was preparing some dessert components for a party (whipping cream in this instance) and had my sister and nephew over. My one-year old and adorable nephew Charlie was having a hay day in my kitchen, he was taking full advantage of the more unfamiliar kitchen that his own and had his chubby little hands in everything. He was taking cans off the shelf and placing them here and there all over the floor, he found my baking collection and all kinds of other goodies. I was also fixing my sister a french press and had a pint of half and half out on the counter for her, deciding to add more creme to the mixer I accidentally picked up the full pint of half and half and dumped it right into my mixer without even thinking! I didn't even realize what I had done until the 'cream' just wasn't setting up after about five minutes on the highest setting and had started splattering all over the place. I was slightly devastated because my trifle really needed more body from the cream and I didn't have time to run to the store to buy more. It ended up being okay and thankfully my sister was here to reassure me and even more thankful that she asked to put some of the frothy concoction in her coffee.

So, if you feel like having something terribly delicious to add into your coffee, tea, or even over fresh sliced peaches or berries just mix up about equal parts regular whipping cream and half and half. It's thick, creamy, frothy, and rich and I love how it pours. When you pour it to your coffee it just feels divinely sinful. I should add that when putting it in your coffee add an equally indulgent spoonful of brown sugar to make a most-wonderful milky and caramelized cup of café!

Picnic in the Park

2009-06-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

Okay my dear readers, I owe you a big entry since it's been awhile! I know you're out there, I've got a new way of seeing you and I want to hear from you! I love comments and I'd love to know who you are. Think about it at least?

Alright, let's just get to business. This last weekend Around the Table, the gourmet cooking group I belong to, had it's monthly dinner and it was all about the picnic. This was the first event where we were not having the dinner in some one's home and that made it different and fun. So we set up in a lovely park just a bit north of here and enjoyed a creative and delicious meal amid charming gardens, fields, and trees. If you go check out Mallory's blog soon I think she'll even have some photos of turkeys, cows, goats, and bunnies. I got a pretty hard time at the dinner for having my face behind the camera so much so I feel it necessary to share lots and lots of photos here.

Hovander Park was so serene and there were numerous amazing views whether it was open grassy fields under a big blue sky or Mt. Baker herself. I loved all the neatly manicured gardens and beautiful trees and flowers! The little white picket fences also added lots of charm.

We started the evening off with a cocktail from Miss Laurel. She made us a watermelon concoction with cucumber, rum, and sparking water. It wasn't too sweet and was quite the refreshing little drink. I have beverage for the next dinner which happens to center around the BBQ so if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them...

Laura had appetizer and made us grilled skewers of chicken, shrimp, and vegetables. The real winner of this course was the dipping sauce! It was a tzatziki of sorts and had lots of feta and scallions. I made a meal for my mom this last Mother's Day weekend which also happened to be her birthday weekend and I also did skewers, lemon-marinated blackened chicken kebabs with a lemon yogurt mint dipping sauce. I don't think a kebab would be complete without a cooling, cold sauce like this. Tasty indeed.

Alexis, our budding little vegetarian (meaning she keeps trying more and more meat and seafood) brought along a delightful salad with lots of goodies from her garden. It was a pretty mix of arugula, lettuce, and parsley and came topped with the cutest little flowers which happened to come from from her arugula. I told my sister about this and she knew all about it, I'd never seen them before and fell in love with their daintiness and muted tones. I've been known to pull out the "edible" flowers for fancy occasions, but can we just agree that though they are safe to eat they really shouldn't be deemed edible? If you don't know what I'm talking about, the next time you happen upon a marigold just pop it in your mouth and let me know if you'd like them on your next salad? These little barely-green flowers are so delicate and you can eat them right along with the other ingredients and not experience any off tastes or textures. She also pickled some carrots, beets, and zucchini from the farmer's market, can you get over those colors? I felt like I should have been saving them to hang up on my wall instead of eating them! Nature can be gorgeous.

The ever-delightful Mallory never disappoints and this dinner was no exception. She hit it out of the park (pun intended) with two mouth-watering sandwiches. When she took them from her basket they looked like little Christmas presents. When a sandwich arrives on your lap looking like this you know it's going to be good. And it was.

The first one I tried was the langostino roll. I wish I had one now. Langostinos for those of you who aren't familiar with them, is the meat from a Squat Lobster which is neither a lobster or a prawn but more like a little crab closely related to the hermit or porcelain crab. This works for me because I actually prefer crab and really don't like lobster!

Perfect soft rolls, delicate langostino filling that tasted like just the right amount of ocean. The mayonnaise wasn't overpowering and there were subtle hints of lemon here and there. AMAZING!

I took a small break to have some of Ashley's (she's back in the group after a couple months of being with her new and adorable baby Aurora) potato and pasta salads. Her potato salad was studded with green peas and chives and her pasta salad involved lots of tomatoes - regular and sun-dried, olives, capers, basil, and mozzarella. Yum! You just can't have a picnic without the requisite pasta and potato salads!

One more present to unwrap...

Local artisan foccacia with grilled flank steak, Gorgonzola, arugula, and garlic mayonnaise. At this point my mouth was overwhelmed with joy and I was left trying to decide if left on a deserted island with one of these sandwiches which one I'd choose. I just couldn't pick a winner. These two sandwiches were so wonderful, in fact I made a version of this one for some friends who took us on a boat road this evening. There is something very perfect about a good white bread, beef, and bleu cheese. Slather the whole thing with garlic mayonnaise and I don't know what could be better!

My turn.

I brought along dessert which I was very excited about. I found a recipe for peach creme caramels over at Cannele et Vanille and just couldn't resist. Our co-op had some amazing organic peaches in from California and I decided to pair the custard with a batch of Ina Garten's Ultimate Ginger Cookies.

For a good peachy measure I also served peach rings and peach-flavored Jelly Belly Beans. I really thought this whole dessert and presentation would be a major score but truth be told there were some major issues! The biggest issue being the creme caramels. They were so darling to look at in their little mason jars, topped with minced pistachios and dried rose buds. Their looks were mighty deceiving, after we sunk our spoons through the firm top we discovered the contents below were very watery and the caramel was rock hard. I came a bit unglued and quickly tried figuring where I went wrong. I emailed the Aran, the author of Cannele at Vanille (which is a stunningly beautiful blog of pastries and treats) and she agreed that the peaches were the culprit and that perhaps roasting or sauteing them first would help lock in their moisture. You can find the recipe over at her site.

Even Ina's cookies weren't a total home run, as picture-perfect as they were with their crackly little tops, they were a bit to gingery for most. I even cut the crystallized ginger in half from what the recipe suggested. Next time I would reduce or eliminate the ground ginger in the recipe. I'm not a huge ginger fan, you might be and would probably like the full amount. You can find the recipe for the these cookies here.

I will try to attempt these again sometime. I love the idea of a jar of peachy, firm custard rich with vanilla beans and heavy cream sitting on top of a layer of sweet caramel. I will definitely start making some of these simpler recipes for the dinners in advance! You can't always go right it turns out! The girls cut me some slack thankfully. They said it was like dipping your cookie in peach milk and they still claimed to love it. They're good people! It was a wonderful meal and evening as usual. To picnics!

Gorgonzola Burgers and Fries

2009-06-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday my husband and I got a bit traditional. We decided to watch the last game of the NBA finals and make homemade hamburgers and fries. My husband could eat burgers morning, noon, and night and I was quite happy to oblige him with this meal. We decided to make fat, juicy natural-beef burgers and served them between Rosemary English Muffins from a local artisan bakery, and smothered them with caramelized onion and warmed gorgonzola. Is your mouth watering yet? I'd love to hear about your favorite burger by the way...

We also decided to fry up some onion rings and sweet potato fries. I was kind of looking for a beer-battered onion ring recipe but came upon this one on All Recipes which 350 people gave five stars so I just went with it. They were really good onion rings, much like what you'd get at a typical drive in. I tend to prefer onion rings with a really crisp, smooth coating and these had a very crisp, crunchy coating. But they were good and we made up a little dipping sauce for our fried goodies using mayonnaise, some ketchup, honey, relish, and white wine vinegar.

I have to say that the game was a pretty bland one, somewhat of a blowout and not terribly exciting to watch - but thankfully our meal was packed with flavor and fun! You gotta love those kind of days. Simple but oh-so-good.

Salads, Herbs, & Green Goddess

2009-06-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

I couldn't be more pleased with my little window sill lined with fresh herbs. It's been over four years since I finished culinary school and have been cooking professionally since, yet I'm just learning the value of these precious green bundles. I've always heard it said on TV as well as in the magazines and cookbooks, fresh herbs and citrus, fresh herbs and citrus, fresh herbs and citrus... But like a stubborn adolescent I just didn't get it. I wasn't convicted yet and I guess I had to find out for myself or 'learn the hard way' as my Dad always used to say. The light bulb finally came on this Spring and I really learned about the storehouse of fresh flavor and brightness that fresh herbs can bring to just about everything.

I've grown mint, basil, rosemary, Italian and curly parsley, lavender, chives, and oregano. I treat them as if they were my children and I'm just so proud of how they've grown and blossomed. Maybe I'm proud of myself? I've never been one for gardens or dirt and I never could claim membership in that Greenthumb Club, but whether it's inappropriate or not, I'm now the kind of girl who has a box of Miracle Grow in the cupboard with all of the drinking glasses. I don't know I put it there really, but I suppose it makes sense. When I'm thirsty I go for a glass, and when the plants are thirsty they need a glass. It works. I'm still amazed thought at how well they have done and I'm finding I use them in all sorts of things. I've put them in an omelet for Ethan and I, added some to a simple pasta with fresh mozzarella and sauteed vegetables for a friend, and last night we plucked off fresh oregano leaves and put them on top of our pizza just like that.

I also made the most wonderful salad dressing with them last night. I'll tell you more about that in a minute. I don't know if you recall, but awhile back when I wrote about the tea room I mentioned Mrs. Beeton and and English Salad Creme... I said how I'd write about salads. Well, here it is. I must admit I only met Mrs. Beeton recently. She's been around in homes for ages and is quite the household name in England. Though they were different, I'd say she's almost to England what Julia Child is to America. My boss recently got back from a trip to London and brought me a little book titled, The Best of Mrs. Beeton's Easy Entertaining. It's chock full of classic recipes like Cherries Jubilee, Waldorf Salad with Chicken, Crepes Suzette, and Court Bouillon. I get such a kick out of the way she defines things for the reader, such as telling us about what a salad should be and the proper types to serve. It seems that in our culture it's become custom to do things however we want, anything goes. And really, that's a good thing. Especially when it comes to cooking. But because I think we've forgotten about these vintage definitions of what something should be, I'd like to share. And in this case, it's all about salad. Take notes.

This will be a bit long but worth your time. Here we go. In the words of Mrs. Beeton:

"The rules of a successful salad... ingredients both raw and cooked must fresh and in prime condition. Select ingredients which complement each other in flavour and texture. Do not use so many ingredients that the salad ends up as a kaleidoscope of unrecognizable, clashing flavours. Ingredients such as apple and cut beetroot, which discolour or shed colour, should be prepared and added just before serving. Salad leaves and greens which become limp quickly should be dressed at the last minute. The salad dressing should moisten, blend and develop the flavour of the main ingredients. It should not dominate the dish."

And, here's a bit on side salads. Again, sorry for the length but I think you'll find it interesting.

"Side salads should be simple, with clearly defined flavours and a light dressing that complement the main dish. Green Salad : Do not underestimate the value of a good, crisp, really fresh lettuce lightly tossed with a well-seasoned, oil-based dressing. This makes and ideal accompaniment for grilled fish, meat or poultry, or may be served with the cheese course. A classic green salad accentuates the richness of the main dish and refreshes the palate. A Mixed Green Salad should consist of green ingredients, for example salad leaves, cucumber, finely sliced green pepper, celery, spring onions, watercress, mustard and cress, and avocado. A mixed green salad is ideal for serving with foods such as quiche, baked potatoes (topped with soft cheese, butter, soured cream of fromage frais) and with cold roast meats or grilled pork sausages. Mixed Salad (she lets you get crazy with color or this one) : This type of salad usually consists of a base of leaves, with other green ingredients, topped with raw items, such as tomatoes, radishes, grated carrots, shredded cabbage, beetroot and red and yellow peppers. A mixed salad goes well with cold meats and poultry, cheese or eggs. Satisfying Side Salads Pasta, rice, beans, grains, and potatoes all make good salads, and do not have to be mixed with a cornucopia of ingredients. They should be perfectly cooked, then tossed with selected herbs, such as parsley, mint, basil, or tarragon. Additional ingredients should be kept to the minimum. In keeping with the main dish, mayonnaise, yogurt, fromage frais, soured cream, or an oil-based mixture may be used to dress the salad."

I hope you enjoyed reading about the way you ought to make and serve your green salads, mixed green salads, mixed salads, and satisfying side salads. She has another paragraph on main course salads but I will save that for another time. I think you are getting tired (I feel like a Grandmother reading you nap time stories) and plus, I have to end with my killer dressing from last night.

I suppose you would classify my salad above as a Mixed Salad. I used green leaf lettuce, green bell peppers finely chopped, sliced mushrooms, tomato wedges, petite green peas, and avocado. I made a ranch-green goddess inspired dressing using an abundance of fresh herbs from my collection. To make my dressing use nearly equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream. Then thin it a little with buttermilk, good buttermilk, and a couple drizzles of white wine vinegar. Add an appropriate amount of minced fresh garlic, dried dill, and dried onion flakes. Then chop finely and assortment of your favorite fresh herbs. I used lots of parsley, basil, chives, and some rosemary. Season with salt, seasoned salt, pepper, and voila. This dressing is so good you could eat it with a spoon (we did...) and I know I probably overdressed the salad according to Mrs. Beeton, but this dressing was so good it was practically the main ingredient and we just couldn't help ourselves! Enjoy your summer herbs and salads!

Bleu Cheese and Bacon "Cake"

2009-06-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

Every now and then something falls into your lap, something wonderful and something that whisks you away to a land of excitement and curiosity. A few weeks ago, Amazon brought me a new treasure. It's made of lots and lots of pages and bound in a cover, it's a blend of tales about Paris. Its titled, The Sweet Life in Paris : Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - And Perplexing- City. It comes to us from the wonderful David Lebovitz. It's been keeping me company each evening as my head hits the pillow. I can't imagine anything better than getting swept up in Parisienne adventures before drifting off into dreamy time land.

David Lebovitz writes in such a real and comical way. He talks to you like a friend and reading his stories just makes you want to know him even more. I have always been obsessed with Paris and most things French. I dream about the day I board a plane and actually travel there. I can't wait to experience all of the lavish sights and tastes. I know I will fall in love. I just know it.

While David L. admits that Paris is amazing, he chooses to mostly write about the quirky and less delightful sides of the city. Referring the french, he writes, When they say, "It does not exist", they mean, "It does exist - just not for you." When they walk right into you on the street and say nothing, they mean, "I'm Parisian, and you're not." When they say, "The Cheeses in France are the best in the world," they mean, "We are indeed a superior culture." Very funny and I'm sure true.

He writes about how the customer service in Paris is horrendous and how the coffee is even worse. He also says that restrooms are nearly impossible to come by and that most of the grocery stores are very hideous, unwelcoming, and inconvenient. He goes into depth about how the french hate to wait in line for anything and will push and shove to get ahead. And you can't touch anything when shopping, at the Farmer's Market, don't even think about handling any of the produce. He mentions how people keep fresh cheeses and stocks in their cupboards because the refrigerators are so small and that hardly anyone has a dryer to go with their washing machine. He also says the french boys and men have very skinny waists.

The book is full of tempting recipes like Dulce de Leche brownies, Fromage Blanc Soufleé, Floating Islands, and Warm Goat Cheese Salad. It's kind of ironic that the first recipe I've decided to make from this famous pastry chef is not something sweet and flaky but something involving bacon and bleu cheese. Bleu Cheese and Bacon Cake. From the first glance at it, I was intrigued. Anyone who knows me even a little knows about my ongoing and eternal affair with cake. I love cake. Love it like crazy. I'd never had a savory cake such as this and it just so happened that I had a party to attend the next day and needed to bring a finger food along. I actually got so excited about baking these little loaves that I went out and bought two new loaf pans that are apparently the big thing right now, they should be for twenty a piece! I also made a variation he offers using chevre and black olives. Just a couple notes about this recipe, I don't know how much I liked the chili flavor. Next time I would reduce the chili powder and not use any salt, the bacon provides all the saltiness you need. Also, my friend Mallory, who I shared a glorious evening and meal of pasta, salad, and the bread cake with later that night thought something spicy would be nice in the bleu loaf, minced jalapenos, etc.

Bleu Cheese and Bacon “Cake”

8 strips (5oz) of bacon or pancetta, cooked to a crisp, grease reserved for later use

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder ( I would use less next time)

1/2 tsp coarse salt ( I wouldn't use next time)

4 large eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt1

1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard (recommended brand: Edmond Fallot)

1/2 small bunch of chives, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup) or scallions

5 oz well crumbled bleu cheese or Roquefort**

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

**To make the bleu cheese easier to crumble, put in in the freezer to firm a bit.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan, reserving the grease. When the bacon has cooled, crumble.

Grease a 9-inch loaf pan (I used a 10-inch pan) with reserved bacon grease and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, chili powder and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, yogurt, mustard and chives until smooth. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to stir in the wet mixture, stirring just until the wet ingredients are almost incorporated. (there should be a bit of flour still visible). Do not over mix. Fold in the bleu cheese, Parmesan, and bacon bits until everything is just moistened. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour (45 minutes was enough for a 10-inch pan), until the top is golden brown and the cake springs back when you gently touch the center. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then tilt it out onto a wire cooling rack. Peel off the parchment paper and let cool upright before slicing.

Storage: The cake can be wrapped in plastic and kept for up to three days. It can also be frozen, well-wrapped, for up to two months.

Yields: One 9-inch loaf cake

Source: Adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris, by David Lebovitz

I recently found myself in the premier local grocery store here in Bellingham and I have to say that since reading this book I've started to look at my friendly little town and clean, welcoming market as little blessings. We all know Paris is the shiniest city around, and as much as I dream of the special place, maybe it doesn't have it going on entirely. I am vowing to find more things to love in my native land and to stop putting Europe on such a pedestal. Maybe we don't have amazing old architecture and culture coming out our ears, but we do have a pretty good way of doing things and life in our lil' country is pretty easy-breezy indeed. Get your hands on this book!

That's Just How We Roll

2009-06-10T16:58:00.001-07:00

I've come to fill you in, dear reader, on the latest dinner that was shared by Around the Table, the fabulous gourmet cooking group I belong to. Some of you may recall how dramatic our little story was in the beginning, dealing with members that didn't cook well (at all), and our efforts to eject them from the group. I can now say that things are sailing along pretty smoothly. We've hit our stride and have been enjoying some really amazing dinners.

You can see below that the lovely Mallory created a most enchanting place for us to feast and converse in her exquisite backyard area. She garnished each place setting with a package of strawberry Pocki sticks and a little tiny journal with our Chinese calendar animal on it. These photos also belong to her, thanks lady! The night was quiet and the perfect temperature for socializing outdoors. It was the kind of moment than when it starts you know it's going to be a treat. And that's just what the night turned out to be.

The theme was Sushi-Japanese and I was dreaming of lots of ginger, garlic, and fingers crossed - no cilantro. Well, I got my dream and I didn't get any cilantro. We started the night off with Mango Lemonade cocktails and ended the evening with Lemon-Ginger Pound cake and a fire pit roaring with flames.

I drew the appetizer course and decided to make gyoza. Which I learned is pronounced, gyooza. I went with the traditional pork and cabbage filling. I was really surprised to learn how easy it is to make gyoza. I made my filling, bought a package of gyoza/potsticker wrappers from my local favorite Asian market and sat down on the sofa with ingredients at hand and quickly folded fifty gyoza while watching Sex and the City. They were good, a bit salty, I would reduce the amount of soy sauce in the recipe next time. Also, if you were going to make these regularly, I would think about using a lighter protein than pork. I liked them, it would just bit a lot if you had them more than once in awhile. I will add the recipe down at the bottom along with the recipe for...

Tempura! I don't necessarily mean to toot my own horn here, but this was some good tempura! I can't really take credit for it since I found the recipe for the tempura batter online. It was a very light, runny batter and produced a very thin, crackly coating on all of the vegetables. The recipe called for a really healthy amount of vodka and I know that had something to do with the amazing texture! The vegetables stayed crunchy for a really, really long time after coming out of the hot oil. I also had never made tempura and really loved the results. It was really hard to stop eating this. We all agreed that mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini made the best vegetable tempura. I made a dipping sauce for the both the tempura and gyoza using tamari, mirin, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, minced scallions, a a bit of sugar.

Next came a little palette cleanser of sorts from Laura, a seaweed and cucumber salad. There isn't a whole lot to say about this recipe, it was pretty tangy and salty from the Tamari. I liked it though. The cucumber pieces were my favorite, the nori got a bit mushy and reminded me of the algae you'd find in your local pond. It was simple and seemed very Japanese which was fitting.

After picking at our salads, we all headed into the kitchen to make sushi rolls. As the host, Mallory made the rice and had lots of fillings for us to work with. We had ingredients like crab, smoked salmon, unagi, and tempura prawns. We also used cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, and spicy mayonnaise. By this point we had a couple drinks and did quite a bit of joking around and giggling. You can imagine where the jokes headed. Anyway, we had a blissful time creating the rolls. The one below is Laurel's, it was the last one of the night to be made and was deemed the Everything Caterpillar roll. We all agreed that the sushi with most fillings always won out over the more simple and few fillings. We barely had room for anything else but you just can't end a dinner party without something sweet.

Laurel drew dessert and made a pound cake infused with lemon and ginger. She baked them off in ramekins and served them turned out with vanilla-roasted plums and homemade ginger ice cream. A lovely creation and concept, right? I think I would have liked the dish even better if the plums had been grilled and then drizzled with vanilla simple syrup perhaps. All in all though, it was a lovely finish to a lovely night.

Traditional Pork Gyozas

adapted from www.wasabibratwurst.com

makes about sixty

6 cups minced napa cabbage leaves, shredded
1 1/2 teaspoon table salt (no kosher as it is too coarse)
1 1/2 lbs ground pork
3/4 cup of garlic chives, minced. If not accessible, white and green parts of scallions can be used for substitute.
1/4 teaspoons white pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons Tamari soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 package of gyoza wrapping skins
vegetable oil and water for cooking

1. Place the cabbage and salt in a colander in the sink and allow to sit for thirty minutes allowing the salt to extract water from the cabbage. After 30 minutes, using a wooden spatula or spoon, press the cabbage against the sides of the bowl to strain out all liquid, a paper towel would also work well here.

2. Place cabbage and pork along with all other ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. Chill for thirty minutes up to a couple of hours.

3. Working quickly as to not let wrappers dry out, keep most of the wrappers covered in a Ziploc bag or damp cloth, put about a teaspoon or so of filling inside of wrapper. Run a finger dipped in water along 1/2 of the edge and carefully bring sides together, to create a traditional look pleat the edges a few times and be sure to seal well. It just takes a few tries to get it.

4. Chill or freeze until using. If freezing, you can freeze them first in a single layer and then dump them in a freezer-safe bag for later use.

5. Heat a few tablespoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add about eight dumplings and allow to brown on the bottom. Once golden brown, quickly pour a 1/2 C. water or so over dumplings and cover with a tight fitting lid. Once the water evaporates the dumplings are ready to serve. Eat immediately and continue to cook dumplings as needed. Serve with your favorite soy dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Perfect Tempura Batter

1 qt. canola oil, for frying

3/4 C. AP flour

1/4 C. cornstarch

1/2 L. egg

1/2 C. vodka

1.2 C. seltzer water

salt to taste

1. Combine flour, starch, and salt in a medium bowl. Heat oil to the point of frying and in the mean time combine the egg, seltzer, and vodka in another small bowl. Wait to combine the wet and dry ingredients until the oil is just hot enough for frying. Be sure to not over mix the batter. Dip your favorite vegetables or seafood into batter and fry till just slightly golden. Carefully place tempura on a paper towel surface and serve with your favorite soy dipping sauce. Yum!

Getting Fresh

2009-05-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

Over here in our home, I have to tell you that we've been getting fresh a lot. By that, I mean we've really been making and eating our share of fresh rolls. You know, fresh spring rolls? Or sometimes called summer rolls. I'm sure you've seen them served up in your favorite Thai restaurant, perhaps you've even ordered them. Here's the thing, I really don't like fresh rolls from restaurants. I find them very boring and bland. Usually most things seem to taste best when ordered from a good restaurant, but not these guys. When I first started making fresh rolls I really had no idea what I was doing and I ran into a few problems along the way. I think now I can say I know quite a bit about making these little stuffed, plump beauties.

Typically, I wouldn't feel right about sending you away without a recipe, but you see, fresh rolls are something you just have to feel your way through. And what you decide to put in them is impossible to limit and entirely up to you. I will give you some tips and tell you about the things we like to put inside. To start, to make these rolls, you really need access to a decent Asian market. There are lots of different types of the fresh rolls skins and some are made from rice flour and others tapioca or a combination of the two. I prefer the package that says BÁNH TRÁNG, SPRING ROLL SKIN. They say Panda Brand on the front and currently there is a large red rose, they are made from tapioca flour and are exported by Quang Tri Co. at 82 Nguyen Bieu. St. in Vietnam. Ashley over at Not Without Salt thought to photo the wrappers, so if you want a visual you can go there. Did I give you enough information there? I think so. Now go find them.

Also, it's really best if you cut and prep everything ahead of time and have it all laid out in the order that you want to add them in. Also, I found that making a little flavorful sauce to drizzle over the filling really amps up the flavor as well as using a dipping sauce. It's all up to you. You can use lettuce leaves whole as the first layer but I find it's easier to just shred the lettuce and add it later, whole leaves sometimes pierce through the wrapper and that will spell disaster. When we're craving fresh rolls we usually want them fast and with as little work as possible. For this reason, I choose proteins that are ready available. Many of you will prefer to cook up some chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu but for me, I like to use canned seiten/gluten ingredients. It comes in little blue cans that are easily found at the Asian markets, it can come in the form of mock duck, chicken, and others. You have to play around with them and find the one you like best, I like it because it's high in protein and I don't have to do anything with it other than pick it apart a bit. This time we used some imitation crab meat I found at a Japanese market. There are also lots of different veggies you could use: bean sprouts, cilantro, cabbage, etc. Also, one last thing, when soaking the skins in hot water, you only need to soak them for about ten seconds. They will still feel hard and hold their shape, but once you are done putting the fillings in, they will have softened up.

We use in this order, chopped mint and Thai basil, thinly sliced carrots and cucumber, canned seitan product, chopped peanuts which are cheap and can be found in the markets, cellophane noodles, shredded lettuce and a sauce made from oyster sauce, seasoned rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and Sriracha sauce for heat. For five large rolls you only need a few tablespoons of the sauce at most. A little drizzle goes a long way. Then we use sweet chili or plum sauce for dipping which I usually thin with warm water and rice vinegar. And that's it. I hope you try these soon. They really are fresh and hit the spot when you are craving something satisfying and well, fresh.

Mostly Martha Blueberry Muffins

2009-05-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

Sunday mornings kind of feel like the perfect time to head into the kitchen and whip up some blueberry muffins. And last week, that's just what I did. I scoured the handy old Internet for what seemed like the best recipe I could find. What are some of your Sunday go-to recipes? I love Sunday mornings and all of the possibilities they hold. One day I will post about my Sunday Eggs.

They were all so similar. Some recipes called for a bit of sour cream which I really like the idea of, but then there was just something about them that didn't seem right. There was one recipe I kept running into. Blueberry Muffins a la Martha Stewart. Go figure. I decided if I could squeeze a little sour cream into her recipe I was sold. It's so tough making these choices of what recipe one shall use.

I also knew that a streusel topping was a must. To Martha's recipe I simply switched out a little bit of the milk for sour cream and added some lemon extract for zing. I really wanted the lemon flavor to come through, sometimes blueberry muffins can be a bit flat, so I added zest from one lemon to the topping mixture. I had just enough exquisitely-grown blueberries from the central part of the state, where I grew up, sitting in my freezer to make a double batch. I ended up making six jumbo and gorgeous muffins, along with twelve good-sized regular ones from doubling this recipe. I will say that these were AMAZING and tasted fabulous for days and days. The jumbo ones looked like they came straight from a professional bakery. Everyone who tasted these agreed.

Mostly Martha Blueberry Muffins

makes 6 jumbo or 12 regular

1/4 pnd. unsalted butter, room temp ( 1 stick)

2 C. AP flour

1.5 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

2 C. blueberries, fresh or frozen

1 C. sugar

2 Lg. eggs, room temp

2 t. vanilla

lemon extract, optional

1/2 C. milk, room temp (preferably whole milk, feel free to add some sour cream too)

Streusel topping:

1/2 C. AP flour

1 t. cinnamon (I used a bit less)

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/4 C. butter, melted

1 Lg. Lemon, zest only

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line either a 6 ct. jumbo muffin tin or a twelve-count regular sized tins with muffin liners.

2. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Toss a few tablespoons of the flour mixture over the blueberries and coat thoroughly.

3. In mixer, paddle together sugar and butter until very fluffy, about five minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.

4. Stop the mixer and add half of the flour, mix slightly while pouring in milk, then add remaining flour and mix gently until just combined. Do not over mix.

5. Take bowl from mixer and GENTLY fold in the berries with a spatula.

6. Make streusel topping by combining all ingredients thoroughly until clumpy.

7. Using a scoop measure, if you have one, divide the batter evenly among the liners, it is a stiff batter and very thick, then divide the streusel evenly among the tops of the muffin batter.

8. Bake approximately 30 minutes, check for doneness sooner though. Enjoy!!

Dog Days of Summer

2009-05-20T21:50:00.001-07:00

I love summer. I didn't always, but I won't get into all of that. I know, it's not really summer yet but it's really starting to feel like it! I've just come from watching my favorite little ladies on the planet, Sophie and Tessa, two beautiful Thai girls who are 5 and 7. I've known them since they were tiny and still love being a part of their lives. This afternoon we played for a bit on the deck, I loved the way the hot wood planks felt under my feet. Summer... Then Tessa and I went and laid out on the grass under the warm, bright sun and cheerful blue sky to flip through the latest edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. Sophie was playing with lots of water and several pails by this time. Dropping things in, little pieces of foliage, and stirring each one very intently. I soon learned she was making 'sun tea'. After not too long, Tessa and I started to get pretty hot and asked Sophie if she would mind coming and pouring some cold water from her plastic tea pot onto our arms, legs, and feet. We called her the Water Waitress and she went back and forth filling up her tea pot to keep pouring water where we requested it. It was precious. Definitely one of those moments that feel like classic summer.

On my drive home, upon entering our neighborhood, I stopped a little longer at a stop sign to watch several neighbor boys, maybe 5 to 11 in age, out in their yard with squirt guns. A Dad was sitting along sidewalk with his feet in the street just watching, you could tell he had been hit a few times already. All of a sudden he jumped to his feet to cause some major raucous and dump a big bucket of water on one of the boys, it turned into mayhem with lots of running, laughing, hiding, and water going everywhere. I just sat there smiling, until I realized someone was behind me waiting to move on with the rest of their day. Its these moments that are only uniquely summer. There's new life and excitement all around. How could I not have loved summer all those years?

I recently got inspired to make a meal that felt very summer. In fact, while making it I took a little trip down memory lane to summer circa 1995. I was living with my parents in Yakima where the summers are long, dry, and hot. Very hot. I was about to turn 15 and since I didn't have a driver's license or a real job, most of my days were spent sleeping in, talking on the phone, and laying out in the sun. I'm a pretty fair girl, but always wanting what I don't have (still struggle with this) I was constantly trying to get super tan like all of my friends. I had a routine. This was my job! I'd find the right towels, locate my BABY OIL, fill up a squirt bottle with ice cold water, and most importantly get the boom box. I'd get myself all situated and pop in Crazy Sexy Cool by TLC (you know, Waterfalls and Red Light Special) and lay out there until I got so hot I couldn't take it anymore. I'd go inside and everything looked white, you know how that is after coming in from a bright day? If I think about it long enough I can pretty much go right back in time to that place.

For some reason I really remember that summer. Maybe it was because I was half there, I wasn't a little girl anymore but I was just on the brink of getting some independence. Life was full of possibilities. I didn't have a job or bills or debt to distract me from living. I was doing it in the best I way I knew how and I was in the moment. I wasn't jaded yet. So what if are older now and have too many bills and responsibilities. I think summer is still a time where life feels like there are new possibilities. It's a time to be happy and cheer up. So, here's to summer!

Enough with the nostalgia and sentiment. Let's talk food. You know that bottle up there? The one standing amid some beautiful window herbs (I'm gloating like a proud parent, unashamedly...) and that reads Napa Valley Sparkling Wine Vinegar - Aged 18 Yrs? That's the one. It comes from the St. Helena Olive Oil Co. I owe my Grandma Donna a huge Thank You because she brought that back from a trip her, my mom, and aunt took down to the Napa Valley. Every time I talked to my mom all I could hear was laughing and giddy excitement in the background. They toured wineries, olive oil stores, and ate at Ad Hoc two nights in a row because they loved it so much. I have a cousin who works there and I bet that if Thomas Keller is responsible for fried chicken and corn on the cob, it's probably the best you'll have in your life. Needless to say, they all had a heavenly time and from what I've gathered from my mom, if you love food, then Napa Valley practically is heaven. I don't know what it is about that place, but whatever it is that vinegar holds some of the magic too. IT IS UNBELIEVABLY AMAZING. And, it was the star of my All-American Sunday dinner.

I feel I've written so much already that I want to just take you right to the recipes. Hempler's Hot Dogs were on the menu. I made coleslaw for the first time and was quite pleased with the process and the results! Of course I used my special vinegar and a couple extra ingredients that I'll include. Then I made another side that had me weak in the knees. Boiled red potatoes dressed so beautifully and simply in Wesson Oil and my sparkling wine vinegar. I sprinkled them with basil, chives, and parsley from my window sill and some good salt and pepper. Being a chef, I feel it's an utter travesty that I've never prepared potatoes in this way. PERFECT creamy potatoes, tangy vinaigrette, and fresh herbs bursting with flavor and simplicity. Oh my goodness.

Starting the meal off with homemade lemonade, it seemed fitting to end it with the best lemon bars I've ever tasted. The lemon bar recipe comes from that company I've been referring to. The name we don't speak of around here. You're getting the recipe via my blog whether they like it or not! This meal was so perfect in so many ways. It WAS summer on a plate.

COLESLAW PERFECTION

adapted from Kittencal at Recipezaar

serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 M. head Green Cabbage

1 S. head Red Cabbage (the two should make about ten cups)

1 LG. Carrot, shredded, remove any liquid

2-4 Scallions, thinly sliced

1-2 t. Celery Seeds, optional

1 t. Mustard Seeds, optional

Dressing

1 C. Hellman's or Best Foods mayonnaise

1/4 C. cream or milk

1/4 C. buttermilk

2-3 T. white vinegar

3 T. fresh lemon juice

1/3 C. sugar, plus 2 T. if you want it sweeter

1/2 - 1 t. garlic powder

1 t. salt or seasoning salt

1.2 t. pepper

Directions

In a food processor, chop or shred cabbage into small pieces. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Add the carrots, scallions, celery and mustard seeds if using.

Mix up dressing and toss with cabbage mixture. Mix thoroughly and let chill in the fridge at least 4-5 hours. Enjoy! By the way, this was amazing on top of the hot dogs!

Perfect Lemon Bars

makes about 16

1 1/4 C. AP flour

1/2 C. Confectioner's sugar, plus extra for dusting

salt

12 T. unsalted butter, cut into 12, room temp.

2 L. eggs plus 7 yolks

1 C+ 2 T. sugar

2/3 C. fresh lemon juice

1/4 C. grated lemon zest (4-5 lemons)

3 T. heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to middle. Heat to 350. Line a 9 x 9 square baking dish with foil, so bars will be easy to remove. Spray foil lightly with cooking spray.

2. In a food processor, pulse sugar, flour and 1/2 t. salt until combined. Scatter 8 T. of the butter over the top and pulse until it resembles course cornmeal, about 8 pulses.

3. Sprinkle mixture into pan and press firmly into an even layer. Bake about 20 m.

4. While crust bakes, whisk eggs and yolk together in medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in sugar till combined, then juice, zest, and a pinch of salt. Add remaining 4 T. butter and and cook over medium low heat stirring constantly until thick and registers 170 on a candy thermometer, about five minutes depending.

5. Strain mixture through sieve to remove zest, add cream to mixture and stir thoroughly.

6. Pour warm curd over hot crust, shaking to make even layer of curd, and bake until shiny and opaque and center jiggles just slightly, 10-15 minutes.

7. Let cool completely on wire rack, 2 hrs, and then carefully lift bars out of dish and cut. Dust with confectioner's sugar just before serving. WOW, these are so good!

When It's Good to be Corny

2009-05-20T21:48:00.001-07:00

Corn. Chowder. When doesn't that sound good? I will say I haven't even eaten much of it in my time, but I know I've always liked it. It's kind of the same way I feel about meatloaf. Of course corn chowder and meatloaf come from very different families and many people who might love the sound of corn chowder stick their noses up at the first mention of meatloaf. But it's pretty similar in that you probably don't have it too often and its a very homey and classic dish. I wasn't even thinking about corn soup until I flipped through the Country mag****e down there below a few days ago. We all know why I was tricky just now (wink wink) - I won't let them find my tracks! One thing I appreciate about said company is how they analyze the heck out of recipes and try to make them as perfect as humanly possible. So, I jumped in feet first, think feet smashing in a trough of wine grapes, only in this case its lots and lots of corn. I did this from the comfort of my sofa of course.

Let me tell you a bit about why this version jumped out at me and why I went to the store and spent nearly thirty dollars to make a double batch of it. Corn. This recipe is very serious about its use of the main star, Corn. Isn't that the way it should be? When our stickler friends over at you know where started talking about pureeing canned corn with chicken stock to thicken the soup and retain that fresh corn presence I was in. They also gave me a good tip for cutting fresh corn off the cob. And, the recipe also called for adding all of the de-kerneled cobs to the soup in its last phase of the cooking process. As my new friend Mrs. Beeton says, "A stew spoiled is a stew spoiled." - so naturally, I avoided doing that! Remember I mentioned that I would be writing about salad creme and salad soon, well Mrs. Beeton will be the star of that show. More to come! But for now, let me tell you a bit more about this soup.

This soup is very simple in its ingredients. And one of the ingredients is bacon. You can't go wrong there, right. I do think after making it you could toss in a little extra bacon. It also has onions and baby red potatoes which just happen to be one of my favorite things lately. To finish it all off a little heavy cream and scallions. Now this soup is a little time consuming, especially if you double it like I did, but it's worth of it. I feel the need to say that when you spend a lot of time reading about a perfect recipe there is a good amount of build up and sometimes the result just can't live up to that kind of pressure no matter how great it is! This soup could be seen that way. I think when I was reading about it I somehow found my way to cloud nine, I would realistically say this soup is somewhere on cloud five or six. It's good though, friends! It's fabulous actually.

The soup isn't thickened with a roux so what you are left with is a corn chowder that is so pure in its corniness. The fresh corn stays crisp and that works beautifully with the tender, creamy potatoes. The scallions offer nice color and flavor and I suspect some fresh basil would be tasty in here as well. If you find the magazine it also lists lots of variations some including a New Orleans-style version with andouille and red pepper, a prosciutto and sage, and another with sweet potatoes and cayenne. It's not a thick and gloppy chowder. It is filling and leaves you feeling very happy afterwards. Are you ready? Here's Rachelle's Corn Chowder recipe (wink wink), let me know how you like it!

RACHELLE'S CORN CHOWDER

adapted from you know who...

serves 6-8

6 lg. corn ears, I used a mix of white and yellow

2 15oz cans whole-kernel corn, drained, (use Del Monte)

5 C. chicken broth (use a bit less for thicker soup)

3 sl. thick sliced bacon, sliced thinly (feel free to add an extra strap or two)

1 lg. onion, chopped finely

1 pnd. red potatoes, 1/2-inch dice

1 C. heavy cream

4 scallions, thin diagonal slice

salt and pepper

1. Prep corn. A handy trick for cutting corn off the cob is to cut it in half crosswise so that you have much shorter cobs to work with. Just stand it on its flat side and carefully slice down. This makes for more control and the kernels don't go flying around so much. So take the corn off all the cobs and place corn and cobs in separate bowls for later. Puree the drained canned corn and two cups of the broth in a blender until smooth and creamy.

2. Saute the bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until crisped and golden. Remove from pan leaving grease behind in pot. Add the onions and cook until translucent. They will pick up the bits of brown residue from the bacon and that will be perfect. Then add the fresh corn and cook for five to eight minutes stirring occasionally. You can add 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper at this time.

3. Finish by adding potatoes, corn puree, remaining broth or a cup less if you want it really thick, and reserved corn cobs. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 15 minutes or so or until the potatoes are tender. Discard the cobs which will be hanging out around the surface and stir in cream, scallions, and reserved bacon. I added a lot more salt and pepper at this point. Taste and season according to your taste. This is good for a few days in the fridge. Enjoy!

Tea for One, Please.

2009-05-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

It's time to introduce you to my workplace. As many of you know, I'm a cook at a local tea room. The little tea room I happen to work at is located in historic Fairhaven, which is the cute, quaint, sidewalk shop, and locally-owned businesses kind of neighborhood here in Bellingham. That was a weird sentence! Anyway, I typically have three day weekends off from work (I know, lucky, right?) and hanging out down in Fairhaven is one of my favorite pass times in this town. So that's exactly what I found myself doing this last Saturday around brunch time...

First, I hit up Village Books, my favorite local bookstore. I do must say that while I find this bookstore terribly charming, I really wish they would replace half of the workers there. Snooty. I don't let it affect my experience though! I popped in hoping to purchase the latest issue of Country Living - British Edition which they didn't have and don't seem to be carrying lately it seems. After a brief moment of disappointment, I quickly migrated to the Food, Fashion, and Lifestyle twisty-turn rack. I noticed a whole slew of mags from the company you see up above there. I don't really want to say the company name and here is why. Apparently, they scour the Internet looking for sites and blogs that use their name and recipes, if they discover you, they write and ask you to remove the information. I am going to be posting a couple recipes from them soon so I'm going incognito... If you read that link above you'll see why I'm being even more paranoid than usual! Anyway, I do have a bit of beef with the company since reading that story, but I have to say, they do put out some interesting publications with lots of useful information and no ads! Village Books had four different issues for sale and I couldn't leave the store without three of them! I picked up a spring and summer edition and then the country issue. With all of this reading material, I was off for a relaxing time at the tea room...

My dear friend Laurel, who happens to be the newest edition to Around the Table (a gourmet cooking club I'm involved with) was working and she is my favorite cook to order from because she puts so much care and detail into her plates! We are birds of a feather me and that one! I picked my favorite corner and settled in with my camera and magazines. I ordered the Gentleman's Tea because it's such a great value and had a side salad thrown in for good measure. I didn't tell you that when you work for the tea room or its sister business the pottery painting studio, you get a monthly credit benefit which you can spend at either business. Nice, right? A meal out is even better when you don't have to pay for it! Laurel started my meal off with the gorgeous plate of Strawberries.

Next was a green toss salad with crisp English cucumbers and little red grape tomatoes. I had mine with English Salad Creme which I just LOVE! You may recognize this item, most grocers carry the imported Heinz product which comes in a little bottle with a green label. Its much like mayonnaise but is much stronger and more acidic and unless you mix it with additional vinegar and oil like we do, I don't think it would be very good alone on salad. But after the alterations we do, it turns into this silky, rich vinaigrette that is downright addicting! Stay tuned because in an upcoming post I will really delve into the wonder that is salad creme. I do just adore this simple salad with green leaf lettuces.

It's really not common that I go to the tea room to enjoy a meal out in the dining room the same way all of our customers do. But whenever I get the chance, I am always pleasantly surprised at what an enjoyable and delicious experience it is! After my first bite of the Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche I was in tea time heaven. It was so good! The filling was creamy and savory and the crust was flaky and caramelized. It then occurred to me that it was my quiche! It's kind of funny to go to a restaurant and have the majority of the meal be something you created in the days prior. I gave myself a little pat on the back and went on enjoying my quiche!

Then it was three little tea sandwiches, so simple yet outrageously tasty! I ordered two cucumber and dill and one smoked salmon with cream cheese. The bread we use is airy and tender, like a soft pillow lightly cushioning the smooth, creamy fillings. It's a kind of perfection.

After all of this I was getting quite full, but there was one last course to go. Dessert. I ordered the Chocolate Pot de Creme. I also made this one! I'm crazy about puddings and custard so it's a no-brainer that I loved this creamy ending. You have a thick, rich dark chocolatey custard that is topped off with a generous, whimsical pouf of whipped cream. Sinful, really.

I really had a most lovely time at the Abbey Garden Tea Room this last Saturday. I enjoyed it the way our customers do. I sat and thought about how my boss really has created something special. I also remembered how fortunate it I am to be a part of something so heavenly!

Read It and Weep

2009-05-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

Read it and weep. That may seem like a harsh title, because it is. I say this because you might be tempted to weep after realizing that you didn't get to be a part of this meal. Around the Table really did it up yesterday. We were like the Cows of Bashan, rolling in the grass under a bright, encouraging sun, and happily grazing on golden grass. It was that good. I hope this post and all of these pictures inspire you to create a lovely, decadent brunch of your own!

We have a very sweet and talented new addition to the group, Miss Laurel, she is a co-worker and friend of mine and is a damn fine cook. She brought champagne and a base for mimosas. But don't think for one little second that she went with the standard old orange juice concoction. Nope. She squeezed about a dozen lemons, two mineolas, and one grapefruit. A simple syrup was added to the mix to sweeten it up a bit and let me just tell you, these Mimosas were so exquisite that we all had three. Three. They were tart with lots of citrus complexities. The greatness didn't stop there, Laurel also candied orange peels resulting in about the cutest little spiral mimosa garnish around. When I think classic brunch, because I always think classic, I think of a punch with slight retro flair. I also think Bellini. And I definitely think Mimosa. Refreshing, tangy, sparkling... perfect.

I hosted the affair and finally found a reason to use my trifle bowl. Being the obsessive compulsive gal I am, I had to pick a color palette for my fruit salad. So I went with oranges, yellows, and green. From the bottom: green grapes, kiwi, oranges, bananas, pineapple, and star fruit. I really like the way it turned out. If I had had more time, I would have spent even more time to layer the fruit perfectly.

I'm just kicking myself that I didn't get a better picture here. Oh well, can't cry over spilled milk, right? To accompany my layered fruit salad, I made a lime-mint sugar topping and vanilla bean syrup for drizzling. To make the mint sugar, you mortar and pestle equal parts mint and sugar, about a quarter cup of each. Once completely ground and mixed, pour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let it spend about twenty minutes in a 165' oven. Take out and break up the chunks to make a smoother mixture, fold in a bit of lime zest and voila. It really kicks up fruit salad to another level and makes it special. The dried sugar provides a bit of crunchy texture and the vanilla bean syrup is homey and comforting.

I have a new friend, Potatoes Anna. Or Pommes Anna if you want to get technical. Laura brought a potato dish that I could bathe in. Regularly. Pommes Anna is a classic french dish that calls for potatoes to be very thinly sliced and then prepared with an insane amount of butter, baked, and then inverted from its baking vessel. The result is a lovely textured potato slice with a mouthwatering amount of rich butteriness. Laura whipped a version of her own and added a layer of sweet potatoes, lots of goat butter which made it even tastier I believe, and then served the treat with a lemon-chive creme fraiche sauce.

I couldn't have this again soon enough. I found the dish to be so warming and wonderful. It was understated yet incredibly elegant. It tasted like times of old. Brilliant.

Alexis was very inspired by our local farmer's market here in Bellingham. She attributed the vegetable portion of the meal and chose broiled asparagus. She dressed it up in a springy lemon-thyme vinaigrette.

Then for fun, she fried up some dandelions. I've never had dandelions in any form and was quite thrilled to learn they are edible. I think they could be used in some interesting ways. I just loved the dandelion and lavender garnish choices, so colorful... Quite nice indeed.

Ever since I've joined the group I have heard Mallory talk about her Savory Belgian Waffle Eggs Benedict. I knew that brunch-time would be when she finally pulled it from her repertoire. She started the whole thing off with beautiful farm eggs.

This beautiful-in-every-way dish started with a belgian waffle foundation with pecorino cheese and green onions, then came several ripe slices of avacado, a perfectly poached egg, and cradled under a sheet of silky, lemony Hollandaise sauce. A sprinkle of Hungarian paprika and parsley were the finishing touches on this heavenly dish. What a treat!

For 'dessert' I made fruit-filled scones that are just delicious. I stumbled onto the recipe a couple of years ago at Olive Juice & Co. and made them for my bridal shower. At that time, I filled them with peaches and lemon zest. I find this recipe a bit unusual because it calls for cake flour and half-n-half, two things you don't often see in scone recipes. I also like the icing glaze element, this is definitely a sweet scone. The only thing I would change would be to increase the fruit amount by almost half. It would be hard to overdo the fruit. I used strawberries and lemon zest for these and we were all itching for more strawberries!

FRUIT-FILLED SCONES

adapted from Olive Juice & Co

makes 24

Scones:

4 cups flour
4 cups cake flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb. cold butter

Choice of fruits:
2-4 cups blueberries + zest of 2 lemons (4 C. = fruit doubled...)
2-4 cups blackberries + zest of 2 lemons ( " " )
2-4 cups chopped strawberries + zest of 2 oranges ( " " )

1/2 - 1 quart half & half (depending how juicy the fruits are that you're using)

In a bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and then cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter. Add the fruits. Stir in enough half & half to just make a moist dough. It should be moistened, but not sticky. With an ice cream scoop, scoop out dough 2" (or shape dough into four even disks and cut each disk into six yielding 24 scones) apart on parchment lined baking pans. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Top with glaze.

Glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk or half & half
a bit of vanilla & almond extract

Combine until the consistency of heavy cream. Drizzle over scones while hot.

These are literally the BEST things in the world! They're not for the calorie conscious, with a POUND of butter and a quart of half &half....but they are worth every single teensy tiny calorie. This recipe makes about 2 dozen scones. And the good news is, you can make the dry mix with butter cut in, separate it into freezer bags in batches, and then add the fruit and Half & Half as needed when ready to bake. You can make as little or as many as you want! (They are best eaten fresh from the oven.)

We've also made cinnamon scones using this recipe instead of the fruit. Mix together 4T. melted butter mixed with 2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 T. sugar, and 3/4 cup brown sugar...and add this AFTER you add the liquid. Enjoy...

A Bit on Eggs

2009-04-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

It feels like a nice time to think on eggs. I don't know if it's the spring weather or just what, but if seems like the time of year to start cooking with lots of eggs. With picnics and barbecues coming, we always need to be ready to fire some deviled eggs. Brunches and light lunches definitely call for quiches and frittatas. Or how about light dinners of salad and souffle? I've got my own special event coming up in a couple of weeks, I will tell you all about it when the time comes, and I wanted to do a little investigating on the subject. I found some interesting information and I've shared it below.

While we're on the topic of eggs, I want to share a little story. I was at Fred Meyer this morning shopping around and while I was in the health food section picking up some eggs and creme, a little old lady came up to me. "Do you know where the organic eggs are?", she said asked quietly, her wrinkly eyes looking at me very directly. I happily helped her, I love helping the elderly folks. I just get tickled doing my best to help them get their needs. I feel honorable in that moment. Or something. Anyway, I pointed her to the eggs and told her which ones said they were organic to which she quickly remarked, "Oh nowadays, just because they say something doesn't mean bullshit." I agreed. I wasn't sure if she was referring to the whole organic business of technicalities and wording and what is really what, or if she was just referring to the general shadiness of the times nowadays. Anyway, I scrambled to find her a dozen of the best eggs I could find. She smiled and we wished each other a good day. Eggs and old folks. Aren't they the best?

Grade AA is best for frying and poaching, but A is okay, too. Because the whites are more firm, grade AA or A eggs will have better shapes when you break them out. They won’t spread out as much in the pan when you fry them. There won’t be as much white that breaks off from the egg and forms "angel wings" in the water when you poach them. Grade B eggs would spread out a lot if they were fried and a lot of the white would float off into the water if they were poached.

Grade A is better for hard-cooking. Because the smallest air cells are in grade AA eggs, the membranes just inside the shells are very tight up against the shells. This makes it harder to peel off the shells without taking some of the whites along with the shells. Because the thinnest whites are in grade B eggs, the yolks sometimes move around inside the eggs. This can cause the yolks to be off center. Off-center yolks can make pretty funny looking hard-cooked egg slices or deviled eggs. Grade A shells will usually be easier to peel than grade AA and grade A yolks are more likely to be centered than grade B.

Any grade can be used for scrambled eggs, omelets, quiches and baked goods or any other recipe in which the shape of the egg isn’t important. Once you beat them up, all the different grades of eggs will work the same in a recipe. It doesn’t matter if their whites are thick or thin or their yolks are tall or flat. Grade B eggs don’t look as pretty as grade AA or A, but they have the same good nutrition. You won’t usually find grade B eggs in the stores. Some are used by bakeries or restaurants, but most are made into egg products.

No matter what grade, eggs need to be kept in the refrigerator whenever you’re not cooking or eating them. Refrigerating eggs keeps their quality high for a longer time. If you leave eggs out at room temperature, their quality will go down faster. When the quality goes down, the eggs’ air cells grow, their whites thin and their yolks flatten. Scientists say that a day a room temperature will cause an egg’s quality to go down as much as a whole week in the refrigerator.

Coconut Apricot Thumbprints

2009-04-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

You've probably picked up on the fact that I've been on a bit of a thumbprint cookie kick. I can tell you I'm here to report the last story on them for awhile. Believe it or not, I think I've had my fix for a good while. But before I move on I just have to share one last recipe with you.

This version comes from my best friend Ina Garten. Oh, how I wish that last statement were actually true! Anyway, in true Ina style she found a way to make a classic and take it up an indulgent notch by rolling the cookies in and egg wash and sweetened coconut. They couldn't be any prettier.

COCONUT APRICOT THUMBPRINTS

adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

Custard-filled Cornbread

2009-04-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

You heard it right. Custard-filled cornbread. That just sounds way too over-the-top good, right? I mean I adore cornbread, always have, and I love all things creamy. When I made the soup below I decided to serve it with cornbread and having just finished A Homemade Life, where Molly Wizenberg wrote a story about maple syrup and how her husband loves to pour it all over custard-filled cornbread. I was sold.

Intrigued, I had to get online and find out more about this stuff. Sure enough. There it was. It was written about on little food sites here and there. How had I never heard about this stuff? I found a recipe much like Molly's only it also called for corn kernels and happened to come from Miss Martha Stewart.

I have to admit that it's quite fun to pour a cup of cream into the middle of the batter. Boy, does it feel naughty...

CUSTARD-FILLED CORNBREAD

3 Tb unsalted butter, melted
2 c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. yellow cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
¼ cup sugar
1 ¼ tsp salt
2 c. whole milk (2% also works)
1 Tb plus 1 ½ tsp. distilled white vinegar
1 c. fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
1 c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x2” round baking pan, and place in the oven to preheat. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk eggs and butter in a large bowl. Whisk in sugar, salt, milk and vinegar. Add flour mixture, and whisk until just smooth. Stir in corn kernels.

Transfer batter to heated pan. Pour cream into center of batter; do not stir. Bake until pale golden brown and set, about 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Unmold (optional), and serve warm.

So here's my issue, I'm wondering if I should have cooked it longer? The cornbread itself was done and I really detest dry cornbread so I pulled it out. But the center of my bread is way gooier than most everyone else's I've seen. See....

I was kind of hoping it would look like the photo here over at Tasting Spoons. I think next time I won't use corn kernels and I will use fine ground cornmeal. I really loved the concept of this recipe. I will update you next time I make and see if it turns a bit better. If you decide to make it, I would also just try the recipe over at Tasting Spoons. I know I'm going to!