Suite Apple Pie

what i'm eating today

2011-11-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

lunch~ Arctic Char, tomatoes with goat cheese, delicata squash, 2 Alexia sweet potato puffs.

snack~ Emily's cinnamon apple glazed cake squares

with a little almond extract added to the glaze. so yum !!

Recent Favorites

2011-10-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

tofu chocolate pudding

whole wheat rolls

spaghetti carbonara

pizzas with lamb sausage and mint from Osteria Coppa

apple-pumpkin Kodiak pancakes

pumpkin smoothies (pumpkin, soy milk, splenda, cinnamon)

homemade sashimi

sushi from Barracuda
nut butter tastings. . .

~:::~

In Your Face

2011-05-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

I can't help it. I love close shots of ooey gooey desserts.

Since you can't get your face up close and personal with this crumble, I'm just helping you out.

I was completely inspired by the tropical flavors of Joy the Baker's Strawberry Pineapple Crumble last month. Crisps and crumbles are my most favorite desserts next to pie. This fruit combination was a brilliant new idea; I love pineapple, but it never comes to mind for dessert.

I followed her recipe but doubled it and shaved a bit of sugar from the fruit and some butter from the topping. I also used salted butter which was an amazing contrast with the sweet filling.

Oh. my. goodness. this is good.

~::::~

Crossover

2011-05-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

I made the first foods for my baby. It was fun, satisfying, and very easy. If you'd like to read about it, step on over to Raising Lyla.

~::::~

Sea of Green

2011-04-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

I like what I like. On weekdays I don't want to experiment much. Give me dishes I love that are easy. Every once in a while I'll change things up. I love a good cauliflower mash, so why not try it with broccoli?

We made this delicious mash in 10 minutes and boy is it delicious! I served it with some pork tenderloin and roasted fennel, but it'd make an excellent ravioli filling or white pizza topping.

Broccoli Mash

*I used Laughing Cow wedges because I had two in the fridge and it made the mash a little lighter. Next time any finely grated cheese would work.

12 oz broccoli florets

2 light Laughing Cow wedges

1/2 tsp salt

splash of milk

Steam the broccoli until tender and bright green. Dump into a food processor with the salt and pulse until broken up. Add a splash of milk and the two Laughing Cow wedges and process until smooth and combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Just a little longer and I can put her to work on prep.

Yum Cha

2011-04-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

I just got back from vacation in Kauai, which you can read more about here. We never left the resort but it didn't matter because the pool and beach were excellent and we had amazing food at every meal. I was too busy photographing my family to document much of the food. But I did snap two of our favorite dinners, both at Yum Cha, the hotel's Asian fusion spot. Sharing was the name of the game- my favorite!

The first night we had peppered beef, pad thai (under the egg blanket), and a pork hot pot.

Followed by the green tea brulee with almond cookies.

The food was excellent and since we liked it so much, we returned on our last night. This time I missed the soup appetizers and tempura ice cream dessert, and only got the remnants of dinner: stir fried udon, fried wild rice, and the peppered beef again because it was that good.

We ate lunch by the pool everyday.

My shrimp and somen noodles on the last day were delicious, light, and pretty.

Other vacation eats included lobster, king crab, kalua pork, seared ahi sashimi, chocolate mousse cake, waffle fries, coconut lattes, musubi, strawberry smoothies, lava flows, and bedtime raspberry chocolates.

I'm waddling a little. ~::::~

Results of Dinner Percolating

2011-03-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

On my indecisive days, dinner percolates in my brain all afternoon and it's then that I get creative and come up with something new. For this meal I went from having no idea what I wanted to a serendipitous combination of tastes that used great items from my fridge and pantry. This dish combines some of my most favorite things; it's a cross between macaroni and cheese and a vegetable gratin, but very heavy on the vegetables.

There are several components that make this dish come together, but the actual hands-on time is short so it's quick enough for a weeknight.

Vegetable Pasta Gratin

serves 3-4

8 ounces broccoli florets

12 ounces butternut squash, cubed

1/2 red onion, cubed

1/2 apple, skin on and cubed

2 Tbs olive oil

1/2 cup whole wheat pasta

1 Tbs butter

2 Tbs flour

1 cup low fat milk

3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used my favorite TJ's quattro formaggio blend)

salt to taste

1/2 cup toasted cornbread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the broccoli, squash, onion, and apple in a large bowl with the olive oil and salt to taste. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside. Lower the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small pot, boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together until cooked and bubbling. Warm the milk in the microwave until hot and add to the butter-flour mixture. Whisk vigorously and cook together until the bechamel starts to thicken. Add the cheese and whisk until melted into the sauce. Remove from the heat and stir the vegetables and pasta into the sauce.

Transfer to a baking dish in an even layer and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and the top is lightly browned.

::::

And because I can't post here or there without a picture, my baking assistant (who is getting more and more interested in the action of 'eating') says hello:

~::::~

Full of Dessert Tricks These Days

2011-02-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

My sweet tooth is way out of control right now.

I made Wannabe Chef's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Dessert Hummus today, and I wanted to let you know that it's good.

No dippers, just eating it with a spoon.

~::::~

A Crafty Way to Eat Pie for Dinner

2011-02-25T12:51:00.000-08:00

I need to begin this post with a story.

This week I had the nicest surprise when I woke up. My day begins with diaper changes and nursing, and as I sat there with Lyla I received a text message from my Mom. She had driven by my house 30 minutes earlier (dropping off Dad at SFO for a flight to Atlanta) and had left a package on my doorstep. When I went to retrieve it, I found lunch. Not just any lunch, the leftovers from her dinner the night before that had me very excited: pureed broccoli and cheese soup (new recipe from Cook's Illustrated- amazing!) and some breakfast apple pie from Marion Cunningham's Breakfast Book. I thought about this lunch all morning and barely managed to not eat all of both in one sitting.

The breakfast apple pie had less sugar and was baked in a cheddar crust. It was wonderful, and gone too fast. I'll do almost anything for apple pie, so naturally I was wishing for more.

That's where these apple cheddar calzones came from. The flavors of apple pie with sharpy cheesy cheddar and a wholesome crust make it pretty suitable for the dinner table.

Apple Cheddar Calzones
makes 3 largish calzones

1/2 batch whole wheat pizza dough
2 Granny Smith Apples (tart), peeled and diced
2 Pink Lady Apples (sweet), peeled and diced
1 Tbs butter
3 Tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Mix pizza dough in the bread machine, then divide into three balls and lay on a floured surface and drape with a wet towel. (Alternatively, you can use storebough dough and prepare to the package's directions). Add the butter to a deep saute pan over medium heat. Add the diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes until the apples are soft. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll out first ball of dough and place 1/3 of the apples on half of the dough. Top with 1/3 of the grated cheese. Fold dough over the top and pinch the ends together to seal. Place on a baking sheet and cut 4 slits in the top of the calzone with a knife. Repeat with the second and third balls of dough and the rest of the filling.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the crusts are golden brown and bubbly. Allow to cool a few minutes before slicing in half and serving.

It's just like eating pie for dinner. And leftovers make excellent breakfast.

Sudden Urge to Bake

2011-02-21T14:33:00.000-08:00

It's rainy and freezing out for the nth day in a row. And President's Day, so Ray is home with Lyla and I. Besides a quick trip to Babies R Us and Whole Foods, I'm staying indoors. I don't mind since I'm an introverted homebody whose daughter likes to nap in her swing for several hours in the afternoon.

But Ray gets stir crazy, so he headed out to Costco for batteries, stamps, and this frozen ravioli he loves that I think smells pretty foul. Despite the desire to lose the last 10 baby LBs, while he was gone I decided to bake. A quick search through bookmarked recipes brought me to one of the favorites, Joy the Baker. I'm actually making two of hers today: dinner tonight, and her Peanut Butter Banana Bread.

I had all the ingredients, and my own peanut butter obsession has recently spread to the rest of my house. I bet Lyla loves it too since she gets it through me every day. After making a nice big mess of my kitchen (measuring cups and utensils and crumbs next to the Bumbo seat, burp cloth, and Chan Pie Gnon teether aka Gnomie),

I placed the loaf pan in the oven and sat down to enjoy the fantastic peanut butter and banana aroma.

Hopefully the smell doesn't wake the little one up.

:::

I followed Joy's recipe exactly. For the recipe, please visit her blog.

~::::~

In Disguise

2011-02-17T14:22:00.000-08:00

These are cookie dough balls disguised as domes. I'm telling you.

These spheres of gooey smooshy batter and chocolate have been roaming the internet and I've been bookmarking them left right and center. We're having a dinner party tomorrow so the perfect excuse to try them out.

But mine didn't turn out. The dreaded spreading occured and most of mine are more like a regular cookie than a ball of dough. I followed directions to refrigerate the dough for at least 20 minutes, but the hand rolling does warm them up so a longer refrigeration would help them stay in shape.

Fortunately this failure still yields a perfectly tasty cookie.

Now the question of how crazy I am to be hosting a dinner party with a 3-month-old that has random meltdowns in the evening?
Maybe you can answer that for me.

Amaretto Cake

2011-01-28T14:08:00.000-08:00

My interest in food began to take shape in college, a gradual process beginning my sophomore year. That year I moved out of the dorm and into an apartment, where I had to cook for myself if I wanted to eat. I started with apple cinnamon pancakes for my roommates, then mom's recipe for lasagna bolognese. There was a time where I'd make eggs and tomatoes in a tortilla every morning before class, and I remember really good salmon baked in parchment with rice and tzatziki on the side.

My school operated on a 4-1-4 semester system, the '1' being a single intensive course in January, known as Jan Term. For my senior year Jan Term, I took a food writing class. Being able to read and write about food from the likes of MFK Fisher and Julia Child was a great way to spend a month. The last class meeting included a potluck. Our writing was gourmet but the potluck wasn't- we were still college students! I brought this cake and it was pretty popular.

Tomorrow is my 28th birthday and I decided to bake myself a cake. Yes, there is still a bunch of baby weight to work off but there has to be some cake for a birthday. (Mom is making my favorite apple pie for us tomorrow, but I want cake too. Don't judge.)

The thing about this cake is that it's delicious and so, so, so easy. There's nothing about this that is from scratch! I have no shame in using cake and pudding mixes today, especially because this is my baking assistant~

(Times have changed since the last time I made this cake. My repertoire has expanded, and my baking assistant wears duckie jammies. And the main fixture on my counter is now a Bumbo seat.)

One thing hasn't changed: the notion that a little booze makes baked goods even better. This particular cake benefits from a healthy portion of this~

The cake is very moist with a lovely almond scent, while the icing is flavorful and just a little boozy from the Amaretto.

The best part? Start to finish during naptime. Sweet.

Amaretto Cake

serves 16

1 package plain yellow cake mix

1 package instant vanilla pudding mix

3/4 cup Amaretto liquor

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup plain applesauce

4 eggs

1/4 tsp almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahreinheit. Grease and flour a 10-in bundt pan.

Blend the mixes, Amaretto, water, oil, applesauce, eggs, and extract with a hand blender for 1 min on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and springy. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.

Run a knife along the edge of the cake and invert on to the cooling rack. Drizzle with the glaze (recipe below) and 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds. Cool completely before serving.

Glaze: 1 cup confectioners sugar whisked together with 5 Tbs Amaretto

~:::~

Sweet 2011

2011-01-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

hi 2011,
~

we're still hanging out in the kitchen;

this week we put an apple pumpkin pie together.

and today we wanted some cookies. so we baked the chewy chocolate ones, but

mostly we're doing lots of this ~

~::::~

Lyla Bean Burrito

2010-11-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

We are eating out of the freezer, pantry, and anything our family and friends bring us. I'm not cooking because we have this little one to take care of.

My daughter Lyla was born on Saturday, November 20th and she is now the most important thing in our world.

I'm up at all hours for feeding and diaper changes. I insist on giving her the very best I can, so Lyla ('Lie-la') is a 100% breastfed baby. It's the hardest thing ever, but also the most rewarding.

We already have several nicknames for her and funny enough, the best are food related~

bean, Lyla bean burrito, peanut, and pumpkin

Little burrito :-) Will she be interested in food and baking too? We certainly hope so!

~::::~

Apple Butter

2010-11-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

I have a bit of a relationship with pancakes. Everybody has one brunch dish they gravitate to over and over. I don't eat pancakes on regular days; if I want to make a special breakfast, or am dining out, I always choose pancakes.

This love was born with the pancakes from Mom's kitchen when I was a kid. They were made plain with no sugar added because the toppings are so sweet. Real maple syrup was a favorite for all of us, and when we had it I liked to spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese before drizzling the syrup.

Recently I've been reminded of another favorite topping: store bought apple butter.

I emphasize the store bought because, while I've had some amazing homemade apple butter, this store bought version is important for this combination. It has a flavor that is unmistakeable. I spied this jar at Target by random chance and to my delight it's precisely what I remember.

It's dark, luscious, and very sweet. The sugar content is a little obscene for something that's should just be fruit, but this is what it should be.

After sticking my spoon directly in the jar a few times, I had to make some pancakes for a little trip down memory lane.

I made myself one colossal pancake and slathered it with the apple butter. The steaming pancake warms and melts the butter a little.

Try this.

~::::~

Cravings

2010-11-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

I've been asked about the desire for certain foods a lot lately. Everybody gets cravings, but the cultural stereotype for them during this time in a woman's life is strong and well known. It is assumed one should be eating a chicken leg with raspberry jam, peanut butter and tuna, or the ever popular ice cream topped with pickles. There are looks of disappointment when I can't claim any of these weirdo combinations. My plate held peanut butter, oats, tomatoes, soup, pizza, and frozen yogurt as often then as it does now.

The last few weeks, I have felt the need to make and consume more foods a la minute. This has led to impromptu trips to Whole Foods for pints of thick chicken noodle soup (must need to hydrate), salads from Trader Joe's embellished with sardines (must need calcium), and beef shanks from Lunardi's cooked up in the crockpot (must need iron).

This weekend, while I'm sad to be missing out on this year's Foodbuzz Blogger Festival (by choice, but still), I did satisfy an impromptu craving for some chocolate pudding.

Not just any pudding. I wanted one that is rich and chocolatey, but wouldn't break the calorie bank. It's a rare recipe that provides this kind of pleasure as well as protein, calcium, and almost no effort. Definitely not calorie-free but compare this vegan recipe to a traditional one made with cream and you'd have double the trouble, with a sore tummy too.

Pulled from the bottom of my recipe folder, my Mom first made this recipe when I was in high school. It's pretty versatile depending on how much soymilk you use to thin it- a pudding (thin), a mousse (thick), or even a really great cupcake icing (thickest). I flavored mine with almond extract and served with fresh raspberries. Leave it plain or try something else that pairs well with chocolate.

I'm not sure which gave me more pleasure- slowly making my way to the bottom of the bowl, or Ray's astonishment at how delicious a dessert made with tofu and soymilk can be.

Tofu Chocolate Pudding
makes 4-6 servings

1 10-ounce bag vegan chocolate chips (I used Tropical Source), or regular semisweet chocolate chips
1 12-ounce package of soft silken tofu (I used Mori-Nu Silken Soft Tofu), smooshed in the package
1/2- 2/3 cup chocolate soy milk (I used Silk Chocolate soymilk)
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional), or flavoring of your choice

In a large microwave safe glass bowl, heat chocolate chips on half power for several minutes, stirring occasionally as the chips melt. The length of time is different with every microwave, just babysit them and stop when the chips have melted.

In another microwave safe glass bowl, heat 1/2 cup soymilk until just steaming. Add the hot soymilk and smooshed tofu to the chocolate chips. Blend with a stick blender until completely smooth. If you don't have a stick blender, you could transfer everything to a food processor and blend there. Add the almond extract to the mixture and stir. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. The mixture will thicken considerably as it cools, and if you'd like a thinner consistency you can fold in additional soymilk with a spatula, to your taste.

Serve garnished with fresh berries, mint, shaved chocolate, or plain. Store in the fridge for several days.

With 6 servings, each portion contains about 256 calories and 4 grams of protein.

Bacon Pizza

2010-10-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

How about making some pizza next Friday?

Of course any day of the week is fair game. But something about Friday night screams "pizza!" to me. 95% of the time we make pizza, it's a Friday. It's a little special for the last day of the work week, but easy and comforting at the same time. How about this one- with bacon.

I do not like meat on my pizzas, veggies are much better suited. Maybe it's the flavors that meld together with the cheese in the oven, or the infinite options and combinations. Besides preferring vegetables anyway, meats can produce an unpleasant amount of grease that I can't abide.

But then, there's bacon.

Boys love bacon, and mine is no exception. The key is to fry up the bacon before adding to the pizza. Add it raw and it'll still be raw, just swimming in a pool of fat. GROSS. Just add to a pan on medium-low and cook the bacon slowly so it doesn't burn, stirring occasionally until most of the fat has rendered. Drain on several paper towels.

I usually pour out the fat into the trash but this time I saved it. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but it seems like a special thing worth using if I can come up with something. It looks like this the next day.

Add some sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh basil, and lots of cheese (I used part-skim mozzarella, parmesan, and gouda), and you have quite the lovely Friday night pizza. I couldn't help leaving two pieces meat-free so I could have some vegetarian pieces. It's good, but a little bacon goes a long way.

~::::~

Enough with the Drama

2010-10-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've been watching Top Chef since the very first season (yay San Francisco!), so when they announced a Top Chef with all sweets, I was first in line. But it's making me sick to my stomach fast.

My interest in this food show is dwindling real fast because of the ridiculous excess of drama. All reality shows thrive on a little drama and I'm certainly not averse to that; it makes the watching interesting and I do love my reality show TV. But this first season of Just Desserts takes the drama out of the corner where it belongs and into the forefront of the show, so much so that I'm inclined to watch my recorded show on fast-forward, save the actual food parts. Which is sad, because the action leading up to the finished product is part of what makes these food competition shows good.

The group of pastry chefs on the show seem to have a lot more emotional problems than the chefs on regular TC. Are pastry chefs like this or does this particular group have unusual mental problems? The cliqueness of "team diva" is nauseating and childish. Any talent Heather H. has is overshadowed by her vindictive comments and need to have a scapegoat to direct animosity towards. First it was Seth, then Heather C., and now Morgan. She's such an unpleasant character; why don't you expend more energy on your actual work and less on finding a reason someone else screwed you up?? Per usual the most talented people in my opinion (Morgan, Erica) are the quieter ones without all the drama.

Maybe I'm too harsh; maybe the editing of footage has something to do with it. If so, shame on you Bravo. You've made it likely that I will not be tuning in for next season. Which is sad.

A Little Green in Your Muffin

2010-10-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have a list of foods to make right now and I need to hop to it. There's some stuff in my freezer that needs to get eaten to make room for new things. Lists are good, I've made a whole bunch of those. I started acting on this list yesterday when this guy showed up:

One enormous zucchini from my mother-in-law's garden. Seriously, he's huge!

Lord have mercy what shall I do with him?

I don't want to freeze too many things because, (1) I only have so much space in the freezer, (2) I don't regularly eat many freezer friendly foods (a la lasagna), and (3) we have access to many easy and delicious food options that don't need advance creation.

On my short list to make is Peas and Thank You's Zucchini Quinoa Lasagna (made it a few weeks ago, loved it- ate it all without photographing a thing. le sigh) I'll do that later this week and won't need to buy the squash. But here today I wanted to use part of this giant. Presto chango- the pumpkin muffins I planned to bake for the nurses in the hospital have become zucchini muffins. With some mini chocolate chips added for fun.

Per usual I looked at a dozen recipes before settling on an amalgamation of several. I made 20 muffins, two of them baked in ramekins for Ray to enjoy for breakfast.

I popped the rest in the ice box, ready to pull out before we head to labor & delivery. Hurray for crossing things off the to-do list!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

makes 20 muffins (or thereabouts)

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups freshly grated zucchini

1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs well with a wire whisk. Add the oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla and mix well to incorporate.

In a separate small bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add the mini chocolate chips and toss to coat.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Try not to overmix!

Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Cool in muffins pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container for 3-4 days, or transfer to freezer bags for several weeks to a few months. I'm not planning on more than a month here!

~:::~

Breakfast Porn

2010-10-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Beans and Rice

2010-09-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Bah! It's the end of September already!! Geesh.

There've been plenty of good eats around here, but I didn't share. I'm six weeks away from D Day and I'm so hungry at every meal that I'm more concerned with eating than photographing and documenting. I am not apologizing. Let's move on.

~::~

We've had an unseasonally cool summer. Just about everyone complained about the lack of summer heat- except me. Since my temp is running extra high, I loved it and thanked my lucky stars. I thought I made it through virtually unscathed. Then, this week happened.

A heat wave of grotesque proportions and tardiness hit the Bay Area, and many areas have had record temperatures. Why now, oh why now? Sniffle and whine. I've emerged alive, and so is my little one who reminds me every few minutes with a swift punch in the side.

If it was possible for me to be even more hermit-like and useless during this time, I certainly was. I got a few little things done in the morning before the house reached frying temps and I'd transfer my hippo-ness from the fan in the living room, to the bathroom (over and over and over), to the bedroom at night in front of the portable air conditioner cranked HIGH.

My point here being that I threatened World War Trois before I'd turn on the stove or oven for dinner. Flat refused. Tough luck for Ray for whom dinner means something baked, boiled, pan-fried, stewed, or grilled. But I'm the food maker, so raw foods and the microwave were in fine form.

Today is warm, but I no longer feel like I'm being tortured. In between some housework that I put off during the heat wave and phantasizing about the 71 degree forecast on Saturday (that's more like it!), I had to make a proper dinner, worthy of us and the chickpea parasite with whom I share my food.

~::~

Beans and rice have been on the brain, so beans and rice it is! In the crockpot. . . which I probably could have used during the heat wave if my brain hadn't melted. Oh well.

We used to have beans and rice regularly for dinner when I was little. Mom made fluffy white rice with a bit of onion and black beans, and topped each portion with a generous amount of cheddar cheese. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. She made both components on the stove, but here I decided to utilize my crock pot and mix everything together.

I love black beans, but light red kidneys are another favorite and what I found in the pantry (beans are delicious and pretty interchangeable). Plus brown rice for a nuttier texture and more fiber, and some tomatoes- love tomatoes always. I did break out a skillet to saute a small onion and some garlic for a flavor punch. I threw in a little red pepper flakes and dried thyme for good measure.

Now for the cheese- cheddar is really the best, I can't imagine using another variety.

Don't skimp on the cheese- when it melts into the rice and beans it's heaven.

Now don't bother me. I'm eating.

Beans and Rice

serves 3-4

2 Tbs olive oil, divided

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 cup brown rice

1 can beans (light red kidney or black beans), rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, juice reserved

water

1/2 tsp dried thyme

a pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

salt to taste

Put 1 Tbs olive oil in the bottom of your crock pot and add the brown rice. Toss the rice to coat. Heat a skillet over medium low heat and add the second 1 Tbs olive oil and the onion. Saute for several minutes until softened, then add the garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes more. Add the onion, garlic, and rinsed beans to the crock pot.

Pour the diced tomatoes through a colander with a measuring cup underneath to catch the liquid. Add the tomatoes, then enough water to the measuring cup to equal 2 cups total (I needed to add about 1 1/2 cups water). Add the liquid to the pot, along with the dried thyme and red pepper flakes.

Cook on low for 4 hours, until the rice is done and tender. Salt to taste and serve hot or at room temperature with plenty of grated cheddar on top.

~::::~

Baby Shower Food

2010-09-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

Beautiful food at a surprise Saturday morning baby shower

Pellegrino, sparkling cranberry and apple ciders

vegetable torte, grapes, brie and goat cheese

gazpacho, baguette, walnut bread

deviled eggs, smoked salmon and capers

figs, blueberries, and grapes

petit fours purchased from Lunardi's, homemade bite-sized nut brownies (and Mom's arm)

mini cupcakes with milk chocolate frosting

chocolate favors from Fleur de Cocoa

~::::~

The Dresser Has Arrived!

2010-08-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

Any new furniture is exciting. Today the dresser finally arrived!

It was delivered this morning at 8:30am while I was eating breakfast. As you can see it's also our changing table; the topper came separately and the men were nice enough to install it for me.

I can't wait to fill the lower drawers with her little clothes and stock the top ones with diapers, wipes, and lotion. First I want to put in some nice liners, and I'm thinking about switching out the knobs for some pretty lavender or yellow ones from Anthropologie. These are fine but they're huge and plain.

Originally I wanted the dresser on the other side of the room, but after much haggling this weekend Ray convinced me that it has to go here due to space issues with the other elements- the glider and ottoman will take up more room than I had thought, and we'll have a bookshelf too. I didn't love the idea of it just inside the door because of the view in the room- also potential stinkiness from the changing table right there :P. That's probably a fruitless concern, and the pale yellow glider will look pretty in the far corner. Really cannot wait until those items are here too!

Spaghetti Carbonara

2010-08-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a repeat because I didn't write out the recipe the first time.

Carbonara tastes like a special meal but it couldn't be easier. I can't think why it's not already in the rotation for entertaining. How many people do you know who don't like pasta, eggs, and bacon? I don't think I know any.

Spaghetti Carbonara
serves 4

6 ounces thick cut bacon, cubed
3 eggs
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup grated romano cheese
handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 lb dry spaghetti
1/2 cup white wine

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil.
~
In a large saucier or skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until the fat is rended and the bacon is crisp, 12-15 minutes. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, and pour off all the fat but one tablespoon. Add up to a tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic. Cook until golden brown, then discard the garlic and turn off the heat temporarily.
~
Meanwhile, beat the eggs, cheese, and parsley until frothy in a large serving bowl. Set aside.
~
When the water boils, add the pasta and stir occasionally. When it has just a few minutes left, turn the skillet back on over medium heat, add the white wine, deglaze and reduce. Add the bacon back to the pan and stir well. When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the serving bowl. Immediately toss the pasta and egg mixture with tongs to incorporate the sauce and coat the spaghetti well. Add the bacon and white wine mixture and continue to toss until well combined.
~
Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
~
This dish is best served immediately on the first day, but leftovers are still great microwaved with a tiny bit of added moisture.

~::::~

2010-08-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

courtesy of Eaterwire:

A press release circulated today announcing San Francisco-based Foodbuzz has beaten FoodNetwork.com and Allrecipes as the #1 online food property. It has just passed 11 million users and 4,000 food blog partners.

Yay Foodbuzz, congratulations!!!

~:::~

C is for Chocolate Chip Cookie

2010-08-16T14:54:00.001-07:00

Heaven help me, this is in the other room. Just a few yards away.

Close enough that the aroma in here is strong. But that picture needs to be the same when Ray gets home.

It's important to always have cookies in this house, storebought or homemade. They are the easiest sweet treat to grab on the way through the kitchen, the perfect dessert to stash in a lunchbox, and ideal for presentation to unexpected guests. I'm too neurotic for many unexpected guests, but I do need to cover the lunchbox and the drive-by snacker that I live with.

When we run out of packaged ones (Pepperidge Farm Milanos and Strawberry Veronas, Oreos, and Chips Ahoy are lunchbox favorites) and I don't want to buy more, I bring out the unsalted butter and eggs to sit on the counter for a couple hours.

A few puffs of flour and a sink of baking utensils later, and I have a kitchen that smells divine and a test to my iron will. Yes I am a lady with a baby, but dammit I still try to stick to my "dessert on weekends only" rule!

The problem is that it's Monday and these cookies may not make it that long.

And like I said I'm a lady with a baby and nobody's watching- I don't know if I could stop at just one! For posterity, I made 24 cookies, there should be 24 cookies here!

These chocolate chip cookies are so very easy, chewy in texture and well-studded with a mixture of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips. I'm not fancy with the shaping of my drop cookies- that's part of their beauty, just drop in a ball on the sheet and let the oven shape the rest.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes about 24 large cookies

2 cups plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbs) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips (or one or the other)

Adjust the oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions, and heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until smooth and well blended. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat the egg, yolk, and vanilla into the butter-sugar mixture until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients slowly at low speed until just combined, scraping down the sides again. Add the chips and let the mixer turn twice before turning off and stirring by hand the rest of the way to blend in the chips.

With two big tablespoons, drop largish balls of dough onto the lined baking sheets, twelve per sheet. [I usually make smaller cookies but today I was going big. To make them smaller, use teaspoons.]

Bake, switching the baking sheet positions halfway through, for 20 minutes until just golden brown. Let cool for 3-5 minutes before moving the parchment paper to cooling racks. When completely cool, peel the cookies from the parchment paper.

~::::~

Paprikash

2010-08-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

In less than four months I will be someone's mommy. It's an exciting thought.

A seriously daunting one too.

It will be my job to teach, guide, support, and mold this little person into someone good, kind, smart, and curious. Not on my own; children are raised by a village and all this weight doesn't just fall on my shoulders. But parenting will be my primary concern and I'll wear the badge of stay-at-home mom proudly. Teaching my kids in the kitchen will be very important to me. Lessons in teamwork, kindness, care, culture, and history can be taught over the stove and oven.

Being pregnant, there are lots of discomforts- fatigue, back soreness, indigestion, shrinking wardrobe, etc. But food. Food is very important. I look forward to each meal with great anticipation, planning and preparing with more furvor and focus. I'm trying new foods, but also revisiting old ones.

Food memories are really important to me. They bring me back to a place and time like nothing else can, reminding me of how new things are great, but old ones can be greater. Recently I'm thinking more about recipes from my grandmothers and replicated by my Mom. Now it's my turn to document, create, and share them with my own family.

This recipe comes from my Mom's paternal grandmother. They were Croatian but lived in Hungary; she taught my grandma this recipe when she married my grandpa.

Grandma Irene was special as a young woman and as a grandmother. She looks like a movie star in the black and white wedding photo that sits on my mantel. She was loved by all, referred to as 'Mommy' by her seven adult children which I love.

She died in a car crash when I was 6 so my memories are limited to her outstretched arms when we arrived for a visit, and working in the kitchen in an apron with a dish towel over one shoulder. My Mom had chicken paprikash growing up, and she made it for us countless times. The sweet paprika and sour cream are common to Hungarian cuisine. It's an easy, one pot meal; the sour cream sauce may remind you of beef stroganoff. I'm not a fan of that dish but I love this one.

Our version has a twist added in our house- served with rice instead of the traditional noodles. My Greek father prefers rice as a side dish, and so do I. Rice is actually a better match because it soaks up the yummy sauce in a way that pasta can't, but you can do what you like.

My own change is using brown rice instead of white. In my experience, men have a harder time wrapping their brain around it, so I've learned to cook brown rice with a bit more water and for a longer time. The rice gets softer and loses its chewy edge, making it more palatable for picky eaters. And I don't forget to salt it, this is also key.

Serve this meal with a big salad, dressed in olive oil and red wine vinegar, and some chopped fresh dill- an herb used in lots of Hungarian cooking.

Chicken Paprikash

serves 6

3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and legs, skin removed
1 large yellow onion
2 1/2 Tbs sweet paprika
1 Tbs flour
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper
3/4 cup light sour cream

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, brown chicken in 2-3 batches for about 4 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, chop a large onion.

And try not to cry too much.

Saute the onion slowly over low heat until soft, then add the paprika and the flour. The onion will be pretty red, that's what you want. Return the chicken to the pot and add the water to moisten, as well as salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.

When the meat is cooked through, remove it and skim as much as you can from the sauce. A light simmer will help the fat move to the edges which makes this a little easier. I'm not great at getting it all, but I do my best and don't worry about it.

Add the sour cream to the sauce and whisk well until combined. Return the chicken to the pot and stir well, adjusting seasonings as needed.

Serve over rice for our way, wide noodles if you want to be traditional. It's better with rice, trust me.

~:::~

Grilled Veg Two Ways

2010-08-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about vegetables. Grilled ones.

Lightly charred, smoky, soft, succulent morsels of carmelized, nutritious veggies. Who needs steak when you have a portobello fresh from the grates? Grilling is the summer form of winter roasting, when the idea of opening a 400 degree hot box is close to suicide.

The hardest part is walking outside to turn on the gas. And trying not to cut myself while I prepare the vegetables. I do that a lot. If you can muster these two things you'll be pleased with the results. I've watched veggie converts take place right before my eyes. Ray has learned to love lots of veggies when they're prepared this way.

I like to grab an armload of vegetables at the beginning of the week and grill them as I go. Portobellos, bell peppers, and zucchini are some of my favorites and are perfect for the grill method.

This week I doubled this recipe and did the same thing twice: Once for lunch in salad bowl form, and again for dinner with pasta.

Grilled Vegetables

1 giant portobello mushroom, sliced thick

1 red bell pepper,

1 yellow bell pepper,

1 orange bell pepper- innards removed and sliced thick

2 zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise in four pieces each

salt

garlic olive oil

Put all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and add salt and a glug of garlic olive oil. Toss with tongs.

Heat the grill to medium-high, about 375 degrees. Place vegetables in a single layer directly on the grates. Close the lid and let cook for a few minutes. It's not exact, just ballpark it. Check the veggies and when they have nice grill marks, turn them with tongs and cook covered for another several minutes. When the veggies are a bit charred and soft, remove and let cool for a few minutes. The zucchini and mushrooms should cook a wee bit faster than the bell peppers; just remove them first and leave the peppers on a bit longer.

For the pasta, sliced the vegetables in thin strips and add to a large bowl. Julienne 2 tablespoons of fresh basil and add to the vegetables. Meanwhile, cook fettucine or other noodles to al dente. Add drained pasta to the vegetables and drizzle with a bit more garlic olive oil to moisten. Add some fresh goat cheese and toss.

Garnish each plate with a bit more goat cheese.

~ OR ~

Use the grilled vegetables for this delicious lunch bowl.

Roughly chop slightly cooled vegetables into bite-sized pieces and throw in a bowl. Chop two hard-boiled eggs- one whole egg, one egg white- and add to the bowl. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and bon appetit!

. . . . It was gone before the camera made it out. Hungry pregnant girl is no match for food blog photography.

~::::~

Slush

2010-08-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

It's unseasonably cold here for summer. Bay Area microclimates can mean 15 degree differences in a short distance, but the chill here is not the norm. San Francisco is notorious for its chilly summers, but outside the Fog City it should be hot. San Mateo can be windy year-round, but I'm not accustomed to digging for long sleeves in August.

Being six months pregnant, I'm not complaining at all. I have a lower tolerance for the heat, so the cool air feels like a personal gift to me. It's still nice out- sunny everyday with some warmth with it- but I'm not sweating as I sit.
Luckily the low temps don't mean we're deprived of California's fresh summer produce that comes with the season. We're still gorging on corn, zucchini, cherries, peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, basil . . .

And watermelon. Its appeal occurred to me in the last few years; we had it as kids but I'd reach for berries or stone fruit instead. Now I love its mild sweet flavor and watery texture. Right now that extra water is helpful with hydration as well as the nutrition it provides- vitamins C, A, B6, and B1, potassium and magnesium. About 50 calories in a cup makes it a low calorie snack option too.

For a fun snack with some balance, I puree the fruit with some plain yogurt, ice, vanilla, and some xantham gum for thickness. That latter turns a smooth drink into a spoonable bowl. Topped with a little garnish. You have to have a bit of garnish on something in a bowl. It's quick to make; it actually takes longer to clean up the food processor. Which may be the one downer to this snack.

Watermelon Slush

1 cup watermelon
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
4 ice cubes
splash of vanilla
1 tsp xantham gum

Whirl all ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth and slightly thick. Pour into a bowl and top as you please. I like two teaspoons of granola.

~::::~

Obsessing Over Corn

2010-07-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

Corn season has arrived, and boy is it good!

8 ears of sweet sweet sweet corn for $2?! Um, yes please!

When I buy fresh corn, I prefer to eat it raw, sliced straight from the cob. It's crunchy and fresh, in no need of any cooking. I'll save that for frozen corn out of season. Lately I've been whipping up this salad that I can't get enough of. I typically buy 2-3 ears of corn at a time since there's only two of us. But at the rate I'm consuming this dish I might go for that full 8 next week.

Fresh Corn Salad

2 ears of corn, kernels sliced from the cob
2 Tbs red onion, minced
3 Tbs fresh basil, minced
2 Tbs feta cheese, finely crumbled
a tiny drizzle of olive oil
salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together well. This dish keeps nicely in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

~::::~

Yummy Bowl

2010-07-28T12:55:00.001-07:00

Don't know how else to describe this serendipitous smorgasbord of leftovers

Yummy Bowl = any combination of fresh or leftover dishes thrown together for one delicious meal

Clockwise from top left:

indoor grilled zuchinni and summer squash;

scoop of leftover basil-dijon chicken salad;

2 Spanish olives;

3 butter pickles;

spoonful of spicy tuna-egg salad;

leftover fresh corn salad with red onion, basil, and feta

~::::~

11-Minute Pancake and Eggs

2010-07-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

I love making breakfast from scratch every morning, and it can be possible with a little organization and a bit of practice.

One of my favorites is a single large pancake with egg whites. Pancakes are very easy to make but when you are pressed for time, a good quality mix makes it really possible.

They make a weekday breakfast feel pretty special.

Not sure it can be done? Well, here we go.

8:12 AM- Starting breakfast

Place a small nonstick skillet and a flat pan on the stove and turn on the burners to preheat. I turn them to medium and can lower them later if they are too hot.

Usually I keep liquid egg whites to make this faster, but I'm out today so I'll use regular eggs. Just a few more seconds of time to crack two in a bowl, discarding the yolks.

Cut a wedge from an apple and remove the peel (it doesn't soften as well as in oatmeal); I keep an apple in a bag in the fridge specifically for this purpose.

Chop into small dice and add to a bowl.

[Like I said, pancakes from scratch really are easy. But when pressed for time, a good mix is the best. Most mixes are not good in my opinion, either from flavor or nutritional value. I love Kodiak Cakes, for the nutrition facts and taste.

From the 1/3 cup portion, I get 7 grams of protein, 15% of the day's calcium, and 130 calories.

It's whole grain and available at my local Safeway. It can also be purchased online in bulk (and cheaper) from Amazon.]

Measure 1/3 cup of mix and add it to the apple.

To mix the batter, add 1/3 cup water (equal parts).

Those are the directions; I like to add a few drops more for a thinner batter that spreads. That's trial and error and personal preference.

Now mix with a whisk to combine the mix, water, and apple.

Ok, we're pan ready. Clock check: it's 8:17 AM. Doing good.

Check the heat on the flat pan; lower a little if necessary.

Spray the pan with a bit of canola spray and add the batter.

This batter has less fat than regular pancakes, so bubbles appear earlier. For from scratch pancakes this is an indicator of flip time, but in this case look at the sides of the pancake instead. When they start to appear solid, it's time to flip. For now, let it be.

Spray the skillet with the canola spray and pour in the eggs.

They should bubble and sizzle right away.

When the bottom of the pancake is browned, time to flip.

That looks perfect.

Now, flips the eggs.

I like to add a little sprinkle of grated cheese to the eggs now. Cause it's yummy. Just a little.

A minute or two more and both are done.

Plated:

My garnishes of choice today are a big blob of boysenberry preserves and a small blob of dark chocolate peanut butter. I also like a bit of butta and cinnamon sugar. Mmmm.

No time to sit and eat? Both reheat really well, just place in a travel container and warm when you're ready to eat. The jam and pb will get nice and hot too- delish!

Time Check: 8:23 AM. 11 minutes from start to finish!

Puddin for Breakfast

2010-07-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, you're a creature of habit who sticks to a few favorite breakfasts every morning. Oatmeal or egg whites and a pancake are my current faves on alternate days. This is an improvement- there was a time when it was oatmeal every single day.

Those of you that are more adventurous, who eat something different every morning, I tip my hat to you. I know what I like and I want what I like, and it doesn't often vary.

But sometimes even I need something a little different.

I am a huge fan of Bethenny Frankel, the natural food chef and reality TV star of Bethenny Getting Married? and the Real Housewives of NYC. Her dry and sometimes prickly humor appeals to me, and I see my own sarcasm in hers. She's also not shy of sharing gory details, and neither am I (when I think they wouldn't be abhorrent). Anyway, my interest in her drew me to peruse her website and, among other things, the recipes listed there. In the breakfast section is something she calls "Healthy Brown Rice Breakfast," using cooked brown rice and other spices, fruit, and milk for the morning meal. I liked the idea; I've had quinoa and polenta at breakfast, but had yet to try brown rice.

I wanted to take it a step or two further to simplify the process and make it more like rice pudding. We like rice pudding around here, and this is a much healthier version without white rice and the added sugar. The following day, I topped my rice with more soymilk, some peanut butter, and the last of a batch of Suite Apple Granola.

This technique- cooking in water then adding the milk and spices later- yields a lighter mixture than traditional rice pudding, but you're not missing out on anything. To make it more dessert-like, substitute 1/2 cup soymilk for the water while cooking, or add extra at the end along with some sugar. I left mine unsweetened and portioned it so each serving can be sweetened to taste. You could leave it plain one day, add brown sugar the next, maple syrup the following day.

Brown Rice Pudding

serves 4

2 cups water

1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed thoroughly

1 cup vanilla soymilk (or regular milk)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

In a small heavy-bottomed pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the brown rice, return to a boil, then adjust heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. Stir occasionally to redistribute the water.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the soymilk, dried cranberries, cinnamon, and vanilla and stir thoroughly. Most of the liquid should absorb.

Place in the fridge or pre-portion into four containers before storage. When ready to eat, add additional soymilk and reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds to one minute to soften. Stir in brown sugar or maple syrup, and other toppings of choice like chopped nuts, nut butter, or fresh fruit.

~::::~

3 Years

2010-07-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary babe. I can't believe it's been 3 years, and we'll be +1 next time.

~:::::~

Beach Dinner

2010-07-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

Imagine having dinner here.

For two years I did, and on July 4th it happened.

Our first trip to Cabo San Lucas in August 2008 was very memorable. The last night we went for a moonlit stroll after dinner and came upon a candlelit couple on the beach. They were completely solitary, the beach was their own and it was one of the loveliest and most romantic things I'd ever seen. When we decided to come back to the same resort this year I really wanted to find out more about it. Ray was worried it would be incredibly expensive, but lucky for us it really wasn't.

We made the reservation with the concierge and set it for the 4th of July so we might see the fireworks scheduled nearby. At 7:15 we sat down, and by the end of the meal all the light was gone. At the beginning of the meal we were able to enjoy the incredible show of waves before us; we had a good amount of wind most likely from some storms raging on the other side of the country.

The sand was combed all around our table and our personal bed (yes, our personal bed that we could lounge on all night after dinner if we chose) on the beach, to make walking easier. It was a small detail that made a big visual impact. As with the couple two years ago, we had the beach to ourselves.

The dinner is prepared and served by Siempre, Pacifica's restaurant. The four course menu began with a selection of breads accompanied by basil and red chili oils. I selected an onion roll and some sun-dried tomato bread. Both breads and the oils were fantastic and by the end of the meal I had consumed them all.

The first course was a scrumptious array of grilled vegetables with goat cheese, thyme, and a drizzle of olive oil. Carrots, cauliflower, onion, zucchini, bell pepper, and mushrooms were all perfectly grilled and the goat cheese was a nice compliment.

For my second course, I had one jumbo scallop with shiitake mushrooms, a sunchoke puree, and more thyme. The scallop was hidden under the mushrooms and was nicely cooked.

Ray's second course was a pretty green salad with fresh raw pears. He deemed it nice and fresh, but not terribly exciting.

For the third course we both selected the rib eye- medium rare for Ray, medium well for me. Despite my need to have well-done meat, the beef was flavorful and still fairly juicy. It was served with a cabernet jus and some rosemary and thyme. On the side were some potatoes that had an elusive but yummy sweetness, a corn mash that we both favored the most, and a fried potato tower with a bit of mashed potato underneath. The presentation with the tower was fun.

In the darkness after dinner, the fireworks show began. It was short but very enjoyable and we had a wonderful view from the beach. I tried to take a few pictures but I couldn't master the flash or lack of flash to capture the color, so I stopped trying and just enjoyed it.

And finally, dessert. . . . which was half consumed before I took a picture. A mini tres leches cake and some strawberry ice cream sat next to a jumbo sliced strawberry. Alongside some chocolate sauce and creme anglaise, my plate spelled "Enjoy" while Ray's read "the Night." Very sweet. The dessert was nice and I did finish it; I had been craving something chocolate but I do not fault the plate for that.

We sat and enjoyed the sound of the waves after eating and moved to the bed for relax under blankets before heading back to the hotel to catch the shuttle back to Sunset Beach. It was a special night, our favorite on this trip.

~:::~

More of our previous trip to Cabo San Lucas:
Not your average trip to The Office
Siempre at Pacifica

My Garden

2010-06-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

When we bought our house 2 1/2 years ago, the backyard was a complete wasteland.

The green wasn't grass, more like weeds and it was brown most of the year. The pathway around the edges wasn't practical or useful, and none of the plants had been tended to for years (our house was rented a long time before the original olders sold it to us) so they were overgrown or dead.

We live in a great starter neighborhood that's well located between the 101 and 280, and filled with small houses with lots of character. Built in the late 1940s for former WWII GIs as part of the huge suburban housing boom to provide homes for all the new young families. The original floor plans were three bedroom/one bath; many have been renovated and added onto in recent years. Ours has been renovated, but no additions; we have the original floor plan with one bath.

Originally we had plans to add a second bathroom and good-sized master closet. But the market being what its been, that plan is out; we're lucky to own our own home in this area at our age anyway. It's a little tight but it's just the two of us and we make it work. But the backyard was ugly and under-used because of it, so we've created a pleasant outdoor living space for eating, lounging and growing.

It took a little more than a month to plan and construct. We expanded the patio and used a green and purple color palette for plants and flowers.

To me the best parts are the vegetables, in the ground as well as two vegetable beds in the back.

I have never tried my hand at gardening before, but I'm going to give it a strong effort. Some fresh produce in the remaining years in this house would be great, not to mention the opportunity to share the process with my daughter as she grows.

Around the yard we planted blueberries and a persimmon tree,

as well as Japanese eggplant,

and Globe artichokes. These need more space and will be visually attractive when they mature.

In the beds I have cucumber

zuchinni,(I love their flowers),

Butter lettuce,

Early Girl tomatoes,

sweet basil,

dill,

Italian parsley,

and everbearing strawberries. I hope we get a few of these soon!

They are all looking great, except for the butter lettuce. I did a bit more reading after planting and discovered that, #1 I probably planted them too close together and, #2 planting was too late for the summer. I may cut my losses soon and replant in August/September for a fall crop.

For now, I check on them everyday and water deeply every other day. Two tiny green tomatoes have appeared, as well as some new zuchinni flowers and a tiny green nub of vegetable. The herbs are flourishing; ok so far!

~::::~

Berry Rush

2010-06-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

What do you do when Costco is selling 6 half pints of raspberries for $8.99?

You buy them without a second thought. When one half pint can run from $5 to $7 ordinarily, I pounced on the opportunity to eat an obscene amount of these pricey berries.

It's a gluttonous luxury to have so many raspberries. What to do with them? That many half pints means I can snack on them with reckless abandon AND bake. For dinner with AAACS (minus one A who is away for the summer), I made the prettiest cupcakes that have ever emerged from my oven.
~

Full disclosure, I did not make these from scratch. I used cake mix and couldn't have been happier with my results, thank you very much.

I prepared a french vanilla cake mix for my base and layering the berries in the batter and the icing. Before I touched anything else, I made a puree with one half pint:

Of course you must remove the seeds (crunchy seedy cupcakes? um no thank you).

Mmmm, soupy fresh raspberries. I could just eat this with a spoon. Resistance is good though.

I added a bit of puree to the batter before baking, stirring it in gingerly so it stays a little separate.

Is that enough?

No? How about a whole raspberry in the middle?

The whole berries sink during baking, but you have a soft and sweet berry center in each cake.

The icing is a classic cream cheese with raspberry puree added.

Another whole berry to crown the top, and you have a pretty perfect cuppycake.

The packaged cake mix makes 24 cupcakes or 2 8-inch cakes. I have one 12-cupcake pan, so I made 12 cupcakes and one 8-inch cake. Of course make one or the other if you are properly equipped. I served the cupcakes after dinner and the cake is wrapped in the freezer until Sunday when she'll be dressed for Father's Day.

Raspberry Cupcakes

24 servings

1 French Vanilla cake mix + 1 1/4 cup water, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 3 eggs

2 half pints fresh raspberries, washed and drained

half a block cream cheese, room temperature

half a stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces powdered sugar

1/4 cup fresh raspberry puree

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cupcake pans with paper liners and spray cake pans with baker's spray.

Place one half pint of raspberries in a bowl and puree with a stick blender (or in the food processor). Place a fine sieve colander over a bowl and pour the puree into the sieve. Smoosh the puree through the sieve until all the liquid goes through and the seeds remain in the sieve. Discard the seeds and set the puree aside.

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions, mixing the mix with the water, vegetable oil and eggs for 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer. Pour cake mix into pans (2/3 full for cupcakes). Using a small spoon, dollop a small amount of raspberry puree in the middle of each cupcake and gently swirl into the batter. For cake, scatter a larger amount across the top and gently swirl. Gently press a whole raspberry (from the second half pint) in the middle of each cupcake and throughout cakes.

Bake cupcakes for 22-24 minutes, cake for 28-30 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Cool completely before icing.

While the cakes cool, make the icing by whipping the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and raspberry puree until smooth and fluffy. Apply using a flat spatula or knife and garnish with the remaining berries.

~::::~

Sea of Blue

2010-06-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

This week's best thing about summer~

~::::~

Congratulations Matthew, graduating high school tonight!!

Seasonal

2010-06-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Eating seasonally is sensible and delicious, selecting foods at their peak when they are freshest and most bountiful (= cheaper too).

It's easy with the number of grocery stores and farmers markets many of us have access to. BUT it can also be difficult because of all that year-round access to almost anything. Feel like a dark stew with winter vegetables in August? Or peaches in February? You can probably get them if you look in the right places.

The month of May was unseasonably cool here, which sparked some meals that might otherwise suit colder months. Soups, chicken stew, pasta with robust tomato sauces. All delicious and worthy of mentioning here when the season is more timely.

This week it has warmed again (although we're expecting some showers today- showers in June in the Bay Area? rare, but I digress). Green salads and other light dishes are gracing the table once more.

I have a wonderful combination for you for a warm day when you can't manage much kitchen interaction: a chilled soup and quinoa vegetable salad.

You'll still need the stove and oven but their use is hands-off. It's a delicious light and balanced meal with protein (yogurt, nuts, quinoa), vegetables (bell peppers, cucumber), and grain group (quinoa). For more protein, serve with some seared scallops or grilled chicken. A cup of blueberries or cherries for dessert and if you're not satisfied, I'll give you your money back.

~:~

You know my affection for soups but they don't have to be just for chilly days. Soup will hydrate you, warm or cold. Cucumbers and plain yogurt mingle with red wine vinegar, garlic, and Tabasco to make a creamy and refreshing first course. My original recipe calls for mint; while mixing I realized my mint supply has just been bulldozed during backyard renovations! This batch was still delicious without it; add the mint for another layer of flavor.

Cucumber Yogurt Soup
serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a first course

1 cucumber, peeled

1 16 ounce container nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp salt
1 large garlic clove, smashed
(optional) 2 Tbs chopped fresh mint

Cut the peeled cucumber in half and scrape out the seeds. Cut the halves into strips and dice.

In a serving bowl, add the yogurt and water and whisk together. Add the oil, vinegar, Tabasco, salt, garlic clove, and whisk together thoroughly. Stir in the cucumber, and the optional mint. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve. Fish out the smashed garlic clove before ladling into bowls.

~:~

To pair with the soup, try this quinoa salad which can be served warm or at room temperature. The smoky and smooth roasted peppers contrast with the crunchiness of the almonds and bite of the quinoa.

I love quinoa, but I know a few people who don't. Substitute well-cooked brown rice or couscous if you haven't wrapped your brain around this grain that is not a grain (quinoa is more closely related to beets).

Roast the bell peppers and prepare the quinoa in advance, and I do recommend mixing the salad 15-20 minutes before serving to let the flavors soak in and mingle.

Roasted Bell Pepper Quinoa Salad

serves 3

3 bell peppers (I used one each red, yellow, and orange; any combo works)

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

2 Tbs olive oil

juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the washed bell peppers on top. Bake for 40 minutes, turning the peppers every 10 minutes until the skin is blackened and soft. Remove from the oven and wrap the foil around peppers, pinching to seal. Let sit for 15 minutes before removing the skin and and chopping the peppers into diced strips.

Meanwhile, place the quinoa and water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the quinoa fluffy. Transfer to a serving dish and let cool slightly. Add the chopped bell peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine, and set aside for 20 minutes before serving. Just before dishing out, stir in the toasted almonds.

~:::~

Dreaming of Cabo

2010-06-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

With less than a month until our beach vacation in Mexico, I can hardly think of anything else.

So I dwell on our last visit~

For more of our amazing trip and this beautiful place, check my original posts:

Return from Paradise

Not your average trip to The Office

Siempre at Pacifica

~::::~

Suite Apple Pie's younger sister

2010-05-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

~I hope you have a sunny and relaxing Memorial Day~

I'll have a food post for you later this week. I'm partaking in some of that relaxation today myself. Our grill is out of commission at the moment due to backyard renovations so we won't be barbecuing anything today. I can't decide whether to make something to suit the day indoors, or to just throw a no-cook meal together this warm evening.

For right now, I'd like to introduce you to the second blog I've been writing the past few months, the little sister to this one if you will. She's a bit gangly and awkward now, but so was this one in the beginning (and like me, continues to have her moments). A mutt-combination of different topics: part pregnancy blog, part personal experience, even part food. My hope is to evolve into something that spans Mommy and food blog someday. For now she is what she is and you may or may not have interest in the subject matter.

Waiting for Grace is there for my own memories and for other young women like me. Read, don't read, but you are welcome.

~See you later~

Pumpkin Oats swirled with Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter

2010-05-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! A little breakfast treat?

~::::~

A New Favorite

2010-05-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

Can you tell this is a crockpot dish?

Maybe I'm slow on the uptake, but I had no idea you could make so many things in them. I've always associated the crockpot with slow-cooked meats and stews, the kind of thing I would only make on special occasions for a large group with a hefty amount of animal protein. Because of this I didn't own one until last year when I was gifted with one. She's a petite red model, 4-quart capacity with a removable insert (key for cleaning), and low, high, and warm settings.

I made one of Ray's favorites, beef stroganoff, in the winter. But the pot remained in its box for the most part until recently when I came across a collection of eye-opening recipes. I realized this is what I was lacking- inspiration and the desire to try some new cooking techniques. The possibilities were tantalizing- dips, soups, fish, even dessert! The crockpot has come out of the box and has been living on my counter ever since.

This soup is one of my first dishes as I emerged from my morning sickness coma.

I've had it three times now and it has become an all-time favorite. Soups and the crockpot aren't only for cold weather! This is a wonderful springtime dinner, with light vegetables and a salty richness from the cubes of pecorino.

As easy as soup is, it's even easier in the crockpot. A bit of quick sauteeing in the beginning before adding all the ingredients to the pot- and that's it!

Set the pot on low or high depending on how much time you have, and walk away. A speedy chop of parsley and cheese at the end to finish the soup, and you have a hearty bowl paired with some toasted bread. You get protein from the healthy portion of cheese; you could add more on the side in the form of some grilled chicken or an omelette.

Pecorino romano is a wonderful cheese similar to parmesan, but stronger and more pungent. I often favor a grated parmesan-romano blend to reap the benefits of both, but you can also buy it in wedges which is what I use here. The cubes and their flavor melt into the soup. It's a salty cheese so I would recommend stirring it in before you check for seasonings.

Tomato and Barley Soup with Pecorino

taken from The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone

serves 6

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 stalks celery, chopped fine

olive oil

4 cups broth- chicken, beef, or a combination

2 cups water

1 cup barley, rinsed and picked over

1 cup chopped canned tomatoes

1 cup diced Pecorino Romano cheese

1 large handful chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium skillet, saute the onion and celery in olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Scrape the vegetables in the crockpot. Add the broth, water, tomatoes, and barley. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours* until the barley is tender. Stir in the cheese and parsley. Test for seasonings, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

*Cooking time can vary depending on the size of your crockpot. My 4 quart is smaller than many recipes use, so my cook times are quicker. This soup is forgiving, so if you notice it has cooked faster than you expected, simply turn off the machine and keep it covered. Add the cheese and parsley once you are ready to serve.

~:::~

Breakfast of Champions

2010-05-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

. . . and newly discovered parents-to-be

Shortly after learning that news, Ray and I spent two days in the city as a mini-vacation. We walked the Embarcardero, visited the Ferry Building several times, and braved the crowds at the new California Academy of Sciences. We spent an evening (our second visit time) at Teatro Zinzanni, a spectacular evening of dinner theater with great food and entertainment. But my best food memory on our stay was breakfast the morning after.

Hello Tartine Bakery.

This was early April, and at that time I was ill. I won't gross you out with the details, and many women have it much worse than I did. I was able to eat and avoid any unpleasant upchucking, but was kind of limited on what sounded appealing. The only time I didn't feel achingly nauseous was when I was shoveling food in my mouth. Combine that with a stomach for starchy carbs and I put on a good few pounds my first 12 weeks! No specific numbers here, since I'm hoping in years to come I will forget them. :-)

This is not to say that I didn't enjoy our trip immensely; we had a great time despite my slow pace and finicky tummy. I had been wanting to visit Tartine for a while so I had it bookmarked for breakfast. We hopped on the BART train and walked the half dozen blocks to the teeny tiny cafe. I mean teeny tiny- we were very lucky to get a table after only a few minutes.

~:::~

Enough chattering, this post is really about the food porn that was our breakfast. I knew exactly what I wanted when we arrived, and I had a pretty good idea what Ray would like too. We both ordered cafe au lait of course, served in big bowls Parisian-style.

Glug glug glug :)

My suspicions about Ray were confirmed: he ordered a crispy pain au chocolat, buttery and oozing with sweet milk chocolate.

Tartine is famous for their morning buns, but as I peered through the glass cafe of pastries my second choice called to me so strongly I couldn't resist: the frangipane croissant.

Buttery and flakey with a bit of frangipane (similar to almond paste, maybe a bit creamier) in the center, dusted with toasted almonds and powdered sugar.

Normally I'm very conscientious about what I eat for breakfast- I want it to be healthy for that fact alone but also because it's the meal that sets the tone for the rest of the day. But that day, #1 I was on vacation, and more importantly #2, I was pregnant and hungry.

I ate the whole thing.

And continue to dream of my next visit to Tartine Bakery to try their morning bun.

And another frangipane croissant.

~:::~

Brioche in the Oven

2010-05-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

Hello blog world! It's so very nice to see you.

It's been more than a month since I've posted here, and the time has really flown by! It's nice to be back posting and sharing a recipe. A good recipe at that; if you like sweet breads like croissants, babka, and muffins like I do, adding brioche to your arsenal will lead you down some scrumptious paths.

~

I've made a few yummy things during this break that went undocumented. I don't doubt they'll make return visits to my table soon, and I take comfort in the fact that though they didn't make it on the blog, creativity and desire for delicious homecooked meals was not totally lost.

Most bloggers need a break now and then; there are a few who post daily. I've said before I take my hat off to them, it's no small feat. I don't make money on this blog, so I have no requirement there to keep chugging no matter what. There are times when I'm not feeling creative or eating anything new, but I'm decent at finding something interesting to share. There are countless personal reasons why a food blogger may not post.

~I can't speak for most of them, but this is mine~

We've got our own little brioche in the oven, rising and due to emerge in November.

I like to joke that she's a girl (won't confirm for another month or so) because she's already giving me grief- morning sickness (a powerful force!) robbed me of any desire to cook or put much thought into food for a good 6 weeks. I still ate- in fact hungry like crazy- but only what I could stomach at that moment, while feeling nauseous from getting out of bed to returning there at night.

This blog break was mandatory for me; thinking about food was impossible, let alone documenting and writing about it. I'm feeling pretty normal these days- besides my slowly expanding belly- back to thinking about food and enjoying it often. I had, and have, a few odd food and craving experiences, but I'll save those for another day.

~Meanwhile, back to my lovely brioche~

I love this buttery, dessert-like bread on a special occasion, but I'd never made it myself. Be warned, it does take some ahead planning since the dough must be refrigerated overnight. The dough itself is extremely manageable and forgiving of the poking and prodding of shaping.

Fiori di sicilia is a citrus-vanilla extract often used in panettone, the Italian bread made at Christmas with a brioche dough and lots of dried fruit and nuts. The scent pairs with brioche wonderfully so I decided to add a few drops to this dough. You can easily leave this out if you don't like it. If you can't find it, a few drops of a vanilla and a lemon or orange extract could be substituted.

Take a slice and spread it with a little strawberry jam. Skip the butter; there is plenty in the dough. Trust me. You are welcome for the suggestion.

Classic Brioche

scented with fiori di sicilia

adapted from King Arthur Flour

2 3/4 cups, plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
3 Tbs sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs instant yeast
3 large eggs
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 tsp fiori di sicilia
10 Tbs cold butter, cut into pieces

Place all ingredients in a bread machine and program for the dough cycle. If you don't have a bread machine, use a stand mixer fitted with dough attachment for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not knead by hand.

Form the dough into a soft ball and place in a large greased bowl. Let rise for 1 hour, then refrigerate overnight.

Divide the chilled dough into six pieces on a floured work surface. Roll three pieces into rope and braid together, tucking the ends underneath. Repeat with the last three pieces and place in a greased baking pan. Two 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" loaf pans are ideal (I didn't have any so I used an 8x8 glass dish which worked nicely). Cover lightly and let rise for 3 hours on the counter until doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 15 minutes, then tent with foil to prevent too much browning. Continue baking for 25 minutes, then remove the foil to finish for another 10, a total of 50 minutes in the oven.

Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pans to cool completely. If you used one 8x8 dish like me, the two loaves will have baked up touching each other, but come apart very easily.

~:::~

Hiatus

2010-03-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Thank you kind readers, for visiting me often and letting me share my food with you. It means a lot to me, those who follow Suite Apple Pie.

I will be taking a short hiatus, and I hope you will not lose sight of me and this blog in the interim. I promise to return very soon. Until then!

~::::~

Love Broccoli

2010-03-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Oh yes I do.

But the brilliance of it in soup has eluded me.

In my world previously, broccoli soups were chopped, in a broth with onions and orzo pasta. I'm not partial to the texture of this vegetable simmered in liquid, which could be an issue that others have too. Broccoli should have crunch from roasting, baking, or sauteeing.

Could I believe that a broccoli soup could be scrumptious? Now I do; how about a puree of potato, onion, shallots, garlic, and the cruciferous vegetable, topped with some fresh croutons slicked with mustard and some white cheddar cheese? It's a recipe I bookmarked a long time ago from one of my favorite inspirations spots, 101 Cookbooks. I altered the recipe to suit what I had available, and it was entirely easy and scrumptious.
Boy do I love the immersion blender, pureed soups are always a breeze with it!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

adapted from 101 Cookbooks

5 ounces of french bread, cubed

scant 1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 Tbs whole grain mustard

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbs unsalted butter

2 shallots, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

pinch of salt

3 small, 2 medium, or 1 large potato (whatever you have), peeled and cut into cubes

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

12 ounces broccoli florets (about 3 small heads)

2/3 cup sharp white cheddar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

dollop of light sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the olive oil, mustard, and salt together in a bowl, and add the cubed bread. Toss to coat evenly, and spread on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Place a large saucepan or soup pot (I used my small dutch oven) and heat over medium. Melt the butter, then add the shallots, onion and pinch of salt. Saute until the onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir, cover, and lower the heat slightly. Cook for about 4 minutes until the potatoes soften. Uncover and add the garlic, and the broth. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes, tasting the potatoes for tenderness. When they are, add the broccoli and cook for 2-4 minutes, just until the broccoli is tender.

Turn the heat off and puree with an immersion blender. Stir in half of the cheese, the Dijon mustard, and the light sour cream if you want. Taste for seasonings, adding salt and pepper if desired.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with a bit of the remaining cheese, a handful of croutons, and a tiny dot of sour cream.

Cheating on my Oatmeal

2010-03-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

I dreamed about this breakfast last night and I wasn't disappointed.

Kodiak Cakes Flapjack & Waffle mix was on sale yesterday at Safeway; I snatched a box and couldn't wait to try them this morning. I've seen these fluffy whole grain pancakes on a few blogs; the discovery of cool new products is one of the coolest parts of following these friends from afar.

Pancakes are my favorite breakfast food, but I save them for special occasions due to the higher number of calories and less staying power. . . and I tend to overdue it a lot on the maple syrup. Ahem.

Kodiak Cakes boast excellent nutrition facts. One 1/3 cup serving (my portion today) of 130 calories has 7 grams of protein and a good amount of calcium and iron.

And a short list of familiar ingredients, the top two being 100% whole grain wheat and oat flours.

Today I broke my own rule and made myself a pancake breakfast. I mixed 1/3 cup of the mix with 1/3 cup water to make one giant pancake. The giant pancake was so much more fun than several small ones, and it was easy to flip. On the side I fried one egg white and topped the pancake with it along with some plain nonfat yogurt mixed with homemade strawberry freezer jam. Delish!

Time will tell if it keeps me full as long as oatmeal, but for flavor I give this mix two-thumbs up!

~::::~

3 Grocery Stops

2010-03-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

1. Safeway
frozen juices- pineapple orange, orange, apple
3 heads of broccoli
a bundle of asparagus
2 leeks
head of green cabbage
parsley
shallots
garlic
2 cans wild salmon
1% milk for Ray
Kodiak Cakes pancake mix
block of sharp white cheddar
lowfat cottage cheese
2. Trader Joe's
romaine lettuce
fresh baby spinach
broccoli and carrot slaw
crumbled feta cheese
cherry tomatoes
high protein firm tofu
veggie Smart Dogs
vanilla soy milk for me
3 bottles sparkling mineral water

3. Whole Foods

half a cantaloupe :-)

~:::~

Sarah's Day Off

2010-03-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

From cooking, I'm still on camera duty.

As much as I love to cook, there are some days when dinnertime comes and I do not feel like it. I don't want to face chopping ingredients, handling slimy things like raw meat or stinky raw fish, and I especially don't want to be anywhere near the oven or stove. On those days I eat salad, or leftovers (I never mind using the microwave, it doesn't make me hot or need scrubbing after each use), or pb&j and a piece of fruit.

Boys though, boys are different. That kind of minimal, maybe even boring dinner is not high on the list after Ray's typical 11 hour work day. Not being a cook himself, there are a few things that I do not make satisfactorily for him. His man pasta is one of them. Tacos are another. These are actually kind of a treat to him.

Tacos were rare and special for dinner when I was growing up too. Why is that?

Ray's tacos require a very short list:

lean ground beef
taco seasoning
shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
chopped lettuce
taco shells

He browns the meat in my big skillet, chopping it finely with a spatula until well done. Then he adds taco seasoning. He doesn't measure, maybe a tablespoon or so, and a bit of water is added to moisten the mixture. Meanwhile, he chops up the lettuce. I never buy iceberg, but I always have romaine so he chops up a few leaves.

The cheese comes out of the fridge. This Mexican cheese blend is great; if we just have a block of cheddar he'll grate some up.

And the taco shells. Recently we've tried these new Stand 'n Stuff shells. They are the same price as the regular ones but much easier to stuff because they don't lay on their sides.

Ray makes three tacos for one dinner.

He spoons some of the meat into each taco, leaving plenty of room.

Then some lettuce,

And finally, lots of cheese.

Taste test. . .

Perfect thumbs up!

Hurray for leftovers and more days off! With enough meat and 7 more taco shells, there's at least two more meals to be had.

[I'm posting from Los Gatos Roasting Company today. My house is overrun with a dozen guys watching March Madness over the next three days, so I'm giving Ray his space and staying in Los Gatos until Saturday afternoon. He's taking me to dinner when I get home and I get some good time with my brothers and family. That's a fair trade!]

~:::~

Pretty in Pink

2010-03-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I talked about inspiration, and how it comes from a variety of locations. Magazines are one of them, and this pretty dinner came from one of those.

I love reading cooking mags, but I usually just look.

It's rare that I'll make one of the recipes I see.

Sometimes a recipe looks awesome but too complex for everyday use; maybe I'm not sure the execution will deliver on its promise.

Food mags provide more entertainment while blogs and cookbooks provide more serious cooking options.

The first time I read the article containing this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it. I dog-eared the page and kept returning to it until my next visit to the grocery store.

I love salmon, but I don't buy it very often because I'm afraid I turn a beautiful fillet into a dry, flavorless excuse for fish. I'm aware that practice would solve this, but I fear the wasting of good fish as I stumble through those few trial runs. This recipe uses canned salmon rather than fresh. I've purchased small cans of salmon in the past, but never one this big; I didn't know they came this way until I was standing in the grocery aisle!

~
Inside are 2 or 3 large pieces of salmon, sort of like sardines in a can (the body without head or tail). I should have taken a shot of the contents, sorry.

My recipe neglected to squeeze the moisture from the carrot and zucchini, and I think that's an important step to reduce liquid in the dish; you want a moist loaf but not so moist that slices don't keep their shape. My loaf was cooked through but I did have some issues with the slices staying intact. It tasted no less delicious, but presentation suffered.

Each of the four healthy portions of this salmon loaf boasts, for 300 calories:

27 grams of protein
7.5 grams of heart-healthy fats
379 mg calcium
3 mg iron
65 mcg folate, and
4 grams of fiber

Next to a beautiful salad with spinach, mixed greens, tomatoes, and olives, you've got quite a healthy dinner. We loved this meal, myself especially.
I have big plans for the remaining half of loaf: I might chop up a slice and add it to another salad, or place it between two slices of toasted bread for a special salmon sandwich. Or mix with some eggs to make an omelette or scramble.

Salmon Loaf

adapted, serves 4

2 medium carrots, grated

1 medium zucchini, grated

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 15 oz can salmon, drained

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

3/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbs fresh thyme, minced

juice from half a lemon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Grate the carrot and zucchini, and squeeze to remove some of the excess liquid, in a kitchen towel or paper towerl. In a large bowl, flake the drained salmon and add the carrots, zucchini, bread crumbs, milk, egg, onion, thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix very well until incorporated and moist. If the mixture is too dry, add a small amount of milk.

Pour mixture into the loaf pan and pack gently into a loaf shape. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the loaf is set in the center and firm to the touch. Slice with a knife and use a spatula to transfer to plates or bowls.

I served this a garnish of (leftover) homemade marinara sauce with goat cheese. Salsa or mustard would also be excellent condiments.

~:::~

Inspiration:

2010-03-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

It comes from a lot of places. The grocery aisles provide well, as do magazines, cookbooks, and so many great food blogs. My cupboards often inspire a dish as I dig to see what my options are. They can be a most excellent black hole, swallowing ingredients until I look deep inside, almost like shopping in my own kitchen.

I take inspiration from dishes Mom made us as kids, and meals we eat in restaurants or friends' homes.

Sometimes a combination of factors inspire dinner, and that's what happened here.

On a rainy weekday I didn't feel like eating much dinner. I have a few stand-by meals for those days: brothy leek soup with some pastina, oatmeal, a salad, some yogurt and cereal with some fruit. This only works for me; my partner needs something more substantial. He's not too picky but when there is no frozen pizza to be had and pasta won't satisfy, I turn to the cupboards and freezer for some brilliant idea that will hopefully work out. Some phyllo dough from the fridge, ground beef from the freezer, vegetables and some spices made dinner go from simple to extraordinary, with leftovers for another night!

These meat pies wrapped in phyllo were inspired by my Grandma's spanakopita and the notion of sheperd's pie. The dough is a departure from the usual; I had some on hand it was fun to work with and exciting to the diner at mealtime. I could have used pizza dough to make a calzone, but the phyllo made it unique and matched well with the spicy flavors.

Cinnamon and cumin is a haunting combination on the palate, with the ground beef or any other filling. For a vegetarian option, sprinkle the two on some chickpeas and roast for a few minutes, or steam with some broth. You'll be in love.

Spicy Meat Hand Pies
makes 3 triangle hand pies

1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, diced
6 ounces lean ground beef
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
juice from half a lime
salt to taste
1 egg
4 Tbs melted butter
10 sheets (about 4 ounces) phyllo dough

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat a saucier pan over medium and add the olive oil, onion, and carrots and saute until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown until fully cooked (no pink spots). Drain off as much fat as you can, then add the cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cumin, lime juice, and salt to taste. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and ready a pastry brush. Take out your 10 sheets of phyllo dough and place them on a damp towel. Gently cut the sheets in half longways and cover with a second damp towel. Lightly flour your work surface.

Remove one half sheet of phyllo and place on the work surface. Recover the rest of the dough with the damp towel (every time so it doesn't dry out). Brush the half sheet with melted butter and top with a second sheet of phyllo. Brush again with butter, repeat one more time. After the third sheet is buttered, add one third of the meat filling to a corner of the dough. Fold the corner over, tucking the filling in carefully. Fold in thirds until the triangle hand pie is formed.

The best verbal description escapes me, so I hope a visual picks up where I fail.

Place the hand pie on the parchment. Repeat with the process with three more sheets of phyllo, buttering and adding the filling, folding and placing on the parchment.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the phyllo is light brown and crispy.

As you know, 3+3+3= 9, not 10. So you're going to have an extra half sheet of phyllo left. You could toss it but that would be terrible! Do what I did: brush it with a little butta, and sprinkled with lots and lots of cinnamon sugar before cutting it into three pieces and rolling and crinkling each piece into a cinnamon 'straw'. Place on the baking sheet with your hand pies, and remove after 12-15 minutes.

~::::~

I Prefer Bowls to Plates

2010-03-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Other bloggers can attest to the fact that searching for a title can be the most difficult and frustrating part of a post.

I couldn't think of much today that wasn't snarky or lame; I do prefer to eat from a bowl rather than a plate, so there you go.

:-)

I think the shape gives the illusion of more volume. This is one of those dishes that can be served in a bowl or on a plate, but it's so comforting that a steaming bowl makes it even better.

It's almost criminally simple. Fragrant brown rice is toasted before cooking a long time in a lot of liquid till soft, with some vegetables and spices. Brown rice can be more chewy than white rice, one reason why some people don't like it. This method allows you to cook it to a softer, moist consistency.

It's great straight from the pan, but two added garnishes take it over the top for me: a few drops of sriracha (hot sauce) and some fried onion strings (sold by Trader Joe's). You don't have to add these, but you really really should. You can add some poached chicken breast to the dish- I did add some to Ray's bowl- or you can serve it as a side dish alongside another protein. A big bowl by itself is a great meal for me, just don't forget to sneak in some protein in another way to help with Battle Protein.

The fried onion strings were a serendipitous impulse buy; they are great in salads too. Two tablespoons equals 40 calories and a small amount adds a lot of flavor and crunch. I used a mixture of low sodium chicken broth and water mixed with another TJ's favorite:
~

These little packets are wonderful to keep in the cupboard and use on their own or if you are running low on canned broth. I started with 4 cups of broth for the recipe but needed to add more throughout the cooking process, about 6 cups in the end. I recommend having some extra broth handy just in case; that rice really soaks it up.

This is also a good time to introduce you to my favorite stovetop cooking vessel. I mention it often and realize many might know what I'm talking about when I refer to the saucier. It's this guy:

He has a wide bottom like a pan but he's also deep like a pot- the best of both worlds. I use him for everything. As with the best recipes, I made this up on the fly one night, and cannot think of a particularly clever name. So I give you . . .

Vegetable Brown Rice Bowl
serves 4

1 Tbs olive oil
2 carrots, sliced
1 celery rib, peeled and sliced
1/2 large onion, diced
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup brown rice, rinsed
6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
sriracha (or other hot sauce) and fried onion strings for garnish

Heat the olive oil over medium in a saucier pan or pot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and herbs and saute 3-5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the brown rice and toast for 5 more minutes.

Add 4 cups of the broth and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally and simmer until the rice is cooked, adding the rest of the broth as the pan becomes dry.

Add the frozen peas and cook to warm them through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon into bowls and add a few drops of sriracha to each bowl, per the taste of each person. Top with a spoonful of fried onion strings and serve.

~:::~

Feeling

2010-03-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

I'll finish my story tomorrow- we'll see where I'm at then, my fingers have never been so crossed- but I wanted to mention how I'm feeling.

On Sunday (Day 26, the length of my previous cycle) I was tired and moody, and had some light cramping. No period though, which usually accompanies or follows those cramps in my experience. I read online that some cramps 8-10 days after ovulation is normal, that it could be the egg nestling itself into the uterine lining. I've felt them a little on and off since, but very minor.

Also, I'm hungry. Like all the time. I seem to need more snacks the past couple days. Last night and the night before I had trouble getting to sleep. I couldn't quiet my mind, and two nights ago had nightmares when I did fall asleep. And my breasts are sore. Not incredibly sore like I imagined that would be, but it hurt to sleep on my stomach and my nipples are seriously sensitive. Not much, and at this point it could all be in my head.

The First Six Months

2010-03-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

This is the origin of our baby story.

Today is day 27 of this menstrual cycle. It is also two days after I started expecting my period. I still have some waiting to go, but the more time goes by, the more odds are in my favor. Could I be. . . I can't bring myself to use the word. After so much time waiting, watching others experience it and seeing my body misbehave over and over, it's almost hard to believe it could actually happen. So easily. And so incredibly hard.

This journey began about two years ago, when Ray and I started talking about the time to start a family. At that point I was not quite ready, but I was getting there. He wasn't, but the conversation was on the table. Then in late 2008 we both felt ready enough and agreed that I would cease birth control at the end of my cycle in January. I'd been on birth control for, well, years. We won't get specific. I definitely thought it would be great not having to worry about that anymore.

That last cycle ended and we weren't trying, just not not trying. The days when I would have had a period came. . . and went. I was a week late and ecstatic and terrified at the same time. That was quick!

I had just visited a new doctor in our town to replace my old one 30 minutes away; I made an appointment and took a pregnancy test in the office. Negative. Doc said it was too soon to tell, to come back in a week if I still didn't get my period.

Week later. No period. Visit #2. Negative again. Full blood work-up is ordered. Starting to get a little spooked.

Visit #3 holds the results of the blood work, which are, well, off. Very low estrogen levels, so low that my cycle wasn't triggering. My thyroid levels were also outside the normal range. I have a pre-existing thyroid condition, Hashimoto's thyroiditis. I've taken replacement since I was twelve years old but my dosage was no longer correct. Something had changed. Doc orders an MRI to see if there is something wrong with the pituitary gland in the brain. WHA???? I'm thoroughly upset and scared that something huge could be wrong.

MRI was highly uncomfortable but clean of course, I wasn't going to end up a candidate for a House episode. I don't return to that doctor, who ordered the expensive procedure prematurely considering my thyroid could have caused the chain of events that interrupted my cycle. Return to my previous OB who has treated me for several years and prescribes my thryoid meds. She agrees that from my blood work the thyroid could be the cause. The thyroid produces hormones that stimulate the pituitary which sends the signals to your ovaries to make follicles. If the levels of thyroid hormone are too low or too high, it can screw up the whole equation. My levels were really high. She also looked me up and down and said that weight could be an issue. The past two years I had slowly been losing weight with dedication to exercise and restrictive eating habits. Maybe a little too restrictive, but the high thyroid levels also create a speedier metabolism which could be a culprit. I loved how I looked and felt, but per the OB my body was probably not meant to be that thin.

This was me at Christmas 2006. Still a tad heavy leftover from some serious binge eating my senior year of college. I was probably around 115 lbs here.

And Christmas 2007, five months after our wedding. I slimmed down the year before the wedding and it continued after. My new drivers license say 108 lbs, so probably around there here.

April 2008- more like 106

To April 2009, probably my thinnest, at 102

In late spring 2009 we started changing my thyroid medication to achieve the proper dose. I had to be on each dose for at least 6 weeks before taking blood work to see if it was right. I changed three levels before arriving at my present dose of 75 mcg. Meanwhile, still no period. No period means no ovulation. I no longer had any clue when to expect it. . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A (Very) Quick Dip

2010-03-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

I have so much I want to do today! I've already worked out, vaccuumed and swept the floors, weeded the front yard, made and eaten breakfast, and made and consumed my first coffee with my new french press (pretty good for my first try)!

But the sun is shining, and there's a lot more I want to accomplish. You know those days, where your mental to-do list is long and you want to get going before you lose steam and leave it incomplete?

First, I want to share a great dip recipe with you.

I have a little backlog of recipes to share; I made this dip for a Super Bowl party this year and loved it. It's smoky with a minor kick of heat, and made even better when crowned with some extra sharp cheddar. It held its own next to the creamy ranch dip and guacamole classics on the table. And did I mention that it's possibly the fastest party food I've ever made?

I can't wait to try it as a veggie filling for tacos or nestled underneath the polenta next time I make Tamale Casserole.

Smoky Black Bean Dip
adapted from activefoodie on Tasty Kitchen

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chilies
1 tsp salt
1 garlic clove
6 cherry tomatoes, diced
the juice from 1 lime
1/2 large jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Add the beans, adobo sauce, salt, and garlic to a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the lime juice, jalapeno, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro and pulse a few more times to combine thoroughly. You can leave it more chunky or process a little more for a smooth dip, your choice. Garnish with sharp cheddar cheese, and serve with blue corn chips.

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

~::::~

Not So Hot Coconut Curry Noodles

2010-03-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

This dinner was a flop, and I debated sharing it here before deciding that

a) you might really like it, and

b) flops can be as valuable as successes.

It's a good recipe, it just didn't do it so much for us.

Sometimes things just don't work out the way you hoped. I liked these noodles more than Ray, but not enough to repeat the recipe. If it sounds good to you, MAKE IT.

I've had this recipe bookmarked for several weeks thinking it had great potential for an awesome Friday dinner. We love Asian noodle bowls, especially with these rice stick noodles.

And coconut milk. Love coconut milk! And tofu, and fresh cilantro.

I really thought it would be a winner; we'd gobble it up and there would be nothing leftover.

I was wrong.

And surprised, but I think I know why it failed for us. Ray and I like curry but in smaller more subtle amounts. The curry flavor here was too strong and it overwhelmed the coconut and cilantro. Paradoxically, the dish was bland. Really bland, which I would never have predicted.

The concept is still very appealing so maybe I could modify it to suit our tastes more. Using less curry or none at all is very easy to do. But what to do about avoiding the bland factor, which could be worse with less curry?

Live and learn. Not every dish is a keeper, but it could be the starting point for something great.

How would you remove the bland factor from this dish?

~:::~

Breakfast Love

2010-03-05T08:51:00.000-08:00

Today I had this for breakfast.

Oh boy this was good . . . pumpkin oatmeal poured into an empty peanut butter jar with some blueberries. I'm emptying nut butter jars more regularly and try to remember to save them.

I know it's finicky but this kind of tall, thin container is not as enjoyable as a wide, shallow bowl. It seems like more volume, and I think I eat more slowly. Anything to extend the pleasure of eating.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I workout in the morning between 6AM and 7AM, so by the time I eat maybe 45 minutes later, I'm ready for something good! (Exercise supressing my appetite so I don't feel starving from waiting this long after waking up.) It's also my quietest meal; I'm alone, checking emails, reading blog posts, and sneaking a few minutes of GMA (love Robin Roberts and miss Diane Sawyer, but George Stephanopoulous is a good replacement).

I consider myself a food blogger but not the type that posts her meals three times a day. One reason is that I can't keep up with all the photo taking and daily events. I'd do great for a few days, but as soon as my schedule changed I'd start missing a lot of stuff, there would be gaps, I'd let you down, I'd let me down. That said, I really admire those food bloggers who do this.

The main reason? Well, I think it would be pretty boring. My everyday life isn't that exciting, and I eat a lot of the same things over and over. And over. I do love trying different things but usually on the weekends when I experiment more or we go out for dinner. On a daily basis, posting my eats would get really old, really fast. How many days in a row is pumpkin oatmeal with a dab of peanut butter interesting? To me it's good enough to repeat but it's not interesting blog content. Lunch is similar to breakfast- I usually have a salad or some soup but they are pretty similar to each other with a few detail changes. Dinner varies a little more bu usually it's so simple that it's not worth sharing.

The pumpkin oatmeal combo (1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, 1 cup water, spoon of pumpkin, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, splash of soy milk, granola or peanut butter) has been my daily breakfast for 1 1/2 years now. If I'm feeling radical I swap the pumpkin for some berries or apple, but even in summer I like the pumpkin.

I'm 27 so comparitively the pumpkin-oat obsession hasn't been that long. Recalling other past and present favorites, this is what I come up with.

Egg whites with cheddar and tomatoes, rolled in a flour tortilla (college favorite)
Two pieces of toast or an English muffin with jam (high school breakfast)
Eggo waffles with lots of butter filling the cracks (ah the joys of being a kid)
Yogurt with cereal, eaten separately (my breakfast every day the two years I worked at Google)
Pancakes (all kinds!) with real maple syrup, or ricotta cheese/maple syrup mixture at home (try that, it's delicious! spread the ricotta and drizzle with syrup, smooth together)
'Cheese eggs,' made by Dad, who makes them very cheesy, browned, and caramelized
Lox and cream cheese on a toasted poppy seed bagel (another high school/college favorite)

What are your favorite breakfasts? I'd love to know!

~:::~

What a Tart

2010-03-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

The word tart has several definitions. As an adjective, it could mean having a pungent taste, sour or sharp and bitter. As a noun it can mean a dessert- a pastry shell with shallow sides, no top, and various fillings.

It can also mean a prostitute or sexually promiscuous woman, but we won't address that one today.

You'll never -evereverever- see me turn down a hefty slice of homemade pie. If that day comes, you better look outside because life as we know it might be over. But you'll also never see me make an easy decision when given choices.

Piece of pie or a cupcake? . . . um . . . um . . . um . . . panic!

Fun-sized desserts keep that indecision to a minimum since I can try a couple things. Like this weekend's Afternoon Tea- I was able to have a blueberry tart, a chocolate beignet, and part of a mini apple turnover before throwing up the white flag in surrender.

~
The small size might seem intimidating, but these blueberry tarts are really easy. You could get fancy if you want but I usually stear clear of embellishments in favor of rustic and simple.

I love rustic, it's much less stressful.

I used a muffin tin for the tarts, and because my biscuit cutters were too small I used the biggest glass I could find. It was still small (the dough didn't come all the way up the sides) but I was happy with the results. The tarts would have been bigger but this smaller size is what I was shooting for to begin with.

Of course I HAD to overfill a few, so those bubbled over.

So they looked less than perfect; so what? They tasted just as yummy.

One more thing: I had half a batch of my favorite pie dough (the one with vodka) in the freezer from the last time I made pie. I was able to make ten tarts so two of the muffin tins were empty and I had extra filling. I filled two ramekins with the leftover blueberry filling and I've been stealing spoonfuls every time I pass the fridge.

You could make more tarts and use up the filling with a full batch of pie dough. Be prepared with a second muffin tin.

Blueberry Tarts

makes 10

1 disk (1/2 batch) Vodka Pie Dough

filling:

6 cups frozen wild blueberries

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated

2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2-3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbs instant tapioca

pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a muffin tin generously with baker's spray (containing flour) and set aside.

Remove the pie dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured work surface, about 1/8 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut circles from the dough and press gently into the muffin tin, especially at the bottom. Repeat with the rest of the tin and stash in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Place 3 cups of the (still frozen) blueberries in a small saucepan over medium heat. Smoosh blueberries with a potato masher (I don't own one, I used a whisk) to release the juices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until half the berries are broken down and the mixture has thickened and reduced, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, grate the apple and wring dry with a towel. Transfer the apple to a large bowl and add the remaining 3 cups of frozen berries, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, tapioca, and salt. Toss to combine, then add the hot berry mixture. Stir thoroughly, and taste to see if you need the additional 1/4 cup of sugar. If you do add here; the frozen berries should be thawed by the cooked ones.

Spoon carefully into the chilled muffin tin, leaving a little clearance at the top so they don't bubble over. If they do, it's ok.

Bake for 30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling bubbles. Transfer the tin to a wire rack to cool. If any of the tarts bubbled over, run a sharp knife carefully around the edges to make them easier to remove. Let cool for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the tarts to finish cooling on the rack.

Store the tarts in an airtight container before serving.

Would you rather make pie instead of baby tarts?

This filling and the method used to make it works extremely well in the mama version.

Just don't ask me to choose which one I like better.

Blueberry Pie

~:::~

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Afternoon Tea in 2010

2010-02-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

What do you think when you hear afternoon tea?

Ladies with pinkies extended?

Overstuffed floral couches draped with lacey doilies?

Sitting straight-backed, quiet, restrained, bored?

Outdated and stuffy? Antiquated and old-fashioned? So not 2010?

You'd be wrong.

Afternoon tea is loosely defined as a light meal consumed between three and five o'clock.

To me, it's the antithesis of stuffy; it's warm, comfortable, and delicious. It's one of the best parts of my world, a family tradition to be envied.

~::~

a bit of world history

It's debatable when the tradition began of taking tea in the afternoon with light refreshments.

Many Americans identify it as a British custom even though it was Dutch explorers who first brought tea from China and Japan in 1610. In the next two hundred years, the drink became popular across the continent, with the wealthy classes first before trickling down to the masses.

The modern idea of afternoon tea was born in 1840 as a trend started by a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, Anna the Duchess of Bedford. Servants would sneak her a pot of tea and a few slices of bread to combat the "sinking feeling" she would feel in midafternoon.

The practice quickly spread, and tea served with small sandwiches and cakes at four o'clock became part of polite society. Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management, published in 1861, was the first instruction manuel on the proper running of a home. It contains over 900 recipes and instructions, among which are the proper service of afternoon tea.

~::~

a bit of my history

We just call it 'tea,' an experience enjoyed in hotels and tearooms while on vacation in places like London, Bath, Edinburgh, Paris, New York, and San Francisco. The best provide very hot, well-brewed tea with fresh assortments of sandwiches, scones, and cakes.

But tea is not fashionable in our fast-paced and diet-conscious society, so finding a good one can be tough. You can easily spend $30 or more per person on lukewarm tea, stale sandwiches, and mediocre cake. Many places that did no longer serve it at all.

And they should, they really should.

The best teas I've had are homemade. Full-blown, it's a meal with many components that require some planning and preparation; the rewards are a feast. It began with Mom's memories of her mother serving tea and a snack to my grandfather to curb his hunger before dinner.

Tea provides a much-needed caffeine jolt to get you through the rest of the day. As we grew up, our snack became more adult; we went from drinking milk to 'tea-milk' (mostly milk with a splash of tea), to full cups. When home from school or work on a weekday, it would be a cup of tea with a piece of toast & jam, maybe a piece of chocolate chip banana bread. We'd sit and eat at the table together, pausing for fifteen or twenty minutes to recharge.

Tea has become even more frequent despite the fact that my brothers and I are grown. It's a delicious anchor, an opportunity to visit with each other and keep us close. A Cream tea can always be counted on for birthdays (tea with cake, pie, or other of the birthday person's choice). This afternoon tea is something we do a few times a year when the mood strikes.

Mom and I are preparing this one together for a slightly smaller audience. My brother John is away at college and Ray is in the city with friends, which means a party of five.

~:::~

The first course sandwiches are the most time consuming because of the variety you want to serve. They are tiny so you can have seconds; today we are making four different kinds, paired with breads to suit the filling.

Egg salad with grainy mustard, light mayo, celery, and chives on pain de mie

Smoked Salmon with homemade dill butter on baguette

Chicken salad with celery and light mayo on walnut raisin bread

Cucumbers with homemade chive butter on pain de mie

Egg and chicken salad can be made early and set aside; you want to assemble the sandwiches just before serving so they are fresh. We've made others such as ham salad and watercress, but my favorites are always egg salad and smoked salmon.

We slice the bread super thin and remove the crusts to keep them as delicate as possible.

The second course: Scones

There are a thousand and one scone recipes, and I've definitely had some crazy fancy ones.

Our favorite are these from Cook's Illustrated's The Best Recipe.

The best scone is barely sweet, a bridge between the savory first course and the sweet third. I love them studded with currants (think itty bitty raisins), tender and flakey but not greasy. They should also be tiny, since there are so many yummy things on the table.

Served warm, they are split in two and adorned with strawberry jam, clotted cream, or both.

~
We always have dessert at tea (never after dinner), and our sweet third course varies. Sometimes it's a full pie and everyone will enjoy a small slice; cupcakes are also popular, maybe vanilla with chocolate ganache or black bottom cream cheese-filled ones.
Today we have a special treat, going all out with a collection of mini pastries, which are perfect for my family of tasters. Made in advance of course or we'd be scrambling!

Chocolate beignets, chaussons aux pommes (french apple turnovers),

chocolate almond rugelach cookies,

and blueberry tarts.

Inevitably you have to pick and choose a little, there are too many lovely things to try. But who can resist a tasting plate of pastries? Nobody I'm related to!

We set the table with plates, teacups, pitchers of milk and sugar, and the food when it's ready. Two teas are selected-one regular, one decaf- from the wonderful assortment we have available. My favorite is Harney & Sons's Queen Catherine, a China tea blend.

We settle into our seats, pour the tea into two beautiful teapots, and start nibbling through everything piece by piece.

I finish my first round of sandwiches and reach for a second smoked salmon round, my very favorite. Next, I make my scone with strawberry jam and eat 3/4 of it before trying a chocolate beignet. Returning for a last taste is a habit of mine. We're at home, nobody cares that I'm going out of order. My brother Chris likes to take scone and pastry at once. Dad might have everything and go back for a sandwich at the end. Mom will enjoy any scraps left behind on our plates. I planned ahead with a small lunch, so I have room for all this and a blueberry tart before declaring myself full.

We linger long after we're finished eating, sipping tea and discussing everything from the family's new kittens and my brother Matthew's college picks, to Obama's health plan and even The Real Housewives of the OC.

In 2010, afternoon tea at home isn't high on the list of things to do. You might consider it in touristy fashion at a hotel or tea shop, probably around the holidays or for a bridal shower, but never to make yourself.

But there is something really special about this practice and we may still have room for it in our busy lives. For me, the preparation brings as much joy as the eating- if you like to play in the kitchen, you'll be in heaven. It's quality time with Mom as we prep and with the boys at the table, time that I wouldn't trade if you paid me.

It's the ultimate food gathering, a fourth meal added to the regular three. It means happy family, it means connection, it means happy bellies, smiles, and good conversation.

Who doesn't need more of these things in life?

~::::~

A few public places to find good afternoon tea:

Crown & Crumpet, San Francisco

Cafe at the Tate Britain, London

Sally Lunn's, Bath, England

Palm Court at The Plaza Hotel, New York City

Elbow Beach Resort, Bermuda

The Veranda at Moana Surfrider Hotel, Hawaii

These places used to serve good tea, but they don't any longer:

Hyatt Regency Embarcardero, San Francisco

Ritz Carlton, San Francisco

Omni Berkshire Hotel, New York City

These places serve tea but I wouldn't recommend them:

Lisa's Tea Treasures, several Bay Area locations

The Fairmont, San Jose, California

Fortnum & Mason, London

For excellent loose or bagged tea:

Harney & Sons

~::::~

*A huge thanks to Foodbuzz for the opportunity to share this with you. You can visit and buzz my post on their website here: Afternoon Tea 2010.*

Chocolate Almond Rugelach

2010-02-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

There's a strong magnet pulling me in the direction of the kitchen.

I'm having trouble ignoring it.

These might be the problem. They are cooling on the counter.

I was seven or eight when I tried my first rugelach. We lived in Atlanta at the time, and a store called Harry's Farmers Market (looks like Whole Foods owns it now!) was in the regular grocery rotation. In my memory it was part warehouse, part gourmet food shop, with a labyrinth of aisles holding special local and imported items. Mom did a lot of baking when we were kids, but one of the few things she bought were their housemade chocolate rugelach cookies.

Rugelach are my very favorite cookie, for eating and for baking. They are the poster child for easy to make with huge wow factor baked goods. I make them often, and never the same filling twice.

This is the first time I've attempted to duplicate that yummy favorite from Harry's. I don't know what else was in that filling, but I'd bet on some kind of nut and cinnamon.

My version has blackberry jam, toasted almonds, and of course, cinnamon sugar.

The cream cheese dough is so, so easy- three ingredients and a piece of cake to work with.

Don't ya love how it comes together in the food processor?

It goes from floury and loose to slightly wet to large chunks to big ball of dough.

Love that kitchen magic.

There are a million variation possibilities; just substitute any jam/spread, nuts, and sprinkles of sugar. Here is my original recipe for the cream cheese dough and a walnut-olallieberry filling.

This batch subs 1/3 cup blackberry jam, about 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds, and 1/4 cup sugar with 1/2 tsp cinnamon mixed in.

~::::~

First Green SIAB

2010-02-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

This first try, I definitely wanted a Smoothie In A Bowl- eating with a spoon from a bowl is much more satisfying than drinking from a glass. Felt like I was enjoying a bowl of ice cream!

I used:

a handful of spinach
2 slices frozen peach
1/2 frozen banana
5-6 ice cubes
about 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
splenda
3/4 tsp xanthan gum

I learned several things right off the bat:

Firstly, the xanthan gum really works! Man, this was so thick and creamy, like full fat ice cream. Maybe I used a little too much, but such a small amount goes a long way.

Secondly, the spinach is really good! Banana and peach are the dominant flavors, and spinach actually adds a bit of sweetness. Plus, love the pretty mint color.

Lastly, my blender stinks. We could definitely use a new one, it had a really hard time blending this and the motor actually made an awful smell by the end. Ewww!

This bowl is about 3/4 of the blended mixture. I topped it with a spoonful of granola, and now I'm STUFFED.

I'm not sure if the portion was too much for one?

Needless to say I'm pleased, this is a pretty good snack- liquids, a serving of vegetables and fruit.

~::::~

Austen's Best Man

2010-02-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

If you lived in Jane Austen's literary world, who would be your ideal mate?

My choice would be Captain Wentworth from Persuasion, without a doubt.

The Men of Austen

Haunting LGRC

2010-02-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks everyone, for your green smoothie suggestions! I'll be test driving a mixture or two very soon.

~:::~

I'm camping at Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company at least once a week, and I'd like to show you around this special place.

Since joining the ranks of the 'fun-employed', I've split my time between house projects and part-time job searching (actively seeking freelance writing opportunities!).

My productivity sky-rockets in the hustle and bustle of a local coffeehouse; I have a Starbucks and Peet's Coffee within walking distance, but unfortunately I'm not of a fan of the atmosphere or coffee at these chains. So I make the 30-minute drive south to my hometown.

I arrive around 9am and claim a table. The art of musical chairs is practiced well here; if you don't like what's available just keep your eyes open and move when someone else leaves. Most of the time I bring my breakfast- a container of oatmeal or yogurt- this saves me some money and calories, and the staff doesn't mind. Once I'm settled and plugged in (outlets everywhere and free wireless internet), I grab a coffee from the counter and get down to business.

It's the kind of coffeeshop that people haunt. Regular groups meet here all week long; a line of townies, dressed in biking gear and holding a dog's leash in one hand and a coffee in the other, are a permanent fixture on the sidewalk out front.

Inside there are three rooms- the first serves regular drip coffee and breakfast options like waffles, muffins, bagels, and even oatmeal. A giant coffee roaster sits in the back corner; I've never seen anything like this anywhere else.

The room in the middle holds the espresso bar and the largest grouping of tables. This is my favorite room, I usually sit in here by the window. When I feel like treating myself, I'll order a nonfat hazelnut latte or a cafe borggia in place of my regular coffee. Yum!

The last room houses Los Gatos Gourmet, a fantastic purveyor of local wines, cheeses, coffee beans roasted in house, or some homemade soup or sandwich.

Lunch here is a special treat; they have the best sandwiches around. Like this one, the McKinneylicious: smoked turkey and brie, salami, housemade aioli, and mixed greens on an Acme baguette.

They have a list of great options as well as a daily special, but my very favorite is the simple peanut butter and jam. It may seem silly for an adult to buy a pb&j, but they make it so well. It's like ordering the marinara pizza: so simple that you can't hide anything. Served on Acme pain de mie (which you cannot purchase, I've tried. They only make it in humongous loaves for businesses like this), which I order toasted with strawberry and blueberry jams.

This is the kind of coffee shop that you can settle in and really get work done- if you can resist too much socializing. It's warm and bustling, and fairly likely that you'll run into someone you know if you are a local. Or unwittingly witness a business deal or two being brokered; this is the middle of Silicon Valley after all.

I'm certainly no mover or shaker, but sitting here I can rub elbows with some of those Valley fat cats on one side and others who are fun-employed like me. LGRC has a warm, welcoming feeling that I've never felt in my neighborhood Starbucks. For me it's worth the drive, even if I can walk to the other places.

Do you have a neighborhood coffeehouse you like to haunt?

~:::~

Green Sick Solution

2010-02-22T09:12:00.001-08:00

Good morning,

I had a great weekend, but I'm up this Monday morning with a raw sore throat, headache, and low fever. NOT cool!

I'm drinking my coffee like Edward sucking the venom out of Bella. . . the hot liquid makes my throat feel so much better.

Something cold and numbing would hit the spot at lunchtime. My thoughts gravitate to yogurt or fro-yo but I'd like to avoid the dairy and have something more nutritious. I've never made a green smoothie but maybe today is the day to try one, perhaps with spinach and thickened with some xantham gum I bought last week. I haven't tried the stuff yet but I've read about how thick and creamy it can make a smoothie.

Do you have a recipe for a green smoothie or any ideas for what I should add? Please leave a comment or send me an email at sarah.suiteapple@gmail.com.

~:::~

Jade Dumplings

2010-02-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hello veggie dumpling, you're lookin good!

Bright and fresh from raw asparagus and ginger, the water chestnuts for crunch, pillowed together inside the dumpling wrapper.

You would put any pork or shrimp dumpling to shame.

There's something about dumpling assembly that I really love. The first three are awkward, but then you fall into a rhythm and the pile grows and grows. I clear the counters, add a rimmed baking sheet next to my work space, and crank Pandora radio on my iPhone. It takes time but you're rewarded with plenty for tonight and a good sized bag for the freezer. The first serving swam in a light coconut broth with some snow peas. Serving #2 were eaten with chopsticks after being dunked in a bit of soy sauce. The last of them- more broth, this time with leeks and mushrooms.

I've assembled my dumplings into many different shapes, pairing what I think works best with the filling. The asian dumpling is well suited to the half-moon shape, but I prefer smaller bundles. Patting the half-moon in the center coaxes the two ends together, fastened together with a bit of moistening.

They look a bit like Panama hats, don't they?

I use store-bought wonton wrappers, and greatly prefer round ones to square ones. I find that I always have a bunch of filling leftover with just one package so I would recommend arming yourself with two. You might as well make as many as you can!

Jade Dumplings

adapted from epicurious.com

makes a bunch!

12 ounces fresh asparagus, stems trimmed and cut in quarters

1 8 ounce-can water chestnuts, drained

3 scallions, cut in quarters

1 Tbs fresh ginger, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp low sodium soy sauce

1/4 tsp salt

2 packages round wonton wrappers (each package contains about 36 wrappers)

a small cup of water

Add the ginger and garlic to a food processor and make sure they are well minced. Add the asparagus, water chestnuts, scallions, sesame oil, soy sauce, and salt, and pulse a few times until the vegetables are finely chopped.

Scrape the mixture into a small bowl, and cover your wonton wrappers with a damp towel.

Take one wonton wrapper and dot a small amount of filling in the center (I use a small spoon). Dip your finger in the cup of water and moisten half the wrapper. Press the edges together with your fingers, pushing out any air around the filling. Moisten the ends of the half moon and press them together firmly. Place the dumpling on a prepared baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the wrappers until you run out of baking sheet space. Place the full sheet in the freezer, and continue on a new baking sheet until all the wrappers or filling are gone.

After 30 minutes in the freezer, you can remove the baking sheet and transfer the dumplings to a freezer bag.

~:::~

The Right Way

2010-02-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

There once was a girl who wouldn't eat her noodles.

Not all of them, just one kind: Spinach Noodles.

Sit-down dinner time was a constant to be counted on. Sunday nights were leftovers; every other day featured a different plate. But when the question of "what are we having for dinner" was answered with "spinach noodles," the response would be a groan and a whine.

More often than not.

Served alongside some grilled chicken or a green salad, the girl would pick at a few pieces of pasta but refuse to eat more, stating her distaste for the creation of dinners she didn't like. The remains of her plate would be added to the container housing leftovers bound for Sunday, and they would be eaten (not by the girl). She would go to bed that night with a cloudy disposition, and a deficiency in dark leafy greens.

Ten years later, the girl had developed a more diverse palate. A personal renaissance in food nutrition educated her on the benefits of the dark leafy spinach that plagued her youth, as well as preference for the creamy ricotta cheese it was blended with. Not to mention the taste memories that brought her back to family dinner (at the same kitchen table that sits in her own dining room today).

The first time she decided to make the noodles, it was a very hot summer day. Lacking pasta shapes, she switched to the spaghetti she had on hand. She lacked any specific measurements, so guestimated the proportions of chicken broth needed to create the spinach sauce.

Sadly, she was drastically underestimated, and the noodles were too dry.

Dinner was edible, but she was disappointed. The spinach-ricotta was not the sauce it should be, and the substitution of spaghetti was a mistake. She shelved the recipe for many months, not ready to face it again quite yet.

After a time, the craving for Spinach Noodles returned. This time the girl armed herself with shell pasta to capture the sauce, and triple the amount of broth.

As she whirled the sauce in the food processor, she added more and more broth.

Past the point of thinking that it was done. Even a little more after that.

Until the sauce turned 'chunky-liquid.'

She added the spinach-ricotta sauce to the pot of drained pasta shells and stirred thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Try #2 hit the mark, the sauce deliciously rich yet light, the pasta capturing pools of it in their mouths. Served that evening with some trout en papillote and a sprinkle of chopped tomatoes and parmesan cheese, she had mastered this recipe at last.

The girl would like to share this pasta with you- it's a yummy way to feed some green spinach to your loved ones in a way they will like.

She hopes you won't be deterred by her own story of unacceptance, as she realizes now that stubborn obstinance kept her from enjoying them. Or her initial failure in eyeballing the recipe. She knows you'll trust your instincts and get the sauce right the first time.

Little boys loves these noodles, grown men too.

Spinach Noodles, the RIGHT way

1 lb frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly squeezed

2 Tbs olive oil

3 Tbs onion, chopped

2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 cup part-skim ricotta

salt to tast

1 lb pasta shapes- shells, orecchiette, bowties (wagon wheels are the original, but any pasta with crevices works)

Chopped fresh tomatoes and grated parmesan cheese to serve

Add the olive oil to a saucepan or medium low heat and saute the onion for a few minutes, without browning. Add the dry spinach, a glug of chicken broth, and cook until tender. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, and add the ricotta cheese. Pulse a few times to combine. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and pulse together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and check the liquid state of the sauce. Add another cup of chicken broth and pulse again. You'll probably need at least another half cup to make the sauce more liquid.

Meanwhile, boil pasta in a large pot according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Add the sauce and stir well to combine. Serve plain, or with some chopped tomatoes and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top (my favorite).

~::::~

Sushi!

2010-02-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

We are the proud parents of this delectable morsel of sushi ~

Carroll Roll: hamachi, maguro, avocado, cucumber, tobiko

~::~

Ray and I have talked for years about making sushi together at home. It's one of our favorite foods- ever since I took him to his first sushi restaurant on our very first date.

When he suggested Saturday that we make sushi at home on Vday, my first response was "I don't think so. . ." You see he doesn't cook much- he struggles to find things in the kitchen a good portion of the time. In addition, my own reservations came from fear of the unknown, a big kitchen disaster, and no dinner to show for it. I've also read that the making of sushi rice is very difficult to get right- it can be really terrible and I didn't know if we could pull it off.

After some encouragement I gave in (so glad I did!), and we started planning our attack.

Sunday morning: Sushi Making Research. I looked at dozens of websites and recipes before printing this one for rice and this one for rolling. Some of the ingredients are staples in our our pantry: rice wine vinegar, sake, nori (toasted seaweed), wasabi, soy sauce.

Next stop were trips to Marina Foods and Nijiya Market for what we don't have: sushi rice, more nori, edamame, vegetables, and fish. From Nijiya we selected maguro (tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), some unagi (eel), and tobiko (fish roe). We also chilled some sauvignon blanc from Duckhorn Vineyards. This is an excellent wine pairing with sushi.

Executive Chef

and Sous Chef

We started by getting the rice going in the rice cooker. All recommendations advocated the appliance over making rice in a pot. I rinsed the rice 3 times before adding equal parts of water and turned it on. I have a simple rice cooker with no settings, just an on/off switch.

While the rice cooked, we prepped our vegetables and made some appetizers. Ray sliced avocado and cucumber into very thin strips. I was seriously impressed with his knife skills; what he lacks in experience, he makes up for in following the directions and attention to detail.

Next, we boiled some edamame in water for 5 minutes before draining and dousing liberally with salt.

Yum yum!

We also prepared some miso soup to go along with the edamame.

Next, we mixed the sushi su, a mixture that gets poured over the prepared rice. For 2 cups of rice we used:

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup sake

Stirred together in a pot over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool slightly.

When the rice was done, we transferred it to my largest mixing bowl and added the su vinegar mixture to the rice.

Fold the rice gently to incorporate.

We then let it sit for 10 minutes, than folded the rice once again. Now you cover with a warm towel and keep it warm until you're ready to use. We were making our sushi right away, so we just covered with the towel.

While the rice rested, we took out our fish and sliced it thinly. I also mixed up some wasabi (wasabi powder + water to make a paste), and took out soy sauce, the unagi, and the tobiko.

For my first roll, I went big with some rolled maki. It's not the easiest place to start, but sometimes I just want to dive in and try the tough thing first. I wrapped our bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap (so the rice won't stick), and then spread the mat with sushi rice as best I could.

This was tough because the rice was pretty sticky; I ended up with much more than I needed on there! We scraped a bunch off once the roll was done- not professional I know, but I really appreciate now how difficult it is to strike the right balance of rice in a roll.

When fairly satisfied with the rice, I laid a piece of nori on top of the rice. For vegetables, I added our cucumber and avocado, and a few pieces of hamachi and maguro.

Now for the rolling- this went pretty well for my first try. You need to be careful not to roll the mat into the sushi! Once you've curled the roll under once, pull the mat out, continue squeezing together gently and keep rolling.

Remove the mat, and add some tobiko on top if you want. I love tobiko so I was very generous! Slice into 7-8 pieces and you're ready to eat!

This was the only maki roll that I made, and despite the excess rice it was stellar!

Ray became proficient in shaping the rice for pieces of nigiri (a small pillow of rice with fish perched on top). He consumed half a dozen of these little jewel bites.

I also made several small hand rolls. These were easy and so delicious. I pressed a bit of rice to a corner of the nori and topped it with some hamachi, unagi, cucumber, and avocado. Roll (as best you can!) into a cone shape and top with a bit of tobiko. Delish!

My rolling here was pretty bad, I couldn't not figure out how to do it properly. Would have helped if I checked an online step-by-step, but it didn't matter since we were at home and no one laughed at it. I love sushi hand rolls because I love the flavor of the nori and it's really pronounced in this form.

Everything we made was delicious, but I think I should have rinsed my rice twice as much before cooking it. There was too much starch, and our rice was too sticky because of it. I'm proud of our first effort, but I can see why they say the rice is the toughest part!

~::::~

Loves

2010-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

these guys

These too.

This stone fox.

[ hear that Mom, stone fox! :-) ]

A drippy sweaty-indusing morning workout. Love this entire collection of home-workout DVDs, especially The Firm which includes this new one that uses two 2 lb weighted balls. Tougher than I thought it'd be!

Love our exercise room. We lack a guest room in our little house because of it, but it doubles as my second closet/dressing room.

etsy.com Love anything unique, homemade, or vintage.

The little pots that I use (most often) to make breakfast oats. The stainless steel mini holds one or two portions, the orange pot is for larger quantities.

The collection of peanut butters, which is making my new protein goal far more enjoyable.

The yellow spray bottle from the $1 bin at Target- instrumental in training Padma not to jump on the counters, or bat me when I reject her desire to sit on my lap every minute of every day. She does not like to be squirted with water. Tough love.

Twilight *sigh.*

I'm re-reading Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, there's so much in these books and I know I missed a lot the first time around. I love a series that I can immerse myself in, the kind of book that will take me out of my bedroom and into its world.

Dessert makes me happy. All kinds.

The frozen yogurt has become a bit of a joke in our house, but I'll take a little grief over it. As long as you let me continue to eat it. And those rainbow sprinkles on the frozen yogurt, yes love those.

Watching one of our marathon shows.

Currently Friday Night Lights

(past includes The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Dexter and Lost catch-up, all on Netflix for maximum immersion- recommend all those big time!)

My new dishes. Yes dishes make me smile, and they really pop on camera. My set isn't complete yet, if you'd like to donate a piece or two I am definitely agreeable.

Kate Spade.

And no Ray, you can never have too many Kate Spade handbags. A girl needs one for every occasion in every season . . . . eventually :P

This little one, who often drives me crazy. I just adore her.

Coffeecoffeecoffeecoffeecoffeecoffee

And a clean kitchen. It lasts for about 20 minutes, but I relish those 20 minutes of spotlessness.

Also,

lazy Saturdays,

wine tasting on a sunny day,

travel to exciting places,

biting into a sandwich when I'm really hungry,

the leather smell and heated seats in Ray's car,

the rare occasion that I fall asleep on the couch,

Swedish massages,

meals crafted with leftovers that are better than the original,

pulling a perfect bread out of the oven,

my friends,

my family

~::::~

Make Way for the King!

2010-02-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling a little burnt out on the Vday and Chinese New Year press.

Let's spice things up a bit and indulge in some green, gold, and purple for Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday.

I have a confession to make: I think I may be a bit of a dessert snob.

This is a recent realization; an even more recent admission. I'm accepting of any and all tastes, just they don't always apply to me. I've trimmed meat from my diet in the last few years, but I've certainly had it before and appreciate its deliciousness. Same with most fats- admittedly trimmed too much sometimes, but ooo I know the divinity in a triple cream brie or a chunk of crusty bread generously dunked in olive oil.

For dessert, this girl's sweet tooth has less willpower to discriminate; moderation certainly, but not much would (could) be turn down. But with the exception of homey comforts (apple pie, fruit crisps, iced chocolate cake), the favor goes to more sophisticated and snotty desserts. I think if a mille feuille were human it would turn up its nose at a chocolate chip cookie. Some Ben & Jerry's wouldn't be allowed to play with the gelato. Anything with multi-colored sprinkles couldn't associate with the glaze on a fruit tart.

Right?

Hold on girl- what about those cups of frozen yogurt doused in rainbow sprinkles that you imbibe on a regular basis? Some kind of loop hole? Maybe I am ok with those sprinkles; how can you not when they look so darn happy.

Any snob in me went out the window when I sliced into the colorful top of one of these- it's surprisingly fun to eat such unnatural colors. The frosting process was no less grin-indusing.

Ice

Dip

Dip again

and Again

(I couldn't find purple sugar, but this multi I had in the pantry gives a bit of optical allusion)

The secret ingredient is Fiori di Sicilia; the citrus-vanilla flavor extract is common in panettone bread, and it makes these white cupcakes very special. With the freshly ground nutmeg, it's a dead ringer for King Cake. These are a cheeky take-off of that cake, with a cream cheese frosting in place of the filling. I snuck one pecan in the batter, so the lucky winner of that cupcake gets some extra luck.

I find that advance prep for cupcakes and frostings (assembling the ingredients ahead of time) creates less mess in the kitchen. My movements are akin to a tornado when I bake, so there's less flour and sugar flying through the air in the process.

Gah, and the cream cheese frosting!

I go positively gaga over this stuff. You know those magnet foods, the things that draw you in and cause all self-control and civilization to go out the window. Oh yea, top of my list.

Mardi Gras King Cupcakes

taken from King Arthur Flour, makes 12

1 cup granulated sugar

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup milk, at room temperature

1/4 tsp Fiori di Sicilia extract

2 large eggs

1 pecan

3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 ounces (half a package) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tbsp milk

yellow, green, and multi-colored sugars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and spray the insides of the papers with baker's spray.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Meanwhile, mix the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl. Once the butter-sugar is fluffy, add the flour slowly on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add the vanilla to the milk and add all at once. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add one egg on low speed. Beat for 30 seconds, then add the second egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds more.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 23-25 minutes until lightly golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely before icing.

To make the icing: Beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Add the sugar slowly in batches, until well combined. Add the milk a little at a time until the frosting becomes spreadable. You may or may not need all 2 tablespoons.

Pour the sugars into three wide shallow bowls. Ice each cupcake liberally with frosting, then immediately dip the dies of each cupcake into the three sugars.

Note: try not to lick the tops off these before you can share them.

The temptation is strong, but you're an adult, remember?

~::::~

Bacon Pasta

2010-02-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

BACON!

If any meat sneaks on to my plate now and then, it's bacon.

Just like this, with big flavor in tiny shards strewn on a plate. This one is like pasta carbonara, but I use no eggs in the sauce.

That's me.

But the majority of my cooking is done with my partner in mind. Meat and pasta factor in a good number of my dinnertime victories for him, as well as things I throw together without a recipe and as I go. If I trust my instincts I'm usually right, so on a busy weeknight I felt confident in this one's success.

This is a super easy dish made with pantry items; the peas add some green and a freshness to the dish, and using lowfat milk instead of cream keeps the sauce very light.

Two servings for us means one dinner and leftovers for another day, but you could increase the amount by any fraction.

I keep a package of bacon in the freezer and take out any amount I need at a time (thawed a bit first to break the slices apart).

Bacon Pasta

serves 2

2 slices of bacon, coarsely chopped
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 heaping cup petite peas, thawed
1/2 cup lowfat milk
8 ounces spaghetti

Put a large pot of water on to boil.

Heat a saucier pan over medium-low and add the bacon. Stir and saute until the bacon becomes crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Add the shallot to the leftover bacon fat and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the milk and deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom with your wooden spoon to get all the lovely bacon bits. Add the peas and bring the sauce to a simmer.

Meanwhile, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Using tongs, add the pasta to the pan of sauce and toss to coat. Serve and top each plate with peas and bacon (they slip to the bottom of the pan).

~:::~

PB

2010-02-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Peanut butter and I are old friends. We've been estranged the past couple of years, but lately we've been hanging out all the time.

Most especially with this menage a trois of Peanut Butter & Co flavors.

It's an East Coast company with a New York storefront, and really hard to find in my area. I've only found it in one local chain, Mollie Stone's. I'm near to the bottom of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, and just purchased Dark Chocolate Dreams and White Chocolate Wonderful.

There's going to be some alternating going on. .

who am I kidding, there's going to be a spoon with a little of each one in the forseeable future!!!

Have you had PB&Co peanut butter before? What's your favorite flavor?

~::~

Peanut butter is a very personal thing I'm discovering. Ray will only eat the sweet and smooth pb stylings of Jiffy and Skippy. Taste tests by Cook's Illustrated (which are thorough and pretty reliable) have shown that these two are actually preferred by many people.

They are homey and nostalgic, the peanut butter of our childhood. I find it quite forgettable today, a casualty of an evolved palate. It's the stuff to use when there is no other option, not for voluntary selection for adorning oats or slathering on banana.

~::~

Take this sandwich.

This is the PB&J from Los Gatos Gourmet. It's a sophisticated pb&j made with Koeze Cream-Nut All Natural Peanut Butter, and strawberry AND blueberry jams on Acme pain de mie bread. The peanut butter is salty and not very sweet, a perfect balance with the sweet jam.

My earliest peanut butter memory is the pb balls Mom made for snacks when we were really small. Some concoction of peanut butter, sugar, and flour, I remember the smell of the dough as we rolled them into balls and stored them in the freezer. A power ball of protein and calories to consume after roaming up trees and down the greenway.

This morning, a spoonful of White Chocolate Wonderful on top of pumpkin oatmeal is calling my name. It's calling rather loudly, so I must leave you now.

~::::~

Apple Cake for Breakfast

2010-02-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

Baking for Friday is the best.

It's not too early to start the weekend treats because you've got three days to finish them, right? You wouldn't want to waste any, that would be a collosal travesty.

I love apples. Can ya tell, from the large percentage of recipes that appear here?

I store mine in the crisper, and the apples I used in the cake have been there since October.

You really don't need to feel bad about this one either, it's pretty healthy as cakes go. A lot of baked things are passed off as something other than 'cake' to trick the consumer (ahem, muffin), a wolf dressed as an innocent little sheep.

I will not try to pull the wool over your eyes, but if there ever was a sheep dressed up in a wolf suit, this is it. Though it's healthier, I wouldn't bust it out on a Tuesday. It's still a special Fri-Sat-Sun thing.

The batter looks and smells a lot like pancake batter. You want to try not to overmix; I barely combined the dry and wet ingredients before adding the diced apples in a few more stirs. Use a folding technique (~'down the middle and over, down the middle and over'), and I try to stick to 10 folds which keeps me from overmixing.

If you can't wrap your brain around cake for breakfast (Iadmit that's how I feel most of the time), serve it for tea or after dinner.

The crowd I run with doesn't shy away from cake for breakfast. . .or icing, or gummy candy for that matter. Sorry honey, you know I've caught you with a bag of Gushers before 9:00am on more than one occasion.

The whole wheat pastry flour gives you that great healthy whole grain feeling without sacrificing your cake to something heavy and dense. You could sub all-purpose, but do yourself and the daily food pyramid a favor (at least 3 ounces of whole grains a day per http://www.mypyramid.gov/), and buy a bag of whole wheat pastry flour to keep in your fridge for some good baking.

Gack!! I really need to buy cinnamon. I put it in everything, so this photo makes me nervous.

Oh, and one more thing: please note the requirement for diced AND sliced apples here. That's one of those things that I'll miss on a recipe until I've prepped and it's too late.

You want the diced apples for adding to the batter, and the pretty sliced ones to decorate the top. If you screw up and diced them all it's not the end of the world, but then you wouldn't be able to craft the 'ridiculously-easy-topping-that-looks-like-a-professional-baker did it.'

Apple Cake for Breakfast

serves 6

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1 large Pink Lady apple, peeled and sliced thinly
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/4 tsp cinnamon, divided
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup plain applesauce
1 cup nonfat or soy milk
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8x8 glass baking dish.

In a small bowl, toss the diced apples with 1 tsp cinnamon and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, the ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the applesauce, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and the diced cinnamon apples. Fold together with a whisk lightly- sort of like pancake batter, try not to overmix. Pour the batter into the baking dish and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the sliced apples as prettily as you can on top. Combine the tablespoon of sugar and remaining 1/4 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the apples.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This cake can be served warm or at room temperature.

~:::~

Still adoring the new set-up in my kitchen, especially the awesome new cooling station. Before my baked goods took up all available counter space. Now they can stay as long as they want and not be bothered.

I think my kitchen helper likes it too.

~::::~