PBJ ON RYE

MOVING DAY!!

2009-02-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

Please visit PBJ on RYE here:

http://pbjonrye.wordpress.com/

Happy Eating!

Moving On

2009-02-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

PBJ On Rye is moving into a new home. After a few years on blogspot, I have decided to set up shop elsewhere, and a new and improved www.pbjonrye.com will be coming soon. Please stay tuned for the link that I’ll be setting up shortly. In the meantime, cook on!

This One's A Real Gas

2009-01-05T14:26:00.000-08:00

What could be better than your boyfriend cooking up a fabulously hot and healthy meal for you on a chilly Southern California night? How about if he also blogs about the dish, photograph and all? That's what my boyfriend/contributing-blogger did for my very first post of 2009. Here is his (unedited) take on an old classic, beef barley soup. Enjoy!

Beef Stew Barley Farts

My first go at the crock. Tasted very nice, especially the sauce, though the stew meat I purchased was tough -- could be their fault or it needed more crock time. Oh, and the barley had me er, for lack of a better word, farting all day. Not to worry, while not quite silent, they were rather odorless (you can even ask my gf). Anyway, here's the recipe as best I recall, I was shaking, and scooping and splashing, no real measuring besides the squint of my eye.

1.3 pounds (or so) of stew meat

¾ to 1 cup of 3 day old Merlot

½ to ¾ cup of crushed tomatoes

3 cups of water or so

1/3 beef boullian cube.

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon hot sauce

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon hot curry paste concentrate

1 Tablespoon sweet soy sauce

1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 Tablespoon heaping curry powder

1 Tablespoon oregano

1 Tablespoon salt/pepper

I put all that on high for 2 hours at which time I cracked open the crock to toss in chopped veggies in hopes of keeping them crisp for another 2 two hours (so 4 hours in total)--it worked:2 stalks of celery, 2 carrots, 1 tomato (I don't like potatoes, so I did it my way and left them out) . Next time I'll start the process in the morning and low crock the meat & sauce for 8 hours, tossing in the veggies again only during the last 2 of those 8.

Girl's Night In

2008-11-11T19:05:00.000-08:00

The other night my good friend M came over and we decided to have a girl's night of baking. M is not only a good friend but she is one of the most encouraging and positive people I know. She works a full time job plus goes to school so when the opportunity to bake something together came along, she was excited and happy. Both recipes come from the Allrecipes website. The first one we made was for the classic Snicker doodle cookie, one of my all time favorites. I have previously posted a recipe for Snicker doodles before but when my coworker brought in these cookies to work a couple weeks ago, I had to try the recipe out myself. They are so delicious--a little puffy and soft in the center with nice little crispy edges. Yummy!

The second recipe we made that night was for Butterscotch Bread Pudding (is your mouth watering yet)? Make sure you use an extra large mixing bowl when putting this together. The thing I like about making bread pudding is you can improvise as you go along, like maybe adding a handful of raisins or how about a dash of rum into the mix? The bread type can be varied too depending on your taste. For this bread pudding though, we pretty much stuck to the recipe and it turned out lusciously good. Right out of the oven the pudding is well, very pudding-ish in consistency. If you can stand to wait a day like I did before digging into it, the bread pudding will be firm and full of delicious butterscotch flavor.

M and I had so much fun baking that night that we've decided to make our girl's night of baking a monthly thing. Happy Baking!

For the recipes click here:

Snicker doodle

Butterscotch Bread Pudding

Stick To Your Ribs Cooking

2008-10-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

Whenever I think of comfort food, I usually think of something warm, rich, and hearty. Sweet or savory, a dish that comforts you like a fuzzy blanket or a childhood teddy bear is something to be eaten with pleasure and appreciation. This recipe for country style pork ribs is a perfect example of such a comforting dish. Made with only brown sugar and tomatoes, the ribs pretty much cook themselves in the oven for about 3 hours. These turned out so tender and the flavor was simply delicious. What could be better than simple comfort food like this?

Comforting Pork Ribs (adapted from the Encyclopedia of Creative Cooking)
1 12-ounce can tomatoes
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 pounds country style pork ribs

Layer the ingredients as listed in a large casserole dish starting with the tomatoes and ending with the ribs. Do not stir. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees F for 3 hours. Uncover during the last 45 minutes of baking.
Yields about 6 servings.

Shake It Up

2008-10-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Lately, my drink of choice has been the milkshake. I think for the last month (at least), I've had one milkshake fix a day. It's a wonderful comfort "food" and makes me happy. Let's see, so far I've tried milkshakes from Wendy's, Burger King, Del Taco, Carl's Jr., and of course McDonald's! My favorite has to be the vanilla shake from McD's--so simple yet so thick, rich, and delicious. Yesterday I decided to finally break in my Kitchen Aid hand held blender by making my boyfriend a vanilla shake. Since he's lactose intolerant though, I used soy vanilla ice cream and lactose-free milk. I added a tablespoon of caramel sauce and topped it off with whipped cream. The verdict? He loved it and drank the whole thing up.

Soy Vanilla Shake:

1 cup soy vanilla ice cream

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

Blend the ingredients together for about 15 seconds. If you like, drizzle with caramel sauce and finish it off with some whipped cream.

How About Some Chicken?

2008-09-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

This evening I felt like cooking something for my boyfriend and me. Yes, it's been awhile since I've actually done any home cooking...seems like we've been doing more takeout than anything else these last few months. Since I had some lovely chicken thighs and legs in the freezer, I opted for this simple yet very tasty dish from Mark Bittman's cookbook, "How To Cook Everything". Keep in mind that your kitchen may get very hot during the cooking process but luckily for us, it was a cool, breezy day here in Southern California, and our smoke detector only went off once. Enjoy!

Roast Chicken Parts With Herbs and Butter

4 tablespoons of butter

1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds), cut up (I used 4 legs, and 4 thighs)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combination of herbs (I used dried herbs--thyme and basil)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. When hot, put 1 tablespoon of butter in a roasting pan and place it in the oven--leave it there until the butter is melted.

2. Add the chicken, skin side up, season with salt and pepper, and return the pan to the oven. Combine the herb and the remaining butter in a bowl and mix until blended.

3. After the chicken has cooked 15 minutes, spread about 1/4 of the herb/butter mixture over it, turn, add another quarter of the mixture and roast another 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over again (now skin side up) and add another quarter of the herb mixture.

4. Cook until the chicken is done (you'll see clear juices if you make a small cut in the meat near the bone), a total of 30-40 minutes (mine took about 25 minutes to cook).

5. When serving, drizzle the melted butter/herb sauce over the chicken and serve with Japanese udon noodles also drizzled with the butter. Hope you like!

Something To Brighten Your Day

2008-09-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

These days, I cannot pass up any opportunity to make my day a little brighter, a little happier even. So, when my dear friend T from Chicago shared this recipe for Key Lime Pie With Blueberry Compote, found in the Chicago Tribune and fervently (but sweetly) asked me to bake and blog about it, I could not say no.

Life has been a little tough for me lately and baking and cooking have not been on my regular repertoire, but because I knew this would actually be good for me to do and because I love T, I went out today to get all the ingredients and baked the pie today. As I was putting the recipe together, I discovered that I missed baking and being in the kitchen. I missed that sense of accomplishment and pride that comes with throwing eggs and butter and blueberries together and then coming up with something delicious to nourish our bodies and our souls with. This evening I treated myself to two slices of this creamy, tangy, yummy pie and made sure to add extra whipped cream for myself. Yes, this day was a little brighter. Thank-you, T.

Recipe for Key Lime Pie With Blueberry Compote (adapted from Chicago Tribune):

Crust: - You can purchase a graham cracker crust, or make this one:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used cinnamon graham crackers)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup fresh lime juice (I used bottle Key Lime Juice)
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup blueberries

Compote:
1 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar – I cut this down to 1/4 cup for less sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a medium bowl; stir in the melted butter. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch, buttered pie pan, just even with the rim. Bake until crust just begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.

Filling: Combine the condensed milk, lime juice and zest in a large bowl until blended; whisk in the eggs. Pour the filling into the baked crust. Return to oven; bake until set, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on a rack; scatter the 1/4 cup blueberries evenly over top. Cover; refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. (Pie may be refrigerated up to 3 days.)

Compote: Combine the blueberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. (Compote may be refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days.) Cut the pie into wedges; serve with compote and whipped cream

(this post is dedicated to my late father, who would have celebrated his 79th birthday today. Happy birthday, Pop).

Brotherly Love

2008-08-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hi guys. Some of you may be wondering what's happened to me lately with my lack of fabulous recipes and posts this summer. Well, let's just say, sometimes life can be challenging and tricky. But, at the same time, life can be beautiful and wonderful too. Like tonight, when my little brother drove over 40 miles to see his big sis and cook her some delicious spaghetti. Yep, am I lucky or what? He cooked up a big plate of pasta and added his own touches like chicken Italian sausage and a luscious marinara sauce. Pretty soon I'll be cooking up a storm again but in the meantime, I sure don't mind having my brother spoil me with his own culinary talents.

Spaghetti with Italian Chicken Sausage

Ingredients

1 package (1 pound) Spaghetti, your favorite brand

1 package (about 5 links) Italian Chicken Sausage (You can use any type of sausage you like, I thought chicken would be a little healthier)

1 jar Trader Joe's Rustic Southern Italian pasta sauce

Parmesan Cheese for garnish

Directions:

In a large saute pan, brown the sausage and cook until cooked through. Add the pasta sauce and cook until heated through. Set aside.

In a large pot, boil 2 quarts of water (don't forget to season the water with salt!) and cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 7 to 10 minutes.

When the pasta is done, you can either pile it up on a plate and put the sauce on top, or mix the pasta and the sauce together and then put it on the plate. Sprinkle with parmesean cheese to taste. Buon appetito!

Feeling Like Flan

2008-07-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

For the next few weeks the theme of my food blog will be all about "soft foods". Think puddings, soups, tofu...you get the idea. Maybe you're wondering why. Well, just last week I endured two hours in the dental chair to have two new crowns placed. Right now, I've got a couple temporary crowns which are not the most comfortable things to have in one's mouth. Those of you with crowns can relate to this, I'm sure. Yet, I'm determined to make the "best" of this situation and more than that, determined to not have these temporaries fall out until my next dental visit during the first week of August. This of course means the less chewing and chomping I do, the better, and hence, the "soft food" diet is upon me. So, today I made flan. I have never been a big flan fan until a coworker brought some in for our last Cinco De Mayo potluck. It was light, creamy and not overly sweet. In fact, that was the recipe I was hoping to make today but I discovered I left the notes at work. I opted for this Vanilla Flan recipe from Epicurious instead. It's a little lighter than other flans in the fat department--you can actually use skim milk if you'd like but I chose low fat. It was deliciously smooth and yummy and the best part was, my teeth didn't have to do a lot of work to enjoy it.

Ina's Lamb Kebobs

2008-07-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

We enjoy a good lamb dish every once in awhile and this particular recipe is so quick and easy, I just had to share it. It comes from one of Ina Garten's recipes so you know it must be good, right? All you need is a large mixing bowl, salt, pepper, and a few other ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen and you're good to go. You do need to marinate the lamb for at least an hour though so make sure you plan on that when you make this dish. After that, the cooking is a cinch--only 10 minutes under the broiler and you have juicy, tasty lamb that is perfect for a summer meal. Enjoy!

Lamb Kebabs (adapted from Ina Garten)
1.5 lbs boneless lamb sirloin
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red win vinegar
1 teaspoonful dried basil
1/2 teaspoonful thyme
2 garlic cloves (minced)
Coarse salt, pepper
Metal or wooden skewers

Cut the lamb meat into large chunks and place in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper, olive oil, vinegar, basil, thyme, and garlic. Mix using your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge from 1 to 3 hours to marinate.

Preheat oven broiler; place the lamb meat onto skewers.
Broil the lamb for a total of 10 minutes, flipping the meat half-way through.

BYOB

2008-07-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to be baking and blogging again. These last several weeks, I have been a bit under the weather and had to take a little break from the kitchen. The good news is, I am on the mend and thought I'd "celebrate" my first post for July with a beautifully rich and moist Beer Cake from today's Los Angeles Times Food section. This cake made my whole house smell so good while it was baking and I really couldn't wait to take a bite of it as soon as it was done. Since I didn't want to burn my tongue though, I managed to wait for the cake to cool before giving it a taste this evening. Wow, this cake is delicious! It reminded me of a luscious spice cake but with a lot more rich flavor to it. The beer truly adds to this flavor but believe me, there's definitely no "beer-taste" anywhere to be found. Hope you will give it a try. Happy baking! (click here for the recipe)

Amy's Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-06-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

Here's another recipe from the Politics and Pot Roasts cookbook that I shared with you on my previous post. This time the recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies is compliments of our former "first daughter", Amy Carter. Did you know that Amy was only 9 years old when her dad Jimmy, our 39th President was elected? A couple other tidbits taken from the book: "Amy occasionally roller skated in the White House and had a tree house built for her in the South Lawn." Pretty cool huh? Well, I'm not sure if Amy actually baked these cookies herself in that huge White House kitchen back then, but I'm pretty sure she must have shared them with her peanut-loving family. I personally loved the soft, delicate texture of the cookies which reminded me a lot of a butter cookie. Surprisingly though, they were a little weak on the peanutty flavor. Next time I think I'll use a full cup of peanut butter and maybe add some chopped up peanuts to the mixture as well. By the way, these taste wonderful with a cold glass of milk.

Amy Carter's Peanut Butter Cookies:
Ingredients---
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup warm water
3 cups sifted flour

Directions--
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening and peanut butter
2. Beat in the sugars and salt.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the warm water; add this to the large bowl and mix well.
5. Stir in the flour. Mix until dough is smooth.
6. Wrap plastic wrap over bowl and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
7. After 1 hour, preheat oven to 400 degrees F
8. Using a small ice cream scooper or a spoon, scoop dough into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Gently flatten the ball using the tines of a fork; (create a criss cross pattern with the fork, if desired).
9. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown
10. Allow to stand for 10 minutes on the baking pan before transferring to cooling racks
(Makes about 4 dozen cookies)

Fit For A President

2008-06-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend recently surprised me with a new cookbook titled, Politics and Pot Roasts, An Unofficial, Unauthorized and Completely Unclassified Cookbook by Sarah Hood Salomon. It's an interesting, fun, and educational read, filled with some of the "favorite" recipes of over 40 U.S presidents and their wives. Starting with George Washington and rounding up with George W. Bush, I got a kick out of learning about our former president's food preferences as well as tidbits on entertaining styles of the presidential families. I decided to try this simple and quick recipe for Corn Muffins from the collection of Ida McKinley who was the wife of our 25th president, William.
According to the author, the recipe was first published in 1896 in The Canton Favorite Cookbook by the Ladies of the First Baptist Church in Canton, Ohio. The simplicity of this recipe makes it very appealing--it can all be made using just one bowl and one wooden spoon for mixing, and the muffins turned out moist and light with just a hint of sweetness. My boyfriend took one bite and declared them "presidential-tasting!" Okay, you be the judge. Enjoy!

Mrs. McKinley's Corn Muffins :
Preheat oven to 425 degrees farenheit
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Mix the dry ingredients together. Beat egg lightly and add to the dry ingredients.
2. Pour in milk and melted butter.
3. Mix until everything is just moistened.
4. Spoon into muffin tins, about two-thirds full.
5. Bake at 425 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Yields 6-8 muffins

Friday's Sweet Treat

2008-06-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share a quick post with you today. It's for a Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze, a recipe that can be found on the Leite's Culinaria website. The cake is loaded with a combination of both Granny Smith and Fuji apples as well as lots of pecans, then topped off with caramel. It is lusciously moist and is perfect for breakfast or dessert. I would recommend a big mug of coffee or a cold glass of milk to go with it. Click here if you would like to give this delicious recipe a try yourself.

How About Some Tofu?

2008-06-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

Despite all the baking I love to do, I also make an effort to eat as healthfully as I can most of the time. Treats and sweets are usually reserved for weekends and so my meal planning centers mostly around things like vegetables and whole grains, leaner cuts of meat like chicken breast or extra lean beef, and fresh fruit. On occasion, I also like to experiment with non-meat main dishes such as tofu. Lately, this Tofu Oat Loaf has been appearing on my menu more often. A lot of people shy away from tofu because of its reputation as being “boring" and "bland”. Well, I can assure you that there is nothing boring or bland about this loaf. The recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks called Oat Cuisine which as the title suggests, incorporates heart-healthy oats into most of its recipes. Here, the tofu is mixed together with uncooked oatmeal, tomato sauce, and fresh herbs. I also included some peppers for an extra kick. Eat it with some marinara sauce on top or maybe as a sandwich with some melted low fat cheese and toasted rye bread? Now I’m not promising that you’ll enjoy this more than a “true” meatloaf mind you, but it does make a nice, healthy alternative and who knows, you just might find yourself getting excited about tofu.

Tofu Oat Loaf (adapted from Oat Cuisine by Bobbie Hinman):
ingredients--
1 pound firm tofu
1/3 cup tomato or marinara sauce
1/3 cup fresh basil chopped
1/3 cup fresh chives chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ

directions--
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray
3. Rinse the tofu and pat dry; place it in a large bowl with 1/3 cup of marinara sauce. Add the herbs, spices, jalapeno pepper and ground pepper. Mash everything well together with a fork.
4. Add the oats and wheat germ and mix well until blended.
5. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 45 minutes; after baking, allow the loaf to cool slightly for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a plate.

A Curry Craving

2008-06-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

Another food craving hit me over the weekend and this time, it was for the spicy flavors of curry. I love a good curry dish and since I had a freezer-full of chicken and all the ingredients I needed already, I decided to make chicken curry. This was a recipe I made up as I went along, trying to incorporate all the ingredients that I enjoy whenever I go out to my favorite Thai restaurant for curry. Sometimes though, I find that curry dishes can be a little on the heavy side so I found that by making my own, I was definitely able to control that aspect of it. I used a combination of coconut milk and plain yogurt in this recipe which balanced out the spiciness of the curry paste and added a nice tanginess overall to the dish. Whether you eat this with some rice or pasta or even over plain toast, you will be sure to have your curry craving cured.

Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, 3 chick thighs, 4 drumsticks
1 15 oz. can chicken broth
1 lemon grass stalk—slice up the white bulb part
1 piece of ginger-sliced
1 cup of coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoonful red curry paste
handful of basil leaves
handful of mint leaves
handful of cilantro

whole black olives (optional)

Directions:
Rinse the chicken in water and pat dry; except for the chicken legs, cut up the chicken meat into smaller pieces, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and brown the chicken for about 4 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, add the lemon grass, ginger, and coconut milk; allow this mixture to slightly boil then turn down the heat to a simmer. Add the tomato paste, curry powder, curry paste, turmeric, and mustard seeds and stir for about 3 minutes. Add the yogurt to the mixture and stir well. Next, add the chicken back into the skillet, bring the mixture back to a boil and then turn down the heat again and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Finally, add the olives, basil, mint and cilantro and then remove from the heat.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2008-06-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

Make a lemon cake!

Over the last three days, I have been craving lemon cake. Ever since my boyfriend described a delectable slice he had the other day at a business event, lemon cake has been on my mind. My brain cells began working overtime, trying to find a recipe that would fit my needs and satisfy my craving. First, my cake had to be luscious and moist; second, and this was a bit more challenging, I did not want a cake that was too fattening or high in calories; lastly, being the citrus-lover that I am, the cake had to pack a whopping punch of lemony flavor. Searching through my cookbook collection for something that fit the bill was a bit tricky but when I found this recipe for yogurt cake, I knew I could make it work. The recipe comes from the cookbook, “Chocolate and Zucchini” and makes a wonderful base for all sorts of flavors, particularly lemon. I loved how simple and straightforward this recipe was, and with just a few tweaks here and there, I was able to customize it to my liking. You would never know that I only used one-third cup of oil and non-fat yogurt because the texture of the cake was quite moist, luscious and delicious. Though the cake tasted so good on its own without a glaze or frosting, I chose to make a low fat lemon curd to top onto the cake. This made for a nice, refreshing, and lip-puckering touch. I would have to say that this dessert has achieved a spot on my favorite list. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Lemon Yogurt Cake (adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini by Clotilde Dusolier)
Serves 10 people:

ingredients-
1/3 cup Canola oil
1 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon rum (optional)
Juice of one whole lemon
Zest of one whole lemon
1 and 2/3 cup AP flour
1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
A pinch of sea salt

directions-

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the sides of a 10-inch spring form pan or a cake pan with cooking spray (line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper if not using a spring form)
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla, oil, rum (if using) and mix again. Lastly, stir in the lemon juice and zest.
In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Pour the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture and whisk until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow to stand for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen or if using a spring form pan, unclasp the sides. Flip the cake onto a plate a place back on the rack.

Lemon Curd (from Alice Medrich's Chocolate and the Art of Low Fat Desserts)

ingredients-

1/3 cup strained, fresh lemon juice

fresh lemon zest from one-half of a lemon

5 tbsp sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

directions-
In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, combine sugar and lemon juice. Add the lemon zest, stir until the sugar is dissolved completely.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg. While whisking constantly, very slowly stream the hot lemon-sugar syrup into the egg. Beat for about 2 minutes , then transfer this mixture back into the saucepan by pouring through a strainer. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the curd just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.Transfer to a small airtight container and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes about 2/3 cup.

Note: The cake can be eaten slightly warm or at room temperature. Once its cool you can wrap the cake in foil and keep at room temperature for several days. The flavors get more intense and delicious after a day or so.

Better Than Delivery...

2008-05-31T21:33:00.001-07:00

The other night my boyfriend wanted to call up the local pizza parlor and order his favorite pizza (usually some pepperoni concoction with pineapple on it). I quickly stopped him in his tracks and told him that I would make a pizza for him instead. What was I thinking?? I’m not sure what made me say that as I was pretty certain that I had no frozen pizza dough or flat bread (unless you count the freezer-burned pita bread that really needed to be thrown out), and no pepperoni in the house. Well, it was too late to turn back at this point and retract my offer as my boyfriend happily put down the telephone and had a big smile on his face. I hid my panic with my own smile and confidently said, “dinner will be ready in about 45 minutes.” So the challenge began. I opened up my freezer and saw the box of Trader Joe’s puffed pastry that I bought for apple turnovers a few weeks ago. Thankfully, I still had one sheet of pastry left in the box. Woohoo! Next, I looked in the fridge and grabbed the shredded mozzarella cheese, some Chinese sausage, a Tupperware of marinara sauce, and the leftover top round steak that I made for some beef tacos the previous day. Lastly, I checked the pantry and found a can of crushed pineapple. Putting all the ingredients together was a breeze and a lot of fun. I first brushed the puff pastry with a little egg white wash, then spread a nice, thick layer of marinara sauce right over that. My boyfriend loves his pizza on the "saucy" side so I was pretty liberal with the marinara. Next came a few handfuls of part-skimmed mozzarella cheese, and then I sliced up one Chinese sausage and spread this out on one side of the pizza; the other half of the pizza was topped with the sliced top round steak. Finally, I added some of the crushed pineapple here and there because for my boyfriend, a pizza just ain’t a pizza without some pineapple on top! Into the preheated 400 degree F oven it went, and in about 20 minutes, the pizza was done. The end result was, to quote my boyfriend, “one of the best pizza’s I’ve ever tasted”! Can you believe it?
Since I received such accolades with the aforementioned puffed pastry pizza, I decided to make another for tonight’s dinner. This time though I changed up my toppings and used Canadian bacon, black olives, cherry tomatoes, precooked shrimp, and of course pineapple! Once again, the pizza turned out great and we didn't even have to pick up the phone. Saturday night cooking should always be this simple. Hope you enjoy.

Daring Bakers Go To The Opera

2008-05-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I was a little hesitant about completing this month’s Daring Baker’s Challenge. Well, maybe intimidated is more accurate! I mean, could I possibly pull off such a complicated sounding recipe such as this Opera Cake? I had never even heard of such a dessert until a little less than a month ago when our lovely hosts Ivonne, Lis, Fran and Shea announced that this would be our challenge for May. I initially read the recipe over a couple times and each time thought, 'this sounds too hard!’ I didn't pick up the the recipe again until a few days before the long Memorial Holiday weekend and this time, after a few more reads, I actually felt excited about attempting this challenge. This is gonna sound corny but as I was reading the recipe for the third and fourth time I began to think about what being a Daring Baker means and why I joined DB in the first place. I knew one reason I joined was to stretch and challenge myself in the baking arena; another was to learn more from others who shared a passion for baking; and most of all, I joined the DB'ers to have fun! And was this Opera Cake FUN to make! Yes, it did entail many steps, and YES, I did have some frustrating moments especially when the butter cream which turned out so lovely on Saturday night, did not look so hot on Sunday morning. Still though, this recipe allowed me to be a little more creative by choosing the flavorings which was an orange and almond theme. I chose to add some Mandarin oranges in between the layers of the jaconde, added Grand Marnier to the white chocolate ganache, almond extract was used in the syrup, and I topped the finished cake with almond slices and more oranges. Oh my gosh, this cake was delicious! The Opera Cake made its "debut" at a family get together this past Sunday and was a huge hit! The flavors worked well together and despite all the butter, cream and chocolate, there was still a lovely lightness to the cake. Are you up for the Opera Cake challenge? If so, you can find the full

recipe on Ivonne's site if you click here. I'll see you at the Opera!

Cookies To Make You Chipper

2008-05-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

How do you like your chocolate chip cookies?
a) soft and chewy
b) thin and crispy
c) all of the above
Well, if you answered "c" then I think you will enjoy this cookie recipe by pastry chef Sherry Yard. She calls these her "quintessential chocolate chip cookies" and by the taste of them, the name is quite fitting. The cookies manage to possess crisp, delicate edges and a soft, chewy center. That's the perfect chocolate chip cookie in my book! Yard recommends the use of a high quality bittersweet chocolate that she cuts into 1-inch pieces versus the more traditional chocolate chips. I used a mixture of dark chocolate as well as mint chocolates in my cookies so feel free to experiment with whatever you like. The interesting step in this recipe was shaping the dough into a log and then popping it into the fridge to chill. I'm more used to the usual drop cookie method of making chocolate chip cookies which, by the way, is also an option with this recipe.
So grab a tall glass of milk, or whatever your poison might be and hope you will enjoy these delicious cookies. Bet you can't eat just one either!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (by Sherry Yard, Desserts By The Yard)
ingredients-
1 and 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1-inch pieces

directions-(Prepare oven and cookie sheets once the cookie dough has already chilled for a minimum of one hour OR if skipping the chilling process, proceed as normal)
1. Place racks in the middle and lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), cream the butter on medium speed until lemony yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Continue creaming the mixture on medium speed until it is smooth and free of lumps, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed for 15 seconds or until the egg is fully incorporated. Do not over beat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. On low speed, add the sifted flour mixture. Beat slowly until all the flour is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate chunks and mix in.
6. Remove small handfuls or spoonfuls of one half of the dough from the bowl and center them along the bottom of a sheet of parchment or waxed paper, creating a log of 1 and 1/2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Fold the parchment over, creating a sausage. Twist the ends over and wrap in plastic. Repeat with the remaining dough. Chill for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. You can freeze the dough, well wrapped, for up to 2 weeks). When the dough has chilled, remove it from the paper and using a serrated knife, slice 1/3-inch-thick rounds off the log. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
**Note: if baking right away, skip step 6 and spoon heaping tablespoons 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
7. Bake, rotating the sheets from the top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking, for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and slide the parchment off the baking sheets onto a work surface. Cool the baking sheets between batches and allow the cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes before eating.
Cookies will keep for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

There's A Banana In My Biscotti!

2008-05-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

Please allow me to share with you yet another biscotti recipe, would you? Yes, I sure love my biscotti and I do enjoy baking up these little cookies. Today's recipe for banana biscotti was found on the website Cookie Madness and could not have been discovered at a better time because once again, over-ripened bananas were invading my kitchen counter. If you are looking for ways to use up bananas that are beyond their prime then I hope you'll try this recipe. It's a nice alternative to banana bread and compared to lots of other cookies and treats, relatively low in fat (only 1 tablespoon of oil for the batch). I decided to omit the nuts in mine but feel free to use them here. Whenever I eat biscotti I make sure to have a big mug of either coffee or hot chocolate for dipping. That and the Sunday paper and I'm set for the day. Enjoy!

Fruity Blondies

2008-05-15T12:35:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy week as my boyfriend's nephew and his girlfriend were visiting us from Chicago. It was lots of fun showing them around the city especially because they had never been to California before. Since they were in town, I did a little baking and decided to bake up a batch of cranberry and raisin blondies, a recipe I've had my eye on for some time now. If you are a blondie fan (and I’m not talking about the 70’s rock band here), I think you will find many things to like about this bar cookie which is filled with not only luscious cranberries, but rum-soaked golden raisins too. You could probably make them even more decadent by adding some butterscotch chips or chocolate chunks, but I decided not to this time. I also left out the nuts because I wanted the focus to be more on the juicy cranberries and raisins. Coming out of the oven, I was worried that the blondies were going to be a little on the dry side. The baking time said anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes but you know how ovens can vary, so I opted for the 35 minute baking time. Still though, I prefer a chewy, gooey blondie and these were just a tad drier than I liked, almost with a tea cake-like texture. So, my recommendation is to keep an eye out on the baking time and check how they’re coming along perhaps at the 28-30 minutes mark. I enjoyed the butterscotch flavor of these blondies very much, and found the cranberries and raisins added quite a tasty and pretty touch.

Fruity Blondies (adapted from Gourmet's Best Desserts)

ingredients--

1 C cranberries, rinsed, picked over and chopped

1 and 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup rum (light or dark will work)

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 and 3/4 cups AP flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

directions--

1. Butter/grease an 8X8-inch pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a small bowl and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes.

3. Combine the raisins and rum in a small saucepan; bring the liquid to a boil and simmer the raisins, covered, for 5 minutes or until they have absorbed the rum. Let cool.

4. Melt the butter in a saucepan over moderately low heat; add the remaining 1 and 3/4 cups brown sugar, cook the mixture, stirring, until it is just bubbly. Transfer the mixture to a heat-proof bowl and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir the batter until it is combined well. Fold in the cranberry mixture and raisins, and turn the batter into the baking pan, spreading it evenly (batter will be very thick).

5. Bake it in the middle of the oven for 35-45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. (Check at 30 minute mark so you do not over bake).

6. Allow the pan to cool on a rack and cut into bars.

Yields about 30 small bars

Sunday Morning Banana Crumb Muffins

2008-05-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

Aside from banana bread, which I love, I'm always on the lookout for new and delicious ways to use up those overripe bananas that sit on my kitchen counter or that I have hidden away in my freezer. One recipe that I have made before and loved is for banana crumb muffins which I discovered on Allrecipes. They were a huge hit when I made them the first time for a brunch party and I decided to make them again this weekend. Like most banana bread recipes, everything can be done by hand, no need to use your electric mixer for this one! It's also one of the easiest and quickest recipes to put together, and would make a very nice addition to say, your Mother's Day breakfast table, perhaps? Happy Mother's Day to all you moms! This post is dedicated to my own mother, who was a fabulous cook and who gave me so many beautiful and wonderful memories. She has been my inspiration for this food blog. Thank-you, Mom!

Another Indonesian Treat

2008-05-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

This is my second Indonesian dessert that I have posted so far (see black sticky rice), something I found on Arfi's lovely website, HomemadeS. The dish is called Kueh Klepon which translates to sticky rice coconut balls. It is made with sticky rice flour, the stuff that Japanese mochi is made from, and can be filled with either grated palm sugar or even better, if you can find it, dark brown palm sugar. I only had regular palm sugar on hand so I stuck with that. It’s a pretty simple and fun dessert to make and really didn’t take much time at all. My friend T from Chicago was visiting one weekend and we decided to make these together on a Saturday morning. I didn't have any pandan paste so mine did not have the traditional green shade that Arfi's had, but they still tasted good. If you are a fan of mochi, I think you will like these treats. If you have not tried sticky rice desserts yet, give this recipe a try. I used a brand of sticky rice flour called Mochiko which you can find at most Asian grocery stores. I added a pandan leaf to the boiling water to give it a more traditional Indonesian flavor. Pandan leaves may be a little tricky to find at your Asian grocer but the wonderful aroma and flavor that you get with them is worth the effort of seeking them out. You may have to ask around and check in the frozen food section. To see the recipe and to check out Arfi's very pretty Kueh Klepon, click here.

Chocolate Toffee Scones

2008-05-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

I have another scone recipe to share with you. It comes from the cookbook, Desserts By The Yard by Sherry Yard. I was pretty excited when I first got this book because the author happens to be the executive pastry chef at one of LA’s trendiest and swankiest restaurants, Spago. Yes, call me a little impressionable and star-struck but this really is one beautifully photographed and well written cookbook. It reads like an autobiography of Yard’s life, chronicling her career over the years at the various restaurants she’s worked at including of course, Spago.
These scones were a little different than the kinds I’m used to baking. For one thing, and I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, I have never used cream of tartar in a scone recipe before. Little did I know that this is a commonly used ingredient if you’re going to make a traditional English scone, which this recipe is. This resulted in a scone that was lighter and flakier than what I'm accustomed to. I also liked the sugar and cream coating that I brushed the scones with before popping them in the oven. This added such a nice crispness and subtle crunch to the scone in addition to giving it a bit of sweetness. The recipe is a very versatile one and you should feel free to add whatever suits your fancy. I was thinking of making chocolate chip scones but ended up chopping up some chocolate and toffee candy and mixed it into the dough. Next time, I think I’ll try some juicy raisins.

Traditional English Scones (from Desserts By The Yard by Sherry Yard)

Ingredients--

2 C AP flour

1/4 C sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 oz (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 large egg

1/4 cup heavy cream, or more as needed

1/4 cup milk, or more as needed

1/2 cup chocolate-toffee bits (or chocolate chips, or toasted nuts, or raisins).

Directions--

1. Place racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two 12x17 inch half sheet pans with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the first 5 ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and orange zest and mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the butter and flour are broken down into pieces the size of walnut meats. Use your thumb and forefinger to flatten the "walnuts". Then take up the mixture and rub briskly between your hands.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and milk. Add to the flour mixture along with the chocolate toffee bits (or whatever you choose), and blend at low speed just until the dough comes together, about 10 seconds. If it seems dry, add a bit more cream or milk, a tablespoon at a time.

4. Line your work surface with parchment, dust the parchment with flour and scrape out the dough. Shape into an 8-inch square, about 1 inch thick. You can use a rolling pin for this. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares. Flip the scones over and place on the parchment-lined pans. Brush with cream or milk and sprinkle with sugar.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until dark golden brown and puffed.

This Was Crumby

2008-04-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

We've all heard of crumb cake, right? Well, how about crumb biscotti? The difference here is to use any leftover cake that you might have tucked away in your freezer. Now I'm not a person who usually keeps leftover cake scraps or crumbs but it just so happened that I baked a chiffon cake a couple weeks ago and didn't end up using all of the cake. So, because I hate to waste perfectly good food, I sealed up the leftovers in a container and froze them. The cake actually came in handy a week later when I used some of it in a strawberry trifle, but even after that, I had quite a bit left over. This recipe helps take care of any leftover cake or even cookies, for that matter. It comes from what is becoming to be one of my favorite baking books, Nancy Silverton's Pastries From The La Brea Bakery. The biscotti came out very crispy and crunchy, though not too hard at all. Despite being made primarily from cake crumbs, it held together quite nicely and did not even crumble. Perfect for dunking! So make good use of your leftover cake and give this recipe a try. Let me know what you think.

Crumb Biscotti (from Pastries From The La Brea Bakery by Nancy Silverton)

ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups unbleached pastry flour or unbleached AP flour (I used a combination of each)

1 and 1/4 cups dry cake crumbs (or cookie crumbs)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 extra-large egg

1 extra-large egg yolk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 extra-large egg white, slightly beaten, for brushing the tops of the biscotti

directions:

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, crumbs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger and mix on low to combine.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the whole egg and egg yolk together. Slowly whisk in the melted butter.

4. Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the butter mixture, mixing just until combined.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, flatten it into a rectangle and fold the dough over onto itself, packing it into a completely solid brick. Keep patting the dough and dropping it against the surface to compress it and eliminate all the air holes. Using both hands, roll the brick back and forth to round the edges. Continue rolling the dough until you have a log about 15 inches long.

6. Transfer the log to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten it slightly to form a loaf, brush the top with the egg white and sprinkle with the extra crumbs to cover.

7. Bake the loaf until firm to the touch, about 35 minutes; allow to cool completely.

8. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Using a serrated knife, slice the loaf into cookies, about 1/4 inch thick. Arrange the biscotti on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake until dry, about 20-30 minutes.

**notes about drying your cake crumbs: I basically laid the cake scraps out on a baking sheet and placed it in the oven at around 300 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Check on your cake often though because you don't want it to burn. Once the cake is nice and dry, take it out and allow to cool before using the crumbs in the biscotti recipe.

Lollipop, Lollipop...!

2008-04-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

This month's Daring Baker's Challenge, Cheesecake Pops, was one of the most fun, creative, and whimsical recipes I've tried in a long while. I sort of felt like a candy maker as I dipped each cheesecake-on-a-stick into melted white and dark chocolate and then sprinkled all sorts of goodies onto the lollipops. I chose a bunch of different toppings for the pops like crushed graham crackers, chocolate and candy-coated sprinkles, crushed almond rocca, flaked coconut, and crushed chocolate wafers. This recipe makes a huge batch (I'm still making them as I type this!) so my lucky coworkers will be getting their share of lollipops come Monday morning. My boyfriend took a sample of a lollipop this morning and absolutely loved it. So a big thank-you to Deborah of Taste and Tell and Elle of Feeding My Enthusiasms for choosing April's DB Challenge. And if you'd like to check out other DB'ers version of Cheesecake Pops click HERE, or to make your own, check out this recipe on Deborah's site. Enjoy!

So Berry Delicious!

2008-04-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

Last week, Deborah from Taste and Tell posted a recipe for Blackberry Pie Bars that looked so mouth-watering good, I knew I could not pass it up. I used strawberries in place of the blackberries which resulted in a dessert that tasted like “a strawberry pie on steroids” (this is a direct quote from a friend who took a bite)! I think his words described this dessert perfectly. Not shy in the butter department, the “pie” crust was melt-in-your-mouth delectable, and the strawberry-sour cream filling was rich, sweet, and tangy. These bars are perfect for sharing with others or for bringing to your next potluck. In addition to being so darn good, the recipe yields a pretty large batch and keeps well in the fridge (that is, if they even last that long)! I’m definitely going to make these again and will probably experiment with different berries next time. By the way, don't worry if you don't have a food processor large enough to mix the crust ingredients in. I mixed everything by hand and with my pastry cutter and the results were just fine! Thanks Deborah, for sharing this great recipe (click HERE for the bars).

Not Your Mother's Pumpkin Pie

2008-04-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Searching for the perfect “make ahead” dessert the other day, I came across a luscious recipe for Freezer Pumpkin Pie, once again found on the Allrecipes website. Not only could I make it a couple days before a dinner party I was hosting, but boy did this come together quickly. The only rate limiting step was waiting for the pie crust to cool down. I changed a couple things on the recipe though: I used graham crackers instead of ginger snaps, and a combination of walnuts and pecans for the crust. Everything about this recipe was nice and easy, and the end result was a huge hit with my friends. The ice cream mixture really did have the flavors of delicious pumpkin pie filling and the nutty crust was scrumptious! I liked this so much that I’m already thinking about serving this for Thanksgiving dessert rather than the traditional pumpkin pie. This tasted exceptionally yummy with some whipped cream on top too. Enjoy! (click here for the recipe).

Ga Ga For Granola

2008-04-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

I love granola. I love eating it for breakfast with some yogurt and fruit, or for dessert with some vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce, or how about sprinkling granola on a slice of wholegrain toast that's been slathered with peanut butter? Need more ideas? The next time you make a batch of blueberry pancakes, why not top it off with a few handfuls of granola for some added texture and crunch? That one happens to be a favorite of my boyfriend's who discovered this at one of his favorite breakfast spots in Chicago long ago. You can even stir some granola into the batter and have some granola-baked pancakes. Okay, you get the picture. Now, what I really don't love about granola is all the sugar and fat that many store-bought ones have in their ingredients. Luckily, I have the solution to this--make your own granola at home. It's really quite easy and does not take much time at all. This recipe for granola has been my go-to granola recipe for several years and has never let me down in the taste department. It’s loaded with all sorts of goodies and of course, you’re free to improvise as much as you‘d like. Feel like adding shredded coconut to your granola? Go for it. Or how about some dried banana chips? Chocolate or carob chips perhaps? The possibilities are endless! This recipe also makes a huge batch so why not throw some together now and share it with your friends? You’ll be giving them a hearty and healthy treat and I think they’ll love you for it. How do you eat granola?

Homemade Granola (adapted from Alton Brown):

ingredients--

1 and 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

8 cups rolled oats (quick or old fashioned)

Chopped pecans, walnuts, whole almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, cashews (or any combination/proportions to equal 2 cups chopped nuts)

Dried fruit suggestions: chopped up dried pear, cranberries, blueberries, golden raisins

directions--

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the brown sugar and water in a microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave for 5 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from microwave and add vanilla extract and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts, and brown sugar syrup mixture until thoroughly mixed. Spread the granola onto the cookie sheets and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden and crunchy. After removing from the oven, add the dried fruit and allow granola to cool completely. Store in airtight container once cooled.

Sweet Memories

2008-04-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

I remember first baking this Lemon Pistachio Biscotti for my sweet mom almost 20 years ago when I first discovered my love for baking. She raved about the biscotti and it soon became an often-requested treat in our house back then. The recipe came from one of my earliest-acquired cookbooks, Sunset Magazine's Low-Fat Cookbook. Recently, I felt like baking them again not only because lemon and pistachios are two of my favorite ingredients, but also because they remind me so much of my mother and all the warm and fuzzy feelings those memories bring up. They simply put a smile on my face! I hope you too will enjoy this "twice-baked" cookie. Personally, I think they taste great even without the lemon glaze but I'll leave that up to you to decide. Oh, and please don't forget the coffee!

Lemon-tipped Pistachio Biscotti (adapted from the Low-Fat Cookbook, Sunset Magazine)

ingredients--

2 cups AP flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup butter (at room temperature)

2/3 cup sugar

grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

1 whole egg

2 egg whites (I used 1/4 cup of liquid egg whites)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup shelled salted roasted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

for lemon icing:

In a small bowl stir together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice until you get a nice, spreadable consistency.

directions--

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. Using a medium sized bowl, stir together flour and baking powder until blended; set this aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until well blended. Beat in egg, then egg whites. Beat in vanilla.

3. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in pistachios.

4. Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured board, shape each portion into a long loaf about 1 and 1/2 inches in diameter. Place loaves about 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Flatten each loaf to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Bake in the 350 degree F oven until firm to the touch (about 15-18 minutes)

5. Remove baking sheet from oven; cut hot loaves crosswise into about 1/2 inch thick slices (I actually made mine a little thicker than this).

6. Turn slices cut side down and spread slices out on baking sheets (you'll likely need two sheets).

7. Return baking sheet(s) to the oven and continue baking until biscotti look dry and are lightly browned (about 10 more minutes).

8. Transfer biscotti to cooling racks and allow to cool.

9. Drizzle lemon icing on one side of biscotti, or spread icing on one end of the biscotti (or both ends if you want!) Let stand until icing is firm.

Yields about 24 biscotti.

This Scone's A Star

2008-04-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

Being the early-morning person that I am, I actually enjoy waking up early on the weekends to cook something special for breakfast. This time I went back to a favorite recipe of mine, maple pecan scones. I made similar scones and wrote about them last year after I was searching for something that resembled the maple oat scones that Starbuck's sells. The ones I made certainly came close! On this particular morning, I baked a batch and decided to have some fun with the dough. Happy Baking!

Maple Pecan Scones (adapted from Simple Joys of Friendship):
ingredients-
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk and 1 /2 tablespoon lemon juice)
1 t. vanilla extract
2 T. maple syrup
1 t. maple extract
3 c. AP flour
1/2 c. uncooked,quick-cooking oats
2-1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 c. butter
1/2 c. chopped pecans

lemon glaze (optional)
Simply mix 1 cup powdered sugar with a couple tablespoons of milk and a dash of lemon juice. Stir it up to desired consistency.

directions- (preheat oven to 425 degrees F)
1. Mix first 5 ingredients; set aside.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the next 6 ingredients; cut in the butter until mixture has a cornmeal consistency.
3. Stir in pecans. Pour in egg mixture; stir with a fork to make a soft dough.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead to get a slightly uniform dough.
5. Shape into a circle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 16 wedges (or use biscuit or cookie cutters if you'd like).
6. Place on a greased baking sheet at 425 degrees F for 16-18 minutes or until lightly golden.
7. Allow to cool on a rack and then if you'd like, drizzle with the lemon glaze.
Yields about 16 scones.

An Apple Treat

2008-04-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

In our house, we love eating apples so there's almost always an abundance of them in our kitchen. Whether eaten raw, or cooked in a savory or sweet dish, apples are probably one of the most versatile fruits out there. So, when I came across this recipe that incorporated apples with other wonderful things like nuts and spices, I was eager to give it a shot. These Apple Squares were posted on one of my favorite food websites, http://www.allrecipes.com/. With its almost pie-like, gooey texture, they are a more delicate version of the "bar cookie". Eat them plain or topped with some whipped cream because either way, they are delicious! I hope you enjoy! (click here for the recipe)

Lessons Learned...

2008-04-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

Several things motivated me to bake bread over the weekend: there was the nearly-empty bag of bread flour sitting on my pantry shelf taking up precious space, I was making lasagna for dinner and wanted a good bread to go with it, and most importantly, I had an inkling to bake something savory rather than sweet for a change.
Remembering also that I had a small bag of unused soy flour lurking somewhere in my kitchen, I decided to peek into a cookbook I haven’t picked up in years, The Whole Soy Cookbook, sweetly given to me by my younger brother almost 10 years ago. Inside, the recipe for soy parmesan focaccia caught my eye because it didn’t require a lot of ingredients, had only one rising time (yippee), and doesn't focaccia go so well with lasagna?
The recipe used a combination of both unbleached AP flour and soy flour, but leave it to me to not leave well enough alone. Remember that bread flour I mentioned? Yeah, you guessed it… I used this in place of the AP flour. Little did I think that bread flour, with its higher gluten and protein content, would create a texture that was not as soft and tender as I would have liked. Oh, the focaccia was not a complete disaster and actually looked quite lovely coming out of the oven but truthfully, I was disappointed with the toughness of the bread. On the bright side, I can probably still use this as a base for some homemade pizza, and if you really want to punch it up a little more, how about adding some sun-dried tomatoes or kalamata olives next time? Oh, and stick with the all purpose flour too. That’s key.

Soy Parmesan Focaccia (adapted from The Whole Soy Cookbook by Patricia Greenberg):
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 cup soy milk
1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1/2 cup soy flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
Cornmeal, for dusting
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons or more chili flakes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (or soy parmesan cheese if you'd prefer)

Directions
1. Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl and stir until yeast is dissolved and foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt, pepper, and rosemary; gradually add the yeast liquid, mixing thoroughly with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.
3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes or until dough is no longer sticky (dough will be very sticky so add flour as needed).
4. Form dough into a ball and place in a slightly oiled bowl; cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; line a11 x 17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal.
6. Flatten the dough on a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle to fit the baking sheet; sprinkle the top with the parmesan cheese and the chili flakes. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Slice and serve hot.
(yields 8 large pieces)

Something Peanutty

2008-04-03T20:48:00.001-07:00

I celebrated my blog's 1 year anniversary this week! April first, to be exact. It's been an awesome year of cooking, experimenting, trying, failing, succeeding, and best of all, getting to know some of my fellow foodies and food bloggers from all over the world. Thank-you so much for visiting my little site, and giving me your feedback and encouragement. I've appreciated all your comments and support! Tonight I really felt like making something yummy and comforting with one of my favorite food groups: peanut butter! I came across this recipe for Crunchy Peanut Butter Brownies on the Slashfood website. It had everything I was looking for and seemed like a fairly simple recipe to throw together. The topping is actually a combination of cream cheese, peanut butter, eggs and sugar that is baked with the brownie base. Hmmm...the topping was okay but I was wanting something a bit more decadent and rich. I think next time I will substitute this part with a simple cream cheese and peanut butter frosting instead, and slather this onto the brownies after baking and cooling them. Still though, the brownie had a nice chewiness which I loved and the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is always a treat. I think I'll pour me some milk to go with this one.

A Perfectly Fine Cake--Daring Baker's Challenge For March

2008-03-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

I completed my cake this morning! Yippee. I really loved the taste of this cake—it's very chiffon-like with its light, airy texture and that hint of citrus. I pretty much followed the recipe to a tee except I decided to create mini layer cakes instead of 1 large one. I halved the butter cream

frosting recipe for this reason and unfortunately, my frosting never got thick enough during the mixing process. (Did any other DBers have similar problems with their butter cream frosting)? So, I ended up with a rather runny frosting that didn't quite make the prettiest presentation but I did my best with what I had to work with and am pretty pleased with the results. It sort of reminded me of a snowball with all the coconut flakes so I added the cherry on top to give it a bit more balance. Even though the cake did not turn out as "perfect" as I would have liked, I still had fun with this challenge and plan to serve my mini party cakes later today when my two brothers and their families come over to visit. This month's challenge for the Perfect Party Cake (a Dorie Greenspan recipe, by the way), was hosted by Morven of Food, Art, and Random Things. If you would like to bake your own party cake click here for the recipe, and party on!

Gado Gado Cravings

2008-03-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Oh, it feels good to be home. But, to be honest, a little strange to be blogging again. Though I haven’t turned on my oven since returning from Bali last Friday night, I do plan to start some cooking and baking this weekend. My experiences in Indonesia were filled with so many beautiful sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. I will try to recapture some of those experiences through pictures of the foods we tried while there. Luckily, Indonesian food is one of my favorite cuisines in the whole world so I had a bit of a culinary adventure of sorts. One of my favorite dishes is called Gado Gado and I indulged in this tasty, healthy dish as often as I could throughout my journey. Think of Gado Gado as a big, juicy salad, Indonesian style. I’m not just talking lettuce and tomatoes here either! Come to think of it, Gado Gado doesn’t even contain any lettuce or tomatoes to begin with! Instead, this dish is composed of an assortment of fresh vegetables that have been lightly steamed such as cabbage, green beans, carrots, bean sprouts, cauliflower, and even some potatoes. Typically, slices of hard boiled egg, tofu and fried tempe are thrown into the mix as well. What brings this dish all together for me though is the delicious, tasty, and sometimes spicy peanut-sauce dressing. My mother used to make her peanut dressing using roasted peanuts and grinding them herself but if you’re short on time (or on peanuts), then smooth peanut butter is a perfect substitute. Many times Gado Gado is also served with some crunchy shrimp chips on the side or crushed on top of the salad. Each time I ordered Gado Gado in Bali I was impressed at the presentation. No matter how small or homey or mom and pop the restaurant was, I was amazed at the time and effort the cook took to make sure the dish was as gorgeous as it tasted. I’m happy to say that I didn’t have one “bad” Gado Gado during my trip. I’d love to know if you have tried Gado Gado yourself and what you thought of it. And if you want to give your taste buds a trip to Indonesia, give the following recipe a try.

Gado Gado recipe adapted from Indonesian Regional Cooking by Sri Owen

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 cup sliced green beans

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cucumber, sliced

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Peanut Sauce Dressing:

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 and 1/3 cups raw peanuts

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 shallots, chopped

Thin slice of shrimp paste (optional)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 cups water

1 tbsp juice of a lemon

directions for the vegetables:

--Steam or boil the vegetables just until cooked and refresh under cold water to maintain their bright color (should take 3-4 minutes for most veggies except for the bean sprouts which should only need 2 minutes. Probably best to boil the potatoes until tender).

--Layer serving plates with some shredded cabbage and mound the vegetables in the center; arrange the egg slices, potatoes, and sliced cucumber on top.

directions for the peanut sauce:

--Stir fry the peanuts for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain in a colander, and allow to cool.

--Pound or grind the nuts into a find powder using a blender, coffee grinder or pestle and mortar. Discard the oil, except for 1 tablespoonful.

--Crush the garlic, shallots, and shrimp paste in a mortar with a little salt and fry in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil for 1 minutes. Add the chili powder, sugar, soy sauce, and water. Bring this to a boil, then add the ground peanuts. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes thick (should takes about 8-10minutes). Add the lemon juice and more salt to taste.

--Pour the sauce over the vegetables and serve either warm, room temperature, or cold.

A Leapin' Good Daring Baker's Challenge!

2008-02-29T14:21:00.005-08:00

Today is of course Leap Day and the last day of February, so what better way to "celebrate" than by baking and eating some delicious, homemade bread! In this installment of the ever-so-exciting Daring Baker's Challenge, we were given the task of baking Julia Child's French Bread. I have to be honest and tell you that I almost did not attempt this one because after reading the recipe and the very detailed instructions, I felt a bit intimidated by it all. I am also leaving for a 3 week trip to Asia tonight so I didn't think I had the time dedicated to baking the bread. But miraculously yesterday, I woke up early (3:40am to be exact), feeling willing, ready and able to tackle the challenge after all, and since I had the whole day off from work, I went for it. The bread making process, though a long one with 3 different risings, was very enjoyable and even relaxing. There's something quite meditative and peaceful about bread making, isn't there? And though my French bread may not be the prettiest on the block ( I had a hard time forming my long baguette), it sure tasted delicious! We toasted a few slices for breakfast this morning. I loved the crispy crust and the slightly chewy inside. My boyfriend slathered his with peach jam but I ate mine plain and simple. I will definitely be packing some of this with me for our plane trip this evening! If you would like to give this challenge a try for yourself, check out the recipe which was chosen by Breadchick Mary of The Sour Dough and Sara of I Like To Cook.
Since I'll be on vacation, this will likely be my last post for the next several weeks. So thank-you Mary and Sarah for February's French Bread challenge. I'm happy I made it! Aur revoir for now!

Back To Baking

2008-02-26T06:05:00.007-08:00

Unfortunately, baking and cooking have been put on the back burner lately because of my upcoming trip to Indonesia. In just 3 days we'll be flying to Jakarta and then to Bali for several weeks, so as you can imagine, I've been busily getting packed and organized, working my full-time job as usual, and trying to fit in some quality baking and cooking time whenever I could. Well, last night was one of those times. Flipping through the February 2002 issue of Bon Appetit recently, this recipe for sour cream-orange coffee cake with chocolate pecan streusel immediately caught my attention. The photograph of it in the magazine was simply mouth-watering and just thinking of the lovely combination of pecans, orange, and chocolate all in one dish made my taste buds dance and sing. Well, that ingredient list alone pretty much put me over the edge and had me running to my mixer in no time. I wish this post was one of those scratch and sniff ones because seriously, the heavenly smell of the coffeecake as it baked was just that, heavenly! I'm bringing this cake into work today to share with my co-workers. I have a pretty good suspicion that they won't last very long sitting in our kitchen area because man, are these good!

Sour Cream-Orange Coffee Cake with Chocolate Pecan Streusel (Bon Appetit, Feb. 2002)

Streusel
1 and ½ cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled salted butter, diced
1 and ½ cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cake
3 cups AP flour
1 and ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/3 cups sugar
¾ cups (1 and ½ sticks) salted butter at room temp
1 and ½ teaspoons grated orange peel
1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and ½ cups sour cream
¼ cup orange juice
Powdered sugar for dusting

Streusel directions:
Whisk brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend; add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture holds together in small, moist clumps. Mix in pecans and chocolate chips. (can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate).

Cake directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until blended and smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then orange peel and vanilla extract. Mix in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with sour cream in 3 additions. Mix in orange juice. Spread half of the batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Drop remaining batter over by heaping tablespoonfuls; carefully spread batter to make even layer. Sprinkle with remaining streusel.
Bake cake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, lay a sheet of foil loosely over pan and bake for an additional 35 minutes or until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Remove the foil and allow the cake to cool in the pan on rack (about 20minutes). Dust with powdered sugar; serve warm or at room temperature (can be made 2 days ahead; cool completely and store airtight at room temp).
Yields 12 servings

I'm A Heart Baker

2008-02-13T21:23:00.003-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Any Time Pumpkin Bread

2008-02-13T12:56:00.005-08:00

I used to think that baking pumpkin bread was reserved only for the fall baking season, or for holiday gift-giving, but that silly notion was immediately put to rest after I started making this delicious, lowfat pumpkin bread. It's from a recipe I found on the Allrecipes website which uses applesauce in place of any oil or butter. Now I know you might be thinking that the lack of fat must also equal lack of taste, right? Wrong! This bread comes out as moist, tender, and rich in flavor as any full-fat quick bread I've ever made before. In fact, friends who have tasted this bread cannot believe it's actually "low fat", and usually, I just don't tell them. See for yourself and bake some of this luscious pumpkin bread. You'll make your tummy and your waist line very happy, and you don't even have to wait til Christmas or fall to do it. Enjoy! (click here for the recipe)

Feeling Crabby--More Superbowl Eats

2008-02-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

Another winner at our Superbowl munching fest was this recipe for hot crab dip. It's a creamy, spicy concoction of cream cheese, mayonnaise, and crab meat adapted from Allrecipes.com. The heat comes from any hot sauce of your liking. I chose good old Tabasco sauce but if you want to kick it up some more, how about adding some diced jalapenos? I loved the ease in preparing this dip. Simply combine 6 tablespoons of softened cream cheese, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 six-ounce, drained can of crab meat, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce (more or less depending on your taste buds), into a bowl and mix well. If you want to get a little fancier with it, use real crab meat. Once everything is combined, place the dip into a small to medium oven-proof bowl that has been coated with cooking spray, pop it in the oven at 350 degrees F, and bake for about 20 minutes or until the top gets bubbly. After I let the dip cool a bit I transferred it into a hollowed out sourdough bread bowl for serving. Don't forget to save all the chunks of bread for some yummy dipping. Enjoy!

Some Super-Good Appetizers

2008-02-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

To me, Superbowl Sunday means more than just a world championship football game between two of the best NFL teams in the country. It also means indulging in some yummy treats, and enjoying the afternoon with good friends.
I don’t know about you, but when I think about the Superbowl, a 7-layer bean dip pops into my head. This dish simply rings “PARTY!” to me. I think the colorful mélange of tomatoes, avocadoes, and cheese gives it that perfect, festive feel. One of my favorite food sites, Simply Recipes, recently featured a bunch of Superbowl party fare and I was happy to find a recipe for, wouldn’t you know it, 7-layer bean dip! It was so quick and easy to put together that I also had time to make some crispy potato skins, again found on the Simply Recipes website. The potato skins were stuffed with crispy, crumbled bacon and lots of cheese (yum)! The best part about these recipes is that you don't have to wait for a big game or even a party to make and enjoy them. They are simply delicious any time! Enjoy!

The Daring Bakers Pucker Up

2008-01-27T21:06:00.000-08:00

Being the lemon-lover that I am, I was happy to find out that this month's Daring Baker's challenge was lemon meringue pie. Let me just say that I am not an experienced pie baker by any stretch of the imagination but I certainly am an experienced pie eater! And lemon meringue happens to be one of my favorites so I was eager to start baking. To make the challenge less daunting for me, I made the pie over the course of one and a half days. First I made the buttery pie crust, stored it in the fridge to chill, and then tackled the lemon filling and meringue the next day. I liked the look of my finished pie—the meringue had that light and glossy look and actually appeared slightly blow-torched after baking. Even though I found my pie to be a little on the runny side, it still tasted delicious. I loved the tanginess of the lemon filling and the crust though not perfect, was as buttery and flaky as any pie crust I've eaten before. Overall, I was pleased with my first attempt at lemon meringue pie. What a great challenge to start 2008 with! Who knows, maybe this will be the beginning of more pie baking in my future. Thank-you Jen, of the Canadian Baker, who chose this month's recipe. If you would like to give this pie a try yourself, check out her blog for the complete recipe.

A Bran New Day

2008-01-22T15:40:00.000-08:00

I love a good bran muffin. I seriously would choose to eat a delicious bran muffin over a chocolate brownie any day (well, okay, how about on most days)? But the bran muffins I've tried from various bakeries over the years have let me down either in the way of taste or in ingredients. Many of them have been way too sweet or very high in fat which is why I much prefer making my own muffins whenever I can. This recipe is one I've had my eye on for a few weeks now, and comes from the cookbook, Nancy Silverton's Pastries from the La Brea Bakery. Nancy Silverton is, in my book, one of the queens of bread and pastry making, and I'm a huge fan of her two restaurants here in Los Angeles, La Brea Bakery and Campanile. I am also a huge fan of these bran muffins and I hope you will be too. They came out moist, slightly chewy, with just the right amount of natural sweetness from the pureed raisins and brown sugar. Enjoy them with a big cup of coffee and you're good to go!

Bran Muffins (adapted from Nancy Silverton)
ingredients:
2 cups unprocessed bran
1 and 1/2 cups golden raisins
1 and 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon orange extract (or use 1 teaspoon finely chopped orange zest)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup canola oil
1 extra large egg
1 extra large egg white
1/2 cup unbleached AP flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

directions:
1. Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F.
2. Spread the bran on a baking sheet, toast for 6-8 minutes until toasted; stir half-way through so it doesn't burn.
3. In a small saucepan, stir together 1 cup of raisins and 1 cup of water, simmer on low heat until the water is absored, about 15 minutes. Place in a blender or food processor and process until pureed.
4. Pour the bran into a large bowl, add buttermilk and the remaining 1/2 cup of water and stir to combine. Stir in the raisin puree, orange extract, and brown sugar.
5. Add the oil, whole egg, and egg white and mix well to incorporate.
6. Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the raisin mixture; add the remaining whole raisins and stir to combine.
7. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins, filling the cups to just over the rim.
8. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the muffins are well browned and firm to the touch.
yield: about 10 muffins

A Balinese Treat

2008-01-16T19:33:00.000-08:00

In anticipation of my upcoming trip to Indonesia, I’ve been experimenting with some native dishes from this Southeast Asian country. Earlier in the month I made Indonesian fried rice using brown rice, and this time around I played with a black, sticky rice to make a Balinese dessert called Bubur Ketan Hitam (literal translation: black sticky porridge). The recipe I used was found here, with a few minor modifications. I guess you could call this Indonesia’s version of rice pudding, loaded with the flavors of pandan leaves and coconut milk. The pandan leaf is a common ingredient in Southeast Asian cooking that is used in both sweet and savory dishes. The scent is characteristic for its rich and nutty fragrance and this lovely aroma was definitely evident in my house as the black rice simmered on the stove top. The ingredients for this dish may sound exotic but don’t let that stop you from giving this one a try. The black rice, coconut milk (canned is perfectly fine to use), pandan leaves, and palm sugar can be readily found at a Chinese, Thai, or Vietnamese grocery store. The only ingredient I did have to search a little deeper for was the pandan leaf which I ended up finding in the frozen food section. To give it a bit more Indonesian flare, I topped off the rice with some chopped up jack fruit but I think lychees, or mango would work out nicely too. Overall, I enjoyed both making this recipe, as well as eating it. The creaminess, flavor, and color of the rice made me feel, if for a moment, transported to Bali, sitting on the beach or underneath a coconut tree. Well, we can always dream, can’t we? I hope you enjoy.

I Heart Macaroni and Cheese

2008-01-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

As a child, one of my all-time favorite things to eat was macaroni and cheese. I used to look forward to a big bowl of the stuff, compliments of that familiar yellow and blue box of course. My mom could get pretty creative with it too; she’d sometimes throw in some crispy, chopped up bacon, or scramble up some eggs and stir it into the cheesy mixture, or make a tuna casserole out of it by adding canned tuna, then popping it into the oven until it got all bubbly and crispy on top. Needless to say, mac ‘n cheese always brings back a warm and fuzzy feeling to me, and as a grown-up, has become one of my favorite comfort foods. There are lots of different versions out there, but this weekend’s mac and cheese recipe comes from Ina Garten, aka the Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa. Ina is not known to shy away from all things buttery, rich, and creamy, and this recipe is certainly no exception. The only change I made to it was substituting Japanese Panko in place of the fresh breadcrumbs to top off the dish. I liked the addition of tomatoes on top which were baked into the cheese and Panko crumbs but I think the overall flavor was a little subtle for my taste buds. Perhaps I simply needed to add a tad bit more salt, or maybe adding something like mustard powder would give it that extra kick I was wanting? I did like the consistency very much though but be sure to eat this soon after baking in order to get the most of both the crispiness and creaminess of the dish. This recipe also makes a huge amount so you may want to share some with your friends. I have to say, the warm and fuzzies came and lingered for a long while this weekend. Enjoy!

This Hit The Spot

2008-01-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

I was craving something chocolaty, rich, and chewy so what better way to satisfy this craving than with a plate of fudge brownies? I know we're supposed to be in some sort of post-holiday dieting mode, but what the heck. I've learned over the years that when my taste buds are calling out for something, I'd better deliver! I used a recipe for Classic Fudge Brownies from my Gourmet Best Desserts cookbook. Though I admittedly haven't baked much from this book yet, I plan to during the new year. The book is a compilation of all sorts of desserts from the editors of Gourmet magazine and I was happy to snag it from a local church rummage sale during one of my cookbook hunting frenzies. These brownies turned out just the way I want my brownie to be: rich, fudgey, chewy, and oh-so-decadent. I hope you enjoy.

Classic Fudge Brownies

ingredients:

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped coarse
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into bits

3/4 cup sifted AP flour

1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

2 large eggs (at room temp)

1 and 1/4 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

directions:

1. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan; preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. In a small heavy saucepan melt the chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth; let the mixture cool completely.

3. Into a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a large bowl with a mixture beat the eggs, add the sugar, a little at a time, beating and beat the mixture at high speed for 3 minutes, or until thick and pale. Stir in the chocolate mixture and the vanilla, add the flour mixture, stirring until the mixture is blended well, and stir in the nuts.

5. Pour the batter into the baking pan, smoothing the top, and bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until it pulls slightly away from the sides of the pan.

6. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

Yields 16 brownies

Hold The Syrup, Please.

2008-01-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...I know these pancakes look a little on the, uh, naked side, but let me explain. I wanted to douse the stack with maple syrup before taking the photo but my boyfriend, who I made this particular plate for, is a maple syrup dipper. See, he likes to take a piece of his pancake with a fork and dip it into a small container of syrup instead of having his pancakes bathed in the sweet, sticky stuff. Actually, that's the way I usually eat my pancakes too and since this recipe makes just enough for two people, we settled for the bare, au naturale look for this post. Now that I've explained my picture to you, let me tell you what a treat these cranberry pancakes were. This recipe was another great find from my Eating Well subscription. The pancakes are made from a combination of white and whole wheat flour, a bit of cornmeal, and of course, fresh cranberries. The flavor of the pancakes was a little nutty with a mix of sweet and tart, and the texture of the pancake was surprisingly light. And you know what? These pancakes were so good on their own that I ended up eating them plain without a drop of maple syrup. My boyfriend on the other hand, dipped to his heart's content. Let me know what you think.

Cranberry Pancakes from Eating Well Nov/Dec 2007
(makes 2 servings of 2 pancakes each)
ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup AP flour
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 tablespoons nonfat milk
2 tablespoons egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1 and 1/2 teaspoon canola oil
directions:
1. In a small saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Add the cranberries and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and cool for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk AP flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl until combined.
3. Whisk milk, egg substitute and oil in a small bowl until combined.
4. Coarsely chop the cranberries; stir into the milk mixture. Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined.
5. Coat a griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Using 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, cook 2 pancakes at a time until bubbles dot the surface, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until browned, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Easy Does It Lasagna

2008-01-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was cold and rainy here in Southern California so what better way to beat the rainy day blues than by cooking up, and then eating, a big plate of lasagna? I've made lasagna a few times in the past but I have to admit, it sure has been a long time. I think it's because I tend to think of lasagna as a labor-intensive dish with lots of little ingredients that I just don't have time for. Well, this recipe I used was actually quite the opposite as it required only a few ingredients, and best of all was healthy and delicious. I got it right off the box of Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Pasta by the Ronzoni company. What I loved about the recipe was that it was quick, and even though these were not "no-boil" lasagna noodles, boiling the noodles was not required. Isn't that cool? Simply throw all the ingredients together and stick it in the oven. About 50minutes later, you will be indulging in a hot, cheesy, comforting plate of good stuff that is actually good for you too.

Healthy Harvest Easy Lasagna

ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

3 cups (26oz jar) spaghetti sauce

1 and 1/2 cups water

1 and 3/4 cups (15oz container) ricotta or small curd cottage cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8oz)--I used part-skimmed

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

9 pieces uncooked lasagna noodles

directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F; in a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meat and then drain the fat. Add the spaghetti sauce and water. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

2. While meat sauce is simmering, stir together the ricotta cheese, one-half mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.

3. Pour about 1 cup sauce on bottom of 13x9 inch baking dish. Arrange 3 UNCOOKED pasta noodles lengthwise over the sauce; cover with 1 cup sauce. Spread one-half cheese mixture over sauce.

4. Repeat layers of lasagna, sauce, and cheese filling. Top with layer of lasagna and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

5. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Allow to stand for 10minutes before cutting.

Makes 12 generous servings.

New Year's Fried Rice

2008-01-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's hard to believe that a new year has arrived, isn't it? By the way, Happy New Year! My recent break from baking, cooking, and blogging has actually been very good for me as I now feel rejuvenated and eager to start cooking and writing again. Tonight I decided to make an Indonesian chicken fried rice dish using some leftover brown rice I had in my fridge. Fried rice was actually a common dish my mother would cook for us in our family. I loved my mom's version with all the wonderful ingredients she would add: sometimes it would be shrimp; other times pork or beef, and on occasion she'd do a very hot and spicy fried rice with chili paste, or a more milder version with eggs and peas. The ease of preparing this dish makes for a tasty and quick dish, and you can pretty much add what you'd like which makes fried rice a very free spirited meal and something that reminds me of home.
Indonesian Fried Rice (adapted from Eating Well, Jan/Feb 2008)
(Serves 2 very generously)
Ingredients:

1 large egg plus ¼ cup egg beaters (lightly beaten together)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon whole almonds
2 dried red chili peppers
1 tablespoon canola oil (divided)
1 cup vegetables of your choice (can use finely chopped cabbage or yellow bell pepper or broccoli)
8 chicken strips (more or less, it's up to you; I used Tyson's frozen chicken tenders)
½ cup peas (I used canned peas)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon kecap manis (this is a thick palm sugar-sweetened soy sauce and can be found in Asian supermarkets in the soy sauce aisle)
2 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Directions:
Coat a large skillet or wok with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Pour in the egg mixture, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, lifting the edges so uncooked egg flows underneath, until mostly set. Slide the egg out of the pan onto a clean cutting board. When cool enough, cut into thin strips.
Place garlic, almonds, and chili into a food processor and process until a paste-like consistency forms. Heat one-half of the tablespoon of in the pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl.
Heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat and add the vegetables and chicken strips, stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic/almond paste, soy sauce, kecap manis, and rice and stir until combined and heated through, about 2 minutes.
Remove the rice mixture from the heat and toss in the peas. Top off with the strips of eggs and scallion slices.

More Christmas Baking

2007-12-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving today for Chicago so this will be my last post until after the Christmas holiday. I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and also to recap a few more recipes I made for gift giving this year. I knew right away that I wanted to make this recipe (top picture) for Apple Cranberry Bread because I had an abundance of apples and two bags of fresh cranberries to use up. I found it in the Allrecipes website which I frequent. The bread baked so nicely in the mini loaf pans I used and the apples and cranberries bursted beautifully giving the loaf such a pretty color and the feeling of the holidays. It really was perfect for wrapping up and giving away.

Also on the Allrecipes site was a recipe for cranberry and pistachio biscotti. I think biscotti make a good choice of cookie to give because of its sturdiness, not to mention how good they taste! These were exceptionally yummy with a texture that was a bit softer than the usual rock-hard biscotti I'm a little more familiar with. Perfect for dipping into that mug of hot cocoa.

The other cookies I made come from the Martha Stewart website. They are called mocha slice cookies and incorporate cocoa nibs in the cookie dough. In case you're not too familiar with what these are, gourmetsleuth.com says, "cocoa nibs are perfectly roasted cocoa beans separated from their husks and broken into tiny bits. They are the essence of chocolate." That last statement is certainly true! The nibs added a bit of crunch and a smoky, dark chocolate flavor to the cookie. The addition of espresso powder (or instant coffee powder) gave the cookies such a rich, deep flavor that it felt like I was eating a cup of coffee!

Happy baking (and eating) to everyone out there. Enjoy yourselves!

The Midnight Rum

2007-12-17T21:14:00.000-08:00

This year I'm making, and giving away rum balls as part of my Christmas baking repertoire. I actually tried making rum balls once in my life, oh, maybe two years ago but for some reason, I failed. The rum balls turned out rather runny and didn't really stay in a "ball" form at all. More like a rum pancake. And it wasn't just the appearance that didn't quite cut it; I remember giving one to my boyfriend to try and bless his heart, he did take a taste, but after a second or two, made a face that told me, 'better luck next time'. Discouraged with that, I had no interest in giving rum balls another try. That is, until I read about this recipe for Midnight Rum Balls which uses Oreo cookies in place of the traditional vanilla or chocolate wafer cookies that you may typically find. I think the key in keeping a certain degree of "firmness" in your rum ball is in the amount of rum you add. Put a little too much in there, and you just might end up with a pancake instead of a ball. Believe me, I've been there.

Midnight Rum Balls (adapted from a recipe found on Chowhound.com)

ingredients:

Oreo Cookies (or any other type of chocolate sandwich cookie)-about 24 of these

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1/3 cup rum (can substitute with whiskey if you'd like)

Extra fine granulated sugar to roll the balls in

Crushed peppermint to roll balls in (optional of course)!

directions:

1. Crush the cookies until they are fine crumbs (best to use a food processor for this)

2. In a medium bowl, combine the cookies with the powdered sugar, walnuts if using, and cocoa powder and mix.

3. Next, add the corn syrup and the rum and stir ingredients until combined.

4. Using wet hands (because the dough is very sticky), make 1 inch balls and then roll into the granulated sugar, and if you'd like, roll them in crushed peppermint sticks for that holiday look.

5. Store the rum balls in a tight-fitting container; remember, rum balls actually taste better and better a day or two after making them.

Easy As Apple Pie

2007-12-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was a little kid I've had a fondness for caramel apples. Well, who doesn't right? I remember my parents used to shop at a big department store called Fedco years ago which also had a grocery store inside it. There you could find the best caramel apples: humongous sized apples, covered in thick gobs of caramel and smothered with nuts. Every time they shopped there my brother and I would get excited because we knew what treat they'd be bringing home for us. Nowadays, I don't indulge so much in caramel apples but I do enjoy having one every now and then, and so does my boyfriend. Usually, we buy them at the local Ralph's or Von's grocery store, and if we're lucky enough, we might even find them on sale that week. Recently though, I was inspired to make my own caramel apples, especially after finding this recipe called Caramel Apple Pie On A Stick from the Food Network website. It seemed pretty easy and the title of the recipe caught my attention. It also uses cinnamon sticks in place of the wooden stick you typically find on a caramel apple which I thought was pretty cute. I think the hardest part of this recipe was taking the individual caramels out of the wrappers. Boy, that was tough! Otherwise, the second hardest part might be stopping yourself from eating the entire batch of caramel apples. Hope you enjoy.

An Ode To Carbs...Homemade Pretzels

2007-12-15T06:50:00.000-08:00

I am the first to admit that my pretzels really do not look like your traditional soft pretzel. Maybe a pretzel-goldfish is more accurate? Well, what can I say, I'm a little challenged in the pretzel-forming arena! In any case, I was pretty pleased with the way these "pretzels" turned out. Right out of the oven, they were especially soft and slightly chewy, and the sprinkling of coarse sea salt gave these a really nice flavor. I thought about baking these for Christmas gifts but discovered that to truly experience the deliciousness of it all, the lucky recipient really ought to receive the pretzels soon after baking. I'm talking maybe an hour or so after coming out of the oven. If that's not possible though and you'd still like to give someone these homemade pretzels, then just remember to tell them that a quick zap in the microwave ought to do the trick (I discovered this even a couple days after baking--the pretzel actually did become soft and chewy again). I cannot even remember where I found this recipe but I had it in my recipe file and recall making them once before. If you give this a try, let me know what you think and maybe someone out there can give me some tips on pretzel shaping? Enjoy!

Soft Baked Pretzels

1 package dry yeast

1 and 1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

4 cups AP flour (I used unbleached)

1 beaten egg

Coarse sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; add sugar and flour and mix. Dough will be soft but not sticky. Add a little more flour if it is too sticky. Let dough rise for 30 minutes.

2. Cut dough into 12 pieces. Roll pieces of dough into 16-inch ropes. To make pretzels, curve ends of each rope to make a circle; cross ends at top, twist ends once and lay down over bottom of circle (or, be like me and shape them like goldfish)!

3. Spray cookie sheet with baking spray and arrange pretzels on sheet. Brush on egg and sprinkle with coarse salt if you'd like.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden in color.

Simple and Satisfying

2007-12-11T18:01:00.001-08:00

Apple desserts are some of my favorites to eat and to make, so when I came across a recipe that incorporated both apples and puffed pastry the other day, I wanted to give it a try. Okay, I admit, what really made me want to try it was the fact that the recipe had minimal ingredients and sounded relatively simple to prepare (the key is using prepared puffed pastry). At the same time however, the end result was a dish that looked elegant and delicious, not to mention labor intensive. The lovely food blog Ceres and Bacchus posted this recipe for tarte aux pommes (French apple tarte). I sprinkled some cinnamon over the tarte after it came out of the oven and then dolloped it with whipped cream. Dare I say that this tarte reminded me of a more sophisticated McDonald's apple turnover?? Just to clarify, that's a definite compliment! Trust me, this was good!

I've Got The Blues

2007-12-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

Fortunately, I'm only talking about the "blues" as in blueberries here. For breakfast this morning, we had a deliciously rich blueberry buttermilk tart which I made using this recipe from Epicurious. This was my first time baking a tart and I have to say, it wasn't all that hard (even for me)! My sweet brother bought me a tart pan for my birthday last summer so this gave me the opportunity to finally test the pan out. By the way, I foresee more tart making in my future! If you're fortunate enough (like I was), to have some fresh blueberries on hand, then please use them, otherwise, you can always substitute with frozen berries. This dish is reminiscent of cheesecake but quite light and yummy and perfect for breakfast, dessert, or any time of day! Enjoy.

Ho Hum...More Cupcakes!

2007-12-05T19:15:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite cupcakes is Hummingbirds. In case you don’t know what these are, hummingbird cupcakes are comprised of mashed bananas and pineapples, pecans or walnuts, and topped with lots of cream cheese frosting. The original Hummingbird Cake recipe supposedly originated from Southern Living magazine, circa 1978, by a Mrs. L.H. Wiggins (according to http://www.foodtimeline.org/). Why this dessert is called a “hummingbird” is still a mystery however as no explanation has been given on its name. In fact, food historians have discovered that this cake has also been known as Cake That Doesn’t Last, Never Ending Cake, and Granny’s Best Cake. If it were up to me though, I’d call these cupcakes Simply Scrumptious. Because they just are.

Hummingbird Cupcakes (from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans)

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups unbleached AP flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 banana)

1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple in its own juice, drained

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Directions:

(Position a rack in the middle of the oven, preheat oven to 350 degrees F; line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners)
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium size bowl and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat the egg and yolk and the sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about two minutes (use an electric mixer on medium speed). Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during the mixing.

3. On low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. Mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter is smooth.

4. Add the cinnamon, mashed banana, pineapple, and pecans to the cupcake batter, and mix just to blend them together.

5. Fill each cupcake liner with about 1/3 cup of batter. Bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Then, place the cupcakes on the wire rack to cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe:

(makes 3 cups)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly blend (about 1 minute). On medium speed, beat the mixture for another 1 minute.

A Salad Craving

2007-12-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

‘Tis the season for lots of baking but how about giving your oven a little break and whipping up a delicious salad this week?
Yes, I know the month of December isn’t a popular month for salads, but in Southern California where the sun shines strong and the temps today peaked at around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (really, I’m not bragging), it could just as well be the middle of summer. Which is why eating something cool, refreshing and light makes perfect sense (at least until the predicted rains come later this week)!
I made one of my favorite tofu salads to go with some flounder I prepared for dinner last night. This is a salad that comes from a cool, little Japanese noodle restaurant in Los Angeles called Mishima. Whenever I ventured out to Mishima for a big bowl of udon or soba, I would also treat myself to their signature tofu salad, happily devouring every last tasty bit of it. Seriously, I think I could have eaten that salad every day! Well, I was quite pleased when, about 10 years ago, the Los Angeles Times food section ran the recipe for Mishima’s Tofu Salad. I clipped it, saved it, and made it over and over again. Don't worry if you cannot find all the ingredients listed for the salad. I didn't have everything on hand myself and added a few extra things like sugar snap peas and even a few black olives into my salad. Be creative and have fun with it. Since I think the creamy dressing is what makes this salad so special and delicious, I'd recommend that you follow the directions exactly and not substitute on the components. So now, I share with you something that may not be so holiday-ish but for me, is one thing I could eat any time of the year.

Mishima Tofu Salad (LA Times)

Ingredients for the dressing:

2 tablespoons sesame seed paste or creamy peanut butter

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger root

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 and 1/2 teaspoon mirin (sweet rice wine)

1 tablespoon water

directions:

Combine all the above ingredients and mix well until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Ingredients for Salad

1 (14 ounce) package medium-firm tofu

2 Japanese cucumbers, sliced thin

2 tomatoes, sliced thin (I used cherry tomatoes)

Radish sprouts (optional)

Dried bonito flakes (optional)

Dried seaweed (nori), minced (optional)

directions:

drain excess water from tofu and cut into 2/4 inch cubes. Divide tofu, cucumber and tomato slices among 6-8 plates; garnish with sprouts and bonito flakes. Chill 20 minutes. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and sprinkle with dried nori.

One Potato, Two Potato...

2007-11-25T21:07:00.000-08:00

Boy, this was challenging! I wasn't sure how my bread would turn out but as you can see from the photos, I managed to get through the November Daring Baker's Challenge in one piece. Honestly, I was semi-panicking throughout the process because my dough was soooo soft and sticky and hardly manageable that I almost threw in the towel (and threw out the dough!) half-way through. But, like any other Daring Baker would, I trudged along, determined not to quit and actually, my curiosity on how the dough would turn out got the best of me (thank goodness). I decided to make a black olive foccacia and some mini loaves, and to my amazement, the end-products were delicious! I've never baked a potato bread (or tasted one) before so I really did not know what to expect. What I got however was worth all the hard work and perseverance. Thanks Tanna of My Kitchen In Half-Cups, for thinking up this month's Potato Bread challenge! (If you'd like to try your hand at this recipe, click here).

Cupcakes For Two?

2007-11-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know there's only one cupcake photographed but trust me, I did make enough cupcakes for 2-4 people today. I just didn't take a group shot of them. You see, I finally made something from a cookbook I was given some time last year called Small-Batch Baking by Debby Maugans Nakos. It's perfect for those of us who may have a craving for say, vanilla cupcakes with coconut cream cheese frosting, but don't want to deal with baking a dozen of 'em and having to eat more than one, goodness forbid! This basic vanilla cupcake recipe yielded 4 cupcakes and not only were they a cinch to whip up but they were also just right for me as I'm running awfully low on both sugar and flour these days! Anyways, I added some cream cheese frosting and topped the cupcakes off with some unsweetened, organic coconut flakes that I found at Whole Foods the other day. Be as creative as you'd like, or as non-creative because these actually tasted quite delicious plain too. Happy baking!

Vanilla Cupcakes With Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from Small-Batch Baking):

ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temp)

1/2 cup AP flour, sifted.

1/4 cup buttermilk (at room temp)

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Yolk of 1 large egg (at room temp)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (make sure you have placed a rack in the middle of the oven beforehand). Line a muffin pan with 4 paper liners.

2. Combine the buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl and stir to mix. Whisk in the egg yolk and vanilla.

3. In a medium-size bowl, place the flour, sugar and salt and whisk to blend well. Add the butter and half of the buttermilk mixture. Using a hand-held mixer on low speed, beat until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is lightened and has slightly increased in volume (about 45 secs). Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour in the remaining buttermilk mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended (about 20 secs). Scrape down the side of the bowl again if necessary.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing batter evenly. Bake about 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcake comes out clean. (The tops will just begin to brown).

5. Remove the muffin pan from the oven and place on wire rack for 10min; remove the cupcakes from the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Using an electric mixer, mix 6 ounces cream cheese with 1/2 cup butter butter (both should be at room temp), until smooth. While still mixing, gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until well combined. Once the mixture is a smooth consistency and the cupcakes have cooled you can frost the cupcakes. Addition of coconut flakes is optional of course...you can also top it off with chocolate shaving, nuts, or anything else you'd like.

I Am Thankful For...

2007-11-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

all of you who have visited my humble food blog and have left me such supportive and sweet comments. Today I'm fortunate enough to be spending the Thanksgiving holiday with the people I love and I hope you will do the same.
Enjoy your day!
P.S. : If you have some free time this weekend (and you're not too stuffed), give this delicious gingerbread cupcake recipe a try. It's from Peabody's website and it totally "tastes like fall!" (a direct quote from my boyfriend after he took a bite). I topped the pumpkin cream cheese frosting with some crystallized ginger. Enjoy! (Click here for the recipe).

Pre-holiday Baking: Snickerdoodles

2007-11-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving and Christmas (yikes!) just around the corner, I've been thinking more and more about baking cookies and which ones I'd like to make and give away as gifts. So today I tested out a Snickerdoodle recipe. Now I've tasted this cookie before but this was the first time I've ever actually made Snickerdoodles. The recipe, which I found in a cookbook called Simple Joys of Friendship is quite simple and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and bake. The end result is a cookie that is soft, slightly chewy, slightly sweet, and one that goes perfectly with a hot cup of tea. The cinnamon flavor of the cookie made my boyfriend think of Apple Jacks Cereal when he tasted it. Though not the most exciting cookie appearance-wise, the Snickerdoodle is quickly becoming one of my favorite tasting cookies and I'm definitely going to include this one for my holiday baking.
Snickerdoodles (yields 3 dozen cookies)
ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 and 1/2 cup plus 2 T. sugar divided
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
2 and 3/4 cup AP flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
2 T. cinnamon

directions: (preheat oven to 400 degrees F)
1. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 and 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla.
2. Blend in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
3. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls.
4. Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
5. Roll balls of dough in sugar/cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
7. Remove immediately from baking sheet to cool on a wire rack.

A Childhood Treat Makeover

2007-11-14T18:53:00.000-08:00

I don’t ever recall making Rice Krispies Treats when I was a kid. I think it’s because we preferred Captain Crunch and Count Chocula over the plain, boring rice puffs that snapped, crackled and puffed when you poured milk over them. Nowadays though, my preference to indulge in overly-sweetened cereal has pretty much diminished, and thanks to a recent sale at the supermarket, I found myself with a couple boxes of Kellog’s Rice Krispies in my kitchen. So when I came across this recipe from the New York Times on a revamped RKT, I was curious to give it a whirl. Interestingly, this new recipe upped the butter factor (2 entire sticks versus the 3 tablespoons in the original recipe), as well as increasing the amount of Rice Krispies (one 12 ounce box versus six cups). The new recipe also calls for caramelizing the butter (hence the name of the recipe!), which means you have to keep a close eye while melting the butter, being careful that it does not burn. I’m not the the biggest fan of RKT’s in the first place, but I still thought this version was pretty good. It certainly was easier to handle when placing the mixture into the baking pan and patting it down. The end result is a firmer, crunchier treat that has a nutty kind of flavor. I suppose if you are looking for the familiar, chewy texture that you get with the original recipe, you’ll be a tad disappointed with this one (that’s how my boyfriend felt). On the other hand, I brought some to work to get my co-worker’s opinions and found that most of them liked this version a lot more. Hmmm, go figure. Well, if you do give this recipe a try, I’d love to know your thoughts. For now, I think I’ll just stick to pouring my rice krispies into a bowl, slicing some bananas on top, and dousing it with some cold milk.

Caramelized Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats (The NY Times Oct. 31, 2007)

ingredients:
8 ounces butter (salted or unsalted, plus extra for the pan)
1 10.5 ounce bag marshmallows
1 12 ounce box of Rice Krispies cereal

directions:
1. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or butter the pan well.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will metl, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Watch closely and stir often.
3. When butter is evenly browned, stir in marshmallows (if using unsalted butter, stir in 1/8 tsp salt). Melt and cook, stirring often, until mixture turns pale brown, then stir constantly until lightly browned but not dark, about 3-5 minutes).
4. Turn off heat, add cereal, mix well (use a silicone spoon or a spatula); scrape into prepared pan and press down lightly (if necessary, butter hands to press the mixture flat). Let cool, and cut into squares/bars.
Yields 30-50 treats depending on size you cut them

A Slice Of Nostalgia

2007-11-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how such a simple recipe can be transformed into a dish that is so deliciously comforting, isn't it? That's what happened when I baked this classic rum cake the other day. You might have seen this recipe or baked it yourself at some time. Or perhaps it was a favorite in your household growing up like it was in mine. My mom baked this cake often and it reminds me so much of her and of my childhood. When I took a bite, all I wanted to do was curl up on my sofa with a big blanket, a glass of milk, and all the wonderful memories I could conjure.
Rum Bundt Cake

1 cup chopped nuts (toasted walnuts work nicely)

1 18 and 1/2 ounce yellow cake mix

1 4-serving size instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup cold milk (I used non-fat)

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup rum (can use either dark or light)

glaze

1 stick butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup rum

Cake directions:

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

-Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan; sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan.

-Combine all cake ingredients, beat for 2 minutes w/electric mixer.

-Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour.

-Cool in pan; once cool, invert onto a serving plate and prick the top with a fork.

-Drizzle glaze over top of cake and use a brush or spoon to put extra glaze back on the cake.

Glaze directions:

-Melt butter in saucepan, then stir in water and sugar.

-Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

-Remove from heat and stir in rum (caution: the rum will cause steam--be careful to not burn yourself when adding the rum).

(note: you can make the cake 1-2 days before serving; in fact, it tastes even better the next day)!

More Orange Treats

2007-11-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

Maybe it’s because of my fondness for the color orange, but I’ve been baking a string of orange-oriented things lately. First there was the orange chiffon cake in October’s Daring Bakers challenge, then there were the chocolate orange cupcakes I baked for Halloween, and this time around, it’s orange brownies a la Food TV's Paula Deen. I first stumbled across this recipe on Deborah’s site, Taste and Tell. She made the brownies look and sound so delectable that I knew I wanted to make these for a dessert party I was having on Friday night. Of course with Paula Deen's recipes, there’s hardly ever any skimping on the butter, and these orange brownies were no exception. They were a big hit with my guests too--so moist, rich, gooey, sweet, and you guessed it, orangey! The flavor is intense but not overwhelming, and the cream cheese frosting, though not really necessary, makes these little goodies even more decadent. I thought the orange brownies make a wonderful dessert alternative to the traditional chocolate brownies or butterscotch blondies. Happy baking!

One Good Cookie

2007-11-09T04:17:00.000-08:00

The first time I ever made these cookies, my boyfriend told me they were “the best” cookies I’ve ever baked for him. Wow. That’s a pretty powerful statement, isn’t it? Well, while I do agree that these World Peace Cookies from Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets cookbook are quite high on the delicious- rating-scale, I don’t know if I agree that they are the “best” I’ve baked him. I mean, what about those chocolate chip ones that he raved about, or the oversized oatmeal raisins? Okay, a compliment’s a compliment and I will take them when I can! The bottom line is, these are indeed wonderful cookies. I made the dough early yesterday morning before work and baked up a batch later on that evening.
I hope you’ll like them as much as my boyfriend (and I) do.
Peace. (recipe here).

A Brownie Lesson

2007-11-04T04:20:00.000-08:00

I recently acquired a copy of Alice Medrich's Chocolate and The Art of Low Fat Desserts and was eager to try out a recipe this weekend. The cookbook itself is quite lovely with beautifully photographed, mouth-watering creations that simply look, well, not so low fat. I wasn't sure where to begin with this cookbook as everything from the chocolate marble cake to the walnut truffle cookies sounded divine. There's even a few non-chocolate recipes in the book too like lemon bars and a cranberry tea bread (as in Christmas gifts)! So, I started where any good baker would: with the brownies. Alice writes that these brownies are "gooey" yet at the same time have less fat than your run-of-the-mill brownie. There are only 5 tablespoons of butter in the recipe (as opposed to perhaps 2 sticks of butter in the more traditional kind), and instead of using bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, Alice uses Dutch process cocoa powder. I was determined to bake a brownie that looked as delectable as the chewy-gooey brownie she had photographed in her book. Unfortunately, things didn't really turn out as I hoped. For one thing, my brownie was not chewy or gooey. It was more on the cakey side which is not how I like my brownies (I know there are many of you who like a cakey brownie, and that's fine, but not my preference). The brownie was also a bit on the dry side and though quite chocolaty in taste, didn't really have anything special in flavor for me. So what happened? Well, I believe I made a couple mistakes which, after reading more on the "art" of baking in the low fat ilk, makes more sense now. One thing I did was I cut back on the sugar. The recipe called for 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar and thinking I was making a wise decision, I used only 1 cup. Alice writes that sugar "contributes to moistness and moisture retention", and in a recipe where the fat is already lowered, the role of sugar becomes even more prominent. The second mistake I believe I made was to overmix the batter which can contribute to the tough texture of my brownie. Lastly, I think I overbaked the brownies. The baking time for these brownies ranged from 20-25 minutes and even though I baked for twenty minutes, it was still a bit too long for my oven. I have to say though, the brownies were not a complete failure. They are still okay if I don't think of them as a "brownie" but maybe as a chocolate tea cake. Plus, I learned quite a bit from my brownie misadventure. I learned that baking itself, whether low fat or not, truly is an "art" as well as a science, and the next time I attempt one of Alice Medrich's recipes, I better follow it to a tee!

Fudge Brownies (by Alice Medrich)

ingredients:

1 cup AP flour (sifted)

1/2 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch process cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

5 tablespoons butter (or stick margarine)

1 and 1/4 cups sugar

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules or espresso dissolved in 1 teaspoon water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; place oven rack in lower third of the oven. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Using a whisk, stir the first four ingredients together in a large bowl and put aside.

3. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and then stir in the sugar, mixing until combined (will be a grainy consistency). Next, add the egg, egg whites, vanilla, and coffee or espresso. Beat with a wooden spoon (approx. 40 strokes), scraping down the sides of the pan if necessary. Add the dry ingredients and mix for another 40 strokes or just until mixed.

4. Pour mixture into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake for approx. 20 minutes depending on your oven (as I mentioned, even 20 minutes was too long for me so you may want to start checking your brownies at close to 18 minutes--insert a toothpick into the center of the pan and if it comes out a little gooey, it's done).

5. Cool in the pan, on a baking rack. Once cool, grab the parchment or foil and remove the brownies from the pan. Cut into 16 squares.

notes: the brownies can be stored at room temperature, well wrapped for up to 2 days; can freeze them for up to 2 months.

calories per brownie: 134

fat: 4.6 grams

Surely, You Zest!

2007-10-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, I certainly did zest this evening when I made two versions of an orange cupcake recipe I stumbled across on the Food Network site. This is seriously a very easy recipe...no tricks here! Admittedly, it involves using a boxed chocolate cake mix, lots of citrus (orange, in this case), and a creamy, sugar glaze as well as a chocolate ganache frosting, if you'd like. I sprinkled some orange zest on top of the cupcakes mainly because I thought it looked kind of pretty.

(For the recipe, click here. Just a couple comments: Since I didn't have any limoncello on hand, I used lemon juice instead and instead of the candied orange peel, I used the zest of 1 orange as a substitute. If you'd like to make the chocolate ganache simply melt about 4 oz bittersweet chocolate with 4 oz butter, stirring over low/medium heat; allow to cool slightly before drizzling over the cooled cupcakes).

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Daring Baker's Challenge For October

2007-10-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

What better way to ring in my second Daring Baker's Challenge than by having some neighbors over for some Bostini Cream Pie and board games? That's just what we did over the weekend and had a lot of fun doing it. I have to say that making this challenge was a lot of fun itself. I couldn't believe how many eggs I cracked for this dish, but I also realized how much I was learning and honing some important baking skills. I think this was actually my first time making custard and I'm happy to say, I didn't burn it! The Bostini Cream Pie was a lovely dessert, not to mention rich and delicious. I loved the creamy, vanilla-ness of the custard and the orange tanginess of the light chiffon cake. The chocolate topping made it even more decadent. I think my neighbors enjoyed it too. Thank-you Mary from Alpineberry for selecting a creative and pretty dessert for us this month. (If you'd like to try making a BostiniCream Pie yourself then click here and you'll be on your way)

Lazy Day Breakfast

2007-10-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

This is my boyfriend’s latest creative, culinary creation—a pita stuffed with leftover corned beef, a fried egg, sprouts, and some Monterey Jack cheese. The end result is a sloppy mess that was simple to put together, tasty, and satisfying. Who said breakfast has to be a bowl of cereal with milk? Just goes to show what you can do with leftovers and some basics. Good job, sweetie.

A Pumpkin Treat

2007-10-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

I’m a sucker when it comes to pumpkin desserts so when Anna from Cookie Madness posted this recipe for marbled pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes, I was sold! Doesn’t the name of these just make your mouth water? The way they turned out reminded me of a pumpkin version of black bottom cupcakes. The cupcake was moist and not too sweet, and the combination of the cream cheese and the pumpkin flavor was pretty darn good. I added one-half teaspoon of pumpkin spice in place of the allspice and nutmeg that the recipe called for.
I personally think they make the perfect quick breakfast to go with a big mug of coffee (or hot cocoa).

Sunday At The Opera

2007-10-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to celebrate my birthday all over again this past Sunday thanks to my boyfriend’s mom and dad. You see, they sweetly gifted me with “dinner out” compliments of the two of them even though they live several states away. So, my boyfriend and I chose a restaurant that we’ve wanted to try for some time now, but instead of dinner out, we decided on “brunch out.” Our choice was Caffé Opera in the nearby town of Monrovia. This is an elegant yet seemingly laid back and non-pretentious restaurant that serves brunch on both Saturdays and Sundays. The menu offerings are plenty and include some interesting items like sole and potato pancake with eggs and arugula, or quesadilla with fillet Mignon. I think there was something for everyone’s taste buds. I chose the trout almondine
with mixed greens and my boyfriend went with sea scallops in a creamy brandy sauce with asparagus and roasted cauliflower.

We each also received a lovely complimentary Mimosa to sip on which is included in the brunch menu. My trout was pan fried and cooked perfectly with the right amount of crispness without being overdone. The mixed greens that the fish sat upon were plentiful and refreshing and paired wonderfully with the fish. My boyfriend’s scallop dish was also a winner. There were

probably around 8 jumbo scallops, pan seared and swimming in a light but creamy brandy sauce with bits of raisins, asparagus spears, and roasted cauliflower. I admittedly wanted to lick the plate clean because it was so yummy! Our dishes were also accompanied by some rustic freshly-baked bread and butter, and a plate of fresh fruit and French fried potatoes. Needless to say, we ended our meals with full but happy bellies and thoughts of our next visit to Caffe Opera. I think we’ll take my boyfriend’s folks here the next time they come over to visit us in California. Thank-you for a wonderful birthday treat.

Caffe Opera

402 S. Myrtle Ave.

Monrovia, CA.

626-305-0094

A Corned Beef Craving

2007-10-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago, my boyfriend had an inkling for some corned beef and cabbage. So, we decided to go out for dinner that night to satisfy his craving. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, to our surprise and slight frustration, not to mention tired feet, we discovered that finding a restaurant that serves corned beef and cabbage (or just plain old corned beef), is pretty tough to come by when the month is August and there's no St. Patty's Day celebration to be found. Even our nearby Irish pub/eatery did not serve the dish! Well, a couple days ago, I was the one who had the corned beef craving, (minus the cabbage, however). This time though, I knew better and decided to make my own corned beef in my ever-so-trusty slow cooker. I adapted a recipe I found from my Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook, coming up with a fairly straightforward, easy recipe that required minimal ingredients and best of all, minimal time in prepping. Nine hours later, I got my corned beef. Live and learn (and eat)!
Ingredients:
Corned beef brisket (about 3 lbs)
1 large Russet potato (cut up into large chunks)
5 carrots (cut cross-wise)
1 can beef broth (about 1 and 1/2 cup)
1 cup dry white wine
Directions:
Simply place the potatoes and carrots into the slow cooker, and put the corned beef on top ot this. (if beef comes with a seasoning packet then sprinkle this over the meat). Pour the broth and white wine over the corned beef, turn slow cooker on low and cook for 9 hours.

My Granola Bar Challenge

2007-10-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

It is not every day that my sweet boyfriend becomes enamored with the taste of a granola bar. I mean, granola bars are not exactly his food of choice or anything, but when some friends shared a few of their "sweet and salty" cashew bars by Nature Valley during a recent hiking excursion, my boyfriend could not stop raving about them. I decided then that I would make him some home-made granola bars similar to this store-bought kind he was munching on. After doing a little online search for a recipe, I found one that appeared to fit the bill. This recipe was actually posted by another fan of the sweet and salty cashew bar who was also trying to recreate the bar. The ingredient list reminded me of a rice krispie treat except that 3 cups of oats are mixed in, and there are no marshmallows anywhere to be found. The granola bars are pretty simple to make and only take a few minutes. In addition to the cashews, I also added some toasted macadamia nuts. The hardest part was probably cutting the bars after leaving them in the fridge overnight to set. I must have cut about 3 bars before my hand became tired and my boyfriend took over and cut the rest! So you may be wondering how close these tasted to the "real thing"? Well, according to my BF, they were pretty similar but maybe a little "too sweet" for him; and texture-wise, my bars resembled peanut-brittle more than a traditional granola bar. Hmmm. Makes me want to go back to the granola-bar-drawing-board and try it again. I think next time I'll cut back on the amount of butterscotch chips and maybe even cut down on the brown sugar since the condensed milk already is pretty sweet. If that doesn't work, I also bought him a box of the Nature Valley cashew bars (just in case)!

The Joy of Coffee Cake

2007-10-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

I was determined to make something with the tub of sour cream I had sitting in my fridge so when I came across this recipe for Quick Sour Cream Coffee Cake, I knew I found what I was looking for. Not only did it have sour cream as its main ingredient, but the title of the recipe also said "quick." Now that's my kind of recipe! This one comes from a 1964 paperback edition of the Joy of Cooking, a book I picked up from a local thrift store and one that I, admittedly, have never cooked from. The coffee cake was really a breeze to make--just a few ingredients to throw together and you don't even need to take out your mixer. Though the baking time in the book states 20 minutes, I had to bake my cake for 30 minutes so do keep an eye out on the progress of your cake since you don't want to over bake this. I actually didn't get a taste of the finished product yet because I want to bring it into work tomorrow morning (and it's getting close to my bedtime), but looking at the photo, it does look pretty yummy, doesn't it?

Quick Sour Cream Coffee Cake--The Joy of Cooking 1964 edition
(preheat oven to 350 degrees F)
dry ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups AP flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
wet ingredients:
1 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
2 eggs

Streusel topping:
2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons butter, 5 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts--combine these in a bowl until crumbly.

1. In a medium size bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and mix well.
2. In a large bowl, combing the sour cream and the eggs together, and mix well.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the sour cream mixture and stir until smooth.
4. Pour into a buttered 9X9 inch cake pan and pour the streusel mixture over the top of the batter.
5. Bake for approximately 30 minutes (baking times may vary so watch the cake after 20 minutes).

Fish Sticks For Grown-Ups

2007-10-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

I picked up a package of fresh catfish nuggets the other day and thought about making some "fish sticks" after reading about Joe's baked fish sticks on his site, Culinary In The Desert. I didn't use his exact recipe for this but I did like the idea of using Panko, something I always have on hand in my kitchen cupboard. I came across a recipe from an old Sunset Magazine that used crushed cashews and flour and thought of using the Panko in place of the flour. Here's my adaptation of the recipe which was really quite quick and easy:
Simply grind up about 1 cup of raw cashews in your food processor, mix this into a shallow bowl with 1 cup of Panko (I used honey flavored Panko), add some salt and pepper and other dried herbs of your choice (I threw in a bit of oregano), and mix well. In another bowl, beat 1 large egg with a few tablespoons of water. Dip each catfish nugget into the egg mixture, roll into the Panko mix, and lay the nuggets on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake the nuggets in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about 20 minutes (watch the fish closely after 15 minutes so as not to burn the fish, but you do want them crispy). Once you're happy with the crispiness of the fish, take it out of the oven and serve and eat hot. I liked this dish a lot. Growing up, I loved fish sticks and ate my fair share of them, so to revisit a "healthier" version of this childhood favorite was a special treat.

The Key Is In The Lime

2007-10-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

When I bought a two pound bag of key limes for only ninety-nine cents the other day, baking a key lime pie was definitely on my mind. I actually never baked one before but I certainly have tasted key lime pie at least once in my life. I remember this took place oh, maybe some 15 years ago, while eating at a California Pizza Kitchen restaurant. Even after all these years I still recall the delicious, tangy, creamy filling and the buttery, graham cracker crust. I wonder if CPK still has that pie on their menu. This version was definitely a cinch to make and if you don't want to spend too much extra time, be like me and use a pre-made graham cracker crust. As you can tell from my pictures, I really could not stop at just one bite and I happily devoured my slice. Yes, it was tangy, sweet, creamy, and it was so good!
Key Lime Pie (adapted from GourmetSleuth):
ingredients-
4 large egg yolks
1 14 ounce can of lowfat sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh key lime juice (I used about 20 key limes for this)
1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust
directions-
1. beat the egg yolks until they are thick and turn a light yellow.
2. add the condensed milk, mix in half the key lime juice and stir to incorporate.
3. add the other half of the juice, continue to mix until blended.
4. pour the mixture into the pie shell, bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes.
5. place on a rack to cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge for at least 3 hours to chill.

A Cheesy Store

2007-10-05T04:26:00.000-07:00

The Frog’s Breath Cheese Store is, well, like a breath of fresh air in Old Town Orange. Its modest exterior hides a sleek, spacious, brightly-lit space, painted a cheery cheddar-yellow, chock full of many things cheese, and more. There is also an impressive selection of wine, olive oils, mustards, chocolates, table linens, and accessories.
Wine tasting takes place from Thursday through Sunday, and the wine selections vary weekly. If wine tasting is not your thing however, you can always purchase your favorite bottle, order a cheese plate, have a seat in the dining area, and have everything served to you. This is just what we ended up doing on a recent Saturday afternoon.

Our cheese plate consisted of 4 different types, accompanied by several slices of French bread, and the most deliciously seasoned, addictive almonds I've ever tasted. It’s a fun way to introduce yourself to different cheeses from all over the world (yes, there is more to life than American cheese slices and mozarella)!
For those of you who aren’t too familiar with Old Town Orange, it’s a charming part of Orange, California where antique stores, cafes, and all sorts of quaint retails shops abound.

If you’re ever in the area doing your antiquing, do make a point of stopping by the Frog’s Breath for a little pick-me-up, to browse, or even to talk to the knowledgeable staff about throwing your next wine and cheese party.

Look At These Pretty Buns

2007-09-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

I have never made cinnamon or sticky buns before, and I have never been a Daring Baker before. Put the two together and what do you get? My first ever Daring Baker challenge for the month of September, of course! I was pleased, honored, and excited when I became a member of the Daring Bakers for I knew that I would be joining a rather talented bunch of people who month after month have been creating many mouth-watering, tantalizing treats that I admired. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous and a lot excited when I found out that this month's recipe was for cinnamon and/or sticky buns. I love to eat both of these sweet treats (who doesn't like Cinnabon, right), and I decided that I wanted to try my hand at baking both. This month's challenge was hosted by Marce of Pip I n The City. Looking at the recipe, I found it to be pretty easy to read and follow, and I even had most of the ingredients on hand already. As expected for yeast-bread recipes, this one takes a long time because of the two fermentation processes (the first one being about 2 hours and the second one close to 90 minutes). Otherwise, the actual dough-making, the dough-rolling, and the prepping of the caramel for the sticky buns and fondant glaze for the cinnamon buns was not very time consuming at all. I think I worried a little when it looked like my dough was not doubling up in size during the two hour rising process. I wondered if maybe my house was a little too cool on this particular evening? By the time the two hours rolled around however, the dough had risen but still not sure if it was actually "double" like the recipe stated. I kept my fingers crossed and proceeded on anyways, hoping that everything would work out in the end. And pretty much it did! The baking time for the sticky buns may have been a little too long for my oven (I baked them for 33 minutes), because the raisins looked a little burnt but otherwise, the buns looked and tasted great. My boyfriend was partial to the cinnamon buns and my brother liked the sticky buns. Me? Well, I liked both and am quite relieved I made it through my first challenge!

Breakfast In The Reyn

2007-09-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

Step inside the Reyn Coffee Shop and you might feel like you've stepped into a coffee shop time warp. The Reyn has the look and feel of something right out of the 1970's, complete with its powder blue-vinyl booths, large drop-down shaded lamps, and linoleum flooring. Interior decorating aside however, the Reyn offers up some good, basic, homey food, and an excellent cup of Joe. We stopped by one Sunday morning to try out their breakfast offerings and were not disappointed with what we found. Though the restaurant has quite a selection of both pancakes and French toast, we were more in the mood for eggs on this particular day.

My order of two perfectly cooked poached eggs and bacon came with some of the crispiest hash browns that I've had in a long time. I was surprised at how non-greasy these were, and boy, were they good! My order also came with a delicious, slightly toasted slice of homemade banana bread. My boyfriend decided on the Canadian bacon, scrambled eggs, and fruit (unlike me, he doesn't like hash browns). The four generous pieces of Canadian bacon were thick and full of flavor, and proved to be more than enough for my BF to finish, even with me stealing one of the pieces!

As we enjoyed our meal, I couldn't help but feel like I was eating in a good friend's house. That's just the feeling you get while eating at the Reyn Coffee Shop, and I'm already looking forward to my next visit there. Maybe I'll get the pancakes next time.

The Reyn Coffee Shop

635 N. Lake Ave.

Pasadena, CA. 91101

626-449-5768

A Pineapple Dance

2007-09-27T04:04:00.000-07:00

I baked a batch of pineapple muffins to bring into work today for a breakfast potluck. The breakfast is in honor of a fellow employee who is retiring tomorrow after 30+ years of hard work! This recipe is adapted from one that came from the cookbook, Vegetarian Nights by Bonnie Mandoe. Though this is the first time I'm actually posting from it, I've used quite a few recipes from this cookbook which is a compilation of both savory and sweet recipes from the author's native Hawaii. As you can see from the ingredients, the Hawaiian "touch" in these muffins would be the use of both pineapple and macadamia nuts. It also uses relatively little oil, and lots of whole grains like wheat germ, bran and rolled oats. Pretty healthy, yes, but what about the taste? Sorry to say that I'll have to find out later on today after our breakfast event to tell you that answer. Congratulations, Mike!

Pineapple Muffins (adapted from Vegetarian Nights): yields 14 standard size muffins

ingredients

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (can also use 1/2 cup AP and 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry)

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup wheat bran

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 tablespoon baking powder (aluminum free)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup canola oil (or try coconut oil)

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup minus 1 tablespoon milk (I used non-fat)

3/4 cup chopped, sweet pineapple (can use fresh or canned--make sure it's well-drained)

1/2 cup golden raisins

Macadamia nuts for garnishing

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; combine the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

2. In another bowl (medium size), whisk together the wet ingredients, then fold in the pineapple and the raisins.

3. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing only to moisten the batter thoroughly.

4. Distribute the batter evenly into a standard size cupcake pan (can use paper liners also). Place 1 macadamia nut in the center of each muffin.

5. Bake the muffins in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes--do not overbake! (do the toothpick test--insert into the center of a muffin--if it comes out clean, it's ready).

addendum:

okay, it's well into lunch time now and I've taken a few bites of these muffins and...I like them a lot! They are sweet without being too sweet, and they're light; sort of reminds me of a chiffon or sponge cake. Hard to believe there's all that good-for-you fiber inside of them. If you give the recipe a try, do let me know what you think!

A Nutty Sweet Treat

2007-09-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend happens to be particularly fond of cashews (macadamia nuts are pretty high up on his list too). So when I came across a recipe that combines both cashews and chocolate, I knew this was something I wanted to bake for him. In addition to chocolate and cashews, this rich and gooey recipe calls for a few more ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen: brown sugar, butter, condensed milk, and saltine crackers. See, easy as pie! Or, in this case, easy as cashew bars! You can get creative and maybe do a mixed nut version with some pecans, macadamia nuts, and almonds. I was also thinking that some chopped up dried fruit would work out nicely. Or, just keep it simple like I did, allowing yourself to savor the lovely combination of semi-sweet chocolate and buttery cashew nuts. Oh yeah!

(Click here for the recipe).

Pumpkin Risotto

2007-09-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

When I saw that Sathya and Elizabeth from The Baker and The Currymaker were hosting their first ever blogging event, The Risotto Relay, I knew I wanted to join in on the challenge. I have never made risotto before and wanted to give it a try. Since it's now a new season and autumn always conjures up images of Halloween and pumpkins for me, why not make a pumpkin risotto? I love pumpkin...in pie, bread, muffins, and yes, now even risotto! And since I happen to keep my cupboard pretty well-stocked with canned pumpkin puree, this recipe was really a breeze to prepare. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time in the cooking process though; risotto requires lots of attention and plenty of stirring! I found this recipe on the website, verybestbaking.com. The end result was a creamy, delicious, rich risotto with a subtle pumpkin flavor. Someone summed up risotto this way: it is elegant comfort food. I'd have to agree.

Welcoming Fall

2007-09-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday Slow Cooking-Soy Ginger Chicken

2007-09-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today is the last full day of summer, can you believe it? Another thing that may be hard to believe is the rainy and cool weather we've been having here in Southern California the last couple of days. The premature fall-like climate made me feel like cooking something comforting and filling. I came across this recipe for soy ginger chicken in the Martha Stewart publication, Everyday Food, and since I made a trek to Costco today and bought a boatload of chicken, it was an easy choice. I also liked the fact that I had most of the other ingredients in my pantry and left out whatever I didn't. The dish is actually quite simple to put together--just combine all the ingredients in a pot and let your oven do the work. That's what slow cooking is all about. The end result is a deliciously tender chicken that we ate with some brown rice. So long, summer.

Soy Ginger Chicken (adapted from Everyday Food December 2006)

Ingredients:

4 chicken drumsticks and 4 thighs (total of about 2 and 1/2 pounds)--skin removed

4 medium carrots--cut up in chunks

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1 small piece of ginger (about 2 inches long)-peeled and cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Using a 5-6 qt. Dutch oven, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, vinegar and pepper.

3. Add the chicken and carrots and toss well to coat; add 1 cup of water.

4. Cover with tight fitting lid and transfer to oven. Cook about 1 and 1/2 hours until chicken is tender.

A Visit To Claim Jumper Restaurant

2007-09-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

As much as I enjoy baking and cooking, I also enjoy eating out. This weekend was no exception since I was feeling a little under the weather and couldn’t seem to get myself going in the kitchen. So, we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at, where else, but Claim Jumper. I can’t seem to recall if I’ve ever eaten at this popular West Coast chain before. I just know that this restaurant is known for its huge portions and huge crowds, especially on the weekends. Since we had a late lunch (around 1pm-ish), we got our table-for-two right away. The place was still bustling with the Sunday afternoon crowd but we didn’t have to wait very long at all before our waiter came by with menus and took our drink orders. My boyfriend already knew that he wanted a hamburger but just in case you’ve never been to a CJ’s yourself, be forewarned that their menu is pretty vast and they have about a half-dozen different types of burgers. He decided on the “black and bleu” burger—half a pound of ground beef with blue cheese and applewood bacon on wheatberry bread (he’s not a huge fan of hamburger buns), with a side of french fries. After much page turning and changing my mind several times, I chose the roasted turkey sandwich on tomato herb bread with a side of Thai peanut slaw. I was very pleased with my turkey sandwich. First of all, the tomato herb bread was quite good—think of foccacia with that wonderful rustic flavor, speckled with sun dried tomatoes. The texture had a nice chewiness to it and the generous amount of turkey slices, lettuce, and tomatoes in between the bread made for a very hearty lunch. The Thai “slaw” that came with my sandwich was also tasty and light. This is not your typical creamy coleslaw but is instead a slaw that’s been lightly tossed with a tangy, vinegar and sesame oil-based dressing with lots of chopped up veggies like zucchini, carrots, and Napa cabbage, with some roasted peanuts tossed in. I liked the slaw so much that I’m hoping to make something similar in the near future! My BF was also singing praises for his burger which was cooked just as he prefers, medium rare, topped with bacon and served with a side of blue cheese. In fact, he found the beef to be so juicy and flavorful that he didn’t think all the additional accoutrements were even necessary. The shoestring fries were also a big hit with him which says a lot because he is one person who certainly knows his French fries! Overall, I really enjoyed this visit to Claim Jumper Restaurant--high quality food, great service and reasonable prices. See, taking a little break from cooking does have its perks too!

Claim Jumper Restaurant

820 W. Huntington Dr.

Monrovia, CA.

(various locations in California, Colorado, Washington, and Arizona)

Sunday Sweets--Black-Bottom Cupcakes

2007-09-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

If you're in the mood for something creamy, chocolaty, and yet pretty simple to make, then how about trying this recipe for black-bottom cupcakes? It combines the two delicious flavors of cream cheese and chocolate into one, resulting in a cupcake that would be perfect for that next office potluck, or for a quick and convenient breakfast. The recipe comes from The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz. Let me know what you think!

Eat Your Oats!

2007-09-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

I've been hanging onto this recipe for Crumbly Apricot Oat Bars for some time now and finally got around to baking this last night. It's yet another recipe that contains some good-for-you oats and is loaded with lots of fiber-rich, heart-healthy apricots. According to the website, The World's Healthiest Foods, apricots are rich in Vitamin A which is a powerful antioxidant that promotes good vision, and they are also a good source of beta-carotene and lycopene which help prevent heart disease. Yes, these bars do have their fair share of butter and could even pass as a dessert, but hey, when something is packed with so many other health promoting ingredients, I say, let go and enjoy. Plus, they taste so darn good! One side note, you may have noticed that the fruit filling is more of a deep purple color, not at all apricot-looking. Well, I realized at the last minute that I didn't have any apricot preserves on hand so I simply substituted with some low-sugar blueberry preserves instead. I thought the combination of apricots and blueberries made a very nice pair. Oh, and if you're feeling particularly indulgent, top these off with some vanilla ice cream (or frozen yogurt).

Making Whoopie Pies

2007-09-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Actually, I should have titled these “whoop-see” pies because this was one word I yelped out while putting the ingredients together on Sunday morning. You see, I mistakenly added one full cup of both buttermilk and hot water into the mix instead of the one-half cup of each that it called for. I guess that’s what happens when one is trying to conserve energy and cooks in semi-darkness. When I noticed how liquidy the batter became and yet the directions said I was supposed to “roll” the “dough” into a ball (??!)…yeah, right. Well, that’s when I turned on the kitchen light and noticed my error. Whoops.
In any case, I did what any other wise-minded baker would—I doubled the amount of flour and baking soda, said a little prayer, and proceeded on. Don’t ask me why I didn’t double up the sugar; maybe I was trying to make it a healthier whoopie pie. As far as the cocoa powder was concerned, I ran out so I had no choice but to leave the amount as-is. Yes, call me a risk taker! And sometimes risks do pay off in life because guess what? My whoopie pies turned out just as moist, luscious, and chocolaty as I had hoped. My boyfriend took a bite and commented that it reminded him of a Hostess Ding Dong (minus the chocolate frosting), which were my sentiments too. My cousin tasted one and said it tasted like a Devil Dog cake. Well, in case you haven’t tried either a Ding Dong or a Devil Dog in your life (and I’m sorry if you’ve been deprived of such childhood experiences), think of these as a cross between a brownie and a chocolate cupcake. I think I knew I really hit the whoopie-pie-baking-jackpot though when my five year old niece joyfully consumed her pie, ran over to me with a big, chocolate smile on her face, gave me a huge hug, and said “thank-you for baking this”! She knows just what to say to her old Auntie! So,

despite my almost near miss with ruining this recipe, I learned a couple valuable lessons: first, never cook in the dark, especially when your electricity is working fine; and second, there are really no hard and fast rules when it comes to baking. Just have fun, experiment a little, laugh at your mistakes, and maybe, just maybe, things will turn out okay.

Here's my adaptation of Whoopie Pies based on Tish Boyle's Recipe:
ingredients for chocolate cookie--
4 cups AP flour
1 cup non-alkalized cocoa powder
3/8 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup hot water
1 cup buttermilk
ingredients for creamy filling--
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

directions for the cookies--
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven, preheat oven to 400 degrees F; butter or use non-stick cooking spray on two baking sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt; set aside
3. In a bowl of electric mixer, using the paddle attatchment, beat the butter and the sugar together at med-high speed until well mixed, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk and beat until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract. Stir the baking soda into the hot water. Adding one-third ingredient at a time, alternately add the hot water mixture, buttermilk, and dry ingreds, ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing just until well combined (dough should be somewhat thick at this point).
4. Using wet hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange them 2-inches apart on the baking sheets. Moisten your palm with water and flatten each ball into a 1 and 1/4-inch disk. Bake the cookies for approx. 7-9 minutes, until the surfaces are cracked. The cookies will still be quite soft but will firm up as they cool. Immediately transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

directions for the filling--
Using an electric mixer, beat the powdered sugar with the butter at medium speed until the mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute. Add the heavy cream and beat at high speed until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until blended.

assembly of whoopie pies--
Using a small offset metal spatula, spread the bottoms of half of the cookies with 1 heaping teaspoon of filling each. Top with the remaining cookies and press them together gently. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Yields about 15 medium sized whoopie pies.

Eating On Catalina Island

2007-08-30T03:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh, Avalon. Just an hour's boat ride from downtown Long Beach, and there you are, in one of Southern California's gem's, Avalon, Santa Catalina Island. Catalina, as it's commonly called, is one of Southern Cal's Channel Islands and the one that is closest to the mainland. We found ourselves here on a recent long weekend for some sun, kayaking, relaxation, and of course, eating! We discovered some good, basic, home-style Italian cooking at Antonio's Pizzeria and Cabaret, an oceanfront restaurant that boasts a large menu of what I would say is Italian comfort food. Known for their pizzas primarily, Antonio's has a bit of that throwback, hippy feel to it. We treated ourselves to an early dinner there, sitting out in their rustic patio overlooking the water. My boyfriend and I decided to share the spinach and Italian sausage calzone and a minestrone soup. Service was friendly and fast. The calzone was baked nicely with a bit of crispiness on the outside of the dough. Inside, the spinach, sausage, and cheese melded deliciously and the bread

was warm and soft. I especially liked slopping up the calzone with the tomato meat sauce that was served on the side. The minestrone soup, though a little bland, was hearty and full of good things like potatoes, pasta, and veggies. I think it could have used a bit more seasoning to it but

nevertheless, it

seemed to hit the spot. We liked Antonio's for their homey food, great service, and especially, the gorgeous seaside views. (For the best views, try to snag an outside table).

Antonio's Pizzeria and Cabaret

230 Crescent Ave.

Avalon, CA. 90704

310-510-0008

Flat As A Blueberry Pancake!

2007-08-26T05:04:00.000-07:00

I made these pancakes using a recipe I've been wanting to check out for some time now. It comes from the Cook's Illustrated folks who tested out several different blueberry pancake recipes before publishing one they really liked. The description of these pancakes said things like, "fluffy", "tender", and "flavorful." I'd have to agree with them on the flavorful part, but my pancake certainly was not "fluffy" or "tender". Instead, they came out rather thin and more crepe-like but still quite light. I liked the taste of the pancake though and the fact that they were not dense or heavy was a big plus for me. And as the article states, the blueberries did not break or bleed into the pancake upon cooking, another plus. I'm still willing to give this recipe another try the next time I have blueberries on hand however. If you're inspired to give this one a try yourself, let me know if your pancakes turn out the same way the Cook's Illustrated testers did. I'd love to hear back!

Blueberry Pancakes (makes about sixteen 4-inch pancakes, serves 4-6)

ingredients

1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon

2 cups milk (I used nonfat)

2 cups unbleached AP flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 cup fresh blueberries (you can use frozen but make sure to rinse them under cool water in a mesh strainer until the water runs clear, then spread them on a paper towel-lined plate to dry-this will prevent them from bleeding).

directions

1. Whisk lemon juice and milk in a medium bowl or large measuring cup; set aside to thicken while preparing other ingredients. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to combine.

2. Whisk egg and melted butter into milk until combined. Make well in center of dry ingredients in bowl; pour in milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined (a few lumps should remain). Do not over mix.

3. Heat your pancake griddle or a 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes; add 1 teaspoon oil and brush to coat griddle or pan bottom evenly. Pour 1/4 cup batter and sprinkle 1 tablespoon blueberries over pancake. Cook pancakes until large bubbles begin to appear, about 1 and 1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on second side, another 1-1 and 1/2 minutes. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

Vanilla Cupcakes Take Over The World!

2007-08-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today because I'm going to visit my friend to bring her these Golden Vanilla Cupcakes. Once again, the recipe comes from the cupcake cookbook, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, which has been one of my favorite go-to books for cupcake recipes lately. These cupcakes were light and airy and reminded me a lot of spongecake. The frosting I used was buttercream which added a bit of richness and lusciousness to the already yummy cupcake. It also gave me a chance to use my new pastry bag and practice making fancy schmancy swirls. What do you think?

Golden Vanilla Cupcakes (yields 12 cupcakes)
ingredients
1 cup soy milk ( I used non-fat, no sugar added soy milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 and 1/4 cups AP flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (increase salt to 1/2 teaspoon if you're using oil instead of margarine)
1/3 cup canola oil (I used oil)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Whisk the soy mik and vinegar in a measuring cup, set aside a few minutes to get good and curdled.
3. Beat together the the soy mik mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until no large lumps remain.
4. Fill cupcake liners two-third full and bake for 20-22 minutes until done.
5. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
ingredients
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated shortening
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine (I used Earth Balance)
3 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain soy milk
directions
Beat the shortening and margarind together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and soy milk, beat for another 5-7 minutes until fluffy.

Another August Birthday, More Cupcakes, and Restaurant 561

2007-08-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

I made these for my boyfriend who celebrates his birthday this week. They're the same red velvet ones I made for myself just a couple weeks ago. Happy Birthday!

To celebrate, we went out for dinner to Restaurant 561. This is an establishment operated entirely by the student chefs from the California School of Culinary Arts who are completing their Le Cordon Bleu curriculum. It's a French inspired restaurant with a bit of a Southern California twist. The menu seemed creative with a fair balance of both meat and seafood, and our experience there was quite pleasurable. I really liked the cozy, warm feeling of the restaurant with its big picture windows overlooking Green Street, and its open kitchen. The students who were running the restaurant on this particular night were attentive and professional without being overbearing or awkward. Service was definitely an A+. Now onto the food: the bread basket was pretty divine--there were 4 different breads, my favorite being the

raisin and nut bread. There was also an interesting green olive sourdough, a plain sourdough (a little dull), and a parmesan flat bread cracker which was pretty tasty too. The breads are all made on the premesis by the students. Accompanying the bread was a plate of creamy, luscious butter and a tapenade spread which was a little tangy but a nice touch. We were give a complimentary amuse bouche which was prepared by one of the students there that evening. It

was a pretty little thing comprised of beets, goat cheese, pesto and pine nuts. Yum! We also ordered a buffalo carpaccio as an appetizer. I personally like the taste of buffalo and this was quite exceptional. The thinly sliced buffalo with shaved parmesan cheese was a melt-in-your-mouth delight and a perfect way to start our meal. I wanted to have fish this evening and ordered the Grilled Ono with Thai Black Sticky Rice. This was accompanied by a lovely grilled pineapple brochette which surprisingly went well with the rather meaty fish. The fish itself did not have a lot of flavor but when I dipped it into the hibiscus and five spice glaze, it

really packed a nice, sweet punch. My boyfriend ordered the New York Strip which came with seasonal veggies. It was cooked just the way he likes it, medium rare. I took a bite of the steak and have to say that it was indeed deliciously juicy and flavorful. All in all, we enjoyed the dining experience at Restaurant 561: good food, wonderful service, and a comfortable atmosphere.

Restaurant 561

561 East Green Street

Tel: 626-405-1561 Pasadena, CA 91101

Waffles Al Fresco

2007-08-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

We decided to have a small get together to break-in my new Belgian waffle maker. My dear brother and his wife gifted me with a Waring Pro Professional Belgian Waffle iron for my birthday and I have been happily making waffles ever since. Now I've owned a waffle iron before but I don't recall it producing this quality of waffles. Think thick, crisp-on-the-outside, warm and soft on the inside waffles, and

you'll know what I'm talking about. We made the waffles poolside on a sunny, bright, Southern California morning. I used a buttermilk recipe from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything cookbook which only took minutes to prepare. As you can tell from the picture, I dressed my waffle up with some fresh berries, whipped cream and powdered sugar. You can be as creative as you 'd like when it comes to topping off waffles. How about some mascarpone cheese with applesauce, or candied pecans and vanilla ice cream? Or, if you're like me, a waffle sandwich with a few slices of crispy bacon, melted cheese, whipped cream, and strawberry sauce in between. Okay, I'll save that one for next weekend!

Buttermilk Waffles by Mark Bittman (How To Cook Everything):

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda1

3/4 cup buttermilk or 1 1/2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk (I used a combination of buttermilk and sourcream)

2 eggs, separated

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter melted and cooled

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

canola or neutral oil for brushing on waffle iron (I used an olive oil spray)

directions

1. Combine dry ingredients. Mix together the buttermilk and egg yolks. Stir in the butter and vanilla (if using).

2. Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat. Stir the wet into the dry ingredients. Beat egg whites with the whisk or electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter.

3. Spread a ladleful or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until waffle was done (usually 3-5 minutes). Serve immediately, or keep warm in low oven.

Make A Wish

2007-08-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will be turning a milestone age, and to celebrate the occasion, I baked some red velvet cupcakes. I decided on red velvet because the name itself conjures up images of pure decadence, don't you think? And I believe that decadence is something a girl ought to indulge in every once in awhile, especially on her birthday. Well, these cupcakes were not only decadent, they were also quite fun to make. The best part, aside from eating them, was adding the red food coloring and watching the batter turn a bright shade of crimson right before my eyes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (makes 16 standard size cupcakes):

recipe adapted from Sylvia’s Family Soul Food Cookbook, by Sylvia Woods and Family

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 and 1/4 cup buttermilk

2 ounces red food coloring

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened ( I used neufchatel cheese)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened

1 pound box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 12 cup cupcake pan. In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla. Fill cupcake pan with the batter until about 2/3 cup full. Bake for about 15-18 minutes (start watching cupcakes carefully at about 15 minutes), or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack.

For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter. Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Once cupcakes have completely cooled, frost them, and eat!

The Good, The Bad, and The Curry

2007-08-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, curry is not supposed to be pretty, is it? This shrimp and snow pea curry dish I made for dinner didn't look as photogenic as I would have liked for my post, but what the heck. It sure tasted good! This was perhaps one of the simplest and fastest meals I've made all summer and it got rave reviews from my shrimp-loving boyfriend. To make the job even more convenient, I used frozen jumbo shrimp that I bought at Trader Joe's. Simply serve this over some steamed white rice and you and your tummy will be happy.

Snow Pea and Shrimp Curry (adapted from Eating Well Magazine, June 2007)

ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon mustard seeds (optional)

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 pound snow peas

1 cup "lite" coconut milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the mustard seeds if using until they start to pop. Then add the curry (if not using the mustard seeds then add the curry once the oil is heated). Cook and stir the curry until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the shrimp and peas, and continue to stir until the shrimp are almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the shrimp have cooked through, about 2 minutes more.

Serves 4

August Baking: Cherry Clafoutis

2007-08-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

When I was around six years old, I remember going cherry picking with my parents and older brother. I can still recall how excited I was to pick my own fruit and how, at the end of the day, I was so proud of my big bagful of cherries. Never mind that it was sweltering hot or that there were bees swarming all round me. All I could do was joyfully pick cherry after cherry until both my bag and my tummy were stuffed. These days, I haven't been practicing my cherry-picking skills much. My local farmer's market and grocery store are where I mostly pick up my fruit now. Nevertheless, I was still able to find some luscious summer cherries which I thought would be perfect for this cherry clafoutis recipe. According to dictionary.com, a clafoutis (pronounced klah-foo-tee), is French for a tart made of fruit, baked in a thick, sweet batter. The fruit is traditionally cherries but really, almost any fruit can be used. I loved the ease of this recipe and the fact that it's actually a bit lower in fat was a big plus too. I found it in The Eating Well Dessert Cookbook and it takes very little time to put together. The clafoutis reminds me of a cross between a light bread pudding and a custard. Oh, and it's traditional to leave the pits in the cherries when you bake this, which is exactly what I did. Give it a try and enjoy!

Cherry Clafoutis

Ingredients:

1 pound cherries (leave pits in if you desire)

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons AP flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup evaporated skim milk

Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Place rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the cherries and 1/3 cup sugar in the dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cherries are tender and very juicy (this took about 30 minutes in my oven).

2. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, flour, vanilla and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Whisk in the evaporated milk.

3. Drain the juices from the cherries into a small bowl, holding back the fruit with a metal spatula (or use a strainer). Reserve the juices. Redistribute the cherries over the bottom of the dish and pour in the egg mixture. Bake for about 15 minutes or until puffed and set. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temperature with the cherry juices spooned over the top.

Yields 4 generous servings

My Improvised Blondies

2007-07-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to bake some blondies recently after practically drooling over Joe's Maple Butterscotch Macadamia Nut Blondies which he posted on his website, Culinary in the Desert, last week. I loved how he used toasted macadamia nuts (one of my boyfriend's favorites), and maple extract in the recipe to create a blondie with a little kick in it. Well, I was determined to follow the recipe to a tee so on Sunday, I set out in search of the ingredients. I went to my local Trader Joe's where I picked up the macadamia nuts but could not find any maple extract. Still determined, I headed over to Pavillion's where once again, I struck out in finding this apparently elusive item. They carried the ubiquitous vanilla extract of course, I spotted a few bottles of almond extract, and heck, even rum extract was on the shelf, but no maple was to be found. I asked the friendly store clerk who politely asked me if I tried Trader Joe's yet? I smiled and nodded. Feeling let down, I drove home. It was a hot day and I really didn't feel like driving to a third store so I decided to make the blondies anyway using...maple syrup! I know what you're thinking. It's not the same. It's definitely not as potent as the extract. But you know what? The blondies were a hit nonetheless. First of all, they smell delicious. I wish this could be a scratch and sniff entry because then you'd know what I'm talking about. The taste of the blondie is rich and chewy with hints of maple and butterscotch. Sure I'm still on the lookout for some maple extract, but in the meantime, I think I'll have another blondie.