I'm currently without the use of my nifty canon powershot, with its hi-def pictures and cheeky little zoom lens. I was really using my brain when I began packing for the big move to PA, and decided to pack everything as far in advance as possible, including all my books and electronic gadgets...and my camera battery charger. It's now officially buried beneath an entire library of nursing textbooks. Woops! Being prepared is overrated.
Anywho, I have been reduced to using my cell phone camera. I'm sure it's more advanced than I give it credit for, but I'm still pining for my automatic focus.
Snacks. What else is there to say? They get me through the day (and night). Some people prefer a glass of wine or a cup of tea to calm themselves down or unwind. I do it with food.
My favorite pick-me-upper. Vanilla yogurt. Mixed berries (I buy the frozen ones from Trader Joe's). Raw almonds.
Alice Waters' Fennel Salad. Easy, quick, refreshing, and simple to play around with if you're looking to be creative...
The famous "Minimalist" (i.e. Mark Bittman) has listed 25 of his favorite Minimalist recipes. Quite a bit of these are a little too meaty for me, but I'm sure some of you out there could appreciate them :)
A few that caught my eye...and may warrant a second trip to the grocery store this week...
As many of you already may have noticed, I have a particular penchant for sugary, baked goods. I just barely manage to supplement my addiction with a steady running schedule that keeps me from being two tons too large.
One of my favorite (and most recent) reads is Gesine Bullock-Prado's book My Life From Scratch. I managed to craft a carrot cake from her recipe...located within the book...and also the recipe of famous sister Sandra Bullock's wedding cake. Pre divorce from idiot husband. (Do not fret, Gesine! My loyalty and star-worthy following belongs to you first and foremost.)
She is now coming out with a SWEET cookbook titled, Sugarbaby. Here are a couple book trailers, one from her original book Confections of a Closet Master Baker (now titled, My Life From Scratch) and Sugarbaby. enjoy and don't forget to treat yourself.
How brilliant is this Christmas Card booklet? Maybe I'll snag this idea for next year- it's a great alternative to buying presents if you're short on cash, too!
and for all you pescetarians out there (i.e. those who follow the cheater's vegetarianism, like me) here is a great recipe for salmon pastrami... via jacqui lewis ...and we have the same name. coincidence? perhaps.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. However, I've decided that from this year on, I'll be referring to it as "Fall Harvest." Why? Well, the reasoning is that "Thanksgiving" refers to a time of thanks, despite the fact that the people originally on this continent, Native Americans, lost their land and livelihood to the people that eventually became known as Americans. (Yes, I'm one of those slightly liberal-minded people, so shun me if you must.) However, I still love the traditions behind the holiday- the importance of family, ritual and fellowship with food as the centerpiece. Food is paramount in my life (as is family, of course!) and I couldn't leave you all with empty psychological bellies! So, in the spirit of the Fall Harvest, here are three of my top recipes that I've scoped out for you:
1. Sweet Paul'sStuffing. Vegetarians can use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock...or you can cheat, just this once. It's the holidays, after all!
2. A la Alison'sSweet potato gnocchi with Brussel sprouts and Sweet cream sauce I went to grade school with Alison, and she's just started up this wonderful foody blog. You should all follow her! She does a fabulous job of tweaking recipes to make them her own.
3. Smitten Kitchen's Upside-down Cranberry Cake. This is what I'll be bringing to my parents' house this holiday. I love the tart-sweetness of cranberries, and cannot get enough of them when they are in baked goods. Sometimes I feel that they are overlooked.
Let the feast begin! Have a wonderful, loved-filled holiday.
It has been a hectic week. Crazy does not even begin to describe the roller coaster that I've been on. Lots of late nights, paper writing, meetings, mass baking/cooking (for others, not me), meetings, (did I say meetings?) and everything in between. However, things are finally settling down into their normal only-slightly-crazy schedule.
I've been skimping on meals/meal preparation for the past few days- with everything going on, I've barely had a moment to make something delicious (and nutritious) for myself to enjoy and be thoroughly pleased about. Therefore, I am announcing a dish of culinary coziness that you all should make just for yourself this weekend!
I found this gnocchi dish on The Cutting Edge, and it made my taste buds swoon. With all of the chilly weather that has debuted recently, I figured a nice, comfy meal would do the trick. This is a twist on a traditional italian pasta dish. I can definitely see this mac+cheese in a bowl on my lap as I sit on my sofa and watch tv episodes from the past week...
With the air becoming crisp and leaves gathering beneath my feet more each day, I cannot help but fall in love with all things, well, Fall! I had my ritual cup of pumpkin spice coffee this morning from the cafe downstairs, and I am scheming away for pumpkin-themed baked goods.
I also spotted these DIVINE looking S'mores Turnovers on Design Crush. These look beyond wonderful. (I can predict that Salman is probably drooling all over his computer at this point.) Maybe I'll attempt them this weekend, or next?
For Salman's surprise send-off dinner, I gathered a group of our friends to pop out from behind the firepit at Woodberry Kitchen. It was a delicious meal (they never let me down), out of which I particularly fell in love with the honey-glazed peach salad. I decided that I would try to make it myself last night, since I had nothing better to do and I have been lazy about cooking lately. and VOILA! It was easy schmeasy!
ingredients (for a 1-person salad...just multiply everything evenly to make more): 1 peach, sliced 1 heaping tspn of honey (I used lavender honey, but I'm sure regular honey would taste just fine, as well) 1 tspn sea salt 5-7 basil leaves
instructions: throw it all in a bowl and gently mix it until the honey is evenly dispersed amongst the peach slices. Throw onto a dish and dig in. (served cold.)
I'm also extremely excited for fall weather to arrive. Who's with me on this one?! I can remember only a few months ago when I was craving summer heat and sun, and now I'm trying to hold myself back from taking out all of my winter clothes. I guess that's the luxury of seasons- you get sick of one, and the other is not far behind.
In the meantime, I'll be staying cool and eating lots of peach salads :)
I am in luurve with our CSA share. Each week it just increases in variety, color, and deliciousness. This week I'm making Alice Waters' ratatouille, from her book "The Art of Simple Food." I have made several recipes from this book, and I have to say it is my favorite cookbook. The recipes are all laid out in a step-by-step manner, with the ingredients in bold as you go along. It is also a great book to have on hand for those who are beginner cooks and want to understand the importance of specific ingredients in your food and what roles they play.
Alice Waters is also the owner of Chez Panisse, the local foody's dream restaurant in Berkeley, CA. Check out my post at my older blog- when I was in California last year, Salman was able to grab some amazing seats at Chez Panisse for the two of us after my cycling trip. ooh, just thinking about it makes my mouth water!
Classic Ratatouille
Serves 6-8
Adapted from “The Art of Simple Food”
(Do this in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cut ALL vegetables into ½ inch pieces.)
3 Italian eggplant, sliced, salted and left to drain 20 minutes Large can San Marzano tomatoes 2 chopped, red onions 4 tbsp olive oil, divided (plus more if necessary) 6 diced cloves of garlic 20 basil leaves, divided 1 tsp red chili flakes 2 chopped peppers (red, yellow, green or orange) 5 summer squash or zucchini (mix and match as you choose) Additional herbs of your choice
Add garlic, about 10 basil leaves and red chili flakes to the onions and stir a few minutes.
Add chopped peppers and cook until just softened, stirring constantly.
Add zucchini, and cook until golden and just softened, stirring constantly.
Add remaining tomato juice and tomatoes.
Season with herbs of your choice (or just salt and pepper) and cook another 3 minutes.
Add eggplant and cook another 10 minutes until vegetables are soft, but not insubstantial. If some remain too al dente, cover pot and simmer a few extra minutes.
Last night I babysat for Max, a smart little dude who lives next door to us in our apartment building. Seriously, he is 4 years old, but has the brain of a 10 year old. He's also adorable. I felt so bad for him because Oregon kept licking him like crazy, but he was so "whatever, it's cool" about it.
We were both craving chocolate chip cookies last night (Max is a fellow lover of chocolate...or connossieur shall I say?) I went into my cabinets and began pulling out the ingredients: olive oil (instead of butter), salt, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, eggs....EGGS....AH! I had no eggs left due to our wild escapade of baking two batches of brownies the night before Salman left to go home to Texas. What to do? Baking is my save-all method of keeping kiddies occupied and teaching them something new at the same time. So, I googled "egg substitute" and VOILA! Bananas! I had four super-rippened bananas in my fridge waiting to be whipped into banana cupcakes. Instead, I pulled two out and we mashed them up and threw them into the gooey batter. First I dipped my pinky in to test the taste...then Max asked, "can I do that too?" we swiped a dollop of goo and smacked our lips. It was delicious!
Now you know! 1/2 large banana = 1 egg
Does this mean I'm a vegan chef? Hardly. The cookies, although great tasting, didn't come out as attractive looking as they usually do. They were flat and a bit chewy...but oh so yummy!
If you can, put away your butter into the freezer and don't worry about not-enough eggs. Oil and bananas will do the trick for now :)
Did I mention that the smallest, most simple of things can get make me extremely happy??? Seeing all of the new comments on my blog yesterday after my guest post on Post Grad Hair Cut absolutely made my day. AND hello to my newest followers! I hope you enjoy my posts and will also take a peak at previous ones that you may have missed...and I cannot wait to see what you have been up to on your own blogs!
It is finally Friday. Sun is shining and I am finished with my class :) Therefore, this weekend will include much-needed celebration. Salman and I will be visiting two restaurants we have been oogling over for quite some time- Cafe Atlantico on Saturday and Dogwood on Sunday. Our reasoning for such high-end fare when our pockets practically have cobwebs growing inside of them? Well, you only live once...and it's summer. What more is there to celebrate?
My mommy is also coming to visit tonight, so we will be baking THESE. Delicious, Non? Yes, they are, and they are gluten free (just a little FYI).
Although I love to cook whenever I get the chance, there are times when I get a bit apprehensive about trying new things in the kitchen. I've been putting off this recipe for a long time, because I've either been too busy studying or cleaning my apartment non-stop (dogs shed). I had bought some leeks at the farmer's market a while back, but they just ended up sitting in the fridge and wilting. This time, I was not going to waste a perfectly good vegetable!
This Potato Leek Soup recipe from thekitchn.com is simple and delicious! And talk about healthy- it's basically potatoes, leeks and water. No joke. You only have to flavor it with salt and pepper afterwards (more salt than pepper). I cut the recipe in half, since I didn't have enough leeks to make the entire amount. However, I still ended up with enough soup to last us (2 people) a couple days. I'm usually not too hungry by dinner time when it's so hot outside- this is the perfect meal to sit down and slurp on those lazy days.
Enjoy! and Happy Friday :)
Potato Leek Soup Peel and cube about three or four russet potatoes, enough for roughly 5 cups. Leeks come in a variety of sizes, so slice enough to make a heaping 2 1/2 cups. I slice up the white parts and into the pale green as long as it stays crisp, stopping when I hit the darker green, fibrous part. Wash well in cold water and drain. Enough water to cover. Salt & Pepper. Toss the potatoes and leeks in a soup pot with a pinch of salt. Add enough water to cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a knife, about 30 minutes, With a hand blender, or very carefully in batches in a food processor, or even with a potato masher and your own brute strength, blend until the mixture reaches the consistency you prefer. I like mine just a little chunky. Taste for salt and pepper and add accordingly.
Some will cringe at this post, but I will never abandon my love for baked goods. Despite the hefty carbohydrate content, I am a firm believer that breads and pastries are a food to be cherished and savored, particularly with a cup of hot coffee in hand. Therefore, I've scrounged up a few recipes that seem worthy of our time and tastebuds during the Easter weekend.
So, this was my first valentine's day spent with a loved one (other than family). Like most single women, I spent each year up to this point detesting the psuedo holiday. I couldn't possibly understand who thought it was fine to celebrate the happy union of some while others are left out in the cold to be reminded of their singular existence.
Of course, I had the opportunity to reconsider my views after this past valentine's day. In the end, I came out with a similar perspective: you shouldn't need a day to celebrate your love for someone...for anyone! Of course it's nice to have an excuse to eat exhorbitant amounts of chocolate and go out to dinner, etc. However, if you truly love the person/people in your life, you'll spend each day loving them more than the previous.
Every day should be valentine's day.
p.s. Check out Gesine's "CooCoo for Cocoa Crepe Cake" recipe on her blog! My friend Juhee has made crepe cake before and it is to die for.
Despite the lack of work that I have been experiencing lately (the thought of losing two days worth of pay due to this snow is a bit crippling), it has been a breath of fresh air to walk around in the snow with my Boo and get kinda crazy. We even managed to go sledding with a few friends down the street at Wyman Park. Some people were going ubber fast down the hill and wiping out as they toppled over their heads, which made me nervous at times for their neurological health. Nonetheless, it was a fun weekend, and what made it moreso was the amount of cooking/baking I let myself get into! Here's a recipe that is a must for those cold, snowy days. Quick! Get to the supermarket and grab these ingredients before the weather strikes again!
3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock or water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.
Lemon and Sea Salt Focaccia 
