GO GO ZO

pad thai kugel

2011-10-18T22:17:00.012-04:00

yes, that's right, pad. thai. kugel. the best of both worlds, if you will. if you don't know what a kugel is, you should (so read up). then realize that this combination really isn't that weird. half of you will probably think, ew that's weird and the other half will say something such as, OHMYGODWHERECANIGETIT?! that's the thing. apparently you can't. you have to make it. or make it up, which is what i did.

in keeping with the asian theme, i decided to keep dairy out of it (because, ew) and here's what happened. a pretty straight forward pad thai recipe mixed with eggs, silken tofu and baked. voila. that easy.

be sure to get a pad thai refresher before starting.

pad thai kugel
serves 8

3 eggs + 1 white (or 4 eggs)
1.5-2 packs silken tofu
12 oz rice noodles, 1/4-inch wide
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup fish sauce
4 tablespoons tamarind puree
1/2 cup thai palm sugar light brown or brown sugar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
4 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped dried shrimp (optional)
1/4 cup finely julienned carrots
2 tablespoons shredded salted radish, rinsed briefly
2 cups scallion greens, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup chopped, toasted peanuts
1 lime, cut into wedges

make filling: in a large bowl, whisk together silken tofu and eggs until smooth. set aside.
make the pad thai:
set up ingredients: soak the noodles in warm water for 15 minutes then rinse with cold water and drain well. they should be softened but not too soft. whisk together the red pepper, fish sauce, tamarind and palm sugar (seasoning). get everything else prepped and lined up in the order they are needed, since the stir-fry process happens so quickly.
stiry-fry the noodles: heat wok (or large pan) over high hear, add oil and heat until it shimmers. add shallots and cook until they begin to brown. add garlic and cook until golden brown. add more oil, if necessary. stir in dried shrimp, carrots, radish and soaked noodles. coat these ingredients with oil and stir-fry 30 seconds.
add the seasonings: stir-fry noodles briefly, adding water as needed. fold in the seasoning sauce, scallions, and bean sprouts. cook for 10 seconds to soften bean sprouts. taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
remove from heat and fold the pad thai into the bowl with filling mixture.
pour into a greased 9x13 dish and bake at 400 degrees until top slightly browns and filling is set, about 30 minutes.
garnish with the peanuts and lime.

sriracha brussel sprouts

2011-04-24T23:37:00.003-04:00

my brussel sprout world has been officially rocked.

since sriracha brussel sprouts have entered my life at places such as joseph le onard (roasted brussel sprouts with sriracha and the vanderbilt (brussel sprouts with honey and sriracha), i think of them in a completely different way.

after last week's pasta, i wanted to put my leftover brussel sprouts to good use so decided to attempt to combat a similar dish. i have to say that i am amazed the results were as wonderful as they turned out. add a turkey bacon, swiss, leek omelet and you've got a downright delicious dinner (or lunch, or breakfast, or hearty snack...)

honey sriracha brussel sprouts

1/2 lb brussel sprouts, washed, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sriracha
2 tablespoons oil
juice from 2 limes
salt

preheat oven to 400 degrees.
mix oil, honey, sriracha and lime. start with equal parts of each and adjust to taste. salt to taste.
toss brussel sprouts with sauce. cook about 20 minutes, or until tender but still crisp. the outer shell of the sprouts should crisp up and brown.

winter market pasta

2011-04-14T17:33:00.005-04:00

aka the winter version of one of my favorites

another one of my favorite ingredients: turkey sausage. more specifically, dipaolo's hot turkey sausage (available at nyc farmers markets). throw it together with pasta and practically any veggie(s) and you get one of my ultimate comfort foods.

this particular day, i also decided to combat one of my new food appreciations: brussel sprouts. which also meant the first time i have ever actually cooked them. i know (gasp! horror! i know!) i might have to blame this one on my mom (hi, mom!) since she hates the little buggers. right? but given the right cooking method, brussels sprouts crisp up beautifully and will take on the magic of many flavors.

i wanted to throw them in with some other winter veggies, which ended up being fennel and leeks. it seems as though we've finally made it to spring weather wise but the veggies are still in winter mode.

winter market pasta

1/2 lb brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 bulb fennel, quartered then thinly sliced
1 large leek, trimmed, halved and sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
red chili flakes
juice from 1 lemon
parmesean cheese, grated
parsley, chopped
1/2 lb turkey sausage
1/2 lb pasta (i went with fusilli)
splash of white wine and/or chicken broth

toss brussel sprouts with some olive oil, salt, pepper and a little chopped garlic. roast at 400 for 25 minutes, or until crispy and just cooked through.
while the sprouts are roasting, heat olive oil, garlic and shallots in a large skillet. add fennel, leeks and cook until everything until it begins to soften. add sausage and break up in the pan. cook until turkey is cooked through and veggies are softened. add a generous splash of white wine and/or chicken stock and stir.
while veggies and turkey are cooking, heat a pot of water and cook pasta.
when everything is cooked, throw together in the pan. add parsley, red chili flakes, cheese, lemon juice and stir.

sticky orange cake with marmalade glaze (for breakfast)

2011-03-27T17:31:00.005-04:00

sometimes you see something and you just NEED it. this was one of these things. becky crocker sent this recipe my way and no more than 3 days later and my entire apartment was eating it for breakfast. yup, cake and ice cream for breakfast! (as a spring cleaning reward).

although the cake itself is vegan, thekitchn (recipe source) recommended pairing it with pistachio ice cream, which is exactly what we did. yummmm. and i promise, this is one of those recipes that just happens to be vegan, as in, you aren't substituting anything unusual and it doesn't taste like anything has been "altered." the apple cider vinegar ensures a wonderfully fluffy texture.

sticky orange cake with marmalade glaze from thekitchn
makes 2 9-inch round layers

3 cups flour (i used a mix of spelt and gluten free)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tpns baking soda
1 tspn salt
1 orange, zested
2 cups orange juice
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tblspns apple cider vinegar
1 tspn vanilla
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoons rum, vodka, or water

preheat oven to 350°F.
lightly grease 2 9-in rocun cake pans. line the bottoms with parchment and lightly grease the paper.
make the cake batter: whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. whisk until thoroughly combined.
in a separate bowl (i, of course, ignored the separate part), whisk together the orange juice, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla. quickly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ones and whisk thoroughly.
pour batter into cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
let the cakes cool for about 20 minutes in the pan then cool outside of pans. glaze while cakes are still warm but not hot.
to make the glaze, mix the marmalade and rum or vodka in a small saucepan. warm over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the glaze is bubbling and hot. turn off heat and immediately glaze cake.
place one cake layer on a plate. pierce the top with a toothpick a few times. pour about half the liquid over the first cake layer. place the second layer on top and repeat.
serve with pistachio ice cream!

the gogozo detox: the downfall

2011-03-17T21:53:00.005-04:00

we all knew it was going to happen, right? i broke the cleanse tonight. and it was glorious. since i wasn't feeling particularly awesome by the end of day 4, decided to treat myself. to vegan fast food. that's even more hilarious, right? fake bbq chicken wings and vegan chipotle cheese fries. aaaaand a vegan pistachio milkshake. go hard or go home.

*note: i still HAVE NOT consumed any chocolate nor coffee in 4 full days. let's see what tomorrow brings.

i expected to feel pretty good after 3 days, or at least more energetic. and i also expected to feel much more used to eating less after a few days; stomach shrinkage and all of that. not to mention not feeling so badly like i was suffering from sugar withdrawal. and since this wasn't the case...what's the point? there are definitely things that i think i can take away and continue to adapt. mainly, i think i'm a fan of the hot lemon water in the morning. it definitely gives me a jolt, in someways almost more than i think coffee does.

you want to hear more about the vegan food? i'm a fan of the dairy substitutes mostly because eating dairy generally makes me feel like crap. and for me, most of the time, the vegan stuff is just as satisfying. and really what are wings, if not a vehicle for sauce? deliciously crisp skinny fries and yummy pistachio "ice cream" available at foodswings.

maybe you should all try a cleanse, if only just to break it after a few days. talk about an exciting moment.

the gogzo detox: shopping list!

2011-03-16T22:02:00.000-04:00

is it healthy to be looking at mexican food menus on day 3?

on another note, snack tip = iceberg lettuce with lemon. perfect to crunch on which is why i eat half the time.

so today is the end of day 3. tomorrow should be looking up, right? if i'm not feeling the amazing benefits of this thing by friday, i'm going to have to quit. make that friday at lunch...because really, deprivation better have a reward or it's totally not worth it. for now, my thoughts remain with nachos.

here's the week's grocery list:

free range organic eggs - or even those egg whites in a container
lemons (fresh)
oatmeal
berries
walnuts
sweet potatoes
frozen edamame
quinoa
kale
garlic
olive oil
parsley
cherry tomatoes
persian or english cucumbers
organic free range chicken
apples
almond butter
white miso paste (no msg)
soft or silken tofu
snow peas
sliced dried shitake mushrooms
bok choy
scallions
fish
brown rice
non fat yogurt
artichokes, broccoli rabe or asparagus (choose)
citrus fruits
green tea
herbal tea

the gogozo detox: the recipes

2011-03-15T22:04:00.002-04:00

so, i think there are 2 ways to look at this whole cleansing thing. the major thing i wanted to focus on was to make it actually realistic. this meant a whole lotta food prep over the weekend. i'm not quite sure i can say it was worth it but we'll wait and see...in addition to the recipes i'm using for the week, i'll try to point out how i've simplified along the way...

breakfast: oatmeal with berries and walnuts
i prefer steel cut oats but in the time trap of the weekday, the easiest thing to do seems to be instant oatmeal. HOWEVER, i'm not talking about the sugar filled, random crap packed kind. i'm talking about normal oatmeal, with nothing else in it (except a bit of salt in this case). but what can i say? it's the plainest version i've been able to find.
add a 1/4 cup of frozen or fresh berries and 1 tblspn walnuts. i've been adding a tiny splash of vanilla almond milk, just for an extra flavor boost.

lunch: quinoa salad with grilled chicken
4 servings
if this looks familiar, it's because it's slightly modified from a quinoa salad i've made many times

1 lb chicken
1 cup quinoa
1 bunch kale
1 1/2 cups cucumbers, chopped
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons parsely, chopped
salt and pepper
juice from 1/2-1 lemon
tiny drizzle of sesame oil

cook quinoa (a rice cooker is perfect for this!)
while quinoa is cooking, sautee 1 bunch kale with garlic and small amount of olive oil
allow quinoa to cool slightly, then mix in veggies, lemon juice, sesame oil, salt and pepper
grill chicken with salt and pepper

dinner: miso soup with 1/2 cup brown rice and 4oz fish
dashi (adapted from epicurious)
4 servings

6 cups water
1 12-inch piece kombu (dried seaweed)
3/4 cup loosely packed bonito flakes

place water and kombu in a pot and cover. allow to sit for 20 min.
slowly heat up water. just before it comes to a boil, remove kombu.
add bonito flakes and lightly simmer until they sink, about 4 minutes. do not stir.
remove bonito flakes.

to make miso soup:

1 small bunch bok choy, sliced and steamed
1 cup snow peas, sliced and steamed
handful dried sliced shitake mushrooms
silken or soft tofu, sliced into cubes
2 scallions, thinly sliced

place dashi, mushrooms, bok choy, snow peas, tofu, scallions in a pot and bring to a simmer until heated through
turn off heat and stir in about 8 tablespoons of miso paste (start with less and add to taste)

stay tuned for grocery list and cooking prep plan...

the gogozo detox: the meal plan

2011-03-14T22:44:00.001-04:00

i've just about made it through day 1 (without chocolate), so i thought it would be a good time to present the food plan

mon-fri (assuming i don't get too bored...i may have to switch it up a bit):

before breakfast: water with lemon

breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal with ¼ cup berries and 1 tbspn walnuts
or 4 egg whites, 1/2 sweet potato
green tea

snack: ½ cup edamame

lunch: quinoa salad with 4oz grilled chicken

snack: apple w/ 1 tblspn almond butter

dinner: miso soup, 4 oz grilled fish, 1/2 cup cooked brown rice

snack: 4 oz yogurt, 1 fruit (3/4 cup Berries or 1 citrus), herbal tea

since i wrote about the general idea, here's some background on the specifics:

lemon water in the morning is one of those classic diet cleanse things. lemon is supposed to give your system a jump in the morning as well as be an antiseptic, so why not? thought i'd throw it in and see how it feels. green tea throughout the rest of the day provides some caffeine (that i don't feel the need to live without) and also provides some appetit supressing.
breakfast: needs to be hearty enough so that i'm not starving first thing in the morning through the rest of the day. personally, when i eat oatmeal, i feel full longer than when i eat dry cereals or other items, which is why i chose to put it in the plan. however, something else that's just as lean, such as egg whites, seasoning and sweet potato works too.
snacks: are lean as well but substantial and high in protein (soybeans, almond butter).
proteins: super lean and organic (chicken, fish, tofu)
veggies: super foods! think kale, artichokes, broccoli, asparagus, all those dark leafy greens. also, mostly cooked veggies just to be easier on the system. organic when possible.
miso soup (with miso and mushrooms): umami! for a satisfying taste and to feel more substantial.
a word on seasoning: i definitely used some olive oil (minimal), garlic, salt and pepper, other spices and herbs in the preparation of my food because there's no need to lose flavor here! however, i'm trying to stay low on the salt, spicy flavors and other things that are just a little tougher on the body than i'm trying to be right now.

more reading about specific detox foods here!

recipes to come...

the gogozo detox

2011-03-13T23:15:00.014-04:00

subtitle: get ready (the setup)

food prep, complete

the last time i tried to do something like this it was known as "the lifestyle makeover." aka, no more high fructose corn syrup, frozen mac and cheese for dinner, nor bowls of cocoa krispies as an after work snack.

i decided to try something a little more drastic this time: my version of a cleanse. what does that mean? no stupid juice diet or colon busting lemon juice and hot sauce mixes. that's not the point. i wanted something that gave me high quality and healthy food; something that would make me FEEL better, not drop 5 pounds in a week. plain and simple, just to give the binge eating a rest. the goal is to start with 5 days (monday-friday), then re-evaluate come the weekend...and decide whether to go 5 more days. the basic idea is to stick as natural, organic, whole-grain, super veggie & fruit, low dairy, and lean protein as possible. NO processed foods whatsoever and to stay portion controlled. and i'm also going to try and stay low on caffeine and alcohol (not cut it out completely).

i did some internet research and ended up with a combination of my own ideas, a random detox diet i found from women's health magazine and food lovers cleanse that bon appetit ran this year. my meal plan is the same each day (until i get bored). let's see how many days i can survive without chocolate...stay tuned.

"lightened up" macaroni and cheese

2011-03-08T21:57:00.000-05:00

aka cracked out macaroni and cheese (in a good way)

if you were able to read this month's issue of bon appetit without running into the kitchen to make mac and cheese, then you're a stronger person than me.

the only catch was that i just wanted to do it my way. and i wanted it to be a meal i could eat without feeling completely guilty about consuming a bowl of pasta and fat. yes, it's harsh i know but really, with what resulted there's no deprivation involved, i promise. the big deal here is substituting nonfat yogurt for any milk, cream, and/or butter i would have otherwise used. and i guess you could go with low fat cheese however, i went with the "high-quality will go further" idea. since the cheese has a lot of flavor, you can use less of it and still be just as satisfied. the cheese and yogurt melt together to form the perfect cheesy sauce, no roux, eggs, cream or butter required.

cracked out, i mean lightened up mac and cheese

8 oz pasta elbows (i used brown rice ones)
2 links spicy chicken sausage, casing removed
1/2 large bunch of broccoli rabe, sliced into 1-inch sections
olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon chili sauce
salt & pepper
1 6 oz plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup gruyere, grated
1/4 cup sharp white cheddar, grated
1-2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

preheat oven to 375.
cook the pasta until just undercooked.
while pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan.c ook sausage over medium-low heat, breaking up the pieces as it cooks.
when the sausage is cooked, set aside in a casserole dish.
add remaining olive oil to same pan. add shallots, garlic and broccoli rabe and cook over medium heat until the broccoli rabe is wilted. add to casserole dish.
mix cooked pasta, sausage, broccoli rabe, mustard, chili sauce, salt, pepper, gruyere, cheddar, and yogurt together in dish. top with Parmesan cheese.
bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

baked eggplant casserole thingy (YUM)

2011-03-03T22:35:00.001-05:00

subtitle: eggplant moussaka, minus the moussaka

subtitle II: eggplant parmesan--no it isn't really that either...

you will second guess the ingredients. and if you haven't by the time the cashier slowly glances up at you as she rings up the 2nd pound of mushrooms and the 3rd eggplant...you better double check your ingredient inventory. because chances are, you forgot something. then you'll feel knocked over the head yet again as you swipe your credit card to pay for all these groceries you have to lug home
when you realize 1 of the 4 guests doesn't like mushrooms. but what are you going to do? 2lbs of them are already weighing you down and you're wishing you didn't do that last set of curls at the gym.

seeing as i have my own food issues, i tend to freak out a little bit when "vegetarian" gets thrown into the mix. now, granted, i pretty regularly happen to eat vegetarian but when it involves cooking for a crowd, i feel the pressure. no longer! a thoughtful gift of the new moosewood cookbook is the perfect remedy for this kind of situation. the original recipe that caught my eye as i was flipping through was eggplant moussaka. the only problem was that i really don't like dairy-y sauces (a bechamel in this case). i blame it on the lactose intolerance. go ahead and try to fight that. so i skipped it.

what resulted was a delicious crowd-pleasing dish--even the non mushroom person! and, she doesn't like eggplant either! "you know, i don't like mushrooms or eggplant but this is good." pre-baking the eggplant dries it out some so that you don't get any sort of that slimy eggplant texture. and the tomato sauce is actually quite dry (has so much stuff in it) that it doesn't re-slime the eggplant.

eggplant _________

3 medium eggplans (abt 7" long), peeled or not
salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 lbs mushrooms, coarsely chopped
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 14 1/2-oz can tomatoes, including all liquid
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 tsp cinnamon (i did not use)
black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 - 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 packed cup freshly minced parsley
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs, plus extra for top (1/4 cup) (gluten-free)
1/2 cup grated parmesean

slice the eggplant into quarter-inch-thick rounds. sweat the eggplant: salt the slices lightly on both sides, then layer them gently in a colander, and place over a sink or bowl. let stand for 20-30 min
lightly oil a baking sheet, and preheat oven to 375. pat eggplant dry with a towel and spread slices on the baking sheet (it's okay if they overlap a little) and bake until tender (20-25 min)

mushroom tomato sauce:

heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven. add onions and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 8-10 min, or until the onions become translucent. add mushrooms and garlic, stir and cover. cook over medium heat another 8-10 minutes (until mushrooms start to cook down).
add tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper, oregano and basil. crush tomatoes. bring to a boil then lower heat, and simmer, uncovered, another 12-15 minutes. remove from heat, stir in parsley bread crumbs and parmesan. set aside

preheat oven to 375 degrees. oil a very large casserole or deep baking pan at least 9"x13." place a double layer of eggplant on the bottom, add half mushroom sauce, add the rest of the eggplant and then add the rest of tomato sauce. dust lightly with bread crumbs and some parmsean.
baked uncovered for 35-40 minutes, or until bubbly on the bottom and lightly browned on top.

LACTOSE FREE yogurt!!!

2011-03-03T07:42:00.001-05:00

subtitle: my prayers have been answered.
not that i'm a religious person. but that's a whole different story.

i have gone through countless conversations and internet investigations to figure out the truth that is lactose + yogurt. there's my dad's theory, "you'll be fine," that i've fought for years. "no dad, severely lactose intolerant..." then there was the friend who was working with fage. in case you haven't heard, there are many greek yogurt lactose rumors out there. "PLEASE! just ask them! how much lactose is in their yogurt?!"

fear no more! what's that? it DOES exist? i have no idea how long i've been missing out but last week, there it was at whole foods!

better yet, it's AFFORDABLE. no, seriously. this week at whole foods it has been on sale for $1 each. that's the same (if not less expensive) than a silk yogurt.

and it's low fat! although tastes so creamy it left me questioning, "this is seriously low-fat?" so we're not talking super low fat. but it's certainly a delicious start.

let's compare it with something similar...

stonyfield farm low fat vanilla (6 oz)
130 calories
15 calories from fat
1.5 g fat
21 g sugar

green valley organics low fat vanilla (6 oz)
120 calories
25 calories from fat
3 g fat
9 g sugar

moral of the story: get excited!

shakshouka and pita!

2011-03-01T22:27:00.003-05:00

a recent trip to israel means many yummy food posts to come. a good place to start is the celebratory meal i cooked when i got back: shashouka and pita bread! i wanted to use the spices i brought back with me, paprika and za'atar right away.

so the deal is that there are a lot of ways to make shakshouka. i'm sure everyone has their preferred method. i went for something quite simple to keep things easy but also to let my newly acquired paprika shine. i looked up a bunch of different articles online and just used them as a guide to go at it myself. this is one of those dishes that is quite hard to mess up. really, no matter what you do, it's going to taste good.

the pita bread was surprisingly easy to make. especially considering i was making it while doing loads of laundry...i'm sure i messed up somewhere along the way. and yet, delish.

shakshouka

1 28-oz can tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 large red pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
salt
pepper
parsley, chopped
feta cheese
6 eggs
olive oil

add a couple of tablespoons to a large pan
add garlic, onion, red pepper and cook until softened
add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, paprika
cook until sauce slightly thickens, about 15 minutes
make 6 indents in the sauce and crack eggs onto top of sauce
cover and cook until the whites set, about 5 minutes
top with parsley and crumbled feta

pita bread
adapted from mark bittman's how to cook everything and the mollie katzen's new moosewood cookbook

1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups flour (i used spelt)

mix yeast into warm water and let sit for a few minutes. it should foam.
mix oil, salt, sugar, honey into water
add flour and mix, 1 cup at a time. by the end, you'll probably need to use your hands.
knead a bit and form dough into a ball. cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1-2 hours (or less, if you're rushed).
punch down dough. cut into 6 pieces and cover. allow to rest for 15 minutes. apparently this helps them puff...
flatten and roll each ball so that they're about 1/4-1/8" thin and somewhat circular. cover. allow to rest 15 minutes.
bake on a baking sheet 5-10 minutes, flipping once, until lightly browned on both sides.
good warm. or cold.

latino brunch and a photo shoot

2011-01-28T22:18:00.000-05:00

when i heard that the studio was lit, the only thing that made sense to do was cook and document! friend/colleague mel was generous enough to host and shoot this shindig. and what a shindig it was. i was *pleasantly* surprised to be introduced to this social network that resides in jersey city. as i cooked, a number of friends drifted in and out and soon enough the 6 of us were sitting down to a feast. the feast was a combination of the impressively vast amount of food mel had on supply and a few supplemental materials we picked up at the local deli. on the menu: arepas, guacamole, pico de gallo, eggs, bloody marys and flourless chocolate cake.

let's talk about flours. you've got to have arepa flour, not cornmeal or other corn based flour substances. look at your local latino market or the latino section of large supermarkets. it's pretty common.

arepas with eggs, guacamole and pico

make the arepas:

once you have arepa flour, just follow the directions on the package. it will be a simple mix of the flour, pinch of salt and warm water. i suggest adding some grated cheese at this point...
flatten a small handful of dough in the palms of your hands, and fry on the stove top in a decent amount of heated oil until browned on both sides.

make the guacamole:

2 avocados
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper

mash the avocados with a fork and add salt to taste
add tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. mix well.

make the pico de gallo:

2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
small handful cilantro, chopped
juice from 1-2 limes
salt and pepper
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped

combine all ingredients in a bowl, allow to sit for a few minutes. you might want to add a tiny drizzle of olive oil...

once you have the components (arepas, guacamole, pico) i suggest layering them with over easy eggs. and more cheese.

flourless chocolate cake
from epicurious

my general rule: the simpler the recipe, the better. nothing fancy required. it's a little bit of a labor of love but totally worth the effort and will blow everyone away.

12 ozs bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 large eggs, separated
12 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

preheat oven to 350°F. butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. line bottom of pan with parchment paper or waxed paper; butter paper. wrap outside of pan with foil.
stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. remove from heat. cool to lukewarm, stirring often.
using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 3 minutes.
fold lukewarm chocolate mixture into yolk mixture, then fold in vanilla extract.
using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until medium-firm peaks form.
fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. pour batter into prepared pan.
bake cake until top is puffed and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes. cool cake in pan on rack (cake will fall).
using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. remove pan sides. place 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round atop cake. invert cake onto tart pan bottom. peel off parchment paper.

or, just make this cake in whatever buttered pan you have. it might not be as beautiful but will be absolutely delicious. and this cake definitely does not require a glaze. i recommend a nice sprinkle of powdered sugar.

as a jew, i know how to fry

2011-01-19T21:40:00.001-05:00

subtitle: happy hannukah! i mean, chinese new year

subtitle II: i told you i was behind on my posts

the moment my dad realized i had surpassed a good deal of his cooking knowledge took place one hannukah, a couple of years ago. to be fair, the man taught me a great deal of what i know re: food. that is until i took an uncanny liking to watching the food network. then there were the food memoirs. and spending all of my cash eating out...

we were discussing one of the Great Debates: latke making. in fact, i'm pretty sure we have the exact same conversation every year. but let's pretend that the first one took place about five years ago, when i took on the task for the first time. the conversation probably included the issue of hand grating potatoes and how to keep them from oxidizing once they're shredded (place in cold water, then squeeze out when you're ready to use). more recent conversations included frying oils. my dad was shocked when i explained that the reason you had to fry in canola oil was because the smoke point was higher than that of olive oil.

this year i wanted to do something a little different. so i made a combination of potato and sweet potato latkes. and i threw in some chopped parsley for good measure. okay, so these weren't leaps and bounds, but a slight variation made me confident we'd still have something good to eat and i'd simultaneously get the satisfaction of trying something a wee bit different.

the lesson here is that you can use a variety of different vegetables to fry up something delicious. latke, fritter, call it what you will. squash, root vegetable, pome, it's all going to taste delicious. a few general guidelines:

grate your ingredients. you want everything to be the same size/shred.
use an oil with a high smoke point! (canola, peanut, safflower, or sunflower will work)
don't skimp on the oil. not only do you need to entirely cover the bottom of the pan but the oil should make its way up the sides a bit.
make sure to heat your oil before frying, or you'll end up with a greasy mess.
dry/drain food as much as possible before frying.
don't crowd the pan!

happy frying!

solstice brunch

2011-01-11T20:57:00.005-05:00

subtitle: continuing the backwards holiday march

this particular brunch was made specifically for solstice (part II) but there's no reason it wouldn't work for any other time--special occasion or not. an indulgent king crab leg meal the night before yielded many more leftovers than we thought possible. the perfect thing to pair with those leftovers? eggs! well, eggs and quite a number of other things. hence the necessary trip to whole foods. the shopping trip left us with ingredients for the following: crab quesadillas with guacamole and eggs and a citrus fruit salad.

i love citrus, so this salad gives it something a little bit extra but pretty much just hangs onto the integrity of the fruit. and it's incredibly festive. to make it even better, you really can't go wrong with crab, cheese, guacamole and eggs. it's a match made in heaven (the perfect thing to share).

citrus salad

a mix of citrus (we used grapefruits, navel oranges and blood oranges), segmented
honey
chopped mint
champagne vinegar (champagne)

whisk together honey, mint and vinegar. start with about a tablespoon of each and adjust to taste.
mix with citrus.

crab quesadilla with guacamaole and eggs

eggs
2 corn tortillas per quesadilla
small handful of cheese per quesadilla (something mild), grated
crabmeat
2 avocados
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper

make the guacamole: mash the avocados and add salt to taste. add tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. mix well.
heat both sides of the tortillas in a pan. once warmed, put cheese and crab in between tortillas and heat until cheese melts and tortillas brown. keep warm while you make the eggs.
make eggs any way you like (i prefer over easy)
assemble: place quesadilla on a plate. top with guacamole then eggs.

a new year's built for two

2011-01-05T20:44:00.004-05:00

seeing as i'm so behind on these holiday posts, we'll just work our way back from most recent back to, well, thanksgiving. that puts us at new year's. welcome to go go zo. no rules.

so this comprises my meal with friend number 2 during our lovely new year's eve in. it's the best excuse to spend an outrageous amount on groceries and not have an ounce of guilt about it. not to mention the 6 bottles of bubbly we purchased in preparation...for the record, we did not drink them all. and even if we did, i'm not condoning binge drinking. HOWEVER, like i said, perfect excuse.

the menu!:

i think friend 2 dubbed this: scallop surprise. she's usually better with words...
aka scallops with blood orange and fennel salad

adapted from a different scallop project, this version uses blood oranges. there's nothing not to like and it's incredibly easy to make.

olive oil
2-4 sea scallops (depending how hungry you are)
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
zest from 1 lemon
1 blood orange, zested, then segmented
juice of 2 blood oranges
2 tablespoons champagne (in the spirit of the evening), you could also use white wine and/or chicken stock
1 tablespoon or 2 of chopped parsley
salt and pepper

slice the fennel and toss with a little bit of parsley and orange juice
sear the scallops: first make sure they are dry by patting with a paper towel then season with salt and pepper. heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium high heat and when the oil is hot (don't jump ahead here!) add the scallops to the pan. brown on each side; this only takes a few minutes. remove from the pan and set aside
add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, then the shallots. cook the shallots until soft
deglaze the pan: add champagne, citrus juice and zest to the pan, and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom to release the scallop bits. allow this mixture to come to a boil and then reduce for a few minutes
add the parsley to the pan, stir, and add the scallops for a minute to warm
serve scallops on a bed of fennel and blood orange slices
serves 2

sauteed shitake mushrooms

in the spirit of julia, DON'T CROWD THE MUSHROOMS! the key here is lots of butter, lots of salt and giving the shrooms room to do their thing.

shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
butter
salt
champagne (or you could use sherry)

heat a couple of tablespoons of butter in a large pan.
add mushrooms (you might have to do in batches, with more butter for each batch). they should not overlap. important! once you place them into the pan, DO NOT TOUCH! let them hang out (brown) and then AND ONLY THEN, flip them and brown on other side.
remove from heat, add a splash of your alcohol of choice and let the alcohol cook off.
enjoy plain, or use as a garnish (soup, salad, you name it.)

lobster pasta

in the spirit of the night, we had to go lobster. you could also do this with crab, or even shrimp for a less expensive option. this pasta is delicious and cheesy.

1/2 lb linguine
1 lobster tail with shell (about 1/4 lb)
a few shitake mushroom stems
butter
olive oil
salt and pepper
2-3 cloves chopped garlic garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
cheese! we went with a goat gouda. let's say about a cup.
parmesean cheese
juice from 1 lemon

sautee or boil lobster tail until almost cooked through.
remove meat from shell and cut into bite-sized pieces.
place lobster shell, shitake stems and some salt in small pot of water and simmer to reduce.
in the meantime, cook pasta.
heat some olive oil and butter in a large pan. add garlic and cook until softened. add cheese and stir. when stock reduces add some of it to the pan. add lobster meat and finish cooking. add parsley and lemon juice. stir again to combine.
add pasta to sauce, add some parmesean cheese and stir.
serves 2

ile flottante

2010-12-12T22:47:00.003-05:00

ile flottante at flo nice

i have to admit that i've maintained somewhat of a vendetta against french food most of my life. many of you will be happy to hear that this opinion was shattered during a trip to nice a couple of years ago...yes, a couple of years ago. i have been waiting that long to write this particular entry. i discovered something there so special, unique and fun that i felt i had to find a version of this dish stateside before i could write and share it. because what fun would it be if you had to travel to france to experience it for yourself? okay, maybe i'll take that one back...

imagine this: you walk into a large restaurant to the sight of an army of waiters, half of them with one arm lifted high above their head with a white bowl perched on top. in each bowl is a giant white glowing orb. i might as well have yelped like a small child and asked the first person i could find what THAT was. then i not-so-patiently sat through an entire (glorious) meal, waiting until the moment i could experience the magic orb in all its glory.

ILE FLOTTANTE! essentially, this dessert is a meringue ball/cube/other shape floating in a bowl of creme anglaise. yum. but as you can see, the presentation is quite remarkable. especially when you have a giant ball of meringue in front of you that is practically as large as your face. if you're headed across the atlantic, i'd recommend the version at flo brasserie. but as for the rest of us, a similar version (although not quite as grand in appearance--i promise it makes up for it in taste), can be found at bouchon.

ile flottante at bouchon in las vegas

for all practical purposes, let's discuss the actual flavor makeup of our good ol' u.s. of a location. bouchon's version was a little different because the meringue had a bit of a denser consistency which made the taste a little richer. the winner here was the salty carmel sauce drizzled on top. good thing they provide you with an entire dish of it (and not just what's drizzled on top). momma zo and i practically drank the rest of it. seriously dangerous. in the best way possible of course...

chocolate pecan pie with bourbon

2010-12-06T22:30:00.005-05:00

for some, the holiday season and pie are synonymous. i can't say that i'm a huge fan of either (holidays=winter, why have pie when you can have cake or ice cream?) but thanksgiving and pecan pie break these boundaries for me.

when a dear friend was in charge of the pecan pie for thanksgiving dinner, she openly accommodated the idea of a bourbon and chocolate tweak. i mean, seriously, BOURBON AND CHOCOLATE, what's not to like??!! seeing as we had maaaany other dishes to cook, we did not make our own pie crust. go ahead, get mad. but we did make the most important part (the bourbon and chocolate...catching on here?) we bought a gluten-free crust from whole foods. which really wasn't half bad.

don't be fooled, this pie would be good at any time of year.

chocolate pecan pie with bourbon

from food & wine

crust (if you feel you have the time for this)

1 1/4 cups flour-substance
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup ice water

filling (this is the good stuff)

2 cups (about 7 ounces) pecans
3 large eggs
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

make the crust: in a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar and salt. add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. transfer to a bowl and stir in the ice water. knead the dough 2 or 3 times on a lightly floured surface and pat into a disk. wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch round. fit the dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. trim the overhang to 1/2 inch, fold the edge under itself and crimp decoratively. refrigerate until firm.

make the filling: preheat the oven to 375°. toast the pecans on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes, or until fragrant; coarsely chop.
in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, melted butter, bourbon and salt until blended. stir in the pecans and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
pour the filling into the pie shell. bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for about 55 minutes, or until the center of the pie is set.
cool for at least 1 hour before serving. (or until you can't stand it any longer)

mcrib & the broham

2010-11-21T13:42:00.002-05:00

you may have heard the recent mcrib rage. when serious eats wrote about it, i knew there was something to be discussed. so i referred to a conversation the broham and i had last winter, wherein
i learned about his mcrib addiction. but before i present my first guest author, the broham, with his official mcrib review, i'd like to provide the following conversation excerpt:

bro: Me thinks it might be time to fetch some luncheon

ggz: lovely, what's on the menu?

bro: Mc fucking Rib. I hate myself.

ggz: ew no noooooooooooo don't do it!!!!!!

bro: UGH IT’S DELICIOUS

ggz: seriously mcrib? wtf?

bro: I know... I KNOW ARGH!

bro: I know it’s terrible, and I feel bad after I eat it. It’s like a horrible drug. Fucking heroin of the tummy. Fantastic while eating, and afterward...the guilt. BUT I CAN'T STOP DROOLING!!!! Okay, I'm going to get this filth, and I'll be back.

bro: I shall type a narrative to you of its filth. The very odd, nearly black "barbecue sauce" they put on it... I NEED IT NOW!!!! ARGH ::Leaves.::

so without further adieu, i bring you the broham:

the broham's mcrib review

"A boneless pork patty smothered with our tangy sauce, topped with pickles and chopped onions." It sounds innocent enough, but to eat one of these is surely to invite death. It is an unnatural creation brought from the darkest recesses of the McDick's test kitchen. And since the McRib resurfaced I've had four.

When you first open the box , you're greeted by a rather depressing sight. The bun usually sits off kilter, and the bright burgundy sauce has smeared inside the box. But they drown the fucking thing in it. Picking it up is something of an exercise in dexterity because when I say "smothered", I mean it. The bun tends to slip around a bit if you aren't careful. Biting into it is a startling sensation, because there is very little texture difference between the bun and the reconstituted pig hooves and ears they call pork. The bun if firm and the meat is spongy. The taste is like a tangy ketchup flavor mixed with a vague and generic "meat" flavor.

Each bite is more fantastic that than the last. The "flavor" punctuated by a salty fry or bubbly slurp of Coke (gotta have that value meal). It's a positively suicidal way to enjoy myself for the 15 or 20 minutes it usually takes me to devour it. And how do I know this is so suicidal? Because about 20 minutes after I finish I begin to feel what I describe as the "McBrick." And what is shocking is how true that feels. If you press on my stomach (which I invite you all to do, of course), it actually feels...hard. This is of course a sign that I am going to die within moments. And that's how I feel. And that's how I feel every time. And I'm going to have another. Or maybe I'll learn and stop doing this to myself. Nah.

Note: I would like to thank my dear sister for not only allowing me on her blog, but not disowning me.

double note (p.p.s.): go go zo DOES NOT condone the consumption of the mcrib or anything else golden arches related.

p.p.p.s: if you skip the bun, the mcrib is actually wheat-free (alarming, i know)

squash pancakes and pumpkin waffles

2010-11-15T20:47:00.001-05:00

i've done the pumpkin pancake thing before. but for some reason, taking my fresh csa squash and mixing it into a pancake recipe seemed fresher, healthier and more innovative. especially considering it was a winter squash--something that in my mind doesn't automatically belong in a pancake. and i had a squash i need to use. a scenario that tends to be my motivating factor.

thanks to a squash site, i identified my winter squash as a delicata squash. it resulted in a wonderfully moist pancake with a great texture. the squash was not overwhelming in flavor and provided much more of a desirable consistency than anything else. and it was easy too. i just took my normal pancake recipe, added a freshly roasted and pureed winter squash to the batter and threw in some chopped walnuts for good measure.

you want another breakfast squash recipe? and what's that? you don't want healthy-feeling pancakes?

pumpkin waffles (aka pumpkin pancakes meet waffles)

i am confident in saying that the best way to serve these is layered with cheddar cheese (so that it melts) and topped with maple yogurt. yes, you heard me right. now go forth and conquer the cheddar-maple-waffle world that lays before you! or throw that squash you've been saving into your sunday pancake batter.

squash pancakes or pumpkin waffles

because of the similar consistency of squash and pancake or waffle batter, i merely added a cup of squash to a batch of batter. depending on the type of squash you use, you may have to thicken (add more flour) or thin (add more liquids) out the batters. in my case, i used canned pumpkin with the waffles, which left no adjustments. in fact, i added some extra pumpkin without having to adjust anything else. for the pancakes, i added some liquid to the squash to get it to more of a puree, since it was rather thick after roasting.

mercadito's tacos de camarón

2010-10-28T11:08:00.001-04:00

you may know my opinions about mercadito. so when i received an email about a mercadito "cooking class" i was ecstatic--and demanded friend number 2 join me.

when we showed up and saw what was on the menu for the demonstration (not really a cooking class), i got even more excited: mercadito's chipotle shrimp tacos! they're literally one of my 2 choices to order every time i'm there (my other choice is the chicken tacos with crispy manchego and pickled sweet potato. now if only i could get my hands on the recipes for those pickles...)

as for the demonstration, executive chef-owner patricio sandoval was a wonderfully engaging host. he talked and cooked, we ate...all in all a beautiful thing. especially when you consider we walked away stuffed with delicious food (an assortment of tastings of guacamole, ceviche, tacos and dessert aaaaaand a pepino margarita) for $45 AND the recipes to recreate at home--I WIN! ahem. WE win!

keep your eyes on the sabores autenticos de mexico website for upcoming cooking demonstrations and events including mexican restaurant week.

a little less exciting than all of this awesomeness was learning the secret of what makes the shrimp tacos so delicious: mounting the sauce. aka adding tons and tons of butter. more specifically, whisking cold butter into the sauce at the end of cooking it. i should have guessed...so, if you're in the mood for something delicious and slightly indulgent, have at it. or on a less-indulgent day, skimp out on the butter (which is what friend number 2 and i did the other day when we finally got around to trying the recipe for ourselves).

mercadito's tacos de camarón
courtesy of patricio sandoval

makes 4 tacos

2 tablespoons canola/olive oil blend
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
3 tablespoons red onion, diced
6 ounces marinated shrimp (recipe below)
2 teaspoons chipotle puree (we blended chipotles in adobo, since they're easiest to find. if you use these, just make sure to taste as you go so that you don't wind up with something that's too hot to eat...)
lemon juice to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt to taste
4 homemade corn tortillas (ha, whoops, i must have left my homemade tortillas at home...not gonna happen)
4 slices avocado

heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet; sauté 1 tablespoon garlic until brown. add red onion and sauté 30 seconds.
add marinated shrimp and cook 1 minute. stir in 2 teaspoons chipotle puree, lemon juice, and butter; season with salt to taste. cook 2 to 4 minutes.
heat corn tortillas. top each with shrimp and 1 slice of avocado.

marinated shrimp

6 ounces diced shrimp
1/2 can of chipotle peppers (blend chipotle peppers in blender)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon canola oil

glorified grilled cheese

2010-09-27T22:42:00.000-04:00

when is grilled cheese okay for breakfast? when it has an egg on it! (or all the time). in any case, a wonderfully crusty spelt loaf and aged cheddar were beckoning and i couldn't wait until lunch.

i topped my sandwich (instead of stuffing it) with an egg, heirloom tomato slice and a ginormous basil leaf, because i was really looking for a grilled cheese vehicle and wanted to keep my cheesy goodness purely intact as possible.

if you're gonna go this route (extra toppings or not), there are very few ingredients involved so quality is crucial. i mean it! do no skimp. save your wonder bread and american cheese for something else. and as we transition to the fall season, read up on your heirlooms, if you haven't already. i must say, they were absolutely out of control at the santa monica farmers market a couple of weekends ago.
glorified grilled cheese

cheese: a nice aged cheddar made me happy
bread: crusty, please!
nice thick slice of tomato
a couple of basil leaves
fried egg: over easy, lots of yolk, please

combine as desired. in my case, this involved buttering two slices of bread, frying them butter side down with cheese on top, cooking until the cheese melted , sticking them together and topping them with the rest of the ingredients.

baked honey figs

2010-09-22T21:38:00.015-04:00

by now you probably realize that i develop food obsessions. i.e. i'll get an item in my head and can't shake it out until i accomplish global food domination! aka cook that food and eat it asap.

this week's (and last month's) obsession? figs! so when i saw a basket of these yummy morsels at the farmer's market last week in la, i NEEDED them. really, i was beyond want; i'm talking desperate need. and then i had them at home and wanted to do something with them. some quick internet research yielded a few baked honey fig ideas but i focused on a simple recipe from amateur gourmet as a jumping off point.

in a nutshell: cut open figs, drizzle with honey, citrus, vanilla mixture, and bake until bubbly. serve with a dairy item. (for specifics, see below)

as an accompaniment, i recommend my latest obsession: humboldt fog cheese. make sure to let it sit out to uh, mellow and do it's thing. you won't be sorry.

yummy figs
adapted from amateur gourmet

figs
honey
splash of vanilla
liiiiitle bit of citrus: original recipe calls for orange zest but all i had was lemonade, so in it went

cut open figs
mix together honey, vanilla and citrus and pour over figs
bake at 375 until bubbly (about 15 minutes)

summer market pasta

2010-08-29T23:14:00.000-04:00

aah, summer veggies. one of the best ways to use up all of my csa veggies (besides stir frying) is a giant batch of pasta. you can throw in almost anything, cook it down, serve with cheese, and it's sure to be a hit. also an easy way to feed a crowd. also much more fun if you take a walk around the market to select your veggies. be sure to supplement your walk with a market snack.

summer market pasta
serves 4 (we eat a lot)

1 lb brown rice pasta
3 shallots, chopped
2 squash (green and yellow), sliced
2 cobs worth of kernels of corn
1 large tomato, chopped
3 chicken sausage, sliced into pieces
white wine
parmesean cheese
pesto
salt and pepper
arugula

make the pasta
while the pasta is cooking, start making the "sauce:" add olive oil, 1/2 the garlic and 1/2 the shallots to a large pan. sautee squash until it's almost cooked through and slightly golden. add corn and tomatoes. cook until tomatoes have softened. simmer for a few minutes. remove and place into bowl.
add more olive oil, remaining garlic and shallots to pan, once the shallots and garlic have softened, add the sausage and cook until cooked through and golden brown. remove and add to veggies.
deglaze pan with white wine: pour a small amount of white wine into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape all of the bits from the bottom. continue to stir and keep heating until it reduces and slightly thickens. add to bowl.
stir in a few handfuls of arugula and stir to wilt. when the pasta is ready, add it to the bowl along with some pesto and parmesean cheese. if neccessary, sautee additional shallots and deglaze with more wine.

chocolate pancake cake!

2010-08-08T21:20:00.006-04:00

a triple roomie bday called for a special treat. especially one appropriate to eat after a late night of drunken debauchery. i bring you the chocolate pancake cake! this, my friends, is a yummy labor of love. and perfect for a bday brunch.

chocolate pancake cake

2 cups of pancake mix (i used gluten-free)
other pancake mix ingredients (whatever is required by your preferred kind)
cocoa powder
cream cheese frosting (recipe below)
strawberries, chopped

prepare the pancake mix according to the directions, with the following adaptations: add a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and add extra milk so that you get a runny batter, closer to that of crepes.
pick a large pan to make your pancakes in. add a few tablespoons of batter, and swirl batter around to thinly coat pan. make sure to let the batter spread the width of the pan, so that your pancakes will turn out uniform in size.
very flat, smooth pancakes (more like crepes). you may have to give a test run.
once you have a giant pile of cooked pancakes, assembly starts.
put one pancake on a plate, spread on some frosting, add berries. repeat. again and again and again and again.

truthfully, there was already a bunch of cream cheese frosting in my fridge (yes, that's really what living in my apartment is like), so i just used that, and thinned it down with some soy milk so that it would spread easier and drip down the sides of the pancakes. but for those whose apartments aren't stocked with all sorts of baking supplies, martha stewart's cream cheese frosting recipe is below.

cream cheese frosting
courtesy of marthastewart.com

4 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter
4 ounces room-temperature bar cream cheese
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tspn vanilla extract
milk (or soy milk)

beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.
add confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
add milk to thin down frosting to desired texture (runny enough to spread down the side of the pancakes).

banana coffee cake with chocolate chip streusel

2010-08-02T22:56:00.004-04:00

here is your reason to keep overripe bananas in the freezer at all times. (seriously, when your bananas cross through the yellow phase, throw them in the freezer. they can be defrosted to bake or smoothie-fy at any time). another birthday, an internet search and the realization that i had bananas and walnuts at home lent to this SCRUMPTIOUS baked good. well, that and the need to find something that would be relative easy to lug to jerz. and since technically it's a coffee cake, i'm going to label it brunch.

Banana Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel
(adapted from bon appetit)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour (i used spelt)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 1/3 cups mashed bananas, about 3 bananas (i only had 2 so i threw in an extra egg and some extra applesauce)
3 tablespoons buttermilk (i made my own with soy milk and a dash of lemon juice-let it sit for a few minutes before you use it)

preheat oven to 350 degrees F, butter and flour an 8x8x2 inch baking pan.
stir chocolate chips, brown sugar, walnuts and cinnamon together; set streusel aside.
sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
in a separate bowl (that's right, this is your third separate bowl now) beat sugar, butter and egg in a large bowl until fluffy. beat in mashed bananas and buttermilk.
add dry ingredients and mix well.
spread half of batter (about 2 cups) in prepared baking pan. sprinkle with half of streusel. repeat with remaining batter and streusel. bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

once upon a summer salad (summer peach salad)

2010-07-19T22:59:00.000-04:00

3 cheers for summer and summer salads! hooray for the return of csa and having things in my fridge to throw together! and thanks to roommates who supply the missing ingredients! (in this case, half a tomato traded for a lime)

i had basil and peaches. i wanted lunch. although i had thoughts of a fresh tomato and basil salad, i wasn't quite prepared. instead i threw together a few things that i did have. the result was splendiferous, not too sweet but absolutely crisp and refreshing--perfect for a nice 90 degree day in my sweaty kitchen.

summer peach salad
serves 2

1 small peach (on the crunchier side seemed to be good here)
1/2 tomato
smal handful of fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
splash of champagne vinegar (i think any vinegar would do)
salt
pepper

stir ingredients together. season with vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

summer waffles

2010-07-16T07:32:00.000-04:00

i would argue that there aren't many better ways to start a morning than waffles with frozen yogurt and peaches. especially farm fresh peaches. and so, with a little help from some friends (bittman and how to cook everything included), i whipped up a batch of waffles and threw on the best things i could find in my fridge/freezer.

it was a joint effort and i can't take credit for the whole idea but i do maintain that if it weren't for my awesomely stocked kitchen (aka endless supply of froyo and stone fruit), this meal never would have come to fruition.

summer WAFFLES! (adapted from mark bittman's everyday buttermilk waffles) makes 4-6 servings

2 cups flour (spelt here)
1/2 tspn salt
2 tblspn sugar
3 tspns baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk (i used soy)
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
1/2 tspn vanilla extract

if you're being proper, you might mix all of the dry ingredients together, than all of the wet separately, and combine the two. i tend to mix all of the dry and then just throw the rest right on top and whisk until everything is just combined.
heat up your waffle maker, give it a little lubrication and let it rip.
top your golden waffles with frozen yogurt, sliced peaches and just a bit of maple syrup.

fried green tomatoes with garlic scape pesto

2010-07-01T23:20:00.000-04:00

i couldn't walk by green tomatoes at the market without taking them home. and of course, the first thing i think of when i see them is fried green tomatoes! hence the necessary call to friend number 2 to consult about how a real southern would handle them. and then i threw all of her instructions out the window. dredge and then batter. buttermilk. bacon grease. nah, maybe not, and nope. i went with the approach that if you fry anything in cornmeal, it will automatically taste good. and i think i did just fine. granted, my version used a little sprinkling of spelt flour (any sort of flour would have done), a dip in egg (i was so excited that i forgot about the milk), and a pressing into a seasoned bowl of cornmeal. then i fried in olive oil until they were golden brown on both sides and served with garlic scape pesto.

garlic scape "pesto"

garlic scapes
olive oil
parmesean cheese
pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts (optional)

this is one of those taste as you go and adjust things...i started with 3 garlic scapes, a generous drizzle of olive oil and about a tablespoon of parm. then blend, chop, or scrape together until somewhat combined. you may need to add additional oil to make the pesto smoother. add salt and pepper and taste again.

fried green tomatoes (non-southern style)

green tomatoes, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
flour (optional; use spelt or a gluten-free blend)
cornmeal
egg
milk (optional)

sprinkle tomatoes with a little flour
dip in egg bath (just eggs or eggs and milk) then coat with cornmeal
heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. once the oil is hot, fry on both sides until golden brown
top with pesto

back in the kitchen: french toast with raspberry syrup

2010-06-26T19:44:00.000-04:00

there's nothing like spending a week and a half without being able to cook that will inspire me to get back in the kitchen. a trip to the farmer's market for the first csa pickup of the season certainly also helps. as does being resolved to hang out at home on a saturday afternoon to watch some world cup soccer...

so, to whet my appetite for a day of cooking and futbol watching, I decided to start with some french toast. the catch was that i decided whatever i cooked needed to include at least one piece of csa bounty. for the french toast? raspberry syrup, of course!

french toast with raspberry syrup
serves 1

2 slices of your preferred bread (or more if it's small!)
1 egg
some milk (or soymilk)
dash of vanilla
dash of cinnamon
1/2-1 cup raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
dash lemon juice
about 1/2 cup water

combine egg and some milk to create a slightly thick mixture. add vanilla and cinnamon, stir. dip bread in egg mixture and allow to soak.
meanwhile, combine water and sugar in a saucepan. cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture thickens slightly.
stir in the raspberries, and stir occasionally (the more you stir, the more the berries will break down). bring to a boil and continue cooking until mixture thickens slightly more about 5-10 minutes. add lemon juice towards the end of the cooking time and stir.
cook toast in a buttered pan over medium high heat until golden brown on both sides.
top with syrup!

go go zo's best of chicago

2010-06-19T13:43:00.000-04:00

my first time in chicago means a hit list is in order. so without further adieu, a list of my favorite dishes at a number of chicago restaurants. all were in the north river area and were absolutely fabulous.

crispy rice with spicy tuna and jalapenos at sunda. perfect texture combination: the crispy rice with the soft and smooth spicy tuna. also a great spicy and sweet combo: there was a sweet glaze on the rice that went well with the heat of the tuna and jalapeno.

french fries with white truffle oil and asiago cheese at primehouse. please, just let your imagination run wild, there's really not much i need to say. except perhaps that these fries were perfectly crispy, not too thin or thick and absolutely some of the best fries i've ever had. the truffle oil didn't make the fries greasy at all, just added that amazing truffle essence, and the cheese added an additional layer of flavor without making them at all cheese-fry like. we ordered a second helping. and ate them all.

you probably can't see this but it's the only photographic evidence i have of lobster deviled eggs at eve. genius! especially with giant chunks of lobster meat and caviar.

weeknight dinner: eggs in purgatory casserole

2010-05-25T23:10:00.001-04:00

there are certain things that don't have immediate appeal to me. casseroles are one of these things. and it undoubtedly has to do with what was cooked in my house when i was growing up. (lots of spaghetti but never ever meatloaf. got it?)

so when i received my march issue of bon appetit and saw a casserole feature, i first flipped straight past. until the pictures distracted me and i realized how delicious they looked. these weren't your standard tuna noodle casserole (no, i've never had one). and although i wanted to make them all, there was one that particularly caught my eye: eggs in purgatory. a of all, it featured many things i like (eggs, artichokes and parmesean) and b of all, it seemed pretty straightforward. a perfect weeknight meal, if you will. or even better, a perfect roomie meal entree. this is exactly why i file away recipes for later use.

and even though this dish incorporated things i'm not so fond of (okay, one thing: potatoes) it allowed me to knock off some more of those csa potatoes. yes, they're still around. in a nutshell: comfort food at its finest. yum yum.

eggs in purgatory
from bon appetit

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
coarse kosher salt
1 8- to 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
8 ounces red-skinned or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons drained capers
8 large eggs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. add onion, thyme, and red pepper; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt and sauté until onion is tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. add artichokes and minced garlic; stir 1 minute. stir in diced tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. reduce heat; cover skillet and simmer 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
meanwhile, cook potatoes in small saucepan of boiling salted water just until tender, about 8 minutes. drain. add potatoes and capers to tomato-artichoke sauce; cover and simmer 5 minutes. season to taste with coarse salt and pepper.
preheat oven to 375°F. pour tomato-artichoke sauce into 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. using back of spoon, make 8 evenly spaced indentations in sauce for holding eggs. crack 1 egg into each indentation in sauce (some of eggs may run together slightly in spots). bake until egg whites and yolks are softly set, 12 to 16 minutes. carefully remove baking dish from oven; sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over and serve.
serves 4 very hungry roomies

cornmeal pickle fritters

2010-05-16T21:44:00.000-04:00

i don't really think i need to say anything else besides this: pickle fritters. just go freaking make them now. they only lasted 5 minutes when i showed up with them at a bbq.

cornmeal pickle fritters
adapted from epicurious

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 1/3 cups yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
a bunch of chopped pickles (a bunch is the technical term)
vegetable oil for frying

whisk together the egg, milk, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pickles
heat a generous amount of oil in a pan over medium high heat. when the oil is hot, drop batter (amount depends on how large you want your fritters) and fry on both sides until golden brown.

gluten-free and spelt muffins from silver moon

2010-05-07T20:04:00.000-04:00

i love an accommodating bakery. now hear me out. i also love a dedicated gluten/wheat/dairy/soy/refined sugar/insert other allergen or dietary preference here but once in a while, i just want to walk into your normal run of the mill bakery and be able to eat something. get ready for silver moon bakery. in addition to having all sorts of wheat and gluten filled baked goods, they have a daily spelt muffin AND a daily gluten-free muffin. that's two different daily muffins. as in everyday.

the day that one of each of these muffins were so kindly brought to my attention was spelt cranberry and gluten-free chocolate chip day. yum yum yum. and yes, i ate both of them. well, with some help. because really, i'm a sucker for a quality baked good. who isn't?

the spelt muffin was chewy, with a crispy top, delicious but one of the best parts about it was that it wasn't at all overly sweet. the plump cranberries were by far the sweetest part. the gluten-free muffin was a different story (but still delish). in addition to chocolate chips, there were golden raisins (at least, that's what i think they were), which really helped bind the muffin together. (probably helped avoid that whole crumbly gluten-free symptom).

weeknight dinner: seared scallops with grapefruit sauce

2010-04-28T23:01:00.002-04:00

subtitle: an i-deserve-it-and-oh-by-the-way-scallops-are-on-sale-at-whole-foods dinner

i love scallops. they're one of my favorite foods and yet i don't eat them too often, which makes them extra special. so after a couple of demanding weeks and eggs for dinner one too many nights, i decided i needed to make myself a special dinner. just my luck that scallops were on sale. say no more.

my vision (who knows why) was scallops with some sort of grapefruit component. so i did a few web searches to see what i could find. the most appealing sounding method of preparation was from eating well. since little goes better with grapefruit than avocado (just try to challenge me on this one), i decide to plop these suckers onto a simple salad. voila. actually, i admit this was the very first time i have made myself scallops and it was brilliant. i was impressed by my deliciously fancy (but easy!) dish.

seared scallops with grapefruit sauce
adapted from eating well

1/2-3/4 lb scallops
2 small grapefruits
1 lemon
1 lime
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons chicken stock
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons chopped mint
avocado
lettuce

zest part of the grapefruit, lime and lemon to yield about a tablespoon of zest; or stop whenever you get tired
segment the grapefruit and reserve all juice
add lemon and lime juice to the grapefruit juice to yield 1/2 cup of citrus juice
sear the scallops: first make sure they are dry by patting with a paper towel then season with salt and pepper. heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium high heat and when the oil is hot (don't jump ahead here!) add the scallops to the pan. brown on each side; this only takes a few minutes. remove from the pan and set aside.
add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, then the shallots. cook the shallots until soft.
deglaze the pan: add chicken stock, wine, citrus juice and zest to the pan, and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom to release the scallop bits. allow this mixture to come to a boil and then reduce for a few minutes.
add the mint and honey to the pan, stir, and add the scallops for a minute to warm.
serve scallops on a bed of lettuce with avocado and grapefruit slices.
serves 2

pad thai and a thai cooking class

2010-04-21T22:55:00.001-04:00

this was not my first pad thai attempt. the first one involved a valiant effort that even included a visit to the thai grocery store. alas, my endeavors were for naught because the result was less than delicious. really, it wasn't even close to good. enough of that. 2 years later, thanks to an awesome thai cooking class, i was ready to try again.

let's talk about the class for a moment. this is the second class i've taken at the natural gourmet institute and i've been quite pleased, so i feel the need to share. the format of both classes i have taken (both in the ethnic & regional food category-obviously) is to be in a large professional kitchen, get a set of recipes, and be set free with a plethora of sharp knifes, prep bowls and culinary students to help at every turn. the teachers are extremely knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. if this doesn't sound awesome enough, there is a small lecture part: some basic understanding of what you're about to do. then the best part is that you just get to cook. and eat everything you make!

i'm not sure if it was the class, the concise recipe in front of me, or a generally more comfortable rapport with cooking that made my pad thai turn out as well as it did. or it could have been the supportive roomies behind me, cheering me on. nothing like some positive energy to help an outcome. the recipe is pretty straightforward and once you've chopped and prepped everything, the cooking time is minimal. even better, you can practically feel good about eating this because it won't give you that greasy local-thai-joint-feeling. don't get too stressed. the cooking process is fast and furious but i was pretty flexible with my ingredients and everything still went great.

fyi, bittman also made this today although his version is slightly different. (it's like he's in my head!!!)

pad thai
from jay weinstein and the natural gourmet institute

1 lb rice noodles, 1/4-inch wide
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup fish sauce
4 tablespoons tamarind puree
1/2 cup thai palm sugar light brown (i just used some brown sugar)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
4 tablespoons chopped garlic
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons chopped dried shrimp
1/4 cup finely julienned carrots
1 1/2 cups pressed bean curd, cut into small strips
2 tablespoons shredded salted radish, rinsed briefly
2 cups scallion greens, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups bean sprouts
1 cup chopped, toasted peanuts
1 lime, cut into wedges

set up ingredients: soak the noodles in warm water for 30 minutes then drain well. whisk together the red pepper, fish sauce, tamarind and palm sugar (seasoning). get everything else prepped and lined up in the order they are needed, since the stir-fry process happens so quickly.
stiry-fry the noodles: heat wok (or large pan) over high hear, add oil and heat until it shimmers. add shallots and cook until they begin to brown. add garlic and cook until golden brown. add more oil, if necessary, and add eggs, spreading them flat. stir in dried shrimp, carrots, bean curd, radish and soaked noodles. coat these ingredients with oil and stir-fry 30 seconds.
add the seasonings: stir-fry until noodles are tender, adding water as needed. fold in the seasoning sauce, scallions, most of the bean sprouts, and most of the peanuts. cook for 10 seconds to soften bean sprouts. taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
remove from heat and garnish with the additional bean sprouts, peanuts and lime.

winter csa: april

2010-04-20T22:35:00.000-04:00

1. the bounty

1 bunch spinach
6 lbs potatoes
2 bunches kale
1 bunch leeks
1 bag pea shoots
1 bunch cilantro
2.5 lbs sweet potatoes
3 dozen eggs

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

1 bunch spinach: $4.50 (csa estimate)
6 lbs potatoes: $12 (organic)
2 bunches kale: $7 (organic)
1 bunch leeks: $5 (organic)
1 bag pea shoots: $4.50 (csa estimate)
1 bunch cilantro: $2.50 (organic)
2.5 lbs sweet potatoes: $5 (organic)
3 dozen eggs: $15 (farm price)

= $55.50
actual csa cost per week = $45

and just when i couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, there was spinach.

gluten-free crepes at bar breton

2010-04-13T21:21:00.002-04:00

a gluten-free note here. if you're looking for some legit buckwheat crepes (100% buckwheat instead of a wheat and buckwheat mix and therefore gluten-free), bar breton has them. buckwheat is a gluten free grain but if you're extremely sensitive, you have to make sure it isn't contaminated. bar breton must be certified as they have designated gluten-free items throughout their menu.

so these didn't exactly rock my world but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. i had la guerande with a poached egg, spinach, mushroom and parmesean. the parmesean and pesto like sauce didn't hurt. and really, we've already discussed how i believe an egg with a runny yolk can solve most food problems in life.

next time i'm going for a dessert version.

bar breton
254 5th avenue
ny, ny 10001
212.213.4999
mon-sun 11am-10:30pm

weeknight dinner: apricot chili glazed tofu

2010-03-25T23:04:00.005-04:00

this is another one of those things i've had in the back of my head since i first saw the recipe. the original recipe was for chicken lettuce cups but it was the apricot sesame sambal sauce to go with them that had me. i finally decide to use the sauce with a stir-fry. since i didn't quite have the exact ingredients that the original recipe called for, my version is slightly modified. i also adjusted quantities depending on flavors that i prefer. the result is a classic combination: sweet and spicy. don't be scared by the fruit and spicy combo. i'm not sure why but several people i've mentioned this to have had an awkward reaction. just think duck sauce. (often apricot based).

apricot chili glazed tofu
(adapted from guy fieri's apricot sesame sambal sauce from the food network)

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
whatever asian hot chili sauce you have adjusted to taste; i only had thai chili sauce, so i used a drizzle
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon minced cilantro
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sesame oil
tofu, diced

mix all ingredients together thoroughly
use part of the sauce to marinate the tofu
sautee tofu in a skillet over high heat, turning every so often until browned
add remaining sauce and stir fry for another minute
stir fried some vegetables to add to the mix (i used string beans and baby bok choy) and serve over rice

low-fat cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

2010-03-23T22:16:00.000-04:00

subtitle: more oatmeal

by now, we all know that i'm oatmeal obsessed. (but not quite so obsessed as this guy.)

another birthday called and therefore another baked good. trying to respect the health concious, i stuck with the recent low-fat theme. AND since bday boy was going to be leaving the office early, i figured oatmeal cookies counted as breakfast cookies. because you just can't bake someone muffins for their birthday. and just to anticipate any griping, there really isn't anything boring about cranberry chocolate chip cookies.

if you're feeling my current oatmeal addiction, the serious eats' oatmeal roundup is not to be missed. now back to the bday baked good...

low-fat cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
(adapted from baking bites; original recipe from foodfit)

1 cup spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
1/4 c plain unsweetened apple sauce
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries

preheat oven to 375F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
cream butter and sugars. beat in the egg, vanilla and applesauce.
stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and oats until just combined.
add chocolate chips and cranberries and stir.
drop tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. bake for about 9-12 min at 375F.

makes 2 dozen cookies

winter csa: march

2010-03-14T23:17:00.000-04:00

1. the bounty

1 head red cabbage
5 lbs potatoes
2 black radish
2 white turnips
1 kohlrabi
3 lbs carrots
3 lbs sweet potatoes
1 bulb garlic
3 dozen eggs

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

red cabbage: $5 (organic)
potatoes: $10 (organic)
black radish: $2 (csa estimate)
kohlrabi: $2 (csa estimate)
carrots: $15 (csa estimate)
sweet potatoes: $6 (organic)
garlic: $1 (organic)
eggs: $15 (farm price)

= $56
actual csa cost per week = $45

i'm so over root vegetables. there. i said it.

guilty pleasure: velveeta macaroni and cheese

2010-03-07T14:53:00.000-05:00

i think i can safely say this is not something my parents ever would have made for me. but it wasn't my parents who made it. it was my mom's friend who would come and hang out/babysit/cook for my brother and i occasionally if my mom was at work/somewhere else. of course, the neon orange substance known as velveeta was not something that was ever in my house, so when she introduced it to us, i must have been hesitant at first. until i tasted the mac and cheese. i dream of that mac and cheese and usually convince myself that during the rare times i cook mac and cheese it should be more official (read: real cheese). i don't know what i was thinking. and although the ooey gooey goodness emanates when it's hot, there's also something great about the cold leftovers. i can remember coming home from school and waiting to devour the leftovers of this cheesy mess.

velveeta macaroni and cheese

1 2 lb brick of velveeta "cheese"
1 bag/box shell pasta (larger is better)
small-medium onion
1/4 cups milk
salt and pepper
breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350.
boil water and cook shells as directed
while shells are cooking, cut up about 3/4 of the velveeta brick, chop up onion.
grease large oven proof bowl
pour cooked pasta in bowl, pour in chopped up cheese and onions. pour about 1/4c+ milk in. grind salt and pepper over top. mix thoroughly. cover top with bread crumbs.
bake until cheese is melted, browned on top and very bubbly. About 45 mins - one hour

winter csa: february

2010-02-28T19:29:00.000-05:00

1. the bounty

1 head red cabbage
5 lbs potatoes
2 daikon radish
2 kohlrabi
3 lbs carrots
3 lbs sweet potatoes
2 bulbs garlic
2 dozen eggs

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

red cabbage: $5 (organic)
potatoes: $10 (organic)
daikon: $3 (csa estimate)
kohlrabi: $2 (csa estimate)
carrots: $15 (csa estimate)
sweet potatoes: $6 (organic)
garlic: $1 (organic)
eggs: $10 (farm price)

= $52
actual csa cost per week = $45

now if only they would throw in some celeriac.

low-fat pear oat muffins

2010-02-25T22:11:00.001-05:00

subtitle: a health conscious muffin for an otherwise carb obsessed office

toto, we aren't in kansas anymore. shocking how the food expectations rapidly decline from soho, ny to secaucus, nj. okay, maybe not that surprising. anyways, i decided the polite thing to do would be introduce myself with muffins (duh). i wanted them to have oats (more breakfast like to me), be low-fat (because, well, muffins can be scary), and have pears (because they're delicious and would add flavor in case everything else went to crap). clearly, i had a lot of requirements, so it may not be surprising that i had a hard time finding a preexisting recipe. it was easier to just take a base muffin recipe (bittman!) and make the adjustments that i wanted.

i subbed some of the fat with unsweetened applesauce, added fruit, and swapped out half of the flour for instant oats. what resulted was a deliciously sweet, flavorful and moist muffin. the only downfall was that i didn't have turbinado sugar to sprinkle on the top...

low-fat pear oat muffins
adapted from mark bittman's muffin recipe in how to cook everything

1 cup flour
1 cup instant oats
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tspn salt
3 tspns baking powder
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
1 egg
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup pears, finely chopped

preheat oven to 355 degrees
combine dry ingredients
combine wet ingredients and mix into dry
stir until just combined (don't overmix! lumps are good)
bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top and cooked through

root vegetable shepherd's pie (february csa)

2010-02-22T21:36:00.003-05:00

this one was a weekend project. project meaning it took over 3 hours to make. save your groaning and moaning for later. this recipe was perfectly paced for some weekend meditative cooking, which was ideal since i planned my entire saturday around it. think multiple steps, lots of chopping, and nothing too fast paced: things won't start smoking if you turn your head for a moment too long.

this recipe came about as i was craving sheppard's pie and wanted to use a butternut squash topping. i stumbled across this one from the la times for a root vegetable shepherd's pie from rustic canyon in santa monica. i had been dying to try the restaurant, so it seemed like the perfect option.

the effort was worth it. the butternut squash shone in this dish. it was sweet and rich. the apples contributed a great deal. i used granny smith ones and would suggest doing the same as the tartness was welcome with the rest of the sweet root vegetables. i made a few more substitutions (tofutti cream cheese instead of crème fraîche) as is usually the case when i'm making something that calls for lots of dairy. i also took some liberties with the amounts of veggies (seriously, i need to separately cook 1/4 cup of potatoes?!)

also to note: celery root is extremely underrated. read: smells like CANDY when you cook it in milk.

root vegetable shepherd's pie

serves: 8-10

from the latimes (adapted from rustic canyon wine bar & seasonal kitchen)

1 large butternut squash
salt
7 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided (i used half butter and half olive oil)
sugar
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup fingerling potatoes, diced (i used 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic
1 sprig thyme plus 2 tablespoons chopped thyme, divided
1 sprig rosemary plus 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, divided
1 celery root, peeled and diced
2 cups heavy cream (i used low fat milk)
2 tablespoons chopped sage
4 carrots, peeled and diced
3 parsnips, peeled and diced
freshly ground black pepper
2 apples, cored and diced (peels left on) - i suggest granny smith
1 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup sliced leeks
3 small turnips, peeled and diced
1 cup chopped shallots
1/4 pound spinach
1 cup diced fresh brioche or challah (i just used some spelt bread that i had)
1/2 cup crème fraîche (i used tofutti cream cheese)
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (i used packaged gluten-free ones)

heat the oven to 400 degrees.
halve the squash lengthwise, then scoop out and discard the seeds and fibers. place the halves on a baking sheet, cut side up, and season each half with one-fourth teaspoon salt. place one-half tablespoon butter in the hollow of each half, then cover the sheet with foil and bake until the squash are tender, about 1 hour. set aside to cool slightly, then scoop the flesh out of each half and discard the outer shell.
brown the butter: place 2 tablespoons butter (or 1 butter, 1 olive oil) in a large, heavy-bottom sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat until the butter browns and has a nutty aroma, about 3 minutes. be careful not to burn. stir in the squash and sprinkle over the nutmeg. reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to break the softened squash into a purée. watch carefully so the squash does not burn on the bottom of the pan. remove from heat and set aside to cool.
while the squash cools, cook the potatoes. bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. stir in the potatoes, garlic and 1 sprig each of thyme and rosemary. cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes. drain the potatoes, discarding the garlic and herbs and set aside in a large bowl.
in the same saucepan, combine the celery root with the cream and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the celery root is tender, about 10 minutes. strain out the celery root and place in the large bowl with the potatoes. reserve 1/4 cup of the cream in a separate container.
place 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan and brown over medium-high heat. stir in the sage, carrots and parsnips and season with one-fourth teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. remove the vegetables to the large bowl and set aside.
clean the sauté pan and brown 3 tablespoons butter (or half butter, half olive oil) over medium-high heat. stir in the chopped thyme, apples, kohlrabi, leeks and turnips. season with one-half teaspoon salt and a pinch each sugar and pepper. increase the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. remove the vegetables to the large bowl.
clean the sauté pan and melt the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. stir in the shallots and brown slightly. stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted. season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. remove from heat and add to the large bowl.
add the diced brioche (spelt bread), chopped rosemary, reserved cream and crème fraîche (tofutti) to the vegetables and stir gently but thoroughly to combine. taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
place the mixture in a baking dish so the filling reaches approximately one-half inch from the top of the dish. using a rubber spatula, spread the butternut squash purée evenly over the top. sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
place the baking dish on a baking pan (to catch any drippings) and bake until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. remove from heat and serve hot.

practically healthy banana oat waffles

2010-02-17T21:17:00.000-05:00

not only is this the first time i have lived with a waffle maker but my apartment currently houses two of them. until now, i was a pancake person. but when you know that there are waffle makers (plural!) just itching to be used, it tends to shift the focus. now i will admit that sometimes i experience a certain pang of guilt when consuming mass quantities of baked carby goodness as my first meal of the day, although you probably wouldn't have guessed that from reading the blog.

conversations of waffles over the weekend provided a) oat waffles and b) hey, let's use this mushy banana i have, or i'm going to throw it out. how did this decrease my guilt? practically healthy banana oat waffles! the banana subbed in for any fat that i would have added to the batter and a combination of flour and oats was way better (think whole grain) than flour alone. and since we didn't have any syrup, my holy trinity of toppings for the day was homemade raspberry jam, peanut butter (crunchy, of course) and honey. yummmmmmm.

practically healthy banana oat waffles

bear with me here. this is one of those not so exact recipes. once you know the kind of consistency you're looking for (a relatively thick but no too thick batter) i don't think accurate measurements are necessary.

one mashed banana (it needs to be ripe! the mushier, the better)
2 eggs
about 1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup quick cook oats
1 cup spelt flour
some brown sugar (a few tablespoons)
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
cinnamon

mash banana in the bottom of a bowl
add remaining wet ingredients (soy milk, eggs, vanilla) and mix
this is where i really break the rules: dump in the dry ingredients (flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon) and sort of mix them together on top of the wet ingredients with a fork, before blending everything together. really, i see no need to dirty 2 bowls when 1 gets the job done. don't overmix.
waffleize!

red wine poached pears

2010-02-09T22:15:00.000-05:00

i've been craving poached pears lately. it must be my stomach's winter solution to a summer stone fruit dessert. i realize that many people might not exactly be excited by this idea but really, they're super easy and versatile. in this instance they were dessert but they just as easily could have been a snack or yummy breakfast paired with granola and yogurt (my original plan...)

the opportunity to actually make these guys presented itself as a celebratory brunch where a "warm" dessert was requested. perfect! i had never actually poached a pear myself, so there were some nerves involved in the group effort that came to be. we ended up slicing the pears in half and placing them face up in a baking dish. then we mixed together red wine, orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, fresh grated ginger and nutmeg, and poured it over the top. it may be argued that the pears were actually baked and not poached, since they weren't completely immersed in the cooking liquid. i'm going to claim that it was a combination of the two. since the stove was already too crowded during brunch preparation, the oven had to do.

it might also be argued that i should have started with the pears face down--at least these are the things i think about. when i decided to stop stressing about it, the pears were face up in the baking dish. you should probably flip the pears at some point, or at least cover them (neither of which we did) but they still tasted damn good. another one of those almost fool proof and impressive items.

closer to my original vision: poached pear with granola and yogurt at anella, before they changed chefs. don't even go trying to find this thing. sadly, it no longer exists.

what to do when you find yourself in a house alone on a sunday morning

2010-02-07T23:23:00.012-05:00

french toast with stewed apples.

whole foods makes an awesome spelt loaf on the west coast. i have yet to see it in new york.

the incredible edible egg (polenta and eggs)

2010-02-03T23:54:00.000-05:00

subtitle: when i fell in love with the nytimes dining section

i still have the nytimes clipping of the article shoved into a binder with recipe tear outs. these days, i generally browse the nytimes online but there was a time when i had a job where the best part was the nytimes daily delivery. this was my first formal, regular introduction to the wednesday dining section.

you may have heard of such books as alone in the kitchen with an eggplant or what we eat when we eat alone, where the entire concept rests on some secretive meal that we each have to make when we're on our own. now, i have made this particular meal for others but i'm just not sure if it's appreciated as well in a group versus curling up alone in a couch corner after an exhausting day.

everyone's heard of putting a fried egg on top of almost anything as an added bonus to a dish. however, when i read this article, i never had. it sounded so good that i decided to go home and make it that very night. with that, i concocted my own comfort food. by that i mean that this is not something my parents ever made for me when i was younger (i have some of those too but that's a different story). this is something i independently discovered, and have made my own. granted, i did have to be of age enough so that i could appreciate an over easy egg and how the runny yolk seamlessly combines with just about any other flavor and adds a comforting richness to it. once i discovered this, there really was no stopping the endless combinations and possibilities. and each one tastes just as good as the last.

the recipe below is the first one i saw using this concept (polenta, eggs and dark leafy green) but now i put eggs over almost anything: various grains (rice, quinoa, pasta) and any vegetable (don't stop with dark leafy greens). it's the ultimate meal: quick, easy, affordable, tasty and comforting.

polenta, greens and eggs for 1 (adapted from melissa clark, nytimes)

1-2 eggs (depending on how hungry you are. sometimes i make 2 eggs just so that i can have the two yolks)
polenta
lots of grated parmesean cheese
dark greens (my favorite is spinach but above you might be able to see that i used csa bok choy)
garlic
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
chicken stock
butter

i usually make the greens first since they can sit for a little bit without any trouble. heat olive oil in a pan, add lots of minced garlic and greens. cook over high heat until wilted. stir in red pepper flakes.
make the polenta: contrary to nytimes advice, i use quick cooking polenta (not quite instant but not the slow cook kind). bring 3 cups of chicken stock to a boil, reduce heat and add polenta, start whisking. once the polenta has started to thicken, stir in salt and pepper, parmesean cheese, and some butter. keep whisking until the polenta starts to pull away from the pot. cover to keep warm.
fry eggs in some olive oil. the olive oil helps the whites get all crispy. the runny yolks are downright necessary, so sunny side up or over-easy are best.
spoon polenta into a shallow bowl, top with greens and eggs. top with additional parmesean cheese.

winter csa: january

2010-02-02T23:43:00.000-05:00

1. the bounty

1 head savoy cabbage
1 lb broccoli shoots
1 bunch kale
7 pounds potatoes
2 daikon radish
1 large butternut squash
2 lbs carrots
1 bulb garlic
2 dozen eggs

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

savoy cabbage: $4 (csa estimate)
broccoli shoots: $4 (organic head of broccoli)
kale: $3 (organic)
potatoes: $14 (organic)
daikon: $3 (organic not available)
butternut squash: $4.50 (organic not available; csa estimate)
carrots: $4 (organic)
garlic: $2 (csa estimate)
eggs: $10 (farm price)

= $48.50
actual csa cost per week = $45

i'm about to surrender to the potatoes.

faux roast chicken and veggies

2010-01-31T16:32:00.002-05:00

subtitle: sunday supper in a pinch

sometimes you just need some comfort food. comfort food on a sunday? that's sunday supper! i honestly can't believe i haven't done this before because it's so darn easy and delicious. seriously, it really is AND it even gives lunch leftovers for the week (something i try to plan). so what is this wonder dinner? faux roast chicken. i'm only calling this faux because there isn't the need to roast an entire chicken. however, there's nothing actually faux about the results. simple concept really: choose some vegetables and grab some chicken parts (whole breasts in my case but you could use thighs or drumsticks as well) and basically throw it all in the oven. my veggies of choice were sweet potatoes, leeks and whole garlic cloves as well as a few mushrooms and a little bit of onion since i had it in the fridge. i washed, peeled and chopped my veggies, placed them in the bottom of a baking dish, splashed on some olive oil, salt and pepper and tossed around to coat. then i seasoned the chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and paprika (all completely based on what i had on hand) and put it right on top of the veggies. i stuck the whole dish in the oven at 450 degrees until the chicken was done and the veggies were nice and roasted. this took about an hour but will totally depend on the chicken you use. if you use smaller chicken pieces, you might want to give the veggies a head start before adding the chicken. you could also use any combination of vegetables that you want (potatoes, turnips, parsnips, carrots, the list goes on and on).

literally within minutes of this entering the oven my roommates were ooing and aahing about the wonderful smell that had filled our apartment. and then i got to eat the results. 5 days in a row. sweet.

coconut pancakes

2010-01-24T20:31:00.000-05:00

we talked about crazy gluten-free low carb flours before with the almond meal microwave cookie adventure. now another gluten-free flour, brought to you by The Baker: coconut flour. now, if you're like me, you're probably saying, now how the hell does a coconut turn into flour? there's nothing dry about the stuff. my second reaction was, how the hell is coconut flour healthy? i know that coconut is a good cooking alternative, however, because of the fat, it isn't exactly the obvious healthy choice. well, apparently, all of the fat is extracted in order to make the flour. so what results is something that's gluten-free, high protein, high fiber, low carb and low fat. another one of those wonder foods, if you will.

what to make with this wonder flour? coconut pancakes, of course. now it just so happened that when i was making these (the only time i've made them for myself and didn't have The Baker make them for me), i was also making them for someone on a super restricted diet (low fat, low calorie, low sodium, low everything). so if these turned out well with those modifications, then you know the original ones are splendid.

coconut flour pancakes

4 eggs (i used egg beaters)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk (i used low fat)

mix ingredients and let them sit for five minutes.
oil or grease a pan and heat over medium heat.
pour about a 1/4 cup of batter for each crepe, allowing each side to brown before flipping it.

project: bourbon ginger floats

2010-01-20T23:42:00.000-05:00

here's a fun one. the essence of the celebration or cheering up moment escapes me. hell, i think it was just another tuesday. no, wait, it WASN'T just another tuesday because this one involved bourbon floats. let me repeat that for those of you in the back row. bourbon-mother-effing-floats. it's no secret that i have a fondness in my heart for bourbon. (see exhibit a, boozy peaches. exhibit b, my mom tells me to drink hot toddies when i'm sick, to come.) but this one really took it to new heights for me.

my lovely dinner guests showed up with a pint of ginger ice cream, among other things. the ice cream (reed's) was a mild vanilla with bits of crystallized ginger throughout. the details of how this master plan came together escape me. it was all probably part of their incredible foresight but all i can remember is how we effortlessy combined the ice cream, some bourbon and gingerale for a delciously yummy beverage and dessert. just be careful about throwing them back too quickly...

baked eggs with kale (december csa)

2010-01-18T15:18:00.000-05:00

i had promised my csa pickup partner (you try carrying 15-20 pounds of goods by yourself in the freezing cold, it ain't fun) brunch as a thanks for helping out. as i was searching for a dish that would celebrate the fresh bounty, i came across baked eggs.

one of my favorite csa items that i get are eggs. although the eggs from my farm aren't not currently certified organic, they are pastured and from free-range chickens that are grass-fed without hormones or antibiotics. once you try them, you won't go back to your standard supermarket fare, i promise. however, if you are trying to buy a better quality egg at the store instead of a local farmer's market, there are a variety of label factors and some really don't quite matter. i could go on and on about this as it really gets rather complicated but this article sums up some key differences nicely. and if anyone has some information to shed here, please, fire away.

we sauteed some kale with olive oil and garlic until it got soft, then placed it in the bottom of a ramekin, topped it with an egg, parmesean cheese, salt and pepper and baked in the oven at 375 degrees until white of the egg set. the part that got me was making sure the whites of the eggs were cooked without overcooking the yolks. with these amazing farm fresh guys, the last thing you want is rubbery, overcooked eggs. you can really throw anything in here with the guarantee that it will be delicious!

dried goodies from the golden state

2010-01-12T23:18:00.001-05:00

i gotta say, there is one big thing i miss about living in southern california: produce come winter time. now, the csa has really brought up my produce standards and made me generally a much happier veggie and fruit munching person but here we are again: january.

when i was in santa monica the other week, i made it to the wednesday farmer's market (really, it's not to be missed). i say wednesday because there are multiple farmer's markets in santa monica all week long but this one is really la crème de la crème. lucky for me, i was there during peak persimmon season. although i didn't bring fresh ones back with me to ny, thanks to a gift from a lovely friend and my mom's willingness to give up said lovely gift, i found myself with some amazing freshly dried persimmons to bring home, as well as some other dried goodies. we're talking seriously high-quality (aka seriously expensive) items here. in addition to the remarkably sweet and flavorful dried persimmons, i had dried heirloom tomatoes and dried strawberries. dried whole, without any added sugar, the strawberries were like a sweet summer explosion in your mouth. the truth is that all of these things were so delicious, it was hard to imagine not snacking on them plain. however, it was the tomatoes that were really hounding me. i'm not usually one for dried tomatoes but i really wanted to incorporate these into something. it was hard to believe that their sweet concentrated flavor wouldn't benefit whatever they were cooked/mixed into.

while at the market, in between her fights with people that "no, they could not taste a dried perssimon, they cost $3 a piece!" i talked to the "fruit lady" about what one actually does with these amazingly precious tomatoes. after all, i didn't want to ruin the things by cooking them if i shouldn't. she explained a simple recipe: slice zucchini very thin and let it sit with some salt and lemon juice. the squash will sort of "cook" itself while marinating. then top the squash with the tomatoes, basil, olive oil and some garlic.

i went with yellow squash (the store was out of zucchini), parsley (i had some from the csa at home in the freezer) and couldn't help topping the mix with some parmesan cheese. i also let the garlic slowly saute in some olive oil on the stove, then briefly added the squash to the pan to warm it through, before mixing everything together. i placed the mixture on top of a bed of quinoa. yum yum yum. it doesn't get better (not to mention healthier) than this!

butternut squash with frozen yogurt (december csa)

2010-01-10T20:36:00.001-05:00

i had a butternut squash i had promised to cook. it was one of those situations where i just needed to get it done to have the thing on hand and ready to eat. however, given that the baking time for these things is about an hour, i wasn't planning on consuming the thing for dinner right after i finished cooking it. after getting home from work and having a somewhat unsatisfying makeshift dinner while the squash was in the oven (i have no clue what it was), i decided it would be a shame not to enjoy some of my freshly baked treat. i was also feeling eager since it was the first time i had ever actually cooked a butternut squash but since i had already technically eaten, my thoughts were on dessert. 9 times out of 10 this means frozen yogurt. why not? so i finished off some of the baking time by topping the squash off with brown sugar. then i sliced some of it over plain frozen yogurt and drizzled with some maple syrup. and it sure worked. think of a more mild, less sweet version of a pumpkin based dessert. it really isn't all that unusual. i'm not sure how using a sweet frozen yogurt would work here, the tartness of the plain one i used really let the sweetness of the squash and maple syrup come through.

baked butternut squash

cut squash in half, place in baking dish flesh side down with a small amount of water and cook for about 60 minutes, or until soft. if you like, you can flip the squash when you have 15 minutes left and season as desired (in my case this was olive oil, salt and pepper on half and brown sugar on the other).

kogi inspired tacos (december csa)

2010-01-09T16:41:00.002-05:00

what's a person to do with an entire savoy cabbage? make a spicy cabbage slaw, i say! but before we get ahead of ourselves here, let me back up a few steps.

i finally made it to the famed kogi taco truck on a recent la visit. and it was good. but you'll notice that it didn't quite make it on the blog. it's not because i didn't deem it blog-worthy, it's just that i was much more motivated by the kogi inspired recipe from serious eats. i had filed it away after first reading it, with plans to attempt it when the time was right. yes, you guessed it. december csa, 1 cabbage, and 1 serious eats recipe calling for said cabbage. so i made it. and it was deeeelicious. and even more delicious because i made it myself and EVEN MORE delicious because i got to enjoy leftovers for lunch all week long. i cook in big batches, ok?

kogi-inpsired almost bulgogi tacos with spicy slaw
adapted from serious eats (originally publishes by lillian cho, chile pepper magazine july 2009)

for the meat or meat-substitute

2 tblspns soy sauce
2 tspns sesame oil
2 tspns crushed garlic
1 tblspn brown sugar
1 tblspn mirin
1/2 tspn black pepper
1 pound meat of choice (original recipe calls for ground beef, i used chicken breast cutlets instead but imagine this would also be delicious with tofu or portobello mushrooms)
1 thinly sliced onion
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces

for the slaw

1 pound chinese, red or napa cabbage, thinly sliced (i used my savoy cabbage)
1 tblspn salt
2 tblspns fish sauce
2 tblspns white vinegar
1 1/2 tspns korean chile flakes or hot red pepper flakes (i used way less and it still came out significantly spicy)
1 tspn crushed garlic
1/2 tspn crushed ginger
1 tspn sugar
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 tspn sesame seeds
tortillas, for serving

sprinkle the salt on the cabbage and toss. let stand for 20 minutes.
in a large mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar, mirin and black pepper, and whisk. add the meat (or meat-substitute), onions and scallions then mix gently until the sauce is incorporated into the meat.
for the slaw, mix the fish sauce, vinegar, chili flakes, garlic, ginger, sugar, scallions and sesame seeds in a bowl.
bring a pan to medium-high heat, and cook the meat until done and most of the liquid has evaporated.
rinse the cabbage under cold water, then squeeze the excess water out. in a bowl, toss the cabbage with the fish sauce mixture until well-coated.
to assemble, spoon the meat down the center of each tortilla, and top with slaw.

winter csa: december

2010-01-04T23:26:00.000-05:00

winter csa, everyone! once a month pickups of veggies and eggs. the first pickup (january) consisted of the following:

1. the bounty

1 bunch bok choy
1 bunch arugula
1 head savoy cabbage
1 head broccoli
1 bunch kale
1 bunch cilantro
7 pounds potatoes
1 daikon radish
1 lb broccoli shoots
1 bulb garlic
1 dozen eggs
1 large butternut squash

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

bok choy: $2.50 (csa estimate)
arugula: $2.50 (csa estimate)
savoy cabbage: $4 (organic)
broccoli: $4 (organic)
kale: $3 (organic)
cilantro: $2.50 (organic)
potatoes: $14 (organic)
daikon: $2.50 (organic not available)
broccoli shoots: $3 (csa estimate)
garlic: $2 (csa estimate)
eggs: $5 (farm price)
butternut squash: $7 (organic)

= $52.00
actual csa cost per week = $45

with 7 pounds of potatoes, how could i not come out ahead? (and they were all made into latkes, in case you were wondering)

sweet potato biscuits

2009-12-28T10:36:00.000-05:00

since she is a loyal follower, (if not my most loyal) visits to my mom result in her request for me to cook. which is exactly why i got so excited when i saw this recipe in bon appetit on the plane, on my way to visit. what's more, they even seemed like they would be the perfect accompaniment to solstice dinner. i admit that i was a little intimidated by the term biscuit. after all, i hear homemade biscuits and i think of someone's grandmother somewhere (preferably in a southern state) taking all day to roll out dough with lard. i decided to take a more rustic biscuit approach. i also skipped the ham component of this. but that goes without saying.

sweet potato biscuits (originally sweet potato biscuits with ham, mustard, and honey)
from bon appetit

1 3/4-pound red-skinned sweet potato (yam), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (i used spelt)
1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of cayenne pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup chilled buttermilk *NOTE: begin my rustic approach...i didn't have buttermilk so i added some lemon juice to regular low fat milk and allowed to sit for a few minutes.

cook sweet potato in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. drain, cool, and mash.
position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. butter bottom and sides of 9-inch cake pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.
whisk flour and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. add cubed butter to flour mixture; toss to coat and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
whisk 3/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes and buttermilk in medium bowl. add to flour mixture; toss with fork.
gather mixture in bowl, kneading until dough comes together. turn dough out onto floured work surface and pat into 1-inch-thick round. Using 1 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits, flouring cutter after each cut. gather scraps; pat into 1-inch-thick round. cut out additional biscuits (do not reuse scraps more than once). *NOTE: continue rustic approach...i didn't roll out or cut my biscuits, i just grabbed pieces of dough and gently shaped them and patted them down.
arrange biscuits side by side in prepared cake pan. brush with melted butter. bake until puffed and golden on top and tester inserted into center biscuit comes out clean, about 22 minutes. cool 10 minutes in pan. turn biscuits out and gently pull them apart.
makes about 24 biscuits

winter solstice celebration

2009-12-22T18:09:00.002-05:00

to make a long story short, a number of years ago, my family gave up all winter holidays associated with any religion. granted, as jews by definition, the winter spirit of things has just never held as much meaning as for those who might celebrate a certain baby jesus...in any case, we had it. too much commercialization, commodification, all that jazz.

we decided it would be much more appropriate to actually celebrate the significance of the winter season with solstice. the goal was to not really have any rules. over the years, i've embraced it as my own and created a separate celebration with friends. this has come to mean a small gathering, well stocked with food and alcohol. i usually can't resist the urge to make latkes; this year was no exception. this year's signature drink (no rules; it changes year to year) was a sunshine spritzer. i switched from the usual yellow cake with yellow frosting to an upside-down pear cake. the result is always happy and full tummies. the perfect way to celebrate any holiday, if you ask me.

sunshine spritzer
1 shot whiskey
1/2 shot lemon juice
1/2 shot ginger simple syrup
pour over ice and finish with club soda.

ginger simple syrup: boil 1 part water and 1 part sugar until mixture slightly reduces. remove from heat, add large piece of peeled ginger and cover. allow to steep for at least 20 minutes.

my favorite latke recipe
from the ny times

if you've experienced a latke making session before, you know it's no small feat. unless you have a food processor. but for some reason, i find the need to grate everything by hand...it ends up being hours long in process for fried goodness that gets gobbled in a fraction of the time but is totally worth it.

a couple of notes about making the latkes in advance when you're pressed for time or don't want to be in the kitchen the entire time you have people over: i usually start several hours in advance, grate the potatoes and store them in cold water to avoid oxidation. before you make the latkes, rinse the potatoes with more cold water and drain, then squeeze out additional water. then as i start frying batches, i put them in the oven, layered with paper towels to keep them warm.

2 eggs
3 cups grated drained all-purpose potatoes
¼ cup grated onion
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons matzo meal, or as needed (i use spelt flour)
canola oil, for frying
applesauce and sour cream for serving (optional).

in a large mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. add potatoes, onions, salt and pepper, and mix well. stir in 2 tablespoons matzo meal/flour and let sit about 30 seconds to absorb moisture. if necessary, add more to make a thick, wet batter that is neither watery nor dry.
place a large skillet over medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons of oil. when oil is hot drop in heaping 1/8 cups (about 2 tablespoons) of batter, flattening them gently to make thick pancakes. when bottoms have browned, after 2-3 minutes, flip and brown on the other side. add oil as needed. drain on paper towels and sprinkle with additional salt to taste.
serve hot with applesauce and sour cream, if desired.
yield: 4 servings (about 24 small pancakes)

maple pear upside-down cake
from mark bittman

this cake is superbly delicious. the outside gets all browned and crispy while the inside is rich without being too sweet. almost coffee-cake-esque. and it looks so impressive!

11 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 to 4 pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

heat oven to 350 degrees. melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat. add maple syrup and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. when mixture has cooled a bit, pour into a 9-inch baking pan and arrange pear slices in an overlapping circle on top.
with a handheld or standing mixer, beat remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. add vanilla and eggs, continuing to mix until smooth. add dry ingredients (i never do this separately but suppose you might want to consider it): flour, baking powder, and salt.
add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with milk; do not over mix. (NOTE: although i did not over mix, i also did not alternate butter/flour/milk mixtures. too finicky. however, do not let the batter know you are afraid.)
carefully spread batter over pears, using a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed. bake until top of cake is golden brown and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 45-50 minutes; a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. let cake cool for 5 minutes.
run a knife around edge of pan, put a plate on top of the cake and carefully flip it so that the plate is on bottom and the pan is on top. serve warm or at room temperature.
yield: 8-10 servings

Sound scary? Watch the video to ease the nerves.

quinoa breakfast cupcakes

2009-12-17T23:25:00.000-05:00

becky crocker originally sent me this recipe and i'm pretty sure we both had the same initial reaction: quinoa cupcakes--how healthy! when we actually got together to make the things, we realized that they were in fact just cupcakes with some added quinoa. next time, we're going to up the quinoa, decrease the flour, and substitute some of the fat with applesauce. but for now, these cupcakes are delicious, juicy and flavorful and perfect for breakfast. serve with some cream cheese frosting or vanilla ice cream and they're even more decadent.

the recipe below is gluten-free but i used spelt flour when i baked them instead of the rice flour because it's what i had on hand.

gluten-free quinoa cupcakes

2 medium sized diced apples
1/4 sugar
1 tspn vanilla
1 tspn ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup dark rum
4 large eggs
9 tablespoons butter (1 stick + 1 tblspn)
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
1 3/4 cup rice flour (or any other flour)
1 tspn baking powder

simmer the apple cubes with the water, sugar, cinnamon, and rum until the apple is cooked and almost all the liquid is evaporated.
whisk the egg and sugar and add the melted butter. stir well.
add the quinoa, mix well, and then add the flour and baking powder. stir well.
mix in the apple mixture.
bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the tops bounce back when you touch them.

cornflake marshmallow chocolate chip cookies and the milk bar

2009-12-15T23:32:00.002-05:00

if you've never been to momofuku milk bar, you should probably check it out. that being said, if you plan to go to the milk bar and can't eat wheat or gluten, prepare to be tortured. of course, i go anyways...

yes, we're talking momofuku, part of the david chang empire. i'm always a fan of women dominating in particularly male fields, so when a ny mag interview came out with this quirky "pastry chef," they had me at female. (call me biased, i just don't care.) the menu can border on absurd: with crack pie, cereal milk, and gummy flavored soft serve, it's just my style. not to mention the cookies, oooooohhhhh the cookies. perhaps ever so more appealing because i can't just waltz in and order one?

my most recent visit (a few bites of crack pie filling and *cornflake* cereal milk soft serve with banana caramel) yielded my discovery of CORNFLAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP MARSHMALLOW COOKIES. take a moment, this is big, i know. i immediately decided, damn those momofuku wheat-lovers, i am going to figure out how to make this cookie! at first i was just going to crush up some cornflakes and throw marshmallows into a normal chocolate chip cookie batter but then i thought better and did some internet research. what i found was this. so someone beat me to the punch but lucky for me, i at least had a recipe to follow. a disclaimer: these things are dangerous. you may eat so many in the process of making them that not only will you feel sick and an oncoming toothache, you will fail to eat a real meal the rest of the day. but then somehow, god willing, you will find room to consume stale popcorn in a movie theater (?!) this is my life. i just blog about it.

cornflake chocolate chip marshmallow cookies (thanks, christina)
recipe adapted from cookiemadness.net

1 3/4 cups (spelt) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cups ground up corn flakes (measure after grinding)
3/4 cups coarsely ground oatmeal
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup marshmallows, frozen if you have time to freeze them

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. set aside.
cream butter and both sugars in a mixing bowl
beat in egg and vanilla.
stir in oil.
add flour mixture and stir until it is almost fully incorporated, then stir in the ground corn flakes, oatmeal, and chocolate chips. continue stirring until flour disappears.
scoop up gobs of dough and wrap each gob around 4 (or so) frozen mini marshmallows. try to seal the marshmallows in dough. you should have balls that are larger than golf balls (about 2 inches diameter).
Space dough about 3 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool.

yields at least 2 dozen cookies

why france kicks our ass: one reason

2009-12-07T23:35:00.006-05:00

i am going to attempt to keep this brief. i've written about the difficulties of food allergy travel before. throw in charles de gaulle airport and you've got one hell of a mess. even if you don't have food allergies, that airport will find some way to pick you up, twist you up, and spit you out.

so as you're racing through the airport, wondering why the hell it takes 20 minutes to get from terminal 2D to 2E and where that freaking tram everyone talks about actually boards, take faith in knowing that as soon as you get somewhere near the gate, there will be viable, edible, decently enjoyable food options waiting for you.

i'm not even talking about those giant snak club vat sized bags of trail mix. we've all been there. you've got a 5 hour travel day ahead of you and your lack of time/preparation/whatever has put you in a less than desirable food situation. yeah, that's right, they don't serve food on airplanes anymore. and even if they did, would you really want to eat it? so you indluge in the trail mix that surely has enough servings to feed a small family and costs $7. and you eat it all by yourself. in one sitting. not feeling so great, are you?

back to the armpit of all airports. the last time i was there, a quinoa and shrimp salad over greens with a red curry sauce surprised me before my flight. delightful. this time, more quinoa but this time with hazelnuts. yeah that's right, i said hazelnuts. beat that. 2 for 2? both involving quinoa? score.

pumpkin pancakes

2009-12-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

sometimes i just have food visions. the idea came to me after hearing the desire to be eating more pumpkin with the appropriate season. after a failed attempt to locate a pumpkin cocktail that sounded appetizing, my thoughts went to baked goods and the like. it wasn't until some time later, actually i think i was awake late at night, alone in a hotel room in germany, that pumpkin pancakes came to me. (seriously, try to think of something you could mix into a pancake that wouldn't taste good.) luckily, i found a simple enough recipe on epicurious.

since these were consumed the weekend after thanksgiving, the group decided to cut WAY back on the fat in the original recipe. we had been too gluttonous to consume mass quantities of butter so we substituted oil instead of part of the butter and added more pumpkin than the original recipe called for. that was as long as the self control lasted. we proceeded to make not one but two glorified versions of the golden griddlecakes.

version number one: pumpkin pancakes topped with apple compote.

version number two (because i just couldn't help myself): pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes.

spiced pumpkin pancakes

1 1/4 cups flour (i used spelt, of course)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (i just used some cinnamon and nutmeg)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups whole milk (i used soy)
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin (we used more)
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted (here's where we went a little nuts--we used 2 tablespoons of butter and some oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend.
whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well.
add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick).
beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. fold whites into batter in 2 additions.
brush large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil between batches. Serve with syrup.

apple crisp topping (csa week 12)

2009-11-30T23:02:00.004-05:00

subtitle: why can't potatoes do this?
also known as: the reason i have no trouble getting through 5 lbs of apples in one week.

when i heard the chatty csa members discussing the types of apples this week at pick up, i almost wished i hadn't. rome apples. i had been lucky to be getting apples that were downright fuji like. large, crisp, sweet. not a mealy one in sight. it had actually been rather remarkable, or so i thought as i crunched daily at my desk. so when this week's apple yielded a less than perfect snacking option, i knew i was going to have to stew the suckers. then i wouldn't know the difference.

i had already done oatmeal with apples and a number of crisps. i decided it was time for a fall frozen dessert topping: apples with a crispy oat topping, over frozen yogurt. kinda like a deconstructed apple crisp. the goal was to make it as quick as possible (so that i could eat it, obviously). lots of contrast in flavors and textures here: i used tart frozen yogurt which went perfectly with the sweet apples and the crispy topping went nicely with the soft apples.

stewed apples with crispy oat topping

cut up apples, put them in a small saucepan, add some fat (i admit, i used earth balance and not butter), some brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little bit of water. a little bit of lemon juice is good too, if you have it. cook over low heat until the apples reach desired level of softness and the liquid reduces and becomes syrupy.

for the topping, mush together oats with some more fat and brown sugar. i cooked mine in the toaster oven and obviously didn't watch them as carefully as i should have as per the visual below...

put on top of ice cream, frozen yogurt, regular yogurt, oatmeal, should I keep going?

sweet potato curry with kale and broccoli (csa week 12)

2009-11-29T22:50:00.002-05:00

the plan was simple: a lovely day full of cooking and baking at friend number two's house. it was also an excuse for me to get someone to help use the abundance of csa veggie's i was not so excited about. i.e., kale, broccoli, and lots of potatoes. our brainstorm yielded a curry. my immediate curry thoughts went to thai, friend number two's went to indian. we ended up with what i think is fair to call a hybrid of the two. another consideration was the ingredients that we already had. neither of us were dying to invest in a kitchen full of curry staples.

after some internet research, we decided to wing it. things were going great until a blood curdling scream came from friend number 2 as she peeled the sweet potatoes. okay, it wasn't blood curdling but there was definite panic involved. "what's wrong with these?!" i looked over my shoulder. the inside of the potato was almost white. "they're not sweet potatoes..." i said. "are they all like this?!" friend number two gasped as she grabbed a second potato and flung the peeler across its flesh. "they're yams," i answered. "who knows the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?!" friend number two demanded.

so for those of you who care to be enlightened, there is a difference between the two. for those of you who do not care, skip down to the next paragraph. a sweet potato is that yummy orange thing that you probably call a yam. a yam is a bit drier and starchier and is known to have slightly lower nutritional benefits. the important thing to note here is not to freak out if you accidentally buy one instead of the other, although i do prefer the texture of the orange sweet potato. who knows, it might just be the color.

sweet potato curry with kale and broccoli

2 large sweet potatoes or yams, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
1 apple, diced
red curry paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 chilies, minced
chicken stock
pepper
salt
cilantro, chopped

brown the sweet potatoes in the bottom of a large pot. since they will take the longest time to cook, start seasoning as they begin to soften.
add the curry paste, garlic, chili, salt and pepper. allow to cook for a few minutes and reseason to taste.
after the sweet potates are almost cooked, add the onions and apples. cook for a few minutes, taste again. adjust seasoning if necessary.
add broccoli, kale and chicken stock. you will need enough chicken stock to rise part way up all of the veggies. stir and allow to simmer for at least 10 minutes.

csa week 12

2009-11-17T17:43:00.000-05:00

1. the bounty

1/3 lb mesclun
1 head celery
2 bok choy
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch white radish
1 bunch toscano kale
4 lbs potatoes
1 head broccoli
9 apples (5 lbs)

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect):

veggies:

1/3 lb mesclun: $4 (organic)
1 head celery: $3 (organic)
2 bok choy: $5 (csa estimate)
1 bunch parsley: $2 (organic)
1 bunch white radish: $1.50 (cas estimate)
1 bunch toscano kale: $3 (organic)
4 lbs potatoes: $8 (organic)
1 head broccoli: $3 (csa estimate)

= $29.50
actual csa cost per week = $22

fruit:

apples: $10 (organic)

=$10
actual csa cost per week = $11.67

last pick up!

in a panic of not knowing what i would do with my life (or all of that free time) without csa, i have it marked on my calendar to sign up for WINTER SHARES! because if i don't think i have enough potatoes already, i want to welcome over a few more. currently, 8 pounds of those spuds are residing in my kitchen.

weeknight dinner: quinoa sweet potato salad a la bittman (csa week 11)

2009-11-15T23:13:00.001-05:00

the only reason i doubted my tried and true idol was that this recipe seemed to have the potential to be quite bland. sadly, this is what i tend to think of late fall vegetables in general. this is certainly not one of the most flavorful dishes but instead let's the ingredients shine through. the quinoa's nutty texture and the creaminess of the sweet potatoes blend quite nicely and the flavor was surprisingly rich. good olive oil will go far here. i added a bit of lemon juice at the end for some zing.

bittman's sweet potato and quinoa salad

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa or other small-kernel grain or 1 cup raw
1 large or 2 medium (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes
salt
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic, sherry, or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced fresh chives or parsley leaves

if you haven’t already, cook the quinoa or other grain. drain in a strainer and rinse.
meanwhile, peel the sweet potato and dice it into 1/2-inch or smaller pieces. cook it in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes; drain well.
toss together the potato, quinoa, bell pepper, and onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss the salad with about half of this mixture; add all or some of the rest to taste.
taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the chives and serve.

weeknight dinner: sausage, lentil and rapini stew (csa week 11)

2009-11-13T22:03:00.000-05:00

those who know me and my food tastes know that i'm not so much of a stew person. so when a csa recipe popped up on my google reader that looked delicious and just happened to be a stew, i decided that i had to go for it. it also seemed like the perfect use for my giant bunch of broccoli rabe from csa.

my first instinct was that the recipe didn't have quite enough garlic, shallots and/or other flavor kickers. i almost wish i had supplemented but after a couple of days the stew developed more of its own flavor (as stews often do, i'm told). so here's to my first ever stew! next time, i still would sautee the greens with garlic before adding them...and might use chicken stock instead of the veggie stock.

greenpoint-williamsburg csa's sausage, lentil and rapini stew

1 lb. sausage, sliced into quarter inch rounds (i used turkey sausage)
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
1 cup lentils
2-4 cups vegetable broth
1 bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), chopped, stems and leaves separate
salt and pepper

cook sausage in a large pot until browned, then remove sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving fat in pot, and set sausage aside.
cook onion in the sausage fat until translucent. add sliced carrots and broccoli rabe stems, and cook briefly, about 2 minutes.
add lentils and 2 cups vegetable broth, cover and lower heat.
simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until lentils and carrots are tender (add more vegetable broth if needed), then add sausage and the broccoli rabe leaves.
cover and simmer about 5 minutes, or until leaves are wilted.
season with salt and pepper to taste.

csa week 11

2009-11-02T23:42:00.001-05:00

1. the bounty

1 bunch broccoli rabe
1/3 lb mesclun
1 bunch collards
2 heads broccoli
1/2 lb bok choi
1 bulb garlic
4 lbs potatoes
2 lbs sweet potatoes
10 apples (2 kinds; 5 of each)

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

1 bunch broccoli rabe: $3 (organic not available)

1/3 lb mesclun: $4 (organic)

1 bunch collards: $3 (organic)

2 heads broccoli: $8 (organic)

1/2 lb bok choi: $1 (organic)

1 bulb garlic: $.80 (organic)

4 lbs potato: $8 (organic)

2 lbs sweet potato: $4 (organic)

= $31.80
actual csa cost per week = $22

fruit:

10 apples: $10 (organic)

=$10
actual csa cost per week = $11.67

okay, seriously, i'm going to need some potato help, everyone. too much starch. and collards...

macarons in geneva

2009-11-01T23:10:00.000-05:00

i'm not sure why but i had never had a macaron before. i think it must have been a wheat phobia and although i had read about them, was never in a situation where i could get a straight ingredients answer. after further research, i deemed them edible but wasn't lusting to get my hands on any. big mistake. if only i knew. so, on the most recent work voyage, when i found myself in geneva once again, on an expense account, i picked up a couple for dessert. let me just say this, had i not been with a work colleague, i would have launched into a full out food-o-face. who am i kidding? i'm pretty sure it was apparent. i had one vanilla and one pistachio. vanilla won. the macarons were light, sweet and crisp and contrasted perfectly with the smooth frostingly center. forget your standard sandwich cookies, america, the rest of the world has got you BEAT! seriously, go forth and conquer, which is exactly what i plan to do. and please, report back.

csa week 10

2009-10-27T20:42:00.000-04:00

just in time for this week 11 pickup...
thanks to b. crocker for the beauteous cornucopia pic and for actually picking all this stuff up while i was out of town (more about that in a future post). the photo probably gives an accurate idea of how much produce there is to lug home.

1. the bounty

5 small hot peppers
1 bunch collard greens
1/4 lb wild arugula
1 head romaine lettuce
1 bunch broccoli rabe
1/4 lb green beans
1/4 lb mesclun
1/3 lb sweet potatoes
1/3 lb potatoes
1 bunch red radishes
1/4 lb braising greens
2 pears
8 apples

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

5 small hot peppers: $1 (guesstimate)
1 bunch collard greens: $3 (organic)
1/4 lb wild arugula: $3
1 head romaine lettuce: $3 (organic)
1 bunch broccoli rabe: $3 (organic not available)
1 qt green beans: $2.50 (organic not available)
1/4 lb mesclun: $3 (organic not available)
1/2 lb sweet potatoes: $4 (organic)
1/2 lb potatoes: $2 (organic)
1 bunch red radishes: $1 (organic not available)
1/4 lb braising greens: $3 (guesstimate)

= $28.50
actual csa cost per week = $22

fruit:

2 pears: $2 (organic)
8 apples: $9 (organic)

=$11
actual csa cost per week = $11.67

b. crocker, care to share any dish highlights with us? sorry, everyone, i didn't get my hands on the produce this time around. (since i'm sure all 4 loyal readers are dying to know what i cooked...)

spaghetti squash (csa week 9)

2009-10-24T16:51:00.000-04:00

if you've never experienced the true magic of a spaghetti squash, i suggest you do so. seriously, go get one, roast that sh*t up and prepare yourself. truth be told, this was the first time i had ever made spaghetti squash. i know everyone raves about it but it was just one of those things i hadn't quite gotten around to making. enter csa week 9.

when i took my roasted squash out of the oven, my reaction was something like, "oh hell no, they told me this was a spaghetti squash and it just looks like a normal boring squash. so much for lunch." but then i stuck my fork in the thing and as per my internet instructions read, pulled the fork down through the thing. voila! magic, i swear. it's the simple things in life, clearly, as i spaghettified my squash with a giant grin plastered to my face.

roasted spaghetti squash
the amazing knowledge of the internet says to try and split these things before you put them in the oven. scrape out the seeds, put them on a pan face down and roast at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes, until they are tender. (i undercooked mine and then just finished them off in the microwave. you can also microwave from start to finish)
i topped mine with some marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.

csa week 9

2009-10-14T22:12:00.000-04:00

1. the bounty

2 stalks edamame
1 bunch arugula
1 head romaine
1/2 lb bok choy
1 head cabbage
1 winter squash
1 bunch swiss chard
4 giant peaches
7 pears

2. cost analysis (comparison costs courtesy of freshdirect except where otherwise indicated):

veggies:

2 stalks edamame: $1 (random guess)
1 bunch arugula: $3 (organic not available)
1 head romaine: $3 (organic)
1/2 lb bok choy: $2 (organic)
1 head cabbage: $3.50 (organic)
1 winter squash: $6 (organic)
1 bunch swiss chard: $3 (organic)

= $21.50
actual csa cost per week = $22

fruit:

4 giant peaches: $6 (guesstimate)
7 pears: $9 (organic)

=$15
actual csa cost per week = $11.67

PEACHES IN OCTOBER!

microwave potato chips! (csa week 8)

2009-10-04T23:29:00.011-04:00

i thought that this post from the kitcn looked too good to be true: homemade potato chips, fresh from the microwave in minutes. and since i'm not so much of a potato person, it seemed like the perfect time to try these out when i got some cute little purple potatoes from the csa.

i recommend slicing the potatoes thin. this results in the crispest texture. a little thicker is good too, they just turn out chewier. Just depends on your preference. I'd recommend going for the purple potatoes. They're just so much more festive than the boring regular ones.

microwave potato chips

slice potatoes thin and arrange in a single layer on top of a paper towel lined plate. microwave for three minutes at a time and reduce the power each time. keep microwaving until crisp. sprinkle on a little olive oil, salt and pepper.