Loves Food, Loves to Eat

Chocolate Lava Love

2012-02-08T22:32:00.000-08:00

This cake is supposed to have molten chocolate lava oozing out the center. Because, well, molten chocolate lava is romantic and sexy. And if you're making molten chocolate lava cakes for your sweetie for Valentine's day, you want to up the sex appeal. You could also bake this cake while wearing nothing but an apron and heels… or an apron and work boots, for all the romantic guys that are reading this. Yes, that. I love a man in an apron. Wait, where was I?

Oh yeah, lava cake. It sounds dangerous—to bake in the buff—and kind of uncomfortable, but your Valentine will like it. Trust. He or she won't even care if there's lava or not. Champagne helps too.

I didn't care if there was lava or not either, because I wasn't going for hot and steamy. I made these molten chocolate lava cake with a gal-pal, not my sweetie. Tasha came over to whip up some sweet treats in preparation for Valentine's day. It's her first Vday as a wife. Romantic, right? I know, that's why I wanted to be there for it. I mean, actually there, on Valentine's day. We're double dating…I'll probably sit between them. Super sexy. The good news is, you don't need just one special day to be romantic with your sweetie. Surprise that lucky guy or girl with a molten chocolate lava cake on a totally random night, and desired results will be achieved.

Note to Evan: The way to this girl's heart is pulled pork. Ok, pulled pork and diamonds. Just sayin.

Chocolate Lava Cakes

Adapted from McCormick

4 ounces dark baking chocolate, broken in pieces

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon brandy (or a flavored liqueur, or wine)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

6 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Optional toppings:

powdered sugar

caramel sauce

whipped cream

fancy pink candies or sprinkles

Preheat oven to 425. Butter 4 custard cups or 4 muffin tins.

Heat chocolate and butter together, either for a minute in the microwave, or in a double boiler, until butter is melted. Whisk together until chocolate is melted. Whisk in brandy, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir in eggs and extra yolk until combined. Stir in flour cinnamon, and ginger. Evenly divide batter among muffin tins.

Bake for 9-12 minutes, until sides are firm and centers soft. Take heed—I baked 13 minutes, which resulted in not having a runny lava center. They were, however, still extra delicious, lava or lava-less.

Loosen edges with knife, and remove cakes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, caramel sauce, and whipped cream...and little pink candies.

A Lil' Cabbage Bacon Love

2012-02-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's because of my eastern-European roots that I love cabbage, and because of my Oklahoma blood (on my moms side) that I love bacon (my grandma Carol cooks everything in bacon grease…we even have a family recipe for salad smothered in warm bacon grease dressing, but that's for another day).

Or, maybe it's just that these two things effing rock. Which they do. Especially together. And even more especially when you add little gems of mini cabbage heaven—Brussels sprouts—to the mix. And triple, no, quadruple that especially by throwing in some sour cream and lemon. You heard me. Cabbage, bacon, Brussels, sour cream, lemon. And the bacon is actually pancetta, fancy-town. Oh, and I'm talkin' about soup. I know! Life=complete.

Cabbage and Potato Soup with Crispy Topping & Lemony Cream

Adapted from Bon Appétit

1/2 cup sour cream

juice and zest from half a lemon

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped

1 large onion, diced

3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

1 bay leaf

6 cups (or more) chicken broth

1 sprig fresh thyme

salt and pepper

1 cup thinly sliced brussels sprouts

2 1/4th inch thick slices of pancetta, diced small*

olive oil

salt and pepper

Whisk sour cream, lemon juice, and zest l in small bowl. Cover and chill.

Melt butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and onion, and sauté until just tender but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in potatoes, add bay leaf and thyme. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400. Spread brussels and pancetta on a sheet pan, and light drizzle with olive oil. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until pancetta is crispy and brussels are slightly charred but not burnt. Keep an eye on it, it could take anywhere from 5-10 minutes (and you may want to give it a stir after a few minutes). Remove from one and set aside.

Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig from soup. Using immersion blender (or regular blender, working in batches), puree until smooth. Simmer until heated through, adding more broth if soup is too thick.

Top each serving with some of the crispy brussels and pancetta, and a hearty dollop of the lemony sour cream.

*I get the 2 pieces of pancetta from the deli/meat counter. You can get exactly as much or little as you need, just thick enough, without paying a million dollars.

Cheeseburger Chimichangas

2012-02-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

Superbowl time! Who cares about the football game (oh, you do? sorry)… I'm in it for the food. Superbowl Sunday is one of the greatest junk food holidays of the year. It's pretty much the only day of the year that I'll eat chicken wings AND nachos in the same day. I mean, really, it's pretty much the only day of the year I eat chicken wings, period. These mini-baked-cheeseburger-chimichangas are perfect Superbowl food. I mean totally made for this occasion. Or maybe a 6 year old's birthday party. Whatevs. Like cheeseburgers? Me too. Like tortillas? Of course you do. Put them together, and you're all set for the big game.

Mini Cheeseburger Chimichangas (baked)

Makes 8 chimichangas

1/4 of an onion, diced small

1.5 lbs lean ground beef

pinch granulated garlic

1 tomato, diced small

3 medium-sized dill pickles, diced

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon mustard

salt & pepper

1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese

8 small flour tortillas (the 'fajita size')

olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat a large skillet over medium, drizzle a bit of olive oil to coat, and add onion. Sauté until just starting to brown, and add beef and granulated garlic. Cook until beef is almost cooked through, and drain off excess liquid. Add tomatoes and dill pickles. Cook until beef is all the way done, and tomatoes have basically melted into the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in mustard and ketchup. Taste, and add more seasoning if desired. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese.

Prior to rolling, you'll want to heat your tortillas. You can do this a few at a time in the microwave for 10 or so seconds, or wrapped in foil in your oven while it preheats. Just make sure they're soft and pliable. Add filling to center of tortilla, fold in edges, and roll from bottom to top. Arrange on a greased sheet pan, fold side down (they should hold form if you set fold side down). Bake for 10 minutes, or until bottom side is golden and cripsy, and flip. Bake for another 10 or minutes, until both sides are golden and crispy. Serve with mustard and ketchup (or you can get fancy and go the fry-sauce route).

Southwest Grilled Cheese

2012-01-31T20:23:00.000-08:00

My friend Kristy is getting married, and I'm her maid of honor! Kristy was my randomly assigned roommate in the dorms freshman year, and we were pretty much inseparable from the moment we met. We had booze-addled study sessions to get through our philosophy homework together, stayed up until 4 am laughing every night, and had a million inside jokes. After freshman year, we moved into a big old house near greek row with a bunch of other girls, and then after that we got our first apartment together. Kristy was the one who introduced me to Evan, through her high school pal Bree (who's now one of my bff's too), and I introduced Kristy to her fiancé Mark, though my friend from high school, Jimmy.

Kristy was the inspiration behind this boozy kahula cake, and this chai-spiced biscotti. She also makes a killer taco salad with an unlikely combination of secret ingredients (including nacho cheese Doritos and creamy French dressing). When we lived together (for 5 years!) we pretty much always had an unending supply of black bean and corn salsa in the fridge. We went through phases where we practically lived on the stuff. We would mix up a giant bowl of black beans, corn, onions and bell peppers, sometimes with tomatoes, cilantro, and avocado, sometimes with sour cream. Then throughout the week we'd have it inside quesadillas, on salads, or simply with tortilla chips.

It's also really good sandwiched between two pieces of chewy bread, grilled crispy, with melty cheese oozing out the sides.

Southwest Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

1 can black beans

1 can corn

1 bell pepper- diced

1/2 white onion- diced

1 tomato- diced

1/4 cup- finely cilantro

1/2 cup sour cream

juice of one small lime

pinch cumin

salt, pepper

Unless you're making sandwiches for a crowd, you'll probably have extra salsa afterward, so get some tortilla chips too.

Thick slices of sourdough bread

mayonnaise (I learned this trick from Ruth Reichl)

shredded cheese (I used white cheddar)

In a large bowl, mix together beans, corn, pepper, onion, tomato, and cilantro. Stir in sour cream and lime juice. Add cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.

To assemble: heat griddle over medium heat. Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread. The mayo adds extra tang, and doesn't burn the way butter does. To assemble, add bread (mayo side down) to griddle, add a layer of cheese, a few big spoonfuls of the bean mix, and another layer of cheese. Top with second slice of bread (mayo side out) and grill several minutes on each side, until bread is crispy, and cheese is melty. Sometimes if the bread is crisping faster than the cheese is melting, I'll cover the griddle for a minute, which steams everything up to help melt the cheese. You might need to use two spatulas to flip without losing the filling.

Food Blogger Unplugged: Q&A

2012-01-26T23:22:00.000-08:00

So, there's thing called Food Bloggers Unplugged. It's a Q&A for food bloggers, but the idea is that you get tagged, and then fill out this fun interview, and tag other food bloggers, and it just keeps on goin'. But, well, I haven't been tagged! Is it weird if I do it without an invite?

I'm totally goin' rogue here. I'm showing up unannounced and uninvited, an absolute party crasher. I'm not even using the official Unplugged logo. Instead you get a chicken. I know, revolutionary.

This is for all of you that ever got picked last in gym class…or something like that.

What or who inspired you to start your blog?

In 2009 I was laid off from my job, and had a lot of free time on my hands. I spent a lot of time perusing food blogs and dreaming about Anthony Bourdain. I think I back-read Molly's entire blog in a week. I was also cooking up a storm since I was home all day, so it just made sense.

Who is your foodie inspiration?

I love Anthony Bourdain. I mean, I love him. But I'd say my biggest foodie inspiration is my mom. And my dad. Even though I grew up in a tiny rural town, my parents always found ways to use interesting ingredients and make creative dishes. In my tiny school, I was probably the only 2nd grader bringing whole pomegranates, smoked salmon dip, artichokes, and leftover cordon bleu in my sack lunch.

Your greasiest most batter splattered cook book is?

The original Fannie Farmer. Its the best for the ol' fashioned basics like muffins, quick breads, and chocolate chip cookies. I also reference my old Gourmet mags on a regular basis, and Evan's my iPad pretty much lives in the kitchen.

The best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it and what was it?

That's a tough one, because I've had some pretty amazing food in Mexico, and the fruit in Tahiti was out of this world. But, I'd have to say that the very best was a liege waffle from a little kiosk at the train station in Antwerp, Belgium. I proceeded to eat about a hundred more liege waffles when we got to Brugge, many of them freshly made, some covered in chocolate or strawberries and whipped cream…but none of them added up to that plain pre-made train-station waffle.

Another Food Blogger’s table you would like to eat at?

Sara from Sprouted Kitchen. That girl makes whole foods and veggies look better than I could ever dream.

What one kitchen gadget would you like Santa to bring you?

Does 'a bigger kitchen' count? No? Then maybe really good pots and pans…maybe copper ones (mostly because I love how they look).

I’m coming to you for dinner, what is your signature dish?

Pulled pork. I'm obsessed with slow roasted pork, shredded and served all saucy with a side of roasted veggies, stuffed into a tortilla carnitas style, or doused in BBQ sauce and piled high on a bun. I don't know if I'd call it my signature dish, but I make a mean pork butt, and it's great for a crowd. And if you're coming for dinner, we might as well make it a party. I throw one hot taco party. Carnitas with fresh taco fixings, a pot of black beans, and some pico. And of course, some ice-cold Pacifico.

What is your guilty food pleasure?

Cheese. The grocery store by my house has a little basket of priced-by-the-pound odds and ends from their fancy cheese section, and I buy at least two every time I go there. Which is almost every day. It's kind of past 'guilty-pleasure' territory, and on the way to being a problem. I also love a good spoonful of peanut butter, almond or cashew butter, or nutella (or, if I'm really lucky, all of those on a spoon together!)

Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn?

I love rockabilly music, Quentin Tarantino, and really good hoppy beer. Screw wine and Love Actually. Give me a Hop Lava from Double Mountain Brewery, paired with a Grindhouse flick or some CCR tunes (don't judge) and I'm yours.

And finally...

This is the part where I 'tag' five other food bloggers who I'd love to dine with. This was a hard one, because I admire so many other food bloggers out there. Honestly, this list changes daily. So tonight, my ideal dinner party would include:

Joy from Joy the Baker: Joy seems like a real down-to-earth kinda gal, someone that's super hip and fun to be around, and isn't afraid to call it like it is, or use a little butter now and then.

Nicole from La Buena Vida: I love Nicole's photos and style, and her fresh approach to food. She also seems like a genuinely awesome, creative person.

Vanessa from V.K.Rees Photography: Vanessa always makes super good-for-you amazing looking food, and I love her photography. And, she includes a picture of her cat in every post, so obviously we'd get along.

David Lebovitz from Sweet Life in Paris: Do I even need a reason? David is amazing. And hopefully he would host this ideal dinner party (in Paris).

Sarah from 20 Something Cupcakes: Sarah is another quarter-life blogger, who loves throwing dinner parties, making cocktails, and cooking delicious food. If David doesn't host, we can move the party to Sarah's in sunny Florida.

If this group got together, we'd have a pretty bitchin' time. I wouldn't even make you listen to CCR. Well, I'd turn it down low, at least.

Cheater, Cheater, Cookie Eater

2012-01-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

These cookies aren’t dessert, I swear.

Every January, Amanda and I do a cleanse, of sorts. Last year we gave up meat and booze for the month. This year, we decided to give up dessert. Actually, it started out as no sugar, but my friends all said I was pretty boring this time last year, so I didn’t want to exclude alcohol. So, it became less about sugar, more about sugary-dessert-food. Cookies, cakes, pastries, candies, ice cream, brownies—off limits.

Friends, this is hard for me. Really hard. I’m a cookie-a-day kinda gal. I’m a firm believer in dessert after dinner. Or before dinner. Or—who am I kidding—instead of dinner. But, ya know what? It wasn’t too bad! The first two weeks were a breeze. I stopped craving sugar, started eating an apple-a-day, and even resisted sweet treats at the office. No biggie.

But then, something happened. Snow. I’ve been snowed in all week (for all you people calling us wimps, these picture were from the beginning of the snow-storm...duh). And you know what I want to do on a cold, snowy day? Bake. It’s an animalistic instinct, people. Snow makes bears hibernate, and it makes humans bake, it’s just nature’s way.

As quickly as the snow started falling, my resolve started crumbling. I found myself staring at dessert blogs, then at the snow, then at the oven, then back at the desserts…a vicious cycle. Just as the urge became almost unbearable, I stumbled upon Heidi’s sugarless, butter-free peanut butter cookies.

I called Amanda to see if this was cheating. She said it was. To be fair, we agreed that pure maple syrup and peanut butter were both ok. Technically, these cookies were within cleanse regulation. But, they did contain a cup of syrup, which I guess tips the scales (and my scale) in the other direction. Desperate to have cookies (I think I was literally salivating and clawing at the peanut butter jar at this point), I cut the recipe in half, and then substituted half the remaining syrup with Mel’s home-canned applesauce. A quarter cup of syrup divided amongst 16 cookies is fine, it’s fine I tell you!

At first they didn’t taste like peanut butter cookies. So I tried another one, and another. And ya know what? After 3 cookies, there it was! Peanut butter cookies! These are SO not dessert.

Right?

Absolutely Not Dessert Peanut Butter Cookies

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1 cups whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

Pinch sea salt

½ cup chunky peanut butter

¼ cup pure maple syrup

¼ cup apple sauce (or more)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: shredded coconut, sliced almonds, chocolate chips (I mean, if you’re eating that sorta thing)

Preheat oven to 350. Place racks in the top third.

In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a larger bowl, combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, apple sauce, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour the dry mix over the wet mix and stir until combined. It should be a crumbly still, but if it seems too dry, add more applesauce. Taste, and add more salt, syrup, vanilla, applesauce—as needed. Since there aren’t eggs, you can taste a few more times, if you’d like. Hell, you can just eat it as is, if that suits your fancy. Stir in optional add-ins.

Roll into small balls (should make about 16 cookies), and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Press down to flatten each one. Bake for 10 ish minutes, sprinkle with more sea salt, cool on a drying rack, and eat—guilt free.

The BLE

2012-01-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

Amanda and I have a favorite sandwich. It's not really even a sandwich, but more like some stuff, on toast. We named it the BLE. That doesn't stand for bacon, lettuce, and random-ingredient-that-starts-with-E. It stands for Best Lunch Ever. And it is. It's really easy to make, pretty affordable, and is so good that I could eat it for lunch every day. At least for a whole week.

First, you need to spread cream cheese on toast. Or on a bagel. The BLE is pretty flexible.

Second, mash up half an avocado, and spread that on top of the cream cheese. Then add salt and pepper. That's your basic BLE.

There are lots of variations though. Like adding a squeeze of fresh lemon to the avocado, maybe some tomato slices, maybe even some leafy lettuce and red onion. At that point, it starts turning into a veggie sandwich, but whatever. You can still call it a BLE.

Eggplant Fries

2012-01-08T17:26:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I watched almost every episode ever made of My So Called Life (I mean, there were only 18 episodes ever made, but still).

I also made eggplant fries, doused in honey and showered with sea salt. Crispy, sticky, sweet, salty eggplant fries.

PS. Jordan Catalano…call me!

Baked Eggplant Fries with Honey and Sea Salt

Inspired by Poppy, adapted from this recipe

1 eggplant, sliced into ½ inch fries

1/2 cup rice flour

Pinch of garlic powder, cumin, ginger, salt

olive oil

honey

sea salt (like flakey maldon)

black sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 500. Soak eggplant in ice water for 10 minutes, drain, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Mix together flour and spices. Dredge eggplant in flour, and shake off excess. Bake for 10ish minutes, until crispy and golden brown around the edges. While still hot, drizzle (heavily) with honey, I mean really get in there with the honey, and sprinkle with a good shower of sea salt and a pinch of sesame seeds.

Hasta La Vista, 2011!

2012-01-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

Well friends, 2011 was pretty good. For me, it looked like beaches and glaciers, and lots of weddings, engagements, and babies. It also looked a lot like late nights, closing down the office—I want 2012 to have even more beaches and sparkly things, and less late nights at work. What do you want the new year to look like?

Traveled to the South Pacific with Amanda

I have a friend who, rather than making resolutions, makes themes for each year. Like happiness, or sexiness. I like that. I mean, what’s greater than resolving to be totally sexy all year? Instead of rolling to work with unwashed hair and feeling off all day, you could shower… or you could toss around that disheveled do, throw on some red lipstick, and work it. And, as you make the decision to eat a second corndog, you can ask yourself “does this make me feel sexy?” If it does, then hell yeah, eat that delicious corndog girlfriend, and look great doing it! Or not. Either way, if you resolve to be sexy all year, you’ll be more confident, and you’ll own it.

Santa Monica for the 4th of July

My theme is to not waste time. I mean, it’s not as, well, sexy, as the sexy-theme, but after 3 straight months of 50+ hour workweeks last year, I decided I need to make better use of my time. I’m a bit of an over achiever, so it’s no one’s fault but my own—I didn’t create boundaries, or have a healthy work-life balance. It was either all or nothing—trips every weekend, followed by being the last one in the office every weeknight—and I majorly burned out.

Burning Beast 2011!

I mean, I like my job, but I missed out on some important things…like not taking extra time off for my best friend’s wedding, or not training as much as I should have for runs. Don't get me wrong, I did go on some amazing vacations. I was so stressed out though, that I spent half of my vacation time unwinding before I could relax. I cried a lot. I ate too many frozen pizzas. I bailed on a crazy amount of happy hours and get-togethers, and now a lot of my friends—the ones I bailed on—are moving away. I don’t want to miss out on the important things anymore. The little things that make life great.

A wedding in Cancun one weekend, a wedding in Seattle the next!

So, in 2012, I’m going to reflect on what makes me happy, and I’m going to value my time more. I’m going to go on vacations without feeling guilty about it. I’m also going to make more time for running. I want to shave at least 10 minutes off my half-marathon time.

I kayaked at the foot of a glacier in Alaska!

I’m going to leave the office at a reasonable hour each day, and not pass up opportunities to spend time with my friends. I’m going to figure out what I really, really enjoy about my job—the things that make it a valuable use of my time (and not just the company’s time)—and I’m going to make those things happen.

My dad helped me with a hot buttered rum photo shoot!

I’m also going to cook lots and lots of delicious food, definitely going to make time for that. Here's to the time well spent in 2012! Happy New Year!

Best sandwich of the year: post-Thanksgiving pulled turkey.

Bring on the Bubbly: Champagne Cupcakes

2012-01-01T16:26:00.003-08:00

Happy New Year! I know, I know. I'm a little late on this one. We all did our celebrating last night. At this point, the champagne bottles are empty, and we're hitting the gym, cleansing, or at least drinking lots of water (followed by lots of ibuprofen). I made these champagne cupcakes for last night, and by the time they were frosted, I was squeezing myself into a sequined dress and heading out to dance the night away, and didn't have time for cupcake photos. So, sorry that I didn't get this to you earlier, in time for New Year's Eve. But hey, don't let a holiday be your only occasion for a champagne toast!

These bad boys have 2 cups of champagne in the batter, and a splash more bubbly in the frosting. And they're delicious. They really taste like champagne!

So, pop a little bubbly, and have a New Year's Day toast! Cheers!

PS. How amazingly adorable is that cupcake pedestal?!

Champagne Cupcakes

Adapted from Booze Cakes

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter - softened

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 egg whites

2 cups champagne (at room temp)

1 glass champagne

Preheat oven to 350, and add cupcake liners to 24 cupcake cups. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt. Set aside. In mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until combined. Add vanilla and egg whites (one at a time) and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in flour and 2 cups champagne, alternating 3 times (starting and ending with flour). Drink one glass of champagne. Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling almost to the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before frosting.

Frosting

3/4 cups butter (1.5 sticks)

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup champagne

1 tablespoon vanilla

edible glitter sparklies for decoration

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add in powdered sugar and add remaining ingredients, mix until combined (add more sugar or bubbly for desired consistency). Frost cooled cupcakes either with a spreader or pipe it on. Top with sparkly things.

Santa Was Here

2011-12-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

My Christmas was super mellow. And by mellow, I mean lazy. Not that you need the details of my personal hygiene, but I may or may not have worn PJs the entire weekend (and I may or may not have washed my hair). I also may or may not have left the house, I mean, not even to go outside, anytime between Friday night and Monday morning. I should have tried to get a little exercise, considering we had ham on Friday, crab legs on Saturday, and prime rib on Sunday (not to mention all the other little noshes in between). I didn’t write down any recipes, and I also didn’t get my camera out once. I just wanted to enjoy time with the fam, and not spend the holiday behind my lens. I did, however, manage to snap a few iPhone pics here and there.

My parents’ kitty—Kitty—loves Christmas.

Ollie the parrot singing along to his favorite song.

Champagne, Pom juice, and pomegranate seeds (from the pomegranates Grandpa sent from his tree!)

Mel, Amanda, and I made pork tamales and cheese & pepper tamales. Amanda was the best tamale roller.

John’s Christmas morning butterscotch-nut rolls. Wouldn’t be Christmas without them!

Savory Oatmeal!

2011-12-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this blog, V.K. Reese Photography, yet? It's pretty amazing. I love it for 3 main reasons. 1. The photography is phenomenal. Seriously, I could look at her photos all day long. 2. She includes a picture of her cat in every post (dammit, why didn't I think of that?!). 3. Her recipes are fantastic and inspiring. Like this one, for savory oatmeal.

V.K. Reese's savory oatmeal has all kinds of good stuff in it, which I don't have in my house right now. I want that squashy, tofu-filled oatmeal…like, real bad, but my desire to not head out into a rainy-cold morning won that battle. So, inspired by her recipe, I did a quick Google search for savory oatmeal (who knew, this stuff is everywhere!?), and found a very simple version by Penny De Los Santos. Penny's version is one of those always-have-all-the-ingredient recipes that doesn't even need a recipe, and it took like 5 minutes to make.

Oatmeal, olive oil, salt, pepper, parm, and a runny fried egg. It's good people. It's really, really good.

How have I never done this before?

Baby I Need Your Lovin'

2011-12-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

This morning I told Evan that we're having a Dutch baby.

He was a little confused, and perhaps concerned, until I added "for breakfast," then he let out a sigh of relief. Apparently cannibalism is easier to stomach in this household than parenthood. But, not to worry, the Dutch babies I was referring to are the puffy pancake variety, not the blue-eyed, blonde haired variety.

Dutch babies are eggy, buttery pancakes, cooked in a skillet until they puff up about the edges, forming a flaky-but-chewy bowl shaped breakfast. And believe it or not, makin' babies has never been easier or more fun…er, well, it's probably been more fun. Just sayin…

Once the baby is outta the oven, top that hot goodness with even more butter, lots of fresh lemon juice, and powdered sugar. Then dig in.

Go ahead...put on something a little more comfortable, mix up a few drinks (coffee, perhaps?), and make some babies!

Dutch Baby

From The Seattle Times

4 tablespoons butter
3 large eggs
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
Clarified butter
Juice from one lemon
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425. In a 10- or 11-inch cast-iron skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over low heat (on stove top). In a blender, combine eggs, flour, and milk until smooth. Pour batter into skillet over melted butter, and bake 25 minutes. While the baby is still hot, drizzle on clarified butter, lemon juice, and powdered sugar. Serve with more lemon wedges and powdered sugar.

Fresh Take on Fruitcake

2011-12-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

You voted, and because of you (or, more appropriately, thanks to you) fruitcake is gettin' a makeover. I don't mean thanks to you because fruitcake needs a makeover, I actually kinda like the stuff. I don't understand why it gets a bad rap. Maybe it's because of the bright neon candied fruits, or the fact that it weighs more than a bowling ball. But I mean, it's not all bad. It's boozy, fruity, spicy…hello, holiday classic!

Some classics shouldn't be effed with. It's a Wonderful Life, candy canes, and the holly-jolly fat man himself…those are classics that should remain the same. Some classics, however, deserve a makeover. And what better way to freshen up fruitcake, than by turning it into…cookies? COOKIES! FRUITCAKE COOKIES! YES!

Swap out those tooth-achingly sweet candied cherries with brandy soaked dried fruit, and then wrap it all up in a spicy shortbread-esque dough. Roll it, slice it, bake it, eat it… and then wonder why the hell you've never made fruitcake cookies before!

Fruitcake Cookies

Adapted from Ina Garten

1/2 cup of each of the following, coarsely chopped:

dried cherries
dried apricots
dates
dried cranberries

1 cup chopped pecans
zest from one lemon and one orange
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons brandy
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
pinch salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
raw sugar

Combine dried fruits, nuts, zest, brandy, honey, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Let sit overnight at room temperature.

Cream butter, cloves, superfine sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the egg and mix until incorporated, then slowly add the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt just until combined. Add the fruits and nuts, and stir to combine. Divide the dough in half and place each half on the long edge of a 12 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper. Roll each half into a log, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4-inch thick, making an 18-inch-long roll. Refrigerate the dough for several hours, until firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Before slicing, roll each log in raw sugar. Cut the logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place the slices 1/2-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Holly Jolly Cookie Men

2011-12-09T10:09:00.001-08:00

My halls are decked, my stockings are hung (by the dvd rack, with care), and my apartment is merry and bright! I've been so busy decorating, getting a tree, and going to holiday parties, that I've had no time for holiday baking! Luckily, Amanda's got me covered. The girl is a Christmas maniac. She spends every waking hour doing homework, working, or working out, yet she found time to make a million Christmas cookies.

She belongs in Who-ville. So far she's made sugar cookie snowflakes, gingerbread men, and these adorable cut out-chocolate-candy cane-stained glass-guys. I think that's their official name.

Maybe this weekend I'll hunker down, do some baking, watch some classic Christmas movies, and drink a few HBRs. I mean, there's a good chance that FRUITCAKE will be on the menu…based on the poll results! Today's your last day to vote!

Oh, and if you want to make these little darlings, use this recipe (chocolate dough) with candy cane pieces for the stained glass.

Hot & Buttery

2011-11-28T23:45:00.001-08:00

You voted and the results are in! Hot Buttered Rum is your favorite hot boozy bev. HBR's are the best because they're basically like dessert in a mug, and they can be made with rum, brandy, bourbon, whiskey (wait, are those the same?)…you name it. You can even leave out the booze and just have a hot buttery virgin mocktail.

Full of warm wintery flavors like nutmeg and cinnamon, HBRs are the perfect drink for a cold night or a warm fireplace. And, believe it or not, the mix is a total breeze to whip up. Vanilla ice cream, brown and white sugar, spices, and buttah. Lots and lots of buttah.

When you're mixing it up, you can taste as you go, and add other spices or flavors, like pumpkin pie spice or ginger…and then gift it! Just pour some mix into little jars, and add a tag with instructions.

PS. My dad supplied the wood pile for the photo shoot. Thanks dad!

Hot Buttered Rum Mix

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter

pinch salt

2 cups old fashioned vanilla ice cream

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1.5 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine both sugars, salt, and butter in a saucepan. Heat over low until butter is melted and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. Combine warm buttery sugar mix with ice cream in a large bowl (of your stand mixer, if you have one). Add spices and mix /beat at medium speed until smooth. Can be stored in refrigerator or freezer.

To serve, fill a mug 1/3rd full with HBR mix, add 1 oz. rum, and fill the rest of the way with boiling water. Add more mix (or rum) if desired. And whipped cream… whipped cream is always desired.

Thank YOU!

2011-11-22T22:45:00.001-08:00

I'm so, so, so, so over the moon thankful for all of you: family, friends, readers, fans (fans?!?). I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving. Draw some hand-turkeys, make a few celery cars with carrot wheels, curse at the yams, watch football (or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade...we won't judge), drink too much "cider," try a new recipe or two, get up at 4AM for Black Friday shopping, buy 800 pairs of socks because you only buy them once a year (half-off on Black Friday!), relax and stop thinking about work, and be with people you love.

PS. See those little gourds...the ones with tea-light candles in them? Yeah, those ones. They're unbelievably easy to make...and you'll totally have the best looking Thanksgiving table out there. Just carve (using your pumpkin carving kit, or a little drill, if you're Martha Stewart) a hole big enough for your tea-light, and voila, instant centerpiece!

Quiche Cups!

2011-11-19T18:37:00.001-08:00

I worked from home last week, so you would think I might have had tons of extra time for cooking and blogging (considering I saved myself nearly an hour and a half in commute each day, not to mention 'getting ready' time). But, I was so busy taking care of my sick man-child, that I barely had time to cook anything other than chicken noodle soup.

Turns out Evan has pneumonia, and it also turns out that pneumonia can be contagious, so my boss asked that I stay home, to avoid potentially wiping out my entire office. Quarantined! It was probably for the best though, since Evan was far too sick to even get out of bed. Sick men are more helpless than babies! After a couple days on antibiotics, he's finally on the mend… and that means I finally have time to do more in the kitchen than heat up soup and pour orange juice.

After being home all week in this chilly fall-meets-winter weather, all I want to do is bake! (These pumpkin pie scented candles aren't helping, either). But, since I can't share potentially germy goods, I didn't want to make treats that I would have no choice but to eat all by myself. So, instead of dessert, I made breakfast, lunch, and dinner: Quiche! And not just any quiche… individual quiche cups!

Quiche is amazing, because you can add anything to it, and you can eat it warm, cold, or room temperature; next to a salad, or alongside a hot cup of joe. What was once reserved for fancy luncheons can now be eaten for any meal of the day, and these little individual cups pack up nicely for work (that is, if you're not quarantined at home). I use a press-in tart crust dough, so you don't have to chill and roll it—making these little cups of deliciousness even easier than a traditional quiche. I didn't pre-bake my crust, and though they still turned out great, for a flakier, crispier crust, I would recommend popping them in the oven first.

PS. My hot winter drinks poll is now closed, and I see rum in my future! more on that later!

Quiche Cups

Makes 12 cupcake sized quiches

Crust

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut in small cubes

1 egg yolk (save white for filling)

Preheat oven to 425 (if you choose to pre-bake crust). Whisk together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender (or a fork or your fingers), cut in butter until mixture resembles small peas. Whisk the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water together, and add to flour mixture. Blend (again, using pastry blender or hands) until combined and can be formed into a ball. Separate dough into 12 balls, and press into bottom and sides of 12 greased cupcake/muffin cups. Poke each one with a fork, and bake for 8-10 minutes (until golden). Remove from oven and cool.

Reset temperature to 325.

Filling (inspired by The Grand Central Baking Book)

5 eggs (plus 1 white from dough)

1 cup half and half

1 cup grated swiss cheese

salt and pepper

1 large leek, thinly sliced and sautéed in a little bit of butter and olive oil, sprinkled with salt

Whisk together eggs, half & half, salt, and pepper. Mix in grated cheese.

To assemble:

In each crust, add a spoonful of leeks, and top with egg mixture. Bake for 20-30 minutes (at 325) until egg mixture is set in the middle.

Hot Cup of Democracy

2011-11-10T10:09:00.001-08:00

I'm trying out something new! A poll...where you can vote! We all love voting, right? Look over there, to your right. See the poll in all its shiny, democratic glory? Go ahead, try it out! Vote for your favorite hot winter drink, and then I'll make it... and I'll blog about it!

On the Bandwagon

2011-11-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

Just because everyone is doing it, doesn’t mean it's a totally lame cliché . Clearly main-stream is in for a reason. Duh. Because it’s cool, that’s why everyone loves it. You’re not a hipster for following the trends, you’re just hip! So, jump in line, join the club already, and make pumpkin gnocchi. And if you really want to follow the in-crowd, toss those pillowy clouds of goodness in sage brown butter sauce.

You're pop.u.lar. Own it, honey.

Want to be an even bigger deal, hot stuff? Try this recipe (but add a little grated parm to the dough, a la this recipe), and toss with this sauce, plus thyme. But, word to the wise: you should maaayybe avoid serving buttery-rich pumpkin gnocchi alongside cheesy-rich Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good...or at least throw a little something green and leafy on the plate, for good measure. You're on top now, but those in-crowds, they're ruthless!

Everything Good

2011-10-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

That's a pumpkin. It's stuffed with everything good. But before we get into that, are you ready for some heartbreaking news? Are you sitting down? Here it is...I bailed on Halloween.

Amanda and I are kinda legends in these parts when it comes to Halloween, and we both skipped it this year… much to the shock and dismay of everyone in Seattle. Ok, so maybe we're not that big of a deal, but for reals… we're really, really good at Halloween. We put together amazing costumes (not to brag or anything, but I mean, prizes have been won). We don't mess around with the store bought costumes or the slutty pandas.

No, we spend hours making our costumes...and the gnarlier, the better. Read: zombie 1950s housewife, roadkill, Bonnie & Clyde after getting shot up (with a cameo appearance by Evan), and the gal from The Birds after the bird attack. We also aim for total realism, because we're real serious about Halloween like that. Last year I was Mrs. Lovett (with meat pies), and I guess everyone hadn't seen Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd, but everyone did say "let me guess… you're Helena Bonham Carter?" And Amanda was Edward Scissorhands. I don't mean she dressed like him… I mean, I think she really was him. She may have actually been JD's stunt double (and trust me, I know Johnny Depp, I was writing the man love letters in crayon on Lisa Frank stationary back in the Cry Baby days). She looked so much like him, that I almost had a crush on her that night. Is that weird to say?

This year, however, we chose to skip it. This is my first weekend home since… August? And Amanda has grad school midterms coming up. We're exhausted. In our 20s, and no energy for the best holiday of the year. I'm tellin' ya, it's a fat shame. Instead of lazily pulling together half-assed costumes, we stayed in. When it comes to Halloween, we go big or we don't go at all. So this year, as swarms of inquiries about our costumes came in, we had to tell the disappointed masses "sorry, we're not doing Halloween this year." Rob Zombie himself may have shed a tear over the news.

We ended up having our own Halloween party, and dressed up like couch potatoes (read: stayed in, cooked, watched a movie… and wore sweat pants). Costumery aside, we had a great night…with lots of pumpkin. We cooked a very unbalanced meal of really heavy pumpkin dishes, for just the two of us. Including something geniously named "Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good."

I like pumpkins, and I like "everything good" so it was a given that I would jump all over a recipe for Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good. How could you not fall head over heels for a dish with a name like that!? Oh man. Dorie Greenspan isn't lying… her pumpkin really is stuffed with everything good: bacon, cheese, bread, and cream. The filling bakes up like a gooey stuffing, and the pumpkin gets all soft and delicious, and practically melts into the filling. And it looks pretty impressive.

It's also fun, because you can adapt it any way you like. Want sausage instead of bacon? Do it. Have a hankering for sautéed mushrooms? Stuff 'em in there. Want to go sweet instead of savory? Get it, girl! Amanda and I even talked about goin' all southwest on our pumpkin, and using rice, ground beef, tomatoes, and peppers. Go wild, people! Stuff that pumpkin!

Dorie's recipe can be found at Epicurious. But you should also buy her book… it's full of everything good—page after page of everything good.

Restaurant Week and Cacio e Pepe

2011-10-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

Seattle just wrapped up another successful (for me, at least) restaurant week. Restaurant week—actually spanning 2 weeks—is when tons of local restaurants offer 3 course menus for $30. I happen to love restaurant week, although, I read in Seattle Met that a lot of local chefs don't feel so hot about it, and basically think they have to dumb down their food for cheapskates. It's really too bad they feel that way, because a bad restaurant week experience can tarnish my opinion of a restaurant from that point forward. And I throw down on good food… I just don't usually do it 3 times in two weeks. With restaurant week, I can try out a lot of spendier joints, so that I know where I want to go back to for nice dinners, and what places I want to recommend to friends. If I get a dumbed down, half-assed meal during restaurant week… well, sorry, you may have lost one future diner. And a lot of her friends…who also like to throw down on good food.

After last week's "try-outs," I'll definitely be going back to Andaluca and How to Cook a Wolf—two restaurants owned by Seattle 'celeb chefs.' The kitchen of one local celeb chef, however, delivered a pretty…underwhelming experience. I hate to say it, because the guy is pretty much a god among men in these parts, but sorry Tom Douglas, my meal at Dahlia wasn't too impressive. I loved my cocktail, a rosemary/blueberry shrub, and of course TD's famous coconut cream pie was amazing, but the entrees were bland, and came out so fast that it was almost like they had a line of restaurant week plates stacked up and ready to go, a la Micky D's. The whole thing felt rushed, something I don't want to feel at a nice restaurant, no matter how much I'm paying. I'm not giving up on Tom just yet (he has about 6 restaurants in Seattle), but I doubt I'll be doing dinner at Dahlia again. Andaluca and How to Cook a Wolf made up for it though.

Andaluca's executive chef, Wayne Johnson, competed on Iron Chef…and makes a mean bowl of clams. The restaurant is a mediterranean-spanish-northwest-tapas type place, and seriously had the best clams I've maybe ever had. And I've had a lot of clams. Clams are one of my go-to dishes. Andaluca's were swimming in a bright orange, slightly creamy, garlicky bath of white wine and harissa butter, and were surrounded by big, salty, spicy chunks of chorizo, and topped with cilantro. They were salty and spicy, and seriously amazing. The sherry-almond scallops were also incredible, and weren't dry or overcooked, like a lot of restaurant scallops I've had. Aside from how delicious everything was, it was just a great experience. We were served a ton of food (which isn't typical with restaurant week), and the waiter was super nice, even though we did have a loud party of 10 that shut the place down.

How to Cook a Wolf is one of Ethan Stowell's restaurants. Ethan is another big-deal chef around here, with a lot of big-time restaurants under his belt (don't tell him, but I may have stalked him at Burning Beast, just a little bit). How to Cook a Wold (named after MFK Fisher's book) is a fun, small space in Queen Anne, with simple, rustic Italian-style food, meant to be shared. Everything was delicious, from the burrata with grape mostarda, to the beef carpaccio, to the simple but fabulous pasta dishes. My favorite dish was the semolina gnocchi with pork sugo. The gnocchi were almost like big, fluffy polenta cakes, but made with semolina, and were covered in cheese, and sitting atop a salty, savory tomato sauce with shredded pork. To. Die. For. And, if the amazing meal wasn't enough, they sent us home with little bags of fresh-raw pasta.

I wanted to do something simple with the pasta, so I played homage to another local celeb chef of sorts, and made Mario Batali's pasta with cacio e pepe (Batali is from Washington, and his family owns Salumi, the unbelievable salumeria in Pioneer Square (right below my office)! Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper) is just that—pasta tossed with cracked pepper, butter and oil, and nutty parmesan cheese. That's it! And it's so good! You don't really need to follow a recipe—boil pasta in salty water, and in a separate pot, toast cracked black pepper, and melt in equal parts butter and olive oil, then mix that with pasta water, the pasta, and a hearty amount of grated cheese. There you have it. A dinner for far less than $30, that's sure to impress.

PS. I'm not a restaurant critic or even a "restaurant blogger," and the reviews above are strictly my opinion... though you should really get the clams at Andaluca, just sayin'.

Wordless Wednesday: Apples!

2011-10-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend at my parent's house, to celebrate Mel's big 5-0. She wasn't the only one who got presents... I came home with a giant box of apples, fresh picked from her friend Elaine's orchard!

Soup's on!

2011-10-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

It’s been rainy, windy, stormy, and cold in Seattle! It’s most definitely fall, and I couldn’t be happier about it. While I am sad to see the sun go away (not that it really ever showed up this year), I’m stoked out of my mind for stews, baked goods, soups, pumpkins, apple cider, apple cider cake (I made it, yum!), soups, Halloween, boots and scarves, soups, Thanksgiving, mulled wine, and lots and lots of soup. Oh, did I mention soup?!

Guess what?!?! I love soup! I think it’s souper. Get it, soup…er? Ok, so maybe that was overkill, but I really do love soup of all kinds. Brothy soup, veggie soup, hot soup, cold soup, meaty soup, chunky soup, noodle soup, and extra hearty soup, like this one, with sausage, potatoes, and kale.

I wanted to add something leafy to my typical potato soup, but I knew Evan wouldn’t go for the green unless I countered it with something spicy and made of animal. So, in addition to russet potatoes, onions, and carrots, this soup is chock full of kale, spicy-smokey Andouille sausage, garlic, and sweet, buttery chunks of sweet potato (I just couldn’t pass it up at the grocery store!). It ended up being nothing like my normal potato soup (I also didn't add milk or cream), but it’s so good and hearty that it will definitely be on the soup rotation from here on out.

PS. Evan claims to hate kale, but ate every last leafy green bit in his bowl.

Sausage, Kale, and Potato Soup

Olive oil

1 T butter

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, chopped

4 fully cooked smoked sausage links (like spicy Andouille), sliced

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed (I used the orange variety, sometimes referred to as a yam)

Salt, pepper

Pinch of rosemary (fresh or dried)

Red pepper flakes (to taste, a used a hearty pinch)

1 bunch/head of kale, washed, ribs/stems removed, and chopped

8 cups of chicken broth

Add a few pours of olive oil and the butter to a stock pot or Dutch oven, heat on medium. Add onion, and cook until translucent. Add garlic and carrots, and cook until fragrant, but don’t let garlic burn or brown too much. Add salt, pepper, rosemary, and red pepper flakes to taste. Add sausage, and cook until slightly crisp on the edges—we want it to really meld with the flavor of the onions and garlic, and to release some of it’s fat into the pot. Next, add russet potatoes and cook for a minute or two, just long enough for the potatoes to start sticking to the bottom of the pot, but not enough to burn. Add broth, and bring to a boil, scraping cooked bits off the bottom of the pot. Boil for a few minutes, then add the sweet potatoes. Taste, and add more salt/pepper/flakes, if needed. Turn heat to medium/low, cover, and simmer. When potatoes are soft and starting to break apart (you’ll have to start checking after about 10 minutes), add kale. Cook for a few more minutes, until kale has reduced, and serve (with crusty French bread on a blustery fall night).

Wordless Wednesday: Plum Torte

2011-10-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

Late summer/early fall plum tart! Thanks to Barbara for the giant box of amazing Italian prune plums, to Amanda for the use of her sunny, light-filled kitchen, and to the New York Times for the classic recipe. PS. I swapped a tad of the flour with almond meal, and added a splash of almond extract.

School Lunch: Chicken Pita Sandwiches

2011-09-26T23:28:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again: fall is here. It blew (and poured) in with conviction, unlike summer, that so-called season that never really showed up to the party. You know, like that friend, the one who RSVP'd and said she would be there, then texted and said she was on her way, but then didn't actually show up until the party was nearly over..that was summer. Fall, on the other hand, showed up in a big way. The party pretty much started when she walked in the door, and there was never a moment of doubt that she had arrived.

I like fall. I like pumpkins, and soup, and pumpkin soup, and pumpkin beer. I like apple cider and pear crisps. I like the red and orange leaves on the sidewalk, and the feeling of new beginnings. For some of you, fall is back-to-school time—time to dust off the ol' red Garfield the Cat lunch box, and fill it with sandwiches and snack packs (but not gogurt...that stuff weirds me out). I haven't had a first day of school since my senior year of college—5 years ago! I guess some of you might not think that's so long ago, but going back now seems nearly impossible. Homework? Tests? Studying?! I can't even imagine giving up paychecks for tuition, and Friday Night Lights on Netflix for term papers. And while it seems crazy to me after only 5 years, Amanda is about to have her first first day of school in 7 years.

My big sister, the girl I've been following my whole life, is about to start grad school. When Amanda started playing softball in elementary school, I did too…even though I was afraid of the ball. When she campaigned for student government and tried out for cheerleading, so did I. Her first car became my first car, and, like all the hand-me-downs I took from her over the years, I was stoked about the level of coolness her things would bring me. Amanda graduated from high school and moved to Seattle for college, and two years later, I followed her up here. And now, here she is, headed back to school. While I'm not in a hurry to follow her there, I'm once again in complete admiration of how cool she is. And how brave. And how crazy, definitely a little bit crazy.

So, for the first day of school, while Amanda's sharpening pencils and buying text books, I'm coming up with back-to-school lunches to fill up her Garfield lunch box. The one she left on the bus and cried hysterically over. Boy was I jealous of that lunch box and school bus.

While this portable lunch might not be quite right for the elementary school cafeteria, it packs up awesomely for work or big-kid school lunches. Super thin, flavorful chicken stuffed in a pita with fresh veggies and hummus. People will be jealous. And it's super easy to pack the components separately and combine at lunch. And, when you grill the chicken for dinner the night before, you get two meals in one. Just the kind of efficiency working moms or working grad students need.

Grilled Chicken Pita Sandwiches

For chicken:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Juice from 1 large lemon

olive oil

oregano

salt

pepper

Paillard your bird. Ok, that sounds complicated and fancy, but it really just means to make your chicken super thin (which means it cooks quicker but stays tender, has more of the seasoning rub in each bite, and goes further). Here's a good guide to paillarding.

Rub your chicken paillards with olive oil, douse in lemon juice, and heavily coat in oregano, salt, and pepper.

Grill indoors or out until cooked through, only a couple minutes on each side. Oh the joys of the paillard!

For dinner, slice one breast and add to salad or pasta. Slice the 2nd paillard, and refrigerate.

For sandwiches:

Pack chicken and a pita. Pack fresh spinach leaves, diced red onion, red pepper, tomato, and cucumber in a to-go container or baggie.

Add a spoonful of hummus to a baggie.

To serve, cut the corner off the hummus baggie and squeeze hummus into pita (way less creepy than gogurt), then fill with veggies and chicken.

Done…(school) lunch is served.

Ak in AK (and Pancakes)

2011-09-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a week of adventure in the last frontier––Alaska.

Well, sort of. I mean, it was a week of adventure, but not the kind you might associate with Alaska. It was less "Into the Wild," and more "Titanic"… minus the sinking part. We spent half of our time on the high seas, aboard the Golden Princess cruise ship, and the other half in adorable little touristy port-towns on the inside passage of southeast Alaska. We did see plenty of bald eagles and seals, and even kayaked up a stream of spawning salmon, but the most rugged parts of the trip were the mornings after drinking too many martinis and glasses of champagne at cruise formal nights. If you haven't noticed, I'm quite outdoorsy.

A huge group of us went on the cruise for my parents' 30th anniversary. Our group had 12 people––me, Evan, Amanda, Amanda's bff Becky, Becky's husband Deric and her mom Sue, my parents, my dad's cousin Kathy, my mom's friend Tina, and the parents of my mom's friend Shelly. We had the time of our lives. A cruise ship is pretty much a floating version of Kellerman's, the resort camp from Dirty Dancing. It has all the same activities…and people. There were the dance people, who taught lessons, then made appearances at the dance club at night, and there was even a woman that we could have sworn was old Mrs. Schumacher. When we weren't singing the Dirty Dancing soundtrack or running around like maniacs looking for clues to our Golden Princess scavenger hunt (which we won), Amanda, Becky and I were playing bingo and trivia, and learning to waltz, salsa, and line dance. We were also becoming best friends with all of the ship's bartenders and activities staff. We were quite popular by the end of the trip. We were also the youngest people on the ship, which may have had something to do with it.

In Alaska, we cruised through breathtaking Glacier Bay National Park, and made stops in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, and we stopped at Victoria, BC on the way home. In Juneau, we kayaked and ate amazing smoked salmon clam chowder. In Skagway, we rode a train up the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad, build in 1898 during the Klondike gold rush.

In Ketchikan––by far my favorite town we visited––we watched a lumberjack show and fantasized about spending a week roaming the town's charming streets. We also went in a lot of tourist shops at each stop. I did love seeing so many things that said "I love AK" (my initials), but after that trip, I never want to see a jewelry store again. Why do cruise ship passengers love buying diamonds in Alaska so much? The majority of the tchotchkes we came across weren't even made in Alaska. We were, however, able to get off the beaten path here and there, and find a few special treats. I came home with smoked salmon, an ulu, and a bottle of birch tree syrup.

Birch syrup is thin and smooth like real maple syrup, but tastes kind of like molasses, with that slightly bittersweet flavor, almost like burnt caramel. If burley lumberjacks or gold miners ate pancakes, they'd use birch syrup. They'd also be eating hearty pancakes that could hold up to a syrup like that. None of those fluffy, light as air, perfectly white cakes for this syrup.

So, upon returning home, I whipped up a batch of rugged, burley pancakes––full of blueberries and oats. The kind you'd expect to find in the last frontier.

Whole Wheat Sour Cream Pancakes with Blueberries and Oats

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Makes 6-8 medium sized pancakes

7 tablespoons whole wheat flour

1/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/ 2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, don't thaw first)

Butter

Birch syrup (or, if you can't make it up to Alaska, try whisking together molasses and pure maple syrup)

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.

Stir together flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the sour cream and gently mix until incorporated, don't over mix. Whisk eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and combine with the sour cream mixture, until a smooth batter forms (again, don't over mix).

Coat skillet with butter. For each pancake, scoop a 1/4 cup of batter into skillet at a time and plop in 5-6 blueberries. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear. Flip and cook for another minute, or until done. Repeat with remaining batter.

Make Time for Dessert: Blueberry Dumplings

2011-09-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

Can I just say how much I miss you? This has been one crazy summer. Crazy in a good way, but super busy. I've had very little time for blogging, or even cooking for that matter. Last night Amanda and I made a panzanella salad, and that was the most involved dinner I've made in two months. Toasted bread and tomatoes, people. That's how insane my summer has been…that toasted bread and tomatoes equals serious cooking.

Evan and I recently went to Cancun for his best friend's wedding, which involved lots of sun, lots of swimming, and even more drinking. Then we returned just in time to see one of my best friends get married to a charming and dashing Englishman, which involved about 30 absolutely crazy lads from the UK dancing shirtless with ties on their heads. I've been on the go so much I don't even know what I've been eating, and that tells me that I need to slow down and get back in the kitchen. But alas, I have one more big trip before I can get back to normal. This weekend Evan and I are leaving on an Alaskan cruise, along with Amanda and a couple of her friends, my parents, and a few family friends. After that, I can't wait to start cooking and blogging on a regular schedule again.

Amidst all the hullabaloo, I found one afternoon to enjoy the sun, pick blueberries, and make blueberry dumplings. Thank goodness days like that still find their way into my schedule, to keep me sane. Amanda, our friend Cindy, and I hit up a you-pick berry farm, and filled our buckets with ripe, sweet blueberries, and even a few blackberries. And it was even sunny… I mean, real summer weather. I couldn't have asked for a better day to unwind.

Afterward, we made blueberry dumplings–based on the gooey, fruity dumplings my Grandma Carol always made when we stayed with her for two weeks every summer. The dumplings are similar to a cobbler, but super quick, and fun to eat. Instead plopping biscuity dough on top of berries and baking, you drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough into simmering berries on the stovetop. Once they've cooked through, you spoon the whole mess into a bowl, and top it with vanilla ice cream, and maybe even a few fresh berries. Then the ice cream starts to melt, and you have a bowl of sweet, creamy, gooey, chewy deliciousness that you won't be able to stop eating.

No matter how hectic life gets, there's always time for dessert.

Blueberry Dumplings

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Pinch of cinnamon

Dash of fresh ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons shortening

¾-1 cup milk

3 cups berries

1 cup water

1tsp vanilla

1tsp lemon juice

1 cups sugar

For dumplings, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening until combined and pea-like in texture. Slowly add milk, and stir with a fork until dough just holds together.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring berries, water, vanilla, lemon juice, and sugar to steady boil over medium heat.

Using a large spoon, spoon in the dumplings, don’t be fancy or worry about getting them round or perfect. Gently stir, and cook for 5-10 minutes until dumplings are cooked through. Be careful to not let mixture stick to the bottom and burn.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. And a smile.

The Butter Made Me Do It

2011-08-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

Two summers ago, I started running.

I was laid off from my job, and—having no clue what to do next—I went through a bit of a quarter life crisis. So I channeled all of my creative energy into cooking and starting this blog, and all of my physical energy into running. That summer I ran my first race—the Ragnar Relay. Ragnar is a 24 hour, 187 mile team relay race, starting in Blaine (near the Canadian border) and ending on Whidbey Island. Each team has 12 people, who each run 3 legs of the race. That first year, my three legs added up to a total of 11 miles. I had never accomplished a physical feat like that. Then last summer, I ran my first half marathon, and completed my second Ragnar Relay—my legs adding up to over 17 miles.

I still wouldn’t say that I’m an amazing runner—it doesn’t come easy to me. It’s really hard, actually. But I love the way it feels to physically and mentally push myself further each time. This summer, I really pushed myself. It’s crazy what the human body and mind can do. I ran my second half marathon in June, and my third Ragnar Relay in July. The night before Ragnar, when I was packing my running pants and Cliff bars, I tripped over a suitcase—my toe got caught inside of it, and rest of me kept going. The pain in my foot was so intense that I couldn't stand for several minutes. The next thing I knew, my toe was twice the size it was supposed to be, and I couldn’t put weight on it. I had fifteen miles to run in the next 24 hours.

I switched my first leg with a teammate—limping through his 3 and a half mile run, instead of the six and a half miler I was supposed to do. Then, at 2AM, I had no choice but to run my second leg—five and half miles, straight up hill. It was miserable. I actually cried while I was running. Partially because I was pissed that people were passing me, but mostly because my foot really, really hurt. On my third leg, I knew that I had a bucket of ice and lots of rest ahead of me, so I pushed it, hard, and ran through the pain. My foot hurt so bad after that race, that I’ve stayed off of it since. The pain, and the fear of injuring myself further (with another half marathon just two months away), have kept me from running. Not only that, once you take time off, even just a few weeks, it’s difficult to get back in it. Ya need a little push.

Today, I got the push I needed…in the form of butter. Lots and lots of butter. So much butter that I was more than motivated to put on my running shoes and give it a go. My foot’s still not healed, but thanks to Sasha, of Global Table Adventures, I got my groove back… or at least consumed so much butter when I made her Salvadoran Breakfast Cakes, that not running wasn’t an option.

Sasha’s cakes, known as quesadillas in El Salvador, are like buttery muffins—tender, light, and dense all at once. They’re sweet, but also tangy from sour cream, and nutty from parmesan cheese and the crunchy sesame seed topping. She recommends serving them with coffee, which I think is more of a requirement than a recommendation—a hot cup of bold, black coffee is exactly what you need to cut through the richness of the cakes. I would also suggest letting them cool to room temperature—at least an hour—before eating. Otherwise they’ll be so buttery that the requisite cup of coffee will slip right through your hands.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget that post-cake run.

PS. They’re also gluten free! See link above for the recipe.

Wordless Wednesday: Another Pie

2011-08-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Another week, another pie. A lot like this one, but with apricots. And bing cherries.

And one lucky Rainier cherry that somehow found its way into the pie. Kinda like the baby in a king cake.

Amanda found the lucky cherry. Does that mean she has to make the next pie?

Sour (Ice) Cream

2011-08-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

I scream, you scream, we all scream for… sour cream? That’sright, sour cream…ice cream. Believe it or not, it’s delicious. Even a littleaddicting. It’s tangy, a little sweet, and ah.may.zing.. Especially with aslice of fruit pie. Or on its own. I’m actually eating a dish of it…right thisvery second. And by a dish of it, I mean the entire container.

Sure, if you think about the fact that you’re shoveling spoonfulafter spoonful of sour cream into your mouth, then it’s kinda weird. But whenyou taste it…{swoon} you’ll throw all those weird feelings out the window,because—trust me—you’ll want nothing more than to devour every last scoop ofthis frozen wonder, and then even lick the bowl clean.

Since this ice cream doesn’t have an eggy-custard base, it’sa breeze to make (with an ice cream maker). I usually decide to make ice creamabout 1 hour before I want to serve it (or eat it by myself, hoping Evan won’twalk in as I’m tilting the ice cream freezer toward my mouth) so bases thathave to be cooked and the chilled before churning generally don’t work out forme. If with nothing else in life, I’m at least spontaneous with my ice creammaker.

PS. Evan hates sour cream and refuses to try this. If youknow sour cream haters, first consider whether or not you still want to befriends with them (because that’s just crazy), and then offer them some tangyvanilla ice cream. Feel free to break the news to them after their 3^rdserving.

MmmmHMMMM… who hates sour cream now, sucker?

Sour Cream Ice Cream

Inspired by Food Network

1 pound sour cream

1 cup half and half

1 cup sugar

Juice of 1 small lime

1 teaspoon vanilla

*ice cream machine

Whisk together sour cream and half-and-half, then add thesugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Once combined, churn in an ice cream machine. Ifit’s still runny, freeze to harden before serving.

Burning Beast 2011

2011-08-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

A big open field and 15 of Seattle’s top chefs, all cooking and smoking various meats over open flame—am I referring to heaven, you ask? No, my friends, what I'm talking about is right here in Washington. Behold: Burning Beast—an event for people who love food, love to eat…and don’t mind getting a little messy. Sophisticated and rugged all at once, Burning Beast is my new favorite place on earth.

Friday Pieday

2011-07-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

I’d say I’m hardly a piefessional. I’ve made plenty of tartswith press in dough, a few graham cracker crusted cream pies, a handful ofsavory meat or bean pies, one or two holiday pies like pumpkin and pecan, andeven a frozen peanut butter pie…but when it comes to classic fruit pies, I’m anovice. And by novice, I mean, I think this was my first.

Now, I bake a mean fruit dessert—for crisps, crumbles, tarts,and fruity cakes I’m your girl. But for some reason, fruit pie has never beenon my radar. Until now. When I saw a latticed stone fruit pie in the latest BonAppetit, my heart melted a little, and I knew it was time. Pie-time. I alsobought a pastry mat recently, giving me even more incentive to roll out acouple dough rounds.

I don’t know if it was my unintentional tweaks on therecipe, if I was just lucky that day, or if the Pie-Gods were there to convinceme of my true pie-calling, but my first traditional fruit pie—lattice crust andall—was pretty damn awesome. I’m not saying it was the best pie ever made, butit was definitely not the pie of a rookie. It looked beautiful, golden andshiny, with little bits of pink and orange fruit filling peeping through thelattice. And it tasted even better. The crust was flaky and buttery, and alsosolid enough to hold up to the fruit. And the filling was sweet, fruity, andjust a little tart—summer at its finest. I read the recipe wrong and accidentlydiscarded the extra juices from the fruit, but I think that was the key to aless-soupy filling and not-soggy crust. Oh, I also accidentally added more sugarto the dough than called for…another big win.

Served with homemade lemon ice cream, this pie screamedsummer, for all to hear. And then, just for me, it whispered “you ARE apiefessional.” And just like that, I started mapping out my next fruit pie.

Stone Fruit Pie

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Crust

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2"cubes

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/3 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

¾ cup ice water

In food processor, blend flour, butter, shortening, sugar,and salt until butter resembles tiny peas, 25-35 seconds. Transfer to a largebowl. Slowly add ice water, stirring with a fork, until dough has both clumpy-wetand sandy-dry in places, adding more water if necessary. Press plastic wrapover surface of dough. Chill at least 1 hour.

Divide in half, and flatten each half into a disk. On alightly floured surface, roll 1 disk into a 13"-14" round. Roll overrolling pin and transfer to the pie dish. Pick up the edges to allow dough toslump inside the dish. Trim overhang. Roll out second dough disk (this will bethe lattice top) on a lightly floured surface to a 14" round. Transferround to a baking sheet. Cover and chill both crusts for 1 hour.

Pie

2 pounds nectarines

1 pound peaches, peeled

1 pound plums

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Juice and zest of one small lemon

1 large egg, beaten to blend

Preheat oven to 400°.

Halve, pit, and cut fruit into 1/2" thick slices. Placeall fruit in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup sugar and toss to coat. Let sit at roomtemperature for 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Add half of the cornstarch, mix well, then thoroughly strainoff all the juices. Add remaining cornstarch, nutmeg, and lemon, and gentlytoss until incorporated.

Pour fruit mixture into unbaked pie crust in dish. Using apizza cutter (or a sharp knife), cut top dough round into 3/4"-widestrips. Weave strips over filling, forming a lattice crust. Trim strips1/2" shorter than dough overhang. Fold overhang over strips and crimpedges.

Brush beaten egg over crust edges and lattice. Sprinkle 1Tbsp. sugar over top. Set pie on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for40 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Bake until crust is golden brownand juices bubble, about 35-40 minutes longer.

Cool on a wire rack, and serve (preferably to friends andfamily), with ice cream (preferably homemade).

Sneak Peek: Burning Beast

2011-07-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Between washing the camp (er, beast) fire smell out of my clothes, and a night of crazy meat-induced dreams, I haven’t had time to upload all my photos of Burning Beast, the most amazing feast in a field. In the meantime, however, I wanted to give you a little sneak peek. Stay tuned, because this, my friends, is just the tip of the iceberg… or the pork shoulder.

Summer Sun Tea

2011-07-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

I grew up on sun tea. If there is one thing that mostreflects my childhood summers, its sun tea. We brewed a fresh batch almostdaily—putting a gallon jar of water and about ten teabags out on the picnictable to soak up the heat from the sun, until it was a deep caramel color.Amanda always had hers with sugar; I always had mine straight up, on the rocks.

My summer memories are warm and sun-drenched—Mel wearing ablue and white striped tube top, and the three of us (Mel, Amanda, and myself)swatting away the bees while picking tomatoes from the garden, our tall glassesof sun tea nestled safely in the dirt, nothing but the sound of wind chimes andtowels on the clothes line, flapping in the breeze.

Summers just aren't the same without sun tea. Or sun, forthat matter—which we don’t seem to have a lot of these days. My balcony onlygets sun for a few hours in the morning, and it’s not that blazing hot summersun that I remember from childhood… the sun that could brew a gallon of tea intwo hours flat. Since I can’t rely on those few hours of weak, morning, Seattlesun to heat up an entire gallon of tea, I make it in individual mason jars—aglass of water and two bags of plain black tea—just enough for one or twopeople.

It wouldn't be summer without it.

PS. Rumor has it that sun tea—steeped at temperatures notquite hot enough to kill bacteria—can make you ill. If you have concerns, thereare plenty of safety tips online, like how many hours you can safely brew yourtea in the sun, and how quickly your sun tea should be consumed after steeping.You can also try the cold-brewing method, wherein you let the tea steep in thefridge overnight.

PPS. I’ve been drinking sun tea for 26 years, Amanda for 28years, and Mel and my grandma for at least 29 years (that’s how old my grandma waslast time I checked, and I don’t suppose my mom could surpass her in age…), andnone of us have fallen ill from it. The only thing we’ve fallen into fromdrinking sun tea is a hot, sweet, lazy summer nap on the back porch.

Beach House Baby Shower

2011-07-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday was beautiful and sunny, the perfect day for myfriend Brit’s baby shower at her family’s beach house. Amanda hosted a celebrationthat could rival Martha—creating the perfect pretty-in-pink party inanticipation of baby Solie.

We lounged by the sand and surf, sipped on pink lemonade andchampagne (well, I sipped on champagne, the mommy(s) to be stuck to the lemonade)and colored letters of the alphabet for the baby’s first alphabet book.

While we competitively resisted the urge to say “baby,” wenoshed on vanilla-raspberry cake, strawberries with rosewater whipped cream, marshmallowscoated with pink chocolate, golden Oreo bon-bons with shimmery pink sprinkles,cheese and crackers, and meatballs (a nod to the little soon-to-be meatball).

We didn’t, however, play games where you guess the mom-to-be’sweight, or taste something out of a diaper. I mean really, who does that?

Wordless Wednesday: LA LA Land

2011-07-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Evan and I spent the holiday weekend in Santa Monica, at his sisters bungalow... a half mile from the beach.

I’d like to tell you that we tried all the best eateries in Los Angeles—from fancy restaurants to greasy authentic taco trucks—but we didn’t.

We were too busy riding bikes along the waterfront, dancing with old friends and drinking muddled grape cocktails with new friends, cheering on skateboarders and roller-funk dancers at Venice Beach, watching Ghostbusters in a Hollywood cemetery, and soaking up vitamin-D on the beach.

Sunny-Time Stuffed Tomatoes

2011-06-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

Summer is here… sort of. The Solstice (along with Seattle’s naked-bike-ride Solstice parade) came and went, and so did that fleeting glimpse of sun we had. You may think it’s silly that I talk about the weather ALL time, but that’s what we do here in Seattle. We’re sort of obsessed. When the sun shines, everyone is talking about it. And when the sun doesn’t shine, everyone is talking about that, too. “How ‘bout this weather” isn’t just small talk to Seattleites, it’s a serious, and often heartfelt, topic. This NY Times article (with shout-outs to some of my favorite Seattle eateries!) hits the nail right on the head: “During my stay [the weather] was and wasn’t [good], the rain coming and then going and then coming back, with local residents issuing a running commentary about that. Although they’re touchy about Seattle’s soggy reputation, they do seem unusually jubilant — even evangelical — about drier days.”

It’s true. We really want to convince you that it’s not that rainy in Seattle, that it’s totally sunny and beautiful here. And it IS, a few months out of the year… I swear. But, since it hasn’t been sunny yet, our summery produce has been slow on the uptake. If you know anyone with a garden in Seattle, they’ll tell you about how the weather is affecting their plants. Especially tomatoes. This dreary weather doesn’t lend to ripe, juicy tomatoes. Some of you out there probably have great tomatoes right now. So, this is for you. Everyone else can come back to this post in a month, when places like Seattle WILL be hot and sunny and bursting with fresh, abundant produce.

When I was kid, summers were full of ripe tomatoes from our garden. One summer, my grandma was making the rounds (first to Idaho to visit my aunt, then to Washington to see us). She and my aunt had made tomatoes stuffed with all kinds of good stuff, like bacon, green onions, and cheddar. She liked it so much, that she wanted to share it with us, too. The original recipe was supposed to be baked, but it was so hot out that we just stuffed them and ate them fresh... and they were so good we made them again the next night. I think Grandma ate nothing but stuffed tomatoes that summer.

The last few years, I’ve searched high and low, but haven’t been able to find the recipe. So, last summer—when you could hardly move without bumping into a crate of super-ripe tomatoes—I decided to just wing it. I planned to tell you about it at the time, but then I found this fabulous site, They Draw & Cook, and I wanted to draw the tomatoes and recipe, and submit it for a book. And then I was planning to post the recipe with my drawing for all of you. But then I didn’t finish the drawing, and I had other things, like nectarines, to tell you about. The next thing I knew, tomatoes were no longer in season, and I had yet to share this recipe. This is how far I got on my drawing. I was clearly distracted.

Fresh Stuffed Tomatoes
Serves 2-4

Heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes (2 large to 4 medium/small)
1 cup trim cottage cheese
2 green onions- thinly sliced
1 tablespoon seasoned breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon worchestershire
1 tablespoon mayo
3 slices bacon- cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh dill- chopped
Cut tops off of tomatoes, and scoop out the insides. Dice the insides and toss into a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in bowl w/diced tomatoes, stir until combined, salt and pepper to taste. Stuff tomatoes with filling. Enjoy fresh on a hot summer night!

Crazy Crostini

2011-06-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Bread. Chocolate. Truffle salt. Almond oil. You may call me crazy for recommending this combination, but that’s fine. I’ll take it. I might be a little crazy. I mean, I own five cake pedestals and hardly ever bake cakes, I talk to my cat on the phone when I go out of town, and—after very little training the last few months—I’m about to run a half marathon, right after spending a weekend in Vegas, where I boozed harder than Amy Winehouse at an Amy Winehouse concert. Now that shit’s crazy.

The ol’ truffle-chocolate crostini pales in comparison. And really, I didn’t even invent it myself. I tasted something similar at Ocho awhile back, and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Luckily, I always have baguettes and chocolate on hand—one of my favorite snacks is dark chocolate smashed into a piece of warm French bread. And, Evan got me some amazing truffle salt and almond oil for my birthday. Aside from the fact that I was eating this totally rich and extravagant snack by myself, there was absolutely no reason for me to not make it.

There’s no reason for you to not make it, either. If you don’t have almond oil, you could easily use good olive oil, and add almonds. You could also do truffle oil and plain sea salt, if that floats your boat. Now...I know you may be hesitant to fork out the cash required for truffle products, but it’s worth it. Every kitchen should have truffle oil or truffle salt. It’s just a fact. Your macaroni and cheese and popcorn will thank you. So will your chocolate crostinis.

The method for these little treats varies. Since I was making them for myself, I simply warmed some baguette slices in the microwave (how elegant of me!) with chunks of dark chocolate, and drizzled with almond oil and a sprinkle of truffle salt. If you’re making them for guests, however—especially this time of year—you could brush the bread with your oil of choice, and cook on the grill—melting the chocolate with the heat of the fire.

Your friends might call you crazy… but probably in that mad-genius type of way.

Birthday Cake for Dinner

2011-06-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

Now that I’m on the downhill slope to 30, I guess I should start acting like a grown up, which is ok…I like being a grown up. When I get home from work, before even taking off my heels, I can dive into a giant piece of leftover chocolate birthday cake with coconut cream cheese frosting. Since I’m a grown up, no one can tell me it’s going to spoil my dinner. Hell, this is my dinner…I like that.

I also like being a grown up because I’m going to Vegas this weekend, for a bachelorette party in honor of one of my favorite gals ever! That is strictly grown up behavior. I’m even going to have a cocktail before lunch… maybe even before breakfast. Total grown up move, right? When you’re a kid you can’t do that, when you’re in college you do that a lot, but it’s so childish. When you’re 26, you get to have a drink at 10 in the morning, and call it grown-uppy. Because I mean, you're still paying bills and fulfulling responsibilities, and what not.

What I don’t like about being a grown up, however, is that no one was there to stop me from eating several giant pieces of delicious, dense, buttery chocolate birthday cake three days before I have to fit into a bikini. I would advise against this type of grown up behavior, folks. But, who am I to tell you what to do? Us grown ups, we have to make to make decisions for ourselves. So, if you decide that eating the richest chocolate cake around is the best choice for you, you can make this cake, with this frosting, like Amanda did for my birthday. Your thighs will regret it, but your taste buds will not.

Fast and Fresh: Bok Choy Chicken Salad

2011-06-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

It’s almost my 26th birthday! This weekend I’ll be celebrating my downhill decent to 30, and next weekend I’ll be in Vegas for a bachelorette party. With my days quickly filling up and the weather finally warming up (knock on wood), its time to start making quick, light, fresh meals for dinner. Like this one—crunchy baby bok choy, sweet snap peas, cool cucumbers, green onions, and shredded chicken—all tossed in a slightly spicy sesame soy vinaigrette. Calling this sexy dish easy or fast isn't even an insult—she’ll take the compliment and strut her stuff right across your dinner plate.

I threw this together on a late weeknight, in about 10 minutes. I cheated a little, buying a rotisserie chicken… but hey, no one ever said cheaters never prosper. (Oh. They do say that?) Well, in this case, it’s worth it. I get to throw together a tasty dinner in record time, and Evan gets to release his inner caveman (insert visual of Evan ravaging a chicken carcass here). Win-win, right? Right.

Salad with Bok Choy, Snap Peas, and Chicken
Inspired by Bon Appetit

Dressing
1 jalapeño, diced
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
Toasted sesame seeds

Salad
1 rotisserie chicken—shredded
2 green onions, sliced
1.5 cup sugar snap peas cut in half or thirds
3 baby bok choy, thinly sliced crosswise
1 seedless English cucumber, chopped

For dressing, whisk together ingredients—add more oil or vinegar as needed. In a large bowl, combine chicken, 2/3 of the green onions, the snap peas, bok choy, and cucumber. Toss with dressing. Enjoy!

Soup's On!

2011-05-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

I’m still hyped up about my 2-year-blogiversary, especially with some recent shout-outs from friends. It’s always amazing to hear that people other than my mom, sister, and boyfriend read this. When my favorite blogs have a new post with a great story, a fabulous, stomach-growl-inducing picture, or a must-try recipe, I feel like I received a little gift in the mail, and I can’t wait to open it. I hope that my blog has the same effect, and inspires people to get in the kitchen.

The other day, my friend Jen (Amanda’s realtor), said “Is it me, or are your photos on your blog getting better and better?” So I looked through old posts, back to the beginning, and it’s true, they really are better. Part of it, of course, is the camera. But it’s also the angles, the styling, the lighting, and just a sense of knowing what I, as a viewer, would want to see. And, well, practice makes perfect.

Take, for instance, this soup. It was the first recipe I posted on Loves Food, Loves to Eat. I actually spent a long time setting up that photo. I was at Evan’s old apartment (because I needed to job hunt—er, start a blog—and didn’t have internet at my own place). I had to bring everything to his apartment to make that soup—even the pots and pans. I was so excited about having a recipe to share, that I wrote the post before I even made the soup. Then I took about 20 pictures before I would let anyone eat. Evan’s used to this by now, but back in the beginning, he didn’t quite know how to deal. Now he knows not to come to the table until about 15 minutes after hearing “dinner’s ready,” because really, it’s not ready ‘til I get my shot. That picture I posted was the best out of the 20 or so I took that day. While the soup—still the most requested recipe in my household—hasn’t changed much (I did start adding chopped cabbage as a garnish…delish!), my photos of it certainly have. Wouldn’t you agree?

Thanks so much for your continued support and words of encouragement—your comments, shout-outs, and photos of food that I inspired you to make (!) constantly inspire me to take better photos and make more delicious food! Keep it up, friends, and I will too! Love you all!

Happy Birthday Blog!

2011-05-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

It’s Loves Food, Loves to Eat’s second birthday! This ol’ gal is a toddler now—two years old (but hopefully a lot less terrible with each new post).

A lot can happen in two years, and with this little site, I was able to document little changes and big changes, and everything else in between. Since starting Loves Food, Loves to Eat, I ran my first half marathon, went to Europe for the first time, roasted my first chicken, travelled to paradise, and… by far the craziest thing to happen in the last two years… I became obsessed with eggs!

You may remember a little post I did in June of ’09, about the dish that made me like eggs. At that point, nearly two years ago (just after starting this blog), that was pretty much the only egg dish I could swallow. Now, two years and 155 posts later, I cook, take pictures of, eat, and write about eggs more than almost any other food.

So, on her 2nd birthday, here's to Loves Food, Loves to Eat, and her lovely muse: the incredible, edible egg. Move over birthday cake!

So Fresh, Totally Radish

2011-05-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining at least once a week, I’m going on a swimsuit vacation in a month, I have a few big runs coming up this summer, and in September, I need to fit in a bridesmaid dress for my friend Tasha’s wedding. Therefore, I’m trying to snack healthier.

Of course, for me, that still includes chewy, carbie bread, and creamy, fattening butter. Baguette slices with crunchy radishes, thinly spread butter, and a sprinkle of sea salt are at least healthier than baguette slices overloaded with brie and cured meat, and definitely healthier than chips with salsa, sour cream, and guac, right? Right? Well, I’ll keep telling myself that, so that I can feel good about eating one of my favorite Sunday afternoon snacks.

Healthy or not, at least it’s local, with bread from the bakery at the end of my block, and spicy, fresh radishes from the Farmer’s Market. Pair that with flaky maldon sea salt and good quality butter—you could even make your own butter—and you’re gonna feel pretty good about yourself—swimsuit and all.

Frijoles + Huevos = True Love

2011-05-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

Remember those black beans you made for Cinco de Mayo? The ones that are leftover in your fridge, or perhaps, the ones that you froze for later? Well, they remember you. And they want you to heat ‘em up, shower them with a hearty spoonful of crumbled cotija cheese, and top them with a slightly runny, crispy-around-the-edges fried egg. Trust me, I know these things.

I had a pot of black beans leftover from the amazing rockfish taco dinner I made over the weekend, and when I woke up, I heard them quietly whispering to me from the fridge. By noon, the whisper had gotten a little louder, and by 1pm, those black beans were practically shouting in my ear, begging to be topped with a fried egg. I obliged…no one wants to deal with an angry pot of beans.

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Menu

2011-05-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working SO much lately. Like… 11 hours a day. Combined with my hour round-trip bus commute, I’m away from home for 12-plus hours each day. I'm not complaining... hey, I'm trying to get a promotion here (hint hint, if my boss is reading this...) but it is a bit exhausting. It also doesn’t leave lots of time for things like training for an upcoming half marathon, doing laundry and dishes, or cooking. That’s why tonight, for Cinco de Mayo, I’m going to celebrate by having someone else cook for me, serve me a heavily spiked margarita, and even clean-up after me when I’m done. As much as I LOVE cooking and entertaining, I’m going out to eat tonight, and not spending one moment in front of the stove or sink.

I feel a little guilty, for not making you fabulous Mexican-inspired spread, so I’ve put together this Cinco de Mayo menu, inspired by my recipes, and those of other great food bloggers. Start with tortilla chips and pico de gallo. For the main course, set up a taco bar with fresh corn tortillas, limes, thinly sliced radishes, cilantro, pork carnitas flavored with tangy tamarind paste, a big pot of black beans, and spicy sweet potatoes. End the meal with creamy, cool caramel flan. Enjoy, and have a Pacifico for me (or, hell, make it a shot of Cuervo).

Make Baklava

2011-05-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

I always thought baklava was one of those really laborious, easy to mess up kind of desserts—the kind best left for the professionals. But it’s not…it’s easy. A little too easy, considering the amount of butter and sugar between those flaky layers. But trust me, it’s a breeze. You should make it.

It’s practically impossible to mess up. Even if you could only find weird organic phyllo dough that practically crumbled when you tried to pull apart the layers, and you had to piece them together, using heaps of melted butter as glue. Even if you didn’t follow the instructions that said to toast the two kinds of nuts on separate baking sheets, and even then, you only toasted them for a minute, rather than five. Even if you didn’t make the syrup the night before as instructed, and you ended up making only two layers, instead of three. Even if you threw it together thirty minutes before your guests arrived, and you had to hop in the shower immediately after popping it in the oven. Even then, it would still turn out beautifully, with sticky, sweet layers of nuts, sandwiched between flaky, buttery phyllo dough.

My friend Dave said my baklava was better than the baklava at the Greek restaurant. He didn’t say which Greek restaurant, but I’m going to take the compliment and not ask questions.

Pistachio Walnut Baklava

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Syrup
2 cups sugar
2/3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup water

Bring all ingredients to boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and boil about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Baklava
2.5-3 cups walnuts
2.5-3 cups natural raw unsalted pistachios
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
20 17x12-inch sheets thrawed phyllo pastry
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
Additional honey

Preheat to 350°F, and toast nuts for 5 minutes. Cool, and transfer to food processor. Add 3/4 cup sugar, lemon peel, and ground cinnamon. Blend until nuts are ground to medium- fine texture. Brush 13x9x2-inch baking pan with some melted butter. Cover bottom of pan with 1 layer of phyllo sheet (will either be 1 half sheet, or several pieced together) and brush with melted butter. Continue, making 10 layers total. Spread 1/2 of nut mixture over phyllo. Repeat—10 more phyllo sheets with butter between layers, topped with remaining nuts. Top with 5 more phyllo sheets. Using sharp knife, cut through top phyllo layers lengthwise (do not cut through to bottom of pan) to make 4 strips, then cut phyllo crosswise to make 16 rectangles, and cut each in half, to make triangles. Bake until phyllo is golden, about 45 minutes. Spoon cold syrup over hot baklava, then drizzle honey to cover entire top layer. Cool and serve.

Food Fight: Pizza Showdown

2011-04-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

It started with some trash-talking…as all good dinner parties do. But this dinner party, my friends, wasn’t your average white linen and good manners type of dinner party. It was a showdown. Or a throwdown (minus Bobby Flay). It was the best kind of food fight. And the subject? Pizza!

V and her boyfriend Ben (our only friend with a house instead of an apartment, and a professional-style gas stove…swoon) invited us over for the Second Annual Pizza Showdown. Last year’s showdown started out as a friendly pizza collaboration, and ended in voting and bribing, with Adrienne being named the winner. I guess we’re a competitive bunch. This year, we skipped the niceties, and went straight for the jugular.

Ben: “I'm going to make a pizza that calls all your pizzas Susie.”
V: “Who wants to be on the "my pizza kills ben's pizza" team?”
Ben: “Make sure to bring name tags for your pizza—you can go ahead and write "Susie" on them in advance.”
Adrienne: “Just remember who won last year…”

With that kind of pressure, I decided I had bring out the big guns. Evan and I brainstormed for days, trying to come up with a winning pizza topping combination. We threw out ideas like Sriracha and chicken, or sundried tomatoes, arugula, and Salumi salami. He wanted big and meaty, I wanted fresh and full of veggies. Our team was breaking at the seams, before the competition even began. When the time came to get supplies, Evan was nowhere to be found…so I picked out the toppings I wanted, asparagus and arugula, and completely disregarded his meat-full wishes. No one said competition is pretty. It is, however, delicious.

We gathered in Ben’s big grown-up kitchen, threw out some fightin’ words, drank wine, danced and sang, and whipped out some amazing, delicious pizzas. And, low and behold, my last minute topping decision won the contest; with Adrienne coming in at a close second (that girl knows how to make a classic pizza).

The Pies:
Amber: The green pie—shaved asparagus with fontina, pine nuts, shaved parmesan, and fresh lemon-kissed arugula
Adrienne: The classic—mushrooms, pepperoni, and olives
V: The spicy Pie—tandoori chicken with fresh cilantro
Ben: The big and meaty—sausage, grilled onions, and pepperoncini
Tasha: The simple but always delicious margherita—tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella
Bree: Tropical with a Twist—pineapple, Canadian bacon, and smoked Gouda
Jim: The forager—a pizza overflowing with sautéed mushrooms
Evan, Bobby, and Ewan: an inappropriately shaped pizza that we will not name on this blog

Go ahead, Ben, just try to call this pizza Susie.

Shaved Asparagus Pizza
(The dough recipe below makes six 6-ounce pizza crusts—my toppings will cover two of them)

Your favorite pizza dough or “The Best Pizza Dough Ever” from 101 Cookbooks
1 bunch asparagus, shaved lengthwise with a vegetable peeler (try it, its fun!)
1 clove garlic, minced
Sea salt
Olive oil
Pine nuts
½ -2 cups grated fontina
¼ cup grated parmesan
Shaved parmesan
A large bowl full of fresh arugula tossed with fresh lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of vinegar, and salt and pepper—to taste

Prepare your dough according to directions, stretch it, and lay it on a pizza peel or pan coated with cornmeal. Bush a light amount of olive oil on the dough, sprinkle on garlic and sea salt. Top with grated fontina and parm, and a hearty amount of asparagus, you really want to mound the asparagus on, because it will baked down. Sprinkle on pinenuts. Bake pizza according to directions for the dough—the bottom should be slightly crispy and golden, and the asparagus should be just browning around the loose edges. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Before serving, top with arugula and shaved parm, and another spritz of lemon if needed.

Wordless Wednesday: Easter Dinner

2011-04-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

For Easter, Amanda and I made an amazingly delicious dinner inspired by some of our favorite recipes, food blogs, and food magazines. We gorged ourselves on shaved Brussels sprout salad with pineapple poppy seed vinaigrette, roasted radishes with lemon brown butter and fresh chopped radish tops, asparagus and cheeses tart with buttery homemade puff pastry, crispy pommes anna with herbes de provence, Amanda’s crazy-good brown sugar pulled ham, and individual pistachio meringues with vanilla whipped cream (using our vanilla beans from Moorea) and strawberries soaked in orange flower water.

Simple Saturday: Grilled Eggplant Tartine

2011-04-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air, so rain or shine, I’m firing up the grill. And, since I’m lovin’ Mediterranean flavors right now, I came up with this fairly quick and simple grilled eggplant recipe that you can serve as an open-faced sandwich (or tartine), or as crostinis for a delicious spring appetizer.

Or…you could just stand on the balcony devouring it straight off the flame, while your neighbors enviously take in the sights and scents of grilled eggplant and crusty charred bread with thyme, tangy feta cheese, sweet balsamic vinegar, and fresh herbs, mingling with the floral fragrance of the cherry blossoms blooming nearby.

If that doesn’t put a little spring in your step, I don’t know what will!

Grilled Eggplant and Feta Tartine

1-2 Japanese eggplants cut lengthwise into ¼ inch thin slices
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh thyme
4 baguette slices
Feta cheese
Balsamic vinegar
Fresh basil
Fresh mint

Preheat grill pan or grill over medium. Brush eggplant slices and baguette slices with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Grill eggplant until tender and golden with visible grill marks. Grill bread until toasted. Top baguette slices with eggplant, feta, a drizzle of good olive oil and balsamic, and a sprinkle of basil and mint leaves.