a pinch of taste.

Cherry-Orange Muffins

2008-12-04T11:33:00.007-05:00

We bought two 3 oz packages of gourmet dried tart cherries and dried blueberries. Sunsprout, a company based out of Lancaster, PA, distributed the fruit; the following recipe comes from their packaging. I made mini muffins instead of regular-sized ones and adjusted the baking time accordingly.

CHERRY-ORANGE MUFFINS

makes 12 muffins (or about 3 dozen mini muffins, in my case)

2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 c dried tart cherries
3 tbs grated orange peel
1 c milk
1/4 c butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt

To premoisten dried cherries, pour boiling hot water over dried fruit and cover for 15 minutes. Drain. This will help maintain the moisture meant for the prepared recipe.

In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Combine separately: milk, melted (not hot) butter, and egg.

Gently add the liquid ingredients to the dry mixture. When just moistened, gently fold in the premoistened dried cherries and orange peel. Fill paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven 18-22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from pan and serve warm.

Coconut Custard Pie

2008-11-29T11:21:00.006-05:00

Confession: I was only planning to make two pies this Thanksgiving weekend. Still, we pastry fiends--aka my family of four--have managed to eat all but 1/3 of the pumpkin pie...and it's not yet Saturday afternoon. The solution? BAKE. MORE. PIE.

We all love a good coconut custard, so I tried a recipe from my beloved "Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts." It's quick and easy, so you can spend your time watching "Real Housewives of Atlanta" marathons in your sweatpants instead of stirring eggs over the stove and hoping they don't curdle.

COCONUT CUSTARD PIE

serves 8

10" prebaked pie shell, cooled to room temperature (see recipe below)
6 eggs
2/3 c packed brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 c milk
1 c half and half
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract or an additional tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
2 tbs unbleached white flour
1 c unsweetened grated coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, combine the eggs, brown sugar, salt, milk, half and half, vanilla, coconut extract, and flour and blend until smooth. Spread the grated coconut on a baking sheet or taster oven tray and lightly toast at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes, or until golden. Stir the coconut into the custard mixture. Pour the filling into the prebaked pie shell.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.BEST ALL-PURPOSE PIE CRUST

yields 1 crust

1 1/2 c unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar (optional)
1/2 c chilled butter
3 to 4 tbs ice water

To make in a food processor, cut the butter into 1" pieces and place them in the bowl of the food processor. Add the flour, salt, and sugar. Process until all of the ingredients are incorporated. With the processor on, add the water a tablespoon at a time until the dough begins to clump but is still crumbly. Continue to drizzle a little water and pulse the food processor, stopping to test the dough with your fingertips to see if it is moist enough to hold together. (You can almost make the dough by hand or in a stand mixer.)

On a floured surface, gently flatten the ball of dough with a rolling pin. Starting from the center, roll the dough into a circle about an inch larger than the diameter of the pie pan. Lift the dough into the pan. Fold the edges under and crimp with your fingers or a fork.

To make a prebaked pie shell, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prick the prepared crust in several places with a fork. Line the crust with aluminum foil (I used parchment paper) and a layer of dried beans (I used ceramic pie weights) to weight it down. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crimped edge is lightly toasted. Remove the beans and foil and continue to bake for about 10 minutes, until the shell is golden brown and the bottom is no longer moist--if you use a glass pie pan, you can look at the bottom of the pan to check that all moisture has baked out of the crust. Cool before filling.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T19:03:00.015-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I hope your holiday was merry. Here's the spread we feasted on today:
We had turkey......mashed potatoes......cornbread and sausage stuffing......brussel sprouts with pancetta......cranberry sauce......gravy......cornbread pudding......and champagne!I can't wait to eat leftovers!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

2008-11-26T15:48:00.001-05:00

In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I made a pumpkin pie and a chocolate pecan pie this morning. The editors of Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine note, "The pie filling puffs up during baking but settles as it cools." Enjoy with a large scoop of vanilla or caramel praline ice cream!CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE

serves 10

4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 c light corn syrup
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 recipe Basic Pie Crust (see below), rolled and fitted into a 9" pie plate
1 c pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes (or melt chocolate in microwave). Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together (do not whisk) eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stirring constantly, gradually add melted chocolate. Pour filling into prepared crust; place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange pecans in one even layer over filling.

Bake just until set (filling should jiggle slightly when pie plate is tapped), 50 to 60 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 4 hours (or up to overnight) before serving.

BASIC PIE CRUST

makes one 9" crust
NOTE: If wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil, this will keep in the freezer for up the 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 to 4 tbs ice water

In a food processor, briefly pulse flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tbs ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 tbs water, 1 tbs at a time). Don't overmix.

Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over dough; press to shape into a 1" thick disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days)

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough to a 14" round with a floured rolling pin. Wrap dough around rolling pin, discarding paper; unroll over a 9" pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate (do not stretch dough).

Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1" overhang. Fold under itself to form a rim, and press to seal. Using thumb and forefinger, crimp rim of crust. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Countdown to Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T23:20:00.004-05:00

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays (as it essentially celebrates overeating, passing out on the sofa, and waking up to forage for leftovers)! In sum, here is some of the prep work I've done in anticipation of Thursday:1) Groceries

Yesterday, we drove half an hour to the nearest Wegmans to pick out a fresh, organic, hormone-free turkey. We also stocked up on snacks for the weekend ahead! I picked up some lovely Rishi organic white tea with sweet plums and one of my favorite cheeses, Brillat-Savarin. I also procured two jars of Trappist Seville Orange Marmalade, which monks make at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, MA.

Today, I spent over an hour at the local grocery store, picking up ingredients for Thanksgiving cooking and baking. I also helped to make a gravy starter base with smoked turkey wings; we'll add to it on Thursday.

2) Pie Crusts

As the resident baker of my family, I'm in charge of making a pumpkin pie and a chocolate pecan pie. I made the pie crusts ahead of time to save time later this week. On Saturday, I made three pie crusts (2 pate brisee for the pumpkin and 1 basic pie crust for the chocolate pecan), wrapped them in plastic and alumnium foil, and stored them in the freezer. Tomorrow night, I'll transfer them to the fridge to thaw overnight. On Wednesday, I'll bake the pies...and on Thursday, we eat them!

3) Purging the Fridge

This afternoon, I spent a few hours cleaning out my parents' fridge (to make space for even more food)! Shelf by shelf, I removed the items, wiped down the icky sticky stains, and tossed/recycled expired food and condiments. Then, I reorganized everything so like foods are now logically grouped together and all labels face outward.

Hopefully, all of this organization and planning ahead will expedite the laborious cooking process on Thursday! It's all worth it in the end...

Lentil Sausage Soup

2008-11-20T20:37:00.006-05:00

As the temperature plummets and snow flurries fill the skies, it's time to break out the soup recipes. I made this Ina Garten recipe for dinner the other night. It's a variation of basic ham and lentil soup. Decidedly delicious!

LENTIL SAUSAGE SOUP

1 lb French green lentils (recommended: du Puy)
1/4 c olive oil, plus extra for serving
4 c diced yellow onions (3 large)
4 c chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
1 tbs minced garlic (2 large cloves)
1 tbs kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
3 c medium diced celery (8 stalks)
3 c medium diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
3 qts chicken stock (I used 2 1/2 qts)
1/4 c tomato paste
1 lb kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3" thick
2 tbs dry red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot.Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

Mocha-Chip Meringues

2008-11-15T18:04:00.009-05:00

This recipe was featured in a past issue of Martha Stewart "Everyday Food." I didn't have any instant espresso powder on hand, so I just made chocolate chip meringues. They came out light, airy, glossy, and delicious! I used a Silpat on one baking sheet and regular parchment paper on the other, and both sheets yielded great results.MOCHA-CHIP MERINGUES

makes 48

3/4 c sugar
1 tbs cornstarch
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp instant espresso powder (I omitted this)
3 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch; set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until frothy. Beating constantly, add sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes total (scrape down the bowl halfway through). Add espresso powder and cocoa; beat until well blended. With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chips.

Drop batter by level tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake until crisp, about 40 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool completely on sheets, about 20 minutes.

Roasted White Fish with Leeks and Bacon

2008-11-12T08:41:00.000-05:00

My friend Emily borrowed a copy of Jamie Oliver's "Jamie at Home" from her public library, and we prepared this for a small dinner party. We served it with a Riesling, salad, and apple crisp pie (see separate entry)!

You can use any thick, mild-flavored white fish: cod, turbot, etc. At the grocery store, the closest approximation was Asian basa fillet, a thin catfish. We adjusted the recipe to serve 5 people.

ROASTED WHITE FISH WITH LEEKS AND BACON

serves 4

16 baby leeks washed and trimmed (We used 3 large leeks)
4 7 oz. fillets of white fish (We used Asian basa fillet)
1 large lemon cut into 8 thin wedges
4 sprigs of rosemary
8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

For the marinade:

A couple of sprigs each of rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a baking tray in the oven to warm up.
To make the marinade, bash up the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves with the salt in a pestle and mortar until the salt has turned green. Pour in two glugs of olive oil, a pinch of pepper, and the lemon juice and give it a stir.

Parboil the leeks in salted water for about three minutes. Drain in a colander and let them steam dry.

Put the fish, lemon, rosemary sprigs and leeks into a bowl. Pour in the marinade and toss to cover everything.

Place the fish into the preheated tray. (We lined a Pyrex baking dish with aluminum foil; it made clean-up a breeze.) Scoop the lemon, rosemary leeks, and marinade out of the bowl and place over and around the fish and roast in the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes until the fish is just cooked and the bacon is crisp.

Pile up on a plate and serve.

Brownie Pudding

2008-11-11T15:13:00.005-05:00

This recipe comes from Ina Garten's new cookbook, "Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients." It combines the cake-like crust of a brownie and the creamy undercooked texture of a British-style pudding. Yum!BROWNIE PUDDING

serves 6

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I substituted large eggs)
2 c sugar
3/4 c good cocoa powder
1/2 c all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (I substituted a splash of pure vanilla extract)
1 tbs framboise liqueur (optional)
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9x12x2") oval baking dish. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, lower the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise (if using), and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With the mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out three-quarters clean. The center will appear very underbaked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with ice cream.

Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp

2008-11-10T20:22:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I visited some friends from college who now reside in DC. On Sunday night, Emily and I made dinner for 5 people, and Adriana and Marshall brought a partially assembled apple crisp which they finished and baked on site.

The following is the Ina Garten recipe on which they based their dessert. Instead of McIntosh or Macoun apples, Adriana used Golden Delicious. Any tart and firm baking apple should work well. She rolled out a piecrust and baked the ingredients in an 8 or 9" glass pie dish. It smelled absolutely amazing while it baked, and it tasted even better when dished out with a scoop of ice cream! I could eat the buttery oat streusel topping by itself.

OLD-FASHIONED APPLE CRISP

serves 10

For the filling:

5 lb McIntosh or Macoun apples
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg

For the topping:

1 1/2 c flour
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 c light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 c oatmeal
1/2 lb cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x14x2" oval baking dish.

Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2008-11-02T16:34:00.006-05:00

I apologize for not posting in a while! Luckily, the upcoming holiday season = copious amounts of cooking, baking, and eating. Get excited!

I love, love, love a dense cheesecake (usually of the plain/New York-style variety), but, as any seasoned baker knows, it's not the easiest dessert to master. However, this seasonal Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe is super simple and nearly foolproof. No cheesecake water baths...hip hip hooray!

The editors caution, "To prevent the top from cracking, be careful not to overmix the batter, and do not open the oven door while the cake is baking or cooling inside the oven." I affix a bright purple Post-It to the oven door handle to remind myself and others in the household not to peek at the cheesecake while it sets.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

serves 12

For the crust:
10 graham crackers (2.5" x 5" each) or 1 1/3 c store-bought graham cracker crumbs (I used the latter, and it made life so much easier!)
1/4 c sugar
4 tbs unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
4 packages (8 oz each) bar cream cheese, very soft
1 1/4 c sugar
3 tbs all-purpose flour
1 c canned pumpkin puree
2 tbs pumpkin pie spice
1 tbs pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Assemble a 9" nonstick springform pan, with the raised side of the bottom part facing up.

Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse graham crackers and sugar until finely ground. Add butter; pulse until mixture forms moist crumbs; press firmly into bottom of pan. Bake until golden around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Make the filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth; mix in flour (do not overmix). Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla, and salt; mix just until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.

Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform, and gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce heat to 300 degrees. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 2 hours more (without opening).

Remove cheesecake from oven; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours, and up to 3 days. Unmold before serving.

Halloween Card

2008-10-31T20:18:00.002-04:00

Equipped with construction paper, crafting papers, glue, scissors, and a Sharpie, I made a Halloween card for my sister:The inside features Edward Gorey's morbid poem "The Gashlycrumb Tinies":On the back of the card, I sketched a silhouette of my Little Witch!

Little Witches

2008-10-30T17:50:00.001-04:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (in large part because it occurs right after my birthday)! When I'm not planning my costume or watching "The Nightmare Before Christmas," I like to make ghoulish crafts.

These "little witches" were inspired by a Martha Stewart craft; I changed most of the materials to add my own special touch. Rather than carving or painting a face, I opted to leave my witches unadorned.
Each witch is more or less made with the following:
- A small pumpkin (each cost $0.75 at my local pumpkin patch) to form the head
- A plastic Solo cup, brushed with several layers of black acrylic paint to form the body
- A small rectangle of black felt, pinned onto the cup to form the cape
- A rectangle of very stiff black felt, cut into a circle and a triangle to form the hat
- A thin wooden dowel, broken and painted to form the broom handle
- Raffia, bundled and attached with twin to form the broom

A witch in detail...spooky!

Buttermilk Biscuits

2008-10-13T18:01:00.003-04:00

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Sausage and Feta Hand Pies

2008-10-13T17:32:00.004-04:00

SAUSAGE AND FETA HAND PIES

makes 12

1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 small head fenned (about 1 pound), trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2" dice
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 c fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Pate Brisee (see recipe below)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tbs fennel seeds

Heat 2 tbs oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble sausage into pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.

Add remaining 2 tbs oil to skillet along with the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add sliced fennel and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they release their juices, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, and stir to combine. Remove from heat, and let cool completely. Stir in feta cheese and parsley; set filling aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one piece of dough to a 16x11" rectangle. Trim to 15x10". Cut into six 5" squares. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour. Place 1/2 c filling in the center of each square. Fold up all four corners around the filling, so that the points meet in the center but do not touch (leave about 1/4" of space between them). Repeat with remaining piece of dough and filling. Transfer to prepared baking sheets.

Brush tops of dough with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with fennel seeds.Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until pies are golden brown and filling is set, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm.PATE BRISEE

makes enough for one double-crust or two single-crust 9" pies

For the flakiest crust, make sure all ingredients (including the flour) are cold before you begin.

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 c ice water, plus more if needed

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)

With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tbs at a time.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

2008-10-12T21:16:00.007-04:00

BEATTY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Butter for greasing the pans
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
2 c sugar
3/4 c good cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 c buttermilk, shaken
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Frosting (see recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8" round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING6 oz good semisweet chocolate (such as Callebaut)
1 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 c sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tbs instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Pumpkin Pie

2008-10-08T13:16:00.001-04:00

"To use fresh pumpkin, halve and place a 1 3/4 pound sugar pumpkin, cut sides down, in a baking pan. Roast in a 400 degree oven until very soft, 50 to 60 minutes. Scoop out flesh and puree in a food processor until very smooth."

PUMPKIN PIE

makes one 9" single-crust pie

All-purpose flour, for dusting
Pate Brisee (see recipe below)
3 large whole eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 c canned or fresh pumpkin puree
3/4 c packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 c canned evaporated milk

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a 12" round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off the excess flour; fit dough into a 9" glass pie plate, pressing into the edges. Trim dough to meet the edge of the pie plate. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out the other disk of dough. Transfer dough (on parchment) to a baking sheet. Chill pie shell and dough until firm, about 30 minutes.

Using a triangle-shaped cutter or a sharp knife, cut out about 40 triangles (each side about 1" long) from the sheet of dough. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 1 tbs water; lightly brush the bottoms of the triangles with egg wash, and gently press, slightly overlapping, to adhere to the dough, until the entire rim is covered. Lightly brush the decorated edge with egg wash; don't let it pool. Chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line shell with parchment paper, leaving a 1" overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are just beginning to turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights. Return crust to the oven; continue baking until light golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, whole eggs, and evaporated milk until combined. Pour mixture into the cooled crust, and bake until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly soft in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. (Check crust periodically; if it gets too dark, cover up the edges with foil.) The filling will be just slightly loose in the center, but will firm up as it cools. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Pie can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for up to 2 days.PATE BRISEE

makes enough for one double-crust or two single-crust 9" pies

For the flakiest crust, make sure all ingredients (including the flour) are cold before you begin.

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 c ice water, plus more if needed

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)

With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tbs at a time.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Fish en Papillote with Julienned Vegetables and Truffle Oil

2008-10-04T09:10:00.000-04:00

I have several recipes for fish en papillote (that's "butterfly" en Francais due to the shape of the parchment paper), but yesterday I tried a version from Sara Moulton. It was originally published in her book, "Sara Moulton Cooks at Home." At another time, I'd like to test Alton Brown's take on it, with salmon, dry vermouth, and orange wedges.

I cooked dinner for three people, so I adjusted the amounts of the following ingredients.

FISH EN PAPILLOTE WITH JULIENNED VEGETABLES AND TRUFFLE OIL

makes 2 servings

1 1/2 tbs plus 2 tsp unsalted butter
2 carrots, julienned (I julienned baby carrots)
1 large leek, julienned
1 celery rib, julienned
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, for brushing
2 thin fish fillets, no thicker than 1/3 inch, such as pompano or flounder, about 6 ounces each, skin removed (I used flounder)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp white truffle oil (I substituted olive oil)

Melt 1 1/2 tbs of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot, leek, and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook gently, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut out a 13 x 15" parchment paper rectangle. Fold in half crosswise. Unfold and brush the whole rectangle lightly with some oil. Lay the fillets on one half of the parchment, skinned side down, and season with salt and pepper. Drain the vegetables of as much liquid as possible and divide among the fillets. Drizzle with the lemon juice. Top each vegetable mound with 1 tsp butter and drizzle each with 1 tsp of the truffle oil.

Fold the other half of the paper over the fillets and, starting with the top, make 1/4" folds all around the perimeters and press to crimp and seal. Close the final crimp with a paper clip. Place the packet on a baking sheet and bake until puffed and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving plate and serve at once, preferably while the packet is still puffed.

Fresh Applesauce

2008-10-03T21:29:00.003-04:00

We'll be having a roasted pork loin and a garlic and spinach saute for dinner tomorrow, so I made applesauce today in preparation. Again, this recipe comes from "The Healthy Kitchen." According to Dr. Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley, "You can use any type of apple you'd like, and because apples are pretty much available year-round, you can serve it as a warm side dish in the winter, or a cold side dish, or dessert, any time of year."

I adjusted the recipe to my taste. Additionally, you could add lemon juice, granulated sugar, and/or brown sugar according to your palate.

FRESH APPLESAUCE

serves 6

6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced, about 6 cups (I used 8 Cortland apples)
1/2 c apple juice (I used 3/4 c apple cider)
1 tsp ground cinnamon (I used 1 tbs ground cinnamon)

Put the apple slices and the apple juice in a saucepan with a lid. Cook, covered, over low heat, until the apples are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10-20 minutes, depending on the type of apple you are using. Break up the apples using a fork or pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and stir until it is thoroughly integrated into the apples. Let the apples cool for a few minutes or longer, depending on whether you want to serve them warm or cold.

Warm Quinoa-and-Zucchini-Stuffed Tomatoes

2008-10-02T11:55:00.000-04:00

I made stuffed tomatoes for a vegetarian dinner the other night...although we ate them before I had a chance to snap some photos! I like to cook with quinoa because it is a complete grain full of amino acids. I often use it as a substitute for couscous in one-dish entrees with veggies and, say, shrimp or chicken. Additionally, when I was in college, I made quinoa and raisin health muffins for a protein-packed breakfast-on-the-go.The following recipe was published in "The Healthy Kitchen: Recipes for a Better Body, Life, and Spirit" by Andrew Weil, MD and Rosie Daley.

WARM QUINOA-AND-ZUCCHINI-STUFFED TOMATOES

serves 6

1/2 c quinoa
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 c purified water or vegetable stock (I used vegetable stock)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning (I substituted a mix of oregano, tarragon, and thyme)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 c grated zucchini
2 tbs currants or raisins (I omitted this)
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley or basil (I used basil)
1/2 tsp ground curry or cumin (I used cumin)
1/4 tsp paprika
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 medium tomatoes
2 tsp bread crumbs
2 tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan, toss the quinoa in 1 tbs olive oil, stir, pour in the water or vegetable stock, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Pour 1 tbs olive oil into a nonstick pan and saute the chopped onions, zucchini, currants, parsley or basil, curry or cumin, paprika, and lemon juice over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Scoop the quinoa into the saute pan and mix thoroughly with a spoon until it is blended with the vegetables to make an aromatic stuffing. Remove from heat.

Create a lid for each tomato by cutting a star shape around the stem about 1/4" deep. Remove the top and set it aside. Scoop out the seeds of each tomato and some of the loose pulp, being careful to leave a strong wall of tomato all around. Spoon equal amounts of the stuffing into the cavities of each tomato, filling them up generously. Put the tomatoes in a small ceramic or glass baking dish and garnish with a sprinkle of bread crumbs and 1 tsp Parmesan cheese per tomato. Cover the baking dish with a glass lid or foil and bake for 25 minutes. Tomatoes should be firm and easy to transfer from the baking dish to the serving plates. Garnish by putting the star-shaped tomato lids back on top of each tomato.

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

2008-10-01T22:05:00.004-04:00

I know, I know: I've been making a lot of Giada De Laurentiis recipes as of late. The thing is, although I'm not a fan of the "Everyday Italian" personality, her recipes are incredibly easy...and I picked up one of her cookbooks for $1.50 at a bargain booksale!

This is an Italian spin on traditional chickpea-based hummus. I served it alongside baked whole wheat pita wedges and red pepper and carrot crudites. Although I don't own a food processor, I was able to make do with a blender with a feed tube.

WHITE BEAN DIP WITH PITA CHIPS

makes 6 appetizer servings

4 pita breads, split horizontally in half (I used whole white pitas)
2 tbs plus 1/3 c olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c (loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut each pita half into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges evenly over a large baking sheet. Brush the pita wedges with 2 tbs of the oil, then sprinkle with the oregano and 1 tsp each of the salt and pepper. Bake for 8 minutes, then turn the pita wedges over and bake until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes longer.Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper. Pulse on and off until the mixture is coarsely chopped. With the machine running, gradually mix in the remaining 1/3 c of oil until the mixture is creamy.

Season the puree with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the puree to a small bowl and serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside. (The pita wedges and bean puree can be made 1 day ahead. Store the pita wedges airtight at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the bean puree.)

Pear Custard Pie

2008-09-29T17:37:00.000-04:00

I love to cook, but I hate cleaning dirty dishes and baking equipment. This recipe, from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food "Great Food Fast: 250 Recipes for Easy, Delicious Meals All Year Long," only requires a blender and a pie dish. It's easy to make, easy to clean up after, and therefore even easier to enjoy!

PEAR CUSTARD PIE

serves 6

1/4 c unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pie dish
3 ripe but firm Comice or Bartlett pears, peeled, halved, and cored
1/3 c granulated sugar
1/3 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 c milk
1/4 tsp salt
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; butter a 9" pie dish. Slice the pears 1/4" thick lengthwise. Arrange the slices, overlapping slightly, in the dish.

In a blender, process the melted butter, granulated sugar, flour, vanilla, eggs, milk, and salt until smooth.

Pour the batter over the pears; bake until golden and firm to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Roasted Fruit

2008-09-28T18:39:00.000-04:00

According to the editors at Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, "This dessert is more interesting when prepared with a variety of stone fruits, but if you can't find one particular type, substitute more of another. You could also use apricots in place of any of the other three fruits." Instead, I used four peaches.

I served this as a side dish alongside homemade turkey burgers (which were stuffed with red onion and grated Gruyere) and baked beans.

ROASTED FRUIT

serves 4

2 peaches
2 plums
2 nectarines
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 to 3 tbs sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit)
2 tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tbs fresh lime juice
Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. With a fork, prick the skins of the peaches, plums, and nectarines. Halve each fruit, and remove the pits. Halve the fruit again.

In a roasting pan, toss the fruit with the rosemary, sugar, butter, and lime juice. Roast, tossing occasionally, until the fruit is fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve warm over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, if desired, and drizzle the pan juices over the top.

Homemade Fridge Magnets

2008-09-27T14:24:00.003-04:00

I took it upon myself to spruce up my parents' refrigerator. I rotated out old photos and replaced their mishmash of magnets with homemade magnets. At Michaels, I picked up some heavy-duty square magnets and business card magnets, both of which were already treated with adhesive.

With Martha Stewart brand "Pegboard" crafting paper, I cut out and applied decorative paper to each of the magnets.I left some of the magnets plain and also created strawberry magnets. Using 3D Martha Stewart patches (also adhesive-backed) intended for scrapbooking, I put together the following:

Frozen Cookie Dough

2008-09-24T14:24:00.001-04:00

My sister lives in New York and rarely cooks, so I like to stock her fridge and pantry when I visit her apartment. This weekend, I'll be dropping off logs of frozen cookie dough. She can defrost, slice, and bake individual cookies whenever she wants!

After making a batch of cookie dough, divide it in half. Roll each half into a log and wrap it with plastic. Then, roll the plastic-wrapped log in a long sheet of parchment paper. Tightly twist the ends of the parchment paper. Using a permanent marker, I labeled the individual logs with the name of the dough and the baking directions. Here is a log of Chocolate Chunk Cookies:...and a log of Icebox Butter Cookies:You can store the cookie dough in your freezer for up to three weeks:

Almond Cake

2008-09-23T15:42:00.005-04:00

My grandmother made a large Chinese dinner for 6 people, so I had to come up with a dessert that would balance the strong spices and flavors of her cuisine. I opted for a simple almond cake served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You could also present this meal-textured cake with whipped cream and pear slices.

Giada De Laurentiis based this recipe on an almond cake from Il Fornaio bakery in Los Angeles. According to her, "It's very important to cream the butter and almond paste until it becomes thoroughly smooth."

If you're not familiar with it, almond paste is packaged in a tube and can be found in the baking section of most grocery and specialty food stores. It is usually located next to the marzipan. Tightly packaged, almond paste will keep in the refrigerator for two days or in the freezer for up to three weeks.

ALMOND CAKE

makes one 8" round cake

1/2 c fine yellow cornmeal
1/2 c cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1/4 c almond paste, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 c confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/4 c sour cream

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8" round cake pan.

In a medium bow, whisk together the cornmeal, cake flour, and baking powder. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and almond paste on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the vanilla extract. Gradually add 1 1/4 c of confectioners' sugar, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to high and beat in the egg yolks and whole eggs, one at a time. Reduce the speed to medium and add the sour cream and dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake until the cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool. Remove the cake from the pan and dust with more confectioners' sugar. (The cake can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight in a plastic container.) Cut the cake into wedges and serve.

Ribollita

2008-09-22T19:49:00.001-04:00

Ribollita, an "Everyday Italian" recipe, is a spin on hearty vegetable soup. Although it's full of veggies, the olive oil and pancetta lend it a savory heartiness. You probably already have the ingredients for it in your pantry and freezer! I made many ingredient substitutions (as noted in parentheses), but this recipe is very flexible and you can fine tune it according to your palate. My father makes a similar tomato-based vegetable soup; his mother handed the recipe down to him.

I refrigerated the leftover soup and reheated it for lunch the next day. This would also keep well frozen for up to a month.RIBOLLITA

makes 6 to 8 servings

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling on bread
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped (I cut up baby carrots)
4 oz pancetta, chopped (I used a little less)
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs tomato paste
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 lb frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used frozen petite peas)
1 (15 oz) can cannelloni beans, drained (I used frozen corn that had been sliced off the cob)
1 tbs herbs de Provence (I added thyme, marjoram, and basil to taste)
3 c chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 (3") piece Parmesan rind (I added a few tsp of grated Parmesan to taste)
4 to 6 ciabatta rolls, halved lengthwise or 1 loaf, sliced
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drizzle the ciabatta halves with olive oil. Toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic clove. Place the toasts in the serving bowls and ladle the soup over the toasts. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

Peach Bread Pudding

2008-09-21T14:57:00.007-04:00

Today, I made Peach Bread Pudding, a recipe from my Moosewood dessert book. I chopped up 6 peaches and used 1 tbs of Appleton Estate rum, which my sister brought back from Jamaica last year. For the bread cubes, I used 2 slices of Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Raisin bread and half of a loaf of homemade cinnamon raisin bread.

The Moosewood Collective recommends serving this with raspberry sauce, rum custard sauce, and/or a dollop of whipped cream. It would also be delightful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!PEACH BREAD PUDDING

serves 8 to 10

5 c French, Italian or cinnamon raisin bread or challah, cut into small cubes
4 c milk
4 large eggs
1 tbs pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 c packed brown sugar
3 c chopped, peeled fresh or frozen peaches
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbs rum (optional)
2 tbs butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, and 1 c of the brown sugar. Pour over the bread cubes, stir lightly, and set aside.

In a separate bowl, toss the peaches with the remaining 1/4 c of brown sugar and the cinnamon, nutmeg, and rum, if desired. Stir into the bread mixture. Melt the butter right in a 9x13" baking pan in the oven and when the butter has melted, tilt the pan to coat.

Pour the bread and peach mixture evenly into the buttered baking pan and bake until puffed and golden, about 50 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

2 Variations on Banana Bread

2008-09-19T20:52:00.006-04:00

This particular recipe comes from "The Martha Stewart Cookbook: Collected Recipes for Every Day."

I made two large loaves: one with 1/2 c of chopped pecans and the other with 1/2 c of semisweet chocolate chips. The photos depict what remains of the chocolate chip banana bread loaf!

BANANA BREAD

makes 1 large loaf or 4 small loaves

1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan or several smaller pans.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well.

Sift the dry ingredients together and combine with the butter mixture. Blend well. Add the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir well. If using, stir in the nuts or chocolate chips and pour into the prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Fruit with Cardamom Yogurt

2008-09-16T16:41:00.000-04:00

I've been making recipes from my Moosewood dessert book quite a lot as of late, and this is an unusual spin on fruit-and-yogurt. The cardamom is an unexpected flavor profile. You could serve it as dessert, a side dish, a snack, or breakfast.

According to the editors, "We suggest cubed melon and seedless grapes, but this sauce is also delightful with blackberries, peaches, pears, or bananas. For an interesting change in texture, try adding chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans, or shredded coconut."

FRUIT WITH CARDAMOM YOGURT

serves 4 to 6

1 c yogurt (I used lowfat plain yogurt)
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs frozen orange juice concentrate (I used regular orange juice)
1/2 tsp freshly grated lime peel (I used orange peel)
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
dash of salt
2 c cubed cantaloupe or honeydew melon (I omitted this)
2 c green or red seedless grapes (I used 4 c red seedless grapes)

In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, orange juice concentrate, lime peel, cardamom, and salt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Combine the melon and grapes in a bowl. Pour the yogurt mixture over the fruit and toss gently. Serve chilled.

Baked Apples

2008-09-15T11:44:00.000-04:00

As it transitions into fall, I begin to crave doughnuts, pumpkin and pecan pies, and apples in all forms. There are many variations on a baked apple recipe; this one comes courtesy of Mireille Guiliano's "French Women Don't Get Fat."

BAKED APPLES

serves 4

1/3 c chopped walnuts (I substituted homemade maple-glazed walnuts)
4 apples (Cortland, Golden Delicious, or Rome Beauty are recommended)
4 tsp butter
4 tsp sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs water

Place the walnuts on a baking sheets and toast them in a 250 degree oven for about 5 minutes, until they are fragrant. Set aside.

Wash and core the apples. Place them in a baking dish. Combine the butter, sugar-cinnamon mixture, and toasted walnuts.

Fill the cavity of each apple with the mixture, dividing it evenly among the 4 apples. Pour the water into the bottom of the baking dish.

Bake the apples at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm. You can make the dessert more festive by pouring 1 tsp of heavy cream over each apple just before serving, garnishing with a sprig of mint for color, or placing an edible flower on the side.

Sugar Cookies

2008-09-11T07:27:00.000-04:00

I made about 5 dozen sugar cookies last Friday and individually decorated them with a confectioner's sugar-based icing and various sprinkling sugars. Sadly, we've eaten most of them by now, and I only snapped photos of a few paltry remnants. The following may not have been the prettiest of the batch, but they still taste quite good with a mug of homemade cocoa!

An elephant and two rhinos:
Two ice cream cones and a guitar:

White Nectarines and Pate Brisee Stars

2008-09-10T10:18:00.000-04:00

When I made my Fourth of July Blueberry Pie (see separate entry), I had several leftover stars cut from the pie crust. Rather than let them go to waste, I used them in a quick summer dessert of my own creation.

In a shallow ovenproof container, I formed concentric rings of white nectarine slices. I sprinkled a bit of sugar on top of them. Then, I overlapped the pate brisee stars atop the fruit. With a pastry brush, I dabbed a mixture of 1 tbs heavy cream and 1 large egg yolk all over the dish. I baked it at 350 degrees until the nectarines became soft and tender and the stars turned a flaky golden brown.This recipe enabled me to use up both ripe fruit and leftover pastry scraps!

Envirosax

2008-09-09T08:49:00.001-04:00

Billions of plastic bags clog up landfills every year. Worldwide, around 200,000 plastic bags are added to landfills every single hour. To combat wastefulness, it's important to tote your own reusable water bottle (I prefer the Sigg brand) and have several lightweight reusable grocery/storage bags at the ready. Reduce, reuse, and recycle, right?

For the past year, I've relied on Envirosax Reusable Grocery Bags, which I purchased from one of my favorite websites, www.delight.com. These Australian bags are available from many purveyors and catalogs, and you can purchase them individually or as a set of five (a set usually costs around $33-$40, depending on your source). In Cambridge, my favorite local bookstore even sold them at the cash register. I have the Flora set pictured below:Each Envirosax arrives all snapped up into a lightweight little package, but, with the flick of your hand, it unfurls into a very large bag that you can easily sling over your shoulder. The material expands to hold whatever odds and ends you need to tote, and the bag is 5x as strong as a regular plastic bag. And...it's definitely more fashionable than any old brown paper bag!

As you can see, Envirosax come in many colors and sets, so if you prefer a more gender-neutral design or something a little less bold, there's a bag to suit your whim:
Evidently, Cameron Diaz is also a fan of Envirosax:Finally, many stores will offer you a small discount if you bring your own bags. For example, Whole Foods will deduct $0.05 for every reusable bag you fill up at the checkout counter. I always toss two or three Envirosax in my luggage and two in my everyday leather shoulder bag. They're also great for storing in your glove compartment. Envirosax are easy on the environment and easy on your eyes!

Fresh Coconut Cake

2008-09-08T16:26:00.008-04:00

My mom purchased this book at the recent annual book sale of our public library:The Junior League of Hampton Roads, Inc. (aka Richmond) published it way back in 1975. It's filled with traditional Southern recipes that have been handed down through the generations.

Last week, I made the Fresh Coconut Cake. The editors note that this recipe has been around for at least four generations. The shiny white icing resembles nothing so much as Marshmallow Fluff! From above, the entire cake looks like a Hostess Sno Ball:
I omitted the black walnuts and baked the batter in two 9" cake pans instead of the recommended three.

FRESH COCONUT CAKE

For the cake:

6 eggs
2 c sugar
1/2 c butter or margarine
1 c hot milk
2 1/2 c flour, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 c black walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate eggs. Reserve 4 egg whites for icing. Beat egg yolks, 2 egg whites and sugar at medium-high speed on electric mixer until light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Melt butter in hot milk. Add 1/2 c flour to eggs and sugar mixture, beating slowly. Add half of the hot milk mixture, 1 c flour and remaining hot milk. Then add the rest of the flour, vanilla, baking powder and nuts. Pour into three 9" greased or lined cake pans. Bake 20 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from pans.

For the icing:

1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c fresh coconut, shredded

Boil sugar and water for 2 minutes. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until eggs stand up in stiff peaks, but are not dry. Pour boiling syrup into egg whites, beating at highest speed on mixer. When icing becomes stiff enough to spread (2-4 minutes), add vanilla. Spread between layers, on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with coconut.

Dark Chocolate Pudding with Bananas

2008-09-07T19:09:00.004-04:00

This lightning-fast recipe comes courtesy of the "Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts." It's a great way to use up ripe bananas, and you can probably make it with ingredients that you already have in your pantry. I didn't go through the trouble of caramelizing the bananas, but they would add a decadent touch to a dark, dark chocolate dessert. I plan to make this a second time this week, albeit in my sister's New York galley kitchen!

DARK CHOCOLATE PUDDING WITH BANANAS

serves 4

For the banana layer:

2 ripe bananas
1 tbs butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbs sugar

For the pudding:

1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 c sugar
3 tbs cornstarch
dash of salt
2 c milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Peel the bananas and slice them lengthwise into halves. In a heavy skillet, melt the butter on medium heat. Cook the bananas for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden and just beginning to brown. Transfer the bananas to a bowl and lightly mash them. Stir together the cinnamon and sugar, sprinkle over the bananas, and set aside.

In the saucepan, combine the cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. On medium heat, gradually add the milk, stirring briskly until the cocoa has dissolved. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, until the pudding is boiling, thickened, and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

To assemble individual servings, pour about 1/4 c of the pudding into the bottom of each of the dessert cups, spoon in 1/4 of the mashed bananas and cover evenly with the remaining pudding. To present the dessert in a serving bowl, layer half of the pudding in the bottom of the bowl, evenly spread on all of the bananas, and top with the rest of the pudding. Serve chilled.

VARIATIONS:

For plain chocolate pudding, make this recipe without the cooked banana layer.

For a quick variation, layer the pudding with sliced raw bananas (sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, if you like).

Fourth of July Blueberry Pie

2008-09-06T20:12:00.000-04:00

Although the people over at Martha Stewart deemed this a Fourth of July Blueberry Pie, I made it for Labor Day and it was a wild success. My grandmother--who turns 80 this weekend--wolfed down her entire slice in a few minutes flat. The decorative pie crust process is a bit tedious, but it's totally worth it for the showstopping results.FOURTH OF JULY BLUEBERRY PIE

all-purpose flour, for dusting
Pate Brisee (see recipe below)
8 cups (about 4 pints) fresh blueberries, picked over
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tbs heavy cream

On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one disk of dough to a 12" round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour; fit dough into a 9" glass pie plate, pressing it into the edges. Trim dough to a 1/2" overhand all around. Fold edge of dough over or under, and crimp as desired. Roll out remaining dough in the same manner; transfer dough (on parchment) to a baking sheet. Chill pie shell and dough until firm, about 30 minutes.

Place blueberries in a large bowl; with your hands, crush about 1/2 of the berries, letting them fall into the bowl as you work. Add the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice; stir to combine. Spoon mixture into chilled pie shell, mounding berries slightly in the center. Dot with butter. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a 2 1/2" star cookie cutter, cut out about 25 stars; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream. Lightly brush rim of chilled pie shell with egg wash. Arrange the reserved stars in a circular pattern on top of the fruit (with the tips touching), gently pressing over the berries, until covered. Brush the entire surface of rim and stars with egg wash, being careful not to let it pool. Freeze or refrigerate pie until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with the rack in the lower third.

Place pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking, rotating sheet halfway through, until the crust is deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling and have thickened, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely. The pie is best eaten the day it is baked, but it can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.

PATE BRISEE

makes enough for one double-crust or two single-crust 9" pies

For the flakiest crust, make sure all ingredients (including the flour) are cold before you begin.

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 c ice water, plus more if needed

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)

With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tbs at a time.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

KitchenAid Cook for the Cure Measuring Cups & Spoons

2008-09-05T15:51:00.000-04:00

I've had an OXO set of measuring cups and spoons for the past few years, but I recently upgraded to a KitchenAid Cook for the Cure set. True, the KitchenAid set performs the same basic function. But here's the difference: it's PINK!If you're not familiar with it, through the Cook for the Cure Program, KitchenAid donates 10% of the retail sales price for each pink item that is purchased and registered to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. In total, the company donated over $1 million to the charitable foundation last year.

Although my KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer is a neutral Chrome Metallic shade, my 7-speed hand mixer is also part of the Cook for the Cure line and therefore pleasantly pink as well:At times, my kitchen really does resemble Barbie's Dream House!

Snappy Sushi

2008-08-19T20:24:00.002-04:00

Snappy Sushi is a relative newcomer to the Boston scene. It has several locations in the greater metro area and an outpost in Davis Square opened a few months ago. Today, I sampled its fare for the first time.Snappy has an unusual spin: all of its dishes are made with high-quality Koshihikari brown rice. This partially-milled whole grain brown rice is rich in vitamins and minerals and serves as a natural digestive aid. I love sushi (and I've even made it myself), but I had never before encountered brown rice sushi. I was hesitant: would its nutty flavor and somewhat crunchy texture overpower the other ingredients? Would it render an unpalatable flax seed granola aftertaste?

True to its name, the Spicy Salmon-Avo Roll was an inside-out roll with salmon and avocado. The brown rice differs in mouth-feel and taste from white rice, but it didn't discernibly clash with rest of the ingredients. However, it lacked the heat of most spicy sushi sauces:The "fancy" Crispy Eel Roll consisted of eel, avocado, cucumber, and flying fish roe rolled together and topped with crunchy tempura bits and eel sauce. I would've appreciated more eel and less eel mayonnaise and weird cereal-esque topping, but, on the whole, it was still tasty:I had heard mixed opinions about Snappy Sushi. To its credit, it's decidedly cheaper than most other sushi bars and restaurants in the area. My grade? It's somewhere between a B and a B+. In no way is this as tasty as "regular" sushi. However, it's a little easier on your wallet and a little better for your body, so I welcome its attempt to broaden the spectrum of sushi options.

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie

2008-08-18T09:22:00.004-04:00

According to The New York Times, Levain Bakery on the Upper West Side is home to "the largest, most divisive chocolate chip cookies in Manhattan."

Levain's cookies were featured on a Food Network episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay;" true to form, the chocolate chip walnut bested Flay's offering. My friend Emily and my sister have raved about them for quite some time, so I figured it was my turn to sample the massive, ooey-gooey treat.

Recently, I swung by the basement bakery and picked up 8 of their famed cookies:

This year's Zagat Survey ranked Levain as the #1 destination for cookies. Bakers weigh the dough on a scale before hand-forming each cookie. Each cookie clocks in at a massive 6 ounces--that's nearly half a pound apiece!I was not disappointed. These cookies are crunchy on the outside with a molten chocolate center. Hail the nearest cab and head to Levain to join in on the cookie craze!

Boston Organics

2008-08-17T08:07:00.001-04:00

I'll soon be moving out of the area, but there are many things I'll miss about Boston. Case in point: the amazing Boston Organics independent organic produce delivery service that I used. For two years, I had 100% USDA certifed organic local and fair trade fruits and veggies dropped off at my doorstep every week.

The friendly Boston Organic staff assemble the weekly boxes for you and select the freshest produce available. Although you can't control everything that goes into your box, you can log in online and check off which items you prefer to receive. Each week, you can opt to add on seasonal items, like soy nut butters, pickles, eggs, chocolate, onions, jams, and breads. I usually added a preservative-free Nashoba Brook Whole Wheat Half Deli loaf to my order:Boston Organics provides both a weekly e-mail newsletter and a paper copy to its customers. It is full of reader-submitted recipes and information about the origins of the produce. The writers also provide helpful tips on how to best store and prepare your goods:I had a $29 box--half vegetable, half fruit--delivered every other week. In the summer, I increased delivery to a weekly basis. The boxes are $29, $39, and $57, respectively. You can decide whether you'd prefer to receive all fruit, all veggies, or a fixed ratio of both. Recently, they created a $45 "office box" and a $57 "family box" for individuals with specific needs. This is a delivery I received a few weeks ago:To give you an idea, this is the approximate content of this week's $29 1/2 fruit 1/2 vegetable box:

1.5 lbs Bananas
1 Grapefruit
0.5 lbs Kiwis
2 Nectarines
3 Paula Red Apples (locally grown)
2 Valencia Oranges
2 Yellow Peaches
1 Avocado
1 Cucumbers (locally grown)
1 Green Bell Pepper (from PA)
1 bunch Red Kale (locally grown)
1 head Romaine/Leaf Lettuce (locally grown)
0.75 lbs yellow/green Summer Squash (locally grown)
2 ears of Supersweet Corn (locally grown)

Having a constant supply of fresh produce helped me to stay healthy and nutritionally-balanced during college. Boston Organics does not charge a delivery, start-up, or cancellation fee, so it truly is a risk-free venture. It has prompt and excellent customer service, and I would highly recommend it to anyone living in the greater Boston area!

Dave's Fresh Pasta

2008-08-16T15:28:00.001-04:00

Today, I had lunch with Chloe, one of my friends from college. We met up at Dave's Fresh Pasta in Davis Square, a beloved off-campus wine bar/specialty food store/lunch counter. In addition to churning out multiple types of fresh pasta and sauce every day, Dave's offers a wide variety of interntationally-sourced cheeses, wines, olives, dips, appetizers, breads, sauces, and chocolates for the discerning gourmand. The store provides catering services and occasional wine and culinary classes. We love their sandwiches and salads!

I ordered one of the paninis of the day, The Bresaola. According to Wikipedia (that pantheon of accurate information!), "Bresaola is air-dried salted beef that has been aged about 2-3 months until it becomes hard and a dark red, almost purple colour. It is made from eye of round and is lean and tender with a sweet, musty smell. It originated in Valtellina, a valley in the Alps of northern Italy's Lombardy region."To combat the saltiness of the beef, the panini was outfitted with green apple slices, Fontina cheese, extra virgin olive oil, greens, and a balsamic vinegar reduction. I washed it down with a Sparkling Blackberry Izze. Perfection!

Summer Fruit Crostata

2008-08-15T19:04:00.000-04:00

Lately, my mom has taken to making variations on this crostata several times per month. It's a simple recipe, and it's a great way to use up leftover ripe fruit. You can substitute whatever fruit you prefer; I made a crostata with black plums, pluots, and peaches. This recipe comes from Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa At Home."

One of crostata's many charms is its rustic appearance. My mom prefers to pinch the pastry edges, tart-style, while I prefer to roughly overlap the pastry dough to help seal in the bubbling fruit juices. Just as with the filling, feel free to experiment with the presentation. This is delicious served hot with vanilla ice cream.

SUMMER FRUIT CROSTATA

For the pastry (makes 2 crostatas):

2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c granulated or superfine sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 lb (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
6 tbs (3 oz) ice water

For the filling (makes 1 crostata):

1 lb firm, ripe peaches, peeled
1/2 lb firm, ripe black plums, unpeeled
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1 tbs plus 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tbs plus 1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 tsp grated orange zest
2 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 tsp kosher salt
4 tbs (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the buter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball, cut in half, and form into 2 flat disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour. If you only need one dough, freeze the second disk.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the pastry into an 11" circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the sheet pan.

For the filling, cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Toss them with 1 tbs of the flour, 1 tbs of the sugar, the orange zest, and the orange juice. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leavin a 1 1/2" border.

Combine the 1/4 c flour, the 1/4 c sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Challah French Toast

2008-08-14T18:54:00.003-04:00

I picked up a loaf of challah at my farmers' market and have been using it to make Challah French Toast. I even eat it for dinner!

The following is an Ina Garten "Barefoot Contessa" recipe; however, I scale it down to make fewer servings. You can use regular large eggs and adjust the recipe according to your taste. When the challah is soaked in the egg mixture it becomes very delicate, so be careful transferring it to the pan or else the slice may tear.

CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST

makes 8 large slices

6 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 c half-and-half or milk
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbs good honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 large loaf challah or brioche bread
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil

To serve:
Pure maple syrup
Good raspberry preserves (optional)
Sifted confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4" thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.Heat 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.

Farmers' Market Salad

2008-08-13T11:23:00.001-04:00

As I discussed in a previous entry, I think it's important to support local farmers and sustainable agricultural practices. Every week, I frequent the local farmers' market to purchase organic produce and freshly-baked goods.

Today, my purchases included romaine lettuce, Brandywine and Rome heirloom tomatoes, and a log of goat cheese. The cheese was produced on a pristine farm with 70 Alpine and Saanen goats. Happily, it's free of antibiotic residue and synthetic hormones, and it's super rich and creamy.

I like to do variations on a Caprese salad, so I whipped up a Farmers' Market salad with the lettuce, tomatoes, goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper.

Climate Change Chocolate

2008-08-12T13:57:00.000-04:00

I helped my housemate Ty prepare for his Human Nutrition final. In return, he gifted me with this adorably packaged, eco-friendly candy bar: Climate Change Chocolate.Now, I'm never one to feel guilty when I eat chocolate. After all, I'm from Hershey, PA! Yet Climate Change Chocolate is more than just a sugary snack: it reduces your carbon footprint, thereby compensating for your daily carbon consumption. According to Bloomsberry, the distributor, "America's current average per-capita share of global warming emissions is 133 lbs of CO2 per day. For every chocolate bar purchased TerraPass will purchase 133 lbs of verified carbon offsets."The chocolate bar itself is wrapped in a whimsical, recyclable paper. As you can see, the wrapping features friendly tips on how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle and reduce energy consumption. What a clever idea!This superhero of a milk chocolate bar combats environmental degradation, encourages conscious consumers, and, most importantly, tastes great!

Hot Crab Dip

2008-08-11T20:03:00.001-04:00

I'm not a fan of Paula Deen, but, when it comes to fat-laden, butter-oozing recipes, few can compete with her Southern-fried expertise. My sister recently requested a warm crab dip and found this recipe from "Paula's Home Cooking." Truth be told: this dip will clog your arteries, induce coronary disease, take years off your life...and be totally worth it, it's that darn good.

I prefer a milder dip, so I left out the hot pepper sauce and substituted Monterey Jack cheese for the recommended pepper jack. I served this with plain Stacy's Pita Chips and sliced French bread.

HOT CRAB DIP

makes 4 cups

1 lb jumbo lump crabmeat, free of shells
1 c grated pepper jack cheese
3/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c grated Parmesan
1/4 c green onions, minced, optional
5 to 6 roasted garlic cloves or 2 cloves minced
3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs fresh lemon or lime juice
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients in a casserole and gently stir until thoroughly mixed. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot with crackers or toast points.

U-GRO Cookbook

2008-08-10T12:51:00.001-04:00

I attended U-GRO preschool for three years, and one of my prized relics from that era is a Mother's Day cookbook that my classmates and I compiled. We dictated our favorite recipes and our teachers transcribed the hilarious results. Granted, we were all about 4 years old at the time, so you might not want to use these measurements in your home kitchen.

This is the outside of the heart-shaped cookbook (adorned with my artistic scribbles):I now present "Hamburgers" by Katie Winter:1 circle-shaped hamburger roll from Fox's Market
1 tomato
1 lettuce--the whole thing
1 cheddar cheese--you need it in a square. It comes already sliced.

Put the whole tomato on the roll, then the whole lettuce, then the cheese. You bake it for a few minutes in a hot oven--one million degrees. You put the circle kind of meat in the oven on the rack. Cook it two minutes. Take it out of the oven. Put the hamburger on the roll. Put it on a plate and let it wait for a few minutes. I eat it with french fries.

The following are some of my favorite entries. "Peas" by a classmate:"Meatballs" as envisioned by another peer:And "Oatmeal" described in exacting detail:

Chocohotopots

2008-08-07T22:57:00.001-04:00

Nigella Lawson's children helped her to come up with the name for this ooey-gooey hot dessert, a form of pots de chocolat.

CHOCOHOTOPOTS

makes 4 servings (2/3-1 c ramekins)

1 stick plus 1 tbs unsalted butter
4 oz semisweet chocolate with 60% cocoa solids
2 eggs
3/4 c superfine sugar
3 tbs all-purpose flour

Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees. Butter the ramekins with 1 tbs butter. In a microwave, melt the dark chocolate and 1 stick butter, then set aside to cool. In another bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar and flour with a hand whisk and beat in the cooled butter and chocolate mixture.Divide the mixture among the 4 buttered ramekins.Bake for about 20 minutes, by which time the tops will be cooled and cracked and the chocolate gooey underneath.

Place each ramekin on a small plate with a teaspoon and serve. These desserts will be HOT!

Susan and Gracie's Amazing Butter Cookies

2008-08-05T23:14:00.000-04:00

Since I was in middle school, I've been a huge fan of The Talent Family--i.e., Amy and David Sedaris. Amy, the star of Comedy Central's short-lived "Strangers with Candy," penned a hysterical cookbook/hospitality guide/coffee table book/humor anthology entitled "I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence." The following is a melt-in-your-mouth recipe for butter cookies. You can add food coloring and/or sprinkles to the frosting.

SUSAN AND GRACIE'S AMAZING BUTTER COOKIES

1 1/3 c unsalted butter
1 1/3 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
8 tsp milk
4 c flour
3 tsp baking powder

For the frosting:

1 box confectioners' sugar
1/4 c half and half
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate overnight.

Roll dough out (I use 2 pieces of wax paper and a rolling pin, floured if needed) and use cookie cutter to make your shapes. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees.

Get your cookies to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. Frost cookies next day and place the cookies back in refrigerator for another night until the frosting hardens on cookie. You cannot eat enough of these.

Seafood Pasta

2008-08-04T18:38:00.001-04:00

In lieu of a family vacation this summer, my sister and I traveled back home to Hershey, PA for a long weekend. My mom enjoys making copious amounts of food for us. One night, she made this seafood pasta with fettucine, clams, squid, jumbo shrimp, herbs, garlic, and white wine:We ate it with corn on the cob, green beans, crusty broiled Parmesan French bread rounds, and watermelon:

La Bergamote

2008-08-03T16:10:00.003-04:00

In New York, my sister lives down the street from an adorable and authentic French patisserie, La Bergamote. I spent two summers in France, so I know a good French bakery when I see one. This is the real deal.Its offerings are basic--ceci n'est pas Starbucks, mon ami--with perhaps 5 or 6 hot and cold drink options and freshly baked baguettes, croissants, brioches every morning. La Bergamote also serves up traditional baguette sandwiches and mini quiches. Its main draw, however, are its pastries.

Over the years, I've sampled many of the patisserie's tarts, tartlets, chocolate mice, pate de fruits, and mousses. This week, I ordered a mini tiramisu:This photo is a little fuzzy, but "La Bergamote" has been repeatedly transferred on the thin squares of white chocolate that constitute the border:C'est magnifique!

Alpine Picnic

2008-08-02T06:14:00.000-04:00

When I studied abroad in France two summers ago, my peers and I hiked to the summit of a mountain in Chamonix. After 4 hours of hiking, we lunched atop the snow-covered ground.The picture above doesn't fully convey the scope of the scenery, so I zoomed out to snap a shot of the rest of the group. I think this is the greatest height at which I have ever eaten, aside from an airplane!

M&M Personification

2008-08-01T14:12:00.002-04:00

For some time now, M&M's has had an online marketing campaign in which you are encouraged to render yourself as an M&M character. In my junior year of college, to amuse ourselves, my housemates and I created candy-coated chocolate versions of ourselves. Here I am in a Pennsylvania-esque landscape:Then we made an apartment portrait of sorts by combining our characters against the backdrop of a mean city street. Here, the residents of 355 Boston Ave (myself, Christina, Emily, and Katherine) in M&M form: We posted this in our bathroom and on our refrigerator, and the eerie likeness of the M&M's frightened more than a few of our guests!

Faidley's Crab Cakes

2008-07-31T17:51:00.000-04:00

My dad grew up in Baltimore County, so he's very persnickety and discerning when it comes to crabcakes. It's his opinion that there isn't a decent crab cake to be found north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Geographically, this rules out every restaurant in my home state, so we often drive to Lexington Market in Baltimore to sate our crab cake cravings.

The destination? Faidley's Seafood, a family-owned and operated business since 1886. It is home to award-winning crab cakes acclaimed the world over. According to the Faidley's website, the restaurant was commissioned to develop crab cakes for the US Space Shuttle crew.

The tables are standing room-only. You'd think that this would detract from the culinary experience--you're quite literally rubbing elbows with the stranger beside you--but one bite of a Faidley's crab cake will melt your inner Scrooge. Each crab cake is made to order by hand.
The crabcake has a perfect golden brown crust, but you should never judge a 'cake by its cover: the true test lies in its composition. All too often, you bite into a mediocre crab cake that is mostly filler. There may be a few streaky patches of crabmeat, but it tends to be flaky and not-so-fresh, a disc-shaped patty that was defrosted and fried.

Behold the Colossus of crab cakes: a softball-sized, densely-packed orb of fresh jumbo lump crab meat.

Dried Cranberry Scones with Crystallized Sugar Crust

2008-07-30T09:34:00.000-04:00

For the past few months, I've been subletting an apartment, and I tend to rifle through the cookbooks that have been left behind in the kitchen. It's not as creepy as it sounds: I'm friends with the people from whom I'm subletting!

In particular, I like to peruse a glossy tome entitled, "Once Upon a Tart...Soups, Salads, Muffins and More from New York City's Favorite Bakeshop and Cafe." Once Upon a Tart is a charming neighborhood haunt in SoHo, located on the corner of Prince and Sullivan Streets.Of this scone recipe, Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau, the authors and cafe owners, note, "We sprinkle it with coarse sugar, to give it texture and sparkle and a little extra sweetness to contrast with the tart cranberries. You can substitute dried sour cherries or candied lemon or orange rind for the cranberries in this recipe." See their candied ginger variation at the end of the recipe.DRIED CRANBERRY SCONES WITH CRYSTALLIZED SUGAR CRUST

makes 8 scones

3 c unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more to flour your hands to roll out the scones
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
20 tbs (2 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 large eggs
1/2 c cold buttermilk
3/4 c dried cranberries
1 large egg whisked with 1 tbs cream or milk (for an egg wash)
1 tbs or more granulated or raw sugar for sprinkling

Position your oven racks so that one is in the center, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dump the dry ingredients into the bowl of the food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse to mix. Add the butter to the bowl all at once, and run the food processor for 15 seconds. Switch to pulse, and continue pulsing until there are no chunks of butter left and the butter and flour are integrated into moist crumbs. Be careful not to mix the butter and flour until they form a dough or paste. Remove the blade from the food processor, and dump the crumbs into a big bowl.

In a separate, small bowl, whisk the eggs to break up the yolks. Whisk in the buttermilk, and use the whisk to stir in the cranberries.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with flour-butter crumbs. Stir the dough with a wooden spoon until it just comes together and there is no trace of flour visible. You don't want to work the dough a moment longer than necessary.

With a little bit of flour on your hands, scoop out a small handful--about 1/2 c--of dough with your hand or a big spoon, and roll the dough until it forms a ball. Drop the dough onto your baking sheet, and press it into a 1 to 1 1/2" thick dish with the heel of your one hand. Leave 2" spaces between the pressed disks.

Use a pastry brush or a scrunched-up paper towel to coat each scone with the egg wash. Sprinkle each scone with a thin layer of sugar.

Place the baking sheet on the center rack in the oven, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops of the scones are golden brown and a small knife or toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and place it on a wire rack to allow the scones to cool for a few minutes. Lift the baking sheet off the rack, and use a metal spatula to transfer the scones from the baking sheet to the rack, or directly to the dish from which you'll be serving the scones. Serve fresh out of the oven or at room temperature.

VARIATION:
CANDIED GINGER SCONES

Add 1 tsp ground ginger to your dry ingredients, and substitute a cup of candied ginger, chopped, for the dried currents. We love this with a cup of hot chai tea.

Fresh Fig Gelato with Orange and Cinnamon

2008-07-29T10:06:00.005-04:00

Recently, I attended a promotional event at the independent Harvard Book Store for Sally Sampson's "Ice Cream: 52 Easy Recipes for Year-Round Frozen Treats." Sampson's cookbook offers up recipes for every week of the year. Although she features the usual suspects--chocolate, vanilla, and whatnot--her text is predominantly full of off-the-beaten-path flavors. For example: Fresh Peach and Marcona Almond Gelato, Basil Gelato, Balsamic and Black Pepper Gelato, Saffron Ice Cream, and Rhubarberry Ice Cream with Crisp Topping.

Gus Rancatore, the founder of Toscanini's and a collaborator on the book, was on hand to distribute free samples of several of his flavors. Toscanini's is a premium ice cream company based out of the Boston area. I sampled the Belgian Chocolate flavor!

Sadly, I don't own an ice cream machine, so I'm unable to test out any of the recipes. However, this is probably for the best: if I had the ability to churn out ice cream at a moment's whim, I'd weigh an additional 15 pounds. The following is an unusual recipe from Sampson's book:

FRESH FIG GELATO WITH ORANGE AND CINNAMON

makes 1 1/2 to 2 pints

1 lb fresh figs, chopped
1/4 c fresh orange juice
1 tbs plus 1/2 c light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 c whole milk
1 c heavy cream
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
Pinch kosher salt

Place figs, orange juice, 1 tbs brown sugar and cinnamon in a small pan and cook over low heat until the figs have softened, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness of the skin. Mash until the mixture is almost pureed but still has some texture. Set aside until it reaches room temperature. Cover and refrigerate.

In the meantime, place milk, cream and 1/4 c of the brown sugar in a small pan and cook over low heat, whisking from time to time, until it is warm, about 175 degrees.

Place egg yolks, 1/4 c of the brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small metal bowl and whisk until completely mixed. Add 1/4 of the warm milk mixture to the eggs, whisking all the while. Continue adding milk to the eggs, 1/4 cup at a time, until you have added about 1 1/2 c.

Slowly, whisking all the while, return the now milk-and-egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture in the pan and continue cooking until it just begins to thicken or reaches about 185 degrees. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Pour through a medium fine strainer into a metal bowl, discard the solids and set aside until it reaches room temperature.

Add the cooled fig mixture. Cover and refrigerate until it reaches 40 degrees, about 3 hours. Transfer to an ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Farmers' Market

2008-07-28T08:00:00.002-04:00

Every Wednesday, a nearby parking lot is transformed into a local farmers' market for 6 hours. There are about 12 different stands on a regular basis, and you can purchase anything from organic olive and rosemary foccacia to goat cheese rimmed with crystallized ginger to large potted sunflowers. I like to support local businesses and farmers and I believe in environmental sustainability, so, if you have any farmers' markets in your area, I urge you to frequent them! You'd be hard-pressed to find fresher produce elsewhere.

For dinner last week, I made a New York strip steak with zucchini, both of which I purchased at the market:At an herb stand, I picked up "Ambrosia Tea," a mix of rose hips, apricot tea, black currant tea, mango tea, cinnamon chips, and orange peel: It's quite delicious!

Blueberry Muffins

2008-07-27T09:12:00.001-04:00

I made these muffins a few weeks ago, and they were a big hit among my housemates. According to "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook," tossing the blueberries with some of the flour mixture helps keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins as they bake. You can also opt to add 1/4 tsp of nutmeg if you are so inclined.

I'm not lactose-intolerant, but, lately, I've been experimenting with soy milk for its health benefits. For this recipe, I substituted 1/2 c of Silk brand vanilla soy milk for regular milk. It made the muffins extra dense and delicious!

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

makes one dozen

1 stick (1/2 c) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
2 c all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 c fresh blueberries
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 c milk (I used Silk brand vanilla soy milk)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss the blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 tsp of the flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and blueberries.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add the reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined; do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn the muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Caramelized Bread Pudding with Chocolate and Cinnamon

2008-07-26T09:33:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, on "The Martha Stewart Show," renowned chef Suzanne Goin demonstrated how to make her caramelized bread pudding with chocolate and cinnamon. This recipe is also featured in her cookbook,"Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table," which was touted as a prize on an episode of "Top Chef." I haven't made this yet, but it looks amazing! I'll update this post with photos when I attempt it.

CARAMELIZED BREAD PUDDING WITH CHOCOLATE AND CINNAMON

serves 6

2 tbs unsalted butter, softened
4 or 5 slices brioche, or good-quality white bread, 1/4 inch thick, crusts removed
3 extra-large eggs
3 extra-large egg yolks
1/4 c light-brown sugar
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1 1/4 c whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp coarse salt
3/4 c chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 tbs granulated sugar, for caramelizing the top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the softened butter on one side of each slice of brioche. Cut each slice in half on the diagonal and then again into quarters.

Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; whisk to combine.

Sprinkle the chocolate over the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. Top with brioche, buttered sides up, and overlapping just slightly. Pour egg mixture over the bread. Using your fingers, press down gently on bread to fully submerge in the egg mixture. Place the bread pudding in a roasting pan, and pour enough warm water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the custard is set and the bread puffs up slightly, and is springy to the touch, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the top of the pudding. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar. Alternatively, you can place the custard in a preheated broiler until the sugar carmelizes, 1 to 2 minutes, taking care not to curdle the custard underneath.

Veggie Planet

2008-07-25T17:35:00.010-04:00

Last night, my friend Emily and I ventured to Veggie Planet in Harvard Square for the first time. It's located in alley and underground...but you can just look for the giant carrot sign!Veggie Planet is a renowned vegan/vegetarian restaurant, and it's located in Club Passim, a music venue that has been around for 50 years. Joan Baez played her first gig here, and, over the years, many prominent folk singers and musicians have graced its stage. While we ate in the cramped, colorful, dive-like dining space, a band set up their sound system next door.

Emily ordered the vegan Hot Tomato Artichoke soup, which, true to its name, arrived piping hot. Note the billowing steam:For her entree, she ordered the Roasted Vegetables and Rice: butternut squash, spinach, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and portabello mushrooms atop brown rice.I had the vegan Spicy Tomato Gazpacho. Surpisingly, this enormous portion was deemed a "small." I found it to be tasty but a bit too chunky for my palate. This would be best served as salsa alongside a sizable bowl of tortilla chips: I also ordered a small Safe 'n' Sound pizza: fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, asiago cheese, basil, spinach, and fried garlic. Veggie Planet's organic pizza dough is made by Haley House, a non-profit bakery in the South End. (Whenever possible, Veggie Planet purchases local organic ingredients.) Emily and I both cleaned our plates, and, given the generous portions, that says a lot about the food at Veggie Planet!As you've probably surmised by now, Veggie Planet is quirky, bold, crunchy, and eco-conscious. You could totally envision it in California. The restaurant uses an ecological oven to cook all of its food. The establishment also supports a noble social cause: proudly, the restaurant donates 2% of its food profits and 100% of its t-shirt profits to Food For Free, a non-profit organization that helps feed the hungry in Cambridge.

BerryLine

2008-07-24T01:04:00.000-04:00

Tonight, my friends and I went to BerryLine in Harvard Square for frozen yogurt. Although this fro-yo/smoothie/coffee purveyor has been open for several months, it was my first time inside the tiny, brightly-decorated establishment.

We don't have a Pinkberry or a Red Mango in Boston, but BerryLine's low-fat, low-calorie frozen yogurt is a close replication of the trendy Korean imports. And, in typical Cambridge fashion, the dessert is a result of whiz-kid scientific research: Matt Wallace and Eric Yang, post-doctoral researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School, spent two years perfecting the molecular structure of BerryLine's frozen yogurt. The result? A dense, creamy, low-calorie treat. Who knew that a microscope could yield such delectable results?!

Indeed, I even prefer BerryLine to Pinkberry's formula, which has an oddly fluffy consistency, in my opinion. BerryLine's original flavor actually tastes like plain yogurt--or Fage Greek yogurt, another one of my favorite snacks. I added chocolate and peanut butter chips to mine. I also sampled the banana flavor, one of tonight's three fruit-infused specials.

Wagamama

2008-07-23T00:47:00.013-04:00

This summer, I've formed a weekly dinner club of sorts with my friends Brendan and Kyle. Really, it's more of an "eating club:" we go out to restaurants in the greater Boston area instead of actually preparing our meals!

Tonight, we ventured to Wagamama in Harvard Square. The cuisine is a fusion of Japanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes. It's kind of an upscale ramen noodle bar. As noted above, the Wagamama chain has spread across the globe. The interior of the restaurant is that of a sleek noodle bar/canteen-style restaurant--somewhere between a pho noodle dive and David Chang's Momofuku in New York. All of the dishes are made-to-order, so entrees often arrive to the table at different times. Servers write on your paper placement to keep track of your order.Brendan had Yaki udon, or teppan-fried udon noodles with curry oil, shiitake mushrooms, egg, leeks , shrimp, chicken, yaki chikuwa, bean sprouts, green and red peppers, black and white sesame seeds, fried shallots, pickled red ginger, and a spicy cilantro vinaigrette.Kyle had the Yasai Katsu curry, which consisted of deep-fried slices of sweet potato, eggplant and butternut squash coated in panko breadcrumbs. The dish was served with a light curry sauce, rice, mixed leaves, and red pickles.For a starter, I had duck gyoza, which I have ordered in the past. They were filled with duck and leeks, deep-fried, and served with cherry hoisin sauce. Basically, some of my all-time favorite ingredients...deep-fried!I also had teriyaki salmon. It was grilled and served with rice and steamed baby bok choy. The dish was garnished with mixed sesame seeds, nori, and teriyaki sauce.

My French B&B Home

2008-07-22T01:14:00.007-04:00

Not surprisingly, one of the best things about the summer I spent studying abroad in Talloires, France was the food. Here, I horde snacks from Huit a Huit, the local grocery store, like a little goblin:Fortuitously, I lived for several weeks in the residence/bed and breakfast of Jean-Marie and Catherine Simon. My lovely French host parents owned Les Terrasses, a popular bed and breakfast in Veyrier-du-Lac, France:This is the entrance to Les Terrasses; my room was to the right of the door:This is the kitchen where Catherine prepared meals for her guests:In the evening, my host family, their guests and I would dine on the patio overlooking Lake Annecy, the most pristine lake in all of Europe:My French home also directly overlooked La Maison de Marc Veyrat, a famed hotel and 3-star restaurant:

Collard Greens with Bacon

2008-07-22T00:48:00.003-04:00

Healthy: leafy, virtuous collard greens.
Unhealthy: fatty applewood-cured bacon.
Delicious: collard greens with aforesaid bacon.

I make several variations of collard greens, but I usually have leftover bacon in the freezer, so it's a cinch to throw together a Southern comfort side dish. Cut out the long, bitter stems of the collard greens, roll up the leaves, and chop them into bundles to create strips.In a heavy-bottomed skillet, fry the bacon strips.Add the collard greens, a few tbs of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to thoroughly cook the greens so they will not retain their naturally bitter taste.Here, the collard greens complement a pork chop that has been sauteed in a cast iron skillet.Sweet tea, hush puppies and pecan pie are optional.

Ode to Dough

2008-07-22T00:29:00.000-04:00

It's hot, it's summer, and I like unhealthy food. For no particular reason, here are some of my all-time favorite pizza photos:

My friends Adriana and Christina brace themselves for a slice from Papa's in Cambridge, MA:My friend Eva goes bananas over a slab of mozzarella in Rehoboth Beach, DE:And, my all-time favorite pizza, Mack & Manco's in Ocean City, NJ:

Jam Drops

2008-07-21T22:29:00.013-04:00

Recently, I purchased the "Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts," one of the many Moosewood Collective cookbooks. It contains over 250 home-style recipes, many of which are simple, no-fuss, vegan, and low-fat. However, I opted for the Jam Drop recipe--which calls for 3 sticks of butter!I've made several variations of these classic cookies over the years, but I really like this version because it has a super rich, flaky, buttery dough. Yum!

JAM DROPS

1 1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temp
1 c sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 c unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c preserves or fruit spread (I prefer Swiss-made Hero preserves)With a wooden sppon or an electric mixer, cream the butter until light. Beat in the sugar, adding a little at a time, until well blended. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla and beat until smooth. Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing just until the dough is uniformly smooth. The dough is now ready to chill, shape, and bake or freeze.

NOTE: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Keep some of it on hand in the freezer; it will keep for up to 6 months. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator for a day before using.

For Jam Drops, cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. When it is firm, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gently roll teaspoonfuls of the dough between your palms to form 1 inch balls. It is best not to overhandle the dough. Place the balls about 1 1/2 inches apart on lightly oiled baking sheets (note: I used parchment paper-lined baking sheets instead). With your fingertip, make an indentation in the center of each ball.Fill each hollow with a scant 1/4 tsp of fruit preserves.Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.Enjoy!

The Great Cobb Debate

2008-07-20T15:26:00.004-04:00

My friend Emily--who, like me, is more than a little bit food-obsessed--is moving to another city soon, so we spent a long afternoon in Boston yesterday. (See yesterday's post about our visit to Flour Bakery + Cafe.) Or, as she so succinctly put it, "We basically spent the day walking to a restaurant, eating, walking to another restaurant, eating, and walking to a bookstore to read cookbooks."For lunch, we ate at Francesca's Cafe in the South End. It started off promising: Emily had Quiche Lorraine with a side salad:And I had a Raspberry Lime Rickey in a pretty shade:...but then, in my estimation, things went downhill. I had this Cobb salad:It was perfectly delicious--thanks in large part to the copious amounts of Gorgonzola, bacon, and turkey--but I always feel a little weird whenever the ingredients in a Cobb are jumbled all together. I mean, my Cobb looks essentially the same as Emily's side salad, albeit with more stuff thrown on the plate.

Indeed, the last three or four Cobb salads I've ordered in restaurants have arrived this way. I suppose it's the modern/avant-garde/deconstructed take on a traditionally structured salad. Or maybe the chefs just get tired of making the time-consuming traditional presentation. But I"m starting a one-person revolution: Bring back the true Cobb!

Flour Bakery + Cafe

2008-07-19T23:30:00.000-04:00

For quite some time, I've been salivating over a particular episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" on the Food Network: the one in which Joanne from Flour Bakery + Cafe bests Flay in the battle for the nation's best sticky bun. According to the Flour website, they contain "dark, sticky caramel and toasted pecans."Luckily for me, I attended college in the greater Boston area, where Flour Bakery is located. Unluckily, the massive $2.75 sticky buns sell out bright and early each morning, and I've never woken up early enough to commute to one of the bakery's two locations. But, judging from the photo above, I can easily understand why they're so popular!

Today, my friend Emily and I went to the Flour Bakery location in the South End for an afternoon snack: Emily opted for a decaf iced coffee with soy milk and the "Chunky Lola" cookie. If I recall correctly, the giant cookie was full of chocolate chunks, pecans, oats, and coconut:Hovering over the glass display case, I immediately honed in on the gargantuan Boston Cream Pie/Cake hybrid......because, when you're in Boston, if you can't have an enormous award-winning sticky bun, a slab of a Boston dessert classic is a welcome stand-in:

Irish Oatmeal

2008-07-18T16:04:00.005-04:00

Several days out of the week, I eat McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal for breakfast. It's hearty and healthy: the 100% Irish wholegrain oats contain neither sodium nor cholesterol. Each 1/2 c serving contains 2g of soluble fiber, which reduces the risk of heary disease, and only 2g total fat. Although it's tasty when eaten plain, I prefer to get creative with toppings and mix-ins!To prepare it, add 1/2 c of oatmeal to 1 c of cold water or low-fat milk in a deep microwaveable bowl. Stir and place bowl in microwave. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on strength of unit. You can also prepare this the traditional way: on a stovetop, add 1/2 c of oatmeal to 1 c of cold water. Boil and stir for 3 to 5 minutes. If you add the liquid to the oatmeal a few minutes prior to cooking, it will cook quicker.Stir for a few seconds before eating. Today, I ate mine with sliced organic plums and peaches:Other topping variations:

- Granulated or brown sugar
- Maple syrup
- Honey
- Fruit preserves
- Dried fruit
- Toasted nuts
- Chocolate chips
- Salt, for a grits-like savory taste
- Milk
- Soy milk
- Half-and-half
- Yogurt
- Plain or flavored kefir

Strange But True

2008-07-17T13:21:00.001-04:00

During my freshman year of college, I inexplicably acquired a giant cardboard cereal box. And by "inexplicably acquired," I mean that I wrestled a 6'2"/200 lb guy in the hallway of a dorm for it. And won. Here, it towers over my twin-size dorm bed:Giant cardboard cereal box ironically placed atop mini-fridge:Note the nutritional facts:It now resides in the basement at my parents' house, but I know that it will come in handy one day.

Easy Mascarpone Desserts

2008-07-16T20:52:00.000-04:00

For a 5-second dessert fix, I sometimes combine a few spoonfuls of mascarpone cheese with a small handful of semisweet chocolate chips. Alternately, I like to combine ricotta with some sugar and chocolate chips for a cannoli filling-esque taste. Et voila: instant dessert!

Ina Garten of "The Barefoot Contessa" advocates a similar idea: she recommends combining 1 c of mascarpone with 2 tbs of honey, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, the seeds scraped from a vanilla bean, and 2 tbs heavy cream. You can pour this mascarpone mixture over a bowl of peeled, sliced, and pitted fruits.

Crunchy Caramel Corn

2008-07-15T16:22:00.004-04:00

Perhaps in anticipation of the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight" this Thursday (yes, I've had my ticket for weeks), I whipped up a batch of crunchy caramel popcorn. The recipe is from an issue of Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" magazine, to which I subscribe.

I've made this recipe twice within the past month. This time around, I undercooked the popcorn--something like 25 minutes instead of the recommended 40--as a matter of personal preference. Also, on both occasions that I made this, I neither tossed the popcorn while it cooked nor transferred the cooked popcorn to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

CRUNCHY CARAMEL CORN

serves 6

4 tbs butter, plus more for baking sheet
10 cups plain usalted popped popcorn (from 1/2 c kernels or a 3.3 oz bag of microwave popcorn
1 c cashews, coarsely chopped (optional)
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
Coarse salt

Butter a large rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Place popcorn in a large bowl; if using cashews, add to bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, and 2 tbs water to a boil, stirring constantly.Working quickly, drizzle popcorn with sugar syrup, and toss. Spread popcorn evenly on prepared baking sheet.Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden and shiny, about 40 minutes.Transfer hot popcorn to parchment-paper-lined baking sheet; let cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Spaghetti with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

2008-07-14T18:34:00.003-04:00

I made this Giada De Laurentiis recipe today, although I halved the amount of asparagus. The cherrywood-smoked mozzarella complements the cured prosciutto, and the pasta is chock full of add-ins, so there's no need for a sauce.

SPAGHETTI WITH ASPARAGUS, SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND PROSCIUTTO

serves 6 to 8

2 lbs asparagus, trimmed
3/4 lb spaghetti
4 tbs olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips
6 oz smoked mozzarella cheese, diced (about 1 cup)
6 tbs thinly sliced fresh basil leaves Cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling water until crisp and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a spider or slotted spoon, remove asparagus from boiling water to a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking.When cool, strain, cut asparagus into 1" pieces, and set aside.

Return the water in the pot to a boil, adding additional water, if necessary. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add asparagus to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the pasta, and if needed, some of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat. Add the prosciutto, mozzarella, and basil, and toss to combine.Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Foodie Beauty

2008-07-13T11:02:00.001-04:00

In addition to all things food, I'm passionate about beauty and fashion. My mom jokes that I love "lotions and potions," and it's true: I own more bottles, creams, tubes, and jars than the average village apothecary.

Although I don't care for gimmicky artificial scents (say, Jessica Simpson's cake batter-flavored lotion or Bath and Body Works' Sun-Ripened Raspberry anything), I rely on several products that blur the line between the kitchen and the bathroom. My "Foodie Beauty" Hall of Fame:

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme (retails for around $5.99) is the closest that you will come to lemon frosting in a portable tin. Its fragrant ingredients include sweet almond oil, lemon oil, cocoa butter, and rosemary extract. Quite literally, the creme melts into your nailbed, softening jagged hangnails and lending an emollient shine to your digits. Resist the overwhelming temptation to sniff your nails all day!I don't usually wear perfume, but I sometimes sport Burberry Brit Eau de Toilette or Parfum (retails between $46 and $85, depending on size). It is an intoxicating floral oriental with plenty of gourmet notes. Italian lime, icy pear, green almond, white peony, sugared almonds, amber, mahogany, vanilla, and tonka bean are married together in a unique scent. It's neither weak nor cloying, and both guys and girls find the scent appealing.In middle school, I discovered the joys of The Body Shop Mango Body Butter (retails between $10 and $20, depending on size). It's highly concentrated and more than a little bit greasy, but it's great for cracked heels and rough, flaky skin in the winter. Exercise restraint when applying it on your legs--like Brylcreem, a little dab'll do ya--or you might slide out of bed!I really like Origins products, and the Ginger Bar (retails for around $10) is a "savory" body soap the size of a small landlocked nation. This bar will last for months; indeed, you'll need to use it for 4 or 5 weeks before it shrinks to a manageable size. I love the scent of ginger, but, for some reason, I personally think that this unisex bar smells exactly like Coca-Cola...and I still love it! Weird, I know. Whether you want to smell like a spice or a soda, try it out.My sensitive skin tends to freak out with a lot of facial products, but for the past year, Origins Never A Dull Moment (retails for $23.50) has been my Holy Grail. This "skin-brightening face polisher with fruit enzymes" is a gentle exfoliating scrub/masque. Apricot and mango seeds and papain extract from papayas dissolve rough, uneven skin cells and restore radiance to your visage. Plus you'll smell like the yummiest mango chutney known to mankind. They really need to make this stuff edible.Bumble and bumble Creme de Coco Shampoo and Conditioner (retails for around $25 apiece) is like a tropical getaway at a fraction of the cost. It soothes dry, dull and tangled hair with coconut oil, mallow, milk thistle, and murumuru butter. My fine hair takes well to the entire B&b product line. I prefer the shampoo to the conditioner. The scent is fantastic because it's not a fake and overpowering coconut essence concocted in a science lab.

But I'm really glad that they don't make roast beef moisturizer.

Recipe Binders

2008-07-13T00:46:00.008-04:00

You can easily make your own recipe binder with supplies from your nearest stationer or Staples. This week, I purchased a 1" binder made of aluminum for $22. Although you could pay less for a plastic or paper model, I think it's important to select a material that is heavy-duty and can withstand cooking spills and stains.You can buy clear plastic photo pages to hold your recipes. I selected a double-sided page that holds 3 4 x 6" cards per page ($4.75 for a dozen pages, in my neck of the woods). I used colored construction paper for the dividers, and I created individual designs for each of the sections with trusty old MS Word.

Beverages & Cocktails:Appetizers & Snacks:Soups & Salads:Sandwiches:Vegetables:Pasta:Fish:Chicken:Meat:And, finally, Desserts:Meanwhile, I keep many of my dessert recipes in a mara-mi binder. I'm a huge fan of Marimekko, and I love that the binder features Maija Isola's classic Appelsiini design from the 1950's. Just because you're in the kitchen doesn't mean that you have to forsake style for function!

You can't tell from this photo, but the binder is encased in clear plastic, thus rendering it spill-proof.It has several tabbed sections and pocketed folders.The plastic sleeves hold 4 x 6" recipe cards.The individual recipe cards also feature the Marimekko print!

The Ten Commandments of Bad College Habits

2008-07-12T23:34:00.009-04:00

Although I loved my college experience, it was often difficult to reconcile my gourmand proclivities and traces of OCD with the slovenly lifestyle of the beer-soaked dorm resident.

In no particular order, I present The Ten Commandments of Bad College Habits:

1) Thou shalt not use a case of beer in lieu of thy pillow.2) Thou shalt not eat birthday cake off the floor.3) Thou shalt not accessorize with beer cans.4)Thou shalt not cure thy hangover with three plates of bacon.5)Thou shalt not consume a handle of vodka during breakfast. Or with waffles, ever.6)Thou shalt not consume an entire box of Pepperidge Farm cookies nor store them next to thy laptop. Thou shalt not spill Red Bull upon thy laptop, thus rendering the keyboard ineffectual.7) Thou shalt not pose for lewd photos with thy food.8)Thou shalt not subsist on greasy takeout.9)Thou shalt not covet thy tub of processed orange sodium.10)Thou shalt not live upon cheap beer alone.

Saumon à l’Unilatéral

2008-07-12T23:15:00.003-04:00

This recipe is from Mireille Guiliano's "French Women Don't Get Fat." It's so simplistic that I feel guilty about posting it here. Still, it's light and healthy, and you can get creative with vegetable sides.

SAUMON A L’UNILATERAL

serves 4

4 pieces of wild salmon
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp coarse saltHeat a nonstick frying pan. Place the salmon in the pan, skin-side down. Pour the lemon over the salmon, add the salt, and cook for about 6 minutes over medium heat until the skin is crispy. When it is cooked to medium-rare, it will be pink at the center.

Serve immediately. Season, if you like, with a dash of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprig of fresh thyme.

Cooked Pears with Cinnamon

2008-07-12T23:00:00.006-04:00

I'm not one for diets, fasting, or extreme low-carb/low-fat/no-fun meals. That being said, Mireille Guiliano's "French Women Don't Get Fat" is surprisingly full of healthy and tasty recipes. The author recommends cooked pears with cinnamon as a guilt-free substitute for a buttery pear pastry. However, if you add a dollop of mascarpone and two chocolate biscotti to it, as I did, it is no longer healthy. With or without the accoutrements, though, this recipe is idiot-proof and comforting.

COOKED PEARS WITH CINNAMON

serves 4

4 Bosc pears
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs sugar mixed with ¼ tsp cinnamon
2 tbs water or pear brandy or Muscat Beaumes de VenisePeel, quarter, and thinly slice each pear, placing the slices at the bottom of a 6" saucepan. Sprinkle lemon juice and sugar-cinnamon over the slices. Add the water and then end with the remaining lemon juice and sugar-cinnamon.Cook over medium heat till boiling, and then cover and continue over a low flame until the pears are tender but not soft.Serve the pears lukewarm. You can refrigerate the other servings and serve them at room temp later with biscotti or a tsp of mascarpone cheese. I served mine with chocolate anise biscotti (see recipe below)!

Chocolate Anise Biscotti

2008-07-12T22:41:00.010-04:00

Tonight, I made chocolate anise biscotti from a Giada De Laurentiis "Everyday Italian" recipe. For some reason, the Food Network website refers to these as "Chocolate Anise Cookies," but they really are biscotti, and delicious ones at that!CHOCOLATE ANISE BISCOTTI

makes about 2 dozen

2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp
2 large eggs
1 tsp ground anise seed
1 c semisweet chocolate chipsPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat until just blended. Add the ground anise seed and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Form the dough into a 16" long, 3" wide log. Transfer the log to the prepared baking sheet.Bake until the log is light golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.Place the log on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4" thick slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake until the biscotti are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely.You can store these in an airtight container for a week.

Tray-Baked Salmon with Green Beans, Anchovies and Tomatoes

2008-07-08T11:25:00.000-04:00

When I'm at home, I often ask my mom to make this Jamie Oliver recipe. It's "easy peasy," to borrow his terminology: everything cooks at the same time, and you only have to clean one pan and one bowl! It's a great go-to for a no-fuss weekday dinner yet it's also simply elegant fare for a casual dinner party. I love the vibrant color combination of the greens, reds, pinks, and purples. The briny anchovies complement the green beans and oozing cherry tomatoes perfectly.
TRAY-BAKED SALMON WITH GREEN BEANS, ANCHOVIES AND TOMATOES

serves 4

7 oz green beans
20 small cherry tomatoes
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 (8 oz) thick salmon fillet steak, pin-boned, with or without skin
2 lemons
1 handful of fresh basil, picked
12 anchovy fillets

Tail the green beans, blanch them until tender in salted, boiling water, and drain. Put in a bowl with the tomatoes. Toss in the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of hald a lemon over the fillets, on both sides, then season both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil over the top.

Preheat the oven and a roasting tray at the highest temperature. Put salmon at one end of the roasting tray. Toss the basil into the green beans, olives and tomatoes and place this mixture at the other end of the tray. Lay the anchovies over the green beans. Roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and serve with lemon quarters.

Torta Sbrisolona

2008-07-07T11:01:00.000-04:00

Last week, I made a torta sbrisolona from "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook," my bible of all things sugar and lard. According to the editors, "This giant round of crisp cookie topped with large clumps of streusel is a specialty of Mantua, Italy. It's perfect served with a bunch of grapes at the end of a dinner party. Set it in the center of the table and let guests break off pieces."

I substituted finely chopped walnuts for the almonds and used a shallow, heavily buttered tart pan instead of a springform pan. Although you can eat the torta with your hands, I cut mine into slices and garnished them with organic blueberries. Crumbly, buttery goodness!

TORTA SBRISOLONA

makes one 10-inch cookie

1 3/4 sticks (14 tbs) unsalted butter
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c (about 5 oz) blanched almonds, finely ground
3/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ground almonds, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it is completely incorporated and there are no dry crumbs. Squeeze the mixture to form pea-size to 1-inch clumps.

Gently press three-quarters of the mixture into the prepared pan, and sprinkle evenly with remaining crumbs. Bake until cookie begins to turn golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees, and continue to bake until golden brown and fairly dry, about 10 minutes more.

Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove sides of pan to unmold. Cookie can be kept, wrapped well in aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Tom Yum Koong

2008-07-06T05:27:00.000-04:00

This spring, I took a Thai cooking class with my friend Emily, so the following recipe comes courtesy of the Thai Cultural Club at my alma mater. If you're not familiar with it, tom yum--also known as tom yam or dom yam--is a signature Thai soup that is popular the world over. It has an unusual taste: due to the tom yum paste, the broth is hot, spicy, and sour. You can also make this soup with chicken or mixed seafood instead of shrimp. Really, you can adjust a lot of the ingredients according to your personal preference. Experiment!

Tom yum paste is composed of oil and seasonings like lemongrass, lime juice, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind, galangal, chili peppers, shallots, and fish sauce. It's very potent; a little goes a long way. You may need to look for tom yum paste at a local Asian food store.

TOM YUM KOONG

serves 2-3 people

1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 tbs tom yum paste
1 tbs garlic
1/2 of a lemongrass stem
4 dried bay leaves
2 cloves of shallot
1 handful of mushrooms
6 or more large shrimp
4 tbs evaporated milk
1 tbs fish sauce
1 1/2 tbs lime juice
Fresh chopped cilantro leaves (optional)

Heat the chicken broth on high heat until it boils. Add the tom yum paste, garlic, lemongrass, bay leaves, and shallots, and stir. Reduce to medium heat. Wait 3 minutes before adding the mushrooms, fish sauce, and lime juice. Add the shrimp and additional fish sauce according to your taste. Let the shrimp cook for no longer than 30 seconds. Ladle the soup and sprinkle it with chopped cilantro leaves, if desired.

A Spot of Tea

2008-07-05T14:14:00.000-04:00

It started innocently enough: one day, with little else to do, I lugged all the loose change that I found around my room to the nearest Coinstar. To my wonder and slight embarrassment, I had managed to stow away $48 of nickels and pennies over the past few years. My next stop? To buy a Le Creuset Halo teakettle with my hard-earned coinage.

For quite some time, I've lusted after this model:It's so sad: during college, in lieu of a proper kettle, I would just zap a mug of cold tap water, throw a tea bag in it, and pray that it didn't taste of the spaghetti sauce that was crusted on the inside of my microwave. Late at night, instead of doing homework, I'd peruse the websites of Sur La Table and Chefs Catalog, pondering the color combinations of the Le Creuset line and weighing the pros and cons of a phenolic knob. Creepy? Yes.

And, I must admit, for the $55 pricetag, it's a very solid specimen. The model has an ombre effect, and I opted for the classic cobalt over the kiwi or cherry colors. It has a pitch-perfect whistle, and the cast iron enamel is so heavy and sturdy that, fingers-crossed, I don't expect its base to wear out and burn through any time soon.

Remember that children's book mantra, "If you give a mouse a cookie, it'll probably ask for some milk"? Well, my problem is, once I buy a kitchen gadget, I instantly need more to accompany it. Suddenly, everything in the kitchen seems a bit shabby in comparison to the shiny new objet du jour. So, soon after the Le Creuset came home with me, I began picking up loose leaf teas, stainless steel mesh infusers of varying sizes, tea caddies, sugar bowls, coasters, and a Sophie Conroy for Portmeirion teapot. All this in the span of two weeks. Next thing you know, I'll attempt to buy the Mad Hatter on the black market.

Even though it's 95 degrees in the shade, I've been brewing 6 cups of rooibos and organic darjeeling tea every day. I better start saving more quarters for all those scones and sticky toffee puddings...

"The Meat of the Issue"

2008-07-04T13:02:00.001-04:00

I wrote the following essay when I was studying abroad in France two summers ago. Apparently, a mere six weeks without red meat was more than I could handle; instead of penning nonfiction prose about the wildflowers in the French Alps, I wrote a diatribe about my yearning for a juicy steak."The Meat of the Issue"

Rousseau was on to something when he wrote about the passions of savage man. As Professor Sullivan outlined the representation of hunting in the state of nature, my carnivorous instinct made itself apparent. Doodling in the margins of my Poli Sci notebook, I sketched a T-bone on a silver platter, a parsley sprig, a knife and fork, a double-hamburger surrounded by 22 hearts, and the phrases “J’aime bien le bifteck,” “I miss steak,” and “Meat...I love you.”

More than friends, family, cell phones, Internet access, or Dunkin Donuts, the aspect of American life I miss most is red meat. For the past month, I’ve suffered from severe beef withdrawal. “Please grill me a steak and FedEx it to France,” I half-jokingly jot as the conclusion to all my e-mails. Omahasteaks.com has quickly become my favorite form of pornography.

France is a land full of ridiculously thin people who love their salted and cured meats. I adore ham as much as anyone else, but the extent to which the French consume it is outrageous; they might as well sprinkle it on their cereal. I’m convinced their national food pyramid has a separate category for pork derivatives. A former prosciutto-lover, if I see another rosette or jambon or saucisson, I’ll slaughter a pig myself, Wilbur be damned. Beef is my antidote to a life of porcine crime. I’ll risk Mad Cow Disease if it means my belly is happy. One night, I stared down at my dinner plate to see a lone artichoke head glaring back at me. Bon appétit indeed. My heart pangs for Morton’s and palpitates at the thought of slabs of quasi-mooing cow.

I phoned my mom to complain about my protein deprivation. “Haha, I’m grilling Delmonicos as we speak,” she retorted, ever the wit. “Your dad went to Ruth’s Chris Steak House on Friday and ate a 60 oz. Porterhouse. Do you know how many pounds of meat that is?!” My friend called to describe in minute detail the feast at his sister’s wedding rehearsal dinner. Filet mignon, lobster, steamed clams, and, how dare he say it, ribs, filled out the menu. I icily reminded him that my host family just served me boudin Lyonnais: pig blood pudding. Chowing down on a piglet’s sanguinary kidneys, interspersed with flakes of uterus and the occasional whisker, is not my definition of a good time.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I organized a group excursion to an establishment dubiously named “Bora Bora Restaurant” because Gabriella, our program’s Executive Director, raved about its American-style hamburgers. Never a fan of McDonald’s, I found myself making pilgrimages to Quick Hamburger Restaurant to supplement my jambon-on-buttery-baguette lunches. Bacon-flavored snack crisps vie for prime shelf-space at the Huit à Huit in Talloires, yet American-style bacon is nowhere to be found. Instead, questionable circles of mauve-colored pork peek out from my weekly indulgence, the Maxi Bacon Burger.

My host family left for Marseilles one weekend, indicating that, in the interim, I could feast on three containers of ramen noodles and two cans of tuna salad “Americana” with boiled corn. Instead of coal, they had stuffed my stocking with sodium. Livid, I stalked the cobblestone streets of Annecy, credit card in hand, in search of beefy satisfaction. I sadly learned that the traditional French cut, Parisian entrecôte, doesn’t do justice to the steak family. Pounded thin with an angry patch of congealed fat running through the center, entrecôte is rough and stringy. Like Clara in the classic Wendy’s ads, I wanted to shriek, “Où est le boeuf?”

Upon arriving in Paris, my friends and I raced to the first restaurant with the word viande emblazoned on its awning. Saliva pooled on the menus as we greedily translated the phrases steak au poivre, coeur de rumsteak, and tournedos de boeuf. Masticated chunks of filet de boeuf never tasted so good. Notre-Dame, Sacre-Coeur, Sainte Chappelle—the great Parisian churches were beautiful, but my religious experience that weekend involved a knife and a fork.

Every day, the Crolard bus passes a pen of pygmy brown sheep. Without fail, Hillary, my usual seatmate, coos, “Ooooh! Look at da baby sheepies! I want to play with them!” I peer down and think, yes, those would look nice. If they were prepared medium-rare with a nice Béarnaise sauce.

Santa Fe Brownies

2008-07-03T19:44:00.000-04:00

This is one of my all-time favorite brownies, a decadent brick of dark chocolate and cream cheese that weighs a metric ton. The recipe comes from one of Maida Heatter's dessert books. The book is yellowed with wear and tear, but, by far, our most beloved recipe in it is the Santa Fe Brownie.

These taste best when eaten directly out of the fridge, still partially wrapped in a wad of cellophane. They also travel well in coolers. You can share them with others, but I tend to horde them and stealthily snack in solitude.SANTA FE BROWNIES

makes 32 large brownies

1 1/2 c unsifted unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
6 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 oz semisweet chocolate
8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter
5 large eggs
1 1/4 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tbs vanilla extract
8 oz (2 1/4 c) walnuts, in large pieces

Adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13x12" pan and turn it upside down. Center a 17-18" length of alumninum foil, shiny side down, over the pan. Shape the foil to the pan. Remove the shaped foil, rinse the pan with water, and then press the foil back into the pan (the water will help the foil stick to the pan). Pat the butter in the lined pan, place it in the oven to melt, and spread the butter all over the bottom and sides of the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Place both of the chocolates and the butter in the top of a double boiler over moderate heat. Stir until melted and set aside briefly.

In an electric mixer, beat the eggs just to mix. Add both of the sugars and the vanilla and beat only until mixed.

On low speed, beat in the melted chocolate mixture (which should be warm), then the sifted dry ingredients, scraping and beating until incorporated.

Remove and set aside 2 1/4 c of the mixture. Add about 2/3 of the nuts to the bowl and stir to mix. Spread the chocolate and nut mixture in the prepared pan. Set aside.

SANTA FE BROWNIES - CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE

12 oz cream cheese, at room temp
3 oz (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c granulated sugar
3 large eggs

In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and the butter until mooth. Beat in the vanilla and the sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth.

Pour the cream cheese mixture slowly, in a wide ribbon, all over the chocolate mixture in the pan. With the bottom of a spoon, spread the cheese mixture to the edges of the pan.

Stir the remaining thickened chocolate mixture to soften it and then pour it in a wide ribbon over the cheese layer. The top chocolate layer does not have to cover all of the cheese layer or reach the sides of the pan.

Cut through the top with a table knife in a zigzag pattern to marbleize the mixtures slightly. Don't overdo it. Sprinkle the remaining nuts evenly over the top.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the cake tests done. Cool in the pan. Invert the pan twice to release the brownies.

Refrigerate for at least several hours. Cut into pieces and wrap individually in cellophane or wax paper, or place in an airtight box with wax paper between the layers.

Eat and Greet

2008-07-02T18:48:00.001-04:00

Hi! My name is Katie. I just graduated from college, and I'm creating this blog to share my enthusiasm for food with all of you. I grew up in the small town of Hershey, PA, site of the world's largest chocolate factory. My dad's office is located on West Chocolate Ave. at the intersection with Cocoa Ave. When it rains, the air is permeated with the smell of chocolate. Downtown, the streetlights are shaped like Kisses, and they alternate between "wrapped" and "unwrapped." It's no wonder that I grew to be such a foodie.
When we were little, my older sister and I pretended to have our own cooking show--i.e., I was her sous-chef/humble slave, Mauricia, and she bossed me around our plastic Playskool kitchen. "You need to add a pinch of taste," we'd instruct to our imagined viewing audience. Hence the blog title.

Although I have no formal culinary training, I've been baking, sauteeing, and pan-searing for many years. You could say I'm obsessed with everything food: from farmers' markets to the Food Network, from the Zagat guide to the Williams Sonoma catalogue. I love a Wendy's double cheeseburger just as much as I do Daniel Bouloud's $32 burger with short ribs and foie gras at DB Bistro Moderne.

Whether I'm eating every last bite of a filet mignon in Paris...
...posing with a cupcake...
...scarfing down giant slices of pizza on my birthday...
...savoring a chocolate brioche as I stroll down the street...
...or, shame of shames, gnawing on a huge chunk of Gouda before a formal event as my friends watch in horror...
I'm always enjoying all the culinary experiences to be had, both in and out of the kitchen!

So let's eat and be merry.