food & femininity

Homemade Biscuit Tea Sandwiches

2012-01-31T15:50:00.002-05:00

Not to fluff my own apron,but I make a mean biscuit. That probably explains my inclination towardsbiscuit purism. A well-made biscuit split and smeared with a pat of butter, orsweetened with a drizzle of honey, cannot be improved upon. Leave it alone.

But I do recognize oneexception, the biscuit sandwich. My reasoning: You're not trying to improve a perfectly delicious biscuit with a pile of unnecessary mix-ins, instead, you're employing "biscuit as sandwich bread" to improveon the fillings! Personally, I love what a biscuit can do to simple ingredients. Scrambled eggs seem creamier tucked inside of a warm one at breakfast, and call it wishful thinking but ham tastes ham-ier nuzzled in there, too.

These tea sandwiches combine black pepper-freckled biscuits with arugula salad and capicola (basically prosciutto from the pig's shoulder, not its leg). I'm testing them for my upcoming "Cheesy Love Song" party! But more to come on that...

BLACK PEPPER–BISCUIT TEA SANDWICHES
MAKES: 9 sandwiches

Homemade biscuits recipe

Unsalted butter, melted

Freshly ground pepper

2 cups baby arugula

Extra-virgin olive oil

Fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

9 slices capicola or prosciutto

1. Prepare a batch of your favorite biscuit dough and cut into rounds (or hearts!). Brush the top of each biscuit with melted butter and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Bake according to your recipe.

2. Toss the arugula and a glug of olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt. Squeeze some lemon juice over the salad; toss again.

3. Split the biscuits in half. Fill with the capicola and arugula.

Weekend of Eating: Boston

2012-01-19T11:53:00.000-05:00

Off to Boston this weekend! We've mapped out a few meals in advance, like dinner at Island Creek Oyster Bar and Craigie On Main, and brunch at Barbara Lynch's Sportello. Do you have any other suggestions? Any must-try spots?

1. Island Creek Oyster Bar, 2. Craigie on Main, 3. These Are Things

Matchstick Pom-Pom Garland & Pink Ombre Cake

2012-01-18T10:03:00.000-05:00

I caught a serious case of craft envy this weekend.

So I embarked on a miniature cake garland project.

Turns out matchsticks are the perfect size for mini-posts—they're just right for a tiny ombre cake!

Scroll down for the instructions...

POM POM GARLAND & PINK OMBRE CAKE
SERVES: 2

FOR THE GARLAND

Needle
White or clear thread
2 matchsticks
Mini pom-poms, assorted colors

FOR THE CAKE

Unsalted butter, softened, for the ramekins
All-purpose flour, for the ramekins
Vanilla cake batter, your choice!
Pink gel paste food coloring

FOR THE ICING

3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Make the garland: Thread the needle with about 4 inches thread; tie the end in a knot, then tie around the base of 1 matchstick. Thread mini pom-poms onto the string; cut the end and tie around the base of the remaining matchstick. Set aside.

2. Make the cake: Butter and flour 3 ramekins. Divide the cake batter among 3 bowls. Use pink gel paste to dye the batter 3 different shades of pink, then divide among the ramekins and bake at 350˚ until a toothpick comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the ramekins 3 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, make the icing: Beat the egg whites in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until frothy and thick. Simmer the cream of tartar, sugar, water and salt in a small saucepan, stirring, until the sugar dissolved. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly beat in the hot sugar syrup in a steady stream. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until firm peaks form, about 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.

4. Trim the tops of the cakes. Layer the cakes with icing (slice each cake in half to make smaller layers, if you'd like!), then coat the assembled cake with icing and top with the garland.

Pink Palmier Hearts

2012-01-16T09:40:00.000-05:00

Next up in my collection of sweets for your someone special, palmier hearts. You don't need the skills of a budding pâtissier to pull off these French cookies. In fact, a box of frozen puff pastry and some sanding sugar is all it takes—surprising, considering how intricate the buttery layers look! Potential baker: If you picture yourself someday smooching your gent on the streets of Paris (or just love picturing him in Saint James stripes), give these a go. Who knows, you may snag a few extra baiser for all of the hard work you did (not!) do putting them together! You're welcome.

PALMIER HEARTS
1 box frozen puff pastry, thawed
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sanding sugar

1. Lay 1 sheet puff pastry on a lightly floured cutting board, with the long edge facing you, and roll it out slightly to flatten. Fold the 2 short ends into the middle (to look like a book).
2. Fold the 2 short ends into the middle again.
3. Gently press the 2 sides together to make a circular–heart shape. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
4. Slice the log into 1/2-inch-thick pieces, reshape the hearts if necessary (they may flatten during slicing). One at a time, brush the edge of the hearts with egg and roll in sanding sugar, pressing to coat.
5. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400˚ until puffed and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets. Reroll in sanding sugar, if desired.
6. Repeat with the remaining sheet puff pastry, or save for another project!

Just saying....

Neon Pink! Mini Doughnut Muffins

2012-01-14T13:23:00.002-05:00

I'm busy developing a collection of flirty Valentine's Day sweets for your sweethearts. And since I firmly believe that breakfast can be the most romantic meal of the day, I started with these miniature muffins for my boyfriend. They combine my love of neon pink (and sparkles!) with his love of doughnuts. Once you coat the fluffy muffins with butter and sugar, they really do taste like warm little doughnuts—give them a try! More treats coming this week, so check back in for some sexy nibbles ...

MINI DOUGHNUT MUFFINS

MAKES: about 2 dozen muffins

FOR THE MUFFINS

1 cup all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup whole milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE TOPPING

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 to 1½ cups sanding sugar or cinnamon-sugar

1. Make the muffins: Preheat the oven to 375˚. Line a mini-muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Mix the butter and salt in another bowl until combined, then whisk in the milk and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

3. Divide the batter among the prepared cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack.

4. Make the topping: One at a time, dip the top of each muffin in the melted butter, then roll in the sugar. Transfer to a serving platter or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The Best Cinnamon Bun in Brooklyn, NY

2012-01-08T14:35:00.001-05:00

The best cinnamon bun in Brooklyn is waiting for you at Mile End in Boerum Hill.

My Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Secret

2012-01-05T16:43:00.001-05:00

Put your raisins, 1 tablespoon bourbon and a generous splash of vanilla extract in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let the raisins soak while you prepare the batter, then drain and pat dry. Stir your bourbon-vanilla raisins into the batter as if they were plain (read: boring) ole raisins.

Pecan Sandie Buttons

2011-12-02T11:06:00.001-05:00

I’m ready to be elbow deep in Christmas cookies—hope you’reprepared for some serious holiday baking because this month is all aboutsweets. First up, pecan cookies spiked with bourbon….

PECAN SANDIE BUTTONS

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup light or dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon bourbon

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped pecans, plus pecan halves for topping

Preheat the oven to 375˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Beat the butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla, bourbon and egg and beat until combined.
Turn off the mixer. Add the flour and salt and beat on medium-low speed until a thick dough forms, about 3 minutes. Add the pecans and beat until combined.
Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and arrangeon the prepared baking sheets. Press a pecan half into each ball, if desired.Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets,then transfer to racks to cool completely

*The dough can be stored in the freezer up to 3 weeks; rolled into balls, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and stored in an resealable plastic bag.

Penguin Cupcakes

2011-11-08T11:53:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you didn't catch it: Sweater-wearing penguins made it onto New York Magazine's approval matrix (highbrow-brilliant, obviously), only strengthening my undying love for the Arctic fluffies and solidifying, I think, their position as best animal ever.

So as a nod to cold penguins around the globe, I decided to develop the ultimate penguin cupcake. To make your own flock, follow the steps below.

PENGUIN CUPCAKES

MAKES: a dozen penguins

12 cupcakes

1 cup marshmallow crème

12 Oreo cookies

Candy eyeballs (preferably Wilton)

Large round orange sprinkles, for the beak

¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Small white sprinkles, for decoration (optional)

1. Frost each cupcake with 1 tablespoon marshmallow crème.

2. For each penguin: Separate 1 Oreo cookie; the half with the cream filling with be the head, cut the half without the cream in half to make 2 wings using a sharp knife (it's okay if the edges crumble, you can hide it with coconut).

3. Make the head: Spread about 1 teaspoon marshmallow crème over the cream filling of the Oreo. Gently press 2 eyeballs into the crème, then use orange sprinkles to make a beak.

4. Assemble the penguin: Press the head into the marshmallow crème near the top of the cupcake, then press the wings into the cake until they're secure. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut and white sprinkles, if desired.

Peppermint Pattie Brownies

2011-10-25T18:04:00.002-04:00

PEPPERMINT PATTIE BROWNIES

SERVES: 10 to 12

FOR THE BROWNIE

1¼ cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1¾ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

FOR THE MINT FROSTING

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup crème de methe

2 cups confectioners' sugar

FOR THE GANACHE

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. Make the brownie: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl.

2. Beat the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until well combined. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake until a tooth inserted into the center comes out clean with a few crumbs, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

3. Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the butter, vanilla and crème de methe with a mixer until combined. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Spread the frosting over the brownies in an even layer using an offset spatula; freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the ganache: Melt the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until smooth. Remove the brownies from the freezer, spread the ganache over the mint frosting using an offset spatula; freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

5. Transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into squares, cleaning the knife with a damp towel as you slice (this will keep the layers looking super clean). Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; bring to room temperature before eating.

BEST PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE RECIPE

2011-09-08T18:27:00.000-04:00

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

SERVES: 8 to 10

3 sticks unsalted butter

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into round

1½ cups granulated sugar

8 large egg yolks

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

¼ cup pineapple juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350˚. Put two 6-inch or 8-inch cake pans on a baking sheet. Put 4 tablespoons butter in each pan and transfer to the oven until the butter melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Divide the brown sugar between the pans, sprinkling to coat the bottom evenly. Arrange the pineapple slices decoratively on top of the brown sugar mixture; set aside.
Beat the remaining 2 sticks butter and the granulated sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk until smooth. Mix in the pineapple juice, vanilla and almond extracts.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let the cakes cool slightly in the pans on rack. Run a knife around the edges of the pans; invert the cakes onto the rack to cool completely. Serve with whipped cream on the side.

Baking a mid-week pineapple upside-down cake for my boyfriend was the right way to go last week. It's one of his favorites, and I happen to have perfected a killer recipe. The trouble is, I whipped it up right before our trip to Michigan; and now that we're back I'm feeling extra inspired to make this homey/Midwestern-y dessert, again! What a pickle. I guess we'll have to eat more cake.

How-To: Roast A Pig In A Hurricane

2011-08-31T19:03:00.003-04:00

Hurricane Irene could not thwart this brave band of pork-lovers from enjoying an outdoor pig roast. Well, it did prune the guest list a bit: out of the few dozen committed, only seven of us showed up at the farm on the big day. We're gutsy professionals, after all. On the flip side, more pig for us! After living through the storm (surprise, surprise) I feel compelled—as a survivor, obviously—to translate our experience into a practical guide to extreme pig roasting; a list of essentials when faced with rain, wind and/or tornado warnings. You will need:

I. A pig.

II. A fortress.

III. Burly men, preferably with crackerjack knife skills.

IV. Sides.

....cornbread

...kartoffelsalat (potato salad)

V. A full tank of beer.

VI. Another pig for dessert.

With rainbow-sprinkle guts!

VII. A solid leftover strategy.

Like, pig tacos with adobo, salsa and queso.

I guess this is what happens when bad weather happens to good people. It really was such a shame.

Psyche!

Petit Écolier S'mores

2011-08-24T17:55:00.000-04:00

Easier isn't always better. But in this case, it certainly isn't worse.

Salted Fudge Cookies

2011-08-17T00:22:00.014-04:00

I wanted nothing more than to come home and bake myself a giant flaky pie for dinner, thanks to a pie crawl with Le Bernardin's pastry chef Michael Laiskonis posted here. It was on my mind all day. But I left my pie pan at my gentleman friend's apartment (I made his mom's knock-out blueberry pie for us last weekend)! Imagine my disappointment.

I settled for a proper dinner, so long as it ended with a batch of cookies. Something chocolately was the obvious choice considering my stash: 5 kinds of chips, 3 different powders, 2 brands of syrup, 10 bars and a jar of hot fudge. Full disclosure: I may have been watching a pirate movie at the time. It got me thinking about rum and salty sea people. Rum and sea salt wouldn't be a bad addition to fudge cookies. So I loaded these suckers with a double doses of chocolate, strong coffee, and dark rum and topped 'em with French sea salt. They're not blueberry pie but, damn it, they work!

SALTED FUDGE COOKIES

MAKES: 2 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

5 tablespoon strong-brewed coffee

2 teaspoons dark rum

1 1/2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks

Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg and egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk the coffee and rum into the egg mixture.

2. Using a wooden spoon, gradually mix the flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined (the dough will be thick and dry. Keep mixing, it comes together). Mix in the chocolate chunks. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and arrange about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

3. Bake the cookies until set around the edges but still gooey in the middle, about 15 minutes. Gently flatten the cookies with a spatula, then sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool on the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Serve with milk...or more rum.

Rosemary Roasted Bone Marrow with Chef Dave

2010-12-11T13:32:00.012-05:00

Right before we began our stint in the restaurant, Chef Dave treated the group to a mighty snack: rosemary roasted bone marrow spread on baguette. We certainly aren't getting treats like that at the saucier station, now, but it's nice to think back on better times.

If the thought of herby meat butter gets you excited, try preparing bone marrow this way at home. It's surprisingly easy to put together.

1. Arrange veal bones in a roasting pan lined with a fresh rosemary and smashed garlic cloves. Sprinkle the bones with salt and pepper.


2. Roast at 450˚ for 15 minutes until the marrow is soft and separates from the bones. Let the marrow cool slightly before spreading it on baguette (the marrow will be easier to push out of the bones as it cools). Remove leftover marrow from the bones and store in an airtight container in the freezer.

Ricotta Tart with Limoncello-Cherries

2010-12-03T10:26:00.004-05:00

Chef raves about a cannoli he once had with limoncello-soaked cherries folded into the filling but I certainly don't have enough free time for frying and piping. So I turned the idea on its head and made a sweet ricotta tart, then topped it with dried sour cherries reconstituted in limoncello and sugar. The fruit gets a nice boozy kick, which jazzes up the sweet cheese filling—even our pickiest snacker in the office gave it his stamp of approval!

LIMONCELLO-CHERRY RICOTTA TART

FOR THE CHERRIES

1 cup dried sour cherries

1 cup limoncello

1 cup sugar

Zest of 1 lemon, peeled into 1/2 inch strips using a vegetable peeler

FOR THE DOUGH

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

Kosher salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg, beaten

FOR THE FILLING

2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon or orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs, beaten

1. Make the cherries: Put the cherries, limoncello, sugar, lemon zest and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and let the cherries soak until plump, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the dough: Pulse the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Drizzle in the egg and 1 tablespoon cold water and pulse until the dough starts to come together.

3. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. Roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the excess dough and prick the bottom all over with a fork. Chill for another 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are golden, about 10 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment and continue baking until golden all over, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool (but leave the oven on).

5. Meanwhile, make the filling: Mix the ricotta, sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl using a rubber spatula until combined. Stir in the lemon zest and vanilla. Stir in the eggs. Spoon the filling into the prepared tart shell; use the spatula to smooth the top of the filling. Bake until the filling is just set, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

6. Strain the prepared cherries (reserve the liquid, if desired). Transfer the tart to a cake plate. Top with the cherries and drizzle with some of the liquid, if desired.

Thanksgiving Round Up: Only the essentials.

2010-11-29T11:20:00.008-05:00

I usually peg Thanksgiving as my favorite holiday because it's the day I can freely sample 5 pies in one sitting for the sake of "togetherness," but that's not entirely true. To me, the true joy of Thanksgiving is watching my beautiful family flex their cooking muscles each year. And it's not that their dishes are getting more extravagant, in fact it is their careful editing and refinement that keeps me in awe. This was no exception.

Some Highlights:

Our beverage director, above, chose a prosseco to kick off the afternoon. Pre-turkey: We sipped while snacking on family staples, assembled by my Katherine, including her favorite comte and a rendition of Aunt Margret's shrimp cocktail. But today her usual crudités was dressed with homemade hummus: extra thick and totally addicting with crunchy snap peas.

See recipe below.

The preppy table setting was the real show-stopper, in my opinion. Every tabletop was dressed by my impossibly chic Aunt Beth. She is brilliant, so it comes as no surprise that she can transform a room with fabric and fruit. DIY: All you need is...

FOR THE OVERLAY: Gingham fabric, enough to cover a standard tablecloth (a few yards), or one long strip for a runner. Leave the edges raw or fold back about 1/2-inch fabric and adhere it to the underside of the fabric using iron-on adhesive for a faux-hem.
FOR EACH SETTING: Use cloth napkins in a color that compliments, but does not match, your gingham. Put a small piece of fruit on each plate (pick one that pops!) If using place cards, cut a shallow slit in the fruit using the tip of a pairing knife, then slide the place card into the slot.


Obsessed with this simple place setting.

OTHER FAVORITES:

Aunt Beth's Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Mimi's new puppy-cut. Isabelle as a Native American.

Nick as the active god father. Katherine Phraner in her tribal frock.

And dessert, obviously...

It's not unusual for us to over do it on the back end of the meal. The family sweet tooth is a trait we share (and satiate) quite happily. But we boiled it down to the essentials this year: apple pie, pumpkin pie, Aunt Eileen's cheesecake, rice pudding, upside-down cake and a few bite-size sweets.

My chewy almond cookies

Cranberry-Apple Upside-Down Cake

There was only one food-related tragedy: Nana Murphy slipped while transporting her pies in the backyard just minutes before dessert was served. Thankfully she walked away unscathed and the pies (which landed on a sheet tray instead of the mud) were fixed with a few minor adjustments. Good thing, too, because this year Nana used FNM's take on the traditional pumpkin pie. The recipe calls for brown sugar in the filling instead of granulated, which jacks up the pie's spiced, caramel flavor. It was a hit!

I hope you all had a beautiful holiday weekend! Happy Monday, Enjoy :)

HOMEMADE HUMMUS

MAKES: about 3 cups

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup tahini (ground sesame seeds), mixed well

Juice of 3 lemons

1 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Paprika, for sprinkling

Chopped fresh parsley, for sprinkling

1. Put the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in food processor and puree until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the 1 teaspoon olive oil and puree until combined.

2. Transfer the hummus to a serving dish. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley.

CHEWY ALMOND COOKIES
Find the recipe at: BonAppetit.com

Note: These cookies are meant to be turned into sandwiches using raspberry jam, but I think they're much tastier on their own.

CRANBERRY-APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
SERVES: 10 to 12

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup plus 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
2 Granny Smith apples, cut into eighths

1. Butter and flour a 9-inch-round cake pan; set aside. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Stir the orange zest, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water together in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the cranberries and cook until tender, about 5 minutes; let cool.
2. Bring the maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Put the cornmeal in the bowl of an electric mixer. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over the cornmeal and beat on low speed to combine. Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and beat until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.
4. With the mixer running on low, add half of the flour mixture, then half of the milk. Repeat. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Finished folding the batter together by hand.
5. Pour the thickened maple syrup into the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Arrange the apples on top of the maple syrup, then spoon the cranberries around and on top of the apples. Spread the batter over the fruit and bake until the cake springs back when pressed, about 40 minutes. Let the cake cook 5 minutes in the pan, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely.

Grieving The Loss of Toffee Bits with Oatmeal-Toffee Nut Cookies

2010-11-03T07:53:00.006-04:00

RIP: Beloved baking staple since 1996

Rumor has it Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits have been discontinued. Sheer madness! But there's no sense in hoarding what's left in your cabinet. Give your final bag or two a proper goodbye and load them into soft oatmeal cookies. You can use 1 to 2 bags of toffee bits in this recipe depending on how many you have left, or how frugally you'd like to ration your remaining pieces. Such a shame, I guess this is goodbye old friend...

OATMEAL–TOFFEE NUT COOKIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 to 2 bags milk chocolate toffee bits

Preheat the oven to 325˚. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat until combined. Whisk the flour, salt and baking soda together in another bowl. Add the flour-mixture to the butter-mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Stir in the oats, walnuts and toffee bits.
Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are golden but slightly soft in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

DIY Food TV Halloween Costumes: Ina Garten

2010-10-28T11:46:00.002-04:00

- black pants

- boating shoes (Sperry's are the best)

- hydrangeas, real or fake

- pearl earrings

- red lipstick

- tote bag

BONUS:

- "good" vanilla

- a man dressed as Jeffery

DIY Food TV Halloween Costumes: Nigella Lawson

2010-10-28T10:52:00.035-04:00

Dress up as your favorite star chef for Halloween—their outfits are easy to throw together and it's the perfect excuse to carry around snacks all night. Who would you be?

How about, Nigella Lawson...

YOU WILL NEED:
- ultra-femme dress
- curlers (to give your hair that voluminous bounce!)
- liquid black eyeliner
- British flag accessory (like this "So British Clutch")
- Cadbury chocolate bar

- sultry English accent

BONUS:

- Cupcake lip gloss

- Copy of Nigella's, "How To Be A Domestic Goddess" (it's one of my favorites!)

DIY Food TV Halloween Costumes: Claire Robinson

2010-10-28T10:31:00.001-04:00

Dress up as your favorite star chef for Halloween—their outfits are easy to throw together and it's the perfect excuse to carry around snacks all night. Who would you be?

First up, Claire Robinson...

YOU WILL NEED:
- plaid shirt
- jeans
- girlie apron
- cute shoes
- a bulldog (these Betsy Johnson earrings are perfect!)
- retro kitchen tools

Home SWEET Home: Food Pillows from Bordeaux, France

2010-10-28T09:54:00.002-04:00

My excuse that I "don't have time to decorate" the new apartment (in which I've been living for 5 months) expires today, officially. With two days off from work there's ample time to find pillows and fill photo frames, and yet I'm already busy with other things.

While looking for "fluffy" cushions online, I discovered these dessert-inspired pillows from Bonjour Mon Cousin. They're a bit wild for my pied a terre but aren't they darling? Depending on how prominently you'd like to display your sweet-tooth, the designs can be made into a 35, 50 or 72-cm square pillow. It's like the home decor version of Cold Stone Creamy's "Like It!", "Love It!" or "Gotta Have It!"

Currently Snacking On...

2010-10-23T16:19:00.001-04:00

Easy Tiramisu Recipe: The Only One You'll Ever Need

2010-10-11T07:10:00.000-04:00

You need to add this recipe to your emergency recipe arsenal. My tiramisu has saved me on more than one occasion. It's the perfect ninth-hour dessert that tastes like you spent hours putting it together. It's so simple to make, in fact, you may be tempted to make one for yourself one night this week...

EASY TIRAMISU

6 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tub mascarpone cheese

1 to 2 packages Italian lady fingers

1. Dissolve the espresso and cocoa powders in 2 cups hot water.
2. Whip the cream, vanilla and sugar until thick. Beat the mascarpone with a spatial or a mixer set on medium speed until soft. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone to combine.
3. Soak some lady fingers in the espresso mixture and arranged in one layer at the bottom of a serving bowl. Top with a layer of the mascarpone mixture. Repeat with the remaining lady fingers and cream, ending with the cream. Dust with cocoa powder and chill until ready to serve.

Students Satiated with Fried Chicken

2010-10-05T10:44:00.001-04:00

We don't eat as often as you'd think at the French Culinary Institute. We do have to taste our dishes as they cook and sometimes we're hungry enough to eat what's leftover after chef critiques it, but who really wants to eat room temperature poached eggs and hollandaise sauce? (Especially when you've been working on it for a few hours.)

But every once in a while chef surprises us with a little something to snack on. About a month ago it was a big bowl of fresh pasta with heirloom tomatoes and home-made mozzarella cheese from Level 2 . This past week he went Southern: biscuits, fried chicken and collard greens. Bless that man! My tower of a fried chicken sandwich put the Double Down to shame. And drizzled with honey and hot sauce...well bless my heart and call me a bell! There must be a little Southern in my somewhere.

Do you fry chicken at home? I never have enough oil to do it right!

Knock Back a Naughty Drink: Especially on a rainy day like today!

2010-09-30T13:08:00.000-04:00

I am always enamored with Mrs. Lilien's style and this cocktail is simply too sassy to keep to myself! Chances are you already have these ingredients lying around somewhere, so stop being glum and fix yourself an afternoon cocktail :)

While you're add it, check out Mrs.Lilien's blog. The adorable stripper glass is from Fishs Eddy's—one of my faves!— Strip Tea collection.

France's Gourmet School Lunches

2010-09-29T09:49:00.010-04:00

How does your typical lunch compare these French kids'?

Nostalgia: Chocolate Dirt Cake

2010-09-27T19:27:00.007-04:00

A brilliant co-worker has moved on to bigger and better things, but we sent him off in style with a big ole' BBQ lunch and an old-school fave. It just goes to show that you're never too good to eat some dirt :)

Chocolate Dirt Cakes with Gummy Worms

Cooking spray, for the pan
1 box chocolate cake mix
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 to 2 tablespoons rum
1 box chocolate pudding mix
1 bag Oreo cookies
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Gummy worms, for topping
Candy rocks, for topping

1. Spray a cake pan with cooking spray. Prepare the chocolate cake batter according to the package directs. Stir in the instant espresso powder and rum; bake according to the package instructions. Let cake cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Crumble the cake into pieces; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make the chocolate pudding as the package directs. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
3. Meanwhile, crush the oreos in a resealable plastic bag; set aside. Whip the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar until thick.
4. To make the cakes: Layer the cake, pudding, whipped cream, and cookie crumbs, starting and ending with the cake. Top with gummy worms and candy rocks.

One BBQ Away From Fall

2010-09-23T08:20:00.005-04:00

Good morning loves! Looks like we may squeeze in one more BBQ-weather weekend before autumn really takes hold. How do you plan to take advantage?

Here are some photos from last weekend's side-by-side steak tasting. It was the first time in my life that my dad has ever made dinner for me and it was delicious! Check back tomorrow for his winning recipe, and see which steak sauce makes the better marinade: A1 or Smith & Wollensky.

(Tomatoes from my parents' garden)

My Monday Night Soiree

2010-09-21T06:43:00.003-04:00

The makings of a perfect Monday: Cream of carrot soup from Eli's, leftover champagne (which was admittedly a bit flat), the season premier of How I Met Your Mother and Gossip Girl.

Cheesy Egg Bake: The French Girl's Breakfast Casserole

2010-09-19T23:05:00.004-04:00

Sometimes it's best to reserve the perfectly poached egg and bellini for a brunch out with the girls. Weekend breakfasts at home can be rustic and lazy, far from the eyes of the bruchers of the Upper East Side. Thanks to the French Culinary Institute, three tremendous broiche were sitting on my counter waiting to be eaten early Saturday morning. I was all too happy to oblige one of them. This twist on an American breakfast casserole is a Frenchy at heart with golden pillows of brioche, stinky cheese (go with the gruyere!) and fresh thyme. Prepare it a night in advance so your breakfast guest will think your brunch skills are as effortless as a French girl's style :) Bon appetite!

Cheesy Egg Breakfast Bake

6 strips apple-wood smoked bacon
1 to 1 1/2 pounds spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
6 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large braided brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar or gruyere cheese
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; reserve the skillet with the bacon fat.
2. Add the sausage to the reserved skillet and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until cooked through; drain on paper towels.
3. Whisk the eggs, milk, ground mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Stir in the brioche cubes, thyme, grated cheddar and the cooked bacon and sausage.
4. Pour the mixture into a lightly buttered baking dish and bake until the custard has set, 30 to 40 minutes.

The Real Fashion Week Cupcake

2010-09-17T01:55:00.007-04:00

What you have here is a sweet treat to put all other party-snacks to shame. The REAL fashion week cupcake is a true indulgence: rich, chocolaty and soaked in champagne. The components were inspired by different fashion friends and icons via Twitter. Here is what they came up with:

Carrie Goldberg, Fashion Editor for Jewcy.com: Something dark chocolate, maybe with saffron or espresso
Andrew Pulga, Show Director and Collection Coordinator: @erinphraner a chocolatey decadent cake w/ a sweet champagne buttercream frosting
Kate Spade NY: @erinphraner red velvet. red velvet all the time.
Donna Kim, Fashion Journalist and creator of DonnaDaily.com, @erinphraner The most rich flavors + colorful retro colors!
Elle Magazine: @erinphraner Like a full 8 hours of sleep topped with buttercream icing

After compiling these brilliant ideas and enduring two nights of recipe testing, the true cupcake of Fashion Week came to be. Thank you all for contributing!

FOR THE CAKE

Andrew and Ms. Goldberg were right, the cake itself could be nothing other than pure dark chocolate hit with a jolt of java. I settled on my go-to dark chocolate cake recipe but spiked it with 4 shots of espresso (to match Ms. Goldberg's favorite fashion week pick-me up). Once the cakes baked and cooled, I topped them off with some chilled bubbly. If you eat the cake right away, the champagne still tingles your nose as you bit into the cake!

FOR THE FROSTING
If Kate Spade gives you advice you simply must take it to heart! And so the frosting of the Fashion Week Cupcake, the most beloved part of the cake, is dedicated to her and her love of red velvet cake. Cream cheese frosting is always a hit, but to give it the extra special "rich" edge that Ms. Donna Daily suggested, I incorporated champagne into the topping as well. The "champange-and-cream" cheese frosting is still smooth and tangy, with a little brightness from the brut!

Check out the recipe tomorrow morning here on F&F!

And congratulations to Stephanie Turner for winning the designer cupcake liner contest! I'll be in touch to get your prize to you asap :)

Enjoy tout le monde!

New Shake Shack On The Upper East Side

2010-09-16T09:19:00.000-04:00

Fashion Editor Reveals Food at New York Fashion Week

2010-09-15T11:47:00.005-04:00

This is not the first time writer Carrie Goldberg has spent fashion week running between shows, she's been in the biz for nearly 5 years and has the caffeine addiction to prove it. But this season Ms. Goldberg returns to the tents a fashion lioness, as the new fashion editor of jewcy.com and the assistant stylist to one of America's most well-dressed morning show starlets.

I coaxed Ms. Goldberg away from Lincoln Center with the best margaritas on the Upper East Side to get the inside-scoop on what's really eaten behind stage, the worst bevereage faux pas to make in the tents and how food fits into her Fashion Week agenda.

The margaritas at MXco (1491 2nd Ave) are a mixture of tequila, freshly squeezed lime juices and homemade fruit purees.

Walk us through a day of eating at Fashion Week:

6:00 am- Wake up, get dressed and grab a 4-shot skim latte from Starbucks. I'd rather get my coffee in NOLITA at this new place Gimme! but I go to the Starbucks across from ABC Studios near Lincoln Center just for convenience.

7:30 am- I'm backstage. I won't drink coffee anywhere near the garments but I'll grab water. A lot beverage companies sponsor the shows, so there is usually plenty of Fiji water bottles around.

11:30 am- Today I grabbed an early lunch. My boss and I were pulling pieces at Barney's, so we went upstairs to Fred for lunch. We shared the grilled shrimp over quinoa appetizer. The portion was surprisingly big but it was perfect. During Fashion Week you want to feel good in the clothes you’re wearing, so it’s important to have small high-protein meals.

5:00 pm- I met a friend for some ceviche at Rosa Mexicano post Chris Benz. I attended his presentation in the afternoon. It was nice to see that his collection was so sophisticated. I loved the shoes.

What are your essential food and/or beverage items for staying energized through the day?

Just coffee really. I don’t pack snacks in my bag. Actually, my grandmother asked if I wanted to bring a tuna fish sandwich with me today. She bought way too much tuna salad from Sables. It’s my favorite so it was tempting, but can you imagine me at Fashion Week with a tuna fish sandwich in my bag?

What about behind the scenes, what kind of food do you find backstage, if any?

Water, coffee and champagne! There are usually tables with pastries as well but it’s mostly beverages. A lot of times the models bring in their own food. You’ll see them eating fruit or eggs before they get dressed.

Have you been surprised by anything you've seen a model eating this year?

Actually, I was backstage the other day when a show manager told a model to go get dressed and the model said, “hold on I have to finish my breakfast.” I was really surprised to hear that, but it was great.

Which restaurants are editors, designers and models going to around the tents? The move to the Upper West Side gives them so many more options!

If you follow a lot of the designers or models on Twitter there are always updates on where they’re eating. Some of them don’t live in New York and this is their only time to try out the New York restaurant scene. A lot of them still go all the way down to the Meat Packing District to get a burger at Pastis. And right around Lincoln center you have Bar Boulud, Nougatine, Rosa Mexicano, there’s just so much.

What is the number one food faux pas you've seen people bringing into the shows this year?

Frappuccinos. You should only be bringing the necessities to Fashion Week. Coffee is definitely a necessity, especially for a lot of the editors since it’s all about work. You drink coffee at work, you drink coffee at a show–it makes sense. It’s odd if a frappuccino is you’re morning coffee beverage. I like to think of each fashion show or presentation as a museum; each piece is a work of art. You might bring a coffee into a museum but you wouldn’t walk around sipping a coffee milkshake. I know I certainly wouldn’t.

Speaking of sweets, I brought a Crumbs' Fashion Week Cupcake for you to try. Taste it and tell me what you think?

Wow, it’s so sweet! It’s just plain vanilla frosting, plain vanilla cake and what is that? Chocolate pudding. It’s too sweet. Yours are better.

Do you think this properly represent NY Fashion Week?

Maybe because it’s cheap to make in mass quantities? I could see it being served at a middle-school “fashion” birthday party. But it’s not special enough for NY Fashion Week.

I couldn't agree more. So describe your ideal FW cupcake:

Not to sound clique but I think a Fashion Week cupcake should use the best ingredients you can buy like saffron or dark chocolate. It should be something rich and creative, definitely not this

Crumbs' Fashion Week Cupcake 2010: A True Fashion Don't

2010-09-14T08:16:00.006-04:00

My hopes were high for this cupcake. On the eve of New York Fashion Week, Crumbs Bake Shop unveiled this year's signature "Fashion Week Cupcake" to hoards of hungry couture-a-holics in conjunction with Fashion's Night Out.

The big question is: How on earth does this cut it as THE cupcake of Fashion Week? The plain vanilla cake is cloyingly sweet, topped with plain vanilla buttercream, far too many sprinkles, and filled with what tastes like plain chocolate pudding. The sugar cookie heart on top is nothing to waste your time chewing either. You'd think the creators of the Cosmo and Chocolate Sundae cupcakes would put a little more thought into a Fashion Week masterpiece. And so I will be taking matters into my own hands: the REAL Fashion Week cupcake will be revealed here on F&F by Friday, September 17th. The first person to post a comment about what their Fashion Week cupcake would taste like will win a set of "designer" cupcake liners.

Get fashion editor Carrie Goldberg's take on Crumbs' Fashion Week Cupcake, along with an behind-the-scenes scoop on the food in the F-W tents, right here tomorrow morning.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

2010-09-13T08:53:00.019-04:00

Let's face it, summer is so last season. The first signs of fall are settling in in a big way: en route to the office this morning I saw six different women sporting jewel-toned tights with matching knitwear, the much anticipated Pumpkin Spice Latte has returned to Starbucks and the summer tomatoes at my farmers' market have been replaced by pimply gourds and Ginger Golds.

(New apples at the farmers' market)

Instead of whining about it, I took a big sip of the "autumn Kool-aide" this weekend, so to speak, and started preparing my kitchen for the chilly days ahead.

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI
Erase any thoughts of gnocchi being a difficult dish to prepare and consider the fact that these tiny, savory dumplings are simple to make with hardly any equipment, require very few ingredients and can be made weeks in advance. Traditionally gnocchi are made using russet potatoes and served in a number of sauces like bolognese, pistou or sauce tomate. Replacing regular potatoes with sweet potatoes gives the dish a subtle, sweet bite and loads of color. Also, the sweet potatoes have markedly more fiber, and vitamins A and C than the average spud, making this meal surprising healthful.

(All of this from 2 HUGE sweet potatoes; I doubled the other ingredients to make the recipe work!)

Gnocchi is really just a combination of mashed potatoes, flour and egg (with a little grated cheese added for flavor, if desired.) The key is to make sure your cooked potatoes are bone-dry before mixing them into gnocchi dough; excess moisture will make your gnocchi dense and chewy. Either start by baking your potatoes (sweet or otherwise) on a bed of salt until tender, or boil peeled potatoes in salted water, drain them and then dry them out in a hot oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Once the gnocchi dough has been made you can proceed in two ways to form the tiny dumplings. My preference is to transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip: Squeeze the dough out of the pastry bag over a large pot of boiling salted water, snipping the dough into 1/2-inch lengths as it comes out. You can also roll handfuls of dough out into 1/4-inch thick logs on a lightly floured surface, cut the dough into gnocchi using a sharp knife and transfer to a pot of boiling salted water to cook. Just make sure to coat your hands with some flour before handling the dough so that it doesn't stick.

STORE IT FOR LATER
Make more gnocchi than you need: It stores perfectly in the freezer and is one of the most elegant make-ahead meals you'll ever come across. If you're planning on freeze your gnocchi, sprinkle a rimmed baking sheet with semolina flour and keep it close by as you roll the dumplings. Put the uncooked gnocchi on the baking sheet as you go and freeze them, uncovered, until the gnocchi are firm. Transfer the gnocchi to a resealable-plastic bag and store them in the freezer for up to 4-months. To reheat, just let the gnocchi sit out for about 30 minutes, then cook them in boiling salted water until they float. Voila! Now all you need is some sauce...

BEURRE NOISETTE
Otherwise known as browned butter, this ONE ingredient sauce should absolutely be in your arsenal of "easy-yet-elegant" meals. You can dress this sauce up with any fresh herb, dried spice or citrus juice but the basic recipe is always the same: butter, butter, butter. Melt 1/2 to 1 stick butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns a rich brown and smells nutty (but not burnt!) I love my browned butter over fish with a little lemon juice, lemon segments and sea salt. It's also fabulous with some freshly chopped sage or thyme (as seen below). As usual on F&F, this is a recipe that you can and should customize to fit your taste.

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI WITH BEURRE NOISETTE DE THYME

2 sweet potatoes
Kosher salt
8 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese, plus more for topping
Freshly ground pepper
1 stick unsalted butter
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

1. Preheat the oven to 450˚. Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a form, then set on a rimmed baking sheet sprinkled with salt and bake until the potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Working in batches, scoop the sweet potato flesh into a ricer and squeeze it into a clean bowl. Make a well in the center of the potatoes. Add the flour, egg, egg yolk, percorino-romano, and a pinch of salt and gently mix with a fork until just combined. (Dough should be able to hold together/roll, add more flour if needed.) Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
3. Flour your hands. Take a handful of dough and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thick on a floured surface. Cut the dough into 1/2-inch gnocchi lengths with a lightly-floured knife. Press a floured fork into the gnocchi to create the decorative ridges, if desired. Repeat with the remaining dough.
4. Set up an ice bath next to the stove. Working in batches, cook the gnocchi in a pot of boiling salted water until the gnocchi float, then immediately shock in the cold water; transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
5. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns golden brown. Remove from the heat and swirl in the thyme.
6. Add the gnocchi to the skillet and toss with the butter over medium heat until the gnocchi are lightly toasted and the butter is a rich brown and smells nutty. Divide the gnocchi among plates. Top with more pecorino-romano and freshly ground pepper.

Have a Delicious Morning...

2010-09-05T09:19:00.002-04:00

Happy Sunday loves! I hope you have something truly delicious to wake up to this morning, but if you need a little inspiration take a peak at this creamy creme caramel. It's French flan!

Keep an eye out for a full "custard" post later this afternoon. It's time for a nice walk and a big brunch :)

xo
-Berry

Sabayon

2010-07-18T21:22:00.004-04:00

I am not the girl who says, "It's too hot out for a heavy dessert." Please, I could eat molten chocolate torte in 110˚ heat if you asked me to. But something has happened: Whether it's old age or my Frenchy-French food training, I'm not in the mood for cake. Help!

Instead, I've been craving the lighter fruit desserts we've whipped up in class. They're so much easier to make and actually quite refreshing compared to my beloved cupcakes. Am I a cheater?

One of my new favorite treats is Sabayon–also know as Zabalione, for my Italian readers–a light, mousse-like custard made with eggs, sugar and wine. The mixture can be poured on top of fresh fruit, cake, even fish if you could imagine. The beauty of it is, you only need a few eggs, some sugar and whatever leftover booze you have to whip up this classy dessert.

Try it:

Served over macerated strawberries (strawberries tossed with sugar and left to marinate)
Drizzles over wine-soaked peaches
Spooned into a warm chocolate souffle
Spiked with champagne instead of wine
Poured over ice cream

Your job is to get creative with it, mine is to share the recipe. All you need to remember is the number 3: Enjoy!

CLASSIC SABAYON

3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons wine

1. Prepare the "double boiler": Put some water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
2. Whisk the yolks, sugar and wine in a metal bowl large enough to sit on top of the pot without falling in. Put the bowl over the pot of simmering water and continue to whisk until the sabayon thickens, about 3 minutes. (The sabayon will double in volume and look creamy.)

Guinea Hen

2010-07-11T11:09:00.003-04:00

Even MORE Butter: Steak

2010-07-11T09:57:00.007-04:00

The butter saga continues and there's no sign of it letting up.

Last week's beef class was an ode to excess. We took great care in choosing thick cuts of choice meat, cooking them to perfection and, of course, coating them in a hearty amount of buerre. Tis all about butter my Frenchy friends! Welcome to FCI.

Grilled strip steak, shown above, was the first dish on our agenda and something you could find in almost any bistro in Paris. The combination is simple(steak & potatoes is even more classic than PB&J)and it never ceases to satisfy if it's cooked well. Here's what we did to give the ole' couple it's due.

FOR THE STEAK: Grilled steak can be best with little adornment other than salt and pepper. We seasoned our meat and grilled it to create "quadrillage", or cross-hatched grill marks. When you grill any item, indoors or out, it's important to remember three things:
Your grill must be very hot.
Your grill must be clean.
You must lightly coat the grates with oil.
These three steps will keep your meat from sticking, guaranteed.

To finish our steaks we made two compound butters which are just "herbed butter," or "butter with stuff mixed into it." The butter melts over the steak and coats it in whatever fab flavors you mixture into it. Try easy shallot butter and a horseradish butter, that's what we did:

SHALLOT BUTTER
Mix about 4 tablespoons room temperature butter, thinly sliced shallot, a drop of lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt and pepper with a wooden spoon until evenly combined. Form the butter into a log on a piece of plastic wrap and roll to seal. Refrigerate until ready to use. 


HORSERADISH BUTTER
Mix about 4 tablespoons room  temperature butter, 1 to 1.5 tablespoons prepared horseradish, a drop of lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt and pepper  with a wooden spoon until evenly combined. Form the butter into a log on  a piece of plastic wrap and roll to seal. Refrigerate until ready to  use.  

*NOTE:You can also do this with an electric mixer or food processor to save time. Try making a double or triple batch this way.

You can use leftover butter to spread on the bread of a sandwich, stir into a sauce, rub on the skin of a chicken before roasting, or even use it to make savory shortbread cookies in place of regular butter.

FOR THE POTATOES: The potatoes you see above come from a sliced potato pancake we made by cooking julienned potato (cut on a mandolin) in clarified butter. Think of it as the French version of latkes. To make it at home you'll need:

3 julienned potatoes, dried very well 
2 tablespoons clarified butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 

1. Ring out the potatoes in a kitchen towel so that they are extra dry. 
2. Heat 1 tablespoon clarified butter in a small saute pan until very hot. Add the potatoes in handfuls, twisting them as you place them in the pan to make a whirlpool design. Cook until the potato cake is golden on the bottom, gently shaking the pan to make sure the potatoes aren't sticking, about 5 minutes; add more butter along the edge of the pan if there's stickage.
3. Flip the potato cake and continue to cook until the bottom is golden, about 3 more minutes. 
4. Drain on paper towels. Cut into 8 wedges.



Use starchy potatoes, like Idahos, to make this dish. They crisp up perfectly!

Filet de Tuite a la Grenobloise

2010-06-29T07:45:00.010-04:00

Everything's better with butter: It's a mindset that I supported somewhat reluctantly before my stint at the French Culinary Institute. True, many foods are improved with a smear of butter here or there, "but there are other options," I thought. The lady was mistaken.

A key lesson I have learned is that butter is king. It takes every dish from "that's tasty" to "MUST EAT MORE!" And we add butter to everything: one portion of steamed carrots, 3 tablespoons butter; sauce for two, 5 tablespoons butter. We bathe seared chicken legs, filet mignon and pork chops in melted butter over and over until the butter is nutty and brown and the meat is coated with buttery-goodness. No wonder why people who eat out every night get fat. What we're not telling you is that the pork chop you ordered has the same amount of butter on it as an entire batch of brownies. But it tastes so good to be so bad.

Try your own butter-soaked dinner at home. It will transform your go-to fish dish into something Michelin Star-worthy. You can serve this brown-butter sauce over grilled or pan seared fish, or chicken. If you don't consider yourself a sauce master, this is a great, easy way to start.

GRENOBLE STYLE SAUCE

1 stick unsalted butter
1 slice white bread, cut into 1 cm cubes
1 tablespoon capers, drained and lightly crushed (this helps release their flavor more quickly)
1 lemon, cut into segments (juice reserved)

1. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden on all sides, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
2. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the same saute pan. Cook, stirring, until the butter browns but does not burn, about 3 minutes. Add the capers, lemon segments and reserved lemon juice.
3. Serve the sauce immediately over fresh fish or chicken.

FRIED! The Perfect French Fry and Cheesey Potatoes

2010-06-25T07:57:00.009-04:00

After class last night at the French Culinary Institute, I smelt like a one-woman fryolator. Lesson #11 was all about potatoes: pommes frites, waffle-cut chips (gaufrettes), pommes rissoler, pommes duchesse, potato puree and, of course, potatoes gratin.

(Mini-French lesson: "Pomme" actually means "apple". "Pomme de terre" is potato, but sometimes it's shortened when used in recipe names.)

Out of all of the recipes, nothing felt more gratifying than frying up a batch of match-stick French fries. Chef allowed us to cut them anyway we pleased, as long as the taillage (or cut) was consistent. I aimed to mimic McDonald's size and shape-odd since I loath McDonalds. But considering that almost everyone craves their frites, I figured it was a simple way to subliminally please Chef J. All of our fries were cut by hand last night. In the future we'll be able to use a mandoline (seen above), a much more humane process.

Check out my cuties:  They got a "beautiful!" from Chef; I guess they passed. I covered my fries that were left over with gruyere cheese and popped them into the convection oven - instant cheese fries. They didn't last long enough for a photo...

Runner up favorite potato dish of the night: potatoes gratin, otherwise known as scalloped potatoes. These grace many a holiday table and can actually be made ahead and quickly broiled before served. What makes them so great is the milk, garlic and cheese combo that bathes the potato. Try them this weekend with simple roasted chicken or steak topped with herbed butter.

PERFECT FRENCH FRIES

Vegetable oil, for frying
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into matchsticks (keep in water until ready to fry)
Kosher salt
Ketchup and/or malt vinegar, for serving (optional)

1. Heat 3 to 4 inches vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 300˚.
2. Meanwhile, drain the potatoes and dry on paper towels. Blanch the potatoes by cooking them in the hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes (you don't want them to brown yet.) Drain on paper towels.
3. Heat the same oil until the deep-fry thermometer registers 350-375˚. Put the potatoes back in the oil and fry until golden, 1 to 2 more minutes. Drain on paper towels. Season with salt right away. Serve with ketchup or malt vinegar, if desired.

POTATOES AU GRATIN

1 clove garlic, halved
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 potatoes, thinly sliced (preferably on a mandoline)
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚. Rub the inside of a small, straight-sided skillet with the garlic clove halves. Add the milk, cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by about 1/2.
2. Arrange one layer of potatoes in the warm milk mixture, overlapping slightly. Season with salt and pepper, and top with another layer of potatoes; season with salt and pepper.
3. Cover the skillet with aluminum foil and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the gruyere and bake until cheese is bubbling and golden brown, about 6 to 7 more minutes.
4. Let cook for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

French Culinary Institute: Mix and Match Chicken Veloute (Creamy Chicken Sauce)

2010-06-15T06:54:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Kitchen #1. It always smells like buttery cake, even if we're steaming carrots.

Directly above ^ on the far side of this 1st station, is my little home. I have a great view of the coffee machine and the hallway. I'm constantly entertained by chefs that walk by. Most of them have a very distinctive gate, like hybrid foot soldier-rap stars.

For a tool-junky like me, this stainless haven has so many tempting things in store: an oversized grill, a swiss kettle that makes many gallons of stock/soup at one time, and of course, the convection ovens. My home kitchen has always been kitschy and femininity (hello, this is Food & Femininity, right?) but my no-fuss station has inspired me to crave a metal coated, bad-ass kitchen space of my own.

I only have a few minutes before running off to my real job, but here are three great tips to ponder this morning:

Anchor your cutting board by putting damp paper towels on the counter underneath your board. You won't have to worry about it slipping.
Keep your knives super-sharp and hone them with a steel between sharpenings.
Mis en place: or "put in place" is the key to stress-free cooking. Set out all of your ingredients before you start so you wont have to run to the pantry while a pot of something-or-other boils over on the stove. We use small bowls and "mis cups", seen below.

A ha! One other thing you might not know about culinary school: The whole class eats dinner together at 8:30 and it is prepared by Level 4 students each night. We've had fried chicken, roasted pork with sauerkraut, gumbo and cheesy rice, just to name a few. And about once a month Level 4 also presents a themed buffet, which we dug into Saturday night. This was my first of two plates: (clockwise from the top left) rosemary foccaia, smoked lamb, a Jacques Torres inspired chocolate-chip cookie, shrimp-fish kebab with lemon/oregano, lemony-roasted potatoes, lamb pate en croute, baby lamb sausage with mint and salmon in puff pastry. Oh yeah, and a coconut pudding; the first bite tasted overwhelmingly like sunblock. I threw it away before anyone could see.

I'll leave you with one final note this morning: Chicken Veloute. It's a chicken-stock-based sauce that is very creamy and can easily to tweaked/changed into different sauces. Enjoy!

CHICKEN VELOUTE

Warm about 1 quart chicken stock in a pot over low heat; keep warm. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in another pot over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and the flour taste cooks off, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk the warm stock into the roux. Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

You can then:

Stir in some heavy cream to make Chicken Supreme
Stir in freshly chopped herbs like parsley, oregano or chervil
Add some hot sauce or cayenne pepper for heat
Stir in a little curry powder
Add a squirt of lemon juice
Stir in a little mustard

Experiment! and Enjoy :)

Answers: FCI's Master Chefs

2010-06-12T09:12:00.009-04:00

Welcome friends, I'd like to introduce you to a few culinary studs that will rock your worlds for the next nine months as I attend the French Culinary Institute here in Manhattan:

Jacques Pepin - Dean of Special Programs If Julia Child was the mother of French cooking in America, Jacques Peppin is the baby-daddy. And it's only appropriate since they hosted "Julia and Jacques Cooking At Home" on PBS, which they taught thousands of viewers how to sautee and braise like pros. He is the original celebrity chef, food columnist and teacher. Take a peak at one of his nineteen cookbooks, two of which, La Technique and Le Methode, are step-by-step collections that revolutionized classic cooking at home and earned him a place in the James Beard Foundation's Cookbook Hall of Fame in 1996. Jacques learned to cook in his parents' restaurant and went on to work in various kitchens in Paris and as the personal chef for Charles de Gaulle. In New York he was the chef at Le Pavilion and then worked as the culinary director for the Howard Johnson Company. You might also remember him from his own series of cooking shows, or from the Today Show, where he was the chef-contributor for many years.

Alain Sailhac - Executive Vice President and Dean EmeritusHe worked his way through some of the top restaurants and hotels in Paris, Corfu, Rhodes and Guadeloupe before becoming the executive chef at Le Cirque for nearly ten years and the culinary director at The Plaza Hotel. He was named "Chef of the Year" by the Maîtres Cusiniers de France and has been honored with both a Silver Spoon and James Beard award. And he is tres charmant!

Andre Soltner - Dean of Classic StudiesChef of the famed Lutece for over thirty year and author their cookbook "The Lutece Cookbook," published in 1995. He was one of the first American chefs to master classic French cooking and remains well respected for training generations of chefs in the refined cuisine. He also cooked for the Kennedy family and with Julia Child.

Jacques Torres - Dean of Pastry Arts He needs not a proper introduction if you live anywhere in the five-boroughs. A remarkable chocolatier and pastry chef, Chef Torres brought gorgeous confections to NY in a big way with his chain of shops Jacques Torres Chocolate. And his chocolate chip cookies simply cannot be beat.

Cesare Casella - Dean of Italian StudiesHe was the chef at Pazzo, Beppe and Maremme before opening his own restaurant Salumeria Rosi, where you can sample some great wine, salami or one of his other spectacular small plates. He heads up the Italian cuisine program at FCI. They make so much fresh pasta!

Ron Ben-Israel - Visiting Master Pastry Instructor
(He's not a Dean but I cannot leave him out!)If you or a friend have, or will be, married in NY any time soon, this is the name to know when it comes to platinum-quality wedding cakes. This cherry blossom tower of buttercream would be perfect for the new fashion editor over at jewcy.com, Ms. Carrie Goldberg of Mes Petits Choux.

Alan Richman - Dean of Food Journalism.
Food Critic for GQ with a well respect palate and a open distaste for bloggers. But I fully appreciate his concern that online-food lovers should be more thoughtful and fact-oriented with their posts, rather than spewing their likes and dislikes haphazardly. Still love you Al.

Nils Noren - Vice President of Culinary and Pastry Arts.

This Swedish native is as much of an educator as he is a chef. He was the cooking-class coordinator at Restaurant Akademin in Stockholm and worked as an executive chef/chef de cuisine at two of the most classic restaurants in Sweden. Once in New York he worked his way up the ranks at Aquavit before accepting his position at FCI. And you might also recognize him from the first season of Top Chef Masters. He made it to the 5th episode, where unfortunately his dessert of ganache with smoked tea cream did not fare well with the judges.

SO Much News. Let's Play A Game

2010-06-11T07:40:00.006-04:00

We have so very much to talk about and regrettably I barely have any time! Here are the highlights: I moved into a new apartment and started the classic culinary program at the French Culinary Institute.

Let us play a little game. Below is an image of the school's famed presidents. Can you name these culinary jedis? Here's a hint: One of these men shared a cooking show with Julia Child on PBS. And which Swedish chef made it to the fifth episode of Top Chef Masters Season 1?

Answers will be posted tomorrow morning 6/12!

In the meantime I'll let another Top Chef give you a glimpse of what we've worked on during our first week at the French Culinary Institute. Enjoy!

Chicken Fried Steak

2010-05-28T08:05:00.007-04:00

Sometimes I toy with the idea of being a southern-girl. Not one bone in my body was created below the Mason Dixon, but good lord do I love me some southern fare. Thankfully my love of barbecue and soul food is shared by many New Yorkers, so there's no shortage of home-cookin' in most neighborhoods. However, what I've come to understand is that making soul food at home is exponentially more satisfying than ordering it from another joint. You can look at that plate of homey, fried goodness and think "Heck YES I did that!" (Said in a southern accent of course.)And most of the recipes are so simple that you won't need to stock your cabinets with new spices or sauces. Look at my recipe for easy chicken fried steak. It's super breezy:

EASY CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

4 thin steaks
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil, for frying

1. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. Whisk the flour and paprika in a shallow dish. Put the eggs in another dish.
2. Dredge both sides of the meat in the flour, then place between 2 pieces of heavy-duty plastic wrap and pound to about 1/4-inch thick with a mallet or heavy skillet. Dredge the meat in the flour again, shake off any excess, then dip in the beat egg, the return to the flour mixture, turning to coat. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat about 1/2 inch oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the steaks until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve with baked beans, mashed potatoes and cornbread.

* I like to serve mine with a little homemade BBQ sauce. Here's my favorite recipe, give it a go.

Wurst Kucher: The BEST Sausage in LA

2010-04-26T22:05:00.006-04:00

It seems vaguely perverse to title this post "The BEST Sausage in LA." But we must give credit where credit is due and Wurst Kucher is simply brilliant.
A restaurant dedicated to handmade sausage. Could you imagine? The case above is filled with the most inventive franks I've ever come across: Alligator, duck, chicken, pork, rabbit. It's heavenly. I often admit to friends that sausage is my favorite meat to cook during the week. It's a no brainer to cook and it's convenient because the spiced are already ground into the meat–no measuring necessary.

That being said, I was more than thrilled to have someone else prepare my sausage for a change, (mind out of the gutter folks) namely because I cannot have a charcoal grill in my NYC apartment. There is no better way to eat a sausage than grilled: The skin gets crisy and the grill marks add that smokey flavor...it's blissful. Cera went for the "Hot Italian" above. She has one of those at home too, so it was a perfect choice ;) And I...the duck sausage. Though Wurst Kucher is clearly a German spot, this sausage is French through-and-through. Quack-a-licious, baby!

To those who have yet to experience duck sausage, I say this to you: Duck confit and duck liver pate are two of the most decadent foods you will ever eat; this duck sausage is the third. That lush, buttery taste of duck still comes through, even though the meat is ground up. Topped with caramelized onions and some grainy mustard, it was absolutely the best sausage I've ever had.

To continue on with the French theme, I washed down my duck sausage with Sweet Blossom elder flower soda. Saint Germain is a French elder flower liquor that happens to be my all-time favorite item in the liquor cabinet. It has a sweet, floral taste that is very subtle and perfect drizzled into a glass of cool champagne. This soda is booze free but still captures the same flavor as Saint Germain–very light and very crisp. If you find it in the store please give it a chance.

No afternoon of French sausage is complete without some frites. These babies were double fried to crisp perfection. You can tell just from the color that they have just the right amount of crunch. And the flaked sea salt sprinkled on top was a welcomed addition. These french fries weren't just vehicles for enjoying the condiments, they were a well seasoned, well executed dish all on their own. Very few French fries can say that you know.

And so I left Wurst Kucher jealous, yet again, that LA has found and dominated another niche market.

Damn you and your beautiful sausage Los Angeles!

The BEST Cup of Coffee in LA

2010-04-26T19:36:00.010-04:00

My morning coffee routine is not unlike the majority of workaholics' in NY: Leave apartment; grab a $0.75 coffee from the cart down the street; sip coffee on crosstown bus; get 2nd cup of coffee in the office; sip and answer e-mails. Quality is compromised when convenience and caffeine are the 2 most important factors in the equation. But not at LAMILL.

During my trip to LA, Cera and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on LAMILL's front patio. Here I experienced the west coast way to get your morning coffee fix: unhurried, in a super swanky cafe. (That's not to say the LA doesn't have it's share of DD's, Coffee Beans and Starbucks, but go with me.)The husband and wife team who opened LAMILL in Silverlake, CA, have taken the guess work out of getting the best cup-a-joe by hand selecting each bean on the menu. They also provide you with a list of brewing options: French pressed, dripped, percolated or served in a chemex. The pot we selected was brewed by our waitress right at our table. Like Turkish or Greek coffee, the roast was strong but the flavor wasn't bitter or burnt to sully its taste. This was the first cup of strong coffee that I have ever enjoyed...and I down a lot of joe.

Their breakfast menu certainly is not shabby either.

The highlight of the morning were the House-Made Brioche Doughnut Holes with Madagascar Vanilla Crème–they were still warm when they came to the table. Think of these as deconstructed cream-filled doughnut but much more refined: tiny brioche wholes, lightly fried and served with a whipped cream: The best part were the flecks of real vanilla seeds.

Actually the whole treat was surprisingly light. Look at how airy the doughnuts were. That's what they're supposed to be like! I don't think I'll be able to go back to the dense, belly bombs in NYC.

The savory part of our breakfast was a bowl of scrambled eggs with wild mushrooms, lardon from Niman Ranch (which is just thick-cubed applewood smoked bacon) and fines herbs. Mhmmm, the eggs and mushrooms were definitely cooked in butter, so perfect. There is something very lush about slow-cooked eggs. You should try it at home: Keep the heat on low to medium-low then your scrambling your next batch of eggs. You'll have to stir them for a while as they firm up, but the texture and flavor is unmatched, like velvet!

For a place that aims to bring the best quality of ingredients and service to all that they do, LAMILL has certainly met its mark. Now if only they would open a location on the Upper East Side...

The BEST Cupcake I've Ever Had

2010-04-26T19:26:00.005-04:00

For years I have searched for a cupcake that I love as much as the ones that come out of my family and I's kitchens: all have fell short. There is always something that keeps them from being wow! - dry cake, too much frosting, gloppy frosting, no flavor, no pizazz. And then I went to LA. There the lady of all ladies, Ms. Cera, and I experienced Sprinkles Cupcakes for the very-first-time, together.

Here we are. Sprinkles Cupcakes. A buttercream oasis in the middle of Beverly Hills. It may not look like much from the outside. Living in New York, you get used to the kitsch feeling of Cath Kidston-inspired bakeries, complete with muted polka dots and retro details. Instead the clean lines and minimalist approach to Sprinkles flushed away that fluff and leaves nothing to focus on besides their real star: sweets!

And trust me, they're worth the attention.

We sampled three: strawberry, dark chocolate marshmallow and vanilla (To see how technically skilled a chef is you ask them for eggs. If you want to see how kick-ass a bakery is you order the plain vanilla: if they can make the most simple cupcake stand out, you know you have a winner.) The verdict was unlike anything I expected.

These were by far the most delicious, moist, and interesting cupcakes I've ever had the pleasure of eating. The dark chocolate marshmallow had a deep chocolate flavor and was filled with a homemade marshmallow creme. I could have eaten tubs of it! My only complaint is that I wanted more creme. The vanilla was divine. It had a full vanilla flavor that was tangy and buttery. The top of the cupcake was fully covered in white sprinkles giving it a crunchy coat ontop of the rich buttercream. But the real delight was the strawberry. It had the most incredible strawberry flavor that clearly came from the real-deal, pureed and mixed into the batter and frosting. It had the same tanginess as the strawberry; definitely buttermilk.

Best news of the century: you can make these at home! Check out the recipe on Martha Stewart's website. Or get it here...

SPRINKLE'S STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES: MAKES 12 cupcakes

FOR THE CUPCAKES

2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

FOR THE FROSTING

1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.
Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

Berry-Dark Red Velvet Cupcakes

2010-04-19T00:03:00.008-04:00

Today a brilliant editor shared a key to her creative success: "Keep the baby but toss the bath water." For years my red velvet cupcakes have been my baby, but I think they're due for a mini-makeover.

Enter: Berry-Dark Red Velvet Cupcakes, the oldies with a twist. I stuffed red velvet cupcakes with a roasted-strawberry cream and smeared them with dark chocolate ganache, instead of the usual blanket of cream cheese frosting. They're moodier than their predecessor in the tastiest way possible.

Fillings are the earrings of the cupcake world. One pair can look great with many different outfits. Take the chandelier earring for example-it's extravagant, elegant, but wear them with jeans and a t-shirt and they can still be spot-on! Likewise, take a modest vanilla cupcake, stuff it with an outrageous, decadent filling and you, my friends, will have one knock-out treat.

Next time you have some plain cakes on hand, give this filling a whirl.

Roasted-Strawberry Cream

1 half-pint strawberries, hulled
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 container mascarpone cheese
3 to 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Vanilla extract (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the strawberries on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with the corn syrup and granulated sugar. Roast until the strawberries release their juices, about 10 minutes; cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, beat the mascarpone in a large bowl using a wooden spoon. Add the confections sugar and the roasted strawberries and mix until well combined. Add some vanilla extract, if desired. Refrigerate cream until ready to use.

Enjoy!

Birthday Cupcake Order: Red Velvets with Black Cats

2010-04-18T23:50:00.004-04:00

Before another hectic Monday begins, I must share some cupcakes with you that were ordered by Shan, owner of ROHM, last week. Shan wanted to surprise his dear friend with a treat topped with her beloved cat Osco. "Either Osco, a black cat with yellow eyes, or a black horse," he requested. Shan texted me later that night to say the cupcakes were a hit! So glad I could help :)

If you'd like to replicate these cupcakes at home (with a cat or any other cut-out shape for that matter), check out the recipe here. Frost the cupcake as you normally would, then lightly but firmly press the cookie into the frosting. You could even decorate the cookies with royal icing if you're so incline. Enjoy!

Red Chili Pork Tamales

2010-03-28T15:30:00.004-04:00

My mom used to call me a hot tamale, now I just like to eat them. These tiny pockets of spicy pork and corn are wrapped in a fluffy cornmeal dough and steamed to perfection. With a homemade red chili sauce, these are little treasures waiting to be untied!

The best tamales I've ever had were a late night treat in Kingwood, TX, following my dear friend Rachel's combination bachelor-bachelorette party. We hit up a tiny 24 hour Mexican restaurant in the shopping center next to our hotel for yet another round of margaritas and cheesy-snacks to soak 'em up. I was presented with a plate of perfect tamales, tied with corn husks, still steaming hot. I've dreamed about them ever since! It was time to make them on my own...

Unfortunately, perfecting a tamale is no easy feat, especially when your tex-mex making experience is limited to meatloaf quesadillas and fish tacos. However once you've made it through the lengthy 6-step process, both you and your dinner mate(s) have something amazing to dig into. Here's what it takes...

Here's what to do:

1. Make the Pork: Add a 4lb pork shoulder, 10 cups water, 2 sliced onions, 5 cloves garlic and 4 teaspoons salt to a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for 2.5 hours. Let the meat cool in the broth, then shred with two forks; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, follow this recipe for the red chili sauce.

3. Next follow this recipe from Ingrid Hoffman's for tamale dough. Find it here on the Food Network website.

4. Make the tamales: Soak the corn husks in water until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove the husks from the water and dry slightly. Spread some dough down the center of one corn husk, top with some shredded pork, red chili sauce and any other ingredient you'd like (I used fresh corn but beans would be great too). Roll the husk tightly into a package, then fold the bottom up and tie with a pie of kitchen twine, or a strip of corn husk, to that the bottom is closed securely, leaving the top of the tamale open. Repeat with remaining corn husks until the dough and pork runs out. (If you don't have corn husks, use small squares of tin foil to wrap the tamales.) Steam the tamales in a steamer basket set over water for about 40 minutes. Remove and enjoy!

Zucchini-Shallot Frittata

2010-03-23T20:48:00.002-04:00

For the second night of French veggie dinners, a fresh zucchini fritatta with crisp shallots and tangy goat cheese. It's another incredibly easy recipe that you can devour alone or for a quick (and secretly cheap) group dinner. Served with a green salad and cold white wine, c'est le top!

Zucchini-Shallot Frittata

Extra-virgin olive oil
6 large eggs
2 to 3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, grated
1 small log goat cheese, crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the broiler. Cook the shallots in some olive oil in a medium oven-proof skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 7 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the zucchini, goat cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring, until the bottom has set, about 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook until eggs are firm, about 7 minutes more. Sprinkle with parmesan and transfer the skillet to the broiler. Broil for 2 minutes, or until slightly pufffed.
4. Let cool for 2 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Ina Garten's Irish Soda Bread

2010-03-23T09:13:00.001-04:00

This morning I enjoyed my final slice of last week's Irish soda bread. It's a shame this isn't in my kitchen more often but for some lame reason I only make it to celebrate my name day: Saint Patty's Day, duh!

One thing that turns most people off about Irish soda bread is it dryness, but I've got that covered. Ina Garten's Irish soda bread recipe is moist and tangy, and the secret is simple...

Buttermilk!

INA GARTEN'S IRISH SODA BREAD (with a few adjustments)

cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
tablespoons sugar
teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
extra-large egg, lightly beaten
teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cups mixed dried fruit (dried currants, raisins and cranraisins)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

Roasted Asparagus with Poached Eggs

2010-03-22T20:47:00.004-04:00

As promised, the fastest French-inspired vegetable dinner: roasted asparagus with poached eggs. It doesn't get easier than this and friends...it is scrumptious! Picture this, just-tender asparagus seasoned only with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and olive oil, topped with buttery poached eggs. Yolk-a-licous! Follow this recipe when you need something simple but elegant.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH POACHED EGGS
TIME: 15 minutes - SERVES: 1

1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 large eggs

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread asparagus on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper to taste; drizzle with the olive oil. Roast until the asparagus is just tender, 6 to 7 minutes.
2. As the vinegar to the boiling water. Reduce to a simmer and create a whirlpool, stirring, with a wooden spoon. Gently pour place one egg into the center of the whirlpool and let poach, about 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining egg.
3. Transfer eggs to a paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon. Spread the asparagus on a plate, top with the eggs and additional ground pepper, if desired.

Look at that yolk!

On To French Classic for Spring

2010-03-22T13:30:00.004-04:00

As much as I am burdened with how to dress during this winter-spring transition – chilled rain one day, bright sun the next — I am equally challenged with what to eat. Inside I’m ready for bundles of fresh produce, grilled meats and light meals, but every three days or so things it feels cold enough for a hearty stew! Oh, the torment.

Thankfully, I’ve found a toothsome middle ground. Next month, Simon & Schuster will release a new cookbook, an extension of the “French Woman Don’t Get Fat” collection, “The French Woman Don’t Get Fat Cookbook,” by Mireille Guiliano. In anticipation of the release, I’ve decided that traditional French fare is the best solution for my early-spring eating dilemma.

For the rest of the week I’ll be making some of my favorite French, vegetable-based dishes in anticipation of Guiliano’s latest creation.

On the menu:

Ratatouille
Fresh Asparagus with Poached Eggs
Zucchini – Shallot Frittata
Lentil Soup

Keep an eye out for four new recipes this week. The plan begins tonight! (After a hefty trip to the grocery store) Enjoy!

Polenta Crusted-Stuffed Chiles

2010-03-01T19:57:00.005-05:00

I have never had a jalapeno popper, but when I saw another blogger making this variation with soft Spanish cheese, red chiles and a polenta crust I had to give it a go. Sadly I lost their recipe but here's what I did...

Polenta Crusted-Stuffed Chiles

Vegetable oil, for frying
10 red chiles
Asiago cheese, cubed (original calls for Manchego)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup polenta or cornmeal
2 eggs, beaten
Kosher salt

1. Heat about 2 inches vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pot until an instant read thermometer registers 350 degrees.
2. Cut a slit, lengthwise, into the chiles, then devein and seed them without pulling the chiles apart (you want them to stay as intact as possible so that the cheese doesn't melt out.)
3. Set the flour, polenta and eggs in three separate shallow bowls. Put a few cubes of cheese into each chile, then dredge in the flour. Working in batches, dip the chiles into the egg, then dredge in the polenta, turning to coat all sides.
4. Fry the chiles in batches until the crust is golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Enjoy!

The chiles come out nice and hot with a crisp polenta crust and a gooey-gooey center. With only a few inexpensive ingredients, this is a great recipe to make for a crowd. Fiesta anyone?

Mini Cinnamon Buns: Ooey, Gooey and Mhm Sticky

2010-02-28T08:39:00.005-05:00

The only way to sweeten a dear coworker's "good-bye" was with a breakfast full of treats, but even that didn't make up for how much we'll miss her. In honor of her final day, I made the Almost-Famous Cinnamon Buns in miniature size so that everyone could have a taste (and a waist that wasn't fatten by my goodies.)

Oh cinnamon buns, how I long for thee. This recipe is nearly fool proof, which is a lot to say about a yeast dough recipe. What you get is a sweet-buttery bun wrapped around a cinnamon-sugar filling. After they've cooled slightly, they're drizzled with the a glaze that could turn even the sternest chef into a giddy finger-licker.

These cinnamon buns were developed to match the Cinnabons you find in malls. Let me tell you, they are dead on. The secret is in the glaze: Butter is added to a combination of water, confectioners' sugar and vanilla to give it a final kick of richness, that melts down into the buns. Those mall buns are the size of my face! Try these miniature version for something just as tasty, and a tad more delicate.

If you're looking for a treat to make this Sunday morning extra-special, you've found it. Find the recipe here at Food Network.com. To make mini cinnamon buns like me, follow the recipe until you roll out the dough, then:

Separate the dough into two balls, then roll out into 2 rectangles (instead of 1 larger one) , following the step-by-step instructions.
Add the filling and roll up following the step-by-step instructions.
Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
Slice the dough into 1-inch rounds and place one round into each cup.
Bake according to the instructions, glaze and enjoy!

Kitchen Crisis: Combustable Kimchi

2010-02-21T11:54:00.002-05:00

This is what happens when you let your homemade kimchi ferment for too long...it explodes.

Lemon-Garlic Slow-Cooker Chicken

2010-02-20T20:23:00.005-05:00

My slow-cooker is one of my favorite new toys. I set it up before I go to bed and BAM! first thing in the morning (6 to 8 hrs later) I have dinner AND lunch, all in one pot. I've been eating more chicken than ever lately: 1. Because antibiotic-free, organic chicken has been on sale at Whole Foods for like 3 months now and 2. It's easy to eat it with simple roasted potatoes, over a salad, in a burrito, etc. This recipe is particularly tasty with a rich garlicky, lemony taste. I found it here on The Kitchn, one of my hourly reads :).

Slow-Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken

FOR THE CHICKEN

4 pound fryer or roaster chicken
3 garlic cloves--minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 sprigs of thyme--leaves stripped and minced

FOR THE LIQUID
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)--reserve the rinds
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth

1 whole lemon--quartered
1 head of garlic--cloves separated, but left in their individual skins
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary

1. Remove the bag of gizzards and discard. Wash the chicken thoroughly inside and out with warm water. Pat dry with paper towels.

2. For the Chicken: Mix all the seasoning ingredients together in a bowl. Using your fingers, gently slide your fingers between the meat and the skin, entering at either end. Without tearing the skin, separate the skin from the meat of the breast, thighs, and legs of the chicken. Grab a handful of the seasoning and rub half of the mixture between the skin and meat. If you get a good dollop under the skin, you can lay the skin back down and use your fingers to massage the outside of the skin and work the seasoning across the surface of the meat. Rub the remaining mixture inside the cavity of the chicken.

3. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Pan-sear the chicken on all sides for 6-8 minutes until the outside is browned. Transfer the chicken to your slow cooker--breast side up.

4. For the poaching liquid: Combine lemon juice, soy sauce, and chicken broth. Put the pan used to sear the chicken back on medium-high heat, pour in half of the poaching liquid and let sit until just boiling. Use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Once the pan is deglazed, pour mixture over the chicken in the slow-cooker.

5. Put lemon rinds (reserved from squeezing the juice), one whole bouillon cube, and a few of the garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken. Arrange lemon quarters, the remaining garlic cloves, and the sprigs of thyme around the chicken toward the edges of the cooker. Crumble the other bouillon cube over the chicken and rub it into the skin.

6. Place the lid on the cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. (Note: This recipe is best when done on HIGH, but can also be done in 6-8 hours on LOW.)

7. Twenty to thirty minutes before the time is done, pour reserved lemon juice mixture over chicken and add the rosemary sprigs. (Rosemary tends to get bitter and antiseptic tasting if cooked the entire time in the slow-cooker.)

8. Remove chicken from the slow-cooker and allow it to rest on the carving board (or handy cookie sheet) for about 20 minutes. The meat actually continues cooking during this resting period and the juices will redistribute through the meat. When ready to serve, tear off the skin and discard. Use your fingers to pull off the legs--the bones should come apart with a gentle tug, but if they don't, use a carving knife to wedge them apart. Keep using your fingers to work over the chicken, placing the meat on a serving platter and reserving the bones for another use (like home-made chicken broth!). Serve immediately!

Orange-Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

2010-02-20T20:04:00.003-05:00

For Valentine's day I sent shortbread cookies to my three greatest loves: my Nanny, and beautiful friends Cera and Rachel :) The orange zest brightens up an otherwise buttery, crumbly cookie. Bright and buttery? Yes please! Enjoy...

Orange-Cranberry Shortbread Hearts by Martha Stewart, orange zest by me :)

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cranraisins
1/2 to 1 orange, finely grated

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees.with a rack in center. Combine butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until combined but not too creamy. Stir in dried cranberries and orange zest.
Pat dough evenly into an 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan. Bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Place pan on cooling rack until cool enough to touch, about 20 minutes. Run knife around edges, remove shortbread, and transfer, right side up, to work surface. Use 1 1/2- to 2-inch heart cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Use a paring knife to trim stray bits of cranberry from edges. Cookies will keep for 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

Steak and Snow Pea Stir-Fry

2010-02-12T22:10:00.004-05:00

I've been craving Chinese food lately, but instead of take-out that's high in sodium and low in what I really need, I've turned to homemade stir fry. I love it because it's fast, healthful and super tasty; not to mention a great way to make use of ingredients you have lying around.

The key to a great stir fry is fresh ingredients, and a marinade. By marinading your meat before you cook it, you'll get that great crusty brown coating on each bite. Here's what I did...

STEAK AND SNOW PEA STIR FRY

FOR THE STEAK
1 pound skirt steak
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

FOR THE SAUCE
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

FOR THE STIR FRY
Soba noodles
1 onion, sliced
2 red peppers, sliced
3 cloved garlic, minced
1/2 pound snow pears
Grape seed oil, for cooking

1. Prepare the Steak: Cut the steak into thin strips on a diagonal; set aside. Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, water and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions; set aside. Prepare the sauce, mix the soy sauce, water and cornstarch in a small bowl.
3. Make the Stirfry: Set the onions, red peppers, garlic and snow peas out on a cutting board. Heat some grape seed oil in a large frying pan until very hot. Add the marinated steak and cook until lightly browned, but not cooked through, about 1 minute; transfer to a plate.
3. Add some more grape seed oil to the pan. Add the onion, red pepper, garlic and snow peas and cook, stirring occassionally, until crispy tender, about 4 minutes. Return the steak to the pan, then add the soba noodles. Add the sauce and continue to cook, stirring, until sauce thickens. Enjoy!

Whole-Wheat Shortbread Cookies

2010-02-09T22:40:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago I had this tremendous urge for a plain, honest shortbread cookie. They're so simple to make-something about their sandy texture and buttery taste just sends me to the moon! I chose to use whole wheat flour in place of all purpose in my new favorite shortbread recipe (found here on Food Network's website,) not because of figure concerns, come on, but because the nuttiness of the whole-wheat flour gives the shortbread a toasted flare. It's like brown-butter shortbread without the extra work!

Instead of patting the dough into pan, scoring it, and cutting it later- the traditional way of preparing shortbread- I cut the unbaked dough into coins using a cookie cutter. It was an effort in portion control and thankfully worked out for the best. I brought them to work and they were devoured in minutes! They may have been small, but everyone got a little taste of 'em.

Classic Shortbread - from FOOD NET. MAG

Beat 2 sticks butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Whisk 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt, then stir into the butter mixture. Press into a buttered 8-inch square or 9-inch round tart pan. Score into wedges, strips, squares or diamonds with a fork, then chill 30 minutes. Bake about 1 hour at 300 degrees. Cool, then slice along the scored lines.

Next I need to make Martha Stewart's Peppercorn Shortbread studded with pink & green peppercorns. Simply gorgeous! Enjoy... :)

Ina Garten's White Pizza with Arugula

2010-02-09T21:29:00.003-05:00

One goal I have for this year is to eat whole, well-rounded meals for dinner instead of my go to PB. Homemade pizza has always been a favorite of mine and this easy variation has a huge dose of greens right on top of the pie!

Ina Garten's recipe for White Pizza with Argula instructs you on how to make your own pizza dough (an awesome skill to have by the way,) but feel free to use store bought dough to transform her recipe into a quick weeknight meal. My favorite storebought pizza doughs are Whole Food's whole wheat pizza dough or Trader Joe's whole-grain dough. Buying the uncooked dough lets me feel a little more productive since you have to knead it and bake it yourself, but Boboli makes a 100% whole wheat crust that's hassel-free and just as tasty.

The secret ingredient to this full flavored recipe is the spicy garlic oil. Ina heats-up olive oil with garlic and cracked red pepper flakes, then uses it to brush the crust and garnish the pizza. Yum & yum. The peppery salad topping mixes with the cheese and the vinaigrette. Each slice is like a giant-flat crouton topped with one of the best salads you've ever had.

Find the recipe for this cheesy-green pizza here!

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies

2010-02-09T20:42:00.003-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days when even a cookie wouldn't do? Bet two cookies stuffed with a peanut-buttery frosting would help. Soft, smushy cookies hugging a sweet-n-salty peanut center...yes please!If you're wishing for a snow day tomorrow like me, these would be the perfect white-out afternoon snack!

PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE SANDWICHES

FOR THE COOKIES

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperatur
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cup chopped walnuts

FOR THE FILLING

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon
1 tablespoon milk, if desire

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Make the Cookies: Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter, granulated and brown sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, followed by the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.
3. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts using a wooden spoon. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared sheets. Bake until cookies are slightly golden but slightly undercooked, about 8 minutes. Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Make the Filling: Beat the butter in an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the peanut butter; beat to combine. Slowly add the confectioner sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating between each addition. Add the vanilla and salt. If the filling is too thick, beat in some milk.
4. Match up cooled cookies into pairs. Spread some filling on the bottom of one cookie and top with another cookie to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies. Enjoy!

Arctic Char with Mushrooms

2010-01-21T21:46:00.005-05:00

It can be a challenge to make meals that aren't cereal-au-lait or PB&J after work. I know that, and I work in food! Thankfully, recipe peeps are coming up with new ways to cook dinner faster and better than ever.

Arctic char is a great way to switch things up if you're a salmon lover that's stuck in a rut. Its dense flesh has the same rich texture and taste of salmon, plus all of the same great health benefits. You can find the recipe here on the Food Network website. The sauce is easily made from ingredients you most likely already have on hand. Even better news, the left overs make for a perfect lunch the next day. Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker BBQ In The City

2010-01-18T10:20:00.007-05:00

Nothing warms my heart quite like barbecue- my two favorite foods are baked beans and cornbread. When I received a slow-cooker for Christmas this year, I knew that I was destined for a walk down pulled pork lane...it was just a matter of time.

The Sunday night before I went back to work, and the bliss of a weeks vacation was through, DF and I slow-cooked pulled pork for a Southern feast. The christening of the slow-cooker was scrumptious to say the very least. The recipe I used has you make your own barbecue sauce - far better than anything you'll find bottled up at the store. The sauce is used to cooked the pork, as well as dress it afterwards.

Cornbread, slaw, baked beans and pulled pork. Did I mention the pork takes less than 20 minutes of prepm, then cooks itself for 8 hours? Nothing could beat it.

SLOW-COOKER PULLED PORK
recipe from Baking Bites

5 pounds pork butt
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup ketchup
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons mustard
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup water

1. Trim the fat from the pork. Place the onion in the slow cooker. Place pork on top of the onion.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients to form the barbecue sauce. Feel free to adjust salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. Pour half of the sauce over the pork and cover. Set remaining sauce aside.
3. Cook over low heat for about 8 hours (or according to your slow cooker’s presets).
4. Remove pork to a large bowl and shred with two forks. Transfer meat back into slow cooker and cook for a few more minutes, until meat has soaked up the sauce. Pulled pork can be held on the “warm” setting in the slow cooker for serving. Serve with remaining barbecue sauce.

Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake

2010-01-04T19:48:00.004-05:00

To me, there are two ways a food can be fresh:
1. Using fruit, vegetables, even seafood or meat to create a simple, honest dish.
2. Using fruit to sweeten a dessert, even if it's creamy, gooey, and a tad indulgent.

Saying a food is "off-limits" is something you won't hear from a food lover. We'll find a way to incorporate anything and everything into our diets despite extra calories, fat, even food allergies. Take that dairy! I'm starting the new year with this cheesecake, not because it's resolution friendly, but because it is a sweet and delicious way to start "fresh" in 2010. The rich strawberry flavor comes from 1 pound of strawberries that are slow roasted in the oven to concentrate their sweetness. Also, marscarpone cheese is an incredible addition that gives the cake a lighter, cleaner taste.

It is still January, so it is not too late, spend the afternoon creating this sweet-tangy masterpiece and indulge with those you love the most. Let it be known that 2010 will be that much more delicious than the years before, and start the year off with a "I love cheesecake" smile. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRIES-AND-CREAM CHEESECAKE
Recipe courtesy of MarthStewart.com

Serves 8 to 10

1 pound strawberries, hulled
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup finely ground graham crackers (about 4 sheets)
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 pound plus 13 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved
8 1/4 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place strawberries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with corn syrup, and toss gently to coat. Bake until syrup thickens and strawberries turn deep red and shrink slightly, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer strawberries and syrup to a medium bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Let cool completely.
Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the melted butter in a small bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan to make an even layer. Bake until crust is firm to the touch and has just darkened, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let crust cool completely.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Put cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, then gradually add remaining cup sugar and the salt. Scrape down sides of bowl; add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl, and mix in vanilla bean seeds and mascarpone until very creamy and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes. (Reserve vanilla bean for another use.)
Transfer 5 cups cream cheese mixture to bowl with mashed strawberries; stir to combine. Pour strawberry-cream cheese mixture on top of crust; smooth with an offset spatula. Carefully spoon dollops of plain cream cheese mixture on top, smoothing with an offset spatula.
Wrap the exterior of the springform pan in 2 layers of foil; set in a large roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with boiling water until water reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake cheesecake until set, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath, and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours (up to overnight).

Quick Appetizer for Tonight: Endive Spears Healthy & Gorgeous!

2009-12-31T10:03:00.004-05:00

The snow is piling outside of my window, looks like it's going to be a white New Years after all! I keep thinking of the people out there who are throwing parties tonight and who haven't finished their last minute shopping. They're going to need some serious snow boots and a simple, quick menu.

I turn to endive spears for an elegant appetizer in a pinch. Their shape is beautiful- the perfect crunchy vessel for all sorts of fillings. I came across this recipe four years ago in Cooking Light. Surprisingly two spears add up to only 92 calories! Your New Years weight watching could begin before the ball drops without anyone knowing.

Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons honey, divided
Cooking spray
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice
16 Belgian endive leaves (about 2 heads)
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
16 orange segments (about 2 navel oranges)
1 tablespoons minced chives
1/4 cup cracked pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine walnuts and 1 tablespoon honey; spread on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon honey, vinegar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).
3. Fill each endive leaf with 1 orange section. Top each section with 1 teaspoon cheese and 1 teaspoon walnuts; arrange on a plate. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over leaves, and sprinkle evenly with chives and pepper.

Enjoy!