tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8257581525396592072024-03-05T22:06:58.960-05:00Kitchen StringMLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15493540486382257194noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-27067795656391725092010-02-20T08:58:00.000-05:002010-02-20T13:34:08.918-05:00Crazy Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPbAjaW_-ohzbUi0k1rPlqUI73U5S9oDo5JJaoDcSh35WHA65KT3X1nphBCa5q7IVM4Nr9vPpxmQ3jG4fRYkJGbt71RiZkppIhFm5WJbrFQ4va2UOZmmcidF53smd6htvoJdUaehYYOI/s1600-h/DSC07743.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPbAjaW_-ohzbUi0k1rPlqUI73U5S9oDo5JJaoDcSh35WHA65KT3X1nphBCa5q7IVM4Nr9vPpxmQ3jG4fRYkJGbt71RiZkppIhFm5WJbrFQ4va2UOZmmcidF53smd6htvoJdUaehYYOI/s400/DSC07743.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440325497704845506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Two variations of Crazy Cake, with a variety of toppings: powdered sugar, sunflower seeds, pecans, almonds.</span></span><br /><br />I can tell which recipes out of my mother's homemade and Kinko's bound cook book are my favorite because they are the greasiest, most wrinkled, and most stained pages out of the book. Among these recipes are Apple Pie, Sourdough French Bread, <a href="http://kitchenstring.blogspot.com/search?q=pancake">Pancake Non Pareil</a>, and Crazy Cake. An all time fave, Crazy cake is a super basic chocolate cake that takes practically no time, tastes fantastic, and is healthier than your average cake. I keep the ingredients on hand and whip it up whenever we're craving something sweet. It is vegan, which means it contains no butter, milk, or eggs, making far less calorie dense than other cakes. This is the cake I requested for almost every birthday growing up. My mother says the recipe came from Parade Magazine circa 1953, though I have seen it recently called by different names in The Joy of Cooking and in Everyday Food Magazine.<br /><br />It is also very adaptable. Lately I have been playing with the ingredients looking for an even healthier yield by substituting some whole wheat flour, and decreasing the amount of sugar by up to 50 percent. My mother always made it in a square cake pan, but it can be made in a muffin tin for individual servings, and mini muffin tin for bite sized pieces, or my newest favorite, a tart pan, which you can cut into elegant wedges.<br /><br />Here is the original recipe, followed by some variations.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGicfB9qruf2oChsHz4DKiPwYNql4Ysqyk2AK9497SJHrfCsn2vCgdDJd5e1HQ-gDjATaAPM69oredIw2skQWA3jOPDgnp7V6cJz1TqW4Gnkkow_3X0ntOBjXIr5gdm2rSS58fYhbXV0/s1600-h/DSC06560.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGicfB9qruf2oChsHz4DKiPwYNql4Ysqyk2AK9497SJHrfCsn2vCgdDJd5e1HQ-gDjATaAPM69oredIw2skQWA3jOPDgnp7V6cJz1TqW4Gnkkow_3X0ntOBjXIr5gdm2rSS58fYhbXV0/s400/DSC06560.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440325501993243986" border="0" /></a><br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Crazy Cake</span><br />from <a href="http://cwburtrecipes.blogspot.com/">CWB Recipes</a><br /><br />Preheat oven 350 F<br /><br />Sift together in a mixing bowl:<br />1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />3 Tbs breakfast cocoa<br />1 cup sugar<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />Add to dry ingredients:<br />1 tsp vinegar<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />5 Tbs salad oil<br />1 cup water over all<br /><br />Mix until smooth and pour into greased 8" cake pan. Bake for 35 min.<br />Serve plain or with desired topping.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgy0DTuYG06SPLY9bNQA5YyJ3T0t6cv7zKm5szBpGgJHvjyScDmva5XQjGlT4YowBEIAtEBu34M7M08OhTMWZyoNIkty40xcg7ffm3cRoLtSqFuL-Eu8fNx4HoJwuKVoqG872juyVy2w/s1600-h/DSC06561.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgy0DTuYG06SPLY9bNQA5YyJ3T0t6cv7zKm5szBpGgJHvjyScDmva5XQjGlT4YowBEIAtEBu34M7M08OhTMWZyoNIkty40xcg7ffm3cRoLtSqFuL-Eu8fNx4HoJwuKVoqG872juyVy2w/s400/DSC06561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440325510327010658" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Topping Ideas:</span><br />-sifted powdered sugar<br />-homemade whipped cream<br />-ice cream<br />-chocolate sauce<br />-caramel sauce<br />-sunflower seeds (top before baking)<br />-nuts (top before baking)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Even Healthier Variation:</span><br />-substitute 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of all purpose flour<br />-reduce sugar by 25-50%. Especially if serving with an icing or whipped cream.<br />-add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts for additional protein and omega-3s<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Almond Cupcakes variation:</span><br />-omit the breakfast cocoa<br />-substitute 2 tsp of almond extract for the vanilla extract<br />-substitute 1 cup soy milk, almond milk, or regular milk for the water<br />-add 1/2 cup chopped blanched almonds.<br />-pour into greased muffin tin, and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick emerges clean<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-oeCMlP1hIFhIR_AhKzzrq4BZhlzQjLW7PzP7zk8jD5biBi9LfnUuw8Dc-TDYbevx0ZsjTO-C7882C_GLJOfjOR3oDGqu4vyyFzL7InStJ9urmz7aZ32iDNfhFWdIMshc_yUFETIPBg/s1600-h/DSC06457.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-oeCMlP1hIFhIR_AhKzzrq4BZhlzQjLW7PzP7zk8jD5biBi9LfnUuw8Dc-TDYbevx0ZsjTO-C7882C_GLJOfjOR3oDGqu4vyyFzL7InStJ9urmz7aZ32iDNfhFWdIMshc_yUFETIPBg/s400/DSC06457.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440343901447833730" border="0" /></a><br /></blockquote>Soundtrack: Where the Wild Things Are- Karen O and the KidsMLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-49421602501289866982010-02-15T22:02:00.000-05:002010-02-15T23:18:08.173-05:00Valentine's Day at Woodberry Kitchen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVZax2-3zGBHPjzKWw8UBIPzHh4lsvhgUEBBUjJlx3gPyhxdaktXDPB3RRXSbNCRqNw23kPDbBp4qqCLQgg40aNIzVAbEqhfVEy8DAILpB8vsXWnWxSs9ZBbx6JnGw5ttwRDK0BR3APU/s1600-h/DSC07982.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVZax2-3zGBHPjzKWw8UBIPzHh4lsvhgUEBBUjJlx3gPyhxdaktXDPB3RRXSbNCRqNw23kPDbBp4qqCLQgg40aNIzVAbEqhfVEy8DAILpB8vsXWnWxSs9ZBbx6JnGw5ttwRDK0BR3APU/s400/DSC07982.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438673552653251394" border="0" /></a>
<br />Last night we went for an early dinner at our favorite restaurant, <a href="http://www.woodberrykitchen.com/index.html">Woodberry Kitchen</a>. On most Valentine's days in recent years, the restaurant tables were turned and I was among the busy restaurant workers shuffling through crowds with a stack of plates, trying to ensure a special experience for the customers. So you can imagine how fun it was to be able to sit down and enjoy a fabulous meal with my sweetie.
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<br />Woodberry Kitchen has a "farm to table" philosophy which boasts fresh, locally grown ingredients, seasonally appropriate produce, and organic meats. It is housed in a portion of Clipper Mill with gorgeous brick walls, high ceilings, and a loft for additional seating. The exposed kitchen reveals a chef preparing meals in sizzling cast iron skillets at the mouth of a brick oven. Basically, I want to live there.
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<br />My favorite cocktail of all time is their Gov't Mule: vodka, house-made ginger beer, and lime-ginger syrup served in a copper mug. The drink is great, but the copper mug makes it simply luxurious.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5s833DXrFOFJuls56Wz7qWTbkKPem2-Fm3n4MJ813n_ovbknBaC_gyKqqpxYnHuGa-JcXXwxKXYiqUnoFYhzlt_CqHj6suh7uST1dxlycy80eY94U1PWkHWGt0vuD3obkERBpuC5GmE/s1600-h/DSC07989.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5s833DXrFOFJuls56Wz7qWTbkKPem2-Fm3n4MJ813n_ovbknBaC_gyKqqpxYnHuGa-JcXXwxKXYiqUnoFYhzlt_CqHj6suh7uST1dxlycy80eY94U1PWkHWGt0vuD3obkERBpuC5GmE/s400/DSC07989.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438672347997622258" border="0" /></a>
<br />My favorite dish came first. It was a tuna appetizer, pan-seared rare, with a unique dry rub of espresso and ground chilies. This was unlike any tuna dish I've ever had. It didn't rely on the sushi references, instead it had an earthy flavor, not overly salted, and melt in your mouth delicious. It was served with greens from <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/05/AR2009050500876.html">Great Kids Farm</a>, and roasted ginger slivers.
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<br />Next came the "truck stop spinach salad" with candied pecans and maple dressing, followed by oysters on the half shell.
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<br />For dessert, we ordered honey-apple cider sorbet, and chocolate mousse over rose cake. I'm not a fan of rose-scented things, but teamed with the chocolate mouse, it was fantastic. Again, very unique and memorable.
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<br />Soundtrack:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFM-abcMVbeFk59rmzhLkx8UkDNwAtQ9-f6bi0cTdWnfQxK41awttoKqFdaiWTYpX0G9fOYrpAeY0xVNTjN10R-OUU6tYh6XRVQbKtdDg_MhGLFc1zalz0DkzWP-TbvmRuw-o7Q-U2bk/s1600-h/DSC08005.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFM-abcMVbeFk59rmzhLkx8UkDNwAtQ9-f6bi0cTdWnfQxK41awttoKqFdaiWTYpX0G9fOYrpAeY0xVNTjN10R-OUU6tYh6XRVQbKtdDg_MhGLFc1zalz0DkzWP-TbvmRuw-o7Q-U2bk/s400/DSC08005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438672322795437746" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.woodberrykitchen.com/index.html">Woodberry Kitchen</a>
<br /><span class="hours">410-464-8000</span><span class="hours">
<br /> 2010 Clipper Park Road, No. 126
<br /> Baltimore, MD 21211</span>
<br />
<br />MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-65215419537000666072010-02-11T16:50:00.000-05:002010-02-11T16:59:19.614-05:00A Dream Kitchen...from <a href="http://www.theletteredcottage.com">The Lettered Cottage</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN98dNHi_53eZHfF6h886XJQFUCDIUw7mmRysYHDfpj1uZQilKpLkKRBvelhyTLQqXgPG8EsdyJ7XwInUxHRBmul2BI4_pVURP9Zu2T4V3J2tTmrRCvXEVapcy16rnDwWNKd85xkqSGk/s1600-h/Kitchen.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidN98dNHi_53eZHfF6h886XJQFUCDIUw7mmRysYHDfpj1uZQilKpLkKRBvelhyTLQqXgPG8EsdyJ7XwInUxHRBmul2BI4_pVURP9Zu2T4V3J2tTmrRCvXEVapcy16rnDwWNKd85xkqSGk/s400/Kitchen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437107438489082354" border="0" /></a><br />I couldn't stop looking at this photo- it seems perfect though i don't think i would have come up with any of it on my own. It's amazing to me that a kitchen that used to look so dull can look this gorgeous.<br /><br />They used the same cabinets that came with the house, just painted them black, changed the drawer pulls and knobs, took off the upper doors, and added crown molding to the top.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQc11NN0DkTHcjk30v-1zN0gcoDM67zR28XccL_W5kzZRjMx4zK9UQxZsCv5lignIUrDBEtWXp2G2eqrcn5lCFN5Sagfx-modooGf7-gKbMjpJk33vwmmu2sHrMAyBrDzAtF2bMbeP76w/s1600-h/PlateWall.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQc11NN0DkTHcjk30v-1zN0gcoDM67zR28XccL_W5kzZRjMx4zK9UQxZsCv5lignIUrDBEtWXp2G2eqrcn5lCFN5Sagfx-modooGf7-gKbMjpJk33vwmmu2sHrMAyBrDzAtF2bMbeP76w/s400/PlateWall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437107430069294066" border="0" /></a><br />They made the back of this bench out of an old headboard. This is one thing I really wish I had in my kitchen- a small seating area.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcW7Ng5UFycOe1-O4RiTQm1SKBOpFHLSXYZeb431EnUioNKFHV_5a_ToCqEtYTqEMilbW96d_VyNXFrCiWEGylnQnyzT-A3PHzU7VyfnneRnrUphWSFYQoQV6tPQZVMF0QEBcquK1r5M/s1600-h/IMG_3478.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcW7Ng5UFycOe1-O4RiTQm1SKBOpFHLSXYZeb431EnUioNKFHV_5a_ToCqEtYTqEMilbW96d_VyNXFrCiWEGylnQnyzT-A3PHzU7VyfnneRnrUphWSFYQoQV6tPQZVMF0QEBcquK1r5M/s400/IMG_3478.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437107432331858194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />before:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBG_JfUOGob0aBHJv1SZuTT1OHblyaQ5YZHIE-w4VEAC2gBF2xJj7yLUmlWqllmlwRQuO12IbRZOoiwqg3vGuzEDvSej9-LcyTwPL2NrwbDv4hdZQFwZfsv2fIYos3uiREtVW_ZurC5Q/s1600-h/KitchenBefore.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBG_JfUOGob0aBHJv1SZuTT1OHblyaQ5YZHIE-w4VEAC2gBF2xJj7yLUmlWqllmlwRQuO12IbRZOoiwqg3vGuzEDvSej9-LcyTwPL2NrwbDv4hdZQFwZfsv2fIYos3uiREtVW_ZurC5Q/s400/KitchenBefore.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437107441719325746" border="0" /></a>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-26272880966652032822010-02-10T10:04:00.000-05:002010-02-20T13:36:51.490-05:00Winter Dinner Part 3 of 3: Betsy's Bread (& Soup Sticks!)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqmTTdtp0UpMpyHMcCDnk3bl0cXSo7mLW0HfdJ1mJsAuqtdF5ulco5d3wpTQy22QegeBsuixrAMDYqtlVB_ClzBRWT_g1X0OXJ179wAmBGX8nlQIgpZ06y96K9fTA04UUv1IzDqsC8Z4/s1600-h/DSC07348.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqmTTdtp0UpMpyHMcCDnk3bl0cXSo7mLW0HfdJ1mJsAuqtdF5ulco5d3wpTQy22QegeBsuixrAMDYqtlVB_ClzBRWT_g1X0OXJ179wAmBGX8nlQIgpZ06y96K9fTA04UUv1IzDqsC8Z4/s400/DSC07348.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436637046054153026" border="0" /></a><br />One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was Betsy's bread starter that she's been keeping around since 1971, made from grated raw potato. I've been making bread for about a year, and the results from the loaves made with this starter are my favorite. The flavor is so much more complex than the quick recipes requiring no starter.<br /><br />I know most people don't have a starter already hanging out in their fridge, so here is a basic "sponge starter" recipe from the Joy of Cooking.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sponge Starter</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">also called "poolish" in France, and "biga" in Italy</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In a medium mixing bowl, combine:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 tsp active dry yeast</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 cup lukewarm water</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Add:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3/4 cup of bread four</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Stir rapidly with a clean wooden spoon until you notice elastic strands pulling away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until bubbly and tripled in volume, about 6 hours. Or let it rise in the fridge overnight for 14 hours. (When it comes out of the fridge, use warm water in your recipe.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When the starter has tripled in volume and begins to collapse slightly, you must use it immediately or "feed" it with 3/4 cup bread flour, and 1/2 cup water to keep the yeast from starving and the starter from weakening. </span></blockquote><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH32_7cKKI3zsGu4gXG1YcyUkzLOtJyvhYn4GvgdYFVa1TK4CuowkTZPCcU5OuTbZ97drvWKCib5dxGD5B3HMBiDm-Rn7UQQ7pn-muTc8lJ7zZpk_SZBWdQcOqmNzjYVps7inN1n7CwhY/s1600-h/DSC07341.JPG"></a><blockquote><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH32_7cKKI3zsGu4gXG1YcyUkzLOtJyvhYn4GvgdYFVa1TK4CuowkTZPCcU5OuTbZ97drvWKCib5dxGD5B3HMBiDm-Rn7UQQ7pn-muTc8lJ7zZpk_SZBWdQcOqmNzjYVps7inN1n7CwhY/s1600-h/DSC07341.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH32_7cKKI3zsGu4gXG1YcyUkzLOtJyvhYn4GvgdYFVa1TK4CuowkTZPCcU5OuTbZ97drvWKCib5dxGD5B3HMBiDm-Rn7UQQ7pn-muTc8lJ7zZpk_SZBWdQcOqmNzjYVps7inN1n7CwhY/s400/DSC07341.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436637041250481234" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Betsy's Bread </span><span style="font-style: italic;">(plus bread tips for beginners)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Combine and let stand for 15 min in a mixing bowl:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 cup warm water</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 Tbs (or packet) of dry yeast</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">a "sprinkle" of sugar</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To yeast mixture, add:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 cup of starter</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1-2 cups of flour (enough to make it knead-able)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 tsp salt</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 tsp soda</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knead on a floured surface until it passes the window pane test. </span><span>(Tip: Hold the dough up by one end in front of a light source, let it stretch itself until you can see light through it- if it wants to tear easily, continue kneading. If it stretches until you can see light through it without it tearing, it's ready to rest)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Let it rise in a large, lightly oiled bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. It should double in size. This could take several hours. </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1120/creating-bread-shapes.asp">Shape loaves</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> as you like and let rise again under plastic wrap. </span><span>(Tip: A test to see if its ready is to flour or grease your finger, gently press the dough with a finger tip- If it springs back up after you remove your finger, it's not finished rising. If it stays down, it's ready to go into the oven.</span>)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Right before you put your loaves in, take a sharp knife with a floured edge, and put at least one shallow slit in the top of the loaf. This is called "scoring" and aids in rising. It also makes the loaf look gorgeous. Bake for 25 min or until the top is golden brown and it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom of the loaf.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When it comes out of the oven, allow it to cool a while before cutting into it because it will ruin the crumb inside later on. ENJOY!!</span><br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-M4NAGk9XoXf2XLl-lvNB2B0jZjDHH5kB5Q491kpE2vug1Suz4E8YFmk2GpsiFxNWW7l8dg1c4U1ZUabOrzGJvQlvMrWRWj-uCfAqAtxTlRTmN4wcwtAEV70eH6d1Ta4cOXCH6dC9PyQ/s1600-h/DSC07355.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-M4NAGk9XoXf2XLl-lvNB2B0jZjDHH5kB5Q491kpE2vug1Suz4E8YFmk2GpsiFxNWW7l8dg1c4U1ZUabOrzGJvQlvMrWRWj-uCfAqAtxTlRTmN4wcwtAEV70eH6d1Ta4cOXCH6dC9PyQ/s400/DSC07355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436637054611018706" border="0" /></a></blockquote><br />For the dinner party, I adapted a Soup Sticks recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, using a half recipe of Betsy's bread as follows:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Soup Sticks variation</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Start with a half recipe of Betsy's Bread.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When adding ingredients to yeast mixture, also add:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 Tbs of brown sugar</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 tsp chili powder</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 tsp ground cinnamon</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 tsp dried parsley</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Follow directions for first rise as usual.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When ready to shape the bread- turn dough out on to a floured sheet of parchment paper. Pat or roll into a 15x12 inch rectangle. Transfer parchment with dough to large baking sheet. Using floured pizza cutter or knife, cut dough width wise into strips about 3/4 inch wide.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cover, let rise until doubled in size. Brush with olive oil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden. When out of the oven, cool slightly, cut apart and serve upright for a stunning presentation.</span></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7bmpHUmYPA6ixd7U80jaQAuqvgUqGsCHM5lpVpB9jsjw69LOcqxI2Lt0TrgnOYFfm4BSC6sVKWoOyxyuUTDWK2wUtIlcpoL8SQrQ0cn_v4usY_GeUBYpDAGg1lgr8kcypfBdi6Dmmms/s1600-h/DSC07358.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7bmpHUmYPA6ixd7U80jaQAuqvgUqGsCHM5lpVpB9jsjw69LOcqxI2Lt0TrgnOYFfm4BSC6sVKWoOyxyuUTDWK2wUtIlcpoL8SQrQ0cn_v4usY_GeUBYpDAGg1lgr8kcypfBdi6Dmmms/s400/DSC07358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436637056081895154" border="0" /></a>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-91156995992465807352010-02-05T13:12:00.000-05:002010-02-05T15:00:10.610-05:00Winter Dinner Party pt. 2 of 3: Torta Salata<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BA3lhtmD51tefwfULWdCfoP7v40Nl2Q9uCKaPShPbhchaPQlO6XnlsaB73tmDI-SmJrfQdvGBw35atW9VOgaYllFbrPMmrDrjTWy8yT7fQ9iRVXNOV1LBl2xzE2qwZS8FNiG6Xr2MGs/s1600-h/DSC07361.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BA3lhtmD51tefwfULWdCfoP7v40Nl2Q9uCKaPShPbhchaPQlO6XnlsaB73tmDI-SmJrfQdvGBw35atW9VOgaYllFbrPMmrDrjTWy8yT7fQ9iRVXNOV1LBl2xzE2qwZS8FNiG6Xr2MGs/s400/DSC07361.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434825580279799410" border="0" /></a><br />The first time my friend <a href="http://www.sincerelymichael.com/">Michael Ciancio</a> made this for us in the fall, I declared it the best quiche I'd ever had. I have made several since then, and am now ready to declare it as one of my favorite dishes of all time. It is simple to make and visually stunning. This dish added needed protein to our dinner party menu, as well as some eye candy for the table.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Here, in his own words, is Michael to share his fabulous "Salty Cake" recipe.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwykY6sg1JJbP2u03u2v4hyAVKlE2e4xXDAikINnow2iIQzMqFRobXHFjd0BaVzka6_LJ8sOGP44x-B9T92Jnl38fco6Zr7vDscD4U0uHFLjK1t89aKo6BzN0ASTMwlKx1Me1t18QFLI/s1600-h/Mike+portrait.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwykY6sg1JJbP2u03u2v4hyAVKlE2e4xXDAikINnow2iIQzMqFRobXHFjd0BaVzka6_LJ8sOGP44x-B9T92Jnl38fco6Zr7vDscD4U0uHFLjK1t89aKo6BzN0ASTMwlKx1Me1t18QFLI/s320/Mike+portrait.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434840391198480402" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks Mae Lo for inviting me onto the blog! It's really an honor to be able to share this among so many other great recipes. I learned this one a few years ago while I was living abroad in Italy, from my good friend there–</span></span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://valentinacarretta.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Valentina Carretta</a><span style="font-style: italic;">–an amazing product designer, and Treviso native. This recipe dates back for decades in her family and she was kind enough to share the basis of it with me. The best thing about the Torta Salata (literal translation into English = Salty Cake) is that you can really include whatever ingredients you want as long as you have the basics. It's a really great fall/winter dish, but you can absolutely change it up for any season. I'll give you the recipe for my favorite variation: zucchine e carote (zucchini and carrots). Other popular variations include raddicchio, spinach and tomato, or mushroom and prosciutto. Go ahead and follow this simple recipe, or create your own salty cake!</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><div style="font-style: italic;"></div><b style="font-style: italic;"></b><blockquote><div style="font-style: italic;"><b>You will need: </b></div><div style="font-style: italic;">1/2 chopped onion</div><div style="font-style: italic;">4 cloves minced garlic</div><div style="font-style: italic;">1 zucchini chopped</div><div style="font-style: italic;">1 carrot chopped</div><div style="font-style: italic;">1 beaten egg</div><div style="font-style: italic;">1/3 cup of fresh ricotta</div> <div style="font-style: italic;">1/3 cup finely grated parmigiano cheese</div><div style="font-style: italic;">Chopped fresh parsley for garnish</div> <div style="font-style: italic;">olive oil </div><div style="font-style: italic;">Pie dough for crust, and lattice (optional). I prefer Mae Lo's if you can get your hands on the recipe!</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br /></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><b>Steps: </b></div><div style="font-style: italic;">1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</div> <div style="font-style: italic;">2. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large saute pan and add the garlic and the onions. Saute until the onions start to become clear. Add the zucchini and the carrots and season with salt and pepper. </div><div style="font-style: italic;">3. Lightly spray a standard 9" pie pan with your favorite non stick agent... Pam or whatever. Line the pan with your pie dough.</div> <div style="font-style: italic;">4. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, parmigiano, and the beaten egg. Once the vegetables are tender, add them to the egg/cheese mixture. Add freshly ground black pepper and a light pinch of salt. Don't over do it on the salt because you'll have already seasoned the vegetables and the parmigiano should already be quite salty. </div> <div style="font-style: italic;">5. Fill the pie with your vegetable/cheese/egg mixture evenly. Top off with your pie lattice if you chose to include it, tuck in the crust corners and crimp with a fork. Brush the lattice crust with an egg wash for even browning and a glossy finish. Sprinkle some freshly ground pepper over top and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 min until crust is golden brown. </div> <div style="font-style: italic;">6. Garnish lightly with freshly chopped parsley.</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br /></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><b>Recommended salad</b></div><div style="font-style: italic;">Spinach maple salad</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br /></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><b>Recommended wine</b> </div><div style="font-style: italic;">Montepulciano d'Abbruzzo<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIidf9Pbo8aMfFEwZ63cyW6-FwQDBgQba0BgCf5ELIlb7MJeHdHQyVCaumfcRQNRZqwiePMDBXvE-454aPOwRcTecRLedtWc0iUdpEz83_EMws0hCI79bgaXESYBjsa5ev817iE6HCpwY/s1600-h/DSC07362.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIidf9Pbo8aMfFEwZ63cyW6-FwQDBgQba0BgCf5ELIlb7MJeHdHQyVCaumfcRQNRZqwiePMDBXvE-454aPOwRcTecRLedtWc0iUdpEz83_EMws0hCI79bgaXESYBjsa5ev817iE6HCpwY/s400/DSC07362.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434851131609184322" border="0" /></a><br /></div></blockquote><div style="font-style: italic;"></div> <div><br /></div><div><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks and buon appetito! Hopefully you'll all enjoy this easy dish and I can share some more findings with you soon.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdduGhPvxai0ZfYTwbf8UfeVmgP8j4N3R1zB3zmI14ye7Sp1HEqCpLAUI_YlmNshz5FnOiQ5G_Ls15eomIyE475-RM8gQUhRiP08SCjnctbz95ctj2Q7AVxa0dXWG5qh-187tzlUwoo5c/s1600-h/DSC07365.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdduGhPvxai0ZfYTwbf8UfeVmgP8j4N3R1zB3zmI14ye7Sp1HEqCpLAUI_YlmNshz5FnOiQ5G_Ls15eomIyE475-RM8gQUhRiP08SCjnctbz95ctj2Q7AVxa0dXWG5qh-187tzlUwoo5c/s400/DSC07365.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434851138229220546" border="0" /></a><br /></div>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-140039345770777852010-01-28T20:12:00.000-05:002010-01-28T21:41:01.775-05:00Winter Dinner Party pt. 1 of 3: Butternut Squash Bisque<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HYBB4IrVr0ZoDkAyfmwzTsy-VLOsrlxWBzP3tg0rm2Dytcc-h9EBdt5FX2EtfWK6qAWkFLW_z8EVAeh3m5pp0IAnTfk2NhIUhwyFkzihpcnKFhDoWD294Cn-ileYPVIabYL7ZK5U7TM/s1600-h/DSC07358.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HYBB4IrVr0ZoDkAyfmwzTsy-VLOsrlxWBzP3tg0rm2Dytcc-h9EBdt5FX2EtfWK6qAWkFLW_z8EVAeh3m5pp0IAnTfk2NhIUhwyFkzihpcnKFhDoWD294Cn-ileYPVIabYL7ZK5U7TM/s400/DSC07358.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431964590313076562" border="0" /></a><br />The best part about cooking is sharing. As lucky as I am to have a resident taste-tester who is always willing to give me feedback (as long as there's no broccoli involved), I most enjoy cooking when there is a promise of a potluck, dinner party, or guests in town. Eating food is such a communal activity. So many social gatherings are centered around eating together. It is perhaps one of our oldest traditions as humans: gathering around the fire, cooking and eating. So, to celebrate the end of the holidays and Javi's visit to Baltimore, we built ourselves a fire, and gathered around to eat.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_RVQyd-rdjlCgg-JKID9qUz7JdSJenC-MCI1p_rMk-1LXv7iXGxWuXjGS1k0BFYo5zq6rZdN9kHeAanydMT-41Sb78EilR04fqmVpRaa0bGFhPe5x2oSRqwS-fzpTGSSnyJoOC7IY98/s1600-h/DSC07364.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_RVQyd-rdjlCgg-JKID9qUz7JdSJenC-MCI1p_rMk-1LXv7iXGxWuXjGS1k0BFYo5zq6rZdN9kHeAanydMT-41Sb78EilR04fqmVpRaa0bGFhPe5x2oSRqwS-fzpTGSSnyJoOC7IY98/s400/DSC07364.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431964583550408898" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Menu</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Spinach Maple Salad</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fresh Sourdough Baguettes and Soup Sticks</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Butternut Squash Bisque</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Torta Salata (Mike Ciancio's "Salty Cake")</span></blockquote><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCzslw4jWpb6j2djfoX4p9Jnf3vwJZdkpJUhbhhwHVnTCOPACZmFHQ6Mm6H0Vsk12b9w5AIzPgxwsQMavvGKY6oX9RQEsrgq1EySm9YlQmJIvsHBipWCsrH-BRrfYBJKSi2c6YHq4sp8/s1600-h/DSC07363.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCzslw4jWpb6j2djfoX4p9Jnf3vwJZdkpJUhbhhwHVnTCOPACZmFHQ6Mm6H0Vsk12b9w5AIzPgxwsQMavvGKY6oX9RQEsrgq1EySm9YlQmJIvsHBipWCsrH-BRrfYBJKSi2c6YHq4sp8/s400/DSC07363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431964608285006194" border="0" /></a><br />I have been dying to make this soup since I got the October issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Thanks to my new blender...it was a success.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Butternut Squash Bisque</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">from BHG October 2009</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 1/2-3 lb. butternut squash</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 cup butter</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 medium onion, chopped</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 large carrot, coarsely chopped</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 cloves garlic, minced</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 large Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored, and chopped</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 48 oz. box of reduced sodium chicken broth</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 cup apple cider </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 canned chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, coarsely chopped</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 cup sour cream,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3 oz. smoked Gouda, finely shredded</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Crumbled cooked bacon and shaved Gouda</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Peel, seed, and cube butternut squash. In a large heavy pot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add fresh squash, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add apples, broth, cider, and chipotle peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until vegetables and apples are tender. Remove from heat, and cool.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When slightly cooled, puree in batches using a blender. Return to saucepan. Stir in sour cream. Heat through. Remove from heat and stir in shredded Gouda until melted. top with bacon and cheese.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGRJWc9vinNG-eIdfWn4JfDiXUY62KI0YtkC2xEwi-fZlwZ2EPzJ8og1trWsldxYL0SHw6MHjRgBD8FTfmtivgP7K2BNZR9wlQXkYyXvoyRpQGmEqXI2jBaluagLwfup5xVhESuGSWuw/s1600-h/DSC07366.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGRJWc9vinNG-eIdfWn4JfDiXUY62KI0YtkC2xEwi-fZlwZ2EPzJ8og1trWsldxYL0SHw6MHjRgBD8FTfmtivgP7K2BNZR9wlQXkYyXvoyRpQGmEqXI2jBaluagLwfup5xVhESuGSWuw/s400/DSC07366.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431985887626923458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb6TYUFagYxwLnyeI9sQ-b1zYTV0diFDz1tz5jIYf31d3SjT37yeVTg9V_BLryOdaMpSFPPEfxCL8ZYCjK9PbtOCC2w1TEJi9vpDlywn__Q1VXwJjvX1E0Sh35IWNeSyTYS_lgjl6EvE/s1600-h/DSC07370.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBb6TYUFagYxwLnyeI9sQ-b1zYTV0diFDz1tz5jIYf31d3SjT37yeVTg9V_BLryOdaMpSFPPEfxCL8ZYCjK9PbtOCC2w1TEJi9vpDlywn__Q1VXwJjvX1E0Sh35IWNeSyTYS_lgjl6EvE/s400/DSC07370.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431964605652877122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QvWTFLXr0qEPSsKzoOHWH3wl10cRgjihyUZOLpHXB2DL-iKDWnv9hkvgXQoOYDfyxuWddvTqMeOW0usUvlcLFqFWmP8DpEs2y3PacoEDqEfl5v3yIUDcv_oqcSyGr-xsrwEnxyPbQSE/s1600-h/DSC07367.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7QvWTFLXr0qEPSsKzoOHWH3wl10cRgjihyUZOLpHXB2DL-iKDWnv9hkvgXQoOYDfyxuWddvTqMeOW0usUvlcLFqFWmP8DpEs2y3PacoEDqEfl5v3yIUDcv_oqcSyGr-xsrwEnxyPbQSE/s400/DSC07367.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431985879387260274" border="0" /></a><br />Soundtrack: Ella!!MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-60438724783244106732010-01-25T18:50:00.000-05:002010-02-20T13:38:26.030-05:00Healthier Muffins and a Wannabe Latte<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSXnz40EASq8kk7_0NmlY7Erc6ZdTe6yy2eJmSxmcFD2jgjeqkjwirDq-5Y14DkIkpI0ahfFCwuTJVp_sv3g6yrCpvufalez1E2oeQLV2uaXrcy0mysw09leaPwit12eTEOLN48qgRB_A/s1600-h/DSC07503.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSXnz40EASq8kk7_0NmlY7Erc6ZdTe6yy2eJmSxmcFD2jgjeqkjwirDq-5Y14DkIkpI0ahfFCwuTJVp_sv3g6yrCpvufalez1E2oeQLV2uaXrcy0mysw09leaPwit12eTEOLN48qgRB_A/s400/DSC07503.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430832181370942754" border="0" /></a><br />My 4 year old computer is back from its vacation at the mac spa where it got a much needed makeover...but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking! A lot of the usual actually: soup, bread, more soup. However, I'll change things up a bit with this healthy muffin recipe. I have been experimenting with healthier baked goods. I am always on the lookout for good vegan recipes which eliminate the delicious yet fattening butter, cream, and eggs.<br /><br />Though not vegan, this recipe is adaptable. You can sub in flavors or healthier alternatives as you see fit. I'll list the original recipe and then what I changed about it in parentheses.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlcZrHKVbeL8a8aS2sDjWf7CyVjES2Chg9E_ZLqcky_2Kl1ZRZ-qhE5XoxnORShyphenhyphensN9x7XkbsamXN68qHlRENeC-4pU-YtIExKxqtAhxy9AjQs_6gLD5jf2WanMIQmMxbJX-tvrJrx9c/s1600-h/DSC07513.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlcZrHKVbeL8a8aS2sDjWf7CyVjES2Chg9E_ZLqcky_2Kl1ZRZ-qhE5XoxnORShyphenhyphensN9x7XkbsamXN68qHlRENeC-4pU-YtIExKxqtAhxy9AjQs_6gLD5jf2WanMIQmMxbJX-tvrJrx9c/s400/DSC07513.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430832187223215666" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Healthier Muffins</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">preheat oven to 400 degrees F</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 cup flour (I used 2/3 all-purpose + 1/3 whole wheat)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 1/2 tsp cinnamon</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 tsp baking powder</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 tsp baking soda</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 cup milk (I used plain unsweetened soy)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 cup heavy cream (I used apple cider)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 tsp vanilla extract (I used almond extract)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 egg</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 cup of oil</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">pinch of salt</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3 Tbs sugar (or honey)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 cup slivered almonds</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 cup whole flax seed</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 granny smith apple, peeled, cubed into 1/2" pieces</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Combine dry ingredients in medium mixing bowl.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients then add to the dry.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Add nuts, flax, and fruit and stir with fork until just combined.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Top with nuts or flax seeds.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bake for 13-15 min or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(If using mini-muffin tin, check them after 10 minutes).</span></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlA9xw3VbwFI2AtEjnscqadgIKOcDa7ypspUxaXT3xaY5mqCIw6WnWfn8QpJ2Ry9oOGbETDPI7Na3BENZ1_uOd3OAwBBD2_Chyphenhyphen7pKrj6kbFtqxnl1hwh4hyphenhyphenJ_NWi_tT5pkILudcHSro8/s1600-h/DSC07515.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlA9xw3VbwFI2AtEjnscqadgIKOcDa7ypspUxaXT3xaY5mqCIw6WnWfn8QpJ2Ry9oOGbETDPI7Na3BENZ1_uOd3OAwBBD2_Chyphenhyphen7pKrj6kbFtqxnl1hwh4hyphenhyphenJ_NWi_tT5pkILudcHSro8/s400/DSC07515.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430832191399370450" border="0" /></a><br />Some flavor combos to try<br />-coconut mango<br />-banana chocolate chip<br />-orange ginger<br />-pumpkin spice<br />-lemon poppyseed<br />-peaches and cream<br />-pina colada<br />-berry nut<br />-carrot raisin<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScHXjpa-fCxaV-pAr8jenTwoxL5HMh-4iN4Mi0NRqPfqPYm2fNzvLE6mGdwOZdk6f3EWVX3xVwW2XLo1NGfEnHGGnlxKhiYcqVYrkXz6eytt9z7esyRPVc9O6gqwykEYRS832th2BgOo/s1600-h/DSC07511.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScHXjpa-fCxaV-pAr8jenTwoxL5HMh-4iN4Mi0NRqPfqPYm2fNzvLE6mGdwOZdk6f3EWVX3xVwW2XLo1NGfEnHGGnlxKhiYcqVYrkXz6eytt9z7esyRPVc9O6gqwykEYRS832th2BgOo/s400/DSC07511.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430832200517825842" border="0" /></a><br />Since we saved a few calories with the muffins, why not indulge on a homemade coffee treat? I learned everything I know about coffee from living in Portland Oregon for 14 months. Don't laugh, but I moved there still mistaking espresso for "expresso". At that point I had probably only been to a handful of coffee shops that didn't have a "Starbucks" sign out front. I don't think I had ever tried a cappuccino, latte, or straight espresso before my first week in Portland when I promptly experimented with all three. Now, I am a bit of a coffee snob, and proud of it. Recently, I have stopped drinking coffee on weekdays, which has made the weekend cups a genuine luxury rather than an everyday addiction.<br /><br />A real cafe latte is an espresso, made with steamed milk, and milk foam on top. Since I don't happen to have an espresso machine or milk steamer at home, I came up with a shortcut that produces a similar effect on a lazy saturday morning. (Apparently this is on the menu at some coffee shops as Caffe con Panna).<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:times new roman;font-size:78%;" ><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:13pt;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Wannabe Latte</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Make a strong pot of coffee in a french press. Pour about a 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and a tsp of powdered sugar in a cold metal mixing bowl. Use a whisk to whip the cream until it is just thickened, before any peaks form. Stir a dollop into your fresh hot cup of coffee. I suggest you pull out the fanciest cup and saucer you have, this is the perfect excuse to dust it off.</span></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfukJo1HJONfOaddrsmTka3esWTt8ItMOhkk_eRWsRRVsP5_5HV0eCzARRzwq4Udbf1AKfUBTpJ7PKrSHHhziOimavd7YX2cMkNOWRYDhH4u70WH00NjjIoLHY9v0g0AoCcGF08zhfmBM/s1600-h/DSC06795.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfukJo1HJONfOaddrsmTka3esWTt8ItMOhkk_eRWsRRVsP5_5HV0eCzARRzwq4Udbf1AKfUBTpJ7PKrSHHhziOimavd7YX2cMkNOWRYDhH4u70WH00NjjIoLHY9v0g0AoCcGF08zhfmBM/s400/DSC06795.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430844638069685170" border="0" /></a>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-24313259605303174982010-01-09T14:14:00.000-05:002010-01-09T15:42:57.359-05:00Zucchini Corn Soup & Mama's Corn Bread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZrppG8yw78vRV4kku1ZaLccQzxhqM1iHrTMa921JBctwvZFyVJ_yUdrY203yaFc4R2a24pxM81Axx12RdWh0xmcFoFwpakQELQ8TFBZBMyHQH_SQP4I9cvTICDJNBqkqrYJ39YiQh0I/s1600-h/DSC07217.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZrppG8yw78vRV4kku1ZaLccQzxhqM1iHrTMa921JBctwvZFyVJ_yUdrY203yaFc4R2a24pxM81Axx12RdWh0xmcFoFwpakQELQ8TFBZBMyHQH_SQP4I9cvTICDJNBqkqrYJ39YiQh0I/s400/DSC07217.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424823326985710498" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, ok, I know I just posted a soup recipe, but i can't help it, this is what we've been eating. Earlier this week we went to a friend's house for dinner and she made a delicious soup with zucchini, corn, dill, and some vegetable bullion. Last night, I tried to use similar ingredients for a similar result. Apparently it's the starch in the corn that gives it the creamy texture. In the world of soups, it was a really nice change of pace from the brothy types we usually make. (Plus, I was dying to play with my new food processor.)<br /><br />Ideally, I would have had some fresh yeasted bread to accompany the soup, but without prior preparation, I thought it would be a good time to try my mother's cornbread in one of our "new" iron skillets. I suppose the word "corn" can be the tie that binds between these two? Mostly, this meal was about celebrating the end of a cold, snowy work week, with something warm and comforting. Success!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d073MDt7x7lC8mDM4_c3kHVL_vb_m_LpFx3d47182PwIX2h_kzBptDn7QQ8E79Z6Ee16CHtOy0a17Y8qjQf2kJJMA6oGcDdYJ5HdEg4KV0F680dgE0ZeTXjaDZorcOeve66_dg4o4a4/s1600-h/DSC07195.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d073MDt7x7lC8mDM4_c3kHVL_vb_m_LpFx3d47182PwIX2h_kzBptDn7QQ8E79Z6Ee16CHtOy0a17Y8qjQf2kJJMA6oGcDdYJ5HdEg4KV0F680dgE0ZeTXjaDZorcOeve66_dg4o4a4/s400/DSC07195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424822063190319330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Zucchini Corn Soup</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />interpreted from Alia's soup dish on Monday night</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-1 small onion</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-1 large shallot</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-4 cloves of garlic </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(note: these first three ingredients are the best way to start anything)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-4 small </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(out of season)</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> zucchinis</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-1 large carrot</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-1 large celery stalk</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-3/4 of a 1lb bag of frozen corn</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-1 1/2 boxes of chicken broth or vegetable broth </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(I like reduced sodium so I can be in charge of my own salt)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-1 Tbs dill weed</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-salt and pepper to taste</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-olive oil for pot</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNebCOji9oxmVKwymB3BVLHysSOauDwEarw5J8R3RRjCt9McFpktNSzM_0vbkwvv2nhFtQWuBetEVmfNDEHT3HaxGEeNlyypgd3Pdg0g18jXmMvAFW4VQlewOZ2o3dkc__0bJtoKOL5v0/s1600-h/DSC07209.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNebCOji9oxmVKwymB3BVLHysSOauDwEarw5J8R3RRjCt9McFpktNSzM_0vbkwvv2nhFtQWuBetEVmfNDEHT3HaxGEeNlyypgd3Pdg0g18jXmMvAFW4VQlewOZ2o3dkc__0bJtoKOL5v0/s400/DSC07209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424822064572401842" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Roughly chop all the vegetables but the corn, (the soup will be pureed later).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In a large pot, heat up about a tablespoon of olive oil </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(I would have started with some bacon or ham if I'd had any)</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. Sautee the garlic, onion, shallot, and some salt until browned and fragrant, keep stirring to prevent burning. Stir in the chopped zucchini, carrot, and celery until coated with oil. Sautee for about a minute.</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSx-PJRAz8iqVtv5LalbNolgWtDNR8AJuPkesumL5_zRG2COdR4yWtbuSoX8bBGcDnCgXI_b5PP-5_evRspFDuWsRSZjPFFcIjIAaAbGXQeiXBYe7QH5LOml5kAK7et2fSTjqCEBGQnw/s1600-h/DSC07215.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSx-PJRAz8iqVtv5LalbNolgWtDNR8AJuPkesumL5_zRG2COdR4yWtbuSoX8bBGcDnCgXI_b5PP-5_evRspFDuWsRSZjPFFcIjIAaAbGXQeiXBYe7QH5LOml5kAK7et2fSTjqCEBGQnw/s400/DSC07215.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424832861568265378" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pour in the chicken broth, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get up all those bits of flavorful caramelized onion. Cover lightly and bring to a boil. Add frozen corn and simmer for 15 minutes or until flavorful. Turn off heat and allow to cool.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In small batches, transfer the cooled soup to a blender to puree. Return to heat to warm up. Add salt and pepper to taste.</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4E7ItbCfpadtGlbAvwUXy6gqZlXK950GJc_F7YcG6D76srkz6VT4zcbTsKekvOD880pvnf_LnGXuN6zwCeXGGPzHYGw_PnBna_IzcjJEqQJBWjuaOeSXbGJrtPcDKamgjZMvpIFxDGa8/s1600-h/DSC07216.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4E7ItbCfpadtGlbAvwUXy6gqZlXK950GJc_F7YcG6D76srkz6VT4zcbTsKekvOD880pvnf_LnGXuN6zwCeXGGPzHYGw_PnBna_IzcjJEqQJBWjuaOeSXbGJrtPcDKamgjZMvpIFxDGa8/s400/DSC07216.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424832865761684674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Mama's Skillet Cornbread</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >ever so slightly adapted from <a href="http://www.cwburtrecipes.blogspot.com/">Cathy's Cookbook</a><br /></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Preheat oven 400 degrees F</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 cup stone ground cornmeal</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 cup self rising flour </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(lots of my mother's recipes call for this, so I finally went ahead and bought a bag of it. It is just all-purpose flour with salt and leaveners already in it)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 Tbs sugar</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 tsp baking powder</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 tsp salt</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 cup vegetable oil</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 cup buttermilk </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(you can substitute regular milk with a tsp of vinegar in it)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 beaten eggs</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gm2fGT0uOb_QjtyHjnBC9A5xayrpKJ2WumEJBtz0I8lvmxB0EXhasWAKJULYniVuVDKsly51V3OOeJJCbhBrIy_Ln1p-iA8Tw1vRW5rQ5lRSlhpx7kn5jUmjmcdc9MAp8Ez_6CUbYWM/s1600-h/DSC07193.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gm2fGT0uOb_QjtyHjnBC9A5xayrpKJ2WumEJBtz0I8lvmxB0EXhasWAKJULYniVuVDKsly51V3OOeJJCbhBrIy_Ln1p-iA8Tw1vRW5rQ5lRSlhpx7kn5jUmjmcdc9MAp8Ez_6CUbYWM/s400/DSC07193.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424822057890283554" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Combine dry ingredients.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, and eggs.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Stir wet ingredients into the dry with a wooden spoon until combined.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bake for 20 minutes (or until browned on the top) in a well-greased iron skillet (size 8).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">(This makes quite a bit of corn bread, this morning on the phone, mama said you could reduce the recipe by a third and use a size 6 skillet for less servings.)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJOY8IdjUNTBfuKOAauON1I1SAvsI22-zX4E8ENRUbVVk7XcOqgyjpSksu0pXgftFBPH0oa7GEsgpWc3V3EZrL73smCL6tZw4U57ayrid_Heyv_eDGAOB6a-NNu5HnQsrreKvQ8xJTlo/s1600-h/DSC07218.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJOY8IdjUNTBfuKOAauON1I1SAvsI22-zX4E8ENRUbVVk7XcOqgyjpSksu0pXgftFBPH0oa7GEsgpWc3V3EZrL73smCL6tZw4U57ayrid_Heyv_eDGAOB6a-NNu5HnQsrreKvQ8xJTlo/s400/DSC07218.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424822073987808242" border="0" /></a></blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJOY8IdjUNTBfuKOAauON1I1SAvsI22-zX4E8ENRUbVVk7XcOqgyjpSksu0pXgftFBPH0oa7GEsgpWc3V3EZrL73smCL6tZw4U57ayrid_Heyv_eDGAOB6a-NNu5HnQsrreKvQ8xJTlo/s1600-h/DSC07218.JPG"></a><br />Soundtrack: Ella Fitzgerald,<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrDx7uVyP38"> A-Tisket A-Tasket</a>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-67857617755914185752010-01-05T19:44:00.000-05:002010-01-09T15:38:03.820-05:00Challah Bread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWO6HKMIm1qjGBd80FQS_b1QsWtyox5zDxC3rP0tEV8GfOSXBnlxhy9zS4NsAVgDnRuXfv5kR6usx5E25K2e00_KG4kZXAuKXOkc9uTEEPzgdf4ODL_noXeoXix5H18g8GstNH7ItQjvQ/s1600-h/DSC07007.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWO6HKMIm1qjGBd80FQS_b1QsWtyox5zDxC3rP0tEV8GfOSXBnlxhy9zS4NsAVgDnRuXfv5kR6usx5E25K2e00_KG4kZXAuKXOkc9uTEEPzgdf4ODL_noXeoXix5H18g8GstNH7ItQjvQ/s400/DSC07007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423423993459431858" border="0" /></a><br />Since I've started making bread, I've rarely used the same recipe twice. This means I have mastered no particular bread, but have a little experience with lots of different bread recipes. Even the few loaves that failed to rise made the house smell wonderful and tasted just fine, despite the dense texture. For the most part, the recipes I've tried yield results that taste pretty much the same. As my dad might say, "bread is bread". This Challah recipe however, sets itself apart. It is light, fluffy, a little sweet, and completely luxurious after many whole wheat rustic loaves. Challah is a traditional Jewish Sabbath bread blessed and served before Friday night dinner. According to Joy of Cooking, it is also "particularly good at breakfast time".<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNjHf6k39sqtTUYD8W6itjUGBeuoJ4r_IVpFhX871_rC51IsJV_q3jxdPBUSZ5VqgMCMbIdoghxS_Bxbs53zqKq5ouNjhxOn_m21psxdWpUX_LejJlMbOA7TjhSNIQ8yherk51YiNFw8/s1600-h/DSC06957.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNjHf6k39sqtTUYD8W6itjUGBeuoJ4r_IVpFhX871_rC51IsJV_q3jxdPBUSZ5VqgMCMbIdoghxS_Bxbs53zqKq5ouNjhxOn_m21psxdWpUX_LejJlMbOA7TjhSNIQ8yherk51YiNFw8/s400/DSC06957.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423423435199956674" border="0" /></a><br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Challah</span><br />from The Joy of Cooking<br /><br />Combine in a large mixing bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved (about 5 min):<br />-1 package of active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)<br />1/2 cup warm (105-115 degrees) water<br /><br />Add:<br />-1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />-2 large eggs, lightly beaten<br />-2 egg yolks, lightly beaten<br />-3 Tbs vegetable oil<br />-3 Tbs sugar<br />-1 1/4 tsp salt<br /><br />Mix by hand or on low speed until thoroughly blended. Gradually stir in:<br />-2 1/2 cups bread flour<br /><br />Knead for about 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to your hands or the bowl. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 to 1/12 hours. Punch the dough down, knead briefly, and refrigerate covered until it has again nearly doubled in volume, 4-12 hours. (I figured my kitchen was cold enough to practically be a refrigerator).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuE31Ug8QdQMukKgKVF11lqtTaYz3j1C7K0VMngUf7bYo6qavVKD03Hv61v9FoxBFtp-jsHPSnyIW30VDj_LjBQmXhLqmJDtXKkR_F4dKob-5NI_G8l4HVZyW7h7dpeySN33auo-JNS2U/s1600-h/DSC06956.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuE31Ug8QdQMukKgKVF11lqtTaYz3j1C7K0VMngUf7bYo6qavVKD03Hv61v9FoxBFtp-jsHPSnyIW30VDj_LjBQmXhLqmJDtXKkR_F4dKob-5NI_G8l4HVZyW7h7dpeySN33auo-JNS2U/s400/DSC06956.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423423431752535442" border="0" /></a><br />Divide the dough equally into three parts. On an un-floured work surface, roll into balls and let rest for 10 minutes. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with corn meal. Roll each ball into a 13-inch to 14-inch long rope, about 1 1/2-inch thick. Dust the 3 ropes with rye or whole wheat flour for more definition. Place the three strands next to each-other and pinch the top ends together. Braid the dough ropes and pinch the bottom ends together. Tuck the ends under and place on baking sheet. Brush the top of the loaf with an egg wash, and cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until not quite doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the loaf again with egg and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQLb3uYidI9IbITB8SdGVKsuCgAlRdtSnFic6Ig0d35NN-F4Gw3j-jNcn4wQ1oQddb-WMI_zFTW0GSy7nX-8xr4kvyVbnR8S33SuMob30jjapfF2mqNo3vECvI284v4IPtBaYaOzpR-k/s1600-h/DSC07004.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQLb3uYidI9IbITB8SdGVKsuCgAlRdtSnFic6Ig0d35NN-F4Gw3j-jNcn4wQ1oQddb-WMI_zFTW0GSy7nX-8xr4kvyVbnR8S33SuMob30jjapfF2mqNo3vECvI284v4IPtBaYaOzpR-k/s400/DSC07004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423423445166657218" border="0" /></a><br />Bake until the crust is golden brown and the bottom of the load sounds hollow when tapped, 30-35 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7UBWffVuegXP-ZfSdrNxtbOQgwUWGLNJA1MvZa7qvikCQzodv75BaSVFUJfofLJLt4dp7TsOxDpXnbYlCcvUBMUw3TG6GHfxVeGUjsSm3UtKvxZ5zHzlAb9BSpunv5hjPRpZLnbAz0g/s1600-h/DSC06953.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7UBWffVuegXP-ZfSdrNxtbOQgwUWGLNJA1MvZa7qvikCQzodv75BaSVFUJfofLJLt4dp7TsOxDpXnbYlCcvUBMUw3TG6GHfxVeGUjsSm3UtKvxZ5zHzlAb9BSpunv5hjPRpZLnbAz0g/s400/DSC06953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423423424113321266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There are also 4-strand braided loafs and 6-strand loafs<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPxoWj1X3DwMSMaLXAiS2kbmusFwgannv-mG75tA5hY1dTXM_22nASHTysiHWgvL8_z0sD7awa-Bxx8EEHYDdhXZLnrhVuEoYdpsctMg992-HmVDrZ4ZF8A5Ds7Nz2EumXeiitzGrCPM/s1600-h/DSC07008.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPxoWj1X3DwMSMaLXAiS2kbmusFwgannv-mG75tA5hY1dTXM_22nASHTysiHWgvL8_z0sD7awa-Bxx8EEHYDdhXZLnrhVuEoYdpsctMg992-HmVDrZ4ZF8A5Ds7Nz2EumXeiitzGrCPM/s400/DSC07008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423424004996239602" border="0" /></a><br />Soundtrack: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6mfWun73vI">Chet Baker, Tenderly</a>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-81450398247084679762010-01-02T09:43:00.000-05:002010-01-02T13:44:54.210-05:00Guest Blogger: Mike DiMotta on Spicy Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgv0mGdN1L3x5-duncuWGhN0ed7EU6JfYbQ3O2-8t5ClnekcM0OA4Gur8a8UGmW65KcNd16OF9-e6upGjVd_-kGyOB0qcbcB0gCp-Q8vFFs1_updD1rdoN6EeQOS1kbVthYA8vxtRopo/s1600-h/DSC06938.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgv0mGdN1L3x5-duncuWGhN0ed7EU6JfYbQ3O2-8t5ClnekcM0OA4Gur8a8UGmW65KcNd16OF9-e6upGjVd_-kGyOB0qcbcB0gCp-Q8vFFs1_updD1rdoN6EeQOS1kbVthYA8vxtRopo/s400/DSC06938.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422172400668289842" border="0" /></a><br />Ever since I met <a href="http://www.blogger.com/michaeldimotta.com">Mike</a> about seven years ago, I have enjoyed his multiple soup variations and seen the Master at work: changing ingredients, trying new spices, combining recipes to create these big comforting pots of soup at the perfect soup-appropriate times. He can feed multitudes which is why we often use him and his soups when we have a house full of hungry friends. Mike and I shared a tiny apartment in Portland, Oregon for about two months, and we must have had soup at least twice a week. It is what my body and soul crave on these gray, snowy, rainy days. He was visiting over New Year's, and we made sure our kitchen was stocked with the ingredients he'd need. With two inches of snow on the ground, we spent New Year's Eve day working on our various projects with soup bowls in hand, coffee in the pot, and every once in a while, a comment on the year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">So here in his own words, is Mike's favorite soup recipe.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkLke0YxMbGgOOMa4w2O30ZyQ88SXlEzVyWHN_h8-e67RjWQP8uEnk9n06D8T-2y-YfruuaTnZXn-e64Z0iik0tJqCB6NlIMiHit9y4QNfV1HhfujjQvoBoVQn7VOiwrsMN6HIOqFzAU/s1600-h/DSC06946.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkLke0YxMbGgOOMa4w2O30ZyQ88SXlEzVyWHN_h8-e67RjWQP8uEnk9n06D8T-2y-YfruuaTnZXn-e64Z0iik0tJqCB6NlIMiHit9y4QNfV1HhfujjQvoBoVQn7VOiwrsMN6HIOqFzAU/s400/DSC06946.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422180794097161426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Thank you Mae lo for that wonderful glowing charismatic introduction!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Today we are going to discuss Soup! My favorite spicy Italian sausage tortellini soup to be specific. It's the perfect comfort food on a rainy, snowy, cold day, and only takes about 30 minutes to make.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A recipe that evolved over time, the current ingredients are:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- 1 lb Spicy Italian sausage (squeezed out of the casing.. gross)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- one bag of chopped fresh spinach</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- one can of diced tomatoes</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- a couple of cloves of garlic minced</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- one vadalia onion, chopped</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- one family sized package of your favorite cheese tortellini</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- 2 boxes of chicken broth.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- grated parmesan cheese</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- crushed black pepper</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-(optional one bag of broad soup egg noodles)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">One large pot to cook everything in!</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAksciKDXQk4Dj2Qz2BHR2PtwszigxL6oHtIr-CaulcbXSuy61jle5pb8bkbQvEvQct5w78VS28nWiFg3cdlJBJ7ogI4EqFTAJ2j4fnfrwATGjrmjpfKffvLhrLHCrXzPjWStMTzDrG4/s1600-h/DSC06940.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAksciKDXQk4Dj2Qz2BHR2PtwszigxL6oHtIr-CaulcbXSuy61jle5pb8bkbQvEvQct5w78VS28nWiFg3cdlJBJ7ogI4EqFTAJ2j4fnfrwATGjrmjpfKffvLhrLHCrXzPjWStMTzDrG4/s400/DSC06940.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422172416204030194" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">First we cook the spicy sausage (out of casing), onions, and garlic, in a drizzle of Olive oil until the sausage has been ground up and browned.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(you can drain the sausage fat if you like.. but I leave it for spicy flavor)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Then add the the can of diced tomato to the sausage mixture and let that cook for a bit.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pour in about a box and a half of the chicken stock into the pot and bring to a boil.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(This is usually when I chop the spinach.. )</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYtS5En5n9GGRjWuNaquFBoso7bIuOkGTZJ8UGoTc2cGcHOXe2xBSYkxKdp8k_D50w5Qsu1Es9TE-_Ih-sUZX5rA0gxttBMIZfb8Y0DnhV61cLlwT18AGiyh3Zb1xbZ5paQEylhFIr4g/s1600-h/DSC06936.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYtS5En5n9GGRjWuNaquFBoso7bIuOkGTZJ8UGoTc2cGcHOXe2xBSYkxKdp8k_D50w5Qsu1Es9TE-_Ih-sUZX5rA0gxttBMIZfb8Y0DnhV61cLlwT18AGiyh3Zb1xbZ5paQEylhFIr4g/s400/DSC06936.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422172418650938418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Once we get a good boil going, pour in your tortellini (I also sometimes add a couple handfuls of broad soup noodles to help absorb some of the broth).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Once the tortellini and noodles seem cooked, I'll add a little bit more broth if it needs it (depending on how soupy you want it). Dump the fresh spinach on top of the soup and cover.</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN65f6fit3B2quoOat_kKcJrcOsm0ZNy4XmBck3BQ57gfSRXsCSIYoFJxibCpfhsjiqLQwb1FLfH_4vzqXATCdcyJBj0PBp0VOKAKR8IBwqOjOfgBLGnt0DJZBeYpRI4xEK3U3W0rpdqw/s1600-h/DSC06941.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN65f6fit3B2quoOat_kKcJrcOsm0ZNy4XmBck3BQ57gfSRXsCSIYoFJxibCpfhsjiqLQwb1FLfH_4vzqXATCdcyJBj0PBp0VOKAKR8IBwqOjOfgBLGnt0DJZBeYpRI4xEK3U3W0rpdqw/s400/DSC06941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422172406625595826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Leave until the spinach is wilted, and then mix it in!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Let cool for a couple minutes and ladle into your favorite soup bowl </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://bmorefunctional.etsy.com/">(if you don't have one, you should get one)</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and add a pinch of parmesan cheese and black pepper on top!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">It could feed about 5 or 6 people and it's super yummy. ENJOY!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB8GuluDXaDNzLTgY9n-b_zxysvrMhQ1IdHoEH6d4JDWvwFu89Bv9VZLTdlYD2Bh5aLr2HcDWgz2HBi_cpFK5T4SnUdblL8bgRJm8UiAAUjpfQFxZm8EplB1ajOKAgjhlCWNgfqaVziE/s1600-h/DSC06937.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB8GuluDXaDNzLTgY9n-b_zxysvrMhQ1IdHoEH6d4JDWvwFu89Bv9VZLTdlYD2Bh5aLr2HcDWgz2HBi_cpFK5T4SnUdblL8bgRJm8UiAAUjpfQFxZm8EplB1ajOKAgjhlCWNgfqaVziE/s400/DSC06937.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422172423410784562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mike's soup makin' soundtrack: Timothy Seth Avett, Rain on My Tin Roof</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVp7aMs4B2Z0hZtsF4w0JbHc4OjpXaa6wjvvVmD044DefBdzsGMAbiO49fNuzooIlVctLynDZXYIq-dBj_JVsdzAl2riXHJ7VQs-G2jlieGYzu7rSWzTfoUtvVbAQYJHYryVdp2ki4YPQ/s1600-h/JohnRob.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVp7aMs4B2Z0hZtsF4w0JbHc4OjpXaa6wjvvVmD044DefBdzsGMAbiO49fNuzooIlVctLynDZXYIq-dBj_JVsdzAl2riXHJ7VQs-G2jlieGYzu7rSWzTfoUtvVbAQYJHYryVdp2ki4YPQ/s400/JohnRob.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422214009008299714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://johnbohl.blogspot.com/">John</a> and <a href="http://bmorefunctional.wordpress.com/">Robert</a> enjoying their soup</span></span>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-73021300056859977442009-12-31T11:36:00.000-05:002010-01-09T15:42:16.339-05:00Pancake Nonpareil (New Years Eve)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03Zbf5BD5_aSw5OfDOn1mOrc75jCbdhnSSrvm-QU6YbOkyj62c7MJ6GAT7rQTiIF4HJsmmMQrdAOD9P-1o9bqmNDDpZ8dDRw_UHAe2g_Q5f-mzz6xGrjEKbxGC4OKGwQ9NN1_s4piKV4/s1600-h/DSC06786.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03Zbf5BD5_aSw5OfDOn1mOrc75jCbdhnSSrvm-QU6YbOkyj62c7MJ6GAT7rQTiIF4HJsmmMQrdAOD9P-1o9bqmNDDpZ8dDRw_UHAe2g_Q5f-mzz6xGrjEKbxGC4OKGwQ9NN1_s4piKV4/s400/DSC06786.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421454915896211122" border="0" /></a><br />Good Morning!<br /><br />Growing up, my mother made this dish for breakfast every Sunday morning before heading off to church. It is similar to a sweet skinny breakfast souffle...if there is such a thing. Dictionary.com defines nonpareil as "something without equal", and sure enough after one bite this morning, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.michaeldimotta.com">Mike DiMotta</a> said "I've never had anything like this". It is a super simple, relatively fast treat with ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen.<br /><br />I haven't been able to make it myself because I've never had a cast iron skillet...until now. Robert and I have had our eyes peeled for one on Craigslist, but never had any luck. A few weeks before Christmas we were walking around Cobble Hill in Brooklyn and there on the sidewalk was a pile of kitchen ware including two cast iron skillets (!!!). <a href="http://www.blogger.com/bmorefunctional.wordpress.com">Robert</a> restored them to beautiful working condition and we have been enjoying things we couldn't make before like Fritattas and my mother's Pancake Nonpareil.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rNf_vIWPsFi1h75pRCeCtO9EAiOV-cvK_ayvwDHvffKqXiV_x742DZp6icaZ-hpGq3DciiQfoBuYs21pyxNdjWI3c2yMQPDFnPLIwrJGEV7RnqUWdwcVEF7jSadsOUFjlcYXYAqjv4g/s1600-h/DSC06788.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rNf_vIWPsFi1h75pRCeCtO9EAiOV-cvK_ayvwDHvffKqXiV_x742DZp6icaZ-hpGq3DciiQfoBuYs21pyxNdjWI3c2yMQPDFnPLIwrJGEV7RnqUWdwcVEF7jSadsOUFjlcYXYAqjv4g/s400/DSC06788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421454905607456882" border="0" /></a><br />Over the summer we had breakfast at <a href="http://benkutil.com/">Ben</a> and <a href="http://chellepaperie.blogspot.com/">Katie's</a> where they made a "Dutch Baby". I had never heard of a Dutch Baby, but it was almost the exact same dish as Pancake Nonpareil. When I got home I looked for it in the index of my Joy of Cooking, and sure enough it's almost the exact same thing with a few slight differences. My mother's recipe, for example, calls for an extra egg white which i think helps to puff it up like a souffle. You can use pretty much any sized cast iron skillet, it will just change the thickness of the pancake.<br /><br />Here are both recipes to taste test and enjoy:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Pancake Nonpareil</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">from my </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.blogger.com/cwburtrecipes.blogspot.com">mother</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Preheat oven 425 F</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Combine and beat lightly:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 cup milk</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 eggs plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">pinch nutmeg</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 cup flour</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Melt in 12" skillet:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">4 Tbs margarine</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When hot: pour in batter & bake 15 20 min.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sprinkle with:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 Tbs powdered sugar</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">and return to oven for 2 min.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve promptly.</span></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5xKk6hs-U_nzpmaUOiUZw9j_vcUpBR9yqFzkS5Be36VWwZcBpIoo2f4C8qKl1FuqEpuhbKuHVFgbzSaB0pS5z8y2nTAd5Kp2xNra-SmUspPlapvYWgja9uk-oO1cK0gWI-7cefSckzk/s1600-h/DSC06791.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5xKk6hs-U_nzpmaUOiUZw9j_vcUpBR9yqFzkS5Be36VWwZcBpIoo2f4C8qKl1FuqEpuhbKuHVFgbzSaB0pS5z8y2nTAd5Kp2xNra-SmUspPlapvYWgja9uk-oO1cK0gWI-7cefSckzk/s400/DSC06791.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421454897104832530" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dutch Baby</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">from the Joy of Cooking</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Preheat oven to 450 degrees F</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Whisk together until smooth:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 cup milk</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/2 cup all-purpose flour</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1/4 cup sugar</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 large eggs at room temperature</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Melt into a 10" oven-proof skillet over medium heat:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">4 Tbs of unsalted butter</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tilt the pan so that the butter coats the sides. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and cook, without stirring, for 1 minute. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the pancake is puffed and golden, 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately, for the pancake loses its puff, and therefore its drama, almost immediately. </span>(What a fabulous sentence!)</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhb7nZBoICBNYCpnx2-Wj44hcDOTdzH0PXkKlDX-B8DquS-zZD9gQcUD2AQYNED2h_lSejxkvhoCMct4_gC0HhgwjddPeMGD7dzESptvmfuYp8XRm__iIOHN9ruJfqgGiN6GUpvqfPQw/s1600-h/DSC06792.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhb7nZBoICBNYCpnx2-Wj44hcDOTdzH0PXkKlDX-B8DquS-zZD9gQcUD2AQYNED2h_lSejxkvhoCMct4_gC0HhgwjddPeMGD7dzESptvmfuYp8XRm__iIOHN9ruJfqgGiN6GUpvqfPQw/s400/DSC06792.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421454911589587858" border="0" /></a><br />Soundtrack: Cat Power: The GreatestMLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-35317352609803169742009-12-29T20:21:00.001-05:002009-12-29T21:11:37.343-05:00Christmas: come and gone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0zqtgZiXDv5CjAjXuaZxh965lm4i0gRQj03ovLds8IV0TxM2apiNcG10e70WIpAGFSRl4E4TDcgVQ5WgXMAibpfNQFV1lTZZFMctckLIa_PGSDXg6TnGKXiAJgmnzOZXph66U_KETOs/s1600-h/DSC06559.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0zqtgZiXDv5CjAjXuaZxh965lm4i0gRQj03ovLds8IV0TxM2apiNcG10e70WIpAGFSRl4E4TDcgVQ5WgXMAibpfNQFV1lTZZFMctckLIa_PGSDXg6TnGKXiAJgmnzOZXph66U_KETOs/s400/DSC06559.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420839680840486578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">mug from <a href="http://www.bakerartistawards.org/users/view/sarah_house">House</a><br /><br /></span></span>I don't think I've fully recovered from Christmas. Every year its the same scenario: starting around Thanksgiving, I get so excited and nostalgic at the thought of the upcoming holiday. The iPod gets overhauled with Christmas tunes and "wintery" music, I line up my Netflix queue with all my favorite holiday movies, I plan obsessively with lists and mental to-dos of what gifts to make, what cookies to bake, what to wear on the big day... December is actually somewhat of an emotional roller-coaster. Amidst all the planning and excitement, I am also reminiscing of all the Christmases past. It's a bittersweet activity because there's always something or someone to miss. <br /><br />Then Christmas arrives with all it's turkey and chocolate, and gift-giving glory. Suddenly, the dinner guests go home, the TV turns off, you fall asleep full, and wake up the next morning as if nothing had happened. A long drive home, back to work on Monday, and the world spins on. No wonder so many people take the week between Christmas and new years off... your body, mind, and emotions need a whole week to digest everything. Oh, and not to mention new year's! A holiday for assessing your year (life really), triumphs, failures, etc... while at the same time declaring to be a better person and imagining/hoping for what good health and happiness awaits in the coming year. Yes, I suppose I find December a little taxing...but glorious, and i love every bit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPyiOCmq5Xvd1gBEiAcf78w7xQcZsoQWbkifXY1LK1FNQU5NZJvNkzYH_47fH4bX5yWoe8iPi1-hvN5bP6S7JA0neMelXw7Ps2UK3Mw6-EqVh0SDeL3q3Zd0UF7dyOXvUpt4jMomMyXs/s1600-h/DSC06720.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPyiOCmq5Xvd1gBEiAcf78w7xQcZsoQWbkifXY1LK1FNQU5NZJvNkzYH_47fH4bX5yWoe8iPi1-hvN5bP6S7JA0neMelXw7Ps2UK3Mw6-EqVh0SDeL3q3Zd0UF7dyOXvUpt4jMomMyXs/s400/DSC06720.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420838994429500098" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fiesta Ware from Patti, and Salad tossers from Mom</span></span><br /><br />I intended this post to be all about the wonderful gifts i received for my kitchen! Among the highlights were a tart pan with a removable bottom from <a href="http://bmorefunctional.wordpress.com/">Robert</a>, a set of three large <a href="http://www.hlchina.com/fiestaretail.htm">Fiesta Wear</a> bowls (and some various other gorgeous dishes) from Patti, hand carved salad tossers and pie server from Santa (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/cwburtrecipes.blogspot.com">mom</a>), a <a href="http://www.bakerartistawards.org/users/view/sarah_house">Sarah House</a> original mug from House, food processor/ blender from my parents, and some sour dough bread starter from Betsy, which she has been feeding since 1971! Thank you everyone, my kitchen and I are grateful!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfPJhFZjJTDPlkQXDvFRe0O9edg4RX3Jiy7ryNIq-VuHTH8SZp5h0mZLs03Ht-WRmEflTyHsfLhPbufY_Yp8XrGoGcsMYz-f-Qyy9KC7g3YL_2F2H8m2WIPuP66Ie612EubbNTPboS8g/s1600-h/DSC06727.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfPJhFZjJTDPlkQXDvFRe0O9edg4RX3Jiy7ryNIq-VuHTH8SZp5h0mZLs03Ht-WRmEflTyHsfLhPbufY_Yp8XrGoGcsMYz-f-Qyy9KC7g3YL_2F2H8m2WIPuP66Ie612EubbNTPboS8g/s400/DSC06727.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420839001252615986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">recycled glass dish and saucer set from Patti</span></span>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-67675575256295918242009-12-27T20:49:00.000-05:002009-12-27T22:32:11.157-05:00Chocolate Truffles and Sand Dollars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4wVU7xsS4UEckD9dIox37AyeEBXILnSMq87EKPB7g0_2ZQuGqFwQPdQZi7jOxGapBG1NvUQmXG9l3c8DKtNZhQ8Hq2-05aUL_SPTcUGMhprh-2CVL-JicpD3CgemZNG7Jtw4xTSv_qk/s1600-h/DSC06718.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4wVU7xsS4UEckD9dIox37AyeEBXILnSMq87EKPB7g0_2ZQuGqFwQPdQZi7jOxGapBG1NvUQmXG9l3c8DKtNZhQ8Hq2-05aUL_SPTcUGMhprh-2CVL-JicpD3CgemZNG7Jtw4xTSv_qk/s400/DSC06718.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420107213690474658" border="0" /></a><br />I found these recipes in a chocolate cookbook I got for Molly for Christmas. I have never really been much of a chocolate fan, but Robert is beginning to change my opinion. He often buys dark chocolate bars from the grocery store, and after taking bites here and there, I think I am prepared to declare myself a chocolate fan. I enjoy that I don't have to eat a lot of it. A little goes a long way. I also repeatedly read about the health benefits of dark chocolate. According to Women's Health Magazine, the cacao in chocolate contains flavonoids which "reduce blood pressure, increase the flexibility of veins and arteries, and cut down on stroke and heart attack risk." Though it's high in calories, as a treat it has more benefits than milk chocolate and other candies and cakes.<br /><br />So, before wrapping up the book, I tested out a few recipes from the "candy store"section. They were easy to follow, and made an impressive contribution to the Christmas celebration.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEUkbLgTdb-_h-C70DFnIrMLW7XFw3n15BJcnNZth4PPQEZbzkL7VtQby_9QIqajn8KSbGy6fEeazwIfWn_kCNY8OKZeHqEXx9yZAubG_iruiJDcq1HcV3Vm0Q4ySkBk09IeN4qSEVPU/s1600-h/DSC06553.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEUkbLgTdb-_h-C70DFnIrMLW7XFw3n15BJcnNZth4PPQEZbzkL7VtQby_9QIqajn8KSbGy6fEeazwIfWn_kCNY8OKZeHqEXx9yZAubG_iruiJDcq1HcV3Vm0Q4ySkBk09IeN4qSEVPU/s400/DSC06553.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420107206848092530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDFBvN2yG9L8DF6jx3IG70rK2s-4n9h3my0iyShiopoWLGe83X89LGYT2Ciifss0f8nQZeEYnZZhoFpT1iifr4bGRI-UakWPmW0bysOdPQzxpbqjhFLxQoCq6QwmL02PHFcLlbQBxCOM/s1600-h/DSC06551.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDFBvN2yG9L8DF6jx3IG70rK2s-4n9h3my0iyShiopoWLGe83X89LGYT2Ciifss0f8nQZeEYnZZhoFpT1iifr4bGRI-UakWPmW0bysOdPQzxpbqjhFLxQoCq6QwmL02PHFcLlbQBxCOM/s400/DSC06551.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420100391006531682" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Truffles</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">adapted from </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-American-Style-Lora-Brody/dp/1400045975">Chocolate American Style by Lora Brody</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">makes 40-50 truffles</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1 cup of heavy cream</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">16 oz. chocolate (bittersweet, semisweet, milk, or white, coarsely chopped)</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 Tbs unsalted butter</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 Tbs of orange zest</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2 Tbs Bailey's Irish Cream (optional)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Coatings:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">unsweetened cocoa powder and confectioner's sugar sifted together</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">cocoa powder and cinnamon sifted together</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">finely chopped pecans</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Place the cream in a medium, heavy saucepan. Set the pan on medium-low heat. Stir in the chocolate, butter, orange zest, and liqueur. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Scrape the truffle mixture into a medium metal bowl and place it in the freezer for about 20 min, or until firm.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When you are ready to roll the truffles, use a teaspoon or melon baller to scoop up a full teaspoon of the truffle mixture. Roll the truffle quickly in your hands to form a ball about 1" in diameter. (A little messy, just work quickly and wipe your hands between rolls.) Roll the truffle in desired coating and place it on the baking sheet. once the truffles are all on the baking sheet, refrigerate for about 20 minutes or until the truffles are firm.</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><blockquote>Sand Dollars<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">adapted from Chocolate American Style</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">makes 24-30 candies</span><br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEgejVcydx8-ryOOh08vRP7Eow_B0jmsmipPH4GYYxtc8FoncZXFQM6s0z4JQt5-qKWL6ZupWqHaz47e8pJxGZu13Oxmqc14CVw5QzuC8lFXNiUhaHHG7YcZ63KItuY38QNBpFKRXDQI/s1600-h/DSC06277.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEgejVcydx8-ryOOh08vRP7Eow_B0jmsmipPH4GYYxtc8FoncZXFQM6s0z4JQt5-qKWL6ZupWqHaz47e8pJxGZu13Oxmqc14CVw5QzuC8lFXNiUhaHHG7YcZ63KItuY38QNBpFKRXDQI/s400/DSC06277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420122784766150834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">1 1/2-2 cups of toasted slivered almonds and dried cranberries</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">10 oz of best quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">dash of cayenne powder</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">Line several baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over very low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sash of cayenne powder. Pour and scrape tempered chocolate into a heavy-duty 1-quart resealable plastic bag. Force the air out of the bag, seal it, then use a pair of scissors to snip off a very small piece of one of the corners. Hold the bag over the prepared baking sheet and pipe out a 1 1/2 to 2 Tbs circle of chocolate. Smooth over with table knife or spatula. While the chocolate is still soft, sprinkle your toppings over the chocolate and press in gently with your fingers.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">Allow the sand dollars to harden at room temperature, then carefully peel them from the parchment. Store at room temperature in a covered container with wax paper between the layers, for up to one month.</span></blockquote></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />I experimented with coarse sea salt as a topping, and crushed red pepper as a topping. Both were exciting to look at, but a little overwhelming on the taste buds.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4JGEfZ75cwl1vvA3YMw0Dnde6zrugnrW3umDiQGjCGNL-lCsuIIg9xaZV5yGS6ublrdKZmayKYMuNiF7S0I6UKXcr3h-iK0TppxN7IOjLTRYKsfdxQwbCiCSZ5ZtJXpBiqtnfECVtpU/s1600-h/DSC06276.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4JGEfZ75cwl1vvA3YMw0Dnde6zrugnrW3umDiQGjCGNL-lCsuIIg9xaZV5yGS6ublrdKZmayKYMuNiF7S0I6UKXcr3h-iK0TppxN7IOjLTRYKsfdxQwbCiCSZ5ZtJXpBiqtnfECVtpU/s400/DSC06276.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420122795740121122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDHGQ9xvvYmRtZVCNf-x2rOviBggwWrllf7P59sEFYbk0iZ2sCpa4BrunDMJcxcp74gLnlftH5tJIsvEwyBfkweK7y29dZzycu7zUQKseqvgq4TRmpH8l1luN2pvkMZgrqE4Mk6_H2mI/s1600-h/DSC06279.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDHGQ9xvvYmRtZVCNf-x2rOviBggwWrllf7P59sEFYbk0iZ2sCpa4BrunDMJcxcp74gLnlftH5tJIsvEwyBfkweK7y29dZzycu7zUQKseqvgq4TRmpH8l1luN2pvkMZgrqE4Mk6_H2mI/s400/DSC06279.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420122794726655954" border="0" /></a>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-89937464484518719882009-12-22T16:15:00.000-05:002009-12-23T07:24:27.839-05:00Favorite Christmas Cookies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNmTPukKWEAT69Z07TXV95LgZQfAn89ZupYBuKz1P7yRQla2FlYEsjU8D-4kxlVYu_QdsCwpaG2IpzXQejXAWJkWxYZ4lmjIAI5eXo0mKH0xsXlqZKne95cPKbSIFU16tTx0c6ZZUy28/s1600-h/DSC06278.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNmTPukKWEAT69Z07TXV95LgZQfAn89ZupYBuKz1P7yRQla2FlYEsjU8D-4kxlVYu_QdsCwpaG2IpzXQejXAWJkWxYZ4lmjIAI5eXo0mKH0xsXlqZKne95cPKbSIFU16tTx0c6ZZUy28/s400/DSC06278.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418172951505561826" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My mother has these in her <a href="http://www.cwburtrecipes.blogspot.com/">cook book</a> as "Finger Tips" (which, to me, sounds a little unappetizing) . I have also heard them referred to as "Mexican Wedding Cakes". But growing up i don't recall calling them anything. It was just a known truth that these cookies were my favorite Christmas time treat. My mother made them every year for me- even the two years i was in St. John for Christmas I got a tin full of powdered sugared crumbly goodness in the mail.<br /><br />This year, instead of my own private tin of them, my mother presented me with a large bag of pecans at Thanksgiving. It took an additional phone call reminder from her the other day to actually get around to trying the recipe for myself for the first time. It was quite simple despite my misconception that i <span style="font-style: italic;">must</span> have a food processor to make them properly. I just chopped the pecans as fine as i could get them, and used a pastry cutter to get the butter (i used butter instead of margarine) and dry ingredients all mashed together. Final touch: hand mixing before shaping the cookies into their signature crescent moon shape.<br /><br />With the tree decorated, snow on the ground, and my favorite Christmas cookies at arms reach, it feels more and more like Christmas is here.<br /><blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Finger Tips"</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">from <a href="http://www.cwburtrecipes.blogspot.com/">Cathy's Cookbook</a></span><br /><br />1 stick margarine, softened<br />2 heaping Tbs powdered sugar<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />1 cup flour<br />pinch salt<br />1 cup pecans, finely chopped<br />powdered sugar<br /><br />Preheat oven 350 F.<br />Cream margarine and sugar.<br />Add remaining ingredients and mix well.<br />Roll bits of dough the size of walnut between palms to form<br />finger lengths or crescents and place on ungreased<br />cookie sheet.<br />Bake 10 15 min.<br />While warm, roll in powdered sugar.<br />Can dip ends in melted chocolate and let harden if desired.</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUwphxu2HGy0gWrJM5uGirfMa6K7HXfUryVR99Oe96-iWuZHTi-Jpg4KMP35K7RbI7-TcumCbf_q_p_-TzmVoEywTkbG1BTJ4A-Fny2SiP50VMr0RCiAaAR0C8KeKxwuWgw9F0Qdv0QA/s1600-h/DSC06274.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUwphxu2HGy0gWrJM5uGirfMa6K7HXfUryVR99Oe96-iWuZHTi-Jpg4KMP35K7RbI7-TcumCbf_q_p_-TzmVoEywTkbG1BTJ4A-Fny2SiP50VMr0RCiAaAR0C8KeKxwuWgw9F0Qdv0QA/s400/DSC06274.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418172953383551938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZtmTmMGHlTfot5xA3KsDjcdcZ-x_EdhqsgWLefpew8Aaq1TbOJG7sUdGv4w62LnSwmFA30_OhOzVI5Y2OdumyOT73kli6qRP386Xw-dDJc2t78zbKPe0QHMgKaw9j8cLD2XNaj6O64o/s1600-h/DSC06351.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZtmTmMGHlTfot5xA3KsDjcdcZ-x_EdhqsgWLefpew8Aaq1TbOJG7sUdGv4w62LnSwmFA30_OhOzVI5Y2OdumyOT73kli6qRP386Xw-dDJc2t78zbKPe0QHMgKaw9j8cLD2XNaj6O64o/s400/DSC06351.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418180807673003938" /></a>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825758152539659207.post-10460596459349801692009-12-21T22:35:00.000-05:002009-12-21T23:39:36.862-05:00Saturday Morning Crepes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghw7pcZpSMC91mi6Y6itBSiezUP-ndW7S1RLgUJMRSd5nXfjhBpJba6cxPC0pnDyOjUbCmZEazqD2w3WblsH4i-BHirugnS_84_FZQJvG-1NJKdfvRdsKg6kLxKWFBvOSVpcT0nDipm9c/s1600-h/DSC06454.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghw7pcZpSMC91mi6Y6itBSiezUP-ndW7S1RLgUJMRSd5nXfjhBpJba6cxPC0pnDyOjUbCmZEazqD2w3WblsH4i-BHirugnS_84_FZQJvG-1NJKdfvRdsKg6kLxKWFBvOSVpcT0nDipm9c/s400/DSC06454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417900762536527186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Snow Day!<br /><br />There are few things more seasonally exciting than waking up to a foot of snow, flakes still falling. The same old view from the bedroom window overlooking the neighbors' backyard suddenly becomes clean, new... maybe even special. This morning promised a muted, cozy day with little on the agenda. A special snow day so close to Christmas calls for a special breakfast, so i tried Crepes. My go-to recipe source (besides my <a href="http://cwburtrecipes.blogspot.com/">mother</a>) is the classic, <a href="http://www.thejoykitchen.com/">Joy of Cooking</a>. It provided several variations to choose from, but as a rookie, I went for the first one listed in the index: <span style="font-style: italic;">Basic Sweet Crepes</span>. They were simple and gratifying to make, just more time consuming than your average American pancake. <br /><br />I had intended a nice, sit-down breakfast with coffee by the fire, but only able to do prepare one crepe at a time, we didn't have the patience to wait for all of them to be done (by which time they would most likely be cold). So instead we stood in the kitchen and split each crepe in half, hot off the griddle. At least there were less dishes to wash...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_O_XIXhrlAVQb7yX5rnuoMbx4sohfRlDLi2E82gCO_vMwps3IlzNCuQqIGCOECqx9EsMtToi2DEWwfV4y09Kw-ScdFMUc-5JMjo7KvSydxKPxIvr4B1t7S-BJBdDBT7n6MQUY4x-vJ-Q/s1600-h/DSC06461.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_O_XIXhrlAVQb7yX5rnuoMbx4sohfRlDLi2E82gCO_vMwps3IlzNCuQqIGCOECqx9EsMtToi2DEWwfV4y09Kw-ScdFMUc-5JMjo7KvSydxKPxIvr4B1t7S-BJBdDBT7n6MQUY4x-vJ-Q/s400/DSC06461.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417912033474720354" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Basic Sweet Crepes</span><br /><blockquote>From<span style="font-style: italic;"> The Joy of Cooking</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">makes about 7 1/2" crepes</span><br /><br />Combine in a blender of food processor until smooth: (i just whisked in a bowl)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">-1/2 cup all-purpose flour</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">-1/2 cup milk</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">-1/4 cup luke warm water</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">-2 large eggs</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">-2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">-1 1/2 Tbs sugar</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">-Pinch of salt</span><br /><br />Pour the batter into a pitcher or other container with a pouring lip. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 days. (This allows the four to fully absorb the liquid and fives the gluten in the flour a chance to relax.)<br /><br />Place a nonstick or seasoned crepe pan over medium heat. Coat the pan with a little butter. Stir the batter and pour about 2 Tbs into the pan, lifting the pan off the heat and tilting and rotating it so that the batter forms an even, very thin layer. Cook until the top is set and underside is golden. Turn the crepe over, using a spatula or preferably your fingers. Cook until the second side is lightly browned. Remove the crepe to a piece of wax paper. Continue cooking the rest of the crepes, buttering the pan and stirring the batter before starting each one. Stack the finished crepes between sheets of wax paper. Use immediately or let cool, wrap airtight, and freeze for up to 1 month.</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>(On each one i sifted powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa through a fine mesh strainer.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboCmYnPr0KSp25fS2b5a0FfjMzF1MRCynZMooG6ZtdZkP8y2isFjweRwgfi0fdRpKaXovoXiiDVoHyUShnV9FpA9eeXxv_qB6gVWLlgIJBMTVZGfk0qSgbGRTXWg1BRo_NShzRdQ4M14/s1600-h/DSC06453.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboCmYnPr0KSp25fS2b5a0FfjMzF1MRCynZMooG6ZtdZkP8y2isFjweRwgfi0fdRpKaXovoXiiDVoHyUShnV9FpA9eeXxv_qB6gVWLlgIJBMTVZGfk0qSgbGRTXWg1BRo_NShzRdQ4M14/s400/DSC06453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417912945845773458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7Rrb_BmNFsr67grH_54pa92-qu54gjSRAhJVPdvbn7iQ0qr-INjnBUGVIAHF2fV3wOGuhRnyXrgye2jybMLX2GG_8a1PcIJAIr1_t7cQAQph6rt2rMAXVYtFKdz7YxNeRX8Ax5P-4TU/s1600-h/DSC06257.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7Rrb_BmNFsr67grH_54pa92-qu54gjSRAhJVPdvbn7iQ0qr-INjnBUGVIAHF2fV3wOGuhRnyXrgye2jybMLX2GG_8a1PcIJAIr1_t7cQAQph6rt2rMAXVYtFKdz7YxNeRX8Ax5P-4TU/s400/DSC06257.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417913693240985842" border="0" /></a>MLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11832367637380928683noreply@blogger.com0