AMUSE-BOUCHE

Mundane Details

2011-12-29T11:10:00.003-05:00

It's amazing what a full night of rest and some vegetables can do for your body and your mind. I've been dealing with a throat infection since Christmas and found this as an excuse to wallow in holiday cookies and self-pity while trolling the internet until my eyes felt like they might pop out of my head. Yesterday, however, was the first day I rediscovered (or chose to acknowledge) vegetables, my old friends. I had roasted parsnip, pear, and carrot soup for lunch, another bowl for dinner, and a substantial salad to accompany it. In the following hours, I rented a movie, read a few pages from one of my favorite books, and actually painted in bed. Then I slept for a full 10 hours and woke up feeling rejuvenated, though I'm definitely still a bit sick. So why am I telling you all the mundane details of my life? Mostly because I've had no social interactions over the last few days and I'm tired of talking to my cats. BUT also because I think you would really like this soup. It's flavorful, thick, and has a little spice. You can drizzle balsamic vinegar on top and add a dash of black pepper. And if you're feeling really sassy, you might even add a splash of hot sauce. I'm just throwing it out there. You can find the original recipe here, but I swapped out some of the parsnips for carrot because I accidentally only bought enough parsnips for half the recipe. Give me a break.

Ingredients:
1 pound parsnips, peeled and woody core removed
1 pound carrots, peeled
2 pears, peeled and cut into eighths
1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and cut into eighths
1 tablespoon canola oil
dash of salt
dash of freshly ground pepper
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
2 1/4 cups low-fat milk

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Toss parsnips, carrots, pears, onion, oil, salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until very soft and starting to brown, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil vinegar in a small saucepan until syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 14 minutes. (Watch the syrup carefully during the last few minutes of reducing to prevent burning.) Remove from the heat.

Puree half of the parsnip mixture with broth in a blender until very smooth; transfer to a large saucepan. Puree the other half with milk until very smooth. Add to the saucepan and stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reheat the soup over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Gently reheat the balsamic syrup if it has become thicker than syrup while standing. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the balsamic syrup.

Throw Caution to the Wind

2011-11-25T13:15:00.001-05:00

I could probably spend an entire day baking and decorating cupcakes. There are so many creative possibilities when you think of holiday and seasonal themes, toppings, colors, wrappers, whatever. Normally, I play it safe and stick with a cream cheese frosting because it's the one thing I know I can make well. Today, however, I ventured out of my comfort zone and tried something a little different in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Apple cupcakes with cinnamon-marshmallow frosting. Anything that involves a meringue whipping related activity scares the heck out of me ever since the kumquat incident of 2010, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and whip up some frosting in a makeshift double-boiler. I followed the recipe exactly, but the frosting still wouldn't hold stiff peaks. It just kind of drooped sadly back into the pot looking absolutely defeated. Instead of tearing out my hair in frustration, I added a little more cream of tartar, set the mixer on high, and gave it a pep talk. Right before my eyes, the frosting began to take shape and hold peaks with confidence. Cream of tartar is basically Prozac for sad frosting. Now I know! And now I can look forward to making these again in countless flavor combinations for all the other holidays. I know, I'm like a broken record.

Holiday Spirit

2011-11-21T13:31:00.001-05:00

Is everyone ready for Thanksgiving? All of this holiday spirit is putting me in a good mood and I'm thankful for finally having a relaxing, leisurely week. The weather has been lovely, which proves that even global warming has its perks. My best friend and I started a weekly ritual of taking a long walk around town, catching up, and occasionally stopping for ice cream. I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this up with December weather around the corner, but we'll make the most of it while we can. Today, I decided to whip up a simple salad because I woke up early and was ready for lunch at 10:30 AM. Who am I kidding? I'm always ready for lunch, let's be honest. This may not be the most impressive culinary endeavor, but I've got something a bit more complex and unhealthy in mind for later in the week. It's probably in my best interest to eat responsibly for the next few days because rumor has it there will be several different pies and a chocolate cake at my house on Thursday.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tangerines
4 cups of spinach
1 avocado
1 small red onion, thinly sliced

I followed the dressing recipe in Eating Well, but used whatever I had in my fridge for the rest of the salad.

Whisk together orange zest and juice, balsamic vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil until well blended.

Peel and separate tangerines, thinly slice the avocado and the onions, add to a medium bowl along with the spinach. Add dressing and toss until evenly covered.

Strong, Dark, and Handsome

2011-10-17T13:34:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but I like my bread strong, dark, and handsome. Zucchini bread has been a favorite of mine for years due to its richness of flavors that perfectly complement the chilly autumn weather we've been experiencing lately. There's nothing more inviting than the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg or the unexpected crunch of walnuts amidst the soft, chewy whole-wheat loaf. When paired with a bowl of butternut squash soup, you've got a lunch guaranteed to elicit jealousy amongst your coworkers.

I think my competitive side is getting the best of me today. M text me to say that the sandwich guy put croutons on his chicken ceasar wrap and that he's fallen in love...with a sandwich. This, of course, means that I'm jealous...of a sandwich. It's fine, I don't really care all that much. M can go cavorting around the city with his croutons all he likes. He doesn't realize that I have a hot, spicy date with this Baja Butternut Squash Soup.

Fooling Myself

2011-09-14T12:03:00.000-04:00

We're midway through September and there's still an annoyingly persistent need for the air conditioner. Even so, I've got a batch of buttermilk biscuits in the oven right now in an attempt to fool myself into thinking this won't be another 80 degree day. I'm envisioning golden leaves, colorful scarves, and the clicking of my boots against the pavement as I rush to class...All while I'm roasting in my kitchen, surrounded by the comforting aroma of fluffy, flaky biscuits.

There won't be too many mornings for me to bake in my pajamas and enjoy a leisurely breakfast this semester. I'm savoring whatever free time I have and trying not to think too hard about the many obligations that have already dominated my schedule. I'll get to it when I get to it! Right now, I think I'll make some tea, sit in front of my air conditioner, and pretend it's the crisp, autumn air. What's that? I'm sorry, I can't hear you over my delusions.

I Went To Los Angeles

2011-08-23T09:27:00.000-04:00

I went to Los Angeles and visited this pier.

Then I ~~crashed~~ rode this bike from Santa Monica to Venice Beach and back.

And put my feet in the water.

I ate an Umami Earth Burger and fell in love

And had some delicious Mediterranean food for lunch,

Which fueled us for this hike

Where we did a little sightseeing.

These are only a few highlights from a wonderful birthday present with two wonderful tour guides. Thank you for everything.

All The Cake I Can Get

2011-08-08T16:03:00.000-04:00

Even though I had this beautiful loaf of zucchini apple bread in my kitchen I opted to have cake for breakfast instead. Why? Because tomorrow is my birthday and I won't be able to get away with that much longer. I'm really not the biggest fan of celebrating my birthday, but I realized something important this weekend...the birthday girl gets a lot of special privileges. I feel I have a right to take advantage of whatever birthday opportunities come my way because M recently discovered a few gray hairs creeping up on me. If I'm going gray in my twenties, I'm going to need all the cake I can get to ease the passing of another year. Last year was probably the best year of my life so I'm a little nervous to see what will happen over the next twelve months, but let's back up a moment because I have something important to show you.

Look at that sweet little piggy nose! M took me on a surprise birthday trip to a local organic farm on Sunday. We made a beeline for the petting zoo and spent the next hour happily feeding the animals while I squealed with excitement. He is such a good gift giver. Speaking of awesome surprises, I'll be flying out to Los Angeles in less than ten days to visit my brother, his girlfriend, and their cat! Okay so I guess this year is off to a pretty good start. Before I go rummage around in my kitchen for another slice of cake, I'd like to leave you with a little something to perk up your Monday afternoon. Just because!

Stir-Crazy

2011-07-20T11:24:00.000-04:00

Is it just me or do you think that beets tend to take center stage whenever they're included in a meal? I love beets and all, but sometimes they can be such divas. They've got this overpowering taste and their hard-to-miss magenta color just screams, "Look at me! Look at me!" Not too long ago, I devoured a beet, goat cheese, and avocado sandwich that I loved, but again, it tasted a little beet-centric. Last night, however, I had a pretty awesome salad in which the beets actually played nice with others and everyone shared the spotlight.

There were snap peas and radicchio, tomatoes and tofu, lettuce and beets all topped with a refreshing dill dressing. Oh and there was even a cute, little hard-boiled egg tossed in there for good measure. I ate this again today as a mid-morning snack, complemented by a new smoothie concoction I wanted to try out. And you know what? I got in a serving of both fruits and vegetables and some hardcore protein before noon. If I accomplish nothing else today, I feel I can justifiably write today off as a success.

Unfortunately, I'm enrolled in a terribly boring online summer course so I kind of have to accomplish more than eating a few servings of vegetables. When I tell you this course is boring, I really mean it. I'm going a bit stir-crazy, as you probably guessed when I started personifying my food. It's so boring that I'm trying to spice things up by working from home in fancy clothes, reading all the instructions in funny voices, and eating taffy each time I save my work. Those are good ideas, right? Well that just led to me wearing a floor-length dress, stuffing my face with taffy, and speaking like a sports announcer while alone in my bedroom at 9 PM. It's not exactly the way I imagined my summer. Now that this post has turned into a lot of pointless babbling, I'll just give you the recipes and stop procrastinating.

Everything you need for the salad is right here at Eating Well. As for the smoothie, this is what I used for one serving:

Ingredients:
1 plum
1/2 of a banana, frozen works best
generous handful of blueberries
1/4-1/2 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon of honey
crushed ice, if you don't have a frozen banana

Slice the banana, pour in the milk, and toss in your blueberries and ice, if using. I peeled the plum for safety reasons because no one wants their epitaph to read, "Choked on a plum and died." Once you slice that up, everyone goes in the blender until you reach your desired consistency. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Upscale Enough

2011-06-22T16:52:00.000-04:00

This is the second day in a row I made an arugula salad with peaches, pecans, and crumbled goat cheese. The first night I made it, M and I had a friend over for dinner so I thought it would be a perfectly sweet and refreshing complement to the homemade BBQ chicken I prepared for them. Yup, I made BBQ chicken and didn't even try a single bite. It smelled delicious, the boys thanked me several times and assured me it was great while I ate my omelet instead. Never mind.

Last night, after a gruesome chocolate disaster that I don't particularly care to speak of right now, I wasn't really in the mood for cooking. I quickly sauteed some garlic and mixed vegetables, threw it together with whole grain spaghetti, and paired it with my beloved salad. M was taking a nap at the time so I'm glad he didn't see me desperately licking the plate when I was finished, but he did miss out on a delicious summer meal.

Anyway, this salad is upscale enough to fool a dinner guest into thinking you actually know what you're doing in the kitchen, but is also fun and unpretentious as to be enjoyed by everyone. Who knew a salad could have so much going for it? I plan on making it again tonight. Actually, I plan on making it until I run out of peaches. It's not a food rut if you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
Generous handful of arugula for each plate
1 peach, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
1 tablespoon crumbled goat cheese
Oil and vinegar to taste
Drizzle of honey

I got the idea from this recipe, but didn't follow it too closely. I'm sure you noticed from my lack of real measurements. Basically, I saw the recipe, thought it looked delicious, and then just threw a bunch of stuff together on a plate. For those of you who need a little more structure, I linked to the source so you can follow it step by step.

All Is Right With The World

2011-06-14T20:03:00.000-04:00

Gosh it's been a while! No, I didn't eat myself into a month-long cheese coma, but I understand why you might think that. Some exciting new adventures have taken place during the silence since my last post so I've been eager to share a new recipe and a story. You probably already realize that I can't sit still for more than a few minutes at a time so while everyone else is relaxing on their summer vacations, I've started taking a new class! For this whole month, I will be staying with M while working on my long lost painting skills at a great institute in New York. At the risk of coming on too strong, I have to say that I'm falling head over heels for painting after only one week of class. It's exciting and intimidating and challenging so naturally I'm drawn to it. Plus, the friends I've made have been lovely and supportive, which makes every day something to look forward to.

Though moving in with M is only a temporary situation, it's still significant enough to keep us on our toes with anticipation. It's funny to think that we've spent more time apart in our relationship than we have together, so being in close quarters for 30 days is quite an adjustment. It's a nice change of pace and I look forward to him coming home in the evening so we can watch the Yankees game together and chat. As long as I remember to put the keys back on the right hook and he replaces the dish soap when it's empty, I'm pretty sure no one will get hurt.

Branching out like this fills me with good feelings, however, it took a little while to see the positives. Last week, I was a nervous wreck. Whatever insecurity I could possibly feel began to surface and shake me up. And then I went to class. I sat and painted for 4 hours and slowly started to feel comfortable. Not only did I feel welcome in the class, but I felt like I very much belonged there. Doing what you love will make any setting a bit more familiar and the rest will work itself out. In keeping with the theme of this post, I've got an exciting new recipe to tell you about. It's quick and easy and yes, you guessed it, from Eating Well. This source is basically my food bible and they should probably just hire me as an official taste-tester or something. Anyway, I had the Sesame-Honey Tempeh Bowl for dinner and it was beautiful. Actually, I'll devour anything if you include crispy, delicious tempeh. I don't discriminate. The fresh carrots brightened up a dreary afternoon and the sesame-honey sauce was the perfect complement to this unseasonably chilly weather. Once you settle in with a generous helping of this cheerful dish, everything falls into place and all is right with the world.

Ingredients:
Quinoa & Carrot Slaw
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups grated carrots (about 3 large)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (see Tip)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
Sesame-Honey Tempeh
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 8-ounce packages tempeh (see Note), crumbled into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 scallions, sliced

To prepare quinoa: Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook until the water is absorbed, 10 to 14 minutes. Uncover and let stand.

To prepare carrot slaw: Meanwhile, combine carrots, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a medium bowl. Set aside.
To prepare tempeh: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tempeh and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes.

Combine honey, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add to the pan and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened and coats the tempeh, about 1 minute.

Divide the quinoa among 4 bowls and top each with 1/2 cup carrot slaw and 3/4 cup tempeh mixture. Sprinkle with scallions.

At This Very Moment In Time

2011-05-23T15:56:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I really wish I could live outside of my own head. I spend too much time getting caught up in thoughts and worries and anxieties about the future and miss out on so much of what's happening right now. With summer vacation here, I'm surprised by how needlessly stressed out I am even with the absence of schoolwork and deadlines. It seems like a little raincloud is following me around Charlie Brown style and raining on my parade. Fretting about what may happen a year or two or even three from now seems so pointless, especially considering where I was three years ago from today. Three years ago, if someone described to me all of the things I'm be doing now, I would have laughed. I couldn't see beyond the present and it felt hopeless. Now, instead of enjoying my life day by day, I'm driving myself crazy thinking about where I'll be working and where I'll be living after I complete my degree.

I know it's a long way off, but I can't help indulge in these worrisome ideas and make myself even crazier. Three years ago, I couldn't imagine myself finding so much passion and fulfillment and direction. However, I stumbled upon much more than I thought I could attain. I worked for things I didn't know I wanted and was recognized for things I didn't know I could achieve. Even with all of this positivity, there's a little nagging voice growing louder and louder that's saying I should be doing more.

All of this got me thinking about cooking and how the process of creating is such a therapeutic routine. You learn each time you make a meal. You learn how to be more efficient, or more open-minded, or adventurous. Recipes serve as great guidelines, but even with every step spelled out for you, the results are not always what you intended them to be. You can do everything right, exactly the way you were instructed and end up creating an inedible kitchen disaster. Conversely, you could make the same thing over and over again and one day yield results that are better than ever. Sometimes things don't go our way and other times we end up somewhere better than we ever could have imagined, whether it was the result of hard work or a happy accident. I guess it doesn't matter if these events take place in your kitchen or somewhere else in the world. Whatever is meant to happen will happen, which is why I know I should spend more time enjoying what's happening right now. At this very moment in time, I am drinking a Cocoa-Banana smoothie and loving every sip. It's so simple and has just the right amount of sweetness. This is one of the easiest smoothies you can make and I'm 99% certain that the results will always be favorable.

Cocoa-Banana Smoothie
One frozen banana, sliced
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend to desired consistency.

Feeling Adventurous

2011-05-02T14:51:00.000-04:00

I don't mean to be conceited, but I just ate the best lunch ever. It was one of those special meals that looks decadent and impressive, but came together in the blink of an eye. Over the weekend, I learned how to poach an egg and my life instantly changed forever. For some reason, poaching an egg had always intimidated me and being that I'm not much of an egg person to begin with, I never really considered trying my hand at it. Scrambled, sunny side up, hard boiled, over easy, made no difference to me. Sometimes I tolerated eggs, sometimes I enjoyed them, sometimes they repulsed me. But poached? Well...that's a different story.

A while back, I read Deb's instructions on Smitten Kitchen on how to poach a perfect egg. I was intrigued. With M busily working away all weekend, I had a bit more time on my hands and was feeling adventurous. I marched into the kitchen, grabbed an egg, and proclaimed, "I'm going to poach you and you're going to like it." That's exactly what I did and my egg came out looking like a flat messy blob...but it tasted amazing on toasted whole-wheat bread topped with watercress and crumbled blue cheese. From that moment on, I knew my life would never be the same.

This afternoon, I had a vision. With my mind still preoccupied with thoughts of that glorious egg, I remembered the leftovers in my fridge. What was an awesome dinner last night became my lunch's new best friend today. With a bit of fresh basil, some more crumbled blue cheese, and the remnants of orange-roasted tofu and asparagus, a beautiful meal came together with a much more attractive version of an egg. The tofu and asparagus dish is full of flavor and works as a main course or as a side. I love the unexpected burst of citrus to spice up a pretty standard meal and will be enjoyed this for the rest of asparagus season. Happy Monday!

In Defense of the Tart

2011-04-27T14:13:00.001-04:00

It's very rare that I make a dessert that heavily relies on fruit, but I decided to be festive over the weekend and try something new. It's not that I don't like fruit. I absolutely love it, but feel that it's best when left alone. In fact, I'd rather eat handfuls of fresh berries than a blueberry pie or fancy tart. With that being said, this tart was met with mixed reviews. If you like lemon and fruity desserts, you will really enjoy this recipe. If you don't, well then I hope you still have a chocolate bunny or Cadbury egg to console you. This recipe is really simple and can be prepared the night before so it gets bonus points for that. Now I know I don't need to defend the tart. It's not like it has feelings, right?

Right?

But I feel sad that some people didn't like it all that much, myself included. On the other hand, my family and friends who enjoyed the tart really enjoyed it. They went bananas over it! I guess this is like the great chocolate/vanilla debate. Which side are you on? It's not the ice cream's fault you didn't like it. That's just a matter of personal taste. Am I starting to lose my mind now? Perhaps. I just get really attached to my food. I hope some of you out there give this a try because it really is fun to make and they look adorable. Here is all you need to know about making the lemon curd. Once you've done that, just fill up some sweet little mini pie shells that you picked up at the grocery store and let them chill in the fridge overnight. Top them with berries right before serving and tell the tarts they look nice so their feelings don't get hurt.

Testing The Waters

2011-04-10T23:16:00.000-04:00

I'm just going to throw it out there: I've been in kind of a food slump over the last few weeks. M and I are feeling the effects of winter hibernation and realize that we need to get into a healthier routine. The biggest challenge is finding recipes that we both like with ingredients that we'll both eat. At first, this was a frustrating task that led to bland, unfulfilling meals and disappointment in the kitchen. M is more traditional when it comes to food and is used to family-style Italian meals, while the food I grew up on ranges from traditional to outlandish. While my recent habits may not be a good indication, I really am a bit of a health freak and will go to great lengths to make sure my meals contain enough nutrients (spinach smoothie, anyone?).

After the food frustration escalated to a certain point, M and I finally agreed to give and take. Being the little miss bossypants that I am, I realized that I had been choosing all the recipes. And all the recipes were met with a lukewarm reception. Then one night M came across one he thought sounded pretty good. And another and another. Now we have a growing list and just this weekend sat down to a meal we both genuinely enjoyed. Of course, I have to give credit where credit is due and thank Erin from Fresh 365 for her Pea, Parmesan, and Mint Ravioli. Familiarity with a twist and a delicious one at that. I wasn't too sure how M would respond to peas and mint barging in on the traditional ravioli, but my concerns proved unnecessary. Not only did he clean his plate, he eagerly requested the leftovers on Saturday night.

We were also pleasantly surprised (or perhaps blown away would be a more accurate description) by a brand new lunch recipe, which I found over at Seven Spoons. We had our Quinoa Patties topped with alfalfa sprouts and accompanied by a salad. Perfection. Again, I was nervous to see how M would react when he took his first bite, but I think the combination of such dependable ingredients like garlic, onion, and Parmesan with the up and coming quinoa is what made this work. It's easier to test the waters when you know have something good to fall back on and having someone to share your dinner with makes it that much more enjoyable.

Drizzled With Honey

2011-03-28T13:04:00.000-04:00

I think I can speak for both of us when I say that M and I have a favorite new weekend tradition. It's simple and something we both do every day, but is made so much better when we can share it. I'm talking about lunch. Our weekends have a tendency to fly by and before we know it, it's Monday morning and we're cramming for exams, writing papers, and running off to classes. Now that M is even taking weekend classes (yes, I'm serious) in preparation for law school, we have to make every free minute count. I may not be able to drag myself out of bed to prepare breakfast before he leaves, but I really enjoy having lunch on the table when he comes home. This Sunday was an especially good one and bound to be repeated for many lunches to come...whole wheat pizza topped with gruyère, wild arugula, pears, onion and drizzled with honey.

The crust was crispy and firm, baked to perfection on my brand new baking sheet. The gruyère and diced onion gave it that extra kick it needed to balance out the sweetness of the pear and honey. I would love to try this again with some fun alterations. Figs or apples can easily replace the pears depending on the season, which makes it perfect for a special lunch or to slice up serve as an appetizer for a dinner party.

Pear and Arugula Whole-Wheat Pizza
Ingredients:
whole-wheat pizza dough, I used Trader Joe's brand
1 1/2 cups grated gruyère cheese (I didn't actually measure this so just use your judgment)
generous handful of arugula
1 pear, sliced
diced onion, as much or as little as you like
honey

Let dough sit in an oiled bowl, covered with a towel until it becomes room temperature. I waited about 3 hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat the dough with flour and roll out onto baking sheet. Top with grated cheese, enough to cover the dough with a thin layer. Top with arugula, pears, and onion. Lightly drizzle honey on top and bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.

Three Years Down The Drain

2011-03-18T13:02:00.000-04:00

Three years of my life have gone down the drain. Three years of thoughtfulness, sacrifices, and dedication are now destroyed thanks to a cheap Chinese restaurant. Last weekend, my friends, I accidentally ate pork. I accidentally devoured a pork egg roll that was probably fried in animal fat and sitting in animal juices after being stuffed with animal. M and I got our egg rolls switched and in my blind hunger, I scarfed down the majority of the appetizer before noticing the foreign substance lurking inside. No, I did not taste meat. Heck, I was barely even chewing! We were starving and dug in and then it was too late. My body punished me for this, immobilizing me with stomach pains for the rest of the afternoon. I groaned in agony until I fell asleep. It was not my finest moment.

Today, I am moving on with my life. I am going to enjoy the leftovers of my delicious vegetarian St. Patrick's Day dinner. A grilled mushroom Reuben sandwich with Russian dressing. These have been replacing the standard corned beef dinners every year since I stopped eating meat and this year may have been the best sandwich yet. It's a hearty and healthier substitute, but feels more like an indulgence. You won't miss the meat in between the slices of rye bread grilled to perfection with gooey melted Swiss cheese oozing out the sides. I recommend eating this right away, as it's best when still hot.

Girl Scout Dropout

2011-03-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

While I can't say I have very fond memories of being a girl scout, I've always been a fan of their cookies. It's true. I am a girl scout dropout with hardly any badges and I was happy to leave that do-good life behind. My mother didn't argue when I announced that I would be quitting at the age of seven. Actually, I think she was relieved because I had humiliated her by telling my entire troop that she used to do drugs. This, of course, was entirely false. My mother has never done drugs, but please allow me to explain.

Growing up, I had a very sheltered life. I didn't learn how to curse until well into middle school, always looked both ways before crossing the street, and flossed my teeth every night. I didn't really know how to do bad things at this age. My mother instilled healthy eating habits in me and explained the importance of washing my hands, saying "please" and "thank you", and always, above all else, staying away from cigarettes. Cigarettes are dirty, rotten things that will lead to a life of crime and other bad things. I knew my mother smoked when she was young, before people realized just how dangerous that habit is, then quit the moment she found out. So I was told.

At this point, I had been hearing on television and in school about drugs and how kids should never do them. Drugs are dangerous and only bad people use them. I didn't question this and vowed to stay away. But because no one ever actually thought to explain to me what exactly drugs are, I naturally assumed that they are cigarettes. This makes sense, right? I was under the impression that both of these things will cause you to spiral out of control and lead to a life of crime and sadness.

During one of my girl scout meetings, the topic of drugs had come up and we sat around in our little uniforms discussing the seriousness of the matter. I felt compelled to speak up at this point. After all, this was a topic I was well informed on. In a very grave tone, I told my peers and my troop leader that my very own mother had done drugs. Many times. But she quit and is all better now. My troop leader, clearly alarmed by this information, pulled my mother aside when she arrived to pick me up. I can only imagine what was going through my mother's head as she was being interrogated about her supposed drug habits in a room full of seven year old girls. In the end, matters were straightened out and they uncomfortably laughed off the misunderstanding. However, my mom was probably thrilled when I told her that girl scouts are boring and I don't want to go anymore. Years and years later, thin mint cookies still rank highly among my favorites. That's why I was delighted to find this recipe over at Baking Bites and jumped at the chance to try it out. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake and Serial Killers

2011-02-13T21:01:00.002-05:00

Any reason to celebrate anything at all is a good reason in my book. I don't care if people complain that Valentine's Day makes them feel bitter and angry or that it's a fake holiday manufactured by greeting card companies to get people to buy stuff. It's a holiday that not only excuses but actually encourages you to indulge in chocolate and wine. That's what I'm all about. M and I enjoyed an especially nice Valentine's weekend and spontaneously reenacted our second date. Originally, we had planned to pick up a new coffee table from IKEA on Saturday, but the trains were stalled because we later found out that the police were hunting for a serial killer who was apparently riding our line around the city. Yes, I'm serious. Once we realized that we were in for a long wait, we hopped off at the next stop and walked around Central Park. M bought me a bag of overpriced honey roasted cashews from the street vendor, which we enjoyed while recalling some fun memories of previous walks we've taken through the park. We pointed out the spot where all the ducks waited to be fed, where we shared a milkshake on the way to an outdoor concert, we admired the horses and the trees, and made up stories about people we passed by.

We walked through the Met and stopped for sushi in the late afternoon, just like we did on our second date. The whole day turned out to be a lovely surprise, as everything just unfolded and fell neatly into place for us. We didn't plan a thing. I cooked patatas bravas, shrimp in lemon garlic sauce, and M made a delicious dish of ravioli and broccoli. He's becoming quite the chef and has even teased me with the idea of starting a rival food blog. Perhaps I should watch my back...He is also very skilled at choosing wine, I must admit. We drank a little too much, ate a little too much dessert, and chatted about all sorts of things throughout our meal. The cake I made was a success, I am happy to report. Chocolate cake with coconut-cream frosting topped with fresh strawberries. How could that go wrong?

Relaxing days like these should be mandatory. Then again, that would take all the fun and spontaneity out of things, right? I guess the best you can do is allow yourself to take it all in when an unannounced afternoon such as ours comes around. I found myself forgetting about deadlines and schoolwork and the weight of possible decisions I may or may not have to make in the future. All of that mounting pressure can really sneak up on you from time to time. I often find myself ready to snap when something pops up that wasn't written down on my daily to-do list. Our Valentine's date was proof that I probably don't need to plan every day of the week and every hour of the day. If that serial killer hadn't used our subway line as an escape route from the cops, we may very well have spent our entire afternoon deciding between a black or brown coffee table at IKEA.

Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Cream Frosting

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot black coffee
one container of fresh strawberries

Frosting:
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
12 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Whisk flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, egg, oil and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add hot coffee and beat to blend. (The batter will be quite thin.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from the pan and let cool completely. Combine cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and coconut flakes in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Frost cake and top with sliced strawberries.

Adapted from Eating Well.

Food Memories

2011-02-10T00:13:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love most about blogging is that I'm able to look back at this visual journal and remember where I've been, what I've eaten and who I ate with. While looking for an old recipe, I began to scroll through my own blog and found myself smiling at all the food memories. This made me realize how powerful images really are when it comes to recalling stories and all the feelings associated with them. I remembered the meals I cooked on late summer afternoons before heading off to class, the tri-borough walk M and I embarked on one day in May, fresh blueberries and warm bread resting on my kitchen table, I could go on and on. There are also lots of pictures and recipes that, for some reason or another, never quite made it to the blog, but were bookmarked for a later date. One of those forgotten about stories happened to be on a very important day...my brother's birthday (sorry, bro!).

Why I haven't shared this with you yet is beyond me. That day was filled with the kind of beautiful weather you only experience in early June when it's not officially summer, but everyone's attitude hints that it's on the way. There were cake and cookies and coffee at home before heading to Jersey City for some of the best tacos I've ever had. The tiny Taqueria was bursting with color that followed us to the outdoor seating area. Five of us sat around a picnic table and savored every bite...and then ordered more. I had one fish taco and one cactus taco, recommended by my brother and his girlfriend. Months later, I am still thinking about these tacos. When spring decides to roll around, M and I will have to make our way back to Jersey City to properly embrace the weather with an outdoor feast.

My Gift To You

2011-02-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

Hmm this picture looks familiar...

While my kitchen is getting a face lift, I’ve been queuing up some recipes and checking out new blogs, but it’s a little hard to cook when my counter top has been removed. In the meantime, I will have to take over every square inch of M's kitchen each weekend. He probably won't complain about that as long as I'm feeding him. Plus, it's really just too cold, too icy, and too slushy to do anything that involves stepping outside so hanging out in the kitchen sounds pretty nice to me. Until spring decides to visit the east coast, I'll keep myself warm with thoughts of soups I want to make, the upcoming Valentine's Day meal, and baked goods I can whip up with my new mixer. Speaking of baked goods, this is my Groundhog Day gift to you...Pear Hazelnut Bread from Eating Well. You're welcome.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 large eggs
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups diced peeled pears
1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F for muffins or 375°F for a large loaf. Coat pan with cooking spray. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk eggs, buttermilk, brown sugar, butter, oil and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add pears and hazelnuts. Stir just to combine; do not overmix. Transfer batter to the prepared pan. Top with additional hazelnuts, if desired.
Bake until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes for muffins or 1 hour 10 minutes for a large loaf. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes more, large loaves for 40 minutes more.

Running Out

2011-01-17T17:21:00.000-05:00

I'm back from Nicaragua with a few hundred pictures and a loss for words. This experience was exhausting, eye-opening, draining, humbling and exciting. I traveled to Managua with seventeen fellow students and the Witness for Peace organization for a learning delegation at the beginning of the month. We participated in lectures, visited a hospital, private health clinic, public market, factory, and businesses in a fair trade zone. We participated in a rural home stay in Matagalpa, a region in northern Nicaragua known for its coffee. I star gazed on a farm, held a chicken, danced, bathed in a river, husked corn on the side of a mountain, got sick, and had to be taken to private health clinic.

The dust from the unpaved roads and the thick smoke from the wood burning stove during my home stay caused a very painful throat infection. It's unfortunate that I had to miss out a few of the scheduled activities but it puts a lot of things in perspective. I was only in the rural area for two nights and the living conditions had such an extreme effect on me. Imagine what those living conditions do to the children who grow up there and to the families who have settled in that area. Every single day.

No matter what people were dealing with, they welcomed us into their homes and invited us to ask questions. The food was amazing, even though I've grown tired of rice and beans for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We had fresh fruit in the morning and bananas that were picked from a nearby tree, still warm from the sunlight. The weather was beautiful, which I appreciated so much more knowing that it was about 15 degrees back in New York. I can't think of a better, more important way to have started off my year. What else can I say? I'm running out of words so I'm just going to show you a few more pictures instead.

New Year

2011-01-02T23:03:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! Is it too bold to say that 2010 was the best year of my life so far? Yes, this was a big year full of changes, cross-country adventures, schoolwork, delicious food and ambition all around. How do you sum up one whole year? The first thing that comes to mind is moving forward. There's been a lot of moving in a lot of different directions...New York, California, and everywhere in between. M and I enjoyed a low-key New Year's Eve with a feast for two to celebrate his birthday before going out for drinks with a few good friends.

And you know what? I went to a butcher for the first time in my life. No, I certainly did not eat Julia Child's boeuf bourguinon, a four page recipe that took five hours for me to prepare. The butcher somehow seemed to know I was a vegetarian, but I'm not sure what gave it away. It could have been the nervous look on my face as I stared at a display case of raw meat or it could have been the fact that I asked for beef cube things when the correct term is beef stew. Now ya know!

Regardless of this, the meal smelled delicious and M loved it. Now he's on a plane to Morocco, where he'll be for the next month doing all kinds of research and humanitarian work, while I'm throwing a few last minute things into a backpack before heading to Nicaragua in one day. Whew! I'll be back on the 14th with lots of pictures, a recap of my experience, and hopefully a recipe for tortillas, which I'll be making with my host family. You can also count on a few more recipes because I'll be keeping myself occupied with my gorgeous new KitchenAid mixer, thanks to M. By the way, it's pink. Until then, I wish you a happy 2011, good health, and good food!

One Year

2010-12-06T16:55:00.000-05:00

One year ago, I was sick in bed all weekend and losing my mind due to extreme boredom. I had no idea how to cook anything other than baked ziti, which I frequently delivered to my boyfriend who was living in Brooklyn at the time. Without a kitchen. I had never seen Julie & Julia and I didn't even really know what blogs were all about. Today is the one year anniversary of Amuse-bouche and I am proud to say that my skills in the kitchen went from non-existent to proficient and M is now equipped with a kitchen in his Manhattan apartment. This food journal has turned into much more than I had ever expected. I started this space with the goal of teaching myself to cook, organizing recipes and keeping tabs on the restaurants I've dined at. Now, it's a quiet place for me to reflect on kitchen triumphs and disasters, gush about the most amazing cheese I've ever eaten, share recipes, thoughts, and antics. Adventures and misadventures in and around the kitchen pretty much sums it up.

One year has taken M and I from Brooklyn and New Jersey to Washington D.C., a rail trip across the country, and finally to Manhattan. I'm pretty sure it was my apple pie that won him over and the baked ziti that kept him coming back. So what are our favorite recipes today? Well our favorite dinner might have to be Salmon with Lime Butter. This was one of the first "fancy" dinners I had ever cooked for him. He asked if I knew how to make fish and I confidently exclaimed, "Of course!" I was lying. At that point in time, I had never even handled a raw fish before. Now it's my go-to recipe because it's quick, easy, and healthy.

Speaking of seafood, my favorite New York restaurant might have to be Marlow & Sons. M and I went there for oysters and wine on our third date and I still dream of this place. Some other favorites are:

Red Bamboo- For vegans and vegetarians who will never compromise good taste.
Brandy Library- If you've got some money in the bank and want to blow it all on amazing drinks to impress your hot date.
Mercer Kitchen- When you look swanky and need a place to show it off.
Fish- Who doesn't want cheap (but good!) oysters and half price drinks in the afternoon?
Artichoke- In the pizza capital of the world, Artichoke has a special place in my heart. 'Nuff said.

M and I don't eat out all the time though. Especially not since he started running and making a real effort to eat healthier. I couldn't be more proud! Since starting this blog, I've also become more conscious of what I'm eating and where I'm shopping. The local farmers market is one of my favorite places in the world, but I'm never above ordering a pizza and watching a movie in my underwear.

After one year of cooking, eating, and loving, all I can say is that I hope for more in the next 365 days. I have no idea what the next year will bring, but in a world full of uncertainty, it's a comfort to know that you can always find a place in New York that will deliver a pizza to your door at 3 AM. After all, love is one big pizza and having someone to share it with. Right?

Thanksgiving Leftovers

2010-11-26T12:36:00.000-05:00

As I sit down to write my Thanksgiving post, I have to wonder about the nature of the first Thanksgiving. Somehow I doubt that the pilgrims and Native Americans shouted across the table at one another, carrying on several conversations at once. They probably didn't drink too much and start blasting Bon Jovi's greatest hits and I can't really imagine a young pilgrim showing off her new belly button piercing at the table. In my family, though, none of this is surprising and none of this is even slightly out of the ordinary. The sheer decibel of the conversations is probably enough to make any normal person's head explode, but if the volume doesn't get you, the absurdity of the conversation surely will. All of the food was incredible, largely thanks to my mother. As a matter of fact, the only quiet moments occurred when we were eating.

M was a real trooper throughout the whole event. My cousins and aunts were extremely helpful in playing keep-away so my uncles wouldn't torment him too much. Somehow, though, my loudest uncle managed to evade them and retold embarrassing stories of how they took me to the circus that one time not knowing that I'm actually terrified of clowns. In the midst of all the madness, my grandma was able to pull me aside to show me old photographs of her parents when they arrived in New York from Armenia. I barely know anything about them and am always fascinated by any stories and bits of information my grandma can offer. I know her father was a carpenter and her mother was a teacher who wore three stands of pearls on her wedding day. I know they lived in a poor, largely Armenian section of New York, when there was an Armenian section of New York. Hearing anything about their lives is like being able to grasp some small, beautiful piece of history. I'm so thankful for these stories and photographs as well as mesmerized by the past.

With all of the things we have, I yearn for the intangible bits and pieces the most. The things that are gone or have yet to come are what I find myself wanting. I get preoccupied with the beginning and the end and often miss out on all the good stuff in between. Maybe this is just the mashed potatoes talking, but perhaps I should refocus my energy on right now because there's a whole lot of good going on today. Everyone has something to be thankful for. I'm thankful for the food I get to enjoy on a daily basis, the people who read this blog and encourage me, my cats who make my heart explode with love, vegetarianism, my family for making me feel like the normal one, my friends for making me feel like an oddball, and M for loving me and making it easy for me to love him. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Other than an apple pie, my contribution to the feast was this delicious Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup.

Exactly How I Like It

2010-11-23T15:51:00.000-05:00

It's been quite a while since I've had an afternoon all to myself and could spend it in the kitchen with a new recipe. Oh my does this feel nice! I could cook and bake as often as I liked over the summer and often spent long afternoons visiting farmers markets then proudly hauling home my findings to cook dinner barefoot and spend entirely too long photographing my meal. Since classes have started up again, I've had less and less time to cook, blog, photograph, or food shop. I've been sweetly getting nagged about updating my blog by M, who encouraged me to start this food journal in the first place, and have been feeling guilty about neglecting this space over the last few months. I also hate having to take a step back because I've had the pleasure of getting to know a few other lovely bloggers a little better over the summer months, but these things happen. It just makes me even more appreciative of the little bit of solitude I was given this afternoon, which I just had to devote to making pumpkin scones, as requested by M.

Why don't you make scones anymore? and Why don't you blog anymore? are the two questions I was faced with this weekend. Well M, here you go! Scones...check! Blog...check! And I loved every second of making these. I forgot how much fun I have sticking my hands in the dough to cut in the butter and shape it into a disc. I forgot how anxious I get when my timer is slowly ticking away the minutes until I can grab a new recipe out of the oven and inspect the finished product. And somehow I always forget that eating something the second it comes out of the oven will burn my mouth. Every single time.

Drizzling the homemade frosting over each scone seemed like such a delicate process at first. I approached it carefully and strategically until I realized that this was way too much fun to be neat and tidy. End result? Frosting everywhere. Globs of it on the scones, exactly how I like it, and whatever didn't land on the scones ended up coating my hands. In between batches, I indulged myself in one of my favorite new snacks that I just discovered last night.

Pretzel crisps with spicy Dijon mustard. Mind blowing, isn't it? Is there anything better then spending a November afternoon in the kitchen with an array of spices as your adorable cat sleeps soundly nearby? Seriously. My cat is adorable. But enough about felines, let's get back to these scones! Before I could give these to M, I had to taste them. I just need to make sure that they aren't horrible or poisoned or anything like that. Sometimes these tests are inconclusive and I have to sample more than one, but what can I say? It's a labor of love. I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong with these but I may need to eat another one for breakfast tomorrow just to be sure. And in case you were wondering, they tasted spectacular.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons cold milk
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon milk, or more as needed
dash of cinnamon

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F and spread parchment paper onto two baking sheets.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into the mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Actually, I prefer to use my hands for this part but that's your call. Whisk the pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons cold milk, egg, and vanilla together in a small bowl; fold into the flour mixture until just blended.

Divide dough into two sections on a lightly floured surface. Gather each into a ball and knead a few times. Flatten into discs of 1/2-inch thickness on the baking sheets. Cut discs into eight sections with a knife, but do not separate the wedges. Bake until the bottoms and edges are just golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

While the scones cool, mix the confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and dash of cinnamon together in a small bowl. Add more milk to thin the frosting as needed. Pour the frosting into a sealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner of the bag and drizzle icing over the cooled scones.

Delicious and Unexpected

2010-11-14T19:17:00.000-05:00

It's been a while, but here I am! What's been happening in the last few weeks? Sadly, not a whole lot of cooking. Midterms are over and I couldn't be more thrilled about that, but the work is piling up and my fundraising deadline for Nicaragua is in one week. Things have been busy around here to say the least. Thanksgiving, finals, and Christmas are coming up and I'm looking forward to my brother flying home from L.A. for the holidays. It seems a little crazy to be thinking of Christmas already but I'm eagerly anticipating the lights and decorations, beautiful window displays, holiday shopping, and most importantly...the cookies.

This time of the year always amazes me though. The long awaited holiday festivities trick you into believing you've got time to get everything done and then BAM! Thanksgiving is here and you don't know how that happened. You tell yourself that you've got a whole month to prepare for whatever holiday it is that you celebrate in December when it suddenly shows up at your doorstep like that one overly enthusiastic relative who zaps all the energy out of you. "Oh. You're here! I wasn't quite ready for you but here you are. Might as well come in..." New Year's barges in as you slowly emerge from your food coma and somehow convinces you to have a little too much to drink. And then you're seeing your boyfriend off to Africa, pause to throw some things in a backpack and hop on a plane to Central America to run around the jungle for the remainder of your holiday break. Oh wait. That's just me.

Enjoying a beautiful day at the Columbia University campus. Ahh downtime!

Yes, these are busy times for everyone. Yes, M is going to Morocco for a month and we won't be able to celebrate his birthday together for the second year in a row. That's okay because I'm taking on the incredible task of cooking Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon on New Year's Eve, at M's request. I've convinced myself that I am totally capable of doing this and it will be spectacular. I am a little sad that we're not celebrating his birthday together, but you know what? It's not so bad. We share a love of traveling and exploration and encourage that in each other. We understand that we can't always be in the same place at the same time. I'd hate for either of us to miss out on these kinds of opportunities because they are incredible and we're lucky to have them. So if M wants to ride elephants around Thailand and visit NGO's or teach children in Morocco, well then he should do it! And if I want to photo-document the largest garbage dump in Central America and visit a U.S. Embassy, then I am so there.

I've also been busy with a little side project. (Sleep? What's that?). A while back, a really wonderful professor taught me how to make my own sketchbook. I tried it, loved it, and am now selling it on Etsy. Sure, the books are filled with drawing paper but you don't have to be an artist to use one. Who doesn't need a notebook, journal, travel log, planner, etc.? My shop is up but more items will be listed soon. That's all well and good, but perhaps you're wondering where food comes in. The answer is right here! Calzones. Apple and mozzarella calzones, to be precise. Oh. Wow. I found this amazing recipe on Sprouted Kitchen, a lovely blog that you probably already know about but should visit anyway. These calzones were incredible, even if I did accidentally set off the smoke alarms in my kitchen. It was worth it and I'm considering making these for a Thanksgiving appetizer. What a delicious and unexpected creation! And now I must leave you, dear friends. I have to go do some homewo--ZZZZZZZ.

Not A Day Goes By...

2010-10-26T15:16:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have been MIA for a while, but I am still eating! Sadly, school is taking over my life and I must face two midterms that I am completely unprepared for tomorrow. There's not much time for me to stay and chat, however, there is something I need to tell you. I cannot stop thinking about this tart. Seriously. M and I ate it two weeks ago and not a day has gone by without me wishing I was eating this. Normally, I don't use Martha Stewart recipes but I gotta give it up to her this time. So please check out the recipe, make this tart and report back to tell me about how wonderful it is. While you're doing that, I need to march my sorry butt back to my to-do list and try to stay on track. I will be back soon to let you know what I baked this weekend (yes, there will be a little baking this weekend!) and let you in on another surprise that has been in the making for some time now. Happy Tuesday!

I Think They Were Expecting Us To Share

2010-10-12T14:07:00.001-04:00

What a weekend! Let's start with the story of how I made chicken. M has been pretty good lately so I thought I'd do something special and make him a non-vegetarian dinner. He did ask nicely, after all. This is something I don't mind doing once in a while with carefully selected meat that will never find its way onto my plate. Seeing as how we have an abundance of apples from my apple picking weekend, I thought I could put them to good use in a recipe for chicken with spiced apples. With a little bit of rice and broccoli, M had a meal. With the absence of the chicken, I had one too. This was even easy for a vegetarian to make, though I was a little freaked out when handling the raw chicken. The things we do for love!

While we're on the topic of meat, I thought I'd share with you something I made for my sculpture class. A hot dog and pretzel made entirely out of cake decorating supplies. Fondant was used for each with yellow icing for the mustard and nonpareils for the salt. This piece successfully launched a discussion of eating habits and quality of food, which was exactly what I had been going for. The fact that some of my fellow students had mistaken this for my lunch also boded well for my grade.

Anyway, I'd really like to talk about cheese. M and I went to the Brandy Library in Tribeca with some friends on Saturday night. It was at this point that I vowed to one day sell my artwork for thousands so we can continue to drink and eat cheese at this upscale establishment. As of now, I can't afford this lifestyle and I probably shouldn't have been allowed in at all because the waiter caught me trying to discretely lick the last bit of cheese off my knife. This at a place where a bottle of cognac is worth more than your car and it's probably considered bad form to receive Yankees updates from your brother via text message. I know, I know. You can't take me anywhere. M ordered a sampling of three cheeses for us since we only had a late lunch and pretty much skipped over dinner (not because we weren't hungry but because we fell asleep and were running late). The cheese was brought out looking as lovely as ever and the waiter provided us with two plates of bread. About halfway through, I remarked to M, "Wow they really gave us a lot of bread." M responded, "I think they were expecting us to share with the table." After careful consideration, I replied, "They were wrong!" We exchanged evil laughter and continued to scarf down our cheese.

Sunday brought us apple pie and lovely weather. Unfortunately, I didn't have the energy to make the crust myself so the kind that comes in a box stood in for me. Always easy, always delicious. I only used about three large apples because I baked the pie in an 8x8" aluminum pan. It was just the right amount. I used a generous 1/2 cup of sugar and eyeballed the cinnamon to approximately equate 1 teaspoon then baked the pie at 425 degrees for about 40-45 minutes. Perfection, if I do say so myself.

Can't Take The Heat

2010-09-27T22:57:00.000-04:00

Isn't New York beautiful? Sigh. This is where I go to physically and mentally escape from everything that's driving me crazy, i.e. school. These days, I live for the weekends when I can hop on a bus, do a little grocery shopping, and make my way to M's until the Sunday night dread creeps in, dragging me back to the reality that is Monday. But let's not think about that right now. Let's think back to Friday night when I finally arrived at M's after battling the traffic demons for three hours. FYI New York and New Jersey, it should not take three hours to travel approximately fifteen miles. I made my usual entrance, stumbling through the door with a bag of groceries and a bottle of wine looking half crazy, half hungry, which is pretty much the same thing when you think about it.

One by one, I took out the ingredients to make couscous with scallions and dried apricots and salmon in Indian yogurt sauce. The entire recipe from start to finish was surprisingly quick, which we were delighted to learn. As much as I love to try a new recipe, I rarely feel like standing over the stove for an hour after being in transit for entirely too long. Plus, the Yankees were on and I don't like to miss out on the fun. M and I gave this recipe a gold star and made lots of "Mmmm!" noises while we were eating so that means you should try it, too. I'm not a big fan of very spicy things but this sauce has just enough kick to it so you won't be bored but you also won't be running for the nearest hose if you can't take the heat like me.

Of course the evening wouldn't be complete without dessert so I surprised M with s'mores! Seriously, when was the last time you had s'mores? You don't need to be a child, at summer camp, or in the middle of the wilderness to enjoy these. They are a perfectly acceptable treat right in the middle of Manhattan. Besides, adding a glass of wine automatically makes anything more grownup. Although the weather was a little warmer than I'd have liked, I still enjoyed a walk through the park on Saturday and strolled around the Met for a few hours. Much to my dismay, I strolled right into the middle of the German parade as I was leaving and feared I'd never get out of there alive. So. Many. People. I had to fight my way through the crowd of costumed parade goers, one of which was carrying a giant macaw on her shoulder, to get back to the park. By the way, why is there a giant macaw at a German parade? I'm part German and nowhere in my family history was there any mention of large, colorful birds. As far as I know, they don't live in Germany. Hmm.

Sunday was spent with M's family and before we knew it, the weekend was over. Boo! I'm already counting down until Friday because my classes and academic commitments are driving me up the wall and I'm having cold feet way too late in the game to change my major. Again. Sometimes I wonder if it even matters what you study because there's no guarantee you'll be in that field whether you want to be or not. My brother majored in political science and minored in business and is now a writer in L.A. Go figure. School is stressing me out way more than necessary and I need to find a better way to work through that. Sudden outbursts, anxiety attacks, and chocolate binges typically do more harm than good. Maybe I'm getting myself worked up over nothing, but it's hard to put things into perspective when you're right in the middle of it. Honestly, I can't picture where I'll be and what I'll be doing in ten years or even in one year from now. All I can say is that I hope M and I are eating s'mores and the Yankees are winning.

Cashew Salmon with Apricot Couscous

Ingredients:

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
3 scallions, sliced, greens and whites separated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
dash of salt
dash of pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 pound salmon fillet, preferably wild Pacific, skinned and cut into 4 portions
2 tablespoons chopped cashews

Combine yogurt, scallion greens, lemon juice, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add apricots, ginger, and the scallion whites. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Meanwhile, rub salmon with the remaining salt and pepper. Generously coat a large frying pan with cooking spray and fry the salmon until browned and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with the couscous, topped with the yogurt sauce and cashews.

Adapted from Eating Well.

Something Good Will Come Of This

2010-09-22T13:36:00.000-04:00

There's nothing quite like the perfect lunch to give you a midday boost and sense of accomplishment. In my family, sandwiches are taken very seriously or perhaps this is just another inherently New Jersey attitude. Without an understanding of bread to filling ratios and proper condiment usage, that delicate equilibrium of the perfect sandwich cannot be achieved. I will be the first to admit that I am not the most gifted sandwich maker. Today, however, I hit a home run.

Lately, I've been encountering a few problems. Being back at school and getting used to a new schedule has really cut into my cooking and eating time, which I am not happy about. Not only that, I seem to have hit a brick wall and find myself in a food rut. Sure, I browse my favorite food blogs every day and find all these beautiful recipes that look and sound so appealing, but I can't seem to find one that really captivates me. Part of the problem is that I don't know what I'm looking for. It's just one of those instances where you'll know it when you see it. We are also in this strange transitional period of summer into autumn. It is now officially autumn but it doesn't quite feel like it yet. So what the heck am I supposed to eat?

Well, I decided to take it down a notch today, to stop getting so fancy and just focus on making something I really want. Tomatoes. They won't be around much longer and there were some of the best looking tomatoes I've ever seen sitting on my kitchen counter. Not too far away were two avocados, one of them just barely ripened. Hmm. Tomatoes? Avocados? Yes! Tomatoes and avocados! Something good will come of this! So I heated up some extra-virgin olive oil in a pan and threw two slices of Italian bread in there to toast. While the bread was getting crispy, I mashed up the avocado, sliced the tomatoes and waited patiently. Now I realize this isn't exactly a sandwich in the conventional sense, but it was what I wanted and easily one of the best things I've eaten in a while. Simplicity always wins.

This was so delicious I had to tell my brother all about it and now he's eating the same thing on the other side of the country. No sibling rivalry here! This also makes a great appetizer and I have a feeling M will be wanting it this weekend. Seeing as how it takes maybe fifteen minutes to make, no problem. I wish I could stay and chat, but now I must go and be productive. Sigh. Please know that I'm going to make a real effort to update more frequently (for anyone who still reads this) but I want you to know that yes, I am still alive and yes, I do still eat things.

Ingredients:

1 avocado
2 slices of Italian bread
1 small to medium sized tomato, sliced
1 red onion
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice

Thinly slice tomato and set aside. I'm not going to tell you how much onion to use because I know some people are onion fanatics, but I probably used about 2 tablespoons. Finely chop the onion and place in a small bowl along with the avocado and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. With the back of a fork or some other mashing device that appeals to you, mash the avocado to the desired consistency, being sure to incorporate all the lime juice and onion. In a small pan, heat the oil and toast the slices of bread as desired. Spread a layer of the avocado mixture on the bread and top with tomato slices and a dash of salt and pepper.

On The Bright Side

2010-09-13T16:29:00.000-04:00

So I made a really great soup this weekend. And then I ruined our anniversary. There were so many special plans I had in mind! M and I started with an indoor picnic, cooked by yours truly, complete with really good smelling candles and the New York Yankees. It was lovely. Then there were tickets to see an awesome concert on Governors Island on Saturday, tickets that I bought ages ago and had been looking forward to giving to M for months. I couldn't wait to see that priceless look on his face, the kind of look someone has when you surprise them with something you've had planned for the longest time. The problem is, at approximately 6 PM on Saturday, we found out that ferry service to the island stops running at 5:30 PM thus leaving us stranded in Manhattan, missing the show. The look on M's face was priceless. Yup.

So I quickly sprung into action and did what I do best when something is terribly amiss. I sat on the couch, stared at the wall, and cursed myself until M broke the silence. Why in the world would the ferries stop running at 5:30 PM? On a Saturday. Why in the world did I not even bother to look this up ahead of time? I wanted to cry. And I did a little bit. And then I got mad at myself for crying about it. The worst part is that M got me such lovely gifts! My own sheer stupidity almost made me wish he got me something really bad so I would feel less guilty. He could have gotten me an ugly sweater and some coupons for Dairy Queen but no! He got me a beautiful hand painted antique brooch and an iPod Touch that is engraved and personalized with tons of my favorite songs. And I got him some soup and tickets to a concert we never went to.

Okay maybe I'm being a little harsh. The picnic I put together was pretty nice and I wrote him a little message on paper that I made myself out of grass from Thailand, stuffed into an envelope that I also made myself. But we missed the concert, I ruined the night, and now the world is going to come to an end. Well at least that's what it felt like on Saturday. Did I mention that a cockroach jumped off the top shelf in the grocery store I was in and almost landed on my head? These two events are completely unrelated but I thought the latter was still worth mentioning. Sigh.

On the bright side, I have a new favorite pasta recipe from the indoor picnic and I made a really nice looking cake today. Thinking about this is making me hungry. All in all, we spent our anniversary doing things we enjoy in a fashion that is unique to us. Something went wrong then we walked around the city, found a bakery, and things started looking up. Typical. After wandering around for about sixty blocks on one of the first autumn-like nights of the year, we sat on a bench outside Central Park, enjoyed our treats from Magnolia and made our way back home to watch the baseball game in our pajamas. The wine kept us company while we waited for our takeout to arrive.

The three recipes I used for the picnic came from Eating Well. The basil pesto was delicious and can be easily adapted to make any other type of pesto your heart desires. My delicious roasted pear and butternut soup was perfectly fitting for the cool autumn weather we experienced over the weekend and has left me wanting more. More soup and more autumn! I plan on making a ridiculous amount of soup this season and I couldn't be more excited for it. Lastly, the original shrimp and pesto pasta ended up getting changed around a little bit due to some grocery store issues. Here's the recipe I used with the changes included:

Ingredients:

8 ounces whole-wheat penne
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup sliced jarred roasted red peppers
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sliced prosciutto, if desired (I only added this to M's plate)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add penne and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions specify. Add asparagus and continue cooking until the pasta and asparagus are just tender, about 3 minutes more. Drain the fettuccine and asparagus and return to the pot. Stir in peppers, pesto, and prosciutto (if using).

Fun fact: When I was draining the pasta, the lid flew off the pot and I dropped it all into the sink. We ate what I could salvage. This really wasn't my weekend, but there's no use crying over spilled pasta, right? Enjoy this picture of my cake instead...

Silly East Coasters

2010-09-02T16:54:00.001-04:00

Today is the first day of school! I'm half excited and half, well...I don't know what to call it. Over the last two years, I've OD'd on education. Summer, fall, winter, and spring classes have kept my brain in perpetual motion while I savored every weekend moment and bit of sleep I could wrap my mind around. My coursework has been new and exciting for the most part, so I really didn't mind going to class. In fact, I enjoyed it. Go ahead, say it. I'm a nerd. Now I'm sitting in the café waiting to see a good friend, while indulging my love of bagels and avoiding eye contact with people I know well enough to say hello to, but wish to avoid an awkward conversation with. To help tune out the noise of all the "Oh my God, hiiiii!" conversations, I'm distracting myself by recalling the not so distant memories of the last legs of my summer vacation.

Seattle and San Francisco. Where do I begin? These two cities are neck and neck for our favorites. Not only did west coast weather do wonders for my hair (now I understand why my loved ones moved out there), but M and I were spoiled by good food, fun places, and beautiful views. First and foremost, we could see the space needle from our window. How cool is that?! Our room was spacious and clean and only a short walk to the Public Market, which became one of my favorite spots in Seattle.

M and I discovered a Williamsburg-esque neighborhood with a great café where we perched on the second floor overlooking all the artsy tattooed folk with their coffees. Along with our coffee and tea, we enjoyed the handmade cheese purchased at Beecher's in the Public Market. Like an unruly child spotting a candy store, I started jumping up and down imploring, "M! M! M! Cheese cheese cheese! Can we?" at the sight of this shop. Since I had been on my best behavior for most of the day, M said it would be alright if we stopped in for a treat.

We eventually walked back to our room and noticed how quiet the city seemed at night. When we got to the top of a giant hill, we looked out over the city and saw breathtaking blues and pinks streaking across the sky, providing a gorgeous backdrop for the skyline. We could have had a beautiful photograph of this scene, but Mary Anne with the shaky hands over here couldn't keep it steady. Take my word for it, the city looked beautiful. I'll show you this picture instead.

Pretty, right? Well we didn't enjoy this view for too long because the next day we boarded a train to San Francisco along with an obnoxious drunk dad and his two loud children. They were very unpleasant, but I only want to tell you about nice things so I'll have save that one for another time. The first thing we noticed about San Francisco was that everyone was wearing autumn coats. We were not. Silly east coasters expecting to wear shorts in the summer! We froze our butts off, especially when we embarked on a fifteen mile walk over the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset. Side note: We did not know that we would be walking fifteen miles that day. We just kind of assumed that the bridge would suddenly grow out of the city rather than appear as a type of oasis in the middle of the ~~wilderness~~ park. In fact, if you had told me that I would be walking fifteen miles that day, I probably never would have gotten out of bed.

Our first order of business, however, was to visit the sea lions that my brother adores. We immediately fell in love with them as they sunbathed, pushed each other off the docks, and cried out for attention. How come San Franciscans get to look at sea lions all the time but all we get in New York are giant rats? I mean, the rats always seem to astonish tourists but they're just not as much fun as the sea lions. We also walked around Chinatown and found what has become one of my favorite restaurants from our trip, Bistro 9. I don't remember what neighborhood this was in, but it was somewhere between Haight/Ashbury and Golden Gate Park. It was a lovely little spot with an outdoor dining area filled with flowers. The wine was great and so was the pizza. And I don't see anything wrong with combining wine and pizza.

As impressed as I was with Bistro 9, I fell head over heels for the burritos at El Farolito on Mission Street. Best hot lovin' I've ever had. The burritos are huge so this makes a nice date spot where you and your sweetheart can split one. You know, if you're the type of people who find burritos romantic. M and I never would have found this place if it hadn't been for our wonderful tour guide and friend from back home. Now a San Francisco resident, she took it upon herself to introduce us to this hidden gem and show us where all the cool kids hang out. I don't know if there was something in the food or maybe I was just so giddy from the deliciousness, but we all went to a hip hop club and I danced. No, I was not drunk. For someone who enjoys cats, quilting and baking cookies, dancing at a hip hop club was really an atypical experience. I don't know what I looked like (and would prefer not to) so I can continue to believe that there was a chance my moves were comparable to Beyoncé's. Before I hear you all start laughing, I'm going to say goodbye and leave you with this...

No Complaints Here

2010-08-31T14:24:00.002-04:00

This summer and especially this weekend has been a whirlwind of big changes, adventures, beginnings and endings. Traveling to and from D.C. is a mere memory and though it was only a few weeks ago that I made my last round trip, it seems so much longer. Since May, I have completed two more art courses for my major, moved M out of Brooklyn, into D.C., out of D.C., backpacked around the country, and finally helped him get settled in New York all over again. But not before we had to say goodbye to my brother and his girlfriend, who safely arrived in Los Angeles last night around the same time M moved the last of his things into his new place.

We plan to make great use of the kitchen, as his last apartment did not have one. Already, I find myself making a mental list of all the possibilities I can whip up on the miniature stove next to the open window with a view of the treetops. There are no complaints here, only adjustments. Working in a much smaller space will take some getting used to, but with a farmers market only a few blocks away, we will be much more inclined to keep up with our resolution to eat more locally grown, seasonal produce. Can you tell I've been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? As much as I love to support the local farmers and do what I can to help the environment, I always find myself tempted by the colorful fruits during the dreary winter months and give in. M has even made his own diet adjustments during the last few months by making the switch to whole wheat pasta after I explained the health benefits of doing so. He deserves praise for this, as I know he was opposed to it for quite some time ("You don't mess with the pasta").

Now I find him checking nutrition labels, a habit he likely picked up from me, and I couldn't be more proud of his observations. While we were pretty much forced to eat the dinners and snacks provided for us on the train during our cross-country journey, M began to learn what to look for in a snack. I fell in love all over again the first time I heard him say, "Woah...Look how much sodium is in this! This is so bad for us!" We promised ourselves that upon our return, we would stock up on healthy items and get back into our exercise routines. I also promised to locate a new cheese shop that will become our go-to spot now that we are so very far from our beloved Bedford Cheese Shop. We got spoiled in Brooklyn, being only a few blocks away from this cheese haven and now we must find a place that is a bit more local. So New York cheese lovers, what's your favorite spot in Manhattan? We're looking for a place preferably in and around the Upper West Side.

With September only a day away, we are returning to classes, getting into new routines, and will soon be celebrating our anniversary. The best lesson I've learned from M so far is to enjoy yourself and enjoy your life. I'm applying this rule to food and taking advantage of the best of each season. As for learning to be more patient? Well, I'm still working on that. Last night, I enjoyed my summer tomatoes with this beautiful looking recipe I found over at Fresh 365 for a tomato and goat cheese tart. Even in the heat of summer, I find myself craving something warm and savory every so often. Guess that goes hand in hand with all the big changes. Taking that first bite into a light, flaky crust and discovering the richness of two cheeses perfectly blended and complemented by a burst of tomato is a very special thing.

P.S. I'll continue posting stories from our vacation over the next few days while keeping you updated on what's currently happening in my kitchen now that we've returned. Hope you stay with me!

In The Middle Of It All

2010-08-31T08:54:00.002-04:00

View from our train window.

I should have been writing more while we were on the road. That would have made sense, right? Everything would be fresh and I could immediately reflect on our adventures. Too bad I only really did that for our trip to Chicago. However, it is really nice to be able to zone out for a little while and recall the rush of emotion as we stepped off the train into a brand new city each time. After our 30 hour train ride to Montana, I was anxious, hungry, and most definitely ready to run around in the wilderness. M and I checked into our surprisingly nice motel room and stopped for dinner at The Whistle Stop Restaurant, located directly across the street from us and right next to the world's largest purple spoon. Yes, it's true. We had the great privilege of viewing the largest purple spoon in the entire world, a man-made wonder that locals brag about.

French toast breakfast in Montana that will stop you in your tracks.

M had no idea what he was in for when he ordered the ribs for dinner. I opted for the veggie burger.

Though M and I were bursting with excitement over the purple spoon, we were most anxious to step out onto the hiking trails of Glacier National Park. In fact, that was all we talked about for quite some time. My grandiose dreams of conquering the hiking trails in a day and arm wrestling a bear and then going on to climb Mount Everest were pumping adrenaline through our veins the morning of our mountain adventures. We decided to start out with a row boat tour around the lake. Nothing too hard, but a lovely way to get acquainted with the area. M, being the strong, manly boyfriend that he is, rowed while I photo-documented our trip. As we marveled at the natural wonders surrounding us, we also laughed in disbelief at the overpowering beauty and sheer fact that we were two tiny people in a row boat in the middle of it all.

We are so lucky to be able to see all that we've seen. After rowing for about an hour, M brought us over to the shore and I hopped out into the frigid water to drag our boat up onto the rocks. There was no one around and we were halfway between the docks surrounded by unspoiled, pristine water, mountains, and trees. And then a butterfly landed on my foot. Feeling pretty certain that I had, at that moment, become one with nature, I ran out into the lake for a swim. By the way, don't try this. The water was safe to swim in but the rocks were so slimy and slippery that I was struggling to keep my balance. Soon, I realized just how quickly the lake drops off and becomes quite deep so I ran back to shore and out of the 40 degree water.

Now that the rugged wilderness loving side of me had been awakened, it was time for us to row back to shore and set out on the hiking trails. Although we've been talking about hiking in Glacier National Park for quite some time, we hadn't actually done anything to prepare ourselves for it. We had only a small bag of granola, no bear spray, no maps, and certainly no knowledge of the terrain. Nevertheless, we were confident that we could successfully navigate our way around and not die an untimely death. As we bravely marched on, we realized that we couldn't even find the entrance to the trails. We searched the campgrounds for about a half hour until we realized we had somehow walked away from the trail we were going to and onto a trail on the opposite side of the lake. Stupidly, we laughed at ourselves and continued on. Not being able to even locate the trail should be a red flag warning us to turn back. But we didn't. Although our confidence was shaken to the core when we saw this...

The sign warned us of the possibility of being "injured, maimed, or killed" by bears in the park. Yes, we knew bears lived here but this sign really confirmed it for us. It basically told us, "Turn around or you will be eaten." Trembling slightly with fear, we entered the woods. After about five minutes, our conversation turned to this:

Me: Oh my gosh! Did you hear that?!
M: I don't know! What was that?
Me: I don't know but I thought I heard something! Maybe it was the mountain lion!
M: Honey, are you sure you want to keep going?
Me: Yes! We have to...Do you want to keep going?
M: Um...I don't care. If you want to.
Me: Oh. Okay. Let's keep going.
....
Me: I heard it again! Did you hear that?!
M: Yes! Okay, we should turn around.
Me: We should run!

We ran back to the lake and I sulked on the shore for a while because my dreams of conquering the wilderness were crushed. Then M cheered me up by telling me that he still loves me even if I didn't wrestle a bear and that he was scared too. He also promised that we could feed the ducks when we got to Seattle the next day because let's face it, that's about as closest either of us have ever come to a wild animal.

One Night Stand

2010-08-27T11:40:00.001-04:00

"The most important thing is how you relate to each other."

That's what I learned from a fellow traveler passing through Chicago on his way to San Francisco. An older man who was with his wife threw some relationship wisdom our way in passing as we stepped off Amtrak after 19 hours. Oh but what an adventure we've had so far! M and I are incredibly lucky to be here right now. Seriously, we are incredibly lucky because we nearly missed our train on Thursday. It was like something you'd see in a cheesy movie. We forgot our tickets, turned around, then raced back to New York only to stand in a painfully long line at Penn Station. Our train was leaving at 3:45 and we were panic-stricken as the clock ticked on to 3:39 and we still had not been called to the ticket window. Wayne, the Amtrak employee, was slowly killing me as he took his sweet time to print our tickets at 3:42. A minute later, M and I broke out into a mad dash through Penn Station with all of our bags, desperately hoping to catch our train. About one minute after we boarded, the train slowly rolled away from the station and we sat down near each other. That's right. Near but not next to each other. I sweetly asked an employee if it would be possible for my boyfriend and I to sit together and again, by a stroke of luck, he made that happen.

Wow. Didn't I tell you M was full of luck? Nineteen hours later, we set foot in Chicago and began our adventure. The hostel I booked was apparently doing renovations and gave us a room that did not have a doorknob, however, it did have a large amount of sawdust covering the floor. That wasn't gonna fly with me so they kindly placed us in another room that reeked of paint. Well we weren't too thrilled with breathing in strong fumes so we were then moved to another room with two single beds, which we had to push together. There was a lovely view of the patio thanks to the blinds that were too short for the length of the window so everyone out there got a lovely view of us in return.

It's okay though. We weren't going to be hanging out in our room anyway. After lunch at a nearby cafe, The Noble Tree, we walked down to the harbor and were surprised by an air show that was going on all weekend. Everyone and their mother knew this was happening except for us. Our tourist status was quickly revealed when we started freaking out about the planes whizzing through the sky and spiraling downwards toward the water only to turn around and fly out of sight again. We were pretty much convinced that the world was coming to an end until we saw a crowd of spectators cheering on the pilots. Relief!

In the evening, we walked around what turned out to be a very fancy part of town and had dinner at Ditka's, which is owned by Mike Ditka, the famous football coach. I only knew he was famous because M told me so. The coconut shrimp appetizer was incredible and definitely large enough for us to share. These shrimp were gigantic! After dinner, we walked around the neighborhood and took advantage of the free admission to the John Hancock building. The view of Chicago at night, ninety-five stories high during a thunderstorm, was breathtakingly beautiful. I've never seen anything like it before. The soft yellow lights twinkled off into the horizon line and although we were above the majority of the city, it still appeared so massive and independent. This was the perfect way to end our one night stand with Chicago. In about two hours, M and I will be boarding Amtrak (hopefully on time) for a thirty hour ride to Glacier National Park, Montana. When you're on a train for thirty hours with your significant other, the most important thing really is how you relate to each other.

We Are Young

2010-08-11T01:07:00.001-04:00

View from the back of the cab.

My brain is shutting down, I've got one day to fill one empty backpack for my cross country adventure, one last night to spend with my brother and his girlfriend, and one hangover that is finally subsiding. Last night was one interesting night. My best friend, A, and I went out for ice cream for lunch. She said it was okay because it was my birthday and I could eat whatever I wanted. Then we went and bought the cheapest bottle of champagne to make mimosas with. Note to self: buy two bottles next time. There was barely enough for my family and friends. I used 3/4 cup champagne and 1/4 cup orange juice and the results were delightful.

Later in the day, M dropped by for dinner and surprised me with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. The man didn't even know that sunflowers are my favorite, and yet, there they were popping out of the bouquet! My brother's gift was a difficult one for him to give. Months ago, way before he knew he'd be moving to California, he bought hard to find tickets for one of his favorite bands that will be playing New York in September. Guess who has them now. That's right, yours truly. And it's a little bittersweet. My brother is the one who took me to my first concert and the majority of the ones I've been to in my life. He's responsible for my taste in music and has been one of my best friends for my entire life. We've never lived far from each other, even when we both went off to college so this move will certainly be an adjustment.

Loved the ceiling inside Artichoke.

My birthday goal was for the four of us (M, bro, bro's girlfriend, and myself) to spend one last night in New York drinking, laughing, eating good food, and celebrating our new opportunities. You would think that with a table full of adults there would be conversation all around, but somehow the boys talked sports and the girls talked about the boys. Guess some things never change no matter how old you get. We had a great time though. There was talk about the future, embarrassing stories about the past, and good music on the jukebox at M's favorite spot, some nameless bar at the corner of 1st Ave. and 7th Street. It should be noted that the bartender was a real nice guy.

Too bad the bouncer at Beauty Bar wasn't so nice. The guy was convinced that M and I were trying to get in with fake ID's and claimed that neither of them were registering in the machine. Had we not already been drinking, we may have gotten annoyed. Instead, the whole situation was hilarious to us. The bouncer declared our state issued ID's to be frauds and that we looked young. "We are young!" I exclaimed joyously and somewhat drunkenly. After getting shut down, we laughed our way down the street and into an empty bar where we were not treated like criminals.

Now I've gotta say that M hit another home run when we stopped at Artichoke for a slice. Of the many thousands of New York pizza places throughout the boroughs, this one stands out like a tourist wandering around the Met in a fanny pack and black socks with sandals. Except in a good way. The slices are as big as the line but Oh! it is worth the wait. Creamy, thick, saucy artichoke pizza. That's all you need to know. There's no better feeling than savoring each bite with someone you love against a chain link fence as a warm summer breeze blows through the East Village at 1 AM. Those moments are special.

P.S. M and I are leaving for our trip tomorrow! Unless I'm able to blog from the train, you'll hear from me again in two weeks. And believe me...I can't wait to tell you all about our adventures.

Cake Is Just A Four Letter Word

2010-08-09T11:14:00.000-04:00

Like most normal human beings, I used to get really excited for my birthday. The buildup of anticipation at the mere thought of presents, cake, parties, and cake was enough to keep me awake the night before the big day. As years have gone by, I've become tempted to switch over to the dark side and turn into one of those people who get as excited for their birthday as they would a trip to the dentist. It's no secret that I have an unending supply of bad luck. Some people were just born lucky. M is one of those people. Good things seem to happen to him and around him.

Me? Not so much. For instance, I'm the kind of person who will go to extraordinary lengths to bake an amazing cake, a cake that only comes along once in a blue moon, for some sort of special occasion in which I plan to take part. The cake will turn out wonderfully and I will coddle it like a child then jump through a series of hoops to transport that cake to previously mentioned special occasion. I will rush to the bus stop, find a parking spot at the last minute and run like hell with the cake in my arms, all the while praying that it is not being wrecked in the process. I will miraculously catch the bus at the very last second, cake in tact, and find an open seat. The cake will be gently placed next to me, being guarded with my life, while I think, "Thank goodness! The cake is safe." right before another passenger sneaks up and accidentally sits on my cake. That's the kind of luck I have.

Where am I going with this nonsense? Bad luck. Right. Bad things tend to happen on or around my birthday and I have convinced myself that being excited about the big day will only bring worse luck. The less enthusiastic I am, the better a time I will have. Well last night I started getting just a tad bit excited and now I peek around every corner expecting some evil force of doom to jump out and hit me in the face. Or an earthquake will hit New York. Or a meteor will come crashing down. You get the idea.

In an effort to distract myself from these potential scenarios, I will post some pictures from my weekend. M and I drove to D.C. to pack up and ended up getting lost in Maryland. But we didn't realize just how lost we were until we found out we were actually in Pennsylvania. Go figure. We stopped at a diner in some scary rural town where corn and cows outnumber people and men drive around in beat up cars making kissy faces at unsuspecting young ladies innocently walking by. I was a victim of this drive by attack and was thoroughly creeped out by the experience. We made our way out of there after lunch and stopped at Susquehanna State Park to amuse ourselves and ensure we miss rush hour.

The park was lovely and felt like only a very distant memory on the way home when we hit a 15 miles traffic jam and our 4 1/2 hour drive turned into 7 hours. In typical New Jersey fashion, the turnpike wasn't much better. I did, however, make it back in time for Gotham Girls roller derby with my brother's girlfriend. We share a love of food, travel, and butt kicking so it's no surprise that we get along quite well. Tonight, we will meet again for drinks and bring the boys along for some birthday shenanigans and for our last hurrah before we all take off on our own cross country adventures. Updates will follow tomorrow, but now I have to go put on pants because I'm a year older and can't seem to get away with being without pants when company comes over anymore.

I Am A Sick Person

2010-08-05T16:26:00.000-04:00

Remember how I told you I was sick over the weekend? Well things can get pretty ugly when I'm not feeling well and someone comes between me and sleeping. Today, I am baking cookies to apologize for my actions. I was out of my mind, you see. M woke me up early one morning for reasons I still don't understand. It may not have even been that early but expecting me to be a functioning member of society before noon is just unreasonable when I'm ill. Here's a fairly accurate play by play of what went down...

M: Good morning, honey. It's time to get up.
Me: NO! I HATE GETTING UP! GETTING UP IS MY LEAST FAVORITE AND I WON'T DO IT!
M: Honey, it's late.
Me: I DON'T CARE! BLARGHHALGJKLDAJK!
M: Who are you?
Me: I AM A SICK PERSON WHO WANTS TO SLEEP!

How true those words were! And that's why I'm baking cookies for M today. And that's why you shouldn't cross my path when I'm cranky. Or hungry. So M, if you are reading this, I'm sorry for being a crazy person but if you honestly expected me to get up and do things, well...you were expecting too much. Let's try to not let this happen again in the future. As for everyone else, these cookies are awesome and I encourage you to make them even if you don't have to apologize to anyone. They're so good, in fact, that you might even want to start a fight just so you have an excuse to bake a lot of cookies. Not like you really need an excuse to bake cookies though.

Merely turning on my oven in 90 degree weather is already a sign of my repentance. 90 degrees and humid is just unbearable though. It's sad because I had high hopes for myself today. I was going to wake up early and act like a successful person. I was going to go running. I was going to clean out my car because it looks like I'm living out of it with a family of hoarders. And I was going to tackle a to-do list that has somehow snowballed into something much scarier and now I fear I will die in an avalanche of chores. But most of those things did not happen. Sure, I knocked a couple things off my to-do list but I was not as successful as I had hoped to be. Whatever. At least I have cookies.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup uncooked oats
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, brown sugar, and white sugar with egg, water, and vanilla until creamy and smooth. Stir flour and baking soda into the wet mixture. Stir in oats and raisins. Roll dough into balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Sidenote: The first batch seemed to spread out way too much and I ended up adding another 1/2 cup of flour to the remaining dough. I can't seem to figure out why this happened because I've been using this recipe for years, but I thought I'd give you guys the heads up in case you run into the same problem.

What Keeps Us Together

2010-08-03T22:53:00.000-04:00

There's something so romantic about hiking through the woods, admiring flower gardens, and sharing a picnic under a tree on a beautiful lawn. Too bad M wasn't there to join. My best friend and I decided to celebrate our birthdays today, which are only about a week apart, at a nearby arboretum. We drove out to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, one of her favorite places, for an early celebration thanks to our hectic schedules in the days to follow. Seeing as how she's been my best friend for over a decade, this is my longest relationship by far. Funnily enough, she's responsible for my current relationship. M and I were introduced at a going away party for her older brother, who happens to be a close friend of M's and practically a second brother to me.

Awesome fountain we stumbled upon.

She and I were inseparable growing up and that certainly didn't change when she moved to a new house around the corner from mine. Our earliest memory was when she moved here from South America in first grade and couldn't speak English yet. Wanting to make her feel welcome, I walked up to her, counted to ten in Spanish and walked away while she stood there dumbfounded. You see, that was the only Spanish I knew so I really wasn't sure what else to say. In my six year old mind, it was a nice gesture. We barely spoke for the next four years. Then in fifth grade, thanks to alphabetical order, we were seated next to each other and remained best friends all these years. The theme of our decade long friendship can be summed up in two words: ice cream. Over the 10 years or so, the following conversation has occurred countless times:

"I have to tell you something and we're going to be needing ice cream."
"Woah. So this is serious?"

Now I don't know what you and your best friend are like, but she and I are polar opposites. I'm an art major and she's going the medical route. My brain short circuits at the mere thought of equations and definitions while she excels at them but swears she can't draw. She can probably finish a book in one day while I consider myself lucky to finish five pages before falling asleep. I am a health conscious vegetarian while she's probably never read a nutrition label in her life. She was a great cross country runner in high school while I trailed behind everyone and eventually quit. And somehow we've never fought with each other once in our lives.

View of the visitor center from the great lawn.

I guess what keeps us together is our love of potato chips on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Or our bizarre sense of humor. Or maybe our innate abilities to talk for hours on end without running out of things to say. Or the fact that we know way too much about each other so we must remain friends. We've been through hell and back. We've been through both hilarious and horrible times together and always manage to crack a joke regardless of the severity of a situation. And we both know that ice cream and a long walk will help nearly any situation we encounter.

It Must Be In The Fries

2010-08-02T22:21:00.003-04:00

M and I got off to a rough start this weekend because I came down with a cold or some sort of stupid illness on Thursday (this has been a long time coming) and fell asleep almost immediately upon my arrival. After waking, M forced my sorry butt to purchase some over the counter goodness because I desperately needed it and then took me to this really cool Italian restaurant called Vapiano. You're given a card when you enter, get in line, tell the cook what you want, and they make it for you right before your very hungry eyes. Then you fight for a seat in the always crowded dining area and overeat. Or at least that's what we did.

We soon retreated to the apartment where I continued to be sniffly and moany. Then, for the first time ever, I fell asleep before M did and was out for the night. Friday was filled with grocery shopping and preparing for a dinner party with the other interns from the building. I made two trays of baked ziti, as M suggested, some garlic bread, and a big bowl of sautéd summer vegetables. I substituted garbanzo beans for white beans and balsamic vinegar for red wine vinegar. This was incredibly easy to make and only took forever due to the massive amount of chopping. It was well worth the trouble when I received a compliment on my garlic mincing skills. Everyone got pretty excited by the celebration of zucchini, yellow squash, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and garbanzo beans. Okay, I may have been the most excited. Of course the night couldn't end until I had a few glasses of wine and argued with a law student about the treatment of animals on industrial farms. I probably shouldn't have had wine while being under the weather and all but oddly enough, I think it helped.

Saturday tested the strength of our relationship. M and I went kayaking with some friends on the Potomac River. An entire afternoon in a tiny little boat with your significant other could be either really romantic or a shipwreck waiting to happen. Luckily for us, we're adventure seekers and though it was a little nerve wrecking at first, we took on the challenge and figured we paddled about seven miles in total. My arms are going to fall off now. We got soaked and M didn't help the situation by splashing me any chance he got (boys will be boys!) but he can really paddle! Thank goodness we got a double kayak because there's no way I'd have been able to do that entire trip in a single. I probably would have given up halfway through, broke into the bag of doughnuts I packed (for survival, of course), and prayed that someone would eventually notice I was gone and come rescue me.

Our whole group made it back in one piece though. After a much needed nap, M and I went out for a late dinner with his friend from back home who came to visit. We ended up ordering probably too many tapas from Jaleo and ate nearly everything. There was asparagus and calamari, potatoes and shrimp, and some other things that I can't remember because I slipped into a food coma. The last thing I remember was that everything was delicious and we said no to dessert. Then we went home and ate ice cream. But something groundbreaking happened on the walk back. The three of us chatted about Washington and M's friend remarked that the city seemed soulless. I said the same exact thing in the beginning of the summer and for the first time, I found myself defending D.C. So I owe the city an apology. I judged you too hastily, Washington. You are not soulless. We got off to a rough start and I think we're okay now. In fact, I kind of like you. No, I still don't want to live there permanently but it's nice to know that we'll be parting on good terms.

Of course with this being our last weekend in D.C. (next week will consist of driving down, packing, sleeping, and driving back up), we had to end things the way they started. A trip to Five Guys. I'm not a fan of fast food, but there's something about this place that keeps me coming back. It must be in the fries.

Eat Like A Winner

2010-07-28T12:08:00.000-04:00

NYC Loves Nashville was a great success last night. The organizers did a fantastic job of putting this entire benefit together and selecting some incredible raffle prizes. Naturally, I was hanging out in the winners circle back by the bar with all my swag. That's right, I won two prizes. And I swear it wasn't rigged! Nevertheless, things got a little rowdy when I won my first prize, but who wouldn't get crazy over all natural gourmet Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter? This gem is made by Peanut Butter & Co. and there are plenty of other incredible flavors (Dark Chocolate Dreams? Yes, please!) that everyone needs to check out.

A gift certificate to Peaches Hothouse in Brooklyn, a Nashville themed restaurant, was among the amazing prizes in my first bag. My brother then won a night of beer tasting and his friend got a box of Moon Pies. It's a good thing he knows how to share or else I probably would have jumped him. I've never had a Moon Pie before but I don't think I'll ever be able to get these giant, cookie-like treats off my mind. They are a Nashville delicacy, so I hear. Oh and did I mention how great the musicians were?

Laura Cantrell, who happens to be a lovely person, and Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris were fantastic together. I could have died right there when they covered Patsy Cline's "She's Got You". But my heart almost did stop when I won a month's supply of popchips, which will probably be finished in about a week. Now I had no idea what the heck a popchip was but Mary Jennings, the New York based musician who donated her time and talent to the event, informed me that they are quite amazing. I ripped open the first bag the second I got home and holy cow...she was right. Think of the light airy texture of popcorn in the form of a flavor packed potato chip. Yeah. And I've got a whole month's supply. The barbecue flavor is my favorite so far. If you want to eat like a winner, track down a retailer and stock up on these. Potato chips just can't hold a candle to popchips.

NYC Loves Nashville

2010-07-27T15:58:00.000-04:00

I need to give a shout out to the awesome people who put together the NYC <3 Nashville benefit concert happening tonight at Le Poisson Rouge. New Yorkers, get your butts over to the West Village for some great music that supports a great cause. The purpose of this concert, organized by a dear friend of mine, is to contribute to the flood relief effort in Music City. Doors open at 7:30 and tickets are $25. All of the proceeds go to Nashville flood relief and there will be tons of awesome raffle prizes as well. I got a sneak peak at some of them and know for a fact that food lovers will be overjoyed. Can't make it? Fear not! Check out the website for ways to contribute.

Chocolate Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

2010-07-27T00:53:00.000-04:00

Guess what I cooked this weekend...Absolutely nothing! Well aside from some rice and a spontaneous chocolate chip cookie baking extravaganza, we dined out in D.C. I arrived on Thursday looking like hell and still in mourning because of a horrible incident that occurred in my town. In the last few months, a new family moved into my little New Jersey suburban hometown. A turkey family! Oh they captured the hearts of all the locals! We are just enamored by these traffic stopping creatures who humbly reside in our "woods".

Maybe some of you are thinking, "What the heck is the big deal?" Well let me remind you, this is North Jersey we're talking about, the birth place of traffic jams, pizza places, Frank Sinatra, and maybe even the mafia. Turkeys are not a common sight in this neck of the woods. When we first discovered our new neighbors, people would stop their cars and take pictures of these local celebrities. They loved the attention! It breaks my heart to tell you that Tomás, the male turkey affectionately named by M, was recently shot and killed by two heartless teenagers. With a bow and arrow. Who the heck has a bow and arrow in Jersey? I really hate to bring you all such grim news, but Tomás deserves some recognition. His favorite hobbies include strutting around the neighborhood, flapping his wings at small dogs, and pecking at cars. He really took a liking to my car. He also enjoyed visiting the yards of my best friend, where I first discovered him, and M's family. M's mom is a real bird lover so Tomás probably sensed that and stopped by for a snack. Needless to say, she was thrilled and captured his visit on film.

After having a good cry, I met M in D.C. where he surprised me with a box of chocolates to cheer me up. No words can adequately describe how appreciative I am of that gesture but I think he got the point when I devoured the whole thing and almost didn't stop at the cardboard box itself. Just when I thought I couldn't adore M more than I already do, he proves he knows exactly what I need in times of sadness. Chocolate makes the heart grow fonder, right? After I regained a semblance of composure, we walked around Georgetown and decided on J-Pauls for dinner. I forgot my camera but it was pretty dark in there and I probably wouldn't have gotten a good picture of my veggie burger anyway. Our waiter was really friendly and helpful in recommending the best burger on the menu. Oh and I must tell you that they serve big, soft, chewy pretzels instead of bread! You're a good man, J-Paul.

M and his friend ordered the steak while I stuck to my pasta and vegetables, thank you very much.

M, his friend, and I ventured into the blazing afternoon heat on Friday for a late lunch at Restaurant That No One Seems to Remember The Name Of. Maybe we stumbled in there a bit underdressed (shorts, TOMS shoes, and a vintage "Proud to be Union" t-shirt, ahem), but the food was great and the mystery restaurant is a lovely spot for a quiet meal in the Golden Triangle neighborhood. M claims it was on 18th Street NW and I know it was near a Bank of America. If anyone knows what the heck I'm talking about, please speak up! I'll be doing some more research to track it down. Throughout the rest of the weekend, you could have found us in our natural habitat (wherever the AC happens to be) eating pizza. The heat was just too miserable to do much of anything, aside from a little day trip to the planetarium.

The star show was incredible and I'm dying to see the one on black holes. Black holes are something I can relate to seeing as how I've been known to devour everything in my path on occasion. With this coming weekend being our last (last?!) real weekend in D.C. before M moves back to New York, we'll have to hit up a few more of the museums. Let's hope the weather doesn't kill us. I ended up staying an extra night due to a tornado warning on Sunday. The sky seemed to signify impending doom right before the pouring rain began, accompanied by thunder, lightening, and strong winds. They were strong enough to knock over newspaper stands which I took as a hint to turn around. Well, that and the fact that I lost my bus ticket. Hah. It didn't bother me any! Just meant that I got one more night to eat ice cream in bed with M.

The Natural Order of Things

2010-07-21T14:06:00.000-04:00

With only two short weeks left, our time in D.C. is coming to a close. My summer course at home and M's internship are nearing the end and I'm approaching a significant birthday. M and I are preparing for a cross country rail adventure as my brother and his girlfriend are preparing for their own cross country adventure. They are moving to the Golden Coast at the end of the summer, news that I'm finally able to reveal now that the cat's out of the bag. Woah.

These next few months are going to be full of decisions, I suspect. Apartments will be hunted, kitchens will be scrutinized, I'm sure a few tears will be shed and, consequently, cakes will be eaten. That is the natural order of things, is it not? It's a little overwhelming at times, especially considering that my fundraising deadline is fast approaching for a student delegation to Nicaragua. All of this is enough to prompt running in 90-100 degree weather in the middle of the afternoon, or whenever my brain happens to go into the DANGER zone. Let me just say, that's a scary place. My whole view of the world and myself becomes warped due to stress and anxiety. That's why I run. That's why I cook. It feels good to know that I have the power to get myself from point A to point B, even when those points just happen to be at the local track. It's also comforting to know I can take butter and sugar and chocolate and combine them, take little steps to make these individual wonders into something even better. It makes me feel like I'm in control of something and keeps me grounded. Or at least keeps me from completely losing my mind. Part of taking care of your body and mind is knowing when to indulge.

That's why I'm baking myself a cake today. It's not my birthday yet, it's not even the weekend. Just a plain old Wednesday that ought to be celebrated. I don't care if it's already hit 90 degrees before noon. The oven is going on and I'm eating a Chocolate Molten Cake. Care to join me?

Ingredients:

1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus additional for dusting
4 1-ounce squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, cut into pieces
1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease eight 6-ounce custard cups. Dust with granulated sugar. In heavy 3-quart saucepan, heat chocolate, butter, and cream over low heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove pan from heat. Add vanilla. With wire whisk, stir in flour just until mixture is smooth.

In medium bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat 1/4 cup granulated sugar, eggs, and yolks until thick and lemon-colored, about 10 minutes. Fold egg mixture, one-third at a time, into chocolate mixture until blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared custard cups. (Can be made ahead. Wrap well and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze up to 2 weeks.) Place cups in jelly-roll pan and bake cakes until edges are set but centers still jiggle, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 3 minutes. Run thin knife around sides of cups to loosen cakes; invert onto plates. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

It's A Keeper

2010-07-19T13:01:00.001-04:00

I think it's finally happening. D.C. and I are becoming, what's the word I'm looking for here, friends? Yes, we got along really well this weekend. M met me at the metro station and we walked to his office and made a little pit stop at Five Guys, only to order fries and a drink while seeking respite from the heat and some quality time since we missed out on that last weekend. I told him all about my bus ride and he told me all about his day at work and finally we made our way back onto the crowded D.C. streets during rush hour. We quickly forgot all about the outside world and locked ourselves in the apartment with air conditioning, good food, and some movies. We settled in with a pizza and homemade iced tea and eventually fell asleep.

On Friday, we ducked into a movie theater after practically melting into the sidewalk and had our minds blown by Inception. If you haven't seen it, use this heat wave as an excuse to buy an overpriced movie ticket. It was so good! At some point during the evening we realized that we're going to have to feed ourselves and made a Trader Joe's run where we helped two lost teenage girls from two different countries find their way back to their building. Life lesson: It might be a good idea know the address and phone number of where you're staying, especially if you're in a new country. These girls were clueless.

Anyway, we made our way back home through the cockroach mafia that seems to be running the streets of D.C. Yes, you read that correctly. I've never seen so many cockroaches in my life. If you think New York has a problem, think again. At least New York lays it all out on the table. Sure, maybe there's litter on the streets and maybe there's that stench of garbage that follows you around from time to time, but at least New York doesn't put on any facade of cleanliness. D.C. is closet dirty. The city looks really clean and nice but there are so many cockroaches. I'm pretty sure they control the Senate. But you probably didn't come here to read about cockroaches running rampant in the streets. So now I'm going to show you a picture of the pretty pasta we ate. Oh it was so lovely!

It was black and white striped! How cool is that? I cooked them according to the package directions, mixed in some chopped basil and tomatoes, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, and topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. M and I went back for seconds. Oh and he loved the asparagus soup! M was not even in the mood for soup but I insisted he try it anyway. By the time he finished the bowl, he was asking for more. It really is that good.

Saturday night's dinner was the star of the whole weekend though. I tried out a new recipe and was overwhelmed with joy when the grocery store had all of the ingredients I needed. This is a first. I made Sugar Snap Pea and Shrimp Curry with rice pilaf. We had a lot of leftovers so we invited M's two roommates to eat with us. The boys loved it so much that they even did the dishes afterwords! One of them was saying that it tastes like something his mom used to make and the other was raving about the flavors and M sat quietly and finished the whole plate. Such nice boys! Their hearts were filled with happiness when I brought out the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Cooking is even more fun when it's met with enthusiasm and appreciation. And when that same dish takes under 30 minutes to prepare? Well, you know it's a keeper.

Now before I give you the recipe and send you off on your merry way, let me apologize for the quality of the photos. You see, we were very hungry and therefore in a rush to devour our dinner. But please give this one a try! It was spicier than I expected but the flavors really did come together quite nicely. And if something's good enough to make a bunch of boys do the dishes, it needs to be on your menu.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, (16-20 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 cup “lite” coconut milk
1/4 cup lemon juice

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add shrimp and peas and cook, stirring, until the shrimp are almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook until the shrimp have cooked through, about 2 minutes more.

The original recipe calls for salt but I don't think it's necessary. No one will call this dish bland so who needs the extra sodium?

Never Have I Ever

2010-07-14T10:11:00.000-04:00

Besides lunch and dinner, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. And look at what I got to wake up to this morning! Blueberry banana bread. Freshly baked goodness, coffee with a dash of cinnamon, and the morning news is the best way to start your day, in my opinion. I never understood how so many people skip breakfast. Are they crazy? Why would someone do such thing? Sure, you may be in a rush but I don't think I've skipped breakfast in my entire life. Ever. It's not that difficult or time consuming and is incredibly important, as health studies have shown time and time again. We function better, we think better, and we even eat better later on when we start our day with breakfast. I'm usually a cereal and coffee girl but M is a fan of the big breakfast with all the works...pancakes, eggs, bacon, you know the deal. I tend to eat light in the morning but definitely can't go without any food at all. That would be outright dangerous. Not so much for me but for anyone in my vicinity. You don't wanna mess with me when I'm hungry or haven't had coffee. Take my word for it.

I always loved when my mom made banana bread for us growing up. It was like being able to have dessert for breakfast instead and I couldn't get in trouble for it. Always so warm and gooey and sweet, banana bread was and still is an easy favorite. Actually, my mom was the one who called my attention to this recipe and suggested I make it. It's not quite like Mom's but the blueberries were a fun addition to this classic bread, not to mention an even healthier way to start your day. I recently read that you should include a serving of fruit with your breakfast every day. Though I try really hard to make that happen, sometimes the fruit doesn't quite make it to the table. Well now I can get a serving and not even have to think about it and I love anything that involves me not having to use my brain early in the morning.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup nonfat or low-fat buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, you can mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of milk)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Whisk buttermilk, brown sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in mashed bananas. Whisk whole-wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until the top is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Let cool for about 2 hours before slicing.

This is a great recipe if you've got some overly ripe bananas laying around in your kitchen. Or if you don't have time to make this right away, you can freeze the ripe bananas and save them for later. I've got a stash of black, mushy bananas in my freezer for impromptu bread/muffin making.

Flirting With 100

2010-07-11T20:35:00.001-04:00

This weather has got to stop. I get awfully cranky when we're flirting with 100 degrees Fahrenheit for days and now weeks on end. At first it was cute, but now I'm really annoyed and giving up the will to fight off afternoon naps. These days I just give in and succumb to the heat. Around 3 PM, right in the middle of the World Cup, I was lying face down on my bed and losing consciousness while my second hand air conditioner hummed and rattled in the background. I don't know what time I woke up but I stumbled my way into the kitchen to make some soup. Chilled asparagus soup.

That's about the only thing I can depend on to get me through the week. I am now living off of liquids because it's just too hot to chew food. D.C. humidity was probably worse than New York's but I stayed on the east coast to celebrate my goddaughter's seventh birthday this weekend. Which reminds me, my cousin deserves a special shout out for making a vegetarian dish just for me, much to the dismay of some of my carnivorous relatives. So thank you, dear cousin! Now about this soup...Well it's a brand new recipe and has jumped right to the top of my list. I will definitely be making it for M this weekend. The boy loves asparagus and has been inquiring about it for weeks. Sadly, the grocery store didn't have any asparagus last time I was there. Yes, you read that correctly. The grocery store did not have asparagus! It's not like I'm looking for some kind of exotic vegetable here!

Okay, breathe...

So this soup is really special to me. It's a beautiful shade of green with the kind of consistency I adore, not watery, broth-like soup but a creamy, perfectly blended bowl of heaven. Can you tell I really like soup? The coconut milk adds a sweetness and contributes to the creamy texture but the curry adds the kick it really needs. Subtle, but you get the point. This soup means business. The lemon zest makes its presence known without being overbearing and would be greatly missed had it not been added. One sip and I was hooked. I have a feeling this soup will be on repeat and slightly altered to complement each season. The excitement is just too much for me to handle! I can't wait to make it for M. I'll be staring at him intently as he sits down to eat it because I just don't want to miss the look on his face when he takes that first sip. I know, I'm a creep. He's okay with that.

Pair this with a loaf of crusty French bread and some extra virgin olive oil for dipping and I'm coming over for dinner. Did I mention how good it smells as it's cooking? Oh it's divine! I don't know who the Greek god of asparagus is or if one even exists but I'm sure he is smiling down on me today.

I made some minor adjustments to the original recipe but it's pretty darn close.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger root
zest 1 lemon
2 cups diced peeled red potatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup “lite” coconut milk
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces trimmed asparagus, (about 1 bunch)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder, ginger, lemon zest and potatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in broth, coconut milk and asparagus. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, partially cover and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or a regular blender (in batches) until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Thinking Makes Me Hungry

2010-07-09T13:03:00.000-04:00

After having a few days to celebrate and jump up and down over M's birthday gift to me, it's time to get down to business! He says planning the cross country journey is half the fun, but I say it's hard work and it's making me hungry. That's why I needed a substantial, healthy lunch so I ransacked my fridge for last night's dinner leftovers. Shrimp, quinoa, red bell pepper, and snow peas. This is one of my favorites and may I be so bold as to say that quinoa is the new rice? All of you need to jump on the quinoa bandwagon, you won't be sorry. Cook it according to package directions and sauté the shrimp, pepper, and snow peas and combine. Knock yourself out and experiment with different flavors and seasonings, too. Maybe some freshly squeezed lime juice? After lunch, I got back to work on planning out the itinerary and possible route. Soon after, I found myself confused and hungry again. What is it about thinking that always makes me hungry? There are so many places I want to see but like I said, we've got 15 days and 8 stops to do this in. We must choose wisely. As my appetite grew, I wandered into the kitchen to forage for more food. Bypassing the potato chips (well...maybe i ate a few), I stumbled upon this glorious fruit bowl calling my name.

I immediately thought peach cobbler! Plum tart! More smoothies! But I really couldn't let myself get sidetracked in the kitchen so I ended up with a simple, delicious bowl of mixed fruit with my homemade granola tossed in.

It did exactly what I needed it to...refueled me for an afternoon of planning. Now with two possible itineraries down, I can start looking into places to stay and all the other stuff one needs to consider when going on a journey. Whew! I really need M for this. He's much better at this stuff than I am because he doesn't get so easily distracted by cities on a map that have funny names and whatnot. Well I suppose I've procrastinated enough for now. It's time to tackle the rest of the items on my to-do list. Happy Friday, everyone!

Short and Sweet

2010-07-07T12:44:00.000-04:00

Some of my favorite recipes also happen to be the easiest recipes. Coincidence? Possibly. Or maybe I just enjoy the recipe more knowing that it won't take long to make or to clean up and boy do I hate cleaning! Lately, I've been addicted to fruit smoothies in an attempt to battle the disgusting heat wave plaguing the east coast. These smoothies also happen to be ridiculously easy and fast to make. They are so easy, in fact, that I considered not posting the recipe because I'm pretty sure everyone knows how to make a smoothie. Even so, these are healthy, cold, delicious, and did I mention cold? These are great for an afternoon pick-me-up or a healthy dessert in the evening. So before my brain melts in this 100 degree weather (yes, it really is 100 degrees out there!), here's how I like to make my smoothie...

Ingredients:
1 banana, chopped
1 big handful of blueberries
1/2 cup orange juice (I don't actually measure this out, but it's probably about 1/2 cup)
4 ice cubes

Stick 'em all in a blender, pour yourself a big glass, and befriend someone with a pool. You're all set for the rest of the summer.

A Month and Some Change Early

2010-07-05T20:05:00.001-04:00

As promised, I have returned with some new recipes and a big surprise. While M was working hard on Friday, I ran off to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients for one of my favorite recipes...Pumpkin Burgers! After chatting with the super friendly cashier who wanted to know where I'm from, if I'm having a nice day, how I'll be celebrating the 4th of July, I headed back to the apartment to cook up something great for The Best Boyfriend Ever while he watched the World Cup. Yup, I handed him a beer when he got home and made sure he sat in front of the television while I worked my magic in the kitchen. Normally, I'd be on the couch right next to him, beer in hand, yelling at the TV (Why yes, I am from Jersey. How did you know?) but this day was different. M revealed my birthday surprise a month and some change early. No, it's not a blender, a food processor, or a mixer.

It's an Amtrack rail pass!

Not only are we going to San Francisco but we will be making a few stops along the course of our 15 day trip. Here's how it works: We travel for 15 days and can hop on, hop off at any city we like as long as the trip is completed in 8 segments. A cross-country rail trip from New York to San Francisco! I'm still in disbelief. A few things came to mind when he revealed the surprise:

"Best. Man. Ever. I must feed him."
"How many pairs of shoes can I fit in my luggage?"
"What snacks should I make for the journey?"

Well I don't know how I can ever sufficiently thank him for this incredible gift, but the Pumpkin Burgers were a good place to start. They are delicious! M loved them, I loved them, his roommate was intrigued. They were so good we saw fireworks.

Okay, fine. Maybe that had something to do with the holiday. Whatever, our meal was still awesome. I paired this with a plum salad with walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette dressing and some bread and cheese for a dessert. I got the idea for the salad from one of our first dates when M took me to Marlow & Sons and I had this incredible salad. I don't remember what dressing was served with this gem, but I thought the raspberry vinaigrette would be a fun summery treat. Oh and if you haven't tried goat milk brie, you must! Goat milk is easier to digest than cow milk and given my substance abuse problem with cheese, I thought this little switch might be a good idea. Even so, I still need supervision when dairy is around. For example:

M, while cleaning up from lunch: "I'm gonna run to the store across the street."
Me: "Okay, I'll just stay here and keep an eye on the cheese."
M: "Nooo, I think you should come, too."
Me: "No, honey. I'll be fine. Really."
M: "Alright, you can stay here if you want but I'm taking the cheese away and locking it in my bedroom."
Me: "....Fine, I'll come with you."

Crisis averted. I don't even want to think about what may have happened had he left me alone with the brie. Anyway! We finally got around to feeding those hungry little ducks by the Washington Monument. M and I gave them half a loaf of whole grain bread and then got swarmed by some greedy geese. Now I love animals and I especially love feeding animals but those guys are rude! I'm going to teach them some basic table manners next time we visit.

And so, without further ado, here is the recipe for the plum salad:

Ingredients:
Fresh basil leaves, chopped into large pieces
Lettuce or bad of salad mix
2 or 3 plums
1/3 cup walnuts

Dressing:
2 tablespoons raspberry wine vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
dash of salt and pepper

Chop plums into large chunks. Toss lettuce, basil, plum, and walnuts in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine ingredients for dressing and whisk. Toss and serve. That's all there is to it!

I served our lunch with some homemade ginger mint tea and we continued to enjoy the great indoors while everyone else fought through the heat and crowds of Washington D.C. 4th of July holiday goers. Thus concludes another Good Weekend.

Ginger Mint Tea

2010-06-30T15:27:00.001-04:00

This is fast, easy, delicious, and you're going to love it. Trust me. It's also your digestive system's BFFL. I've been living off of ginger mint tea ever since that trip to Sweet Leaf back in May. Do me a favor and boil some water in your tea kettle. While that's on the stove, grab a big handful (or several big handfuls, depending on your flavor preference) of fresh mint leaves. Rinse and break them up into big pieces and throw them in a big heat safe bowl. Is your water done yet? No? Okay good. Get some ginger root out of your freezer and grate a couple generous tablespoons and throw those in with the mint leaves. I think I hear the kettle whistling. Pour the hot water over the mint and ginger and let it steep for 6-8 minutes. Grab another bowl and the finest strainer you have and strain your tea. Throw some ice cubes in the bowl to speed up the process (or not if you want hot tea!) and let it sit until it's cool enough to pour into a pitcher. Apparently you can't put hot liquids into glass containers. I got yelled at the last time I tried to do that. Safety first, people!

This tea tastes best after sitting in your fridge overnight. I like to add a few more mint leaves to the pitcher and a splash of lemon juice, too. This is absolutely perfect for combating summer heat waves and it's great for your body. I plan on making a big pitcher for M tomorrow, but stay tuned for a few more surprises. He's getting an incredible dinner this weekend and the Best Boyfriend Ever Award. I'll post some recipes and an explanation soon, I promise!

You Can Learn A Lot From What You Eat

2010-06-28T00:55:00.002-04:00

Recently, I told you guys about how I've been a little nuts because of all these changes in my life. The hardest thing about looking forward to something or having a plan is that there's no guarantee your expectations will become reality. I finally started feeling okay with things when life threw some more kumquats at me today. M and I were driving back from a family party Sunday afternoon when we ended up getting lost in Newark, NJ. Well, being that I'm already familiar with the city I thought I'd save the day and navigate our way back to the Parkway. It felt nice knowing I was in control and doing something to help. Hmm I guess I got a little too distracted by looking for street signs that I kind of forgot to also look at the traffic lights. Green went to amber, amber went to red, and we went flying down Market Street towards the intersection. M yelled and I wanted to cry. I hate when people yell but this is a pretty standard reaction for someone who is a passenger in a moving vehicle hurdling towards an intersection. Cue the flashbacks to our first weekend in D.C. Good thing my brakes work really well. I stopped right before the intersection.

Yes, I know everyone gets distracted when driving every once in a while. But I messed up. I was in control and I messed up. Again. Here lies the problem. I blame myself when things go wrong. Not just on the road (although I am to blame for that), but in other aspects. I punish myself with doubts and negativity when I make a mistake. Lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking and perhaps I need to readopt the phrase I used to live by: everything happens for a reason. Though I can't pinpoint exactly when I stopped repeating this mantra to myself, I've since tried to take control of pretty much everything. Aside from my love of eating, that's why cooking feels so good. I get to take a whole bunch of things, peel them, chop them, sauté them and do anything else my heart desires to create something wonderful. Something that other people will rant and rave about, something that I created all on my own. Maybe I should just unleash my control freak instincts in the kitchen from now on. This attitude seems to be disastrous elsewhere.

But like my very cool friend said over an ice cream date, you have to give yourself some credit! There are lots of things I do well, where my authoritativeness is a positive thing. For instance, my rock climbing partner and I got our belaying certifications over the weekend. I don't know about you guys, but when I'm suspended 60 feet in the air, I don't want some laid back, wishy-washy partner belaying me. We both did a great job and no longer need an instructor to handle the ropes. The point is, we need to give ourselves a break at times.

Now I'm not advising people to relinquish all control over their lives, but maybe we could all learn a little something from this recipe, Tofu Parmigiana. Tofu is bouncy. Firm, yet flexible, it can be thrown into the mix and always come out with the best of each flavor. It retains the taste of whatever seasoning you're using but doesn't lose its uniqueness, which would be tofu's unusual texture. Tofu always seems to know how to make the best of everything and go with the flow. This is a genius idea and I'm making a genuine attempt at incorporating into my life. So what's today's lesson?

Be more like tofu or something.

Recipe taken from Eating Well.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-06-24T14:12:00.001-04:00

Do you ever find yourself getting a little stressed out even when there are positive changes happening around you? So much has been happening around me lately that I sometimes get a bit overwhelmed. It's not that I'm complaining about these changes, they are all really exciting, really good decisions that people I'm close to are making. Unfortunately, those changes are putting some physical distance between us. You already know M and I are doing the whole NY-DC dance and so far so good. Yes, it would be great to have him closer and back in New York but I'm enjoying my Washington explorations, despite traffic circles of death and threats of physical violence from crazy old ladies.

There are two other MVP's in my life (who shall remain nameless until further notice) who are making some big changes. Like I said, it's all good news...it's just big news. Big news that will take a little time for me to get used to. A lot of things feel up in the air right now and I'll admit, it makes me a bit uneasy. I guess I'm not one of those people who can just go with the flow and is happy-go-lucky about everything. M appears to take everything in stride and rarely shows he's upset. He's level headed, reasonable, and practical. That is so not me. I can't keep my composure. In fact, I think I lost my composure years ago and it's never to be seen again. I don't just wear my heart on my sleeve, I practically walk around with a sandwich board around my neck displaying my current mood.

I guess that can be a good thing since it forces me to be honest with people when they ask if something's wrong. Then again, I think I really need to cut some people some slack, myself included. Just like cooking, this too is a process. Trial and error is the best teacher. There have been many, many recipes that I butchered, burned, and undercooked. For a while, I was convinced that I would never be able to cook. At least not anything edible. Then one day it all came together. I still have mishaps though (hence the title description: adventures and misadventures in and around the kitchen). Although I've learned from my mistakes and have enough sense to apply this lessons to other aspects of my life, I still get scared. I'm scared of losing people I care about. I'm scared things won't come together. And sometimes I'm scared that I'll ruin dinner. Maybe this is childish of me to say, but I need reassurance. Then again, there's nothing childish about being able to recognize and voice your own needs. Some days I need reassurance in the form of love and other days I need reassurance in the form of chocolate peanut butter cookies. And you know it's a rough day when I need both. But like Julia Child said, "You can always pull it together." Sometimes you have to pull yourself together and remind yourself of what you want most. Everything else will fall into place. What do I want most in life? To love and be loved. And cookies.

Not necessarily in that order.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour and baking soda in a small bowl. Beat butter and peanut butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add both sugars and beat until blended. Beat in egg and vanilla until well-blended. Gradually add flour mixture and blend. Stir in chocolate chips until just combined. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart. Gently press the back of a fork into each ball until it is slightly flattened. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack.

This is certainly not the healthiest recipe, but sometimes a girl just needs a little butter and sugar!

Glass Half Full

2010-06-22T12:20:00.000-04:00

I just discovered the upside to M being in Washington D.C...I can eat as much garlic as I want! Yup, that's right. I won't be seeing him until the weekend so that means I can totally overindulge in all the foods one tends to avoid before a date. And believe me, I will.

It's a good thing I came to this genius revelation because I made the most incredible hummus ever last night. Actually, I considered not even doing a post on hummus because it's ridiculously easy to make and seemed like a total no-brianer. The thing that made me decide to share this with you guys is this: I've tried many hummuses (hummusi? what's the plural for hummus?) in my life and I have never liked it before...until now. The difference? This was the first time I've had homemade hummus. Everything else was store bought and I couldn't understand why everyone made such a fuss about this food. The freshness makes all the difference. It must have been the Armenian side of me that kept me coming back to this healthy treat. True, this is not an Armenian food but it is a staple in many Armenian homes. Or so I've heard. My family doesn't eat or do anything cultural so I have to go by word of mouth. In spite of being a big mix of nationalities (or maybe because of this), my family has become more American than anything else.

Woah. Since I've been rambling about garlic and Armenia, I've put away four carrots and half a bowl of hummus. Before I eat myself into a state of exhaustion (again), let me get right to the point. This hummus is awesome and you need to go make it right now. If you've got a hot date tonight, I guess I can let you off the hook because there is a lot of garlic. As for the rest of you, no excuses!

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can of chick peas, drained and save the juice
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon tahini
2 large cloves of garlic, minced (or 1 if you don't want to offend everyone in a 5 mile radius)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Place all ingredients in a blender and combine. While combining, slowly add in the juice from the chick peas a little at a time until mixture is the consistency you desire. FYI: the mixture should be thicker than a dip and not watery. This tastes best if you can let it sit in the fridge for a few hours, but I completely understand if you need to eat it right away.

Weeknd Update

2010-06-20T22:55:00.000-04:00

Ciao Manhattan!

Wow this weekend flew by! It feels like I was just running around like a madwoman trying to pack and get to the bus on time. Nearly 72 hours later, here I am laying in bed reflecting on my weekend in D.C. with M. It's crazy to think that I've traveled over 400 miles this weekend! Sometimes I'm still amazed by the fact that this is even possible, amazed by how easy travel is for our generation. People often raise their eyebrows and ask why and how often I go to D.C., always surprised by my willingness to make the journey. I don't really think much of it though. He's over there and I'm over here and I'd like for us to be in the same place. I like to travel and now I've got a really good reason to explore a brand new city.

Enjoying the scenery along a bike trail in D.C.

Plus, it's always fun to meet new and interesting people on my trip. On the last visit, I rode the bus with an older woman who became my friend by the time we reached Washington. She asked about my life, offered some sage, non-judgmental advice based on what she's learned and told me about herself and her family. She loves clothing and New York and can't seem to stay away from it for very long. After witnessing 9/11, she moved far from the city but became homesick and found herself moving back a few years later. Her advice to me was to take care of yourself because you can't depend on other people to give you what you need. I chatted with a bus driver when I was waiting in the never-ending line at Port Authority on Friday morning. This man's route was New York to St. Louis with a stop somewhere in Pennsylvania. His eyes lit up when he told me about his recent visit to Colorado Springs to visit his son, who just returned from Afghanistan. His Southern drawl was comforting to me while I waited in the growing line of anxious, grumpy passengers all hoping our bus would arrive on time, which it never does.

This evening, I became friends with an older woman who also went to D.C. on Friday, only about an hour after my bus left. She's very excited to meet her newest grand-daughter, who is due in two months. She's proud of her daughters and wishes me the best of luck in all I hope to accomplish. She told me to work hard and do everything I want to do before even thinking about having kids someday. She lives way uptown in Manhattan and had mistaken me for a New Yorker and offered her most sincere apologies when she found out I'd have to hop on another bus to get back to Jersey tonight. Traffic was awful but I was grateful for her company and kind words. Especially after some crazy lady threatened to hit me over the head with a bottle in the D.C. metro earlier today. She had a few choice words for M and I and anyone else in the vicinity, for that matter. Like I said, you meet a lot of interesting people when you travel.

Found this lovely spot along our 8 mile walk

But perhaps you're wondering what I ate this weekend. Well M and I did have our D.C. dinner party with his colleagues on Friday night so I went to my no fail fish recipe, salmon with lime butter sauce. This takes maybe 15 minutes to prepare, start to finish. Add some asparagus with lemon juice and parmesan cheese for a side dish and maybe some quinoa or rice (we had basmati) and you're all set. Everyone chipped in to prepare the dinner and it was so much fun getting to know the people he goes to school with. We all enjoyed the dinner, the assorted desserts, a little too much wine, and so many hilarious stories. The next night, M and I slept entirely too late, which is wonderful to do every so often, then walked for about eight miles on a nature path going towards Maryland. After a little grocery shopping, we had a quiet evening in and devoured some...you guessed it, baked ziti. You people must think that's all we eat but I swear we have other things too! This was actually the very first time M was able to eat it right after it came from the oven. No carrying a giant tray through New Jersey and two boroughs of New York this time. It's unbelievably nice to just pull the dish from the oven, grab two plates, and hop in bed for dinner and a movie together. So simple and so often overlooked, but I really relish moments like that. I wish they could happen more often so I am sure to appreciate them whenever they occur.

What Goes Good with Dessert? Procrastination!

2010-06-18T00:24:00.000-04:00

Remember how I used to transport large trays of baked ziti to Brooklyn because M didn't have a kitchen? And remember how I said I no longer need to transport food because M now has a kitchen? Well here I am packing up an insulated bag with ice packs, two containers of soup, two containers of homemade sauce, one ginger root, one tray of chocolate oatmeal bars, and one bag of pasta. How did this happen? And more importantly, how am I going to get an entire tray of chocolate oatmeal bars from New York to Washington? This is a five hour bus ride! I am bound to get hungry!

I've got quite a bit of packing to do tonight (and I haven't even decided what to wear) but I really wanted to share this recipe with you all. I got a lovely comment from Mary at Delightful Bitefuls so I decided to check out her blog and here's what I found: Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars. M and I are very excited about these. As soon as I told him what I was making, he exclaimed, "Mmm! Are they really going to be in bars?!" Yes, honey. They will really be in bars. The recipe says to wait until they're cool before cutting them, but I may have cheated and cut a little piece for myself. Shhh don't tell M.

We're having a little D.C. dinner party with some of his fellow interns tomorrow night but I have a feeling we'll be keeping these to ourselves. I'm very excited for this weekend and already anxious to get there. What's on the agenda? I'm thinking...
dinner party
possible visit to the Smithsonian
hiking
feeding the ducks
sketching in the park
grocery shopping
cooking a big dinner on Saturday
some wine and cheese and other goodies for dessert
cooking breakfast together Sunday morning

But who knows? Our plans are always subject to change. These are just a few things I've been thinking about. I'll let you know if our dinner party was a success or if the D.C. grocery stores foil my plans once again. I'm determined to make this happen! But first, I should really get back to my packing...

White Beans and Kale

2010-06-15T01:44:00.002-04:00

It's no secret that I love my local farmers market. Seriously, I've mentioned this place several times already and have an even greater appreciation for the wide variety of beautiful, fresh produce after my recent run-ins at the D.C. grocery stores. Setting foot in this place is like stepping into a time machine. I don't know what year this market was built but I highly doubt anything has changed since its opening. Your senses will be overwhelmed the second you enter this glorious place. There is a subtle earthy, woodsy scent that welcomes you while the bright colors, from the produce to the flags strung across the ceiling, leave you in awe. Like a little kid, I feel the need to touch everything here. I'm amused by the fuzziness of the fresh kiwis, the prickly and smooth contrasting textures of the aloe plants, and the roughness of the root vegetables. Yup, even root vegetables, though many are brute and twisted, look beautiful to me. There's something about them that I really admire, perhaps something to do with their sense of sturdiness and stability.

Oh and if you're wondering, other customers did think I was a complete weirdo for taking pictures of fruits and vegetables. It took a great deal of self-restraint to stop myself from laughing at their reactions. Many people thought I had discovered something interesting and came over to see what I was taking pictures of. Once they realized that a regular old turnip was the subject of my photos, they took a noticeable step backwards. I pretended not to notice their bewilderment. But rest assured, this trip had a purpose and that purpose was pan-fried white beans and kale!

Glorious, nutritious kale. This recipe was discovered over at 101 Cookbooks a few weeks ago and I've been dying to try it. Unfortunately, I did not have dried beans like the recipe recommended but the white beans tasted fantastic. Yes, it would've been nice if they were a little more firm but I enjoyed the flavor nonetheless. I might even be tempted to add in a bit more nutmeg next time. This was easy enough to make and is a great source of protein so you have no excuse for not trying it! Actually, the entire recipe didn't take very long at all and that's coming from one of the slowest cooks ever. Keep in mind, this recipe serves 2-4 people but you may want to double it if you are really cooking for 4. I was expecting it to make a bit more than it really did and since it was pretty good people may want seconds.

Summer Soup

2010-06-09T21:41:00.003-04:00

I've been craving a good summer soup since the first day I wore shorts this year and luckily I found this gem over at My New Roots. Since it's rainy and a bit chilly over here, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to stay in and make soup. This is a much more grownup way to eat your peas and carrots although I seem to have a giddy, childlike fascination with these two soups just kind of hanging out next to each other in your bowl. That's right. They don't combine because they are of the same density. Learn something new every day!

Well...I couldn't help playing with my food a little so my soup isn't photographed quite as nicely as Sarah's, but I think you get the idea. What really amazes me is how nicely these two soups really do complement each other. The ginger carrot soup is sweet, warm and inviting with a richer taste, while the minted pea soup is the epitome of the spring/summer soup...cool and refreshing. As an art major, I can't help but think of warm and cool colors. For those of you who understand what I'm talking about, this soup is just like that but in terms of flavor. For the rest of you who don't exactly know what I mean, go make the soup and you'll see for yourselves! A little light will go off in your head and you'll say, "Ahhh. Now I get it!"

Although this is meant for the warmer weather, I have a feeling the ginger carrot soup will transition nicely into the fall. Maybe add in some butternut squash and a bit of nutmeg, cuddle up on the couch with a good book and call it a day. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get all of the ingredients. My soup was missing the coconut oil, miso, and agave nectar. I substituted some honey for the agave nectar and just used my imagination for the other two. And you know what? It still tasted fantastic. I'm looking forward to enjoying this chilled for tomorrow's lunch. This recipe makes a lot of soup so I already put some in my freezer for a later date. Or I guess I could share it with M, too...

Raspberry and Baked Brie Pastries

2010-06-08T17:42:00.001-04:00

On my Monday morning commute, I put in an old mix CD that M made for me when we first started dating. I love how certain songs can instantly transport you back to a time and place where you felt so strong about something. For me, these CD's give me those happy nervous first date jitters. I'm reminded of how I would put so much time and thought into what I'm wearing, how my hair looks, what I'll say, and how I'd always reach for my favorite bottle of perfume before stepping out the door to meet M. All of those things are still a part of my getting ready ritual only now I have an idea of what is going to happen when I get off that eternal bus and subway ride. There's no wondering whether or not he's going to kiss me when we say hello, or if I should kiss him, or if he won't kiss me until later in the evening. Now I know he will kiss me and I can kiss him whenever the heck I want. And I do.

Though this relationship is still new when put into perspective, what amazes me is that it continues to feel new. I suppose the fact that we only get to see each other on weekends makes the time we do spend together all the more special. But I have a feeling we wouldn't really mind seeing each other every day either. We often have surprises for each other which makes everything more exciting. Though I can predict certain things, I definitely can't say I know what will come next. Like the time M bought movie tickets and decided we would sneak into an earlier show while waiting for ours to start. Or when he surprises me by taking me to a park that he likes. Or when a favorite song comes on and he takes my hand to dance wherever we happen to be. This weekend it was alone in his room while we were wearing pajamas. And sometimes we have to be a few hundred or even thousands of miles apart with no guarantee of phone or e-mail. It's not easy but I know it's okay. I'd hate for either of us to compromise too much of our individuality for the fear of stepping out of our comfort zones.

The best thing is knowing that whether he's visiting NGO's in Thailand or I'm visiting child rehabilitation centers in Nicaragua, we each support what the other is doing. Speaking from experience, that is hard to come by. In a short amount of time, we've reached a level of comfort that was unimaginable to me in the past. Part of that is because I've changed and part of that is because my expectations have changed. What hasn't changed is the way Edith Piaf belting out La Vie En Rose takes me back many months to when M first gave me that CD. We sat in his Brooklyn apartment and talked about how beautiful the song is, how he loves French, how hopeful I was about learning the language, and his love of wine and cheese.

A lot of time has passed since then. We have since packed up his things and said goodbye to the same Brooklyn apartment only two weeks ago. We both still love Edith Piaf, M still loves French, I failed miserably at learning the language, and my affinity for wine and cheese may have exceeded his own. Still, I listen to this song and imagine being in a little New York apartment, in my very own kitchen, in a floral dress making these pastries. Baked brie and fruit filled pastries. I don't know how much time will pass before I have those things but for now, M and I can enjoy these pastries, listen to Edith Piaf and dance in our pajamas.

Ingredients:
1 package of crescent rolls
1 container of raspberries or any other berry you like
1 wheel of brie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll the package of crescent rolls onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Cut each triangle in half and separate into pairs. Place a slice of brie on one triangle from each pair. Halve the raspberries and place on top of each slice of brie. Place the other triangle in the pair on top of the brie and raspberries and use your fingers to make a seal around the edges. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool before eating.

Also, feel free to use your own recipe for a pastry if you have one you like. I find the store bought crescent rolls to be a bit too heavy and am trying to find a great puff pastry recipe to use for the next time.

When Life Gives You Kumquats

2010-06-08T11:46:00.003-04:00

Sometimes life gives you kumquats and you just have to do the best you can with what you've got. Last week, life threw some kumquats my way. I wish life just gave me lemons instead because I know what to do with those. I could have made lemon squares or blueberry lemon scones or lemon and honey tea. But no. Life gave me kumquats. Then again, I guess I did kind of ask for them.

It all started when I found a recipe for Chocolate Pavlova with Candied Kumquats. I thought, "Oh wow! What a cool idea, I've never had a kumquat before. I'm going to make this for M and he'll be amazed." Oh and he was amazed. In fact, we were both amazed at how quickly this recipe turned into a complete and utter disaster. Remember my gripe about D.C. grocery stores not being up to par? Well they were missing about 3 of the key ingredients that I needed. Like a fool, I decided to go ahead with the recipe and see what happens. After all, I had brought my own hand held electric mixer to D.C. just for this recipe. The meringue was not meringue-ing. Not even in the slightest. In a last ditch effort I added in some flour and tried to at least make these into chocolate muffin type things. They were disgusting, to say the least. M and I had a good laugh but I really was very disappointed. I take baking failures very personally.

So last night, I decided to try this recipe again in the comfort of my own home where I had everything I needed. Well, almost everything. M tried to convince me to leave the electric mixer at his place and I refused because I use it quite often. So off I went on the bus back to New York, mixer in hand. Too bad I accidentally left the beaters that get attached to the mixer on M's kitchen counter thus rendering the mixer useless. Being my stubborn, impatient self, I decided to go ahead with the recipe last night. "I'll just make this meringue by hand," I thought. Ha! It's not like I just jumped right into making a meringue by hand, I read up on it first. The most important rule of making meringue is that you cannot, under any circumstances, have fat in the egg whites. Translation: Use clean cooking supplies and do not break the yolk. What happened? I broke the yolk on my final egg. Not wanting to throw the eggs out, I saved them in a container to make scrambled eggs for breakfast this morning. And I started over.

Let me just say, if you are ever considering making a meringue by hand....DON'T! I thought my arm was going to fall off. However, I did learn that you need to whip the egg whites gently and silently (no scraping the whisk against the bowl) until they become foamy. I've heard a copper bowl works best but I used a metal bowl and whisk. Once the eggs are foamy and you're ready to move into the next stage of meringue (soft peaks then stiff peaks), go ahead and beat the hell out of those egg whites! Take out all of your pent up aggression and beat the egg whites very rapidly. While I was doing this, the bowl kept sliding around and my arm was getting tired. So I sat down in the middle of the kitchen floor, held the bowl between my legs and switched arms when one got tired. That's right, people. At about 10:35 PM, I lost my mind on the kitchen floor.

Although I completed the recipe, I have to say....they weren't all that great! I do plan on making these again with the electric mixer just because it's now a personal battle and I must win. Oh and I didn't candy the kumquats the second time around. Why? Because I did that the first time and I didn't really like the candied kumquat taste or consistency. I think the natural citrus flavor better complements the sweetness of the chocolate pavlova and whipped cream. So there you have it! Life just dumped a whole big bag of kumquats on my head. Did I complain? Heck yeah! But did I give up? Nope. I may not be able to call this recipe a success just yet, but at least I can say I stuck with it and got a good arm workout.

Pasta, Parks, and Garlic Paste

2010-06-07T19:34:00.005-04:00

According to M, this was the best dinner he's eaten all week. Well I am so thrilled to be the person responsible for it! Yes, I returned to D.C. and I must admit, I had a much better time sans car. That New Jersey license plate is like my scarlet letter. Do I love Washington D.C. now? Oh heck no! But we have agreed to disagree. At least being on foot meant that I could really enjoy and appreciate the beautiful architecture of the city while burning off some of those carbs from dinner. I approached this weekend with a new can-do attitude and you know what? I had a fantastic time! M and I walked all over the place for what felt like miles and miles. We saw Georgetown (again), stopped for a late lunch at Five Guys (again), saw the White House, took the Metrorail, walked through the park, and we had a blast! Note to self: Bring some bread to feed those hungry ducks at the park next time. They looked very disappointed when we showed up empty handed.

My biggest complaint, however, would be the grocery stores in Washington. Do politicians not cook? Do they even eat? M, being fair and reasonable, reminded me that we really haven't explored the rest of the city yet. Yes, we did a lot of walking but really haven't strayed too far from Foggy Bottom. He's right about that but I'm still annoyed that our local grocery store didn't have garlic. The poor employee I was picking on tried to sell me garlic paste. I didn't eat paste in second grade and I'm not going to start now! They also didn't have white vinegar or corn starch. The other local grocery store that we visited the next day had both of those items but their fruits, vegetables, fish, and meats did not look fresh at all. I was displeased but we made the best of it. Dinner was still delicious. M enjoyed every bit of the pasta with extra virgin olive oil, arugula, prosciutto, and pecorino romano. I enjoyed the same minus the prosciutto. It's wonderful how something so simple can taste so good.

We cooked breakfast together the next day and spent a good hour eating and chatting by our big, sunny floor to ceiling window. I wish I could start every day like that. It's only Monday and I'm already looking forward to my next visit to D.C. Though I haven't exactly discovered all the ins and outs of the city, I'm learning more and more about it each time. Already, I find myself planning meals for the two of us to enjoy. We'll only be in D.C. for a few months so we might as well make the most of it. The prospect of feeding all the little ducks at the park by the Washington Monument excites me to no end. M has also discovered a trail leading to a little town in Maryland that we need to check out. Another bonus? He's coming to New York this weekend so that gives me two weeks to locate a better grocery store near Foggy Bottom and plan some more great meals.

In the meantime, I'm going to finish off this baked ziti for dinner...

Close to Perfection

2010-06-03T18:38:00.001-04:00

I am beginning a quest to create The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie. Yes, it's true. I know what you're thinking. "She's crazy! This simply can't be done! She'll crack under the pressure!" Please understand that I am prepared to make many sacrifices in my life for the sake of this cookie and for mankind. There will be countless hours spent in a boiling hot kitchen in the summer. Stomach aches and muffin tops (not the good kind) due to the hundreds of cookies that need to be taste tested. This will likely take a toll on M when all I can think about are cookies, cookies, cookies. M is about to see a side of me he's never seen before. A very ugly side and I can only hope he is prepared to handle it. This will be worse than that time I ate too much cheese and couldn't move for a few hours. I just hope his feelings for me are strong enough to last through this endeavor.

But I must persevere. Think of all the good this Perfect Cookie can do for humanity! We will combat famine. Fix the hole in the ozone layer. Stop the violence in the Middle East. Democrats and Republicans will finally live in harmony. The possibilities are endless! Okay maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but if Hillary Clinton offered these cookies to world leaders, I'm sure foreign relations would drastically improve. It's worth a shot. The point is that if this noble undertaking is a success, I will only use this power for good. A Perfect Cookie in the wrong hands could lead to mass destruction and unspeakable consequences. Let's hope that doesn't happen.

Let's also hope that I have a shred of self control to prevent myself from devouring an entire batch of cookies on the five hour bus ride to Washington tomorrow. Yes, that's right. The cookies will be riding the bus with me and I have a feeling one of us might not get to D.C. Luckily, M just told me he's planning on having some friends over for a dinner party tomorrow night. That means I can distract myself from the cookies by planning a menu. Not exactly sure how we're going to pull off a dinner for possibly ten people at the last minute when we haven't even bought all our kitchen supplies yet, but I'll see what I can come up with. Prepare to be amazed! Meanwhile, enjoy this recipe. It's not quite perfection, but it's pretty darn close.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and stir in vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water and add to the batter along with sea salt. Stir in flour and chocolate chips. Chill dough for 36 hours. This is optional but I do think the cookies come out better when the dough is chilled. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees and spread parchment paper on two cookie sheets. Roll dough into one inch balls and slightly flatten to allow for more even baking. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt onto each cookie and bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yields approximately 30 cookies.

Food for Thought

2010-06-01T17:08:00.001-04:00

While enjoying some homemade granola, I've been doing some more thinking about home. In New York, you always know where you stand. There's a neighborhood for everyone here and the entire city is one big collaboration between cultures and styles and nations and whatever else it is that defines people. Spend some time in each neighborhood and you'll eventually see that there are so many little communities that make up this whole beautiful city. Living so close to New York for my entire life means that I've been able to take advantage of what it has to offer. People visiting often remark that the city is big and scary and confusing and they can't figure out how the heck to get around. Sure, those things can be true. I remember when I first began exploring the city alone when I was about 14 or 15. It had everything I wanted and I could see why so many people want to come here, why so many people from all over the world idealize this city.

Now, I suppose my relationship with New York is more like part time resident. Yes, someday I will be a full time resident. Someday very soon when I fulfill the commitments I made and finish what I started in Jersey. New York already feels comfortable and inviting. When I step off the bus, I look around and think, "How nice it is to see you again! You look well." The city smiles back. And so do the people I've been getting to know. The cashier at the 24 hour market near M's gives me a look of recognition when I stop by. He doesn't know my name and he doesn't need to. But he does seem to remember that I was the slightly crazy girl who was tired and wet after cleaning up a flooded basement at 3 AM. I was apologetic and short on cash when I came in to pick up something to eat. The guys at the bagel place chat me up now, too. The same ones who screwed up my order the first time I went there and almost made me cry. We're cool now. I also like to think of the man who feeds the stray cats as my friend. Cat lovers stick together, you know. He always smiles and sounds like he genuinely wants to know how I am when he asks. I like that guy and will miss seeing him when M moves to a different neighborhood in a few months.

It's okay though. I'm comfortable and secure enough to know that we will find a new brunch spot. Yes, there will be another Relish. I know that we will find another book store that we love, maybe the new one will also have a black cat that sleeps on a stack of books. We'll also have a new cheese shop. The prospect of this excites me beyond belief. I'll see new things, places, and people on my walk from the subway to M's place and that's fine with me. In fact, I welcome it. So why then am I having so much trouble adopting this same attitude towards Washington D.C.? What defines a city? Are cities like people? Some you just simply get along with better than others. New York has been like a lifelong love affair for me. There's a mutual respect and sense of adoration. Yeah, sometimes we fight, like when the MetroCard machines refuse to take my money for no reason at all. Or when traffic is terrible and a 45 minute ride turns into 2 hours. But that's okay. We kiss and make up. New York offers up its best restaurants and bakeries and the spark is back and all is forgotten.

To make things even better, I'm with the man who knows the city like the back of his hand. Always the mellow, even tempered one, I think that M is equally adoring of the city. I show unbridled excitement and passion over whatever it is that fascinates me. I could go on and on about how amazingly cool the ceiling at Mercer Kitchen looks or how incredible this newly discovered cheese is. M shares my enthusiasm but usually in the form of a quiet smile followed by an observation that reads my mind. He knows where the best views in the city are and I'm so grateful that he shares them with me. I've known New York longer than I've known M, but he helps me know it better and more completely. So in the next few months I will give D.C. another shot and if we still don't get along, then in true New York/New Jersey fashion, D.C. can kiss my butt.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 canola oil
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
5 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat to 325°F. Lay down parchment paper on two baking sheets. Whisk orange juice, maple syrup, oil and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cinnamon. Mix oats, wheat germ, almonds and flax seeds in a large bowl. Stir in the juice mixture; toss to coat. Spread the granola evenly on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the granola for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Reverse sheets top to bottom and back to front. Continue baking until lightly browned and aromatic, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes more. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks; stir 1/2 cup dried cranberries into the granola on each sheet. Let cool completely. Stir in chocolate chips, if using.

Adapted from Eating Well.

NY to DC and Back Again

2010-05-31T17:14:00.004-04:00

It's funny how you don't realize how much a place has begun to feel like home until you leave. This weekend we said goodbye to Brooklyn then five states and six hours later we arrived in Washington D.C. M seems to be excited and fitting in nicely while enjoying his new surroundings. He's very easy to get along with, you see. Me on the other hand? Well this city and I may have gotten off to a rough start. Immediately, I felt like an oddball looking like I belonged back in some cafe in Williamsburg rather than in the nation's capitol among all the professionally dressed business people. Driving in this city is confusing and I almost got us killed. People are really friendly here and will talk to you about the weather...for no reason at all! Grocery stores charge for plastic bags with your purchases, although this is something I can get on board with since it helps the environment. The city's architecture is beautiful but I can't help feeling out of place. Maybe it's a little premature of me to say, but D.C. and I don't seem to click.

For one thing, driving in this town is like navigating your way through a maze. All I wanted to do was turn around to go to the gas station on the other side of the street and somehow we ended up on the parkway driving out of Washington. Beautiful scenic drive but I just wanted to fill up my tank. It's times like this that I really admire and maybe even slightly envy M. His natural ability to go with the flow and charm everyone he meets ensures that he'll make friends wherever he goes. There's something undeniably likable about him. I, however, feel the need to bake and eat an entire batch of cookies to deal with this sudden anxiety attack. It's not just a new city that I have to get used to. It's about defining home. Where is home now? I know where home is in a geographical sense but the coordinates don't always provide me with a sense of comfort and belonging. Yes, Jersey will always be a home to me. Lately, New York has really been the place I love the most. People say New Yorkers are rude but I've felt the more welcome in this city than I have in any other. Washington D.C. is now going to be M's temporary home, whether I like this place or not.

But maybe home doesn't need to be a zip code. Maybe home is more of a feeling, like the way I feel when M turns up the radio because a song I like comes on. Or maybe home is the place where he and I sit down to eat. Or maybe home when I'm elbow deep in cake batter and completely absorbed in trying a new recipe. I don't know the answer. I don't even know what I'm talking about right now. But a long walk and some homemade ginger mint tea and cookies might help appease some of my insecurities for now.

Summer Berry Tart

2010-05-24T19:24:00.004-04:00

This was the best weekend I've had in a long time. I got to visit the local farmer's market, one of my favorite places in the world, to pick up some beautiful strawberries and blueberries for this tart. Now this was the first time I've ever made a tart so I wasn't even exactly sure what the finished product should look like but it was much easier than I had anticipated. Even the crust, which was made from scratch, was pretty simple to make. Actually, I was a little disappointed that everything was so easy because I had really psyched myself up for the challenge. There were strategic planning and pep talks involved and it was all for naught! It's okay, I still told M that it was really, really difficult and he should be amazed.

And amazed he was! M said it was delicious and that it definitely looked like a tart. Whew! This dessert was an important component of Our Last Weekend in NYC. Well, you know, until August. Let me just say, the weather was perfect and we had the best celebration I could have hoped for. M and I walked from Brooklyn, into Queens, over the bridge, and into Manhattan, both of us in uncomfortable and inappropriate shoes. We stopped at a cafe called Cranky's in Long Island City, which M kindly suggested was the perfect place for me. He thinks he's really funny. Okay, sometimes he is. Unfortunately, I didn't have my digital camera (please don't kill me!) so I couldn't take pictures of the grilled vegetable panini I ate.

We also drank the best tea ever at Sweet Leaf, also in Long Island City. It was ginger, mint and something else. Again, I'm sorry for not being in blogger mode but I highly encourage you to stop by Sweet Leaf and see for yourself. Hours and hours later, we made our way back to Brooklyn to enjoy some more of the fruit tart. The strawberries and blueberries were delicious and looked beautiful and patriotic on top of the homemade crust. Exactly what I was going for. I thought, "Hmm these berries look so patriotic which will be perfect for our last weekend in the city." Only then did I realize how incredibly stupid that was seeing as how we're not leaving the country! No, quite the contrary. M is temporarily relocating to the nation's capital. Ha.

Well I'm excited for our last hurrah on Thursday night and equally excited to meet Washington D.C. for the first time ever the following morning. So until I bring you the next recipe, I hope you enjoy this one.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 package of strawberries

1 package of blueberries

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick) cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces. Add oil and stir with a fork to blend. Mix 1/4 cup water, egg yolk and lemon juice in a measuring cup. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the egg yolk mixture and continue stirring with a fork until the dough clumps together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few times. Form the dough into a ball, then flatten. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place dough in a baking dish coated with cooking spray then cover and refrigerate. Spread nuts in a small baking dish and bake for about 5 minutes. Let cool. Cut strawberries in half and set aside. Place flour, 1/4 cup sugar and the toasted nuts in a food processor; process until the nuts are finely ground. Spread the nut mixture over the crust and arrange strawberries and blueberries over the nut mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Fold the crust border over the berries. Bake the tart for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 375°F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes longer, or until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling.

Tomato and Arugula Pizza

2010-05-21T19:59:00.004-04:00

I don't mean to brag or anything, but I just made the most incredible pizza ever. This is what I've been dreaming of all week! Really. Right from the start, I knew I was going to make pizza to share with you and I knew it was going to be amazing. You see, Friday nights in my family are designated pizza night probably since the beginning of time. Now it's not that I don't enjoy our local pizza joint, but tonight I was in the mood for something special. Whole wheat crust, a mix of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, big chunks of fresh tomatoes, arugula and olives.

Yes, it was perfect. Yes, I ate too much. No, I don't regret it. In fact, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. Wanna know the best part? It was so easy to make! Buy whole wheat dough at your local grocery store and roll it out on a floured surface. Sprinkle a pizza stone with cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking and place the dough on the stone (if you don't have a pizza stone, you can use a cookie sheet and non stick foil). Add as much sauce as you like and about 2 cups of a mixture of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Chop one medium tomato and a few leaves of arugula into big chunks and spread over the pizza. Throw some chopped Kalmata olives on there and bake for about 12 minutes at 500 degrees. That's it!

Old Favorite

2010-05-18T22:52:00.007-04:00

As much as I love sharing my dinner with all of you, the one downside to photographing my food is that it's often cold by the time I'm finished. Luckily, this dinner tastes good either hot or cold. Pasta with escarole and shrimp is one of my favorite dishes so it's hard to believe I haven't shared this with you yet. I assure you though, it's worth the wait.

In other news, I think I accidentally stumbled into the Twilight Zone in my dreams last night. For some reason, I joined the Army and beat all the other soldiers in a fitness contest. Considering the fact that the only exercise I've had in the last few weeks has been walking from the couch to the kitchen, this does not bode well for the US military. As if that wasn't strange enough, M took my place in the kitchen! That's right. He was in my kitchen making muffins for me. That's when I knew I had to be dreaming. Although it got me thinking...what if he and I could switch places for a day and see what it's like to walk in each others' shoes?

Now it's not like I really want to write and review pages and pages of economics and sociology research, just as I'm sure he would not want to spend hours and hours inside an art studio. But I am really curious to see him cook dinner for me. What would he make? And more importantly, would he make it better than me? Picking up the phone and ordering a pizza is cheating! In the end, I guess it's good that he does what he does and I do what I do because we're both pretty good at those things, respectively.

With all that being said, let's talk about how beautiful tonight's dinner looks. Is there anything more lovely than green beans sauteed in garlic and roasted sweet potatoes to go with your pasta? Didn't think so. A dinner this good needs to be celebrated with dessert. It's okay, you've earned it.

Cuban Pete's

2010-05-15T01:04:00.003-04:00

Who likes sangria, mojitos, empanadas, and loud music?

That's what I thought.

Well you're going to be jealous because that's exactly what my night was full of! I've been walking by Cuban Pete's in Montclair (yes, that's in New Jersey) for a few years now and have been increasingly curious about this deceptively large restaurant. Tiny and unassuming from the outside, but you could easily get lost inside this maze of a restaurant upon entering. This place was packed! I was nearly trampled by the waiters and waitresses running around inside but it was worth the battle.

The group of people I'm traveling to Nicaragua with decided to have a Beginning of Summer get together tonight. Fun restaurant but vegetarians beware! Not a whole for us to choose from but I highly recommend the Empanada de Queso as an appetizer. Fried plantains are also a must! I'm lucky to have grown up with an Ecuadorian best friend so I look forward to these at every family gathering. I love these so much, in fact, that I'm going to attempt to make my own very soon. My Irish/Scottish/German/Armenian family has probably never seen the likes of these so their minds will be blown. Don't know why I haven't tried to make these before!

But I digress.

Cuban Pete's was fun for the occasional night out but I wouldn't recommend it if you're on a date or looking to have a good conversation. It is loud! So loud I could barely hear my friends across the table. Although that might have something to do with the fact that we showed up at 8 PM on a Saturday night.

Anyway, the interior is so festive that you really can't have a bad time. Palm trees and paintings and colorful pitchers galore. You should probably call ahead and make a reservation if you plan on going. Like I said before, this place gets packed. Feel free to BYOB and please check out the dessert list for me. Hope all you Jersey readers stop by to enjoy Cuban Pete's this summer!

Diner

2010-05-13T14:01:00.004-04:00

Would you have ever guessed that this salad came from a diner? Well it's true. It came from Diner, a restaurant not even remotely similar to what you'd expect from a diner near my hometown in Jersey. You won't find disco fries, mozzarella sticks, or pancakes served at all hours of the day at this place. Located near the Williamsburg Bridge, this cozy restaurant with atypical diner fare is a great place for a more intimate lunch. Order a drink, order the market salad and relax. The coolest thing about Diner is that they write the specials right on the white paper used as a tablecloth for each customer.

Well I thought it was pretty cool.

I don't quite remember what M ordered because we visited this place back in January but it was very colorful, an important trait that my food must possess. As you can see, I have a habit of snapping pictures of my meals, which probably looks a bit strange to waiters and other patrons. M's parents looked a bit puzzled when I pulled out my camera during brunch the first time I met them. M is quite used to my antics by now although he still rolls his eyes when I'm struggling to photograph my panini from a good angle in a crowded restaurant.

Daydreaming

2010-05-12T15:38:00.006-04:00

The first day of my summer vacation looks a lot like this:

PG Tips tea and some biscotti. The perfect afternoon snack but certainly not the one I was expecting to enjoy during summer vacation. It's cold and rainy here but I don't mind because I'm daydreaming about buying kitchen supplies. When M moves out, he'll finally have a kitchen! Yes, you read that correctly. He does not have a kitchen where he is living now. Of course I jumped at the opportunity of planning and shopping for all the essential kitchen supplies. He can thank me later.

It seems that a bunch of these items can be bought at a dollar store or discount store like Marshall's or TJ Maxx. There's no need to pay top dollar for things like measuring spoons because they all get the job done. Measuring cups, storage containers, wooden spoons, ladles, etc. are likely to be found at any dollar store which will allow you to splurge on things you won't use everyday, such as a blender or waffle maker. Recently, I saw some fantastic looking bamboo cutting boards in Marshall's for under $10 and a beautiful vegetable peeler for about $3. A trip to these discount stores is absolutely worth your time because you'll find some great items and definitely won't have to spend a fortune.

I'm way too excited about this list. With each item I write down, I picture myself completing some amazing task in the kitchen with it. In my head, I'm wearing a cute apron and wielding a brand new knife with skills that would put Top Chef to shame. But it looks like I'll be needing some more biscotti before I complete my list.

Lodge

2010-05-11T23:30:00.007-04:00

Today was the last day of the semester so I'm feeling a bit lost and confused now that I no longer have class to attend. What am I supposed to do with myself? Something tells me I'm going to be spending a good deal of my summer in the kitchen and wandering around the international foods section of the grocery store. Actually, I'm fairly certain that a good deal of my time will be spent on a bus going to and from Washington D.C. to see M now that he's temporarily relocating for his internship.

Wow.

It's still hard to believe that we will have a new city to explore and call our (temporary) home. Of course I'll still be in the area during the weekdays since I'm taking two summer classes. Nerd? Absolutely! And I'll be enjoying every second of it. It'll be a bit strange heading to New York only to hop on another bus to take me the farthest west I've ever been. Anyone know of some fun things to do there? I've never been. I hope they have food in Washington.

Which leads me to this...I know there's food in NYC. So in keeping my promise to share restaurants as well as recipes, I've got a new spot for you. If any of you New Yorkers are feeling rugged and outdoorsy but not quite ambitious enough to venture out into the wilderness, you might want to swing by Lodge for a bite to eat. M took me there a while back for an apology brunch when I was mad at him for one reason or another. I was so intrigued by the antler light fixtures that I forgot all about giving him the silent treatment and started yapping away. His plan worked. The decor is really fun to look at and the vegetarian BLT was delicious. If I remember correctly, the waitress forgot part of our meal but she was very friendly. The interior decorating is probably my favorite part of this restaurant. All in all, it's a cool place to grab a bite to eat for a weekend brunch. Let me know if you stop by, I want to hear all about it. Until then, happy eating!

Yo Mama

2010-05-09T23:36:00.010-04:00

I guess my mom got lucky. She has a daughter who actually wants to cook.

All. The. Freakin'. Time.

Too bad that daughter doesn't like doing the dishes though. Or maybe I got lucky because I have a mom who taught me how to cook. She taught me the basics and I just kind of figure the rest out as I go along. Well tonight I cooked Eggplant Pomodoro and did the dishes...sort of. This has been a very food-themed Mother's Day, but really, why should today be different from any other day? Besides dinner, I bought my mom a new coffee mug from Whisk (http://www.whisknyc.com/blog/) which is only the greatest store in the world and I made her a new spoon rest with my ceramics skills.

The dinner was a success. The dessert, chocolate mousse, was less of a success because my mom is apparently not a big fan.

Well, I enjoyed it.

If you forgot Mother's Day, you should be ashamed of yourself and get your sorry butt into the kitchen while there's still time. Try out the recipe, courtesy of Eating Well, and show your mom some love.

Enjoy!

Little Things

2010-05-09T21:28:00.007-04:00

Do you want to know why I bake things like this for M every weekend?

Because he's one of the most thoughtful people I know and takes me out to all kinds of wonderful restaurants, restaurants I'd never be able to afford because I'm always flat broke (Did you know that I'm an artist/student? That explains a lot). He not only encourages my cheese eating habits, but enjoys trying new ones with me (We keep a running list of cheeses we've tried so we don't forget the ones we like. Maybe that's crazy. Maybe that's why we're a great pair.) He forgives me when I forget to bring back ketchup for his everything bagel with bacon and egg breakfast. And he always remembers to say 'thank you'.

That's why I pull together for the $11 bus and subway fare that gets me to Brooklyn every week. That's why I look at dozens of recipes each week to find one or two that I think he'd like and file the rest away for a later date. That's why I make it my mission to transport a large tray of baked ziti through the most densely populated region in the country, with two cumbersome bags on each arm, whenever a baked ziti is needed.

I don't do it all for the fancy dinners and the bottles of wine I can't pronounce. The little things are my favorite things, like today when M bought a box of two Godiva chocolates for us to share on the bus. And no, I did not eat both of them. He's so great that I don't even mind the fact that I forgot my leftover panini in his fridge. Really! I want him to enjoy the rest of it because it was so good, which leads me to this...Brooklynites, Manhattanites, Jersey folk who accidentally drove a little too far east, check out the D.O.C. wine bar in Williamsburg. It'll get real crowded real fast, but get there early and you can enjoy this lovely, dimly lit cozy restaurant with lemons and candles on the tables. Also, try out the cheese tasting platter and if you order wine, let me know how it is. We decided to forgo the bottle because our minds needed to be sharp for some late night studying.

So if you have someone special in your life or if you're just hungry, try out these Strawberry Mango muffins. Really unexpected (a mango in a muffin?!) and really good. I think I'm going to be making another batch of these this week...for myself.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup mango, diced
1 cup strawberries, diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently mix mango and strawberries in a medium bowl. Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the fruit into the other ingredients gently, until just combined. Spoon batter into muffin pan and bake for 22-25 minutes, until tops are firm and lightly browned.

Across the Pond

2010-05-04T20:30:00.017-04:00

Well my brain must be fried like an egg because I can't believe I've never shared some pictures from an amazing breakfast I had! Last summer, I traveled around the U.K. and Ireland with a dear friend of mine and experienced some of the best food (and beer!) I've ever had. Yes, I realize that this part of the world may not exactly be known for the cuisine (hello black pudding) but I don't think these folks get enough credit for their breakfast fare.

After a 9 hour overnight coach trip from London to Edinburgh, we arrived in Scotland feeling tired, hungry, and though I didn't know it at the time, I was coming down with the worst sinus infection ever. Did I mention that the air conditioner on the crowded coach was broken and it was mid-August? Even so, it was absolutely worth the journey. Edinburgh is by far one of the most beautiful cities I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. It looked like something out of a fairytale. We ate at the first cafe we found, owned by some of the friendliest people. Since I was deathly ill, I was only able to eat toast with butter and jam along with some tea. My friend, however, ordered porridge that Scotland is famous for and made me incredibly jealous. It looked and smelled amazing and had I not been sick, probably would've jumped across the table and eaten it myself.

Isn't it beautiful? How could it not be? Look where it came from!

England showed me a good time, too. Yes, I consumed massive amounts of tea as well as these delicious treats:

Oh and did you know that England is home to some pretty incredible Indian food? It was the first time I ever tried Indian cuisine (can you believe it?!) and now I find myself craving it from time to time.

Yes, it's true. That food came from here:

I must admit, though Ireland is a breathtakingly beautiful country, it is rather hard to be a vegetarian here.

This is what I ended up eating at the pub we went to in Dublin. Funnily enough, that's American cheese on my sandwich.

I'd be perfectly satisfied living off the beer over there. It's true, Guinness really does taste better in Ireland.

See how happy it made me? Unfortunately, I was only in Wales for a day so I didn't sample any of their cuisine. I did, however, get a first hand look at how royalty dined at Cardiff castle.

Now of course I couldn't leave the U.K. without having some chips. I was indecently excited about eating these when we visited Southend-on-Sea. Really. I can't even tell you how good they were. As a Jersey girl, I know there's nothing quite like boardwalk food and this was the English equivalent.

I've got so many wonderful memories of last summer and I look forward to expanding my photo album with some exciting adventures in the following months. Want a hint? There will be cooking and dining in Washington D.C. and M and I may even make our way across the country to bring you some pics from California vineyards and food in San Francisco. But for now...

Cheers!

The Best Fish in the Sea

2010-04-25T18:10:00.005-04:00

Though I've been baking for M for nearly as long as we've been together, the first time I ever cooked dinner for him was the day after Christmas. It was salmon with lime butter sauce. We went to the supermarket together in the pouring rain to pick out two beautiful pieces of fish. Then I schooled the fish counter guy in measuring serving sizes. Poor guy probably just wanted the crazy fish lady to take her order and leave.

FYI: One serving size of fish equals the size of your hand. Approximately.

So when I was done harassing the employees, we left with our fish, cookies, and probably some more junk food that M talked me into buying (he can be very persuasive) and headed back to his mom's where I had taken over the kitchen. After enjoying our meal (M loved it!) we settled in to watch Julie & Julia because it was finally my turn to pick a movie. By the way, my top choices include anything that doesn't involve zombies, ghosts, or blood and guts. I know, I know...I'm no fun. An hour into the movie, M gets a phone call saying the basement of his building is flooded. Being the superintendent, he had to rush back. I said I'd drive. Long story short, and I mean a very long story that involves missing keys, navigating the Turnpike in a downpour, and me being grumpy, we stayed up the entire night cleaning the basement together. Now that enough time has passed and I'm no longer grumpy, I can laugh about the course of events from that night. Mother Nature thought it was pretty funny, too.

In all seriousness, this may actually be one of my favorite memories now. A lot happened that night and the rain coming down right now is reminding me of how it all started. With good intentions and salmon in lime butter sauce.

Ingredients:
2 pieces of salmon, I used Pacific caught wild Alaskan
1 tablespoon of lime juice
a little bit of lime zest as well
a few dashes of chili powder
1 tablespoon of butter
Ground pepper

Put the lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, and butter in a small bowl and set aside. Generously coat a large pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. And I mean generously. Now is not the time to be stingy! Sprinkle some pepper on the salmon and place in the pan. Cook on each side for 4 minutes. Salmon should be browned and cooked through to the center. Remove from heat and place salmon on a plate. Then place lime-butter mixture in the pan and stir until melted. Pour over the salmon.

Tonight, I finished up the remaining broccoli rabe from last night's dinner. To make this, place broccoli rabe in boiling water for 3 minutes to remove the bitterness. Then sauté in extra virgin olive oil and 1 clove of garlic, minced. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Hope you enjoy this dinner as much as we did.

Saturday Supper

2010-04-24T19:46:00.005-04:00

Happy Saturday, everyone!

I've got something good for you this weekend! This is definitely one of the best smelling dinners I've ever made and that's coming from someone with a very poor sense of smell. It's a combination of some of my favorite foods: pasta, broccoli rabe, and chickpeas.

Isn't it beautiful? Sigh.

I decided to cook dinner with my mom tonight. Remind me not to do that again. It's probably not the best idea to have two bossy women working together while surrounded by fire and sharp objects. My mom is a great cook but we have different ways of doing even the smallest tasks, which leads to debate over who is doing it properly. Well the outcome was fantastic, we both went back for seconds and maybe even thirds, so it was worth the battle. I highly recommend this if you've got company coming over and you need something quick and easy to impress them with. This meal works great as a side dish, too.

Unfortunately, M is busy doing boring school things again so he missed out, but I have a feeling he would've really enjoyed this. In fact, I would love to cook it for him if he'd allow me to cook anything other than baked ziti but the man knows what he wants and he only wants ziti! That's fine. I'll let him win this one...for now.

Ingredients:

2 cups little pasta seashells
approximately 1/2 bunch of broccoli rabe (but feel free to use a bit more), trim the ends and cut into 2 inch pieces
3/4 cup vegetable broth
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped
1 8-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Boil enough water for the pasta and cook pasta for 5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli rabe are tender, about 3 more minutes. Drain and rinse.

Gradually whisk the broth into the flour in a small bowl. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and basil and cook, stirring for about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth mixture. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Add chickpeas, vinegar, pepper and pasta mixture. Cook while stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Enjoy!

Saturday Night, Party Night

2010-04-10T22:10:00.003-04:00

Good evening, readers!

While you're all probably out partying, I'm actually quite thrilled to be sitting home in my pajamas watching one of my favorite movies, Julie & Julia. Things have been pretty busy around here lately. We're getting closer and closer to the end of the semester and the work is starting to pile up. Recently, I was selected to be part of a student delegation to Nicaragua in January 2011 (so exciting!!). I think I'm now moving out of the honeymoon phase and slowly realizing how much work and dedication this is going to take. Of course I'm so enthusiastic to be doing this but now I have to start planning fundraising events, writing letters, and attempting to learn Spanish amongst many other things. With all of this, staying in on Saturday night to watch a movie about food, which was a big inspiration behind my own blog, seems like a great idea. Unfortunately, M is probably twice as busy as I am so we had to cancel our standing date this weekend. I actually miss carrying a baked ziti around the city with a container of homemade scones stashed away in my overnight bag, bumping into people on the street and fighting to grab a seat on the subway. So what did I cook this weekend?

Cheerios. Not exactly the most impressive undertaking but everyone needs a night off once in a while, right? Plus, I didn't have to impress my boyfriend so please don't tell him I was slacking off. It's okay, I'll whip up something special next weekend and impress the heck out of him and all of you!

Easter Goodness

2010-04-07T19:02:00.005-04:00

Sorry this is coming to you so late but I've been incapacitated due to the massive amounts of Easter candy I've been eating...all week. Well this is going to be a quick post anyway because I really just want to share some pics since I didn't partake in too much of the more complicated Easter cooking. I did, however, make the beautiful strawberries you're about to see. But first...check out these eggs!

And now for the desserts...

Is anything better than chocolate covered strawberries and mini cheesecakes? I think not.

Not So Sloppy Seconds

2010-04-01T23:55:00.004-04:00

Muffins and scones are back by popular demand! And by "popular demand" I mean I felt like baking muffins again. Not sure how many times I've shared variations of these recipes, but I'll make this one brief since you're probably tired of hearing about these over and over now. Tonight, I made Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut muffins. Basically, all you have to do is follow the recipe for Banana Nut I'm Sorry Muffins. A few minor changes:

-Use 3 bananas instead of 4
-Omit the wheat bran
-Omit the nutmeg
-Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Carry on.

As for the wonderful Blueberry Lemon Scones, I wrote my own recipe for these but then I lost the scrap of paper I wrote it on. It's okay, really. You can follow the Orange-Raisin Scones and make a few changes:

-Omit the raisins
-Omit the orange zest
-Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
-Add one cup of blueberries

Second time around, but these were just as good as the first!

Mac & Cheese

2010-04-01T23:31:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post but things have been crazy lately. On the bright side, I've done lots of cooking and baking in the meantime so I have many good things to share with you. First things first...

Let's talk about macaroni and cheese. Who doesn't like mac & cheese? No one, that's who! Growing up, my mom always baked this dish and added sauce to it as well. Since that was all I knew, I never realized that other people might think it's absolutely crazy to add sauce to mac & cheese. I don't think M quite knew what to make of it because he was expecting the standard that I'm sure you're all used to...a big plate of gooey cheese covered macaroni with a thick, velvety consistency. Well that's not my style (although I'm a big fan of that as well)! I will say this, I received much praise from my brother, his roomate, and his girlfriend when I made this for them a while back. Now I don't mean to get all philosophical on you but if you're apprehensive about this, try changing the way you define macaroni and cheese. Before I get all Kantian, I'll wrap this up and merely suggest that you go give this a try! Branch out, expand your horizons, step out of your comfort zone and add the sauce.

Ingredients:

1 box of elbow macaroni
1 16 oz. jar of Ragu or sauce of your choice
1 big bag of sharp shredded chedder cheese
1 red onion
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the sauce in a sauce while you start boiling the water for the macaroni. Once water is boiling, cook macaroni according to directions on the box. While all these good things are happening on your stove, finely chop some red onion. I'm not gonna tell you how much to chop because I don't know how much you like onions so I'll leave that up to your judgment. Personally, I use less than 1/4 cup because I'm not a big onion fan. Anyway! Once your sauce is hot, stir in the onion and coat the bottom of a casserole dish with a bit of the sauce. Then add about 1/3 of the macaroni, put some more sauce on top, then top that with about 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layering process until you're all out of stuff to layer. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let me know what you think!

Happy St. Patrick's Day: Ireland Meets Mexico

2010-03-17T22:15:00.009-04:00

Maybe it's the warm weather, maybe it's the extra hour of daylight, or maybe it's the fact that I painted my nails 'Tequila Sunrise', but I have been craving fish tacos this week! This wouldn't be so strange if I had actually ever had a fish taco at some point in my life. It would also be less strange if it weren't St. Patrick's Day. Well whatever it was that enticed me, I'm glad I decided to go with the flow. These were awesome! They were so awesome, in fact, that I was tempted to book a flight to Mexico after dinner.

Although I am a self-proclaimed avocado fanatic, I must admit that the fresh cilantro was the MVP of this meal.

All the ingredients were pretty wonderful though. The key to making this is to use the freshest ingredients possible to get the best flavor. Oh and I would probably add black beans next time, just for fun.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/3 cup Guinness
8 ounces tilapia fillet, cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 corn tortillas, warmed
1 large tomato or about 3 small tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
pinch of freshly ground pepper
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

First, combine tomato, onion, lime juice, and pepper in a medium bowl. Gently, stir in avocado and cilantro. Next, combine flour, cumin, and cayenne in a separate bowl. Whisk in Guinness to create a batter. Coat the tilapia pieces in the batter. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish to the pan and cook until crispy and golden, about 2 to 4 minutes per side. Serve the fish with tortillas and salsa mixture.

A Lesson in French Culture

2010-03-10T23:26:00.004-05:00

Bonjour, mes amis! After being skewered by an interview panel today, I decided to make myself some crêpes to unwind. The recipe is very basic and I'm sure you'll already have the ingredients in your kitchen. What you'll need is:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons melted butter

Whisk flour and eggs together in a large bowl then gradually add in the milk and water. Add the butter and beat until smooth. This was the hardest part for me. I was beating the stupid batter for so long and it still had lumps in it! Then I got impatient and just decided to go ahead and make the crêpes anyway. I was hungry, don't judge me. Then heat an oiled frying pan over medium heat. Pour slightly more than 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan and swirl it around so the surface of the pan is evenly coated. Cook the crêpe for about 2 minutes on each side or until it is lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and fill it with your favorite fruit, I used strawberries and bananas, and a bit of whipped cream.

After scarfing down a bunch of crêpes, I took a nap in the middle of the afternoon and let me just say, this is the closest I've ever come to understanding French. I feel so cultured now!

Bon appétit!