Dulcedo

rice krispie treats

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 19:05:00 +0000

If you've spent any time looking at the recipes on Dulcedo, my philosophy on cooking is probably easy to identify. I generally think the best food is simple and approachable, and made with fresh, quality ingredients. I eschew cake mixes and other preservative-laden, processed foods in favor of fresh foods with ingredients I can both recognize and pronounce. If I'm going to spend time in the kitchen, it's worth it to me to cook from scratch. And if I'm not up for that, then it's worth it to me to pay someone else to cook from scratch and I'll enjoy a meal out. That's just what I think. Generally.

But once in a while, I make an exception. Particularly when nostalgia is involved. When I was a kid, my Grandma would bake brownies filled with pockets of caramel. She used a cake mix and individually wrapped caramels. Someday maybe I'll play with constructing that same dish from scratch, but for now -- once in a great while -- I'll make it her way. Because it makes me think of her, and of how exciting it was to help unwrap the caramels for her when she was ready to bake.

Rice Krispie treats are sort of the same. While I don't love buying 4 packages of strange, white, powder-coated fluff balls that don't resemble any food in nature, I don't want to live in a world without Rice Krispie treats either, or a world where baking up a batch earns you a snooty glance and snarky comment from foodies everywhere. Rice Krispie treats make me think of church potlucks and celebrating classmates' birthdays at school. Reminders of those days are nice. There is a place in the world for Rice Krispie treats. And once every five years or so, that place can be my kitchen.

But if you're going to make Rice Krispie treats, at least do it well. Who hasn't had a treat with too many krispies, that savagely scraped up the roof of your mouth as you chewed? Or a treat that tasted mostly of butter -- or worse, of cooking spray? Gross. You can make the original Kellog's recipe; it will yield a perfectly acceptable treat. But the recipe below elevates it slightly -- still using the original ingredients, but doing so in a way that strikes the ultimate krispie-gooey balance. Parading them around with little green flags is optional. (But recommended, just for fun.)

Rice Krispie Treats
Adapted from a Cookies and Cups recipe
Makes one 13x9" pan

7 1/2 Tablespoons salted butter
12 cups plus 3 cups mini marshmallows
9 cups Rice Krispies cereal
nonstick cooking spray (such as Pam)

Line a 13x9" baking dish with foil. (Dish should be at least 2" deep.) Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Tear off a second sheet of foil the same size as your dish. Spray the sheet lightly with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Once butter is melted, add 12 cups of mini marshmallows. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. When marshmallows are just melted, turn off heat and stir in cereal to combine. Then stir in the remaining 3 cups of marshmallows.

Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan and use the spray-coated second sheet of foil and a heavy-bottomed glass to press it in evenly. Allow to cool completely.

To cut the treats into squares, spray a sharp knife with nonstick cooking spray prior to making the first cut. Treats may be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

lighter stuffed jalapeno poppers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 May 2015 20:04:00 +0000

I don't eat fast food very often, but when I do, it's usually Jack in the Box. (Are you picturing the Dos Equis spokesman as you read that?) As a kid, I loved the spicy chicken sandwich, and to go with it, Mom and I would often split an order of the potato wedges or the jalapeno poppers. These days my tastes are a bit broader, but no matter what main menu item I choose, it's usually still accompanied by a few jalapeno poppers. What can I say? The cheesy/spicy combination is hard to resist.

For Memorial Day weekend, I thought I would try my hand at creating a lighter, but still satisfying, jalapeno popper. As evidenced by the first photo, I cooked mine on the grill. Unfortunately, my grill (and the house, and everything nearby) sits on a slope. I've been working so hard lately on taking better photos -- and straighter photos -- but I forgot to adjust my camera to accommodate for the slope. Thus, all the grill shots look like they were taken by a drunk person. Or maybe someone suffering from an inner ear imbalance. Either way, they're crooked. (And I wasn't drunk. I only had one amaretto bourbon punch cocktail. I swear.)

A few tips on assembling the poppers:

Everyone knows this, but it's worth repeating: When handling the raw jalapenos, take great care not to touch other parts of your body before thoroughly washing your hands (including cleaning under your fingernails). A wicked burn will ensue if you forget and touch sensitive areas like your eyes.
The key to getting the panko breadcrumbs nicely browned is spritzing them with a bit of olive oil just before cooking. I don't have a spritzer and probably would have forgotten to use it even if I did, so my breadcrumbs didn't change color much.
The filling amount in the recipe below yields just enough to moderately fill each jalapeno half. If you want to really mound up the filling or if you're using large jalapenos, you'll want to double the recipe. (Any leftover filling is delicious on crackers.)

These turned out creamy and tasty, with a satisfying crunch and spicy aftertaste. They're not a complete substitute for the cheddar-filled, deep-fried Jack in the Box version, but they're delicious and a choice you can feel much better about. Winner, winner, jalapeno dinner!

Lighter Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers
Adapted from a Gimmie Some Oven recipe
Yields 20 medium-small poppers

10 medium-small jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt
pepper
olive oil (if using a grill)

Preheat the oven or a gas grill to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or rub a grill-safe tray/basket with a bit of olive oil. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the cheeses, paprika, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper.

Press a spoonful of the cheese mixture into each jalapeno half. Press a few bacon crumbles onto the filling in each jalapeno half. Then sprinkle/press on breadcrumbs.

Spritz the top of the stuffed jalapenos lightly with olive oil. Bake (or cook in closed grill) until the filling is hot, jalapenos are cooked, and panko is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Place a sheet of foil on top if panko browns too quickly in the oven. (Note: it is normal for the jalapenos to "pop" and hop around a bit while cooking, especially on a grill.)

Serve immediately.

amaretto bourbon punch

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 May 2015 17:35:00 +0000

It's Memorial Day weekend. Perhaps you, like me, headed to the grocery store with intentions of merrily traversing the aisles, filling your cart with a supply of ingredients that would keep you cooking, baking, and grilling all weekend. But unlike me, I hope you did not wait until late Friday afternoon to make that trip, finding yourself trying to maneuver between extra-wide stock carts and the seemingly several hundred other people in the store. If you did, then I'm sorry, and you likely emerged an hour and a half later and in serious need of a drink. This post is for you.

I'm a fan of good craft cocktails, but I'll admit that when it comes to making them myself, I often get stuck in a rut, making the same few over and over again. This amaretto bourbon punch was a delightfully refreshing change. (And, bonus, it made use of my Costco-awesome giant bottle of Knob Creek bourbon.) It's perfect for sipping during summer day gatherings and easy enough to make for a crowd if needed.

Note: When making cocktails, I prefer to add my liquor prior to putting ice cubes in the glass. It gives me a better understanding of how much liquor I'm using and generally improves my ability to accurately free-pour when a jigger isn't available. If this isn't a concern for you, feel free to go the more traditional route and add ice cubes first.

Amaretto Bourbon Punch
Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe
Yields 1 cocktail

(For punch bowl proportions, click here, but note that I made adjustments to the single-glass recipe below, so taste and adjust accordingly.)

Simple Syrup
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water

Cocktail
2 ounces bourbon
1 1/2 ounces sparkling apple juice
3/4 ounce amaretto
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons simple syrup
Ice cubes
Sparkling seltzer water, to top
Garnish: Maraschino cherry and lemon wedge

To make the simple syrup:
Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly and until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool completely. Syrup may be stored covered in the refrigerator for a week.

To make the cocktail:
Add the bourbon, sparkling apple juice, amaretto, and lemon juice to a cocktail glass. Add 1 teaspoon of simple syrup. Fill the glass 3/4 full with ice cubes. Top off with seltzer and stir lightly. Taste and add 1 additional teaspoon of simple syrup if you desire a sweeter cocktail. Garnish with a cherry and a lemon wedge.

strawberry biscuit cobbler

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 May 2015 17:42:00 +0000

I don't enjoy bridal showers. Or baby showers. Or any other social gathering that involves pastel mints and feigning interest in games like making dresses out of toilet paper with a bunch of women I don't know. So when it came time to plan a bridal shower for my sister last year, you can imagine my dilemma. How could I possibly throw her a shower that appropriately acquitted me of my maid-of-honor duties, but which didn't drag in all the aforementioned ways?

We -- my sister and I -- started off by brainstorming a theme. One that didn't involve teacups or garden parties. The date she selected coincided with our town's annual carnival, so it seemed natural to piggyback on that idea and go with a country fair theme. Plus, it meant we could have fun fair food. No pastel mints or mimosas at this shower.

And then we scrapped the games. No one wants to be forced to play a game, but lots of games are fun when participation is voluntary. So we decided to set up a few yards games -- washers and bean bags -- to see if people would participate on their own. (They did.)

But what kind of fair only includes women? (Besides a discriminatory one.) As the final piece of the much-more-fun-bridal-shower puzzle, we decided to invite women and men. And the groom. We would have a wedding shower instead of a bridal shower. And we would serve beer -- a little social lubricant for all of the men attending their first shower. Which was, literally, all of the men at the shower.

We set up a tent and went full throttle on the country fair-themed food and decorations. We even got a homemade ice cream vendor from St. Louis who serves scoops out of an antique ice cream tricycle. The weather was sublime -- hot enough to make the beer go down smoothly but with a slight breeze to keep sun weariness at bay. But the best part was that everyone had a great time, the bride and groom in particular. Even my father -- who was skeptical about selling the idea of a co-ed shower in rural Illinois -- had so much fun that I heard him wonder out loud why everyone doesn't do something like this.

The bridesmaids took care of making the homemade favors (see the last picture following the recipe below) and the groomsmen and my dad took care of the beer, so I was able to keep my out-of-pocket costs for the whole shower under $500. Not bad at all considering that we had plenty of festive decorations, homemade food (or food that was otherwise unique to St. Louis), ended up with 65 attendees, and could have comfortably served another 25 more.

Thanks to some help from a good friend who was a trooper about hulling and slicing several Costco-size containers of strawberries, I made four of these strawberry biscuit cobblers the day before the shower. They were the perfect sweet accompaniment to the homemade vanilla ice cream, and they didn't suffer any ill effects from day-before preparation or from spending several hours outdoors during the shower. (Though I did keep them in the shade and covered to deter the flies.)

You will end up with some leftover juice from the strawberry jam that doesn't get added to the cobbler. As a bonus, you can freeze this juice into ice cube trays and use the cubes to flavor cocktails and lemonade.

Strawberry Biscuit Cobbler
Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe
Yields 8 servings

Strawberry Jam Filling
2 pounds fresh ripe strawberries, washed, hulled, and cut into half-inch pieces
scant 2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Biscuit Topping
1 3/4 cups flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling

To make the filling:
Cook the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 4 cups (about 12 minutes). Let cool completely. The strawberry jam can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To make the biscuit topping:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Mix in cream with a fork until the dough starts to come together but is still crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead once or twice to make smooth. Pat the dough into an 8" round, about 3/4-inch thick.

To make the cobbler:
Spread 3 cups strawberry jam in the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate or skillet. Place the biscuit dough round on top, brush with cream, and then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until bubbling and golden, about 50 minutes. (If the top is browning too quickly, tent it with foil.) Let cool before serving.

crispy broccoli with garlic & lemon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 May 2015 19:35:00 +0000

I have a confession to make. I've owned a lovely Canon 40D DSLR camera for seven years, and I still don't know how to really use it. If I take a good picture, it's thanks only to having a bit of talent at composing shots and a good camera and lens to take them. But I don't know how to use them, which is kind of pathetic. I shouldn't still be pushing buttons at random after all this time. But my friend Kevin -- who is a much more ambitious amateur photographer than I've turned out to be (because let's be real -- I haven't learned because I didn't make it a priority) -- was kind enough to give me a lesson in aperture, shutter speeds, ISO, and flash last week. And now I understand, at least enough to do purposeful trial and error with my camera settings. So I present to you: Broccoli! Less crappily photographed than it would have been before.

My diet has been woefully short on green veggies lately, so I needed a little vegetable inspiration to kick things into gear. I enjoy browsing Pinterest and occasionally pull a recipe from it, but it can be a bit of a hodge podge -- too many creamy/cheesy/fattening recipes for my taste. Instead, I turned to my favorite blog, Smitten Kitchen, and this broccoli recipe practically screamed out "Pick me!" And I did, because really, how can you go wrong with anything that involves olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes? You can't, and I ate two giant stems of broccoli to prove it. I didn't imagine anything would ever overtake roasted Brussels sprouts as my go-to veggie dish, but I think the broccoli wins in a photo finish, thanks to it being significantly cheaper and easier to prepare and, of course, awesomely tasty.

Crispy Broccoli with Garlic & Lemon
Adapted from a Smitten Kitchen recipe
Serves 2 as a side

1 pound fresh broccoli, washed and patted dry
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
A few pinches of red pepper flakes, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
Finely grated zest of half a lemon, or more to taste
Juice of half a lemon, or more to taste, to finish

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut/break your broccoli into florets. Peel off and discard the tough outer skin on the stem. Cut the stem into 1/2" segments. (They cook up wonderfully this way, and at the same speed as the florets.)

Drizzle the first tablespoon of oil over your baking sheet or roasting pan and brush or roll it around so it’s evenly coated. Add the broccoli to the pan and toss with remaining olive oil, garlic, pepper flakes, salt, and lemon zest until they’re evenly coated. )You can use a bit more olive oil if needed -- the end result will still be delicious -- but the more you use, the less crispy your broccoli is likely to be.)

Roast for 20 minutes, then use a spatula to flip and move pieces around for even cooking. Roast another 10 to 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes, until broccoli is toasted to your preference.

Taste a floret and add more salt and pepper flakes if needed. Shower with fresh lemon juice and serve immediately.

grandma's oatmeal cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 May 2015 02:39:00 +0000

I am largely a self-taught cook. My mom taught me the basics of baking -- particularly the difference between a wet and a dry measure -- but she doesn't particularly enjoy being in the kitchen, so after that I was on my own. However, the way I feel about cooking and baking is largely inspired by my Grandma.

Grandma was an excellent cook. Feeding four kids on a shoestring budget and years of working in the school cafeteria gave her lots of practice. There was nothing gourmet about her meals, but they were always delicious. Perfect for their place and time. I always looked forward to her Christmas cookie assortment, and to the fruit salads that accompanied all of our meals with extended family. She made the best sloppy joes, hands down, but that recipe, like nearly all others, lived only in her head.

At the time of her passing, I was the only grandchild (of 8) with an interest and flair for cooking, so many of her kitchen implements were passed along to me: liquid measures, her Tupperware cookie containers (which now hold my sugars), a shoebox full of recipe clippings and notes, a beautiful cake stand, and all of her hand-sewn aprons. The mug shown in the first picture above is the same one she served me milk in as a child. It was the only thing I requested when the time came to sort through her belongings.

I wish Grandma could be here to see the kind of cook and baker I've turned out to be. She would love the neat kitchen tools that are available now, and, I think, be just as enthused about using them as I am. I wish I could share my recipes with her and, in turn, learn how to make sloppy joes, dandelion wine, grape jelly from the arbors in our yard, and all of the other classic, rural fare she excelled at making.

Of the handwritten recipe notes in the box I received, very few were complete recipes. In fact, there were maybe only one or two. She might jot down a list of ingredients or a name, but rarely ever instructions or measurements. This oatmeal cookie recipe only exists in writing because at some point when I was a child, I asked her to tell it to me so I could write it down. The index card of instructions in my childlike scrawl now resides in my mom's recipe box in Illinois, but I keep a picture of it on my phone for easy reference.

Grandma's oatmeal cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, buttery, and slightly salty. They're perfect for dunking. While I usually say this Martha Stewart oatmeal cookie recipe is my favorite, Grandma's recipe yields a cookie that is equally delicious and satisfying in a different way. (Martha's cookies are big, thick, soft, and full of texture, but not so great for dunking.)

I've made a few changes to the recipe over the years: swapping the Oleo Grandma used for unsalted butter, and reorganizing/modernizing the steps. Grandma always used a wooden spoon to stir in the oats at the end, but I think she would have a good deal of appreciation for the arm energy I save using the stand mixer instead.

[This post was encouraged -- but not sponsored by -- the Patience Brewster gift company as a part of their efforts to start a conversation among food bloggers about heritage recipes.]

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted slightly from my grandma's recipe
Yields about 4 dozen

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 1/2 cups raisins (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time until combined. Mix in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl in 2 additions, mixing until thoroughly combined. Add the oats and mix on low until just incorporated. Stir in the raisins, if using.

Using a 1 1/2" scoop, drop the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 2" apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For crispy cookies that are chewy in the center, store in an airtight container. For completely crispy cookies, store in a loosely covered container.

pineapple upside-down cake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 May 2015 00:39:00 +0000

Summer is almost here, and we were treated to some unusually nice weather in Seattle last week. So nice that I was inspired to pick up some annual flower starts, clean out the flower beds, and finally get my tomato seeds going indoors. I love starting plants from seeds and watching them sprout and grow. My neighbors probably think I'm growing marijuana -- what with the bluish-white light radiating from my windows at odd hours and all -- but that's ok. In a few months my yard will sport a bounty of Black Krim tomatoes. Maybe I'll even share.

I'm not sure I can think of a more summery cake than pineapple upside-down cake. Everything about it screams sandals and sunshine to me. This recipe -- like pretty much all pineapple upside-down cake recipes -- yields a rather sweet cake. That's just what happens when you combine already-sweet pineapple with brown sugar. I prefer moderately sweet desserts, so I'm more than satisfied with a single slice of this cake. Except it's a really good cake -- the kind where you sneak a bite as you pass through the kitchen throughout the day. So, a single slice...plus those extra "I was just walking by..." bites.

I think the flavor of this cake is perfect. I've made it at least five times and it is always spot on. The topping is ridiculously good and the cake is thick, so next time I'd like to experiment with doubling the topping recipe and running a ribbon of that through the middle of the cake (meaning I would put half the topping into the pan, then half the batter, then the second half of the topping, and then the second half of the batter). But as is, the cake is pretty darn good, especially when served slightly warm with coffee or a cold glass of milk.

Note that you do not need the special Nordic Ware cake pan with the pineapple ring relief pattern on it to make this cake. I bought mine on clearance at Williams-Sonoma several years ago (ten, actually) and it is great, but not necessary. That pan is 9.5" in diameter with slightly tapered sides. You can substitute any similarly sized cake pan. Better yet, use a cast iron skillet if you have one and make the cake the traditional way.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
A Williams-Sonoma recipe
Serves 10

Topping
7 fresh or canned drained pineapple slices (1/4-inch slices)
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Cake
2 cups cake flour
1 1/8 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tablespoons dark rum (such as Myer's)
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
7 canned cherries in syrup, drained

Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a pineapple upside-down cake pan (or other 9-10" cake pan or cast iron skillet).

To make the topping:
Place the pineapple slices in the prepared pan, aligning them with the relief pattern. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar and heat until the butter melts. Stir to blend the ingredients, then spread the mixture over the pineapple slices. Set aside.

To make the cake:
In a medium-small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla, and rum. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes.

Tap the pan gently on a work surface to loosen the cake, invert the pan onto a cake plate and lift off the pan. Place 1 cherry in the center of each pineapple slice. Let the cake cool for 45 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

lemon bars

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 21:45:00 +0000

Back in January, I lost a close friend. His name was Jay. And he committed suicide.

I think I danced more dances with Jay than anyone else in the last five years. We had a great connection as partners and shared a common sense of dance etiquette. Every dance seemed effortless. And every dance (or nearly so) was insanely gratifying -- the highest of highs, unmatched by any drug and untouchable by anyone else in the room.

Jay was also the single most selfless person I've ever met, which made the news of his passing all the more crushing. He was well known among our group of friends for being both a quirky gift giver and unfailingly thoughtful. Last year, during a particularly depressing birthday, I came home to find a beautiful orchid and a bag of goodies on my doorstep -- gourmet BBQ sauce, dark chocolate-covered caramels, and $20 enclosed in a card instructing me to treat myself. Jay always checked in on me when he knew things were going poorly, and he would spend hours on the phone helping me pass the time when I was lonely.

Jay's unique brand of friendship was an unbelievable blessing. When I heard that he was gone, there was a minute or two of confusion and panic -- those moments where you think surely the message bearer must be wrong, that the details of an unfortunate but not deadly accident must have gotten lost in translation somehow. Later, you wish you could hang on to those moments. They're the last ones where you have hope. But they evaporate in a breath and are replaced by a feeling that is perhaps like being bashed in the chest with nail-ridden 2x4. That feeling persists constantly for weeks. You think you might die, and you wonder why you shouldn't want to. The world is most certainly not a better place without this person in it, and it wasn't "his time" or whatever some well-meaning sympathy-giver purports.

And of course there are the regrets. It does not matter that you logically know the act of suicide is not your fault. Your pour over all the recent memories, analyzing them for signs you must have missed the first time. I've spent hours regretting and, in particular, wondering why I did not follow up on that last text message I sent (December 27) that never received a response. Why didn't I follow up? It was not like him to not respond.

There are eerie reminders of his passing. Like his still-active Facebook account, now administered by his brother, but which still bear his name and image. I like that it is still there, giving the illusion that I could reach out and talk to him if I wanted. But I don't like that it looks as though I didn't respond to his last Facebook message to me. Yes, I did, Facebook. It was just via text. You don't know.

It's apparent to me now that "getting over it" isn't an option. But I have made several attempts to move forward. Returning to this blog is one of them. I can control the outcomes in cooking and baking, and I'm pretty good at them. There's something healing about that. Last week I spent five days in Denver, checking to see if improved dance opportunities (at the Grizzly Rose) would be a boost to me. They were a tremendous boost and supported my notion that perhaps my time in Seattle is wrapping up. I'll likely fare better in a city that offers better access to my family and a dance scene more suited to my needs. I'm not sure that Denver is the answer, but the trip to investigate it was a step in the right direction.

For my 30th birthday party almost two years ago, Jay brought his signature odd-but-delightful assortment of gifts: a bottle of RumChata, a bucket of strawberry daiquiri mix, a bag of toast pieces and dip, a frozen key lime pie, and a tray of lemon bars from Trader Joe's. I've deduced from that experience that he must have liked citrus (who doesn't?), so below you'll find a most excellent recipe for lemon bars.

My first attempt at lemon bars, while available for you to peruse on the blog, missed the mark, and missed it by enough that I won't even link to it. They were just too sweet. For this second go around, I had it in mind to try out Ina Garten's recipe. She's normally pretty reliable, but her recipe uses 3 CUPS of sugar for a 13x9" dish. That's just gross -- think about how much sugar that is per bar. Your teeth would stage a revolt.

I was looking for a bar that was distinctly lemon, with little notes of sweetness, not the other way around. I also wanted a sturdy but complementary crust that would hold up for cutting and serving. I decided to try a recommendation from The Way the Cookie Crumbles for using a crust recipe from Tartine and a filling recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

I made this recipe twice, with adjustments the second time (reflected in the recipe below). I don't normally use salted butter for anything but frosting, but in my first attempt with unsalted butter, the crust was a bit of a lame duck. The texture and consistency were perfect, but in every bite it felt as though the 1/8 teaspoon of salt in the filling was trying to stretch -- unsuccessfully -- to cover the crust too. Rather than experiment with finding the proper amount of salt to add to the crust, I just substituted salted butter. Then the crust had a flavor profile of its own.

One quick note, before I wrap up, about the lemon zest. There is no universally proclaimed way of measuring lemon zest. If you grate it with a Microplane, it piles up into little nests. Whether you drop those little piles into a teaspoon or pack them in is up to you. I noted below that I lightly packed mine in, and I used 3 teaspoons worth. This really puts the lemon flavor in the spotlight. If you prefer a more mellow, all-around lemon flavor, stick to 2 teaspoons (which is what Cook's Illustrated recommends in their original recipe).

[Tip: If you crumble the dough with your fingers as you're putting it into the pan, it will help you get a more even distribution before patting it down. The first time I made this recipe (which is when I took the pictures), I just used my hands to pat the dough flat. The second time, I mainly used the bottom of a 1 cup measuring cup to flatten the crust down, and then my fingers to press it into the corners as needed. That yielded a much more even crust.]

Lemon Bars
Makes one 13 x 9" dish

Crust
Adapted from a recipe by Tartine
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

Filling
Adapted from a recipe by Cook's Illustrated
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from about 3 large lemons), lightly packed
2/3 cup lemon juice (from 3 to 4 large lemons), strained
1/3 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon table salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 13 x 9" baking pan.

To make the crust: Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir in the flour. Add the butter and and beat on low speed just until a smooth dough forms. Press the dough evenly into the pan and allow it to come about a 1/2" up the sides of the pan. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake the crust until it is golden brown, 25-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, sugar, flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon zest, juice, and milk to blend.

When the crust is finished baking, remove the pan from the oven and then remove the pie weights and parchment paper from the top of the crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Stir the filling mixture to reblend (if needed) and pour into the warm crust. Bake until the filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack; cool to near room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Cut into serving-size bars, wiping knife clean between cuts. Sieve confectioners’ sugar over bars if desired.

pasta with mushrooms & goat cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 21:24:00 +0000

I got a fun new kitchen toy. This doesn't happen often anymore because 1) I have a pretty solid arsenal of tools already and 2) I live in an exceptionally tiny house. While the kitchen is actually pretty roomy, it is nearly devoid of useful storage. Therefore, any tools I'm not using on a weekly basis are kept in clear plastic storage bins in the basement. And to get to the basement, you either have to go outside (great, it's definitely raining again), or crawl through a trap door in the floor of the closet and shimmy down a ladder. That's not an exaggeration. So I'm pretty selective about acquiring new things, and pretty darn good at donating or selling old ones.

I've been looking at the Paderno spiralizer for a year or two now. It didn't interest me at all in the beginning because I already own a de Buyer mandoline with the spiralizing rouet attachment. And I don't like it. I used it one time, and while the results met expectations, the process of spiralizing was just too difficult. You had to manually chop the zucchini down to fit it within the rouet, and then use the less-than-ergonomic crank to create spirals. The time it took exceeded my level of patience for that sort of task. And it didn't help that part of the crank fell off in my hand.

But lately I've been seeing lots of recipes on Pinterest that showcase spiralized vegetables as noodles ("zoodles," when using zucchini), and all of them use the Paderno spiralizer. I figured if this many people are raving about it, then maybe it's really worth checking out. So I redeemed some credit card rewards points for Williams-Sonoma gift cards and my four-blade spiralizer was on the way shortly after. (Credit card rewards points are awesome. It's like my spiralizer was free.)

This thing is EASY to use. The only manual chopping I had to do first was cut off the ends of my zucchini. And it gets better -- clean up is a breeze. I used a dish brush to knock any chunks off the blade and then put all the parts in the dishwasher. Zero hand washing needed. That earns it a five-star rating from me.

This recipe is perfect for a spiralizer. And possibly just plain perfect -- it's so good I made it twice within a week. The combination of sauteed mushrooms and creamy goat cheese is truly unforgettable here. Once you've had it, you will crave it. I made regular noodles and zucchini noodles just so I could compare, and it's excellent with both. If you use zucchini noodles, though, don't mix the noodles in with your pan of sauce -- place them in your individual serving bowls and ladle the sauce over instead. Even when well drained, zucchini noodles can still produce a bit of water, and if that happens, you don't want them to water down your awesome, excellent, can't-wait-to-make-it-again sauce.

Pasta with Mushrooms & Goat Cheese
Adapted from a recipe by Pinch of Yum
Serves 4-6

16 ounces farfalle pasta or 4-6 zucchini (if using zucchini noodles)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
24 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bella and shiitake)
1/4 cup minced garlic or shallots, or a combination of both
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups spinach, chopped
6 ounces goat cheese
freshly ground pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet or pot over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until golden brown and soft, 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic/shallots and white wine and saute until shallots have softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the cream, salt, and broth and stir to combine.

Just before serving, stir in the Parmesan, chopped spinach, and goat cheese. Season with ground pepper and additional salt if needed. Stir in the pasta and serve immediately.*

* If you're using zucchini noodles, don't mix them in with your pan of sauce -- place them in your individual serving bowl and ladle the sauce over instead.

irish stout beef stew

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 04:30:00 +0000

I read a comic the other day that said "Being 30 means waking up with an injury you didn't have when you went to bed." That is legit. I'm 31 and I can attest to this funny-because-it's-true sentiment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not falling apart at the seams and I don't by any means think I've got it bad. But I've got it...annoyingly 30...ish. (How long am I allowed to round down?)

I woke up one day in January and part of my right foot was numb. Then a few days later my lower back started to hurt. The situation hasn't improved much since then, so I had my first ever chiropractor appointment this week to see if we could pop and crack my spine back to fully functioning form. But apparently that is estimated to take 14 visits, not just one. It's a good thing the doctor seems nice -- and, more importantly, knowlegable -- since I'll be seeing a lot more of him in the next six weeks.

I'm not a big beef person, but when I saw the picture of Martha's beef stew on Pinterest, I was enticed. And when I realized I could use my Staub la cocotte, I was sold. (Best Dutch oven ever.) Anyway, even though beef doesn't usually amaze me, I'm pretty thrilled with this beef stew. The flavor is so satisfying -- it's just what you imagine good beef stew should be. I didn't end up with as much broth as I would have liked (or as Martha seems to have in her picture), so I'll use 1 fewer pound of beef next time. That change is reflected in the recipe below. I also substituted some of her peas for lima beans because I love them.

[Speaking of Pinterest, Dulcedo now has a Pinterest page. I'm finishing my site updating before I fully flesh out the Pinterest page, but you can check out my progress by clicking here.]

Irish Stout Beef Stew
Adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart
Serves 10

3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
2 1/2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed
2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium beef broth
1 can (14.9 ounces) Irish stout beer (I used Guinness Extra Stout)
10 garlic cloves, sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 small box/bag (about 10 ounces) frozen baby peas
1 small box/bag (about 10 ounces) frozen lima beans*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a 7-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, toss beef with flour. Stir in tomato paste. Add potatoes, onions, broth, beer, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Transfer covered pot to oven and cook until meat is fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Remove from oven and stir in frozen peas and lima beans. Cover until peas and lima beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. (As a precautionary measure, you can place the pot back on a burner during this step to be sure it doesn't cool off too much.) Season with salt and pepper.

* If you don't care for lima beans, you can just use double the amount of peas (as Martha does in the original recipe).

pink lady cake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 08:00:00 +0000

I miss cake. A lot. I gave up candy and anything that might be considered a decadent dessert for Lent this year. Try as I might, I can't find a way to classify cake as anything but decadent. Even though sometimes it seems so necessary.

I'll try to channel my cake longing into this post about pink lady cake, which I made for my 30th birthday (a year and a half ago). This cake is so good, it should be a sin. And for me -- during Lent -- it is.

Since, back in the summer of 2013, I had recently moved into a house on a lake, throwing a lakeside birthday party seemed natural. I loaded up on flowers from Pike Place Market in bright, happy shades of magenta, purple, and orange, and placed bouquets throughout the house and yard. I needed a cake to match the feel -- something bright, happy, light, and airy. Pink lady cake -- strawberry cake, lemon curd filling, and vanilla bean buttercream frosting -- was perfect.

Like every party I've ever thrown, I spent a little too much time making sure the house was just right and was in a rush to finish the last few items on my to-do list. Thus, my frosting job is a little rough. Let's call it casual.

At least the cake made it to the party. All the ingredients for Greek slaw (for 30!) stayed in the fridge because I didn't quite get around to making that. But with the summertime menu of beer brats, grilled peppers and onions, homemade potato salad, and an array of fresh veggies, I don't think anyone went hungry.

The weather for the party was beautiful. A bit too chilly to spend much time in the lake, but perfect for basking in the sun, drink in hand, and chatting with friends. A few drops of rain in the afternoon did little to dampen the mood. As evening set in, we pulled on jackets, huddled around the patio heater, and continued to enjoy the pleasure of good company, surrounded by the warm glow of 20 or so multicolored glassybaby. It was one of the loveliest birthdays I've experienced. And it certainly had the best cake.

This cake takes a bit of time, but it isn't difficult. You can prepare your strawberry puree and lemon curd a day or two in advance, and measure out your dry ingredients for cake and frosting the night before to save time. Pink lady cake pairs well with cream cheese frosting, but I opted to use this vanilla buttercream frosting because it's my favorite. And it was my birthday, after all.

[Note: This recipe is designed for three 8" cake pans, but I used three 6" cake pans so my cake would be extra tall and impressive looking. I also make another batch of batter and used two 10" cake pans to make a second cake.]

Pink Lady Cake

Cake
A recipe from Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes
Makes one 8" triple-layer cake

1 1/2 pounds frozen strawberries, thawed, with their juices
4 1/2 cups cake flour
3 cups sugar
5 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 egg whites
2/3 cup milk
1-2 quarts fresh strawberries, washed, for decoration (optional)

Lemon Curd
A recipe from Martha Stewart
Makes 1 1/2 cups

3 large egg yolks, strained
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 Tablespoons sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

To Make the Lemon Curd:
Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. Set over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to stir sides and bottom of pan. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring with the wooden spoon until consistency is smooth.

Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to avoid a skin from forming; wrap tightly. Let cool; refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

To Make the Cake:
Working in batches if necessary, put the strawberries and their juices in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. No need to strain. Set aside 1 1/4 cups of the puree for the cake. (Freeze or use the remainder for another delicious treat.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8" cake pans and line with parchment paper. Butter the paper.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the electric mixer bowl. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. The batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point.

In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites and milk to blend. Add the whites mixture to the batter in 2 or 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.

Bake the cakes for 30-34 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cook in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the pans onto wire racks and peel off the paper liners. Let cool completely before assembling.

To Assemble the Cake:
Use a cake leveler or large serrated knife to level your cake layers. Place the first layer on your cake plate/stand. Cover the top of the layer with lemon curd. Place the second layer on top of the first. Cover the top of the second layer with lemon curd. Place the final layer on top of your cake.

Spread a thin layer of your desired frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to set. (This is your "crumb coat.")

Spread a thicker, final layer of frosting over the top and sides of your cake. Decorate with fresh strawberries and frosting swirls as desired.

chicken enchiladas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 18:56:00 +0000

Sometimes when you lose interest in something or just can't seem to prioritize time for it, you need to step away and revisit it later...like in half a decade or so. Which seems to be what I've done with my blog.

The thing is, I've actually been using my blog this whole time -- to refer to my favorite recipes and remember the necessary modifications. (Hooray -- that's why I started the blog in the first place.) But recently it has been nagging at me that I've made several awesome dishes in the last five years, but none of them appear here. And every time I want to remake one, I have to find the right cookbook or website and hope I recall any changes I made to the recipe.

That's silly. So here's a new post -- one I expect to be referring back to many times because these enchiladas are awesome.

Other than homemade guacamole, Mexican food is not generally my thing. The flavors are great. It just tends to be a bit too cheese heavy for my lactose-intolerant self, and the abundance of cilantro doesn't thrill me either. But lately I've been trying to step out of my comfort zone with homemade dinner fare. These enchiladas, with homemade red sauce, were an easy win. Which is probably the kind of thing I need right now.

To make the day-of prep easy (and ensure that I had enough time to make guacamole), I made the red sauce and grated my cheese the night before. The red sauce requires zero chopping or roasting. Just dump things into the pot in order and whisk out the lumps. Play a game on your phone while it's simmering. Easy.

If you want to take another shortcut, you can buy precooked chicken breasts. Just heat them up (I sauteed grilled strips) and tear them apart with two fork to shred. If you go this route, be careful about adding salt while cooking since the precooked chicken is usually already seasoned. I didn't add any salt to my onion and green chili mixture since the chicken and red sauce already had plenty.

I made some changes from the original recipe -- like using a double batch of red sauce and a few more black beans. Those changes are included below. (Note: This dish is flavorful, but not spicy. Add hot sauce to taste.)

Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted from Gimmie Some Oven
Makes 8-10

2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into small 1/2-inch pieces *
salt and pepper
1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
8-10 flour tortillas (I used soft taco size)
3 cups Mexican-blend shredded cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Red Sauce
4 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
4 Tablespoons flour
8 Tablespoons chili powder (not cayenne!)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

To Make the Red Sauce:
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir together over the heat for one minute. Stir in the remaining seasonings (chili powder through oregano). Then gradually add in the stock, whisking constantly to remove lumps. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until thick.

If not using immediately, refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to two weeks or freeze.

To Make the Enchiladas:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a large baking dish. (I used a 13x9" dish and an 8x8" dish.)

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced chicken and green chiles, and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken is cooked through and the onion has softened. Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble the enchiladas, spread 2-3 tablespoons of red sauce over the surface of a tortilla. Add beans in a line down the middle of the tortilla, then add in a spoonful of the chicken mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tortilla and place in baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Once your baking dish is full, spread the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately, garnished with chopped fresh cilantro if desired. **

* See narrative above about substituting precooked chicken breasts.

** If you're not a huge cilantro fan and want to mellow it out a bit, sprinkle it on top of the dish before baking.

four-star fried chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 03:39:00 +0000

So I made some changes to the design of the blog, mostly just because I was tired of looking at the old site. The new design has some big benefits though. When I finish adding the necessary links to the "Recipes" tab, it will be a heck of a lot easier to pull up a recipe from the site on my phone (I find myself doing this quite a bit at the grocery store). I think my favorite addition, though, is the "Worthy Reads" tab. A combination of blogs and books, this tab has almost all of my favorite literary kitchen resources. (Though not mentioned, I also utilize the recipe databases on MarthaStewart.com and Epicurious.com.) There are only three blogs listed, and I can't say that I keep up with them on a daily basis, but they are the first three blogs I visit when I'm looking for a new recipe. The books section, however, is the bread and butter of this tab. (Or maybe the cupcake and frosting?)

I must confess that I really, really like my cookbook collection. In fact, just looking at it -- all the books neatly arranged by type and height -- brings me joy. For someone who prepares meals as infrequently as I do (a factor of my life situation at the moment...not really my choice), a collection of more than seventy books is truly unnecessarily large. Over the course of my life and even when (if?) my opportunities to cook increase, I'll be lucky to make it through a quarter of the recipes it contains now. That doesn't matter much to me, though. For some reason, having all of those recipes within arms reach -- no typing required and most on glossy pages with beautiful pictures to accompany them -- makes me happy. There are surely more cookbooks (and a new bookcase) to come.

My attempt at Four-Star Fried Chicken -- a recipe from the book Carl and Renée gave me -- only yielded three stars, but I'm certain it was because of the changes I made, not because the recipe is lacking in some fashion. When making the brine, I misread the recipe -- failed to read it, actually -- and decided to double the brine in order to have enough to cover all of the chicken. This didn't seem to cause any problems; my chicken was still perfectly moist and flavorful.

My second change, however, did affect the taste of the chicken. When I finished coating the chicken with flour and was ready to begin frying, I noticed that Mom and Dad didn't have nearly enough vegetable oil to get the job done. Not wanting to put lunch on hold for another 45 minutes while I ran to the store to get more, I substituted the only other oil in the pantry: peanut oil. The chicken fried up just fine, but the peanut oil gave the skin a flavor that was slightly off -- not unpleasant, but not satisfying the way good fried chicken skin should be. Other than that, the chicken was fantastic. I'd really like to give this recipe another shot (with the proper frying oil) the next time I'm home. Mostly just because my family is unfailingly enthusiastic about homemade comfort food dinners like this one, but it certainly doesn't hurt that the Wolf warming drawer in Mom and Dad's kitchen makes batch frying process a breeze.

Four-Star Fried Chicken
From Memorable Recipes to Share with Family and Friends
Serves 8

4 bone-in chicken breasts, halved crosswise
4 bone-in chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Brine
4 cups water
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground white pepper

To Brine the Chicken:
Combine all of the brine ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to mix until the salt is dissolved. Add the chicken pieces, which should be fully covered by the brine; add a bit more cold water if needed to cover. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours, gently stirring once or twice.

To Fry the Chicken:
Combine the flour, salt, garlic powder, cayenne, and pepper in a large bowl and whisk to mix. Cover a large baking sheet with a thin layer of flour. Line another baking sheet with a few layers of brown paper or paper towels.*

Drain the chicken and pay dry with paper towels, discarding the leftover brine. Toss each piece of chicken in the flour mixture to evenly coat and then transfer to the floured baking sheet. Let sit for 10 minutes. Toss once again in the flour to ensure a thorough coating, which will help reduce splattering when fried. Let sit 10 minutes before frying.

Meanwhile, pour 2-3 inches of oil in a wide, deep, heavy pot. (The oil should come no more than halfway up the sides of the pan for safety.) Heat the oil over medium heat to 365 degrees. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Slip 3 or 4 pieces of the dredged chicken into the hot oil, taking care not to crowd them.** Cook, turning a few times, for about 20 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned and the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced with a knife. Transfer the fried chicken to the paper-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while frying the remaining pieces.

* As you can see in the picture above, I used dinner plates instead of baking sheets when coating my chicken. Not necessarily easier, but plates fit into our dishwasher whereas baking sheets do not.

** I HIGHLY recommend a splatter screen for this step. It drastically reduces the mess as well as your chances of receiving first degree burns during the frying process.

clam and chive dip

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 23:23:00 +0000

So a very cool thing happened to me just before I went home for Christmas. I was sitting in my office -- which is cold and crowded with boxes of paperwork that don't have a home -- and I was feeling terribly glum, as it seems there is no aspect of my job anymore that makes use of my creative gifts. Payroll, tax preparation, meeting organization -- this is not the job I moved across the country for, and not the job I was promised. The economy is in the can and I work in a specialized industry anyway, so finding a new position has proven extremely difficult. Woe is me.

(Woe is you, too? Yeah, there are a lot of us in that boat.)

Anyway, whilst I was silently bemoaning my professional decline, my friend Carl stopped by the office. He's not so much my friend as someone who is tied to the company I work for, but in order to keep a bit of my anonymity, we'll just call him my friend. Carl and his family own and operate a little cooking company called Sur la Table. Perhaps you've heard of it? Carl's wife, Renée, is the current chair of the company, and the sole reason for his visit was to bring me a copy of her recent cookbook, Memorable Recipes to Share with Family and Friends, which they inscribed for me. Just for me! How cool is that?

I asked Carl and Renée which recipes in the book are their favorites. This clam dip and the four-star fried chicken were their recommendations. (Fried chicken recipe coming in my next post.) I really liked how the tang of the lemon juice and hint of chives came through in the dip, but I think my favorite thing about it was the consistency. Not so thick and creamy that it breaks your chip, and not so runny that it won't stick to anything. Just right. I made it for our annual Christmas Eve gathering at home and took it to two other holiday parties, but it would be terrific most any time of year. Perhaps for your upcoming Superbowl game watch?

[Just for fun, and since there are Christmas pictures in this post anyway, here is a picture of my favorite Christmas apron. It's the kind that is cut for a woman, so it doesn't make you look like you have all the shapeliness of a refrigerator box when you put it on.]

Clam and Chive Dip
Recipe from Memorable Recipes to Share with Family and Friends
Yields about 2 cups*

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 cans (6 1/2 ounces each) minced clams, drained, liquid reserved
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced yellow onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Stir together the cream cheese, creme fraiche or sour cream, and mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons of the reserved clam juice. Stir in the chives, lemon juice, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Fold in the clams. If the dip is too stiff, stir in a bit more of the clam juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour** before serving with pita chips or crudités.

* The book says this recipe yields 8 servings. I have no idea what a serving of dip is. Two tablespoons? Seems to me it made about 2 cups of dip.

** As the recipe notes, you need to refrigerate the dip for at least 1 hour before serving. However, I made it a day in advance (per Carl's recommendation) so the flavors would have more time to draw through.

peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:23:00 +0000

Last Tuesday was a pretty uneventful day. I had a meeting that ran late after work, then I went to the grocery store, and then home to relax. The Cowboy had plans to meet up with a friend (who is known in real life as Thunder Dan...I wish I had a cool nickname like that), so I had the evening to myself. Like any productive 27-year-old, I put that time to good use by organizing pictures, filing credit card statements, and cleaning the air filter in my vacuum.

Just kidding. I actually ate buffalo wings, played Super Nintendo, and did nothing productive besides think about putting away my Christmas decorations. (I think that counts.) And it was awesome.

I also had toast and chocolate chips for breakfast that day. It's possible I'm not fit to live on my own.

Anyway, (un)productivity aside, I was asleep on the couch by 9:00 p.m. This was nice. Being awakened by someone pounding loudly on my door at 3:00 a.m., however, was not. It was scary. The couch is only a few feet away from the door, so if I got up, the person outside would be able to see me...and my panic-stricken face. I did not want that. Plus, it seemed logical to me that the person outside chose my apartment because there were lights on (my nearby neighbors are early-to-bed folks and, most likely, were fast asleep at the time). Proximity to the ax murderer, near certainty of premeditation, and my own paralyzing fear kept me frozen on the couch. After a few minutes, the person went away -- on foot, apparently, since neither a car door nor the sounds of an engine could be heard -- but I held my position on the couch for another 30 minutes and then, wide awake, wandered around my bedroom for two hours after that. Not nice at all.

This is the second time something like this has happened to me in the three years that I have lived in this apartment, so I can't help but think a security analysis is in order. I live in safe, affluent area made up primarily of homes and with very few apartments. However, a bus line runs right through the middle of the neighborhood, so there are a fair number of outsiders traipsing through on a regular basis. Knowing this, it seems my options for increasing my security are to move to a secured complex (yuck), get a gun (scary...no thanks), or get a roommate (I'm so picky....). Am I missing any?

I hate apartment and condo complexes. Everything looks so much the same; they're just not me at all. I loath the idea of getting a gun, and I'm not convinced that I would remember to reach for it if I needed it anyway. So now we're down to roommate, an option more complex than it seems. My Type A (+++) personality does not mesh well with most others in tight quarters for long periods of time. Truly, I think the only reason the Cowboy can put up with me is because I cook for him and organize his sock drawer, which he likes. I'm also better at laundry. And cleanliness. Really, though, the only available roommate option is the Cowboy. Mom and Dad -- well, just Dad, really -- are not keen on that idea, but no one seems to have a better one. I really like having my own space, but the Cowboy's is looking awfully safe and secure at the moment. Plus, he said he would pay ALL THE RENT if I did his laundry all the time. Seems like a pretty good deal for me. What do you think? (Factoring in, of course, that I am an adult and can make my own decisions, but rocking the family boat unnecessarily is not of interest to me.)

I'm not quite sure how to tie these cookies into my ax murderer story, other than to say that good cookies make everything seem less bad. Normally I'm a peanut butter cookie purist, no chocolate chips allowed. These cookies are a delicious mix though -- soft, chewy, and even a little sparkly since you dip them in sugar before baking. Win-win in my book.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe via Smitten Kitchen; Adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
Yields about 3 dozen? (Apparently I didn't write it down)

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (can use smooth or chunky)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar (regular or superfine)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — in a small dish. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Bake for 10-12 minutes, taking care not to overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

turkey meat loaf with sun-dried tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:12:00 +0000

OK, here is the deal: I am going to go back to posting and no one is going to hold a grudge about how failed to post anything good (or bad) during October, November, or December. I won't even claim that I was busy. I wasn't. But no one wins if I tell you what was really going on. I've come to realize that no matter how I tell it, the story will make you feel sorry for me, then you will think that I'm a little pathetic, and then you will think I am crazy. In that order. So we'll just skip that ~~saga~~ story and move on to one about a coat.

Two years ago, I was wandering through the Macy's coat section when I happened upon a rack of lovely black winter coats. With a tailored cut, oversized collar, and big, black velvet buttons, these coats were winners. Clearly better than all the other black winter coats. (Ever.) Excited to find a coat that met my irrationally high standards, I reached for my size to try one on. And there were none. Figures. But undeterred -- by that or the heart-palpitation-inducing price tag -- I rushed home to see if my size was still available online. And, lo and behold, not only was it available, but there was something EVEN BETTER. It was also available as a RED COAT WITH BLACK VELVET BUTTONS! RED! And I realized at that very moment that nothing, NOTHING, should be allowed to come between me and this coat. (Except clothes. It's not nice to wear coats while otherwise naked.)

Every day I checked the price of the coat and then my bank account balance to see if there might be the possibility of a trade. Most days the outcome was mighty disappointing. But finally, one month later and through the magic of a Christmas gift card, a post-holiday sale, a coupon, ~~some prostitution,~~ and a promo code for free shipping that I found online, the coat was mine! MINE!

The coat and I became fast friends. Every time I put it on, I was excited to wear it because it nearly always garnered a compliment from a friend or passerby. But this sort of flattery breeds paranoia in the wearer. What if something happens to the coat? What if it is stolen, damaged, or stained? WHAT WILL I DO? I would be condemned to live my remaining days -- if I survived the loss of the coat, that is -- with only average outerwear.

Prior to December 17, 2010, I don't think I ever wondered what would be like to slip on the ice, see 5 bags of groceries, Kate Spade, and my legs flying up into the air, and then land on top of -- and destroy -- a gallon of milk and a giant jar of pickles, but that night, I found out. The leather soles of my cowboy boots proved no match for the icy tundra of central Illinois, and I wiped out in the most epic, National-Lampoons-style possible. I should have been hurt. But I wasn't, and because of that, I thought the whole thing was hysterical. At least until I heard my mother -- in the midst of her cries about how she was sure I must have broken bones -- pause and say, "And your coat is soaking up all that juice!"

WHAT? Sure enough, a quick glance around me confirmed that I was lying in a pool of skim milk, petite kosher dills, and pickle juice. In a fraction of a second, my laughter transformed into giant tears and I frantically scrambled to get off the ground and out of the gunk. But the damage was done: my coat and I reeked of the milky mess.

Thankfully, dry cleaners can work wonders. Just five days after my winter wonderland wipeout, I was back to wearing the coat, sans glaring dark stains and awful stench. Hooray! No replacement necessary! (Yet.)

If you're anything like me and spend the holidays cooking like you're competing in the next Iron Chef challenge (Of course I can find black truffle pimento jam-infused caviar in rural Illinois. No problem!), you've had your fill of labor- and time-intensive dishes for a while. January is a time for recovery. Simple, comforting fare is in order, and this turkey meat loaf fits the bill perfectly. It's moist, flavorful, and you get to use your hands to mix it. (Everybody knows food turns out better that way.) I made this for the Cowboy and he declared it the best meat loaf he had ever eaten. I'm not sure that's saying a whole lot, but it's also the best meat loaf I've ever had, so I hope that recommendation carries some weight. Happy holiday recovery to you!

[It's worth noting that the meat loaf is cold in all of my pictures -- because it's also excellent for sandwiches.]

Turkey Meat Loaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Adapted from Bon Appétit March 1996
Serves 6

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from soft white bread
2/3 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
Ketchup*

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease 9x5x3-inch glass loaf pan. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add celery; sauté until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer to large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients except ketchup to vegetables in bowl. Mix thoroughly. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake 1 hour. Brush with ketchup and bake until thermometer inserted into center registers 165°F, about 15 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

* Mix with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce for extra zip.

uncle brian's potato salad

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 20:42:00 +0000

With the end of summer came an intense craving for my uncle's homemade potato salad. Labor Day weekend in Seattle was rainy, chilly, and mostly unpleasant, so there were no opportunities to make potato salad for a crowd. Last weekend, however, the Canadian Cowboy and I rented a cabin on a small lake outside of Seattle. I made potato salad and pretended there was a crowd. (Note that this sort of mind game will result in a boatload of leftovers.)

Canadian Cowboy was in charge of the fishing gear. I haven't been fishing in over five years, so I had to relearn how to bait a hook and cast a line. As it turns out, I'm not very good at putting my own worm on the hook -- we saw quite a few of them fly off in the other direction when I cast my line -- but I deserve an "A" for effort, I think. Okay, maybe a "B." I mostly gave up after my fumbling resulted in a squirt of worm guts to the face. (I bet you're hungry now, right?)

Thankfully, the Cowboy is much better at baiting a hook than I am.

This potato salad recipe is great to have on hand for potlucks, picnics, and other such events. A half batch will easily feed 8 people as a side. I was expecting to spend an eternity peeling potatoes, but was delighted to find that the skins mostly slid right off by just using my hands. To add a little color to the dish, I left the skin on that didn't come off easily (see below). Next time I'll leave even more.

The most important bit of advice I can offer (with respect to this salad, at least) is NOT to add all the oil and mayo at once. If you would like an oily or overly mayo-y potato salad, I'm sure the deli counter at your local grocery store would be glad to assist you. (Yuck.) Start off by adding only half of the listed amounts -- at most -- and then add more as needed until the salad just comes together. Bear in mind that the consistency of the dressing changes after it is refrigerated, so it's best to err on the side of caution. The salad should have bright hints of onion, lemon, and paprika and not taste at all like mayonnaise.

Finally, I was thrilled with the smoked paprika flavor right after I added the dressing to the salad, but found it a tad dull when I served it the next day. If you make the salad a day or two ahead of time, you may want to taste and adjust the spices again before serving.

Uncle Brian's Potato Salad
Adapted from my Uncle Brian's recipe
Serves an army (at least 16 people)

10 pounds redskin potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 medium Bermuda onion (can substitute a Spanish onion or any sweet onion)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika (I prefer smoked)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
Olive oil for consistency (approximately 1 cup)
Mayonnaise for texture (approximately 1/2 - 1 cup)

Bring a large stock pot filled half-full with water to boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and continue to boil for 30-45 minutes, until they are cooked and easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool.

Once the potatoes have cooled, peel off most or all of the skin. (I like to leave some on to add color.) Dice the potatoes into approximately 1" pieces and place them in a large bowl. Stir in the onions and then cover and refrigerate until chilled.

To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, dry mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk in 1/4 cup of mayonnaise and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Pour over chilled potato mixture and stir to combine. If the salad is dry, whisk together some or all of the remaining mayo and oil and add to the potato mixture, taking care not to make the salad overly oily. Taste and adjust spices as needed.

Potato salad should be served well chilled and stored, refrigerated, in an air-tight container.

steamed crab with clarified butter

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:55:00 +0000

This post is like cheating. Hardly a recipe at all, it's basically just an excuse to post pretty pictures from Sunday's trip to Pike Place Market with Canadian Cowboy. Our mutual love of the market is such a nice thing. On one of our early dates, we met at the market at his suggestion. He purchased Copper River salmon (the best!), scallops, and fresh asparagus. Much to my delight, he let me pick out two bouquets of flowers -- one for his apartment, and one for me to take home. I selected these gorgeous irises for myself and a bright (but masculine) seasonal bouquet for him. Market fare in hand, we went back to his place, where he proceeded to grill up an outstanding meal. He even grilled the salad and wrapped the scallops in bacon -- very impressive!

During our market visit last Sunday, we picked up a hefty Dungeness crab, 1.5 lbs of Penn Cove mussels, French bread and almond/orange shortbread cookies from Le Panier, and a pound of late summer strawberries for homemade strawberry sorbet. We didn't even bother with vegetables this time. Shame on us, I suppose, but we were very focused on the seafood feast!

I cooked dinner for him this time. Since steaming shellfish only takes a few minutes, I prepared the strawberry sorbet first. It is such a simple thing to make that it really doesn't require its own post: 18 oz of strawberries, pureed, mixed with 3 tablespoons of fresh lime. Stir in simple syrup (1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water, heated and stirred until the sugar dissolves, then cooled to room temperature). Set it whirring away in your ice cream maker for 20-25 minutes and then freeze in an airtight container until ready to use.

Once the sorbet was finished, I made a quick sauce in which to steam the mussels. Nothing fancy, much the same as this one I made a few years ago. I dropped the shellfish into their respective pots, lit tealights for my two newest Glassybaby (oh, how I love them), and ten minutes later we were sitting down to a late-summer seafood extravaganza on the patio. So delish. The white wine and brilliant vase of dahlias on the table didn't hurt either.

Steamed Crab with Clarified Butter
Serves 2

1 large crab, approximately 2 - 2.5 lbs, cleaned
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 lemon plus additional for garnish

Add 2 inches of water to a large stock pot and place it over high heat. When it reaches a boil, add the crab, cover the pot, and heat for approximately 10 minutes. (A steamer basket is ideal for this step, but not required.) Remove crab to a serving platter, squeeze lemon over exposed meat, and serve at once with clarified butter.

[To clarify the butter, melt it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Skim the foam off the top and then pour the butter into a separate dish, leaving any solids at the bottom of the saucepan behind.]

cowboy cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:02:00 +0000

Oh, my. It seems things have gotten away from me again over here in blogging land. Terribly sorry about that. It's not that I don't enjoy cooking, baking, and blogging -- you know I do -- it's that my priorities have shifted a bit over the last year. Last July I started taking dance lessons. As it turns out, dancing comes rather naturally to me, so what began as just a little Country dancing (two-step, Schottische, triple-step, etc.) had, by September, ramped up to include ballroom, swing, and salsa, too. I danced five to six days a week all through the fall and winter, then dropped down to three to four days a week in the spring, partially because I was running out of money (private lessons are expensive!), and partially because I wanted to spend more time with my Country music/dancing friends and less with everyone else.

Spring, as you have read, brought carrot cake, the introduction of The Pioneer Woman, and Snickerdoodle cupcakes. Oh, and Orlando Bloom. Ugh. Let's wrap up that last part right now. Outside of the initial introduction, the Orlando Bloom experience was a disaster from start to very quick finish. He was not so much cowboy as redneck, and that just doesn't work for me. Moving on.

Summer, however, brought me something utterly delightful. Something tall and feverishly handsome, with baby blue eyes, scores of soft lashes, and sparkling white teeth...nicely packaged in boots and a cowboy hat. (I clearly have a type.) Enter Canadian Cowboy. Would you like to hear more about him? Perhaps after this recipe....

Cowboy Cookies
A recipe from MarthaStewart.com
Yields about 3 dozen cookies

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks (1 cup)
3 ounces (3/4 cup) pecan halves
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut until combined. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Using a 1 1/2-inch scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake until edges of cookies begin to brown, 11-13 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

carrot cake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:19:00 +0000

What Not To Do: Helpful Tips for Boys Courting Girls. I could write this book someday. Even though I haven't actually penned it yet, let me give you some exciting excerpts from my dates, past and present:

Do NOT...

1. Ask girl out and then share your fantasy about an evening with her roommate.
2. Initiate date number two by calling girl at 2:00 a.m. and asking her to come over.
3. Attempt to initiate dates three and four by calling girl at 2:00 a.m. and asking her to come over.
4. Take off your jacket at the restaurant to reveal a loose-fitting black tank top circa 1992. Visible armpit hair at the dinner table is a no-no.
5. Go with girl to her business-related gala, take full advantage of the open bar, and then insist that you cannot possibly drive home and must stay the night at her apartment.

True stories, all of them. Sad, right? Married people should count their blessings.

I have been craving carrot cake lately and the appearance of this post is proof that I finally got tired of paying $3.25 a slice for it at my local PCC Market. Plus, it's Easter, so what better time could there be for a carrot cake? I'm of the belief that the Bunny likes his carrots better in cake form anyway. (Who wouldn't?) I made a three-layer 6" cake and mailed two layers off to the family back home and kept one layer for the Bunny and my own little Easter celebration. Unfortunately, I already ate the Bunny's portion. Oh well -- he sent my Easter basket goodies early this year, so I suppose he won't be back anyway? I appreciated his cake enough for the both of us, I promise.

This Microplane grater is a mighty helpful tool in the creation of carrot cake. (Yes, it's $35, but it's more ergonomic than the paddle graters and you can drop the whole thing in the dishwasher when you're done. Super!) You can grate the carrots in a food processor if you don't have a box grater, but the pieces will be a bit heavier and the cake a bit denser. I made two minor enhancements to the Smitten Kitchen recipe below: I like raisins, but not those nasty, dryish things that gum up inside the Sunmaid box, so I soak my raisins in alcohol first. Usually bourbon, but this time I used Myer's dark rum; anything along those lines will work nicely. I also toasted the walnuts to boost the flavor a bit before adding them to the batter. Both of these alterations were pleasantly noticeable in the baked cake, but when I make this again I think I will scrap the walnuts and double the boozy raisins. (After the dating debacles described above, who wouldn't need a good stiff drink...er, cake?) Yum, yum, yum. Happy Easter!

[Frosting, anyone? Try Smitten Kitchen's maple cream cheese frosting or my vanilla bean cream cheese frosting.]

Carrot Cake
A recipe from the Smitten Kitchen
Makes 24 cupcakes, one two-layer 9" cake, or one three-layer 6" cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

[Layer cake prep: Butter each of the cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment or waxed paper. Butter and flour the paper; tap out excess flour.]*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in medium bowl and then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and oil until well blended. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in the grated carrots, walnuts, and raisins, if using. Divide batter among cake pans or cupcake molds, filling 3/4 of each.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of each comes out clean (cupcakes about 15 minutes, layer cakes about 40 minutes). Let cool in pans for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

* I cheat here and use butter-flavored Pam and Pam With Flour, respectively. Seems to work just fine.

meatballs in almond sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:22:00 +0000

When was the last time you stumbled across a blog that sucked away your afternoon? One that was so witty and entertaining that it caused those three loads of laundry you swore you were going to get through to remain in a crumpled heap on the floor two days later (and counting...)? My friend Hannah recently suggested that I visit The Pioneer Woman. (Yes, I gave you the link, but don't blame me if you click on it and then fail to accomplish even half of what you had planned to do today. You have been warned.) Hannah thought I would particularly like reading The Pioneer Woman's love story, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, so that's where I started.

Let's pretend, for my sake, that I didn't plow through the first 31 chapters of Black Heels to Tractor Wheels in one day. (It makes me feel better if you think I accomplished more than just gluing myself to a computer screen on Wednesday. I also went to a karaoke bar.) It's just so easy to read, and as my friend C pointed out ("You and this woman -- you are the same person!"), there are some striking similarities between Pioneer Woman and me. Like our serious and sudden attraction to men in Wranglers and cowboys boots. And the sense of Everything is Right With the World that comes from climbing into the cab of a big pickup truck for a date. And probably also our unfortunate tendency to find ourselves in potentially mortifying situations. (I would like to tell myself that this last example isn't quite true, but yesterday I walked face-first into the door of our office. No, it is not made of glass.) Pioneer Woman's blog is worth visiting (over and over and over again), but if a gazillion hours of online reading is a bit more than you can handle at the moment, you'll be heartened to know that the published version of Black Heels to Tractor Wheels is scheduled for release around this time next year and plans for a movie are in the works as well. Apparently I'm not the only fan.

I'm going to pull a recipe out of my Made But Not Posted file in order to give you a break from my recent rash of desserts. Dad requested meatballs for one of our Christmas 2009 gatherings, so settled on these and, Sweet Betsy From Pike, were they ever good! So filling and so savory, and really not too difficult to make. In order to speed the day-of prep along, I did my chopping and meat-mixing ahead of time. I also got a little help from The Athlete, who has finally come to understand that assisting me in the kitchen is not a perfect slice of hell (as she once thought), but a rather nice way to spend a little time together around the holidays (just a little, but we're working on it). She was kind enough to form the meat mixture into balls and dust them with flour while I prepared the picada. Huge help! Sautéing the meatballs in the skillet was the most time-intensive task. I had to do small batches since our large skillet was being put to another use at the time, and it took quite a while since I was making a double match of meatballs in the first place. However, I made these in my parent's kitchen (ahem..."my" kitchen), so I had the benefit of a warming drawer to keep the already cooked meatballs toasty. A large pot set over very low heat can serve a the same purpose if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Meatballs in Almond Sauce
(Albóndigas en Salsa de Almendra)
A recipe from Williams-Sonoma
Serves 6 as an appetizer

Meatballs
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork*
2 slices bread, about 2 ounces total, soaked in water to cover and squeezed dry
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Picada
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons ground blanched almonds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
A few saffron threads, crushed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Olive oil for deep-frying or sautéing
Flour for dusting

Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup meat or chicken broth

To make the meatballs, in a bowl, combine the beef, pork, soaked bread, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Knead with your hands until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, as the mixture is easier to work with when cold.

To make the picada, in a mini food processor or mortar, combine the garlic, almonds, parsley, paprika and saffron, and process or grind to a paste. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Once the meat mixture is well chilled, form it into 1-inch balls and dust them with flour, coating evenly. In a deep-fry pan over medium-high heat, pour in olive oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 375 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer. Working in batches, slip the balls into the hot oil and fry until golden, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. (Alternately, in a large fry pan over medium heat, warm a little olive oil and sauté the meatballs until well browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes.)

To make the sauce, in a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine, broth, and meatballs and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the picada and cook for a few minutes more to blend the flavors. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

* You may not be able to find this pre-packaged, but fear not -- the helpful person behind the meat counter at any standard grocery store can grind pork for you.

snickerdoodle cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:15:00 +0000

Let's talk about dating, shall we? I'm rather regretting boring you with an entire post about text messaging -- especially since I'm sure I have more interesting things to say -- and my dating life is, at the very least, interesting. The highs and lows of it are certainly fodder for conversation among my friends. I can even connect what I'm about to say about dating to this cupcake recipe, so this should work out nicely. (Perhaps we can disregard the narrative in the last post as a bit of poor blogging judgment on my part? Don't disregard the recipe though -- it is a keeper.)

One of the gifts the Good Lord Above has blessed me with is the gift of knowing what I like and what I need (and the difference between the two). When it comes to dating, this is terrifically useful, but also terrifically frustrating, as the qualities I'm looking for seem mighty rare these days. At any rate, one of the essential elements is that the guy must be comfortable in his own shoes. Quiet confidence is perfectly OK -- and often preferable -- but a shrinking violet would look grossly out of place next to me. My particular sense of confidence, sometimes quiet and sometimes outgoing, can be intimidating to some, so when a guy manages to get past that I am always impressed. This is how Orlando Bloom entered my life.

Not really Orlando Bloom, but a cowboy boot- and hat-wearing guy that would look an awful lot like Orlando Bloom if Orlando Bloom donned this fabulously sexy Western wear. Anyway, two weeks ago, clad in my most recently acquired vintage Western shirt (an obsession I will expound on in later posts), I paid a visit to my favorite local live music establishment to hear one of my favorite local Country bands. I arrived early, thanks to a glitch in dinner plans for the evening, and while passing the pre-show time chatting with friends, I couldn't help but notice the dark eyes of Orlando Bloom staring at me from beneath his straw cowboy hat. It takes more than a celebrity resemblance and a meeting of eyes across the room to pique my interest, so I didn't give this brief interaction much thought. That is, until I noticed him still watching as my sky and navy blue shirt, with embroidered flowers and shotgun cuffs, twirled around the floor while the band roared through their first set. Midway through the evening, Orlando Bloom asked me to dance. He can dance. Always good, but still not enough to grab my attention. We parted ways, but in between conversations with his friends -- who were all gathered together for a rowdy cowboy birthday celebration -- Orlando Bloom continued to watch. And at the end of the evening, after two more dances and with nary a hint of reservation, hesitation, insecurity, or doubt, Orlando Bloom asked me out.

I said yes.

I made these cupcakes for my friend, K. When I first met K last fall, we had a lively discussion about cookies, cupcakes, and a whole host of other things, and by the end it was decided that I would turn K's favorite cookie, Snickerdoodle, into a cupcake. It took me a while; as you now know, I didn't turn on my oven for many months while I was busy learning to dance. I'm getting better at striking a balance though, and a few weeks ago I had the time and the inclination to focus in on keeping last fall's Snickerdoodle cupcake promise.

These cupcakes are, umm, oh so good. Cinnamon, sugar, butter, and vanilla -- really, where can you go wrong? The cupcake recipes comes from Martha Stewart's new cupcake book, which was a Christmas gift to me that Dad picked out himself. (Love, love, love those gifts.) Martha recommends pairing the cupcake with a seven-minute frosting, but I opted for my go-to vanilla buttercream instead. Good choice, I think. The pièce de résistance of the cupcake, though, is the teeny tiny Snickerdoodle cookie perched on top -- a subtlety sparkling adornement to the folds of creamy frosting. (So proud of the tiny cookies...and all the awesome adjectives in the preceding sentence.) The recipe for the cookies can be found here, but you'll need to whittle the size of each ball of dough down from a scoop to a pinch to get a cookie small enough to place on a cupcake. Enjoy! (K did.)

Oh, and since I promised to tie the dating story in with the cupcake recipe: It was K's fantastic band that was playing the night I met Orlando Bloom.

* I anticipate getting a few questions about the floral bakery box holding K's cupcakes, above. I made that myself using a rather large stamp and black matte ink. Special friends deserve specially packaged gifts, I think. (Not shown: lime green grosgrain and black satin ribbons that tied it all together after the lid was closed.) For those interested in decorating their own bakery boxes, this task will likely require an ink that is formulated to dry on glossy surfaces. I used Tsukineko's Archival Brilliance pigment ink pad in Graphite Black.

** This frosting recipe will make enough to nicely cover all of the cupcakes. However, if you have a preference for big swirls of frosting (as I clearly do), you should plan to double it.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Yields 24-28 cupcakes

Cupcakes
A recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Frosting
A recipe by Cheryl at The Cupcake Bakeshop
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
6-8 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup milk

To Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together both flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until combined.

Fill your cupcake containers of choice three-quarters full. Bake, rotating halfway through, until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy. Add half of the sifted sugar, the vanilla, and the milk. Beat until combined. Gradually add the remaining sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.

Cupcakes may be stored in an airtight container for at least two days. (I am exceptionally good at making cupcakes rapidly disappear, so I really wouldn't know beyond that.)

mile-high lemon meringue pie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:40:00 +0000

I am a music person. I love to cook and I love to dance, but I really, really love music. Nothing could be as delightful as the first chord of a great country song, the melody of a hymn I know by heart, or the inspirational notes of the Notre Dame alma mater. Sometimes these auditory staples of my existence make me happy and sometimes they make me a little sad, but they never fail to elicit a welcome emotion. Sound is, after all, a powerful thing. I would be remiss, though, if I didn't point out the one incongruity in my daily scheme of sounds. I feel a little thrill of glee every time I hear it, but its melodic structure bears no resemblance -- none -- to the songs previously mentioned. To what am I referring? To the electronic chime of an incoming text message of course!

What is it about the text message that is so appealing, particularly to the under 40 crowd? At this time last year, I maybe sent and received a handful of texts per month, well under my plan limit of 100. But back in November -- like magic! -- unlimited messaging was added to my plan....and it has been downhill ever since. Sooooo many texts. Sometimes my thumbs get tired! (Is there a machine at the gym to fix that?) And on one occasion (OK, two), I woke up on top of my phone because I fell asleep in the middle of a text conversation.

I have my own reasons for explaining why text messages appeal to me. I'm quite to the point -- little patience for pleasantries required in a phone conversation -- so I can appreciate the 160 character limit imposed by the text messaging gods. And of course there are situations where it is simply practical -- noisy bars, updating a friend on your latest date...while you are on it (just kidding...kind of) -- but none of those really explain the enigmatic lure of the text. Why doesn't an incoming phone call make me feel the same way? (And you know it isn't just me. Fingers flying over tiny keys can been seen on nearly every street corner these days.)

I made these lemon meringue pies for Dad using some of Mom's darling mini pie plates (which she uses for salad, not pies). Meringue can be such a tricky bugger. Weeping, waning, collapsing, failing -- words heard all too often in a baker's attempt to conjure that fluffy, pie-topping confection. Not with this recipe though. Good old Martha. Thanks to her, the only words heard in my kitchen were along the lines of, "Whoo!!! Look at my meringue! Look how high I can pile it!!!" Perfect.

Now a couple of finer points about this recipe that you would do well to follow: You must, must, must use cake flour to make the filling. It will not thicken properly with regular flour, and runny pie -- while still tasty -- just doesn't have quite the same appeal. Please use fresh lemon juice. If it comes from a bottle or a frozen tube, I can promise you it won't taste as good. It just won't. And when you are browning your meringue, watch it like a hawk! It goes from brown to black in the blink of an eye, so don't wander away from your oven at this stage of the game. My very evenly browned meringue is the result of Mom and Dad's high-end ovens. If I had owned one at the time, I would have used a kitchen torch to darken the peaks a bit after removing the pies from the oven. Most ovens have uneven heat circulation and hot spots, so this isn't an issue. Finally, don't put your leftover pie in the fridge. Fluffy meringue goodness and thick lemon filling just don't respond well to the chill of the fridge. Loosely covered at room temperature will work fine, though who has leftover pie anyway?

Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie
Yields one 9-inch pie

Pate Brisee
A recipe from MarthaStewart.com
Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9-inch to 10-inch pies
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled or frozen and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Filling
A recipe from Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup sifted cake flour
1/4 cup cornstartch
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups water
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Meringue
A recipe from Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts
8-12 egg large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons sugar

To Make the Crust:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8-10 seconds.

With the machine running, add the ice water in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube. Pulse until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky, being careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Divide the dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored frozen up to 1 month.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out half the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, and trim the edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang.

Line pie shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15-20 minutes or until beginning to set. Remove foil with weights and bake until golden, approximately 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To Make the Filling:
Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. In a bowl over simmering water, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt, and water and cook for 10-20 minutes until the mixture becomes very thick and almost translucent. Remove it from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, until thoroughly blended. Return the mixture to the heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Rome it from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and rind. Whisk in the butter, a piece at a time, and set aside to cool.

To Make the Meringue:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until fluffy. Add the cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt. Continue beating and add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the mixture every minute. Beat for 7-8 minutes until stiff peaks form.

To Assemble the Pie:
Pour the cooled filling into the pie shell. Mound the meringue over the filling in peaks as high as possible, making sure to cover the filling completely to the edge of the pie shell. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown. Let cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours before cutting. Do not refrigerate.

feta salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:58:00 +0000

My family has a tradition of taking in a seasonally themed performing arts event just before Christmas each year. For many years, this meant a trip to see the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's holiday pops concert at Powell Symphony Hall. This was always a treat (especially for a music lover like me), but scheduling conflicts in recent years have forced us to seek out other options. One year this meant attending a Trans Siberian Orchestra concert at the Savvis Center. This was an interesting alternative, but I think my tolerance of insane electronic guitar riffs is maxed out at one hour, not two, and arena shows are, by nature, rather impersonal. This year Dad purchased tickets to a production of White Christmas at the Fox Theatre. The costumes and dance numbers were outstanding, and who wouldn't be moved into the holiday spirit by listening to those classic songs penned by Irving Berlin? Next year I hope we can make it back to the Symphony, but if not, I wouldn't be disappointed to spend another evening at the Fox. With its grand architecture and festively decorated lobbies, our annual holiday outing seemed extra special!

This recipe is all of the deliciousness of an antipasto platter combined in one dish. I made it for last year's Christmas Eve party, and it was so simple to prepare and well received that I am seriously considering making it again this year. (Highly unusual since I normally make one or two new appetizers each year.) You could make this and serve it right away, but I do think it benefits from chilling for a few hours to let the flavors draw through. Adding marinated artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, or capers might be a nice variation on the basic recipe below.

Feta Salsa
A recipe from the Smitten Kitchen
Yields about 2 cups

1/2 pound feta (cow’s milk)
2/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh dill
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
2 scallions
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Crumble the feta into a bowl. Chop the tomatoes and olives, dill and parsley and thinly slice the scallions. Gently mix the ingredients together and drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil to taste. Chill or serve at room temperature.

roasted vegetables with pomegranate vinaigrette

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:27:00 +0000

Ahem. Hello? *Cough* Hmm...I'm pretty sure today's post will fall on empty ears, which is entirely deserved. I have been absent for, well, quite a while. I had a small group of loyal readers last year, and falling off the face of the blogging earth was not a very nice thing for me to do to them. I'm sorry. Let me tell you what 2009 held for me, and then about a terrific and simple vegetable recipe that that might come in handy for your holiday cooking.

I did a lot of cooking for Christmas 2008, and as per usual, I took a little break in January. During that time, I started to feel like maybe I should pursue a few other hobbies that had been resting on the back burner. In particular, I finally got around to reading some of the classic novels that had been on my reading list for years. I also did a fair bit of traveling for work in the first half of the year, participating in some interesting pilot projects for my industry. Not a bad gig for someone my age. On May 24, though, everything changed.

I stayed in Seattle for Memorial Day weekend 2009 instead of traveling home to see my family. Knowing this, one of my coworkers asked me to join her and another friend at one of Seattle's country bars for an evening of live music. I'm a huge fan of music in general, but especially of country music, so this wasn't a difficult sell. However, I didn't have great expectations for a Sunday evening bar outing. Much to my surprise, the bar had a good crowd. More surprising, though, were the number of people out on the dance floor. And they were really dancing -- genuine two-step and some interesting pattern dances -- not just bumping and grinding. It looked like so much fun that I couldn't help but tell my coworker how much I wanted to learn to dance like that. She had done some dancing in the past but thought she could use a refresher, so we started taking lessons together.

I spent July and August learning to become a decent "follow" for two-step and East Coast swing at the same little country bar we first visited back in May. (In most forms of partner dancing, one person is the "lead" and the other the "follow.") Dancing to my favorite music made me happier than I ever could have guessed. I loved it so much, in fact, that I decided I wanted to learn other dances -- salsa, West Coast swing, and ballroom. And so I did. In September and October I was taking seven dances classes a week in addition to dancing socially four evenings a week. To say that I was burning the candle at both ends would be putting it mildly. I was never home -- and therefore never cooking -- but I was having so much fun that I didn't care. In November I refined things a little, dropping down to private lessons in West Coast swing and ballroom, and group lessons for salsa. I can't really explain how much I love to dance. I can only tell you that it makes my heart happy and that nearly every moment of every day that I'm doing something else, I would rather be dancing. Truly.

I'm pretty thrilled with the passion that I've developed for dance even though, in the beginning, it left little time for my other hobbies and activities. I'm working a little harder now to strike a balance between dancing and the rest of my life. If I am successful, I should have time to do a little bit of cooking and blogging without feeling as though that time would have been better spent whirling and twirling around a dance floor. I did, of course, do some cooking when I was home for Thanksgiving. My aunt played hostess this year, so instead of the full meal I was only responsible for a vegetable dish and cranberry sauce. I chose this recipe for roasted vegetables with pomegranate vinaigrette from the November 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Living. My favorite go-to side dish is roasted vegetables with olive oil, and this recipe is a simple variation of that one. I'm not a huge fan of the little jewel-like pomegranate seeds, but decided to add them anyway. Good thing, since everyone else at the table delighted in the crunch they added to the dish. Whether you like them or not, it's certainly easy to appreciate the visual appeal they add to the vegetables -- an easy addition for a festive holiday presentation, for sure.

Roasted Vegetables with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
A recipe from Martha Stewart Living - November 2009
Serves 12

Roasted Vegetables
1 large head regular cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into small florets
1 pound baby Romanesco cauliflower, or regular cut into small florets
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Course salt and freshly ground pepper

Pomegranate Vinaigrette
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup pomegranate seeds
Course salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss together the vegetables and 3 tablespoons of oil in a large bowl, then season generously with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables evenly on 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast until golden, mixing halfway through, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: Transfer the pomegranate juice to a small bowl. Pour in 1 cup of oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

Just before serving, drizzle vinaigrette over warm vegetables and toss with pomegranate seeds.