Congratulations Lysa! You were “lucky number” 11. You’ll be receiving Foodie Babies Wear Bibs and Margarita Mama: Mocktails for Moms-To-Be in the mail shortly. For those of you who are waiting to purchase a copy of Foodie Babies Wear Bibs please note that it will be released on September 2, 2008. Thank you to everyone for participating and be sure to stay tuned! There are always more giveaways in the works.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Congratulations Lysa!

CK bought me a purple shuffle for running as I’m a brat and declared my video iPod too heavy an accessory to deal with. The new teeny tiny iPod came with these adorable baby apple stickers. As soon as I saw them I knew just where they were going. Some people add flames to their mixers. I declare my love for all things Mac.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

The Pink KitchenAid iMixer

One of the things Erin and I have enjoyed the most over the last few months has been the weekly deliveries from Boston Organics. Unfortunately, we found ourselves neglecting the occasional apple thrown in the bin with the rest of the delicious fruits and veggies.

Of course, an apple here, and an apple there, and all of a sudden we had close to two dozen apples sitting in the crisper drawer. What were we to do?

I’d always wanted to try and make applesauce, but imagined it to be some sort of difficult and elusive recipe, a black art impossible for a mere mortal like myself to tackle. Browsing through Cooks Illustrated, I found something entirely to the contrary:

“Choose the right apple, don’t peel it, and add nothing more than sugar and water. It’s that simple.”

Heeding that advice, I thought it was definitely time to make some homemade applesauce.

This is probably one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever come across. It’s pretty much on par with making oatmeal. I don’t know why I let myself be so intimated by a little old apple!

Simple Applesauce (Reprinted with permission. Originally published in the September 1, 2002 edition of Cooks Illustrated)

If you do not own a food mill or you prefer applesauce with a coarse texture, peel the apples before coring and cutting them, and, after cooking, mash them against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon or against the bottom of the pot with a potato masher. Applesauce made with out-of-season apples may be somewhat drier than sauce made with peak-season apples, so it’s likely that in step 2 of the recipe you will need to add more water to adjust the texture. If you double the recipe, the apples will need 10 to 15 minutes of extra cooking time.

Applesauce
4 pounds apples (8 to 12 medium), preferably Jonagold, Pink Lady, Jonathan, or Macoun, unpeeled, cored, and cut into rough 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch table salt
1 cup water

Optional Flavorings
2 tablespoons unsalted butter - stir into finished sauce
3 inch cinnamon sticks (2) — cook with apples and remove prior to pureeing
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon - stir into finished sauce
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen) - cook and puree with apples
4 whole cloves - cook with apples and remove prior to serving
1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger , sliced into three pieces and smashed - cook with apples and remove prior to pureeing
1 teaspoon lemon zest - cook and puree with apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice - stir into finished sauce
2/3 cup Red Hot candy - cook and puree with apples
2 pieces star anise (whole) - cook with apples and remove prior to serving

1. Toss apples, sugar, salt, and water in large, heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven. Cover pot and cook apples over medium-high heat until they begin to break down, 15 to 20 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally with wooden spoon to break up any large chunks. (Note: I added water as the apples cooked to keep the “applesauce” liquidity throughout the cooking process. I also added ground cinnamon at this stage in lieu of cinnamon sticks, as I didn’t have any.)

2. Process cooked apples through food mill fitted with medium disk. Season with extra sugar or add water to adjust consistency as desired. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature, or chilled. (Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.) (Note: As we don’t have a food mill, I used the Cooks Illustrated-sanctioned alternative method of breaking them up with a wooden spoon during the cooking process, then using a potato masher at the end to break it into the right consistency.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

CK Cooks: Homemade Apple Sauce

Embarrassingly enough I can’t make an omelet. So I just don’t. I’m happy to whip up elaborate scrambles or even a quiche, but if I have to flip eggs in a pan it’s just not going to end very prettily. I know my limitations. Fortunately, my luxurious Hamptons-residing role model, Ina Garten, has introduced me to an “Erin proof” method for making a delicious and impressive looking omelet without any flipping (or flipping out) involved.

The trick is to simply make the dish in an oven proof saute pan. No special spatula, layers of butter, oil, or fancy wrist tilting required. All you have to do is cook your ingredients, pour on the egg and cheese mixture and bake until done. I used bacon, red pepper, jalapenos, onion, and sharp cheddar this time, but I’m really looking forward to mixing it up with zucchini, mushrooms, ham, and feta in the future. The best part of the no-flip omelet is the addition of potatoes, so in the end you get all of your favorite breakfast sides: bacon, home fries, and eggs in one robust and cheesy bite!  Future house guests to la casa de Erin & CK please take note as this will undoubtedly be your new morning meal.

Omelet for Two
Slightly altered from Ina Garten’s recipe originally published on the Food Network website

1/4 pound good thick-cut bacon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup medium-diced baby red potatoes
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
5 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons milk or cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, diced, plus extra grated cheese, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Cut the bacon crosswise in 1-inch slices. Cook the bacon in an 8-inch ovenproof saute pan over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Drain the bacon on paper towels and discard the fat from the pan. Add the butter to the pan, and then add the potato, red pepper, and yellow onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion starts to brown and the potato is tender but firm. Add the jalapeno pepper and cook for 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together with a fork. Stir in the scallions and diced Cheddar. When the potato is cooked, add the bacon to the pan and pour over the egg mixture. Place the pan in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the omelet puffs and the eggs are almost cooked in the center. Sprinkle with a handful of grated Cheddar and bake for another minute. Serve hot directly from the pan.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

A Tantrum Free Omelet

One of my grocery store foes happens to be the mini peanut butter cups at Trader Joe’s. Every time I go to pick up perfectly acceptable items like zucchini and milk I walk by the aisle that they live in and stare at them with barely concealed mouthwatering longing. For three years I’ve managed to reign myself in and not add them to my cart, but last week the temptation proved too great and I came home with a box. As I suspected, I had absolutely no will power what-so-ever when it came to these miniature peanut butter minions as I promptly sat down the next afternoon and allowed them to keep me “company” while watching a tivoed Project Runway episode. If CK hadn’t come out of his office before Tim Gunn started telling everyone to “make it work” I’m quite sure I would have eaten them all.

So In an effort to curtail this bad snacking behavior I decided my best course of action would be to bake the evil treats into something and send them into the world for other people to enjoy and establish peanut butter addictions to. But if we’re going to be bad, I figured, be bad all the way.  So with a few simple additions to the previously showcased Chocolate Chip Filled Melting Moments recipe I created a silky peanut butter version of the cookies, gloriously sandwiched with a buttery peanut butter icing and studded with mini peanut butter cups. Get that gallon of milk ready and make sure it’s skim because you’re going to need it!

As for me, I’m hopefully back on the candy free wagon.

Triple Peanut Butter Melting Moments
Inspired by the Chocolate Chip Filled Melting Moments recipe found in Elinor Klivans’s The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook published by Chronicle Books

Cookies
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling (Note: I tend to double the below icing recipe so that my melting moments are a bit overstuffed).
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/8 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature peanut butter cups (Note: I purchased mine at Trader Joe’s)

Position a rack in the middle of he oven. Preheat the oven to 300º F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Make the cookies. Sift both flours, the cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar until smooth and lightened slightly in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the owl as needed during mixing. Add the vanilla and mix until blended. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just until it is incorporated and a smooth dough forms.

For each cookie, roll a level tablespoon of dough between the palms of your hands into a smooth ball. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Use a fork to gently flatten the cookies to 1 1/4 inch disks, leaving an impression of the fork tines. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and the cookie bottoms are lightly browned, about 30 minutes; the tops of the cookies should not color. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the filling. In a medium bowl, use a wooden spoon to stir the butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter cups.

Turn half of the cooled cookies bottom side up, and use a thin metal spatula to spread a rounded teaspoon of filling evenly over each one. Place the remaining cookies right side up on the filing, and press gently.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Triple Peanut Butter Melting Moments

Please note that this contest is now closed and we have a winner. Thank you for entering!

You’re in for a double treat this week!  You’ll have until Friday, August 8th to enter to win your very own copies of both Foodie Babies Wear Bibs and Margarita Mama: Mocktails for Moms-To-Be. Keep them for your own enjoyment or share them with a friend. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post (one comment per person please). A winner will be selected via the nifty random number generator this Friday, August 8th at noon and than I’ll promptly ship the books to your home. But wait! If you would be so kind as to link back to this contest on your blog or even simply post a link via twitter you can get one additional bonus entry. Simply leave a link to your blog post or twitter profile in the second comment to gain your extra chance to win. Good luck!

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

An ErinCooks Contest: Get Your Babies Here!

Alyssa Gusenoff has compiled a funky cookbook full of non-alcoholic versions of your favorite party time cocktails including sangria, mojitos, and watermelon margaritas. There are even new mocktails with oh-so-cute names like the “Momsicle” (a mixture of pineapple, pear, blueberry, and lime juices served chilled over a glass of sparkling water), “The Perfect Pear of Jeans” (a frothy concoction of blended pear, lemon-lime soda, and lime juice), and the “Nursery Nightcap” (a warm cup of decaffeinated herbal tea with a shot of vanilla syrup).

In addition to all of the great drinks, Margarita Mama is also sprinkled with helpful hints and pregnancy factoids. For instance did you know that basil may help with morning sickness? Me either?! So whip up a Caprese Salad for your girlfriend, rent Baby Boom, and don’t forget to make a mental note to add this title to your “to be gifted” lists. The upcoming mommies in your life will definitely thank you for your thoughtfulness.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Margarita Mama: Mocktails for Moms-To-Be

Please ignore my absurd attempt at homemade guacamole and take a moment to really inspect the chips in the photo. Wait a minute?! Is that a … surfboard? Yes, my fellow party dip makers, those are in fact “Longboard Chips” made by the funky folks at Trader Joe’s. These organic tortilla chips are tasty, and must only be served while channeling Matthew McConaughey. All right…All right…All right…

Now, who wants to share their top secret recipes and tips for making really awesome guacamole? CK, Melissa, and I had the best guacamole I’ve ever had a few weeks ago at Ole Mexican Grill in Inman square. Unfortunately I was too busy socializing and sipping a super strong margarita to notice how they made the guacamole. Did I mention they make it tableside? It’s all in all phenomenal. We polished off our whole bowl with gusto. Next time I’m not going to take my eyes off the server while they prepare it.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Longboard Chips…All Right, All Right, All Right

Ladies and Gentleman The Little Pumpkin Book has been dethroned. I think we read that particular book two million times to my sister when she was a baby. I can still recite it to this day. Unfortunately, all reigns must come to an end and Foodie Babies Wear Bibs is by far the most adorable children’s board book I’ve ever seen. The illustrations are whimsical, and engaging while the text is straightforward — as it should be. Flipping through the pages I’m absolutely enamored with Nathalie Dion’s depictions of roly poly babies playing with their food in all manner of locations. My favorite page is simply captioned “Foodie babies say cheese” and is accompanied by happy kiddies hamming it up for the camera while sampling platters of gouda, cheddar, and brie. Those are definitely my kind of babies!

Foodie Babies Wear Bibs is part of the Urban Babies series of Children’s Books which was created by Michelle Sinclair Colman and is published by Tricycle Press (an imprint of Ten Speed). Other titles available include: Urban Babies Wear Black, Beach Babies Wear Shades, and Eco Babies Wear Green. Obviously any of these selections would be the perfect gift for the mommies-to-be in your life. Hopefully they aren’t due for a few more months though. Foodie Babies Wear Bibs has a “delivery date” of October 2008. Fortunately, unlike actual babies, this is available for pre-order.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Foodie Babies Wear Bibs

Remember the song I’d Do Anything from the musical Oliver? Well while making this recipe I realized that I would obviously do anything for Jamie Oliver, even cook with *gasp* anchovies. If Jamie and I were doing this little duet on a stage in the West End somewhere it might have gone something like this:

[Erin (sung)]
I’ll do anything
For you Jamie anything
For you mean everything to me.

I know that
I’ll cook anything
For your cheeky smile, anything –
For your cheeky smile, ev’rywhere –
I’d see.

[Jamie]
Would you make that cannelloni I banged out on my show the other day?

[Erin]
Anything!

[Jamie]
Chop up broccoli and cauliflower and cook it till it’s mush?

[Erin]
Anything!

[Jamie]
Turn CK’s mouth into a four alarm fire with too many chiles?

[Erin]
Anything!

[Jamie]
Even cook with anchovies?

[Erin]
What? Fish?!
*crickets* I’ll have to think about that…um.  Ok?!
I’d cook anything
For one kiss — everything
Yes, I’d do anything…

[Jamie]
Wow!  Even Fish?! What a brilliant girl!

[Erin]
Anything for you!!

Incredible Baked Cauliflower and Broccoli Cannelloni
Originally included in the cookbook Jamie at Home scheduled to be published on September 16, 2008

Sea salt
1 pound broccoli, washed, florets and stalks chopped
1 pound romanesco or white cauliflower, washed, florets and stalks chopped
Olive oil
7 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 (1-ounce) can best-quality anchovies in oil, drained and chopped, oil reserved
2 to 3 small dried chiles, crumbled (Note: I used 4 because Jamie used 4 on the episode.  It was seriously spicy, which I was OK with, but you should probably stick to 2 or 3).
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups good-quality tomato sauce
Good-quality red wine vinegar
2 cups creme fraiche
7 ounces Parmesan, finely grated
16 cannelloni tubes
1 small bunch fresh basil, leaves picked
7 ounces good-quality mozzarella cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 large handfuls arugula leaves, washed and dried
1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and drop in the chopped broccoli and cauliflower. Boil for 5 to 6 minutes, until cooked, then drain in a colander, reserving the cooking water.Heat a wide saucepan, pour in a couple of good glugs of olive oil and add the garlic. Fry for a few seconds, then add the thyme leaves, anchovies, anchovy oil and chiles and continue frying for a few seconds more before adding the cooked broccoli and cauliflower with around 4 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Stir everything together, put a lid on the pan leaving a little gap, and cook slowly for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly - overcooking the vegetables not only intensies their flavor but gives you the texture that you need for this recipe. Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes to let the moisture evaporate, then use a potato masher to crush the vegetables. Take the saucepan off the heat, taste the vegetables and season carefully with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet to cool. Meanwhile, get yourself another baking dish or roasting pan (the right size for fitting the cannelloni tubes snugly side by side - I test this by actually laying the tubes into the dish, then remove them and put to 1 side) and pour in the tomato sauce with a pinch of salt and a swig of red wine vinegar.

Now, to make a really quick and easy white sauce, mix the creme fraiche with half the Parmesan, a sprinkling of salt and pepper and a little of the reserved cooking water to thin it down.

Spoon your cooled broccoli and cauliflower mixture into a large sandwich bag and cut off the corner. Twist the top of the bag and squeeze it to pipe the filling into the cannelloni tubes. (If you prefer, use a teaspoon to push the mixture into the cannelloni or use a piping bag.) Fill the tubes up - don’t be stingy! - and place them in a single layer on top of the sauce. Lay the basil leaves over the cannelloni and spoon your white sauce evenly over the top. Season with black pepper, sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan and tear over the mozzarella. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden and bubbling on top.

Dress the arugula leaves with a squeeze of lemon juice and about 3 times as much extra- virgin olive oil. Serve the cannelloni with the arugula and some good crusty bread.

Originally posted on Erin Cooks

Anything for Jamie