The Kitchen Minions

Tomato-Basil Grilled Cheese Puffs

2013-04-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

This post is brought you by Land O Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend, because, well, I love cheese!

We all have our favorite comfort foods, and for me, grilled cheese ranks near the top of the list. A good grilled cheese sandwich always manages to brighten my spirits after a bad day, and when Dan and I go out, I’m not above ordering off the kids’ menu to get my fix of cheesy goodness. Now I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a cheese-ologist (although I could probably play one on TV), but in my experience, there are a few simple rules that all grilled cheese must abide by in order to be considered worthy of the name.

1. The bread needs to be crunchy-it is a bonus if it is buttery but that is not required (a girl needs to be healthy sometimes)

2. The cheese needs to ooze. I’ve been to quite a few restaurants that handed me a cold sandwich with the slices of cheese still identifiable. I try to never return food, but when this happens, I return it every time; it’s not a grilled cheese unless the cheese comes oozing out of the bread.

Once those conditions are met, everything else is adjustable. I’ve used a variety of cheeses, added tomato, bacon, basil and caramelized onion (of course, not all at the same time!) and I’ve used white, wheat, rye and pumpernickel bread. So long as the bread is crispy and the cheese gooey, the grilled cheese sandwich is perfect.

Obviously, when Land O’Lakes asked me to come up with a recipe for National Grilled Cheese Month, I couldn’t wait to take grilled cheese to the next level with their creamy 4 Cheese Italian Blend. But I didn’t want to just slap a slice of cheese between two slices of bread and call it a day, particularly since I had so much fun making Macaroni and Cheese balls the last time. So I thought about my two rules, and I decided, why not do a tomato soup and grilled-cheese gougère?

For the uninitiated, a gougère is basically a cheese puff with a fancy name, but it’s got an airy pocket inside that’s just begging to be filled. So I melted some of the Land O Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend (American, Asiago, Romano, and Parmesan, in case you where wondering) and made a delicious molten cheese sauce. Paired with a tomato-basil gougère, it was almost like having tomato soup at the same time. And it meets both of my criteria (cheese-teria?) for a successful grilled cheese sandwich: crispy bread and gooey cheese. They’re best right out of the oven, but if you don’t get to them until later, you can zap them for a few seconds in the microwave to get nearly the same effect. Here’s the recipe (after a word from our sponsor):

Pin a Meal. Give a Meal. Throughout April until May 1, Land O’Lakes will donate $1 to

Feeding America every time someone pins or repins a Land O’Lakes recipe on Pinterest. That’s eight meals for a hungry family when you pin a recipe—and eight more every time anyone else repins it. Giving goes viral. Find your favorite Grilled Cheese recipe to pin on landolakes.com.

Tomato Soup and Land O Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend Gougère

1 cup shredded Land O Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend

4 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup water

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tablespoon Tomato Powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1. Preheat the oven to 425F, moving the racks far enough apart enough to handle two trays at once. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt the 1 stick butter. Add 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.

3. Add the 1 cup flour and stir until smooth. Let the dough cool slightly

4. Move the dough into a stand mixer or use a handheld electric mixer on medium to beat in the 4 eggs, one at a time. Make sure each egg is mixed in completely before you add in the next one.

5. Beat in the 1 1/2 tablespoons of tomato powder, 1 teaspoon dried basil and all but 2 tablespoons of the cup of shredded cheese.

6. Form the dough into little balls using a small ice cream scoop (or something similar that makes 1 inch balls) and arrange on the baking sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. There should be enough dough to fill both sheets

7. Bake for 12 minutes, then move the baking sheet on the top rack to the bottom rack, and vice versa. Rotate the sheets 180 degrees so that the opposite side is facing forward. Bake for another 12 minutes.

8. Lower the temperature to 400. Pierce each gougere near the bottom with a small, sharp object (I used a chopstick). Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Cheese Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2/3 cup milk

2 oz Land O Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend, grated

Instructions

1. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2. Once melted, add the 3 Tbsp flour and cook - stirring constantly - for 2 minutes.

3. Slowly stir in the 2/3 c milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, continuing to stir, until thickened.

4. Add the 2 oz cheese and stir until it has melted and the sauce is smooth. This takes about 5 minutes.

To Combine

1. Let the cheese sauce cool a little and transfer into a pastry bag fitted with a small tip.

2. Carefully squeeze the sauce into the gougère through the hole you made at the end of the baking process. Be careful to fill the puffs as much as they can handle.

*Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Land O’Lakes as part of the Kitchen PLAY SideCar series. All opinions given are my own.

Tomato Cheese Farro Treats

2013-04-07T21:17:00.001-04:00

This is my entry to the contest hosted by Tuscan Fields to win a conference registration to Eat Write Retreat. I was able to go two years ago and really want to go back!

The irony of running a food business is that even though I spent most of my hours in the kitchen making food, I often don’t have the time to make meals for myself. While there is some degree of taste testing that goes on but I’ve been looking for different bars and quick pre-made treats. Farro has been making it into our rotation for awhile now and it has been a great whole grain replacement for white rice and pasta.

That’s why I jumped on the chance to participate in the Tuscan Fields contest to sponsor a blogger’s attendance at the conference in Philadelphia this year. They sent me two boxes of their delicious farro

Since everything I make is fluffed up, I decided to create a recipe that mixes the 100% organic farro and a tomato basil marshmallow. The process was a touch more complicated than a a rice based crispy treat, but it was a lot more satisfying. I absolutely love the combination of the savory tomato flavor and the sweet marshmallow base. I added a little shredded cheese to pump up the tomato soup flavor and boy did it work. These bars have been a fantastic pick me up when I don’t have time to make a full meal.

Tomato Cheese Farro Treats

5 1/2 ounces tomato basil marshmallows

1 package Tuscan Fields Farro Perlato

1/2 cup cheese (provolone, cheddar or gruyere are best)

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1. In a medium saucepan add the whole package of Tuscan Fields Farro Perlato and three cups of water, bring to a boil and then reduce to medium and cover. Cook for 12 minutes.

2. Drain the farro and move to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Heat 1 Tablespoons in a large frying pan, add the farro in a single layer and cook over high heat for 5 minutes stirring once.

4. Meanwhile heat 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter in a separate medium saucepan and cook until the butter bubbles and then stops bubbling. Once the butter stops bubbling and starts turning brown add the 5 1/2 ounces of marshmallows and stir until melted.

5. Add all of the farro and the 1/2 cup of shredded cheese to the marshmallows and stir until combined. Transfer to a baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Cool the farro in the fridge until firm.

6. Store in the fridge and enjoy!

Rustico-Alexandria

2013-03-11T13:51:00.001-04:00

My restaurant reviews slowed down significantly when we lived in Maryland because there were no good places near by, now that we live in Alexandria I’m getting back into the habit of going out to fun places and taking pictures.

A few weeks ago on a particularly sunny and warm Sunday my friend and I met for brunch at Rustico, I’ve heard some really good things about it and was excited to give it a try. We weren’t sold on any of the available entrees and decided to share a few small plates and each got a small salad.

One of the reviews that I read stated that the service was exceptional so imagine our surprise when everything we ordered came out at the same time. Not only did it have a hard time fitting on our small table, but it added a sense of rushing to the meal. I would understand this more if the restaurant was bustling with a long line, but it was half empty.

My friend ordered the Boston Bibb Salad that was made with gala apples, granola, white cheddar, cider vinaigrette. It was a delicious and light salad filled with bright flavors that were great on the palate.

I chose the pear wedge salad over iceberg with mustard vinaigrette and topped with walnuts and blue cheese. As you can tell by the picture, the salad dressing was thick and the pears were completely immersed with the pears. If the dressing were a little lighter this would have been a fantastic salad. As it is, it was overpowering and made it hard to enjoy the salad. I was only able to eat half of the salad before I gave up.

We were both intrigued by the sweet potato skins stuffed with scrambled eggs, goat cheese fondue, scallions and bacon. I had such high hopes for this dish, but it was just ok. not a craveworthy, need to order again.

My favorite dish of the day was (not surprisingly) the sausage slider sandwiches. The biscuits were buttery, flakey and delicious. I only wish that the portion of sausage and egg were switched. Otherwise these were super tasty and a great end to the meal.

We were both slowing down by the time we got to the carrot hummus with lamb and pita bread. The pita was delicious and soft, but the hummus was bland. The only way to get a good mix of flavors was to make sure that all of the components were included in each bite. We each took a few bites and then I let my friend take home the leftovers.

Overall, I was disappointed by this experience. Maybe we ordered wrong or showed up on an off day but I’m going to try out different restaurants before I come back. I would like to note that the wedge salad that I ordered is no longer on the menu, I also noticed that the carrot hummus was displayed differently, with more lamb. So it does seem like they are cutting out less successful dishes.

Thankfully, my next restaurant visit was a lot better, but more on that next week.

Starting a Food Business-Renting a Commercial Kitchen

2013-01-24T10:07:00.001-05:00

This blog really ignited my love for cooking and crafting delicious foods. It was really easy to cook extravagant dishes when Dan was eating 6,000 calories a day. I’d get a taste, but the rest would disappear while I was at work. He’d go through the food faster than I could make it and so I didn’t really see any calorie issue. Since then Dan has transitioned into a desk job and I’m now home all day with the fruits of my labor. I still love making extravagant dishes, especially desserts but I knew my waistline wouldn’t appreciate it if I didn’t find another way to channel my dessert making.

I started thinking about Fluffed Up Desserts in February. Four months later, the business launched in one of the hottest summers on record. One of the reasons it took so long was that there was no road map on how to start a business and so I did a lot of things by trial and error.

Maryland does not currently have a full cottage food law (as of 2012-there is a movement to get one passed). The limited law allows for some baked goods to be made in the home and sold at Farmers Markets only. Unfortunately, the marshmallow making process is not as familiar and since they aren’t baked in the traditional sense, the health department denied my request to operate under this exemption.

At that point I started looking for a commercial kitchen to rent and was told that I should look into churches or schools in addition to traditional rented spaces. Unfortunately, I was not able to find a space to rent in our area and so I expanded my search to Virginia.

It took me almost a month and a ton of rejections to find some kitchens that were available. I searched for bakeries/churches/schools in my area and cold called them and I also found these websites that broke down available kitchens by state.

Culinary Incubator

Commercial Kitchens for Rent

Rent a Commercial Kitchen

While not all of the information was up to date, it helped me start the process. I started with a handful of places and did a walk through with each one.

During the walk through I asked the owner about

1) monthly/weekly minimum rental requirements

2) is the space shared or all yours during that period

3) what insurance level do you require for renters

4) what materials are available for use during rental time

5) how much do you charge per hour

6) is there storage available (dry/cold/frozen) if so how much/month?

After the walk through I was able to make my final decision and signed an agreement with the kitchen I chose. The kitchen that I went with required that I get liability insurance and a Northern Virginia Food Managers Certification. I worked on both of those requirements while I initiated contact with the city of Alexandria health department.

I definitely went into this process a bit blind and so, this summary is not exhaustive-are there any resources that you have used or any questions that you asked when renting a commercial kitchen?

‘tis the season

2012-12-03T07:25:00.000-05:00

I’ve always thought of September as the start of “candy season.” At least one aisle in every store is devoted to the upcoming holiday (and let’s be honest, there is probably an aisle for the one after that…I have seen Cadbury crème eggs in December before) and the treats that aren’t really available year round take center stage. I’m looking at you candy corns and jelly beans.

I won’t lie, it is kind of fun to be on the selling end of candy season. Since Dan won’t agree to put up the Christmas tree until after Thanksgiving (what a grinch), I get to indulge my holiday inclination through the marshmallows. This year, I got to start “celebrating” in late October by recipe testing holiday flavors before Halloween.

To celebrate Christmas I now have four new holiday flavors for you to try:

Salted Caramel

This creamy flavor is enhanced with a hint of salt to make the flavor more complex.

Eggnog:

This classic holiday drink inspired flavor marries spiced rum and nutmeg to create a delicious dessert or coffee enhancer.

Peppermint:

This candy cane inspired flavor is as delicious as the crunchy treats

Gingerbread:

Gingerbread men have never been so fluffy. These quintessential holiday cookies are as tasty as they are cute.

These are all delicious by themselves or melted into your favorite hot drink. Try these and our other classic flavors in new shapes and sizes

eastern shore tour

2012-10-15T09:09:00.001-04:00

One of the best things about being my own boss is that I can make my schedule and so I was free for an amazing tour of the Eastern Shore crabbing company and oyster farm arranged by Kitchen Play and Maryland DNR.

My blog has been playing second fiddle to Fluffed Up Desserts and so I thought this would be a good opportunity to rekindle my love for exploring non-sugary foods.

soft shell crab

After a cold, windy and rainy weekend I was a little nervous that our trip would be rained out but thankfully, while the clouds remained, the rain stayed away for the entire day. There were two carpools arranged, one from DC and another one in Annapolis, I got to meet up with Langston, Sherron and Daphne and spend the ride out getting to know them.

don’t let go, Jack!

The ride out to Cambridge, MD was filled with great conversation and gorgeous views. We arrived at J.M Clayton Crab Co. and launched quickly into learning about Maryland Blue Crabs.

boy crabs (left) have the Washington monument on their underbelly, she crabs (right) have a round imprint on their underbelly

Did you know that October is a great month to buy Maryland crabs? Since the crabs are older and colder they have built up more fat and are more delicious. Squeeze the side of the shell between the claws and if there is give then the crab was a waif. If it doesn’t, you know they were storing away for winter and are full of deliciousness.

10 bushels of crab fit in each of these metal containers and are headed to the steam room.

Also, did you know that you can eat the yellow stuff inside of the crab? We were at a crab fest a few months ago and someone at our table told us that we needed to clean out all of the yellow stuff. Not knowing better we did what the good Samaritan suggested, but never again! The yellow stuff is called Mustard and it is what gives the crab its flavor. The misconception comes about because Lobsters live up to 30 years and have time for to build up toxins that you want to avoid. The crabs just don’t live long enough to build up toxins like that, but still make sure to avoid the lungs!

piles of crabs going into cans to be pasteurized-will be fresh for at 18 months

After we finished learning about crabs we moved into the crab picking portion of the plant. I was shocked by how low tech it was, it was a room filled with women cracking up crabs and dividing the pieces into containers based on what type of meat it was, jumbo lump, claw and backfin. We were given some to taste with just a sprinkling of sort of old bay seasoning and that was the breakfast of champions.

90 year old canning machine applies the lid for the pasteurized cans

When we were learning about the process our tour leader told us that the biggest threat to his company is the issues that they are having with the H-2B visa cap. Six years ago, I was on The Hill and joined a coalition with the staff from Senator Mikulski’s (D-MD) office to get a bill together to extend the cap.

workers days start at 5am and end at 3pm and these ladies work so fast that they are all being paid per pound of crab prepared.

Each year there are a limited number of temporary visas and they are at risk for running out of visas for companies needing workers later in the year. A few attempts have been made to increase the visa cap but none have succeeded. A University of Maryland study has even determined that each H-2B visa job creates 2.54 jobs for US citizens. To learn more about the visa program you can read about the rules and regulation here.

J.M. Clayton ships nationwide (overnight) so you too can enjoy fresh crab meat

After we finished up at JM Clayton, it was time to go to Choptank Oysters. Stay tuned!

Weekend Things

2012-10-01T08:07:00.001-04:00

This weekend my little sister got married! The wedding was held in a beautiful garden outside of Atlanta but we were all transported to a fairy wonderland walking through gardens lined with twinkle lights.

We were too busy having fun to take more pictures so this is the only one of the newlyweds. They were having too much fun to stand still enough for a no-flash camera shot!

Congratulations Sarah and James!

Caprese lasagna

2012-09-10T07:34:00.000-04:00

When I started Fluffed Up I thought it would be great because I could make my own hours and do all the things. It has been almost 7 months since I started thinking about this business and my house is now coated in a fine mist of flour and sugar. Why do my speakers no longer work? Yup, the sugar got in there. Why is my already limited wardrobe getting even smaller? Apparently cocoa powder stains…who knew! And as someone that has been evacuated, quarantined and almost hosed down by firemen because of white powder, you’d think I wouldn’t carry a baggy of powdered sugar and cornstarch with me almost constantly. If it were the 80s I bet our friends would be questioning my extracurricular activities.

Good thing I have an easy going husband! In honor of my attempt make sure that veggies outweigh the sugar in our house I’m going to post one of my go to easy dinner. I know that tomatoes are technically a fruit, and basil doesn’t count as a green, especially when it is pestoed. But it looks green, so that counts, right?

No Cook Caprese Lasagna

I just have one quick PSA. Do not use ‘no boil’ lasagna noodles, they did not enjoy my attempt at boiling them and all ended up sticking together. Oops! Other than that this recipe was so easy! The amounts below are all approximate, I made enough for two people for dinner and a few leftover lunches increase/reduce as you see fit.

Pesto

12 lasagna noodles, boiled
Tomatoes, sliced (I used about 4)
Sliced mozzarella (a pound or more)

1. Take a noodle and spread a little pesto on half of it and fold the un-pestoed part over to make it a pesto sandwich.

3. Take the pesto noodle-wich and place it on top of two slices of tomato (or more if they are small)

4. Next, make a layer of mozzarella (I used 1 1/2 to 2 pieces).

5. Make another pesto noodle-wich and place it on top.

6. Repeat steps 1-4 and top with extra pesto.

Toasted Marshmallow Day!

2012-08-30T14:49:00.001-04:00

Today is National Toasted Marshmallow Day. And there is no better way to celebrate than to make some toasted fluffed up desserts marshmallows. If you don’t have a fire pit at the ready, the marshmallows toast beautifully over your gas stove or a fireplace lighter. Check out these delicious toasted marshmallow treats! (click on the picture for the recipe

Pumpkin and Brown Butter Sage Muffins

2012-08-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

I haven’t had an outdoor job since I lifeguarded and worked at the zoo high school (consecutively, not concurrently) and so it was a rude awakening to start my farmers market career during the hottest month on record. When I first started planning on doing these markets I had the notion that I wouldn’t need a tent, I’d be ok with a hat and an umbrella if it rains (I was also planning on using my small bistro table from my balcony). I was convinced to get a tent when I saw a discount 10x10 tent and 6’ table at Aldi. Together they cost less than a solo tent I could find online so I bought it.

I don’t think I would have survived one market without the tent and the table. I place the table just inside the tent so that people that are walking by may be tempted by the shade to come and try some ‘mallows. I think my plan has worked since a lot of people (and their dogs) have sought out my space. Even if it is just for a chat, it is great to meet so many different people each week and to catch up with the regulars.

I am looking forward to the fall when the cooler temps will encourage more shoppers to come out and make a day of exploring the market. I have been pleasantly surprised recently by the chill in the air in the morning. Is it possible that this August will be the beginning of fall and the lead in to a nice and snowy winter.

And with fall comes cooler weather, soups, winter squash and pumpkins (hmm is that a squash or something else? Does it get its own category?) I know that it is not new to love pumpkin but this year I am going to try to find ways to incorporate different Fluffed Up Marshmallows into the pumpkin dishes.

http://www.fluffedupdesserts.com/muffins/pumpkin-and-brown-butter-sage-marshmallow-muffins/

My first attempt was to pair the pumpkin with brown butter sage marshmallows. The muffin recipe, much like the mallow is slightly sweet and slightly savory with a rich buttery finish. These are definitely not your average pumpkin muffins, they are pumpkin muffins all grown up. The muffins did not last very long in our house so I’m glad I made a half recipe!

Go to Fluffed Up Desserts for the recipe.

National S’mores Day

2012-08-10T12:13:00.001-04:00

Happy National Smores Day! Fluffed Up Desserts provides gourmet marshmallows that will turn any S’more into a gourmet treat. Visit the Recipe Page for Gourmet S’mores recipes.

If that is not enough, Fluffed Up is pairing up with Alexandria Cake Pop Company to bring you a S’mores mallowpop. Pairing the delectable Cake Pops that ACPC is known for with the creative flavors of Fluffed Up’s Marshmallows.

S’mores MallowPops are available with Brown Butter Sage, Vanilla Bean, Orange Creamsicle and Maple Bacon Marshmallows.

Email orders@alexandriacakepopco.com to order your S’mores MallowPop today!

Toasty Marshmallow Ice Cream

2012-08-09T07:22:00.000-04:00

I bought my ice cream maker last year with big dreams in my head. I started out with a bang. I made a ton of different recipes and posted my two favorites (peach and pumpkin) an then I packed the machine because we were about to move.

It wasn’t until just recently that I’ve unpacked the machine (better late than never, right?) I’ve been coming up with recipes that include Fluffed Up marshmallows an having a great time with it.

I wanted to start with something classic to do with the vanilla bean marshmallows. I was attracted by the unique flavor of a toasted marshmallow and the cool refreshingness of the ice cream.

This is a truly addicting ice cream. I blended the toasted marshmallow so it was incorporated into almost every bite of the rich ice cream.

Go to Fluffed Up Desserts for the full recipe!

Grown Up Smores

2012-08-03T21:40:00.001-04:00

I wrote this awesome and poetic blog post yesterday. I went to update and publish it and it was gone! Boo.

I’ve now gone into the kitchen to cook the ‘mallows a few times and each time I’ve forgotten something crucial. I’ve found work arounds each time but geez louise I’d like to get it perfect one day! But I guess nothing is easy?

One thing that is easy are grown up S’mores. A few weeks ago we went over to a friends house for a BBQ and I decided to bring over a dessert that featured fluffed up desserts. It was delicious, although I’m sure they were finding toasted marshmallow in their kitchen for awhile after we left.

Click over to Fluffed Up to get this recipe.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

2012-07-23T19:33:00.001-04:00

Well, Hello there! I started thinking about starting Fluffed Up Desserts because I was looking for something to do with my newly freed time and wanted a challenge. I could have achieved this by looking for a 9-5 job, but I really want to try something creative.

Now that I have finally gotten to start Fluffed Up, my life is so much busier and not just because of the business. First, my sister had her second baby and last week one of my good friends came to visit. I went from bored to busy and it is wonderful!

One thing that has gone by the wayside during this busy time has been my dinner cooking duties. I have a new found appreciation of people that can put together gourmet dinners every night. I’m now (with the help of Dan and the Trader Joe’s freezer section) focusing on quick and easy meals.

Of course, my desire for “culinary aids” does not extend to the sweeter side of the kitchen. I mean, it is now my job to make desserts, so it is only natural that I would make time to experiment with other sweet concoctions. I guess I’m just saying all of this so that you aren’t surprised by the number of desserts that will pop up. We are still eating fruits/veggies/proteins but I’m focusing on my true love-sweet treats! But seriously, a dessert can make any meal an event, even if that meal is just heated up turkey burgers.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

This recipe came from the farmer for my sister’s fruit share. I have tweaked the recipe for whatever fruit I had in the house. It is a really forgiving and delicious recipe to use up whatever fruit you have around. This is another dish that can be finished in the time it take the oven to preheat. I love these kinds of recipes!

Filling Ingredients:

6 stalks rhubarb, chopped into 1/2 in pieces

2 cup strawberries, halved

3-4 c chopped summer fruit (berries, peaches, nectarines)

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup oats

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, last

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Combine and stir together the filling ingredients in a 2 1/2 quart oven safe pie/baking dish.

3. In a separate bowl mix together the topping ingredients adding the melted butter last. Stir to combine and pour the mixture over the filling spreading it evenly over the whole dish.

4. Bake 35-40 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned.

5. Serve alone or with really good vanilla bean ice cream.

Introducing: Fluffed Up Desserts

2012-07-13T08:14:00.001-04:00

I am so excited to tell you that I’m starting a specialty food business! I have a major sweet tooth and my philosophy is that every dessert is better with some marshmallow in it. So, I thought to myself, why not try to replicate the flavors of all of my favorite desserts using a marshmallow as the base.

I first thought up Fluffed Up Desserts in February and after some research I thought I’d get state approval by St. Patty’s day. You know what they say about best laid plans? Yeah, so four plus months later I am finally getting started!

Waiting turned out to be a great opportunity to invent more recipes, get more taste testers, work on my website and hike through the bureaucratic jungle. One of the most frustrating parts of the process was how little information there was on the interwebs. But I will get to that later.

To prepare for my first day in the kitchen I made a list and checked it twice but I would be a terrible Santa since I left the key ingredient, sugar, at home. I can work around a lot of missing ingredients and sugar is not one of them. Thank goodness I was able to buy some from the owner but I do not think I came off as the professional marshmallow goddess that I had intended to look like.

My foolishness aside, I got through my first day in the kitchen in one piece! For now, I am so excited to have some marshmallows ready to sell this weekend at two farmers markets.

On Saturday I’ll be in the Baltimore area at the Green Spring Station from 2-5 pm

Parking lot at Green Spring Station in Lutherville, Maryland

10749 Falls Road,Lutherville Timonium,MD 21093

On Sunday I’ll be in Alexandria at the West End Farmer's Market from 8:30 am-12 pm at Ben Brenmen Park, 4800 Brenman Park Drive Alexandria, VA 22304

Stay tuned for some info on navigating the bureaucratic process, new flavors and fun recipes to use the marshmallows in. So go, check it out and I’ll be able to add inventory to buy online on Sunday.

Does anyone have any tips on selling at a farmer’s market?

New Best Friends

2012-07-09T10:08:00.001-04:00

Before Dan and I embarked on the great Derecho-induced adventure I spent a week at my sister’s house for the birth of their second daughter. I am the second girl in my family and so it was fun to watch Keira, the oldest, react to her new baby sister.

The morning we went to the hospital Keira was so excited to see her mom and dad but was a bit confused about what to do with this baby (is it a friend? is it a doll? is it lump? can’t tell yet)

Now that Claire was out of the crib Keira knew she wanted to play and couldn’t wait to share her new toy with her baby sister.

Sorry Keira, Claire can’t play yet but she would love to watch you! Keira’s wheels starting turning and she came up when a plan.

Maybe if her hands were free she’d want to play?

But alas, even after all of that Claire couldn’t keep her eyes open enough to even play dress up doll. (Thank goodness for the new toy since Claire was definitely not following the plan.)

She’s not mad, just disappointed. Once Claire masters lifting her head, she’ll definitely be ready to play.

Putting the Pow! in Power

2012-07-06T18:38:00.001-04:00

We have power! I’m so excited to be back home but what was less exciting is the two weeks of laundry that had piled up and the many bags of groceries that we had to throw out. On the bright side (get it, bright? Power? maybe some things don’t translate to paper) there is plenty of space to buy new stuff.

Beer, Wine and Smoked Salmon. We have our priorities straight!

Who needs chicken stock when you have a bunch of melted chocolate chips? I see melted chocolate recipes coming up stat.

Land Hurricane

2012-07-03T16:01:00.001-04:00

I spent all last week at my big sister’s house. I now a proud aunt to TWO nieces. Baby Claire was born Sunday, June 24. More on her later. Isn’t she beautiful?

big sister Keira was very curious about this new addition to her family

I got home on Friday, a few hours before the DC area was hit with a Derecho, a land hurricane Friday night. We spent a few minutes staring at the sky as it lit up with multiple lightning strikes at each time. It was gorgeous but after about a minute or so the power went out and has not come back since.

Source: Unknown

We are in the last 22% of people to get power back. We feel so special.

The loss of power coincided with record heat. A candy thermometer measured the apartment at almost 100 degrees.

Ahh to remember simpler times…Days with good weather and power

We have slept in 5 different places in 5 nights. In that time, We’ve spent the night in at home in 90 degree heat covered in wet washcloths, with three friends in their (also powerless) cool basement and in two different hotel rooms.

We lost a ton of food. I had been saving worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, whey, and citrus zest. On the bright side our fridge has never been so clean.

I can’t help but obsessively charge my phone, even in the hotel room. My droid has served us as a flashlight, entertainment while we hop between a/c locations, email/twitter/facebook to ~~vent~~ stay connected, BGE stalker, and as a phone. What would we have done without smartphones? Heck, what would we have done without cell phones?

I think we have identified the offender (source)

I’ve taken a page out of Little House on the Prairie and did some laundry in our sink the other night. Klassy.

On an unrelated note: Panera now offers a Lobster roll. Sounds a little better than McD’s lobster roll but I’m still suspicious.

Dan and I aren’t usually great at seeing movies but we have now seen Moonrise Kingdom, Safety Not Guaranteed, the Reader and the Muppets. Next on my list is Magic Mike. It’s all about balance.

Cheesy Buns

2012-06-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Dan and I started off in a middle-distance relationship. We met in Washington, DC but I lived in Northern Virginia and Dan lived in Maryland. This was further complicated by my lack of car and Dan’s office not being downtown. This means that on weeknights we would have to meet somewhere in between. We went to some nice restaurants but many nights we went to Panera so we could have more time to sit and talk.

Little did I know that this was the home of Dan’s not-so-secret addiction, the roast beef sandwich on an asiago cheese roll. Every time we would go I would order something new and Dan would get his old faithful. It honestly took years for him to tire of this obsession. It has been a few years since he retired that sandwich and despite the fact that I’ve been trying to replicate delicious meals at home, I’ve never tried to replicate the bread he liked so much. That was until I was trying to figure out a recipe for the Land O Lakes ® blog. I wanted to make our dinner really special and have been trying to find a good hamburger bun recipe. It seemed like the perfect time to try to replicate the bread from Dan’s old fave.

Cheesy Buns

Note: These take a lot longer than you’d expect. Start the buns a long time before you want to start prepping for dinner. Starting at lunch time would be good of course first thing in the morning would probably be safer!

Also, I put a little too much cheese on top and it burned. It still tasted really good though, it wasn’t dense but it was flavorful. I think it would be good to add some chives to it next time.

Last but not least, I learned something new with all of this, I don’t usually buy deli cheese since I like cheese in blocks not slices. That will all change now that I found out that you could request the cheese in a block at the counter.

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups flour
1/4 ounce yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 cups milk
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/4 cups Land O’Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend, shredded

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 c flour, 1/4 oz yeast, 1 1/2 t salt, 1 t sugar and 1/4 t pepper.

2. In a small bowl mix the melted 2 T butter and the 1 1/4 c milk. Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.

3. Stir in 1 c cheese.

4. Start adding the remaining 2 c flour slowly until it comes together as a soft dough.

5. Kneed the dough for a few minutes adding flour as needed.

6. Oil a large bowl and add the dough. Cover with a towel and let it double. This takes awhile. I put it inside my cold oven for 2 hours and it was almost doubled so maybe 2.5 hours?

7. Punch down the dough and form into 8 buns. Spread out on a baking sheet covered in silpat. Cover and let rise again until doubled (almost another hour)

8. Preheat the oven to 375.

9. Sprinkle the buns with the rest of the cheese (and chives next time!) and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Macaroni and Cheese Balls

2012-06-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Okay Internet. I have a confession to make. It’s about a secret crush I’ve been nurturing for a long time. We grew up together on the mean streets of Pittsburgh, but I didn’t know what I was feeling at the time, and we sort of lost touch. But then, in grad school, we reconnected, and it was glorious. I’m talking, of course, about mac ‘n cheese.

Portable Mac ‘n cheese. The new frontier!

In those days, I was a confirmed vegetarian, but I wasn’t so great about eating vegetables (and also needed my meals to fit into a student budget). This meant that “vegetarian” often became “pastatarian,” and like any good pastatarian, I made mac ‘n cheese one of my staples. After all, it fit two of the major food groups into one handy meal. Of course, this was the neon orange stuff that comes in a box, where the “cheese” really ought to come with quotation marks, but ever since I’ve kept an eye out for good mac ‘n cheese wherever I’ve gone.

One of these things is not like another…Baked balls on the left, fried on the right

In the years since, I’ve become a bit of a connoisseur, sampling truffle mac ‘n cheese, bacon mac ‘n cheese, even caprese mac ‘n cheese. It’s possible that nothing will ever top the lobster mac ‘n cheese I had in Denver at a place called Mizuna, but when I got the opportunity to write this post for Land O Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend*, I decided to try making my own.

The anatomy of a mac ‘n cheese ball. Can you tell which is which?

Here’s the problem with mac ‘n cheese, though. It’s super messy, and you can’t take it outdoors with you, say on one of the few days of DC summer when the weather is nice (and after the handy repairmen come and take down the wasp nest of doom from the eaves above your balcony). Luckily, I came up with a solution. Balls! These mac ‘n cheese balls fit all the comfort of mac ‘n cheese into a handy, portable form. It took quite a bit of courage for me to actually cook these things in a vat of hot oil, but they came out gooey and delicious. Along with some delicious lamb burgers, some tasty four-cheese buns, and a nice juicy watermelon, they made for a perfect romantic picnic. Now if you’ll excuse me, I can feel another heat wave coming on. I think I’ll go back indoors and hide until the weather gets cool again. See you in September? October?

If you want to keep up with the “30 Days of Outdoor Dining,” follow Land O’Lakes on Twitter at @LandOLakesKtchn or search the hash tag #kitchenplay.

Dinner of champions-Mac ‘n Cheese Balls, Lamb Burgers with Pesto in Land O Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend Cheese Buns (recipe coming) and Watermelon for dessert.

Be sure to check Kitchen PLAY every day for the next fabulous recipe featuring new LAND O LAKES® 4 Cheese Italian Blend or LAND O LAKES® Deli American Cheese. Then, get in on the fun by leaving a comment with your own “30 Days of Outdoor Dining” tip for dining al fresco this summer. If you do, you’ll be entered to win a lovely grilling prize pack, including one grilling spatula, one marinade brush, one set of tongs and one grill scraper. Kitchen PLAY will be giving away four prizes total, one each week! Please visit Kitchen PLAY for sweepstakes guidelines.

Macaroni and Cheese Balls

This macaroni and cheese recipe is a little thicker than what I usually make, but I wanted something that would stand up to frying. The dried chives really highlighted the combination of the American, Asiago, Romano and Parmesan cheeses. One other note: while I’ve always been a bit fry-shy, if you want something special try frying these. I also experimented with baking a batch, they weren’t as golden brown and were a little less gooey but were still crunchy and delicious. I have added instructions for both cooking methods below.

I’m frying, I’m really frying!

Makes: 36 balls. That’s a lot of mac ‘n cheese, so I stuck a bunch of them in the freezer and cooked them later. They baked up just like the fresh batch making these an easy make ahead appetizer for a party.

Macaroni and cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 Tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
10 ounces Land O’Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend, shredded
Dried chives, to taste (about 2 teaspoons)

Coating

1 1/2 cup of flour
3 eggs
2 cups of bread crumbs

Instructions
1. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions, drain and return to the pan (off the heat). Add the 4 T butter and stir to combine.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 eggs, 6 oz evaporated milk, 1 t salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the macaroni.

3. Place the saucepan on the burner on low. Then add the 10 oz Land O Lakes® 4 Cheese Italian Blend and chives, stirring until the cheese melts and becomes creamy, about 3 minutes.

4. Take the mac ‘n cheese off the heat and let it cool until the cheese sauce thickens significantly and you can make balls easily by hand without them falling apart.

5. While you are waiting for the cheese to set up, set up three bowls in a row. Put 1 1/2 c flour in the first bowl, 3 eggs in the middle and 2 c bread crumbs in the last bowl.

6. Take a small spoonful of mac ‘n cheese and place in the middle of a piece of saran wrap. Use the plastic wrap to squeeze the mac ‘n cheese tightly to form a ball.

7. Take the ball out of the plastic wrap and dunk into the flour, then into the egg, and finally into the breadcrumbs. Repeat until the mac ‘n cheese is used up. Gently squeeze the balls as you are moving them between bowls to help maintain their shape.

If you are frying:
8. Pour enough oil into a large saucepan (I used a 4qt pan) to cover the balls (about 3 inches deep). Heat on medium until the temperature reaches 350 degrees.

9. Once the oil is ready, place as many balls as you can into the hot oil,without crowding the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with metal tongs or metal slotted spoon. Let cool for 2 minutes and eat hot.

If you are baking:
8. Preheat the oven to 350.

9. Spread the balls out across the baking sheet and spray each with nonstick spray to promote crispiness

10. Bake for 30 minutes. Flip the balls at the halfway point. Let cool for about 2 minutes and eat while hot.

adapted from Food Network

Serve with easy tomato sauce.

*Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Land O’Lakes as part of the Kitchen PLAY SideCar series. All opinions given are my own.

Baked Oatmeal

2012-06-22T12:20:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, my college roommates and I met up at my friend Jessie’s house. I can’t believe she agreed to host us since she was 9 months pregnant and had two kids under 5 at home. Even with all of her life craziness she planned a fun weekend for us.

One morning we woke up to Jessie putting a breakfast casserole into the oven that smelled decadent. I was imagining a really heavy breakfast bread or something of that nature but when I asked she told me that it was a baked oatmeal from Supernatural Everyday. I’ve been a fan of 101 Cookbooks for awhile now and was delighted to find a new recipe, especially one that could be made in the beginning of the week and eaten all week.

Baked Oatmeal

Adapted from Supernatural Everyday

This recipe is pretty quick to put together and is not only great when it is freshly made, it can be refrigerated and reheated for the easiest “bowl” of oatmeal during the week.

Ingredients

2 cups oats

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 egg

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 banana

8 ounces frozen blueberries, thawed and drained (or any other berry)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease the inside of an 8x8 square baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the 2 c oats, 1/4 c walnuts, 1/3 c sugar, 1 t baking powder, 1 1/2 t cinnamon and 1/2 t salt.

3. In a smaller bowl whisk together the 2 c milk, 1 egg, 3 T butter and 2 t vanilla.

4. Slice the banana thinly and spread out across the bottom of the dish. Pour half the blueberries over the banana and top with the oat mixture.

5. Pour the milk mixture on top and gently shake the container so that the liquid is spread throughout the dish. Pour the rest of the blueberries evenly on top.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the oatmeal has set.

Zest Bistro

2012-06-18T09:27:00.001-04:00

Back in my life in Denver, I had a standing Thursday meetings with two colleagues. These meetings were not only productive, they were fun. One of the things I miss in my new situation is that I’m no longer working with my awesome coworkers. I’ve been staying in touch with many of them but I haven’t seen anyone until one of them moved out here in May.

We decided to meet up for brunch at Zest Bistro to catch up on the last few months. It was like no time had passed. We were back in Denver at the coffee shop going over our notes from the week. The atmosphere of Zest was laid back and minimalistic, by the time we left it was packed but we were still able to hear each other clearly. It was much easier to get a table at 11am than at many of the other brunch places in Eastern Market.

My friend ordered an omelet that she really enjoyed. I went with the Challah French Toast that was topped with apple compote, powdered sugar, maple syrup. The French toast was good, but there wasn’t enough apple compote or powdered sugar. I had also expected the Challah to be cut a little thicker, but to be honest it tasted a lot like regular French toast. That aside, this was a great place to meet with friends and talk for hours. We weren’t rushed through brunch and the next thing we knew, a few hours had passed and our plates were clean.

Bacon Popcorn

2012-06-15T14:13:00.001-04:00

I love popcorn. Like a lot. When I was living alone and poor I would sometimes have a bag of microwave popcorn as my dinner. It helped to add variety to my usual dinner of ramen and beans and rice. Grad school was a bit of a culinary wasteland.

My taste buds and wallet have grown up, at least a little bit but my love of popcorn continues. Instead of microwave bags, I make plain popcorn in my air popper or on the stovetop. My creativity got a boost when I saw a recipe about bacon popcorn. I had to make it, how can something made with bacon fat not be amazing? I brought it to a friends house one night and was delighted to see it gone by the time we got home.

Bacon Fat Popcorn

Be sure to mark that it is made with bacon fat. The flavor is subtle enough for someone to think “Wow I love this flavor” but not realize that they are eating bacon.

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Bacon Fat

1/2 cup popping corn

Directions

Heat the oil in a 4 Quart saucepan, add in three kernels of popcorn and heat it up over medium until the kernels pop. Once the kernels start popping add the rest of the popcorn. Shake the pan and cook until the popping delays until one or two seconds elapses between pops. I was able to store it over night

Stuffed Shells

2012-06-13T07:41:00.000-04:00

The first hint that I had that our apartment was not as nice as it looked was the sound of wind whistling through the holes of the plugs in our external walls. I didn’t totally realize it at first, but that was one of many signs that are pointing to the fact that there is very little insulation in our apartment. During the winter months I piled on the layers and blankets and spent time cooking really hot meals and drinking a lot of tea.

I was hoping that the summer would be fine, we would set the thermostat to the temp we want (73 degrees) and deal with the big heating bill. This works on most days, but alas, it fails on those really hot ones (of which there will be many many more I am sure). We watch the thermostat go tick up as the afternoon goes on (blasted West facing apartment) and by the time dinner rolls around I have no interest in standing over a hot stove, or even turning it on.

Since the mornings are still enjoyable I am trying to do all of the cooking that I can then and just heat up dinner during peak heat hours. I tried a few different frozen Trader Joe’s options that didn’t live up to my expectations. I am now directing my attention to finding the best make ahead and freezer meals. It was on this search that I stumbled across stuffed shells. I won’t lie, I do not remember the last time I’ve had stuffed shells. Maybe never? But we’ll definitely have them again, I saw a variation with garlic scapes in them.

What is your go to freezer meal? Share the link in the comments!

Not the prettiest of finished products, but still super tasty

Stuffed Shells

adapted from My Kitchen Addiction

Since I had an a lot of Kale I decided to sub it in for the spinach and I really enjoyed the flavor it added to the meal. The original recipe recommends using a pastry bag, but since I am without one I tried filling the shells with a spoon. That turned into both a pain and a mess. The overflow wasn’t a big deal and just got mixed in with the tomato sauce and added more flavor to the dish.

12 ounces Jumbo Shells

Large Bunch Kale

2 eggs

32 ounces Ricotta Cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Easy Tomato Sauce

2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Cook the shells according to the package directions. Drain and Rinse and spread the shells out in baking dishes open side up. (I separated them into two dishes, one for dinner and one for the freezer).

2. Preheat the oven to 375.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 32 oz ricotta cheese and 2 eggs.

4. Transfer half of the mixture and half of the kale to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture until it is combined but not completely pureed. Transfer it to an empty bowl and repeat with the other half.

5. When the kale and ricotta mixture is done, stir in the 1/2 t dried thyme, 1/2 t dried basil, salt and pepper.

6. Either transfer the filling to a pastry bag or start scooping the filling into shells.

7. Take the freezer portion and stick into the freezer in the baking dish. Once it is frozen you can transfer the shells into a plastic bag.

8. Take the dinner portion and cover it with some tomato sauce and top with the grated parmesan cheese and mozzarella.

9. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until bubbly. Top with some freshly chopped basil before serving.

Nutritionals (Serves 8-doesn’t include tomato sauce): Cal: 461, Fat: 22, Carb: 39, Fiber: 3, Protein: 38

Emergency Brownies

2012-06-08T07:24:00.000-04:00

Sometimes there are days when I need chocolate. This is surprising because I am not a chocolate addict, I prefer marshmallow, caramel or fruit desserts. But some days nothing can replace a good dark chocolate.

Not actual size, embiggened to show ultimate chocolaty-ness

I try to keep our house clear of temptations. So when a craving hits I usually have to let it ride. Every so often, that doesn’t work. Today was one of those days. I needed chocolate and I needed it right then. I was surprised by how many different recipes had ingredients that I don’t have. I found a simple recipe that while it is rich ( so caloric it has to be just for emergencies), it didn’t net too many pieces so I won’t be tempted for too long. Also, these freeze like a dream, now all I need to do is forget they exist until the next chocolate-emergency.

A tower of chocolate, now that's a good sight

Emergency Brownies

adapted from Tasty Kitchen

I always add instant espresso to my chocolate recipes in order to enhance the chocolate flavor and it does not disappoint. As far as ease goes, this recipe was a cinch. It took one bowl and all of ingredients were added successively.

Ingredients

½ cup Butter
½ cup Cocoa Powder
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
scant 1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Instant Espresso
½ cup Flour
1 oz (or so) Chocolate Chips (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

3. Melt the 1 stick of butter.

4. Add 1/2 c cocoa to the butter and stir until combined.

5. Stir in 1 c sugar until combined.

6. Stir in 2 eggs until combined.

7. Stir in 2 t vanilla and 1 t instant espresso, 1/2 c flour, chocolate chips(if using) and scant 1/2 t salt. Stir until just combined, don’t overbeat.

8. Pour into prepared baking pan and cook until a toothpick comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.

Nutritionals (16 mini brownies) Cals: 142, Fat: 8, Carb: 19, Fiber: 1, Protein: 2