The Kitchen Minions

Making Lemonade (or curd)

2012-01-26T01:00:00.000-05:00

Life hasn't really given me lemons but Wegmans has! (Did I mention that I love Wegmans?)

Now that I'm unemployed, it's amazing how much time I have on my hands. While I am currently job hunting, I am also trying to do all of the time-intensive projects that have been on my to-do list for ages. My plan is to try to figure out how to make most stuff from scratch, similar to what TheTipsyBaker did, although I came up with the idea on my own. (I swear, I did!) I enjoyed making my own bread, desserts, and other breakfast items while I was working, but now I want to tackle jam, curd, and marmalade. We can't seem to eat all of the baked goods anymore, and if I reduce the sugar content, maybe I can actually consider them health foods (or maybe not).

I know canning can be done. (Get it? Canning can? Let's move on.) My mom canned her own jam when we were little, and my grandmother would make and can bread and butter pickles. I have even attempted to can a few times already, but I never quite succeeded. The curds and jams came out great, but I wasn't confident that I had preserved them properly, and I quickly found out that we couldn't eat jars and jars of unpreserved fruit before they went bad without overwhelming our bellies.

This time, though, I'm going to figure out how to do it right. I can't wait to get my hands on some more of these delicious meyer lemons, grapefruit, and oranges to create jams that we'll enjoy for months to come.

Are there any good canning resources that I should start reading? What materials do I need to make sure that I have?

Head cook

2012-01-24T23:35:00.000-05:00

After we arrived in Maryland, Dan and I were eager to find our new home and settle into our new routine. For Dan that meant starting a 9-5 job. He was eager to transfer all of the household duties to me while I look for a new job. While I had been having fun challenging myself as a cooking weekend warrior, I realize now that I have not given Dan enough credit for what it takes to clean the house, run the errands and put a complete dinner on the table every night. Hours seem to slip by and dishes pile up every time I turn around. How do dishes pile up that fast?

It doesn't help that I've started some baking experiments to test our new stove and altitude. Unfortunately the baking success luck that I had in Denver has not yet found me in Maryland. Apparently I can't make dinner and fudge at the same time. I am slowing down my multitasking in an effort to re-hone my skills so that my experiments will be good enough to be shared with Dan's coworkers and not just into our bellies!
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These pictures are for an arugula pesto recipe but I realized that we didn't take any measurements the first time we made it. I'll have to try it again and report back with a good recipe. My next fun project...fudge perfection...stay tuned!

Cheddar Sage Biscuits

2012-01-23T07:19:00.000-05:00

My last day at work was December 23rd and as soon as I was done Dan and I jumped into the car and drove off into away from the sunset. Dan had already started his job so we couldn’t make a vacation out of it. We drove through Christmas eve starting the day in Missouri. We only stopped for gas and ultimately ate our holiday dinner at the Sheetz in Cumberland, Maryland.

I have to admit that this is not the first time that I’ve had Sheetz on Christmas. However, it is the first time that I’ve had it for Christmas dinner. My sister, brother-in-law and I used to do a lot of holiday road trips together and often grabbed breakfast or lunch on the road. We stumbled onto Sheetz out of need one year, we were driving back roads and all of the go-to fast food joints were closed and it was our only option. We walked in, expecting to leave with a breakfast of trail mix and soda when we saw the extensive menu. We ordered breakfast sandwiches and realized that they were much better than the greasy fast food joint we had been looking for. Did I really just review a gas station?

Dan and I may have had gas station food for Christmas dinner but we haven't forgotten about what makes up a good holiday meal. My posts about our Thanksgiving got lost in the shuffle of the move and I never got a chance to share the biscuit that we brought to our friends Mike and Annissa's house. My friend Annissa and I split up the menu and since I prefer to bake and she prefers to handle the meat, she made the turkey and I made the biscuits (and the mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts).

We spent the day eating courses of deliciously decadent holiday food and playing a rousing game of Foodie Fight (a foodie version of Trivial Pursuit). I am ashamed to say that Mike and I got our butts kicked. We never had a chance, we were up against Dan’s photographic memory and Annissa’s extended foodie history. Victory eluded us but at least the food was good!

Cheddar Sage Biscuits

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Since we were traveling I needed to make dishes that could be made early and heated at dinner time. These stayed fresh and flaky and were even good as leftovers later that week.

2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
6 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons sage, chopped
1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper

2. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 c flour, 2 1/2 t baking powder, 2 t sugar, 3/4 t baking soda, and 2 t salt.

3. Add the 6 T butter and mix it with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.

4. Stir in 1 c cheese and 2 T sage.

5. Pour in the 1 c buttermilk and stir until just combined.

6. Drop small spoonful's of biscuits onto lined baking sheets (they don’t expand too much so drop them in the size that you’d like to eat-I cut calories by making my food smaller).

7. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Serve warm.

Nutritionals (23 biscuits/per biscuit): Cals: 97, Fat: 5, Carb: 11, Protein: 3

Butternut Squash and Sage

2012-01-20T07:32:00.000-05:00

I’m a (soon to be) reformed plant killer, never mind that I’ve never kept a plant alive-that includes one poor cactus that I managed to kill by under-watering. This new chapter in our lives is the time that I will become a green thumb. I had dreams about a new apartment with a big garden with fresh tomatoes, rosemary, lettuce and butternut squash. Alas, we chose a top floor unit and have no access to dirt.

I suppose that jumping right into full blown gardening would have been too much. Instead, I have restarted our aero grow (just basil and sage this time-I have given up on the other herbs) and started to think about which herbs I’d like to try to grow on my balcony. But for now we will be getting our fresh produce from our new grocery store crush (step aside Sunflower Farmer’s Market we’re now sweet on Wegman’s). Does anyone have any suggestions to go from garden zero to garden hero? Are there any good articles about balcony gardens?

Can I grow butternut squash on a balcony?

Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage

1 3-pound butternut squash-peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons olive oil
12 large sage leaves
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 425°

2. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with 2 T olive oil, 12 leaves of sage and salt and pepper.

3. Transfer the squash mixture to a baking sheet in one layer.

4. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned.

5. Serve hot

Nutritionals (Serves 4) Cals: 206, Fat: 8, Carb: 38, Fiber: 11, Protein: 3

Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook

2012-01-18T08:16:00.001-05:00

Now that we are settled in our new place in Maryland, I’m using my free time to work my way through my cookbook collection. The most recent addition to it was sent to me by a PR firm promoting Daniel Humm and Will Guidara’s new cookbook, Eleven Madison Park. They sent me a free book so that I could feature it on the blog, but the opinions are all mine.

The first thing I noticed about the cookbook is that it is HUGE. We haven’t unpacked our scale yet, so I can’t say exactly how heavy, but I can say that I did some weightlifting with it (when your life is packed up you need to improvise!)

My kitchen is still coming together, so I haven’t actually made anything from it yet, but that didn’t stop me from sitting down for an hour to page through it and soak up the images. They are absolutely breathtaking, and they make me want to start cooking right away. The techniques in the cookbook are totally new to me, and I’m excited to expand my horizons by trying out the exotic ingredients required, and learning new techniques and skills like buttermilk snow and strawberry confit. I should note that the recipes require a lot of ingredients and the instructions often take up a whole page, even for the Iberico ham thinly sliced with green salad(pictured below).

This is not really my photo, it is a photo of their photo in the book, If only all of my photos turned out like this one. Maybe I should start taking pictures of books more often.

The recipes look challenging and fun, but I am even more excited to continue to study the photos and learn from them. I don’t have any delusions that my food styling is even a quarter as good as theirs, but I am using this book to teach myself some styling skills. These images are so exquisite that even my photos of their photos are better than many of my photos of my food!

Another photo of their photo. Francesco Tonelli is my new hero.

I have no doubt that I will fail a lot when I try these new techniques, but I can’t wait! This cookbook has also inspired me to put Eleven Madison Park, the restaurant, on my to do list next time I’m in NYC (that is, the next time I’m in NYC after I’ve won the lottery) and I recommend it to anyone that likes a challenge or a gorgeous coffee table book. I’ll post another review once I’ve had a chance to try some of the recipes. Wish me luck!

ChoLon

2012-01-16T11:07:00.001-05:00

I knew that once we got to DC it would be harder for us to go out to eat, so I used our last few weeks in Denver to hit all of the restaurants that I had been meaning to go to. I’d had my eye on ChoLon for many months, but since Dan doesn’t like Asian food, I never quite got around to going. Luckily my foodie friend Christina does, so she and I had a goodbye dinner there.

I’ve passed by ChoLon a hundred times, and each time I’ve seen these huge rice and sesame cakes lining the window. It turns out that they’re sort of like an Asian take on the bread basket you get at a lot of restaurants before the meal. Sadly, this wasn’t nearly as good as a bread basket. We ended up sending it back after only a few nibbles.

literally as big as my head!

Fortunately, we fared much better the rest of the night. The restaurant had a Prix Fixe menu which allowed us to order three small bites, two entrees, and a dessert between the two of us, and we both jumped at the chance to get more tastes.

We started out with the French onion soup dumplings with sweet onion and gruyere. The dumplings arrived piping hot, but they were sort of like the Rocky Mountain oysters I tried once – an interesting concept without much flavor . The French onion soup flavor was not as strong as I had expected, either.

Christina chose the pork belly pot stickers with ginger mustard, a much better decision. I’ve always thought that all pot stickers tasted pretty much the same, but these were so delicious that they have reset my personal pot sticker bar. The pork belly was delicious, but the ginger mustard stole the show, adding an extra depth of flavor. After the pot stickers were gone,. I even thought for a moment about sneaking a spoonful of the ginger mustard all by itself.. Alas, I did not have a spoon, and a chopstick-ful would not have been as satisfying, and probably a lot messier.

do you think the waitress would notice if I took the dipping sauce dish with me?

I had also heard great reviews of our next choice, the kaya toast, which was topped with coconut jam and accompanied by an egg cloud to dip it in. The toast reminded me a lot of the gorgonzola and honey bruschetta from Caveau. Christina got a bit of smoke in her first bite, which we concluded after much pondering must have been a big bite of pepper. Later, we quizzed our waitress about the recipe and were amazed that so few ingredients could turn into such a complex dish.

I swear, there is gorgonzola in this dish. slurp slurp

When we ordered our entrees, one of Christina’s true hidden talents emerged. She is so good at selecting food from a menu that I think she should become a professional food orderer. (wouldn’t that be a great job? professional food orderer?) Her entrée selection won best dish of the night, hands down.

She ordered pork tenderloin topped with Chinese bacon sauce and paired with a butternut squash puree and greens. The bacon sauce was sweet and salty and brought out the sweetness of the tender pork, and the bacon itself was crispy and delicious, providing a nice textural contrast. The greens were perfectly cooked and tender too, but the butternut squash puree was the true highlight of the dish.

While we were eating it, we kept trying to figure out what made it so good, but we could never quite put our finger on it. After almost licking the plate, I’m still not sure what it was. I think I will have to start making butternut squash purees until I find one that matches this. It was amazing.

Hello Butternut Squash, please jump into my belly…

I had my eye on the vegetable fried rice with a poached egg, since my love of runny eggs knows no bounds, and I’ve been enjoying fried rice dishes more and more recently.

Unfortunately, after we took a few bites of this dish we decided that the flavors needed to meld a little more. We left most of it on the plate, and Christina took it home with her. No doubt she turned the leftovers into something delicious.

Oops, should have gotten a picture before the egg was mixed in

For dessert, we decided to have the five spiced doughnuts, Vietnamese coffee ice cream and condensed milk. The donuts were still warm and served as a great sponge for the quickly-melting ice cream, which had just the right amount of bitterness and coffee flavor (along with some interesting crunchy pieces of something). The condensed milk finished everything off on a delicious sweet caramel note.

The items on the right are donuts, not raw duck and chicken breasts!

I’m sad that I waited until my last week to eat here, since this place is a fantastic option for foodies looking for a new take on traditional Asian fare. Not only was the food amazing, but the wait-staff was fantastic - they were attentive but not overbearing. We were busy talking and probably ate slower than our waiter would have liked, but we were never rushed and our next course was always brought out an appropriate amount of time after our last course had been removed. The famed chef, Lou Sysema, even stopped by during dessert just to ask how our dinner was going. If I had a chance, I would definitely go back.

I should also note that since we made our reservation through Savored, which gives you a discount on your check, we ended up saving money (after the $10 reservation fee was taken into account) which is a good deal. You have to spend money to save money, I always say! (Dan doesn’t always agree with that).

The Kitchen

2012-01-13T07:11:00.000-05:00

You might be wondering if this post is going to be about my new kitchen. (Which is approximately 100% more awesomer than my old kitchen). However, you would be wrong. Before we left Colorado, Dan and I made one last trip to Boulder to go on a hike and to visit The Kitchen, a restaurant I’d been wanting to try for a long time.

I’ve gone out to eat in Boulder many times with the intention of going to The Kitchen, but every time I’ve been drawn away to Salt or The Kitchen Next Door. Since I knew this was my last chance, I stayed focused this time.

We had just hiked up a mountain (well, okay, I guess it was more like a big hill, and we didn’t quite make it to the top), so we both had worked up an appetite by the time we got to the restaurant a little after 11 am. The lunch options tempted us (specifically, the lamb burger), but we both opted for their breakfast. I decided to try out the Long Family Farm ham, poached eggs, hollandaise, challah and house potatoes. The dish was delicious, but the egg was overcooked, which was a disappointment because I just love a runny egg. The flavors all worked nicely together, though, and the challah was the perfect vehicle to sop up all of the hollandaise, although I thought they were a little too generous with the sauce.

Dan chose the Northern Lights Smoked Salmon, which came with scrambled eggs, chive cream cheese, grilled bread, arugula and capers. He avoided the capers but ate up the rest of the breakfast quickly.. In between bites he told me that he used to have smoked salmon all the time in college. I had no idea that he liked smoked salmon. I guess I’m still learning things about him 6 years later. I have made a mental note that this is something we’ll have to add to our morning repertoire in the future.

In the end, both of us enjoyed our meals, but we were a little underwhelmed. The place didn’t leave as lasting of an impression as either Salt or The Kitchen [Next Door] did, but I’m glad we’ve finally been!

To top off our trip in Boulder, we stopped in at a store on Pearl Street and got a cookbook that features recipes from Colorado restaurants. This way I can bring the restaurants we’ve come to love to the suburbs of D.C. I’m well aware that D.C. is home to some of the best restaurants in the country, but since we won’t be living downtown, we won’t have the same access.

Buon Amici

2012-01-11T07:50:00.000-05:00

One of the problems of living halfway across the country was that we didn't get to see my niece grow up. Her personality grows by leaps and bounds every time we see her, and we're anxious to get to know her at each of these stages.

I’m ready for my close up, Mr. Spielberg

Before we moved back east, we got glimpses of her through calls with my sister, texts and emailed anecdotes. I was on the phone with my sister on a cool fall evening when she started to talk to Keira about eating her carrots. There were a few digressions about their visit to the library and the adventures of Bosco, her stuffed dog, but I was able to gather that Keira did not particularly want to eat her carrots. Instead, she wanted pizza from her favorite pizza joint, Buon Amici. It’s hard to blame her. I would probably choose pizza over carrots, too, and the Buon Amici pizza was pretty tasty.

I went there the last time I was in Williamsburg, when my dad and stepmother, Barbara, were also in town. We all had such fun watching Keira try to become friends with the children at the neighboring tables (and some a little further away than that). She’s definitely quite an outgoing girl. Oh, and I had a couple of yummy slices of jalapeno and sausage pizza, too.

The conversation with my sister and Keira encouraged me to get back to Williamsburg as soon as I could. Not for the pizza necessarily (although it was very tasty), but to hang out with Keira and to see what a cool girl she’s becoming! I have to say, raising a toddler sounds exhausting, but as a bystander, it’s very entertaining.

Settling In

2012-01-09T07:36:00.000-05:00

Dan and I are finally settling into our new home. In the past month, we moved from urban Denver to suburban Maryland. Since Dan got a really good job in the D.C. area, I quit my job, and we packed up our life to make the long road trip back to the place where we met. It’s great to be back near family and longtime friends.

Since I am now unemployed, I’m trying to think about what may be next. For the time being, I’m excited to spend more time working on new recipes and improving my photography. I’m taking over the daily cooking and I’m loving organizing the house, especially with an Ikea just down the road.

After weeks of warm and serve before the move and fried food during the move, we were eager to eat some veggies. My stepmother and sister have this fantastic and easy salad that they make for weeknight dinners that I decided to replicate as soon as we moved in. Dan and I have been loving this nightly tradition, and he’s even asked for the salad for lunches. Do you think officemates would mind some red onion in a coworker’s lunch? Maybe I should just leave that ingredient out.

Easy Weeknight Salad

(all proportions are approximate and to taste)

Serves 2

A small spoonful of Mustard

A healthy pour of Olive Oil

A healthy pour of Balsamic Vinegar

Salt

Pepper

1/4 Red onion, chopped

1/2 Tomato, chopped

1/2 head of Red leaf lettuce or Romaine

Crumble of Blue Cheese

Other Items I’ve added:

Broccoli

Steak

Combine the mustard, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in the bottom of a salad bowl. Add some salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the cheese, chopped red onion and tomato to the oil mixture and stir to combine.

Once the ingredients are all covered in the oil mixture, add the lettuce and toss so that all of the leaves are coated in the dressing.

There is Pho in Denver

2012-01-04T09:48:00.000-05:00

Dan and I were a little late to the Modern Family party, but when we got the DVDs of the first season from Netflix (back when Netflix charged a flat fee for DVDs and streaming), we blew through them in a day or two. In one of the first episodes, maybe the pilot, Cam and Mitchell took their adopted Vietnamese daughter to a doctor who was also Asian. I don’t remember much about the storyline except that she said repeatedly that there was no Pho in Denver.

Well, Modern Family, boy are you wrong! I hadn’t really been looking for Vietnamese restaurants, but then one opened up in a formerly doomed storefront near my office. The last store, a coffee shop/candy store, lasted only a few months and didn’t really get many visitors.

Thankfully for the new owners, the Pho restaurant, Pho-Natic, is much more popular, probably because it is the only sit-down Asian restaurant in the area. Not only are the dishes delicious, but the service is really fast. I’ve been back several times now, and I order the combination noodle bowl almost every time. It’s a little bit of everything - pork, beef, spring rolls and shrimp - and a great way to fill up if you’ve had a small breakfast!

So, yes, doctor on Modern Family, there is Pho in Denver. Admittedly, this dish is not Pho, but we’ve had the beef Pho here as well and it was delicious, just not pictured. (It was a little bit camera shy. We’re working on it).

Wheatberry Salad

2012-01-02T09:45:00.000-05:00

While I love going to the grocery store, it is dangerous for our bank account. I can’t just stick to a list. I see something new and can’t resist trying it. That often means that our cupboard is filled with a random assortment of grains. Unfortunately, I often buy these grains without any idea of how I’m going to use them. And so they sit, forgotten about, until Dan does another clean-out-the-cupboard sweep.

During one of these sweeps, Dan discovered some wheatberries sitting in the cupboard. He gently suggested that I find a way to make them and soon. Actually, I think he was the one who bought those, but either way, I started looking for a recipe to use them up.

Most of the recipes I found seemed to be salads. I have to admit that I’m a bit skeptical about salads. I think I had a few too many during my low-carb days. But this recipe, at least, changed my mind. It’s amazing what delicious cheeses and some dried fruit can do to make a salad tasty. Long story short, this recipe was such a big hit that I ended up eating every last bite. Sorry Dan for not sharing!

Wheatberry Chicken Salad

adapted from In Praise of Leftovers

For dressing:
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
4 Tablespoons honey
4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions

Instructions:
1. Whisk together the 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 t. salt, pepper, 4 T. honey, 4 T. red wine vinegar and 1/4 c olive oil.

2. Add the 1/2 c cranberries and 1/2 c red onion and stir. Set aside while you put together the rest of the salad. If you aren’t eating the salad all at once, save the dressing and add to each portion right before you eat it.

For salad: 2 cups wheatberries
shredded, cooked meat from 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
several handfuls fresh, washed spinach leaves
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
large handful fresh whole basil leaves

Instructions
1. Cook the 2 c wheatberries in a large stockpot with lots of boiling, salted water for about 50 minutes or until tender. I found the cooking time required to be significantly longer, probably because of the altitude. Make sure that you add a lot of water so that the wheatberries don’t stick together. Once they are tender, rinse them with cold water and drain them.

2.Combine cooked wheatberries with all the other ingredients, mixing gently with your hands. Pour dressing overtop, tossing to coat. Top salad with pumpkin seeds if you have them and serve room temperature or cold.

Nutritionals (8 servings) Cals: 338, Fat: 10, Carb: 55, Fiber: 7, Protein: 11

Lime Cookies

2011-12-31T09:45:00.000-05:00

Citrus is really a year-round obsession of mine, especially for desserts. I know that most women love chocolate, and sometimes I do, too, but mostly I enjoy fruit desserts. I saw this recipe for lime cookies online and couldn’t trying it out.

The cookies were light and refreshing. They almost tasted like mojitos in cookie form.

Lime Cornmeal Cookies

Adapted from Half Baked

The first time I made these I did not sift the cornmeal very well, so the cookies came out a little too crunchy. I double sifted the cornmeal the second time, and the cookies turned out just right.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, sifted
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon lime zest
3 Tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional sugar mix for rolling:
(I’ve made the cookies with and without this, and both times they were tasty.)
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lime zest

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine 1 1/4 c flour and 1/2 c cornmeal.

2. In an electric mixer, beat 1/4 c butter and 1/2 c sugar at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. Add the 1 egg, the 1 T lime zest, 3 T lime juice and 1/2 t vanilla extract to the butter mixture and continue beating until blended.

4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just blended.

5. Once the flour and butter mixtures are combined, cover the dough and chill for an hour.

6. After the hour, put the dough in wax paper and shape it into a 12 inch log. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

7. Preheat oven to 375°.

8. If using the sugar mix, combine 1/4 c sugar and 1 T zest together. If not using the sugar mix, skip to Step 10.

9. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over parchment paper and place the unwrapped cookie log in the middle of the parchment. Roll the log back and forth until the sugar mixture coats it evenly.

10. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

11. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on parchment covered baking sheets.

12. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool completely.

Makes 30 cookies
Nutritionals (per cookie): Cals: 28, Fat: 1, Carb: 5, Protein: 1

Deluxe

2011-12-28T09:23:00.000-05:00

A few weeks after we moved to Colorado, Dan and I went to a friend’s party at Delight, the companion bar to Deluxe. We enjoyed the atmosphere and heard good things about the food next door, but we didn’t manage to come back and try it until a Groupon popped up. For once, the Groupon was worth the money.

Deluxe is a small and rustic space, with an open kitchen and a northern wall of distressed brick from whatever was there before. We sat next to the window that looked out onto Broadway, which was a very good place to people watch. During dinner we saw yuppies, hipsters and even a guy in a white, sleeveless undershirt, tighty whities and a bear mask/hat.

The people watching was fun, but the food was better. We started the night with grilled bread topped with grated parmesan.

For an appetizer, we ordered a grilled artichoke with lemon truffle aioli. The artichoke was a little greasy but definitely craveworthy. For the first time ever, Dan helped himself to a few pieces. He usually scoffs when I eat artichokes at home. I guess it’s easier when someone else cooks/cleans the artichoke for you.

For my entrée, I followed the recommendation of the waitress and went with the ravioli stuffed with spring peas and ricotta, topped with balsamic, asiago cheese and pine nuts.

Dan had the striped bass with tomatoes, olives, capers, basil and potatoes in a light broth. He enjoyed this dish but preferred mine. I can’t say I’m surprised.

We liked the place so much that we went back a few weeks later when my dad was in town. Score one for Groupon.

Linger

2011-12-26T09:37:00.000-05:00

I was so excited when 5280 Magazine’s “Best Of” Restaurant issue came out. I pored over each of the entries and made a list of all of the new places that I wanted to visit.

My friend Andrea and I were planning a double date, and we decided to check out Linger, a new restaurant in the Highlands neighborhood of Denver and #22 on the list. Dan and I hadn’t had much luck in Highlands, but we figured we’d give it a try. We tried to make reservations, but there was no availability at all that night. Fortunately, we heard that there was a large, first come first served rooftop deck, so Dan and I headed over early to grab a seat before the crowds showed up.

The rooftop deck had a beautiful view of downtown Denver. As day turned into night a full moon came out, and the view continued to be gorgeous. Unfortunately, my phone does not do it justice.

Dan and I started off the evening with some happy hour specials, including some sweet potato waffle fries. Yum!

It got too dark to take pictures for dinner, but I had a delicious pad thai. The waitress told us that we should order two dishes per person, but to be honest, the portions were perfect for me, particularly after splitting an appetizer.

The food and the view were both really good. It was such a fun night that I would definitely go back for happy hour during good weather.

Time to make the donuts

2011-12-23T09:21:00.000-05:00

Does anyone remember that Dunkin Donuts commercial from the 80s? It made a cameo in The Wedding Singer, which is probably why I remember it! I love using this phrase when I really need to buckle down and get something done.

As if Christmas season wasn’t busy enough, Dan and I are about to move across the country again. He got a great job in the Washington, DC area, our old hometown, and so we’ve packed up our lives and and driving over the mountains and through the woods to our new/old home in D.C. We’re really excited about this move and being closer to our East Coast-based friends and family. I don’t yet have a job lined up so I’m excited to spend more time on my photography and cooking while I look!

I won’t lie, it is hard to leave Denver, we’ve made some great friends here and I will never have a view like this again.

Oh Denver, you’ll be missed, But we can’t wait to see you D.C.! Gotta go-It’s time to make the donuts!

Chive Gougeres

2011-12-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

As a relative newbie at hosting dinner parties, I have made the mistake several times of not quite planning my courses right, so that I’m still in the kitchen trying to finish cooking long after my guests have arrived and are ready to eat. To keep this from happening in the future, I have started looking for ways to simplify these events while still serving hot and fresh food.

When I was hunting for an easy appetizer recipe, I realized that gougeres are such a fantastic party food. They are delicious right out of the oven but can be made ahead of time and reheated without losing anything. In fact, when I have leftovers, I freeze them and let them naturally defrost, and they are a delicious addition to my lunch.

Chive Gougeres

Gougeres, like risotto are chameleons. I keep the basic recipe the same but add all kinds of different delicious spices to make each batch taste different.

1 1/2 cups water

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups unbleached flour, sifted
5 large eggs
1 cup grated gruyere cheese

Chopped Chives, to taste

pepper and salt
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine 1-1/2 cups of water, 10 T butter and 3/4 t salt and bring to a boil.

3. Remove from heat immediately and add the 2 cups flour at once, stirring with a spatula.

4. When the flour is fully incorporated into the water mixture, return the pan to the heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to dry out and pull away from the edge of the pan.

5. Once again remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs one at a time, mixing each one until well blended. The dough should be soft and shiny. Once this is done, add the gruyere and chives. Season with pepper and more salt if needed.

6. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and use a small ice cream scoop to dish out small balls of dough.

7. Brush the tops of the gougeres with the beaten egg and bake for about 35 minutes.

Nutritionals (40 gougeres) Cals: 70, Fat: 5, Carb: 5, Protein: 2

Silky Truffle Mashed Potatoes

2011-12-21T09:24:00.000-05:00

A holiday meal is not complete without mashed potatoes. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never made them from start to finish. I’ve helped along the way, and I am the chief taster / quality control inspector, but I’ve never done it on my own until this past Thanksgiving. Dan was out for the morning, so I had to put our pieces of the meal together by myself. It was a good chance to sharpen some of my less-used kitchen skills.

Right from the beginning, I realized that I had a lot to learn. I went to the grocery store to get a pound or two of potatoes and picked up six of the largest potatoes that I could find. Thinking that was about right, I tossed them in a bag and went on my merry way. When I got to the checkout counter, I discovered my mistake. My potatoes did not add up to two or three pounds but instead topped the scale at almost six pounds. Oops.

Always one to see the glass half full, I realized that this meant that we’d have plenty of mashed potatoes left over after dinner. Yum! Sure enough, they were delicious, and I got to eat some as a snack for the next couple of days.

Silky Truffle Mashed Potatoes (for an army)

Ingredients
6 Pounds of Potatoes (I used plain old Russet but my Dad, the king of mashed potatoes, swears by Yukon), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 Tablespoons of salt (for the water)
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cubed
Truffle Oil to taste(optional)
Cracked black pepper to taste

1. Place the 6 lbs of peeled and chopped potatoes and 3 T salt into a large stockpot and cover with water (2 inches higher than the potatoes). Put a lid on the pot and bring to a boil.

2. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.

3. While the potatoes are simmering, pour the 1 c milk and 1/2 c half and half into a medium saucepan and heat gently. Do not boil. Once the milk is warm, set it aside.

4. Drain the potatoes and transfer to the bowl of a mixer (I had to do it in two batches). Beat on low and add the butter a little at a time.

5. Once the butter is incorporated, transfer the potatoes to the large stockpot and add the heated milk. Stir until combined.

6. Season with black pepper and truffle oil to taste.

Nutritionals(8 servings) Cals: 264, Fat: 13, Carb: 34, Fiber: 4, Protein: 5

Garlic Mozzarella Wontons

2011-12-19T09:44:00.000-05:00

I love mozzarella sticks. Even when I was at my strictest with the low carb diet a couple of years ago, I would cheat with mozzarella sticks (they’re mostly cheese, right?) I have been trying to make mozzarella sticks at home for a while now to no avail. Hungry girl has a recipe that uses Fiber One, and while it works pretty well, it requires me to buy certain ingredients that we don’t use on a day to day basis (Fiber One and egg beaters). While I love mozzarella sticks, I don’t want them every day or every week, and I’d rather not have two-thirds of a box of Fiber One sitting in my pantry for months.

Then I had the idea to try stuffing some wonton wrappers with cheese and baking them, hoping that they would crisp up in the oven and provide all of the flavor of regular mozzarella sticks without the fat from frying. The first time I made them, I stuffed the wonton wrappers with small squares of cheese, but it all but disappeared after baking (would the cheese act differently if I fried it?). The second time, I shredded the cheese and crammed as much as I could into each wonton. It worked out better, but there were still some air bubbles. Still, while they weren’t quite mozzarella sticks, they were definitely delicious.

Garlic & Mozzarella Wontons

Adapted from Babble

While Dan enjoyed these without any accompaniment, I ate each wonton with a generous serving of my favorite pasta sauce.

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded
4 garlic cloves, minced (we love garlic-use less if you don’t)
fresh ground pepper
12 wonton wrappers
1 cup of easy tomato sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine the shredded mozzarella and minced garlic.

3. Place a small bunch of shredded mozzarella and garlic mixture in the middle of the wrapper. You want to put so much cheese in the wrapper that it barely closes.

4.Moisten the edges of each wonton wrapper with a bit of water. Press the edges together to form a triangle-shaped wonton.

5. Bake the wontons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 10-13 minutes. Eat warm.

Nutritionals (12 servings excluding tomato sauce) Cals: 50, Fat: 2, Carb: 5, Protein: 3

Easy Candy Cane Fudge

2011-12-16T09:50:00.000-05:00

This is the third in the series of potential hostess gifts. This recipe combined the wonders of peppermint bark with the wonders of fudge, and if you happen to be hosting a party yourself, you can make it ahead of time and keep it in the freezer for one less thing to worry about.

Ever since I worked on a project for some people in the state of Michigan and they sent me some famous Mackinac Island Fudge as a thank you, I’ve had a special weakness for the chewy stuff. Mackinac Island Fudge is sort of like the best burger in New York, a sublime symphony of tastes and flavors (with an extra helping of chocolatey goodness). Unfortunately, this fudge is not readily available outside the Wolverine State, so instead of embarking on an epic journey to find it again, I decided to make some myself.

Since it was holiday time, I decided to add some candy canes to the basic fudge recipe I found. The first time I made the fudge, I pounded them out, but after it was done, I realized that some pieces were still a bit too big. The second time, I pulverized the candy canes with a little help from my coffee grinder, and that made the fudge much easier on my teeth. Both times, the fruits of my labor disappeared rather quickly. Dan probably ate a pound or two of the stuff all by himself. It was a good thing he was still training at the time, because if not, he probably would have turned into Fudgie the Whale.

Candy Cane Fudge

Many recipes I looked at called for marshmallow fluff, and while I think it would have made this a less finicky recipe, I wanted to try it with just the basic ingredients.

Ingredients

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 candy canes, crushed

Instructions

Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the 2 c. sugar, 1/2 c cocoa and 1 c milk. Stir to blend, then bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat and simmer. Do not stir again.
Place candy thermometer in pot and cook until temperature reaches about 238 degrees. (since I’m not great with converting the thermometer temperature at altitude, I also do the soft ball test. To do that you take a drop of the fudge and place it in cold water to see if it forms a soft ball. Feel the ball with your fingers to make sure it’s the right texture.)
Once the fudge reaches the correct heat/texture, remove it from the heat.
Stir in the 4 T butter, 1 t vanilla extract and the crushed candy canes. Beat with a plastic spatula until the fudge loses its sheen. Do not under beat.
Pour the fudge into the 8x8 pan and let it cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutritionals (60 pieces per piece) Cals: 43, Fat: 1, Carb: 9, Fiber: 1, Protein: 1

Brown Sugar Rosemary Almonds

2011-12-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

This time of year is host to a lot of different “seasons”: Christmas movie season, shopping season and holiday party season, to name just a few. Dan and I have been to our fair share of holiday parties over the years, but I have to admit that I’ve never been very creative when it comes to hostess gifts. I grab a bottle of wine, throw a ribbon on it and I’m done. Recently, I’ve been trying to perfect some recipes that can be turned into hostess gifts. At some point, I came into possession of a giant bag of almonds that stared at me every time I opened the pantry, so I thought I’d test a few fancy nut recipes. I tried the sweet and spicy first and these brown sugar rosemary almonds second. Both were huge hits.

Almonds can be a little hard on the teeth, so next time I’ll get some walnuts and try this recipe with the nut it was originally intended for. Either way, these nuts were well received by our guests, and hopefully by our future hosts as well.

Brown Sugar Rosemary Almonds

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1 cup sugar (mix of white and brown sugar)
2 teaspoons salt
chopped dried rosemary to taste (I used quite a lot)
2 large egg whites
1 Pound almonds

1. Preheat oven to 300F.

2. In a small bowl, combine the 1 c sugar, 2 t salt and rosemary.

3. In a separate, larger bowl, whisk the 2 egg whites until they begin to foam.

4. Pour the almonds into the egg whites and slowly add in the sugar mixture. Stir until the nuts are evenly coated.

5. Divide the nuts between two parchment lined baking sheets in a single layer, spreading them out the best you can.

6.Bake the nuts for about 20-30 minutes on the center oven rack, stirring occasionally. They are done when they are golden and not wet.

7. Let cool completely before storing. The nuts should last for at least a week in an airtight container.

Nutritionals (20 servings): Cals: 172, Fat: 12, Carb: 16, Fiber: 3, Protein: 5

The Christmas Nuts

2011-12-12T09:01:00.000-05:00

I have an unnatural and quite recent addiction to Christmas. I blame our Wedding, We decided to get married on Dec. 27, not because of the holiday but because it meant that all of Dan’s brother’s would be able to attend while also not conflicting with the very long triathlon season. We moved to Colorado three months before the wedding and I spent those months rushing to finish all of the wedding details from afar. This meant a lot of long days in front of the computer and on the phone. After Thanksgiving came and went, I realized that there were millions of different Christmas movies. Dan helped me out by Tivoing all of the Christmas movies that we could find and I was a happy camper all December.

Some are heartwarming family tales and some were romantic comedies about how the season is the one to fall in love. What can I say, I’m a romantic. One of the major theme for Christmas movie titles is that everything is The Christmas ____ (shoes/dress/tree/in handcuffs/wish)or A _____ (boyfriend/grandpa/wish) for Christmas. Christmas wishes are quite popular it would seem!

Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1/3 cup dark-brown sugar
2/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I might up this by a 1/2 tsp. next time for more of a sweet/salty balance)
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper (I swapped this with 1/4 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound almonds or walnuts or pecan halves or whole peeled hazelnuts
1 egg white, room temperature
1 Tablespoon water

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, combine the 1/3 c brown sugar and 2/3 c granulated sugar, 1 t salt, pinch of cayenne, 1 t cinnamon and stir to make sure there are no lumps.

3. In a separate small bowl, beat the egg white and water until frothy.

4. Add the nuts to the egg mixture and then add the sugar mixture and stir to combine well.

5. Spread out the nuts on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

6. Bake the nuts for 30 minutes, stir occasionally.

7. Let the nuts cool and separate them as they cool enough to touch.

Nutritionals (20 Servings) Cals: 175, Fat: 12, Carb: 17, Fiber: 3, Protein: 5

Gingerbread Ornaments

2011-12-09T09:01:00.000-05:00

I have been collecting ornaments since I moved out on my own after grad school, and I now have enough to fill a pretty big cardboard box. This year, however, I decided to keep the box in the closet and do something different. I’ve been trying to be more handmade, and I decided to adorn my (four foot tall plastic) tree with some handmade ornaments.

AHH! What was that?!

I used some printer paper that we were about to recycle and cut out a few snowflakes. I also picked up a few candy canes from target (which served double duty as ornaments and dessert). To round things out, I decided to use up the end of some molasses we had lying around and make some gingerbread ornaments.

Oh no! My Arms! I guess Dan got hungry…

They didn’t turn out perfectly, but it was fun trying! The only downside is that they are too tempting for Dan and he’s been eating them right off the tree!

Gingerbread Ornament Recipe

From The Kitchn

5 cups flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup molasses

1. In a large bowl, combine the 5 c flour, 4 t ginger, 1 T cinnamon, 1 t nutmeg, 1/2 t cloves, 1 t salt and 1/2 t baking soda.

2. Place the 2 sticks of butter and 2/3 c brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until well mixed, about 1 minute.

3. Beat in the 2 eggs, one at a time, beating smooth after each addition. Scrape down bowl and beater.

4. Lower the speed and add about half the flour mixture. Once it’s combined, beat in the 2/3 c molasses. Then scrape the bowl and beater again.

5. Add the remaining flour mixture, about a cup at a time, and beat after each addition until it has all been absorbed.

6. Remove the bowl from the mixer and give the dough a final mixing with a spatula.

7. Transfer half the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and press it to about a 1/2-inch thickness. Wrap the dough tightly and repeat with the remaining dough. Move the dough to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or for up to 3 days.

8. When the dough is done chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

9. Unwrap the dough and roll out into a sheet about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough with a cookie cutter and transfer the cookies to a pan covered with parchment paper. Don’t forget to poke a hole for the string! Repeat until done.

10. Press together the scraps and reroll until all the dough is used up.

11. Bake the cookies until they become dull and dry looking, about 10 to 15 minutes.

12. Store any cookies that you don’t hang on your tree in an airtight container. (Although the ones on the tree seem to have maintained their deliciousness for over a week now, or at least Dan keeps eating them).

Buttered Potatoes

2011-12-07T08:59:00.000-05:00

Potatoes can transform quite amazingly in all sorts of different ways, and I have yet to have a bad potato dish. They can turn any meal into comfort food. Mashed, they star on the Thanksgiving table, twice baked, they make a great Christmas dish, and in chip form, they’re a perfect Super Bowl snack.

I love trying new ways to cook potatoes, so when I found a recipe for “Best Little Potatoes,” I knew I had to try them. The potatoes did not disappoint. They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and I love any recipe that lets me use fresh chives. Yum!

Buttered Potatoes

I subbed in red potatoes, but they didn’t work as well as the fingerling potatoes because the ratio of potato to skin was off.

1 Pound of fingerling potatoes (can be found in a mesh bag near the regular potatoes)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 Tablespoons freshly snipped chives

1. Wash off the 1 lbs potatoes and place in a large pot of salted water. Make sure that the potatoes are covered by at least 3 inches of water.
2. Bring to a boil and let cook until just tender enough to insert a fork. This should take about 15-20 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes and set aside

4. Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil. Once the butter melts, add the potatoes.

5. Gently press down on each potato with a fork, breaking the skin and smashing them a bit. Don’t break them too much, just enough to explode the skin a little.

6. Crack some salt over the potatoes and let them brown for a few minutes-don’t touch them until each potato is nicely browned. Once the potatoes are browned, flip them over and let them brown on the second side.

7. Serve warm.

Nutritionals (for 6 servings) Cals: 129, Fat: 8, Carb: 13, Fiber: 1, Protein: 2

Easy Tomato Sauce

2011-12-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

Dan and I love our pasta and our pizza, but we don’t necessarily like the tomato sauce that comes in jars. Naturally, I embarked on a quest to make the perfect tomato sauce so that I could have a stockpile on hand for pizza emergencies. I’ve tried quite a few, but so many are just way too fussy, with dozens of ingredients and lots of prep work. This recipe was a combination of Gourmet and Smitten Kitchen’s tomato sauce recipes.

Not only is it super convenient, requiring very little outside of common pantry ingredients, but it is also the most delicious recipe that I’ve made yet (and that’s saying something, since many have had both butter and bacon in them). I think the addition of dried fennel seeds really made the sauce. I know that not everyone likes their strong flavor, but for me, they really brought this sauce to another level.

Easy Tomato Sauce

adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Gourmet

2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 large clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
28 oz crushed tomatoes, broken up with an immersion blender
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Small handful fresh basil leaves, most left whole, a few slivered for garnish
dried basil, to taste
dried oregano to taste
dried fennel seeds, crushed

1. Heat 2 T oil and 4 cloves garlic in a large saucepan and cook until fragrant.

2. Add 28 oz tomatoes, 1 t salt, pinch of each red pepper flakes, basil leaves, dried basil, fennel seeds and dried oregano and turn the heat to medium-high.

3. Once the sauce has begun to boil, turn your heat down to medium-low and gently simmer for 35 to 45 minutes.

Nutritionals(8 servings): Cals: 64, Fat: 4, Carb: 8, Fiber: 2, Protein: 2

Satchel’s on 6th

2011-12-02T09:36:00.000-05:00

On our way to Barolo Grill, I noticed Satchel’s on 6th and made a mental note to visit that restaurant, too. Lucky for me, my friend Sarah recommended Satchel’s for our next get together. Her mother-in-law lives near the chef, so she’s had a few opportunities to try his cooking.

The restaurant wasn’t too crowded, and we found a table easily. While we waited for our other friend to show up, we ordered a few glasses of wine and an appetizer, goat cheese sticks with duck confit on top of charred tomato sauce. Fried goat cheese doesn’t get soft and gooey like cheddar or mozzarella, so we were able to cut the sticks into individual bites without getting melted cheese everywhere. The duck confit was a welcome surprise in the middle of the stick.

I couldn’t decide on a dinner, so I went with a salad and a small plate instead. Both were easy choices. For the small plate I ordered the mac n cheese with duck confit. As you might have noticed, I’m on a duck kick, and since we don’t make it at home, I try to have it out as much as possible. The duck was not quite as tender as I’d like, but the dish was still delicious.

To accompany the mac n cheese, I chose the mixed greens salad. It was topped with caramelized pistachios, dried cherries, cambazola cheese (a soft blue veined cheese), slices of apples, and a touch of maple balsamic vinaigrette. This salad was light and sweet and was more like dessert than dinner, which was just fine for this sweet toothed girl!

We ended up closing down the joint but received no hints or pushes from the staff to leave. This place really is a neighborhood gem. I’m hoping to come back some time and try Satchel’s brunch. I bet it is at least as good as the dinner.