Playing House

Lemon-Filled Lemon Cupcakes

2012-01-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

Hello out there! It's only been 6 months away from blogging, but it feels like years. If there's anyone still reading, I'd love to explain why I've been away, and why I chose to come back now.

During the first trimester of my pregnancy, I was really, really sick. It went beyond feeling nauseous all the time; I developed a complete aversion to anything edible. Along with that came the inability to be in my kitchen. There were weird smells that I had never smelled before and that no one else could detect. It was so bad that even passing through made me throw up (sorry, I know this is a food blog!) immediately on contact. I came to dread anything remotely related to food.

After those days of fun passed, I was left feeling completely empty. I could eat again, but my passion for cooking, baking, and even eating had died. In the past few months, there has been more takeout and prepared, processed foods served in our house than I care to admit. It's felt like a deep loss, actually. This thing that was such a huge part of my identity just disappeared, and I've had to work really hard to start to rebuild it. And that's exactly what I plan on doing now.

I've started baking a little bit again, and giving myself permission to not photograph or blog every single thing that I make. Taking baby steps. Before I know it, life is going to start throwing some beautiful curveballs at me, and I desperately want my outlet, my hobby, my passion back before that happens. I know the spark is in me somewhere, I just need to keep at this and I know that it'll ignite eventually.

So that's where I've been. If you made it through that, please let me treat you to some cupcakes! Lemon buttermilk cake, filled with lemon curd, topped with cream cheese frosting. They are as good as they sound, I promise.

Lemon Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes
Printable Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons (about 3 tbsp), plus 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
Lemon Curd for filling (I used the kind from Trader Joe's, feel free to use your favorite recipe!)
Frosting: Cream Cheese Frosting from this Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake recipe - makes exactly enough to frost 24 cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line 24 standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk and lemon juice, and beating until just combined after each.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

4. Fill cupcakes with lemon curd using your favorite filling technique (mine is described here), then frost and serve immediately.

What I've Been Baking Lately...

2011-09-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

Mini Cherry Pies

2011-07-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

Oh hello there! It's been a while! A lot has happened since last time I wrote. We're back on US soil, grateful for our ridiculously amazing time abroad but so happy to be home. It turns out that I had a kitchen of my own again just in time to make a grand dessert feast for Andy's 30th birthday this weekend. We had a combined birthday/housewarming celebration and I obviously couldn't pass up the opportunity to shove sweets down peoples' throats.

I made several desserts, but these Mini Cherry Pies definitely took home the prize for cute factor. I got the mini pie idea from Jenny at Picky Palate and put my own spin on the filling. These little babies are a slightly tedious (no surprise there), but completely worth it. Not only were they tasty, the adorableness factor garnered them high praise at the party.

There's no recipe for this, really. Use your favorite pie filling (I improvised one using fresh pitted cherries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and flour) and Jenny's incredibly helpful and thorough photo tutorial for the crust and baking guidelines. I increased the recipe a bit and wound up with 12 pies. Have fun!

Chocolate Truffle Brownies

2011-04-13T01:05:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I've collected no fewer than five outstanding brownie recipes that I've made, adored, and would use again in a heartbeat. Yet I find myself on a never ending quest to try new variations on a beloved theme. This quest recently led me to Chocolate Truffle Brownies.

These are a basic brownie with walnuts topped off with a layer of beautiful, rich ganache. This particular recipe is an ideal match for people who don't like cloyingly sweet desserts. The use of bittersweet chocolate, especially in the ganache layer, makes these treats feel more sophisticated than most. When all else fails, you really can't go wrong with ganache.

Make sure you leave plenty of time to make these. The preparation itself isn't lengthy, but there is cooling time required for both the brownies and the ganache. These can be made up to a day ahead of time; just cover and store at room temperature.

Chocolate Truffle Brownies
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes about 2 dozen
Printable Recipe

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped, divided
11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 9 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving overhang. Spray foil with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Combine 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and cool chocolate mixture until lukewarm, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt in large bowl to blend. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Stir in flour, then chopped toasted walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan. Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 26 to 28 minutes. Transfer pan to cooling rack and let brownies cool completely.

3. Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add remaining 6 ounces chocolate to hot cream and let stand 5 minutes to soften, then whisk until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate ganache over brownie sheet in pan and spread to cover completely. Let stand at cool room temperature until topping is set, about 4 hours.

4. Using foil as aid, lift brownie sheet from pan. Fold down foil edges. Using large sharp knife, cut brownie sheet into 25 squares, wiping knife with hot moist cloth after each cut. Arrange brownies on platter and serve.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

2011-04-09T04:51:00.000-07:00

When we started our adventure in Dubai, I pictured myself cooking and baking to my heart's content all day, every day. As you may have noticed, that hasn't exactly been the case. Being half a world away from my wealth of beloved equipment and the constant desire to explore/eat out are just a few of the things keeping me away. But I have been taking a cooking class each week (more on that soon!) and I've also recently started making regular big group dinners for Andy and his coworkers, so it's fair to say that I'm recently re-inspired.

The first group dinner I organized for Andy's team was Taco Night. I made these Mexican Wedding Cookies for dessert and they were the perfect ending to a perfect meal. They're also often called Mexican Wedding Cakes. I haven't been a shortbread fan in the past, but these little beauties made me a believer. They're just the right balance of delicate and sweet, and while they may look plain, the nuts and cinnamon make them anything but.

Besides their obvious function after a Mexican-inspired meal, these would be lovely to serve at an afternoon tea. I even had a few for breakfast! Just make sure you let them cool completely before giving in to the temptation to taste one because of their extra crumbly texture. We had a few cookiesplosions in our kitchen before we realized this.

Mexican Wedding Cookies
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Printable Recipe

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely ground
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until well blended. Beat in flour, then pecans. Divide dough in half; form each half into ball. Wrap separately in plastic; chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and cinnamon in pie dish to blend. Set cinnamon sugar aside.

3. Working with half of chilled dough, roll dough by 2 teaspoonfuls between palms into balls. Arrange balls on heavy large baking sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom and just pale golden on top, about 18 minutes. Cool cookies 5 minutes on baking sheet. Gently toss warm cookies in cinnamon sugar to coat completely. Transfer coated cookies to rack and cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining half of dough. (Cookies can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature; reserve remaining cinnamon sugar.)

4. Sift remaining cinnamon sugar over cookies and serve.

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

2011-02-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

Please allow me to introduce you to my new best friend, Cookies & Cream Cupcakes. In case you need any convincing about how amazing these cupcakes are (which you probably don't), they received numerous compliments along the lines of "this is the best dessert I've ever eaten." These were actually just an afterthought for me since I had so many oreos left over after stuffing chocolate chip cookies with them. Turns out they're more of a revelation than an afterthought.

It's hard to tell from the photo, but the cupcake batter is filled with oreo chunks and baked on top of half an oreo (quite similar in style to these Mini Oreo Cheesecakes, actually). The frosting is a hybrid cream cheese/buttercream, and is the perfect light compliment to the massive quantity of oreos that these cupcakes deliver into your mouth. Although I'm a sucker for anything oreo-related anyways, I can say objectively that these will melt your heart. At the very least, they're a front runner for best cupcakes I've ever made.

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes
Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Beantown Baker
Makes 24 cupcakes
Printable Recipe

For the cupcakes:
24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. heavy cream

For the garnish
Oreo cookie crumbs
24 Oreo cookie halves

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo half in the bottom of each liner, cream side up.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir together with a fork to blend and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract.

4. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.

5. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla extract. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

7. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with Oreo crumbs and garnish with Oreo halves.

Winemaker's Grape Cake

2011-02-24T03:27:00.000-08:00

I experienced my very first grape cake at the little French bakery stand at the Dubai Farmers Market last month. It looked so interesting and novel that I had to buy one. It enjoyed it so much that I made it my mission to get hands on the recipe. It took a bit of research, but I finally found it. The Winemaker's Grape Cake.

I never would have thought to use grapes in baking. I love them for snacking, in salads, and even pickled. But they work unexpectedly and perfectly in this cake. That light texture that I adore comes from using half butter, half olive oil, and the lightness is further highlighted by the use of both lemon and orange zest. I'd recommend this cake for brunch or afternoon tea, although it could also play the role of dessert quite well. I halved the grapes, but if you prefer to leave them whole, that would work as well.

Winemaker's Grape Cake
Adapted from Patricia Wells
Serves 8-12
Printable Recipe

Butter and flour for preparing the cake pan
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup (135 g) sugar
4 tablespoons (2 ounces; 60 g) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup (6 cl) extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup (8 cl) whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (200 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of sea salt
Grated zest (yellow peel) of 1 lemon
Grated zest (orange peel) of 1 orange
10 ounces (300 g) small, fresh purple grapes, halved (seedless or, if using seeded, seeds removed)
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Generously butter and flour a 9" springform pan, tapping out any excess flour. Alternatively, line a buttered and floured 9" round cake pan with parchment paper, then butter and flour the parchment. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, oil, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until blended.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the lemon zest and orange zest, and toss to coat the zest with flour. Spoon the mixture into the bowl of batter and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix once more. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquids.

5. Stir about 3/4 of the grapes into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.

6. Place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the top of the cake with remaining grapes. Bake until the top is a deep golden brown and the cake feels quite firm when pressed with a fingertip, about 40 minutes more, for a total baking time of 55 minutes. Remove to rack to cool. After 10 minutes, run a knife along the sides of the pan.

7. Release and remove the side of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the pan base (or if using a regular cake pan, invert the cake onto a platter). Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Serve at room temperature, cut into thin wedges.

Giveaway Winners!

2011-02-20T23:35:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in announcing the 500th post giveaway winners. I got a little sidetracked by some last-minute Greece.

I'm back in Dubai now, and ready to play! I want to send my sincerest thanks to everyone who entered the spice giveaway. Your comments validated all of the reasons that I love blogging, especially the part about community. I'm so grateful for your support.

Winners, please send your mailing address to playinghouseamy@gmail.com and I'll send your spices out as soon as I figure out how to navigate the UAE postal system. A big congratulations to the following commenters:

Thanks again to each of you, and cheers to the next 500!

#500, The Dubai Spice Souk, and A Giveaway!

2011-02-09T03:34:00.000-08:00

This is my 500th post. I don't really have words for how much food that is. Could you imagine sitting down to a meal of 500 things that I've cooked and baked? That would be so nutty. Sometimes I look at my blog traffic and try to imagine all of those people in the same place at the same time, bonding over good food. That would be nutty too. And an amazing party.

I have a tradition of pausing every hundred posts (#101, #200, #300, #400) to reflect on Playing House. Post #300 is still my favorite thing I've ever written, and it all still rings true.

In honor of me actually maintaining a hobby for more than 5 minutes (which, before starting this blog, was completely unprecedented), I have the best giveaway ever to share with you. It's genuinely one that I would be excited to win, and I hope you will be too.

As you may know, I'm currently living in Dubai. Three winners of this giveaway will receive a package from me with an assortment of spices, herbs, and seasonings from the Dubai Spice Souk (market)!

How to enter:
Leave a comment on this post by midnight Pacific Time on Wednesday, February 16th, 2010.

You can say anything, tell me who you are, where you're from, what you like to cook, how you found Playing House, share your favorite recipe, or just say hi! I'd also love it if you would tell me your favorite dried herbs & spice(s). No guarantees, but it's possible that I can accommodate requests for the winners.

I'll choose three winners on Thursday using a random number generator. Thank you so much for being here, this whole game wouldn't be nearly as fun without you.

Hugs,
Amy I.

Edit: Entries are now closed, thanks to all who commented!

Ginger Mint Fruit Salad

2011-02-09T03:19:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that I've been on butter/sugar/flour overload here recently. Obviously I haven't only been eating cookie-stuffed-cookies and sugary Middle Eastern pastries, but I've been craving fresh fruits and vegetables like mad for the last couple of days. I think my kitchen asked my body to give me a hint.

Ginger is my new favorite thing. It's another addition to my long and ever-growing list of Things I Used to Hate and Now I Love (some of the more ridiculous items on that list are butter, puppies, and basil. I know.). After I came across the recipe for this Ginger Mint Fruit Salad, I was out the door and on my way to the store for the ingredients less than 5 minutes later.

This recipe is great for a few reasons. Besides its obvious freshness and versatility (use any kind of fruit you'd like), it's really easy to make, as long as you're able to set aside a few hours for the syrup to chill. The mint lends a surprising sophistication to it. I know that sounds silly, but I sure as hell wasn't hip enough to think of adding mint to a fruit salad before Epicurious recommended it.

And perhaps the best thing about this recipe is the surplus of ginger syrup. The salad only calls for a fraction of the syrup that you wind up making. So you get to keep this extra deliciousness in your fridge and use it to sweeten your tea, pour over your ice cream, moisten your cakes, splash into your sparkling water (my personal favorite), or anything else your imagination comes up with. You could also halve (or even quarter) the syrup recipe, but what fun would that be?

Ginger Mint Fruit Salad
Adapted from Gourmet
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

For ginger syrup
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 cups thinly sliced fresh ginger (1/2 lb; from a 10-inch piece), left unpeeled

For fruit salad
4 cups (1-inch pieces) fruit (such as mixed berries, melons, peaches, and/or nectarines)
3 tablespoons small mint leaves

1. Bring water, sugar, and ginger to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan, then stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes. Pour ginger syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding ginger.

2. Chill, covered, at least 2 hours.

3. Toss fruit and mint with 1/4 cup syrup, or to taste. Extra syrup keeps, covered and chilled, 2 weeks.

Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-02-07T09:24:00.000-08:00

There is just one word to describe these cookies: ridiculous. In the best way possible, of course. A cookie within a cookie is just pure genius. Like, a "why didn't I think of that?" kind of genius. Luckily for all of us, Jenny at Picky Palate did think of it, and I'm here to vouch for her recipe.

If you want to make something completely over-the-top and indulgent that is sure to impress your friends (and even your enemies), you should consider making these cookies. That's really all I have to say about that.

Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Picky Palate
Makes ~16 cookies
Printable Recipe

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 package Oreo Cookies (regular or double stuff)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in 3 additions until just combined, then stir in chocolate chips. Using a cookie scoop, take one scoop of cookie dough and place it on top of an Oreo in your palm. Take another scoop of dough and place it on the bottom of the Oreo. Seal the edges together by pressing and cupping in your hand until the Oreo is enclosed with dough.

3. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake 9-13 minutes or until they reach your preferred doneness. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Honey Sesame Rolls (Tahinli)

2011-02-04T01:02:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, I'll see a recipe on a food blog and won't be able to stop thinking about it until I make it. That was the case with these rolls. I thought about them constantly for 5 days until I finally broke down and made them. It's been so long since I've had the luxury of taking a several-hour chunk of time to bake something, and it felt so wonderful. Having some ridiculously delicious snacks after all that hard work felt pretty great too.

These rolls are not quite breakfast-y and not quite dessert-y, although they could pass for either. They're perfect for a mid-afternoon snack, or even as a substitute for a sandwich at lunchtime. I'm so grateful for this recipe for introducing me to my new favorite flavor combination, tahini (sesame paste) and honey. Tahini on its own feels like it's lacking something, but combined with honey it's more delicious than any other nut butter or spread I've ever had (except nutella, of course).

Fair warning: I'd recommend this recipe for intermediate or advanced bakers. The recipe itself is really straightforward and the dough comes together easily, but rolling and shaping the buns required some handiwork that I definitely couldn't have achieved as a beginner.

I've been doing a lot of research on Middle Eastern cooking and baking, and the more I see, the more I fall in love with the flavors and textures of the food around here. Expect to see a lot more of it coming out of the Playing House kitchen going forward!

p.s. I'm so excited for my upcoming 500th post and giveaway. Stay tuned, it will be happening sometime in the next week!

Honey Sesame Rolls (Tahinli)
Adapted from Desert Candy
Makes 12 rolls
Printable Recipe

Dough
3 1/2 cups flour, sifted
2 1/4 tsp (1 envelope, 7 gr) instant yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup olive oil
1 egg, beaten

Filling
1 cup tahini
1/2 cup honey

Glaze:
1 egg, beaten with 2 tsp water
sesame seeds

1. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a bowl. In a small bowl combine the egg and oil. Heat the milk to warm (120 - 130F). Add the milk to the flour mixture, then work in the egg mixture with your hands to make a smooth, elastic and not sticky dough. This should take 1-2 minutes.

2. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes. It will not rise like other breads. While the dough is resting, combine tahini and honey in a small bowl and set aside.

4. Divide the dough into 12 pieces, lightly brush them with a bit of oil so they do not dry out and make it easy to roll. Let rest, covered, 15-20 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 325 F. Roll one ball of dough out into a long oval or rectangular shape. Roll it as far as it will stretch without breaking. It should be about 14-16 inches by about 6 inches (Amy's note: this is just an estimate, I didn't measure and it wasn't in the original recipe. Just thought a guideline would be helfpul.) Spread with a thin layer of the tahini mixture, leaving a border around the perimeter of the dough about 1/2 inch. The layer of tahini should be just thick enough to be opaque (you shouldn't be able to see the dough underneath) but don't use too much or it will ooze out.

6. Starting at the longest edge, roll up the dough into a rope. Gently twist the rope so it is spiraled. Roll up the rope to a form a coiled bun. Gently flatten the bun with the rolling pin or a firm press of your hand. Place on a greased or lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. (Amy's note: forming the buns took so long that I went ahead with Step 7 for the first 6 and formed the remaining 6 while the first batch was baking If you're slow like me that will save you some time).

7. Brush the rolls with the beaten egg wash, then sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top. Bake 25-30 minutes, until light brown.

Pasta Ponza

2011-02-01T12:01:00.000-08:00

I'm big fan of vegetarian pasta dishes. Especially if they make liberal use of breadcrumbs (here, have some carbs with your carbs!) I've made a lot of easy vegetarian pasta recipes, and this is definitely one of my favorites. My take on a classic from Giada De Laurentiis, it isn't the quickest weeknight meal (I'd say it takes about 45 minutes from start to finish, including non-active roasting time), but it's really simple to put together.

The red and yellow tomatoes are the prime flavor source here; artichoke hearts and bread crumbs are supporting actors. The technique of roasting the veggies under breadcrumbs and then tossing them with the pasta was new to me. I'm excited to try it out with different veggies. If you're looking for simple, fresh flavors, Pasta Ponza is an excellent choice. For what it's worth, I found that the leftovers the following day were even tastier.

Pasta Ponza
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Serves 4-6
Printable Recipe

Butter for greasing
2 cups (12 ounces) red cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups (12 ounces) yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup canned artichoke hearts, quartered
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 cup Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs
1 pound rotini or other short pasta
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 ounces) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish.

2. Place the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the prepared baking dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the tomato mixture. Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

4. Place the pasta in a large serving bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the pasta. Add the cheese and toss well. Thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley (if using) and serve immediately.

Lemon & Mint

2011-01-30T02:23:00.000-08:00

Juice is really big in Dubai. Alcohol's not too common around here (it's mostly only permitted in hotels), and "mocktails" made from every imaginable combination of fresh fruit juice are the norm. This suits me just fine; other than the occasional glass or two of wine, I'm not a big drinker. Give me a Shirley Temple and I'm a happy clam.

There's one juice drink that seems to be on every menu, and I quickly fell head over heels for it. It's simply called Lemon & Mint. It can vary in its appearance - sometimes it looks like a green smoothie, other times more like lemonade with pieces of mint - but it always tastes sublimely refreshing with a tart kick.

Feel free to adjust the quantities of ingredients to your taste, the numbers below are rough estimates of what I used. This is the kind of recipe that you'll probably need to keep tasting and modifying until you get the right proportion of sweet, tart, and minty. It should be significantly more tart than traditional American lemonade. Cheers to mocktails!

Lemon & Mint
A Playing House Original Recipe
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 1/2 cups cold water
Juice of 6 lemons
1/2 bunch fresh mint leaves, stems discarded

1. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over sugar and stir to dissolve.

2. In a blender (or a pitcher, if using an immersion blender), combine sugar water with remaining ingredients. Blend to desired consistency.

3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until chilled. Enjoy!

Dubai Farmers Market

2011-01-28T05:47:00.000-08:00

When we lived in Oregon, one of my favorite things to do was take my camera and spend the morning wandering through the Farmers Market, capturing the seasonal produce, taking home whatever looked the best, and blogging all about it. This has fallen to the back burner in the past year or so, but my love for Farmers Markets still burns as strongly as ever.

When I heard there was a Farmers Market in Dubai and that it was literally footsteps from our home here, I would have fallen out of my chair if I hadn't been standing up, I was so excited. I was finally awake and dry enough to check it out today (last week I was exhausted and it was pouring), and I'm in love. It's not an impressive market by any means; there were only 3-4 farms there (and a bakery!). If it wasn't so close, I wouldn't make a special trip to go there (there's an organic grocery store in the mall next door too). But it's close, it's affordable, it has a great selection despite its small size, and it's fun!

Cabbage easily as big as my head

I didn't get to chat with any of the farmers today, but I've heard that most of the produce is grown organically in Abu Dhabi, the Emirate next door. I also didn't see anything too unusual or unexpected - the only thing that surprised me was sugar cane. Just a lot of quality-looking organic produce and stunningly gorgeous baked goods.

I'll be curious to see whether and how the selection changes as we move from winter to spring.

I got one of these grape cakes, it was a revelation

Kachkaval & grana padano are types of cheese

Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcakes

2011-01-26T22:30:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you about how good these cupcakes are. See those two cupcakes down there? See how there are just two, not twelve? That's all that was left by the time I actually had a minute to snap a photo.

I get a kick out of making slightly non-traditional baked goods. Things that most people have never heard of before. That's probably why I just made chocolate chip cookies for the very first time last month. These Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcakes definitely fall into that "intriguing" category.

They're really easy to make, and a great alternative for people (like my former self) who find piping/decorating cupcakes to be too high maintenance. Although they're lacking that piled-high frosting and look eerily similar to muffins, I can assure you that these are genuine, bona fide cupcakes. The nutella sort of hardens in the oven, giving it a texture that's similar to canned frosting - in a good way. The cake itself is divine too. It has a classic yellow cake flavor and the recipe is so simple that I'm sure I'll be using it as a base for other cupcakes in the future.

Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcakes
Adapted from Baking Bites
Makes 12 cupcakes
Printable Recipe

10 tbsp (140 grams) butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups (200 grams) sifted all purpose flour (sift, then measure!)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Nutella, approximately 1/3 cup

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Cream together butter and sugar until light, 2 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Don’t worry if the batter doesn’t look smooth. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder until batter is uniform and no flour remains.

3. Using an ice cream scoop for uniformity, fill each muffin liner with batter. They should be 3/4 full, if you’re not using a scoop. Top each cake with 1 1/2 tsp nutella. Swirl nutella in with a toothpick, skewer, or sharp knife, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the nutella. Don't worry about making it look pretty.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Blueberries & Cream Cookies

2011-01-22T03:46:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Amy. Amy loved blueberries, cookies, and making sweet things. One day a long, long time ago, Amy found a recipe for Blueberries & Cream Cookies, and she thought that it looked like the best recipe she had ever seen.

As she was preparing to make the cookies, tragedy struck. A key ingredient in these cookies, liquid glucose, was nowhere to be found. Amy looked high and low throughout all the land, but was unable to find the glucose. She read about substitutes, but she wanted the cookies to be absolutely perfect. Time passed and slowly the cookies faded from her mind. But she never forgot.

Many years later, Amy found herself living in a faraway land called Dubai. Dubai was full of new and interesting things to eat. As she wandered the aisles of her new grocery store, Amy saw something glimmering out of the corner of her eye. Could it be true? Yes! She had found the glucose, plain as day on a shelf in the baking aisle.

This story has a very happy ending. Amy used the glucose to make Blueberries & Cream cookies, and she shared the cookies with her new friends in Dubai, who all gave rave reviews for these ridiculously delicious and unusual cookies.

And we all ate happily ever after.

Note: If you're in the US and looking for glucose, you can buy it on Amazon. I only found this out after I was already packed up to leave the country.

Blueberries & Cream Cookies
Adapted from Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar, via Martha Stewart
Makes 14 cookies
Printable Recipe

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
cup (8 ounces) Plugra European-style unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1/4 cup glucose
1 large egg
3/4 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup Milk Crumbs (recipe below - make these first)

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix together butter, sugars, and glucose until well combined. Add egg and mix until well combined.

3. Add flour mixture and mix until well combined. Add blueberries and milk crumbs and mix until well combined. Using an ice cream scoop about 2 1/8 inches in diameter, scoop dough into balls and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Transfer baking sheets to refrigerator until dough is chilled, about 15 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until cookies are golden brown and tops begin to crackle, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Milk Crumbs
Makes enough for 14 cookies
Adapted from Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar, via Martha Stewart

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon nonfat milk powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup white chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder, flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter until well combined. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake until dried and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove milk crumble from oven and let cool completely.

3. Transfer milk crumble to a large bowl and fold in remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder and white chocolate. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Salaam!

2011-01-18T21:33:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Dubai! I'm so happy to be back here at Playing House after a whirlwind month. We're still getting settled in, and I'm in the process of setting up our new kitchen, but I'm really excited and relieved to be able to start baking and cooking again soon.

I have many ridiculously fun things up my sleeve, including starting a Middle Eastern cooking class here in Dubai next week, planning a special celebration/giveaway for my 500th post (this is #491, so stay tuned!), and a giant foodie to-do list to tackle.

In the meantime, while I make a million trips back and forth to the grocery store (it's within walking distance so I only buy what I can carry), if you're interested in my Middle East adventures, I've been blogging about our travels for my friends and family. If you're here, I consider you a friend too, so hop on over to A Whole New World if you'd like to stay updated on our day-to-day happenings in the UAE.

See you soon!

Hugs,
Amy I.

p.s. In case you missed the original post, here's the background on why I'm in Dubai.

Yummiest of Playing House 2010: Sweet Edition

2010-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Sweet Edition of the Yummiest of Playing House 2010. As much as I love to cook, baking is really where my heart lies, and it's infinitely more fun when I get to share what I've baked with you. Below you'll find my favorite treats from this year.

I wish each of you a sweet, happy, and healthy 2011. Thanks for reading!

Hugs,
Amy I.

Yummiest of 2010: Savory
Yummiest of 2009: Savory
Yummiest of 2009: Sweet

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

Strawberry Peach Crisp

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

Cornflake Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Oreo Truffles

Cherry Brown Butter Bars

Salted Caramel Brownies

Caramel Apple French Toast

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Yummiest of Playing House 2010: Savory Edition

2010-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

I love arbitrary traditions and always jump at the chance to create new ones. The Yummiest of Playing House is now officially a tradition. I started this last December as a way to highlight my very favorite recipes from throughout the year. Like last year, I'll be dividing my favorite recipes from 2010 into 2 posts, a Savory Edition and a Sweet Edition.

What was your favorite kitchen creation this year?

Enjoy!

Yummiest of 2009: Savory
Yummiest of 2009: Sweet

Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti

Soft Pretzels

Pad See Ew

Pasta Salad with Tomatoes & Corn

Challah

Spring Green Risotto

Summer Veggie Salsa

Heirloom Tomato Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-12-25T12:59:00.001-08:00

It's confession time. I just made chocolate chip cookies for the first time. I mean, I've made other types of cookies before. I've even made cookies that are really similar to chocolate chip cookies. But I've never made straight-up, classic, plain old chocolate chip cookies from scratch before today.

I set out on a mission to do a taste-test of sorts, systematically trying recipes until I found one that I could adopt as my go-to favorite. Doesn't every American home baker need a chocolate chip cookie recipe in their back pocket? I didn't get too far in my experiment, though, since the first recipe I tried was a winner.

These cookies are of the crispy edges/chewy center variety. My cookbook says that using melted butter instead of room-temperature solid butter is to thank for the perfect texture. If you have a kitchen scale, I highly recommend using it for the flour and brown sugar (and in any recipe where weight measures are given). It's far more accurate than using measuring cups, and increases the likelihood of a massive success in the end.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
Makes 24 cookies
Printable Recipe

2 cups plus 2 tbsp (10 2/3 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed (7 oz) light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

2. In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the chips until incorporated.

4. Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart (12 to a sheet). Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Pink Grapefruit Cake

2010-12-19T14:40:00.000-08:00

For my birthday yesterday, I chose to have dinner at Ad Hoc, Thomas Keller's casual, family-style restaurant in Napa. It was easily (and not surprisingly) the best meal I've had in recent memory. I'd heard and read great things about Chef Keller for years, but now that I've had a transcendent meal at one of his restaurants, I'm an official groupie.

I came straight home and bought a copy of Ad Hoc at Home, which is a stunning work of art posing as a cookbook. This cake was the first thing that jumped out at me. I feel strongly that grapefruit is a severely underrated citrus fruit, and will take any excuse to bake with them. The method was nearly identical to the Lemon Lemon (Lemon) Loaf that I made last year. The cake is incredibly moist, appropriate for breakfast or dessert, and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when I felt that Thomas Keller's recipes for home cooks were infinitely beyond my ability and skill level. Thank you, Chef Keller, for inspiring the beginning of a new era in my kitchen; in my opinion the best thing that could happen on my birthday. Also? Thank you for serving a cheese course from the Von Trapp family's Vermont farm at my birthday dinner. That pretty much made my life.

Pink Grapefruit Cake
Adapted from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home
Printable Recipe

For the cake:
2 cups flour
1 ¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon grated pink grapefruit zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the grapefruit syrup:
1 cup strained fresh pink grapefruit juice
2/3 cup granulated sugar

For the grapefruit icing:
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh grapefruit juice

Garnish (optional):
1/2 grapefruit, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10x4 or 9x5 inch pan or lightly oil it (Amy's note: I have 2 9x3 pans so I split the batter between the 2 and adjusted the baking time).

2. Sift flour and baking powder. Stir in salt and set aside.

3. Combine the sugar and eggs in a mixer and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes until the mixture is thickened. Beat in the milk, then the oil, grapefruit zest and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate.

4. Spread batter in the pan. Put the pan on a small baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the pan around and bake for another 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack.

5. While cake is baking, combine the grapefruit juice and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer one minute. Set aside.

6. When you remove the cake from the oven, using a long skewer, poke deep holes every ¾ inch or so all over the top. Immediately begin brushing the syrup over the cake. It may be necessary to wait for the syrup to soak in, but continue until you’ve used all the syrup. Let the cake cool for about 10 min.

7. Turn out the cake onto a cooling rack. Turn it right side up, and let cool to room temperature.

8. Stir the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice together in a bowl until smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing on a diagonal over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Garnish with grapefruit slices (optional). Slice and serve.

Chocolate Marshmallow Whoopie Pies

2010-12-10T18:39:00.001-08:00

Ever since I made a batch of mediocre Red Velvet Whoopie Pies a few months ago, I haven't been able to stop thinking about making them again. I know that whoopie pies have the potential to be out of this world (I proved it with the massively successful Pumpkin Cream Cheese variety), and I wanted another success. These chocolate marshmallow ones come pretty close.

While not quite as moist or flavorful as the gold-standard pumpkin, I'm really pleased with how these came out, and so was the crowd I served them to. If you're looking for simple, classic flavors but want something snazzier than a basic chocolate chip cookie, these are an excellent pick. Plus, rumor has it that whoopie pies are the new cupcake.

This post is dedicated to our dear Alan, who passed away last weekend. He has been my Nana's sweetheart, and my de facto grandfather, for the past 5 years. He was genuinely the sweetest man I have ever known, and emphatically adored every possible thing about my Nana, including her granddaughter's food blog. The impression that his infectious love and humor made on our family will be sticking around for a really, really long time.

Chocolate Marshmallow Whoopie Pies
Adapted from Annie's Eats
Makes 24 sandwich cookies
Printable Recipe

For the cookies:
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the filling*:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
7½ oz. jar marshmallow fluff
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Combine the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl; whisk together to blend. Set aside. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Blend in the buttermilk and vanilla extract until incorporated. Mix in the dry ingredients, blending just until combined.

2. Using a 1-oz dough scoop, drop the batter onto the prepared baking pans, 12 cookies per pan. Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow to cool on the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter.

3. To make the filling, place the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Blend in the confectioners' sugar until incorporated. Beat in the marshmallow fluff and vanilla until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

4. Once the cookies are completely cooled, match them up in pairs by size. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain with the marshmallow filling. Pipe a dollop of marshmallow filling onto the flat side of one cookie of each pair, and sandwich the cookies together, pushing the filling to the edges. Store in an airtight container.

*If you tend to be a generous cookie-filler like I am, consider making 2 batches of filling. I'd hate for you to run out.

Spaghetti Squash: A Photo Tutorial

2010-12-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

Spaghetti squash was one of the first things I ever learned how to cook as an adolescent. I can't quite remember how or where I learned this method, but it has stuck with me for about 20 years. That's how much I love this stuff.

I adore spaghetti squash for three reasons. First, it's a crazy miracle of nature (that's the scientific term). It baffles me that something can morph from a completely solid state to thousands of perfectly uniform strands when heat is applied. The second reason is the texture. It's similar enough to actual spaghetti, but has a crunchy bite that gives away its vegetableness (also the scientific term). I can easily eat a giant half in one sitting. And finally, it's so easy to make. I'm a recipe person; I rarely ever wing my cooking without one. But this is one of the rare methods that I feel completely comfortable with on my own, without the guidance of a recipe.

If you've never had spaghetti squash, or haven't mastered its preparation yet, follow along. I'll show you how!

Cut a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise using a big, sharp knife.

Scoop the seeds and strings out. I like to use my ice cream scoop, I find it's sturdier and more effective than a spoon.

Cut 1-2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and place them in the cavity.

Cover the squash tightly with plastic wrap.

Microwave for 10 minutes. I know 10 minutes seems like a really long time, but I promise it's right. Let the squash sit in the microwave for 5 more minutes. When you take it out and remove the plastic wrap, it should look like this:

Now it's time for the fun part! Use a fork to shred the flesh into tiny spaghetti strands. This should happen easily, with very little effort on your part.

Serve with your favorite marinara sauce (here's mine) or add some extra butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon & sugar. Enjoy your new favorite veggie!

Hello Dubai!

2010-11-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

I have some epic (but only mildly food-related) news to share. Andy and I are moving to Dubai! His company is sending him to the Middle East to work, and I'm tagging along to play! We'll be there for about 3 months in early 2011, and we're ridiculously excited for the adventure of a lifetime.

Source

Since I don't have any concrete plans yet over there (besides exploring the biggest mall in the world), I'm hoping to use my time to learn about the food of the region: how to shop for it, make it, and especially eat it. I'm also planning on sharpening my photography skills and working on my 101 in 1001 goals list (which expires next summer), honing the fine art of napping (kidding. Sort of.), and taking plenty of weekend trips to places I've never imagined I'd get to go.

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I'm pretty flabbergasted that we have such a cool opportunity, and I can't wait to share it with all of you. I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to start another blog just for our travels, but you can bet that if it's food-related (and really, what isn't food-related with me?!), I'll post about it here.

Tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa:

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Has anyone ever been to Dubai? I'd love some insider advice.