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<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" version="2.0"><channel><description>HelloArchiveRecipes</description><title>http://masplease.tumblr.com/</title><generator>Tumblr (3.0; @masplease)</generator><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/</link><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/masplease" /><feedburner:info uri="masplease" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://tumblr.superfeedr.com/" /><feedburner:browserFriendly></feedburner:browserFriendly><item><title>There's a Key On My Piano That I Play For You</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/57d0f8943389ed4211049cbd41abf1c6/tumblr_inline_mmnhtpNlbF1qz4rgp.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Start of the season always lends itself to minor extravagances. And so after a half-hearted forage for ramps, I found myself at the market overpaying for a soft shell crab and a bunch of the elusive ramps.
&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Wanting something bright and stringent to cut through the meaty soft shell crab, I quick pickled the ramps using my old standby &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/37708280784/quick-pickles" title="Quick pickle" target="_blank"&gt;recipe&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the way that I rarely want an oyster that isn’t on the half-shell, or a broiled or stuffed lobster, I generally don’t pickle foods that are already delicious and special on their own. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And yet, in the days that followed, I ate these slimy strings of ramps over piles of arugula, buried in avocado sandwiches, sharing forks with rosemary panko pork and, too often, straight from the jar until my skin breathed garlic and vinegar.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Zv3d8ryW0" target="_blank"&gt;There’s a Key&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/50191912512</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/50191912512</guid><pubDate>Sat, 11 May 2013 16:25:25 -0400</pubDate><category>ramps</category><category>recipes</category><category>pickling</category><category>pickle</category><category>spring</category></item><item><title>I Should Have Known Better, But I Couldn't Say Hello</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/bb1357e625fc97df8f739be12ebf9ffc/tumblr_inline_mlkq0vHrEe1qz4rgp.jpg"/&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/27c3ff3cf0d55dd2e229346b452751fe/tumblr_inline_mlkq127MoQ1qz4rgp.jpg"/&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/bedac749a780b6e4ad5f0b0c4a1648e6/tumblr_inline_mlknfn7HT01qz4rgp.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;There will be a sunny Saturday in April when you know you should stop craving shoyu ramen and meatballs and warm baguettes with Irish butter and saucisson sec. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;On this day, you&amp;#8217;ll think about making a righteous kale salad. And yet.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;You&amp;#8217;ll lay a fire in the stove, run an afternoon bath and camp under the duvet with your dog and a well-worn copy of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Secret History, &lt;/em&gt;waiting for t&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;his hearty strata to finish baking in the oven.&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I rarely cook with dill, but I like the way its sharpness cuts through the dense egg and bread. That said, the recipe is foolproof and works with virtually any leafy green and herb. If you&amp;#8217;re feeling indulgent, add cheddar or gruyere or crumbled bacon or sausage. Regarding bread, days old baguette is ideal, but even processed white hamburger buns will work in a pinch.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Collard Greens and Dill Bread Pudding&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3 cups milk&lt;br/&gt;a big bunch of fresh dill, chopped&lt;br/&gt;6 leaves of collard greens - deveined and chopped&lt;br/&gt;8 slices of old bread, cubed&lt;br/&gt;3 eggs&lt;br/&gt;3 egg whites&lt;br/&gt;1/2 cup cottage cheese&lt;br/&gt;salt and pepper to taste&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Place chopped bread in single layer of an oiled, buttered or sprayed baking pan. Pan should be at least 2” deep.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Combine milk with cottage cheese, then pour over bread.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Layer collards over bread.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Mix eggs, egg whites and dill, then pour over collards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;5. Season with salt and pepper and bake in 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until top is browned.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;6. Allow to sit at least 10 minutes before serving.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;7. Serve hot or at room temp.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ura2VLgx6Pk" target="_blank"&gt;Misery is a Butterfly&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;/em&gt;Blonde Redhead&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/48470656663</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/48470656663</guid><pubDate>Sat, 20 Apr 2013 17:53:00 -0400</pubDate><category>winter</category><category>spring</category><category>fall</category><category>eggs</category><category>bread</category><category>breakfast</category><category>brunch</category><category>recipes</category><category>collards</category><category>kale</category><category>greens</category></item><item><title>It Has a Nice Sound When You Laugh</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/5ee3d174ab72bbfdcc6ee37b80f0e557/tumblr_inline_mk70emzmTd1qz4rgp.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have a husband who eats cookies indiscriminately. It’s a nice trait, this ability to derive the same amount of pleasure from a noisy bag of Tates as from a sleeve of chalky Chips Ahoy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But though it may be quaint, I also happen to think it&amp;#8217;s very wrong.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In an effort to rehabilitate the problem, I made this mini batch of toaster oven cookies. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Perfect for late nite cravings, the recipe yields just three cookies and is fast and simple. &lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3* Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies &lt;/strong&gt;[adapted from &lt;a href="http://www.number-2-pencil.com" target="_blank"&gt;No. 2 Pencil&lt;/a&gt;, via &lt;a href="http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Cup of Jo&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1 T butter, softened&lt;br/&gt;1 T peanut butter&lt;br/&gt;2 T brown sugar&lt;br/&gt;1 T granulated sugar&lt;br/&gt;1/4 ts vanilla extract&lt;br/&gt;1 egg yolk&lt;br/&gt;1/4 ts baking soda&lt;br/&gt;1/4 c. AP flour&lt;br/&gt;2 T semi-sweet chocolate chips&lt;br/&gt;pinch of coarse salt&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Preheat oven to 350&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Blend butter, sugars, peanut butter, salt and vanilla.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Add egg yolk and blend. Add baking soda and flour. Mix until blended.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Add chocolate chips.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;5. Divide dough into 3 and space evenly on parchment papered baking sheet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;6. Bake 11 minutes, or until edges brown.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;7. Remove from oven. Bang sheet on counter to deflate cookie and give it its proper wrinkles. Cool 5 minutes before carefully transferring cookies to cooling rack.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;* The original recipe claims to serve just one. But I found the yield to be 3 decently sized cookies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6GOhaRVe0s" target="_blank"&gt;Gold Soundz&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;/em&gt;Pavement&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/46594453837</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/46594453837</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:51:00 -0400</pubDate><category>baking</category><category>recipes</category><category>winter</category><category>spring</category><category>fall</category><category>cookies</category><category>chocolate</category><category>peanut butter</category><category>pavement</category><category>gold soundz</category><category>music</category><category>indie</category></item><item><title>Oh I Would Not Give You False Hope</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/5f20538eb19e29a41d9b7ebb1f63d5c4/tumblr_inline_mif1m8M7Lb1qz4rgp.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Cantonese wonton soup at our local takeaway is one of my favorite lazy dinners. Two bucks is all it takes for a handful of bobbing wontons, a sprinkling of wilting scallions, and a bowl of clear broth made streaky with a side of chili oil.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Cantonese wontons resemble nothing of the thick skinned glob of dense meat found in a traditional wonton. To start, the skins are thin, wrapping around a tiny nugget of shrimp, pork and scallion. The filling so small, the excess skin boils to a dense and doughy tail, best bitten first, before the wonton itself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I got to this recipe, not because I was craving wontons, but because I had a baguette burning a hole in my proverbial pocket. Bread so good it dictated a meal. And it demanded something saucy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So I blended shrimp and ground turkey. Added more than a healthy dose of ginger and garlic and curry. Mixed, boiled, sauced and dipped.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Curried Turkey &amp;amp; Shrimp Balls&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meatball Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;3/4 lb ground turkey&lt;br/&gt;1/2 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and chopped&lt;br/&gt;1/4 cup panko&lt;br/&gt;1/4 cup milk&lt;br/&gt;2 ts fish sauce&lt;br/&gt;6 minced scallions&lt;br/&gt;2 ts minced ginger&lt;br/&gt;2 garlic cloves, minced&lt;br/&gt;1 egg white&lt;br/&gt;1 minced jalapeno&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sauce Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;1 red onion coarsely chopped&lt;br/&gt;2 ts minced ginger&lt;br/&gt;1 garlic clove, minced&lt;br/&gt;8 oz mushrooms&lt;br/&gt;1 can coconut milk&lt;br/&gt;2 ts Sambal Oleak&lt;br/&gt;2 cups milk&lt;br/&gt;4 T curry paste&lt;br/&gt;2 ts fish sauce&lt;br/&gt;a couple squeezes of lime&lt;br/&gt;Cilantro&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;1. Combine balls ingredients, roll into balls, then cook, 8-10 minutes in large cast iron pan, turning to brown all sides.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. In the meantime, heat curry paste, garlic and ginger in dutch oven until fragrant. Add onions and mushrooms and stir. Add milk and fish sauce and bring to a boil.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Serve sauce over meatballs. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream or Greek yogurt.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Alternately, you can cook your unsauced balls in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or directly in the curry for 15 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://thisbonustrack.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/02-Mother-And-Child-Reunion-Paul-Simon-Cover.mp3" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mother and Child Reunion&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/44870938078</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/44870938078</guid><pubDate>Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:11:00 -0500</pubDate><category>Fall</category><category>Winter</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Meatballs</category><category>Curry</category><category>Shrimp</category><category>Morning Benders</category><category>Paul Simon</category></item><item><title>Waiting For Someone to Come Out of Somewhere</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/b6166d6ab4c212f260915f63cc00e2c9/tumblr_inline_mhzkvbAPGa1qz4rgp.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It’s been a month&amp;#8217;s worth of too little sleep, shamefully tight waistbands and meals eaten deskside, typing with one hand. Daily dense toasty bagels for lunch, late nite dinners of French fries and rosé and snacks of bodega sushi have taken their toll.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But this weekend I had some time. I got lost in a book. And knit my first &lt;a href="http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/43394168566/2013-02-knitting" target="_blank"&gt;hat&lt;/a&gt;. And practiced my French. And listened, &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; listened, to my favorite songs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I also took the time to make something not only delicious, but wholesome and healthy. The antidote to the last few week&amp;#8217;s convenience food, this pot of chili cooks slowly, in the most welcome way. Serve over a bed of arugula, skipping the chips, if you dare.&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1 lb ground turkey (or beef or chicken) &lt;br/&gt;1 chopped yellow onion &lt;br/&gt;5 garlic cloves, minced &lt;br/&gt;4 jalapenos, minced (and seeded, if you like) &lt;br/&gt;3-4 cans of beans + their juice&lt;br/&gt;1 T cumin &lt;br/&gt;1 T ground cocoa or 2 T chili powder &lt;br/&gt;lots of fresh herbs (thyme or winter savory best) &lt;br/&gt;1/2 cup beer or wine (optional) &lt;br/&gt;28 oz can of whole tomatoes , chopped&lt;br/&gt;1-2 cups stock &lt;br/&gt;salt, only if using no salt canned beans and tomatoes &lt;br/&gt;white pepper, to taste&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Cook meat in dutch oven until outside is cooked. Inside can still be pink. Remove from pan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Cook onions, then garlic, then jalapenos in grease from meat, until soft.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Add seasoning + meat back to dutch oven.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Add beans, tomatoes and liquids.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;5. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Stir every 20 mins or so.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDaJsTY9yIE" target="_blank"&gt;I Am Waiting&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/43395098390</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/43395098390</guid><pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:33:00 -0500</pubDate><category>Fall</category><category>Winter</category><category>Chili</category><category>Beans</category><category>Turkey</category><category>Recipes</category></item><item><title>Must Be The Clouds In My Eyes</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/151c51530a10857bf611aecb8e6d064f/tumblr_inline_miezvrhuv01qz4rgp.jpg"/&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/e068908eab24be3d5ab4c551fb6370d6/tumblr_inline_miezvfmCy11qz4rgp.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Not everything I make is edible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;2 balls Blue Sky Alpaca bulky&lt;br/&gt;1 set 16” circular #11 US needles&lt;br/&gt;Marker&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Cast on 40 stitches. Join.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Knit 2, P2 in the round for 3”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Knit around for 6.5” (hat will measure 9.5” from cast on edge).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Slip 1 as if to knit, K2tog, pass slipped stitch over, K1. Repeat until round is finished.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;5. Knit 3 rounds. Cut tail, pull taught to close up center top circle. Weave ends on wrong side.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TDtTeZZSKw" title="Daniel" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Daniel&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Bonnie Prince / Tortoise&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/43394168566</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/43394168566</guid><pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:59:00 -0500</pubDate><category>knitting</category><category>crafts</category><category>how to</category><category>beanie</category><category>blue sky</category><category>bonnie prince billie</category><category>elton john</category><category>tortoise</category></item><item><title>[How To] Perfectly Hard-Boil An Egg</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/442ef08d3e009b2899c47e56afa93b5c/tumblr_inline_midimfkf0A1qz4rgp.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the perfect kitchens of our perfect lives, the shell of a hard-boiled egg slips off, yielding a white so jiggly it seems there is no possibility of a cooked yolk inside. And yet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But the perfectly hard-boiled egg is easier than you think. See here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;2 eggs&lt;br/&gt;Water&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;1) Place eggs in saucepan.&lt;br/&gt;2) Add enough water to cover eggs. Bring to boil over high heat.&lt;br/&gt;3) Cover. Kill heat. Let sit for 10 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/43319691228</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/43319691228</guid><pubDate>Sun, 17 Feb 2013 11:55:10 -0500</pubDate><category>eggs</category><category>hard boiled</category><category>how to</category><category>recipes</category><category>cooking</category></item><item><title>Shake Me Up That Old Peach Tree</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/a0849d0070ad3dd9cc79c777f0168819/tumblr_inline_mggtppmR4P1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The best sandwich [Above]: Deli meat sliced thin from the mold of a cartoon-shaped &amp;#8220;turkey&amp;#8221;, a smear of processed Swiss cheese, and arugula from a plastic box all sandwiched between two pillowy slices of Light Whole Wheat bread.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Not everything we eat involves a trip to the farmers market, a box of CSA produce or even a certified stamp of &amp;#8220;organic.&amp;#8221; Sometimes, when we get too busy or too lazy or too cheap for garden-fresh herbs, home-jarred pickles, and poured-over coffee, we make food from boxes, from cans, and yes, even pouches.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sometimes the best food is the most humble food.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ft2yXKcbSg" title="Not bad." target="_blank"&gt;Country Pie&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/40254247007</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/40254247007</guid><pubDate>Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:22:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Blink Your Eyes, I Was Raised On Cakes</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/0a26587cef4ca30ee7bc860af56a4790/tumblr_inline_mfrbhiiovk1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Last nite, our first NYC NYE in years, we indulged in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;+ A birthday party&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;+ A&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt; masquerade party &lt;br/&gt;+ Last minute mask crafting involving exacto knives, cardboard bunny ears, Elmers glue and loads of pink glitter still stuck to the living room floor&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;+ Mother-in-law’s fur stole&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;+ Pre-game snacking at Ramen Yebisu (who is now (hurrah!) serving pork buns)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;Because we weren’t up in the country for the eve, the first morning of the year included no groggy padding into the kitchen to grind coffee beans, no house warmed by the smell of bacon baking, no empty bottle reminders of why a houseful of six people is still as silent at 8am as it was at dawn.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;Instead, January 1 was marked by a leisurely dog walk around the neighborhood, egg and cheese sandwiches (ok, and a tamale) from the Mexican deli, and The Royal Tenenbaums on repeat.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;But before New Year’s Eve, there was Christmas. And we made eggnog. The Times titled this recipe “Eggnog, the Hard Way.” Although it is more involved than opening a carton of mix, it’s not particularly difficult. Below is the final with my minor tweaks.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2 cups whole milk&lt;br/&gt;2 cups low-fat milk&lt;br/&gt;1/2 cup sugar&lt;br/&gt;5 large eggs, separated&lt;br/&gt;1 cup heavy cream&lt;br/&gt;1 1/2 cups rum&lt;br/&gt;nutmeg to taste&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Warm 2 cups whole milk, but do not boil. Remove from heat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and egg yolks. Whisk until thick.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Whisk 1 cup of the warmed milk into the sugar mixture. Add it back to the milk in the pan, stirring over low heat, until thickened and blended. Turn off heat and add cream.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Chill liquid. Once chilled, add rum and remaining 2 cups of milk.**&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until peaks form. Fold yolks into liquid. Serve topped with grated nutmeg.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;**If you prefer, you can add rum and remaining milk after adding cream, but before chilling.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IBIbl1LzIw" target="_blank"&gt;Hit the Ground Running&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/39449574766</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/39449574766</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:41:00 -0500</pubDate><category>Alcohol</category><category>Eggs</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Winter</category><category>Eggnog</category></item><item><title>Let's All Get Up &amp; Dance To A Song That Was A Hit Before Your Mother Was Born</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/5a686b3a86bae6e95967da7640199a1d/tumblr_inline_mfr91t0kpg1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Paté is one of those items I rarely order at restaurants because it is so bad for you. Not only is the chicken liver high in fat and cholesterol, it&amp;#8217;s also made with decadent amounts of lard or butter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Even worse, restaurant paté is not always worth it. Sometimes it&amp;#8217;s a miniature loaf - like a soft deli meat, meant for slicing - not spreading. Sometimes it&amp;#8217;s spreadable, but so rich and heavy - a kind of meat flavored butter. I like paté, not for its decadence and density, but for its earthy, very slightly sour flavor. &lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By replacing half the chicken liver with mushrooms, and all the butter with hard-boiled eggs, this inexpensive, simple recipe becomes airy and light, more complex in flavor and infinitely more healthful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mushroom &amp;amp; Chicken Paté&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1/2&amp;#160;lb. chicken livers, rinsed and drained&lt;br/&gt;4 shallots, chopped&lt;br/&gt;1&amp;#160;T fresh thyme, minced&lt;br/&gt;1&amp;#160;T port&lt;br/&gt;1&amp;#8221; ginger, minced&lt;br/&gt;1 clove garlic, minced&lt;br/&gt;3/4&amp;#160;lb. mushrooms, coarsely chopped&lt;br/&gt;2 eggs, hard-boiled&lt;br/&gt;white &amp;amp; black pepper, to taste&lt;br/&gt;salt, to taste&lt;br/&gt;whole peppercorns (optional)&lt;br/&gt;parsley, minced (optional) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. In a cast iron skillet, cook first seven ingredients (chicken livers - mushrooms) over medium heat until livers are browned on outside, slightly pink inside. Remove from heat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Combine liver mixture + eggs, salt and peppers with an immersion blender, until fluffy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Transfer to serving dish. Place a layer of peppercorns and / or parseley on top (if using). Cover well and allow to set in refrigerator, a minimum of 2 hours.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukHnsrHRQdI" target="_blank"&gt;Your Mother Should Know&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/39059253328</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/39059253328</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:39:00 -0500</pubDate><category>Appetizers</category><category>Mushrooms</category><category>Fall</category><category>Winter</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Pate</category></item><item><title>I Was Counting My Steps As I Made My Way Home</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mesm5yB9Y01rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I used sliced red onions for these quick pickles. Onions, because they pickle quickly. Red, because they’re naturally sweeter and prettier than other varieties.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Since we still had jalapeños in our garden, I chopped up a few and dropped them in. Feel free to add any other items to the brine. Just keep in mind that the more dense and thick skinned your addition, the less quick of a pickle you’ll achieve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These pickles are perfect with salads, burgers, burritos, hummus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Not perfect with real pickles, yogurt or non-boiled eggs.&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick Pickled Onions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1 cup rice vinegar&lt;br/&gt;1/4 cup water&lt;br/&gt;2 TB honey&lt;br/&gt;1/4 ts coarse salt&lt;br/&gt;1/4 ts cumin&lt;br/&gt;1/2 ts red pepper flakes&lt;br/&gt;1 red onion, sliced into rings&lt;br/&gt;1 garlic clove, peeled &lt;br/&gt;4 jalapeños, sliced&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Combine all ingredients but onion and garlic in a pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Add onions, garlic and jalapeños. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Transfer to jar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;**This recipe makes a pretty small serving. You can double or triple, but I would keep the honey no more than 3&amp;#160;TB.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GA6vjithLQ" target="_blank"&gt;Did I Tell You?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/37708280784</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/37708280784</guid><pubDate>Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:11:00 -0500</pubDate><category>How-to</category><category>Pickles</category><category>Pickling</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Spring</category><category>Summer</category><category>Fall</category></item><item><title>I Spent The Winter With My Nose Buried In a Book</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_meojrnSWLH1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Karin, Andy and Baby H at the house last weekend. We gorged on grilled steak, heart-shaped boar sausage, three-ingredient artichoke dip, and heaps and heaps of mac and cheese.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Though many mac recipes will tell you differently, this is not the time for fancy cave-aged gouda. Go for the cheap, processed block cheddar that’s in the non-organic milk aisle. And if you’re feeling spicy, buy one block of sharp and one of habanero.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Spicy Mac &amp;amp; Cheese&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pasta&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;1 lb pasta (I prefer grooved cavatappi to elbows)&lt;br/&gt;5 cups milk &lt;br/&gt;2 cloves garlic, minced &lt;br/&gt;8 oz cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cheese Sauce&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;1 cup shredded sharp cheddar &lt;br/&gt;1 cup shredded habanero cheddar**&lt;br/&gt;3 TB flour&lt;br/&gt;3&amp;#160;TB butter &lt;br/&gt;1 ts white pepper&lt;br/&gt;1 ts nutmeg&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Also&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;1/2 cup panko (or breadcrumbs)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;**if using all plain cheddar, cook 1 sliced jalapeno with the garlic and mushrooms and add a dash of cayenne to the cheese sauce&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray or grease a 2 quart baker.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Cook pasta in milk. Drain, reserving 2 cups of milk.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. While pasta cooks, cook garlic and mushrooms over medium heat 5 minutes or so. Add to pasta.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. In a small saucepan, heat 2 cups reserved milk to almost boiling.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;5. While milk is almost boiling, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted, but not browned, add flour. Stir constantly over low heat for 2 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;6. Begin adding warmed milk, 2 TB at a time to flour mixture. Once you have added 1/2 cup, you can add the rest, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring to ensure flour, milk and butter are well combined. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;7. Once sauce is thick enough, add grated cheese and nutmeg, stirring until melted. Pour cheese sauce over pasta. Pour pasta into prepared baker.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;8. Heat panko in fry pan until slightly browned. Sprinkle on top of pasta.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;9. Cook, uncovered for 25 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aPupUX2s_A" target="_blank"&gt;A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/37496503215</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/37496503215</guid><pubDate>Sat, 08 Dec 2012 15:15:00 -0500</pubDate><category>Fall</category><category>Winter</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Pasta</category><category>Cheese</category><category>Macaroni</category><category>Mac and Cheese</category></item><item><title>You Should Hear Me Play Piano</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me0i8mHbQH1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We were out of town and needed something quick to bring by a drop-in at friends’ family. Kristina had a rosemary bush (literally, a bush that any East Coaster would smuggle in her suitcase in November when all garden fresh herbs are dying), so did a quick mix of nuts, heat, herb and oil. Cooks up in a fast 20.&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1 cup raw almonds&lt;br/&gt;1 T minced fresh rosemary&lt;br/&gt;dash cayenne, to taste&lt;br/&gt;2 ts coarse sea salt&lt;br/&gt;2 ts chili powder (curry powder works as well)&lt;br/&gt;2 ts olive oil&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Pre-heat oven to 325. Line baking sheet with parchment or foil.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Mix all ingredients. Spread on parchment or foil-lined baking sheet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Bake 20 minutes. Let almonds cool completely before serving.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ5F9yQCu_Y" target="_blank"&gt;The Queen Is Dead&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/36510943035</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/36510943035</guid><pubDate>Sun, 25 Nov 2012 10:12:00 -0500</pubDate><category>Fall</category><category>Winter</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Nuts</category><category>Almonds</category><category>Snacks</category></item><item><title>To A Room With a Cupboard Bare</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me00qpixtQ1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Made these funny little cookies this week. Surprisingly nutty (without nuts), these salty, crunchy cookies resemble mini caramel popcorn balls pre-baking and Cracker Jacks pre-balling. &lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies [adapted from &lt;a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Smitten Kitchen&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;1/2 cup butter, softened &lt;br/&gt;1/2 cup granulated sugar&lt;br/&gt;1/3 cup light brown sugar&lt;br/&gt;1/4 cup chocolate chips&lt;br/&gt;1 large egg&lt;br/&gt;1/2 ts vanilla extract&lt;br/&gt;1&amp;#160;1/4 cup AP flour&lt;br/&gt;1/2 ts baking soda&lt;br/&gt;1/4 ts salt &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;1. Pop popcorn as desired. (I did the old fashioned way, on the stove, but an air popper would work just fine, too).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Pre-heat oven to 350.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. In large bowl, beat butter, sugars, egg, vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. In smaller bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Add to butter mixture. Mix well. Fold in popcorn until well distributed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;5. Mould dough into small balls. Flatten slightly as you place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Edges will brown.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVYqPiR3QKI" target="_blank"&gt;Jeane&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/36433318189</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/36433318189</guid><pubDate>Sat, 24 Nov 2012 11:08:00 -0500</pubDate><category>Baking</category><category>Winter</category><category>Fall</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Cookies</category><category>Chocolate</category><category>Popcorn</category></item><item><title>Dutch Babies</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcpt3eI8Ey1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcpt2sKJIR1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A Dutch baby is a cross between a giant popover and a crepe. The wrinkly, crispy and flaky edges give way to an eggy and nearly moist center. A sort of amped up crepe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Dutch babies are delicious topped with berries or syrup, but my preference is plain, straight from the oven, and as quickly as possible.&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2 eggs&lt;br/&gt;1/2 cup [skim] milk&lt;br/&gt;1/2 cup flour&lt;br/&gt;pinch of salt&lt;br/&gt;1 T butter (or a quick Pam spray)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;(Optional)&lt;br/&gt;1 ts vanilla extract&lt;br/&gt;1 T fresh lemon juice &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Place cast iron skillet in oven and pre-heat to 475. (You can actually make these in any baking vessel with sides)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Add milk, salt and vanilla (if using), then flour.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Remove skillet from oven (Don’t forget - the handle will be HOT). Melt butter in skillet (or spray with Pam). Pour batter into cast iron and return to oven. Reduce heat to 425.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Bake until dough has puffed and browned - approximately 12 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with lemon juice and serve immediately.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/34641359675</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/34641359675</guid><pubDate>Fri, 23 Nov 2012 15:38:43 -0500</pubDate><category>MH</category><category>baking</category><category>dutch baby</category><category>recipes</category><category>winter</category><category>spring</category><category>fall</category></item><item><title>
I’m going to see a friend’s new baby after work, so...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdl0wmjBRr1rk3rvuo1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af17/laurenmoffatt/TK/bunny.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I’m going to see a friend’s new baby after work, so I got up at 6 for some early morning crafting. I’d been thinking about making this little plush ever since seeing it on Julie’s &lt;a href="http://craftsandnoms.blogspot.com/2012/05/bunnykins.html?m=1" target="_blank"&gt;blog&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Despite boxes of notions and squirreled away pieces of felt, I haven’t so much as thought about picking up needle and thread in years. But even though my skills were lacking, I kind of like this lopsided little bunny. It’s got all the charm of a handmade present: quirky, messy, and weird.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/35854097657</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/35854097657</guid><pubDate>Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:27:00 -0500</pubDate><category>crafts</category><category>sewing</category><category>plush</category><category>dolls</category><category>babies</category><category>kids</category></item><item><title>[How To] Perfectly Soft-Boil An Egg</title><description>&lt;p class="p1"&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md4fg603ST1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;My first soft-boiled egg was in Munich at a hostel in 1997. Picking at the shell, I was too shy to ask how to eat it. If I hadn’t been so embarrassed, maybe I wouldn’t have wasted the next eight years eating fried egg whites.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p2"&gt;Though the soft-boiled egg may not be the crowd pleaser that pancakes or French toast are, I appreciate its simplicity and especially love how it makes room for smoked fish and a warm loaf of bread.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p2"&gt;This Sunday morning’s cozy houseful of friends required just that: soft-boiled eggs, homemade turkey sausage, smoked salmon, and ciabatta from the farmer’s market.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to Cook the Perfect Soft-Boiled Egg&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;4 large eggs&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Place eggs in pot and fill with enough water to cover the eggs. Remove eggs and set aside.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Cover pot, heat water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add eggs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Simmer eggs, uncovered for 4 minutes. Remove from heat with slotted spoon and place in egg cups.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/35201610150</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/35201610150</guid><pubDate>Sun, 04 Nov 2012 17:17:00 -0500</pubDate><category>Eggs</category><category>Recipes</category><category>How To</category><category>Winter</category><category>Spring</category><category>Summer</category><category>Fall</category><category>Breakfast</category></item><item><title>Cooking Up a Storm</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mctfdpXN3d1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I made these last nite out of boredom. I guess four days in Queens without public transportation will drive a girl to bake.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These blondies are relatively healthful for a baked good (no butter!). They&amp;#8217;re also a quick and forgiving recipe (this batch, I subbed molasses for the brown sugar I didn&amp;#8217;t have).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And here&amp;#8217;s another secret: If you slightly undercook them, they will be oozy and gooey and even more delicious than their properly cooked counterpart.&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Peanut Butter Blondies Recipe&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1 c. all purpose flour&lt;br/&gt; 1/4 c. mini chocolate chips&lt;br/&gt; 1/4 ts baking soda&lt;br/&gt; 1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar&lt;br/&gt; 3/4 c. granulated sugar&lt;br/&gt; 1/4 c. creamy peanut butter&lt;br/&gt; 1&amp;#160;T canola oil&lt;br/&gt; 1 ts vanilla&lt;br/&gt; 1 egg&lt;br/&gt; 1 egg white&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Preheat oven to 350F.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Coat bottom of 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Combine flour, chips, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;5. Combine rest of ingredients in a medium bowl and mix. Add flour mixture, stirring until just blended.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;6. Spread batter (it will be very thick) into bottom of prepared pan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted comes out almost clean.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/34734177196</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/34734177196</guid><pubDate>Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:13:00 -0400</pubDate><category>Baking</category><category>Blondies</category><category>Brownies</category><category>Chocolate</category><category>Fall</category><category>Spring</category><category>Winter</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Dessert</category></item><item><title>Is There Anybody Going to Listen to My Story?</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="image" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcpv30GG2L1rzpr9a.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The frittata is the acquaintance you&amp;#8217;re always happy to run into on the street, but never think to make actual plans with.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#8217;s really not fair. It couldn&amp;#8217;t be simpler to make. It&amp;#8217;s always a crowd pleaser. And it makes good use of the well-intentioned vegetables that get pushed to the back of the crisper. And yet, even with a dozen fresh eggs from the farmer&amp;#8217;s market in my bag, I never ever want to make one.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But sometimes a last minute guest, a pledge of healthful eating, or a pending hurricane leaves you with no option but to make one.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And you&amp;#8217;ll vow to make another next week. Because it was good. And simple. And filling. But for no good reason, you won&amp;#8217;t.&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Easy Frittata Recipe&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoPlainText"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1 small onion, chopped (and any other veg you&amp;#8217;d like)&lt;br/&gt;3 cloves garlic, finely chopped&lt;br/&gt;1-2 inches finely chopped ginger&lt;br/&gt;6 large eggs&lt;br/&gt;1/4 cup milk or 1/2 cup cottage cheese&lt;br/&gt;prosciutto, to taste&lt;br/&gt;8 oz arugula (or spinach)&lt;br/&gt;Fresh winter savory, minced (any fresh herbs will work - as will dry)&lt;br/&gt;1&amp;#160;T mustard&lt;br/&gt;2 ts red pepper flakes&lt;br/&gt;dash of sea salt&lt;br/&gt;a few turns of black pepper&lt;br/&gt;1/4 cup Parmesan cheese or cheddar, shredded&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Pre-heat oven to 400.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Spray or oil cast iron pan and cook onions, garlic, ginger and any other non-leafy vegetables you&amp;#8217;ll be adding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk or cottage cheese, herbs, mustard, red pepper and salt and pepper. Stir in arugula, prosciutto and onion mixture. Pour into cast iron and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Edges will begin to set. Top with shredded cheese and place in oven.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Cook in oven for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and eggs are set. Allow to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVr_6kE1vio" target="_blank"&gt;Girl&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/34643490764</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/34643490764</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:56:00 -0400</pubDate><category>Fall</category><category>Spring</category><category>Summer</category><category>Winter</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Eggs</category></item><item><title>Chicken Dinner</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcn2keJeug1r6nnmv.jpg"/&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcn2l8oAnp1r6nnmv.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Somehow posting a recipe for a roast chicken makes me feel like an imposter. As though maybe I&amp;#8217;m a serious cook. One who plans a coursed meal &lt;em&gt;during the week&lt;/em&gt;. One whose favorite home-cooked meal of the moment doesn&amp;#8217;t happen to be boxed mac &amp;amp; cheese. But none of these things are true and yet I really did roast a chicken.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The thing is, it&amp;#8217;s a pretty simple, hands-off recipe. You put some vegetables in a cast iron pan. You top with a buttered and herbed chicken and bake for an hour. I used a bed of chopped green cherry tomatoes (still on the vine in the garden, but far too late to ever ripen) and a random sweet potato. The grease from the chicken will cook up the most tender and flavorful sweet potatoes you have ever eaten.&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Easy Roast Chicken Recipe&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3.5&amp;#160;lb chicken&lt;br/&gt;Butter, enough to coat skin&lt;br/&gt;5 cloves of garlic, chopped &lt;br/&gt;Vegetables, chopped&lt;br/&gt;1 lemon, halved&lt;br/&gt;1 onion, peeled &lt;br/&gt;Rosemary sprigs&lt;br/&gt;Salt &amp;amp; pepper&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Heat oven to 500F.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Gently tuck chopped garlic between skin and meat.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Rub top of skin with butter. Salt and pepper the bird.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Put lemon and onion in body cavity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;5. Place vegetables (if using) in cast iron pan. Set chicken on top. Reduce heat to 450. Cook 1 hour.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;6. Allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/34565978093</link><guid>http://masplease.tumblr.com/post/34565978093</guid><pubDate>Mon, 29 Oct 2012 10:51:00 -0400</pubDate><category>Chicken</category><category>MH</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Winter</category><category>Fall</category></item></channel></rss>
