sophisticated pie

fake it till you make it

2012-04-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling a lack of fire at work lately, and I'm beginning to think this has to do with how I dress. I work in biotech, so my dress code is pretty casual (read jeans everyday). I actually got called out my very first day for wearing wool pants; I was told, and I quote "oh, we wear jeans here". Though I will wear what I want, within reason, I'm pretty okay with the casual nature of this place, it's got a good vibe. However, after some time of jeans + shirt, jeans + shirt, etc., I can pretty quickly fall into a pretty sad state of sartorial affairs, and I can literally feel this effecting my work (um... why? I don't know, but it feels true). So today I threw on some classic work attire and a splash of fun (layered necklaces - look, this is reaching for me folks. :)), and I suddenly feel rejuvenated and productive!

I also keep talking about this lack of inspiration I've been having in the kitchen lately. A quick glance this morning through my foodie pin board, and I am wishing I was in my kitchen right now. I'm about to freak out until I can make these lentil "meatballs" from Sprouted Kitchen for dinner next week, and this Momofuku Milk Bar Birthday Cake is about to make its rounds for a very special someone's birthday coming up.

photo from here

Here's to a hopefully productive and inspired weekend. Happy Friday!

Life Lately, According to my iphone

2012-04-03T14:09:00.000-04:00

As Pink Floyd asks, "Hello?, Is there anybody out there?" I mean, it has been nearly 3 months since I last posted, I probably wouldn't still be out there, but the thing is... the thing is, I like blogging, believe it or not. I've been struggling for a while now, about whether to continue this blog, to start a new one, to walk away period. You see, I started this mostly as a cooking blog, and I just don't know if that is what I always want it to be (hence wanting to start something new), but you know what, I've spent a lot of time on this and this is what I have. This is what I've started, so I'm going to continue.

No matter the title of the blog (perhaps a bad decision long ago), this space is mine to do with what I please, and what I please, right now, is to do a little round up of what's been going on in the past few months (according to my iphone, i.e. minus the totally boring wedding planning details). I hope, if you're there, you'll join me...

In February, we went to Vegas for my cousin's 40th birthday! What a wonderfully magical, and yet oddly fake and disturbing place. I find I have to force myself to just see the magic to enjoy Vegas. This is opposed to realizing everything is completely fake, from the cocktail waitresses "parts" to the "Eiffel Tower" at the Paris, but once you just accept it, you find there are some really cool things there: look at those balls of flowers in the Wynn... how lovely are they? I was obsessed with figuring out if they were live flowers, fake flowers, freeze-dried real flowers, or something else all together.

In March, I completely lost control of my wedding "diet" (OK, let me not kid you, I'm not on a diet in anyway, nor have I started some wedding boot camp work out plan, but you know, it would be nice to try and eat healthier and get outside/ exercise a little more). However, I lost control of this plan, in the best ways possible: enjoying some West Coast original fast food and THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, ever. These guys have been talked about, blogged, written about ad nauseam, so I won't bore you here, but yes, they are my favorite chocolate chip cookies, and I really don't see a reason to bake any others. Also, Kevin and I got working on our wedding invitations... DIY style. I'm super pumped about them. They're so personal, and I love them. I also love crafting, so the added time doesn't bother me in the least (plus I saved some money!)

Also, at the very end of March, Kevin and I took a romantic little one night stay in the Russian River Valley. I guess I liked my outfit for our wine tasting excursion, so I snapped a photo. Please ignore the weird eyes and claw-like hand... holding an iphone to take your own picture sure is awkward. Oh yeah, and if you happen to be looking for some hot pink lipstick (I'm sure you all are), Tom Ford's Pure Pink is killer, and my go to. Applied lightly, it isn't quite so dramatic. Also I won an Oscar...

... Right. That is an Oscar won for The Godfather, but I'd never seen one before, so I thought I'd snap a photo. Also on this adventure in northern Sonoma, we saw some actual magical sites: California just takes my breath away sometimes. It's a cool place to live; it really is.

Well that's all folks. Hopefully, it won't be so long next time. I'd like to share a little more about those invitations once they're all done and out the door (in a little over a month)!

citrus cake - iron chef : battle citrus

2012-01-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

My friend Heather has continued her tradition, which she started in Chicago, of coordinating a little "Iron Chef" battle between friends. It's a fun event, that has been made a little more intense recently by the addition of multiple professional chefs to this challenge. I'm generally not a competitive person, well not with others anyway, but this challenge brings out that spirit in me, which with chefs in the running, I'm not sure is the best for my self-esteem...

This time around the event was hosted in a professional kitchen, thanks to the many "real chefs" who join in on the fun, and it was a lot of fun to finally cook in that environment. Though the equipment was a little foreign to me (how do you turn on that oven??), I hope we get to go back and perhaps I'll feel a little more comfortable using it all (hello professional deep fryer, large Wolf stove and grill!)

The battle this time, named by the previous winner, was citrus, and you know what, I copped out a little. just a little. I've had this cake on my mind for what seems like years, though it was months I'm sure. It's probably one of the most gorgeous cakes I've seen (and made). I just had to give it a try and this felt like the right opportunity, being a citrus battle and all.

Inspired by Stella McCartney's citrus prints, I first spotted this cake at Apollinas, or maybe it was all over pinterest, but when Estelle gave it a go, I was inspired even further... (and totally used her tip on chilling that cake after filling it, thanks Estelle, it worked beautifully)!

So, without further ado, here is my entry into Battle Citrus: the Stella McCartney inspired Citrus Cake. YUM! (which, by the way got 3rd place, under some pretty crazy good fried chicken & lemonade... I mean come on, how can you beat that??)

Citrus Cake

inspired by Apollinas, recipe adapted from here

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pans

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup whole milk

lemon curd (see below)

lemon frosting (see below)

slices of citrus fruit (oranges, lemons, limes, blood oranges, etc), for decorating

fresh mint, for decorating

Heat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, butter again, and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).

Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Transfer one of the cooled cakes to a plate and spread with 1 cup of the lemon curd. Top with the remaining cake and refrigerate to set, 30 minutes. Some of the curd may have spilled out of the sides. If so, either gently scoop up and back into the filling or remove. Spread the top and sides with the frosting. Decorate with slices of citrus (lemons, limes, blood oranges, or grapefruit) and fresh mint leaves.

lemon curd

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt. Add the butter. Set the bowl over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of mayonnaise, 12 to 15 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper directly on the surface of the lemon curd and refrigerate until completely cool, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

lemon frosting

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1 pound confectioners’ sugar (about 3 3/4 cups), sifted

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and lemon zest on high until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the sugar, then the salt, and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

11 for 2011

2012-01-04T23:24:00.001-05:00

It's that time again. Time to look back quickly over the past year and filter out for you my most favorite recipes of 2011. I've sorted, thought, wondered, and finally come up with the top 11, for 2011, of course. These are, to me, the most delicious, must make agains, and while it's always a hard choice, as I'm already fairly selective on what I post, I think I've done a good job, and with a good amount of diversity too!

green lentil soup

vegetarian tostadas

oven roasted dungeness crab

baked chicken meatballs with pepperonata

homemade nutella

churros!

mini cherry cordial cupcakes

pasta caprese (w. fresh pasta & slow roasted tomatoes)

roasted acorn squash + candied lemon zest salad

salted bourbon caramels

ina's irish soda bread

Also, check out my favorites from 2010 and 2009.

2011 was pretty groundbreaking on the personal side too... ever so quickly, maybe too quickly...
We traveled a ton (skied in Tahoe, ate in Portland, reminisced in Chicago), got to know Northern California a little better (drank in Wine Country, ate oysters and cheese in Tomales Bay/ Point Reyes, relaxed in Carmel), got ENGAGED!, met best baby ever (Brayden), saw some best friends get MARRIED (Abbie + Mike), and generally ate a lot of great food, saw a lot of great sites, relaxed, laid low, read, sang, danced, and had a great 2011 in the bay area.

holidays 2011

2012-01-02T16:50:00.000-05:00

As always, the holidays passed by much to quickly this year. With almost 2 weeks off work, I was able to pack a lot in, but with minimal time to record it all. So here is a quick glimpse at holiday season 2011, according to my iphone.

A few days in NC pre-Christmas made everything feel just right, especially our colorful tree in the corner with my grandmother's hand-crocheted snowflakes, cat fur on my new pj's, presents under the tree, spending time with my family, lots of meals out, all that...

a hop up to unsnowy Minnesota for nearly a week was a great time with my soon-to-be family. With a houseful of colds keeping us in (for once, not the weather), we mostly stayed in playing bored games until we were bored, doing puzzles, drinking wine, cooking up a storm, with a fire or two in the background. We did make it out for the annual trip to see the British Commercial Awards at the Walker, and while there I fell hard for this crazy beaded masterpiece... can you even imagine all the work?

back to California, I dressed in my beaded best for a quiet (and super delicious) New Year's Eve with Kevin at Frances... I'd been dying to go, and it definitely lived up to the hype on both food and service. I also fell hard for the decor there, and not one to usually pull out my phone at dinner, I had to snap a picture of the front nook. With the simple garland draped around the windows, I think I have inspiration for next Christmas already!

Finally, a New Year's Day feast of homemade cavatelli and sauce... and a quiet night at home. Can't complain. 2012 is looking good!

I hope your holidays were as fantastic as mine. Here is to an amazing 2012! With loads of excitement in store (i.e. the wedding), I can barely contain myself... Cheers!

october - november 2011

2011-12-08T17:57:00.002-05:00

My oh my, how two months can pass ever so quickly. Life has been a little crazy, and then yet not. I've been thinking about starting a new blog, because the food just isn't coming out of my kitchen as quickly as I'd like it to. The general order of things around here includes quick weeknight meals (not particularly worth sharing) and meals out on weekends. I absolutely love writing this blog and getting to know some amazing ladies I've met through it... so, would a new blog be the answer? A place wehre I could write about topics other than what I've cooked lately, other inspirations, other thoughts.

While, I'm pondering this, I thought I would at least update with some of the major happening of the last 2 months. They've gone by quickly because they've been so jam-packed with goodness, really.

Back in the end of October we had some of our favorite people come visit us. We packed 5 of us (4 adults, 1 baby) in the car and headed to Napa for two days, strolled the streets of San Francisco, had beers and calamari by the water, and even did a little wedding dress shopping (boys not included, of course). The loveliness of that long weekend will stick around for long to come. That baby, he is one easy-going kid, and he just may be destined to be a sommelier; I'm fairly certain he has already been to more wineries than I ever have.

By the end of November we saw some more of our favorite people get married on the eastern shore of Maryland. That weekend is another one that will just marinate and stay in my thoughts for a long time coming. These two... they are the stuff marriage is made for. It was a beautiful, super fun love-extravaganza that wedding was, and I couldn't be more happy for the two of them! Both of their families are pretty amazing to boot, and her mother quite possibly lives in one of the most idyllic spots of all time. I seriously wanted to quit my day job and be her lady-sitter, just so I could live there (and take the boat out from time to time).

I have to give a big Thank You! to Lauren from Second Star Photography, for letting me use her photo here... Lauren was so much fun to chat with and her photos beautifully capture that amazing day. I had such a hard time picking one to share, because there were so many great options!

A week at Thanksgiving led to lots of wedding planning, which has been unusually easy and stress-free for me. We met our amazing photographers for the first time and had a little engagement shoot, which I just can't wait to see the results of! We tasted some delicious cake, picked out wine and food, and tables, and all that. Only the little details are left, I'd say, and that feels pretty great to me. For those interested, here is a little sneak peak/ inspiration board for "the-big-day".

Well folks, that's about it. Hopefully i'll be back soon with some new holiday treats or possibly even a new blog... but in the meantime, if you're looking for sweet Holiday recipes, here are some suggestions from my past lives...

caramel corn, my all time favorite, no joke
chocolate peppermint bark cookies, i've been craving these since july
eggnog french toast, just do it, ok?
nutmeg logs, of course!
tres leches cake, we always seem to have this at Christmas, I have no idea why, except that its delicious
carrot cake cookie sandwiches, you really can't go wrong giving out these
brown butter cranberry cookie muffins, odd sounding, supremely delish

blue cheese dressing

2011-10-03T22:51:00.000-04:00

Being a self-proclaimed foodie, I'm often embarrassed to admit that there are a few main-stream ingredients I tend to steer clear of... olives are included in that list.

I have a thing for olives in things... like olive tappenade on my grilled tuna or a good muffaletta sandwich, but all alone, gah- I just don't know, too salty? too strong? who knows?

Blue cheese is another one of those things... that is, until I made my own blue cheese dressing. Turns out I'm not a bad foodie, just a total food snob. Once I mashed up some Roquefort with some quality sour cream, half-and-half, and little else, I was more than pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this dressing.

You know, this isn't rocket science here, I just mixed together a few things, then seasoned to taste and added half-and-half to a consistency I liked, but it seemed like something more when dotted on top my homegrown (and somehow overly sweet) tomatoes. It was the perfect accompaniment. I wanted... more, can you believe it?

Like I tried to say, this is simple stuff, and totally worth the effort. Obviously, adjust amounts to preference. If you have no use for this much, cut in it half or quarter it. Making your own blue cheese dressing is super quick and, I think, tastes so much better than most of that jarred stuff. How could you not make your own? Simply put, this is just another example of how homemade really can make a huge difference.

blue cheese dressing

4 oz. blue cheese (roquefort)
1/4 c sour cream (low-fat or regular)
1/4 c half-and-half, heavy cream, or buttermilk
1 Tbsp chives, chopped
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
fresh ground black pepper

In a small bowl, crush blue cheese with fork until crumbled. Mix in sour cream, half-and-half, chives, vinegar, and black pepper. Add a little extra vinegar or lemon juice for added tang, if desired. If dressing is too thick, stir in a little more half-and-half. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

happy weekend

2011-10-01T13:07:00.000-04:00

Hi friends. Where have I been? Oh lost amongst the beautiful September weather here in the bay area, and not to mention lost amongst the amazing pins over at Pinterest. I've been on a pinning rampage lately. It's one of those new obsessions that has grown out of me not wanting to take part in yet another social media outlet, much like twitter. What can I say, sometimes I wrong, and my friend Abbie is right.

Anyhoo- I'm heading camping with Kevin, Emily, Rob, and friends this weekend, but I actually have some fun things coming up next week. Hold me to it, and I'll produce. Have a great weekend!

wedding weekend: DIY (budget friendly) engagement photos

2011-09-17T14:09:00.001-04:00

Cooking around here has been decidedly slow as of late. This week's dinners mostly consisted of a loaf of acme bread, some cheese, that homemade nutella, and large salads with fresh figs, pistachios, and shaved fennel. While pretty delicious, I hardly think it's worth chatting too much about.

So, as a means of checking back in, I thought share a little tip for anyone planning a wedding out there. Kev and I are getting married over what could be considered a holiday weekend (around the 4th of July next year), so we are working on getting out save-the-date cards out stat, before everyone starts to schedule up their summers. With our wedding photographer in NC, no budget to hire on another out here in Cali., and sadly no photographer friends we could beg to help us out, we grabbed my trusty DSLR and a tripod, headed to a nearby park with dozens of amazing spots, and swallowed our pride.

We ended up with a few good shots, which I will share, many hilariously bad shots, which I won't, and some awkward "trying to re-create shots I've seen in wedding blogs" shots, which I also won't.

In the end, I was fairly happy with the few choices we walked away with. I think we're going to go with the first shot, even though I really wanted the shot with the tree to work out. So, if you're looking for a budget friendly way to get some good engagement shots, or heck Christmas Card shots, or something else, invest in a tripod (it doesn't have to be expensive), head to a local spot with good light and neat backdrops, and you've got yourself a budget friendly photo session... and as I'm quickly learning, any way to do something budget friendly, can be a really good thing, especially when planning a wedding.

weddings and a little homemade nutella

2011-08-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

so, as you may understand, my mind has been utterly in wedding mode lately. we've got just about 10 months to go, and I'm having so much fun dreaming up everything from all the big ideas to all the little details.

we mostly have the big stuff pinned down, as it seems you have to do these days. when we went down to NC (where the wedding will be) in july, the venue we wanted was already booked for all of the next april, may, & june, so july it will be. with the venue, band, and photographer booked, it's time for the fun stuff...

I am totally inspired by blogs (when am I ever not), and lately by pinterest (did I tell you I'm obsessed? a couple of my wedding boards here and here), and have gathered/ dreamed up some amazing ideas. one of these, which i'm not totally sure I can follow through on, even though i want to ever so badly, is to make an assortment of homemade goodies as the wedding favors.

so, i've done a few trial runs (made some homemade lemoncello, um... yum!) and now this homemade nutella. do you know what? it's not an exact replica of nutella, but i think i like it even better. it's a little richer and a little darker, maybe not quite as smooth, but totally amazingly delicious just the same.

i adapted this recipe from the LA Times, and mostly changed it up by adding a little more sugar and a pinch more salt. it was a fun process, to blend the hazelnuts until they were liquified, to add in the cocoa powder and cross your fingers, and then finally to taste it and think that yessss this is exactly what i was hoping for.

homemade nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread)

adapted from LA times, here

note: i used hazelnut oil here, but would think a neutral flavored vegetable oil would work too. i halved this recipe from the original, so feel free to double up, quadruple up or make as much as you need.

1 c raw hazelnuts
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp hazelnut oil, more as needed

Heat a saute pan over medium-low flame and spread hazelnuts out evenly in pan. Toast the hazelnuts, tossing occasionally, until they darken and become fragrant. If hazelnuts are still in their skins, transfer to a damp towel and rub to remove the skins. Let cool.

In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts to a smooth butter (you will notice the oil come out), scraping the sides as needed so they process evenly, about 5 minutes.

Add the cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, salt and oil to the food processor and continue to process until well blended, about 1 minute. If the final product is too dry for your liking, process in a little extra hazelnut oil until the desired consistency is achieved.

Remove to a container, cover and refrigerate until needed. Allow the spread to come to room temperature before using, as it thickens considerably when refrigerated.

in my pantry

2011-08-02T21:51:00.000-04:00

First and foremost, thank you so much to everyone for such nice comments on my last post. As I think you can tell, we are very excited these days, very excited. We've begun the beginning stages of wedding planning, and I'm mixing up some ideas and inspiration over at Pinterest, if anyone is interested.

In other notes, I'm here today to talk about soup, but first my pantry. I'm sort of crushing on the idea of a good pantry these days. I've been stocking mine with lots of dried things (beans of all kinds, lentils, quinoa, rice of all kinds, pasta, the list goes on...), jars of homemade strawberry jam, canned tomatoes, canned beans, peanut butter...

... you get the drift. I'm big into my pantry. BIG. I've made an excel file to keep track of what I have, what I don't have, and what I need. Whether or not this will prove to be useful, only time can tell. For now, I'm pretty hype about it. Hype about an excel file, hmm... sad, but true.

In that file, I've even included frozen things, a couple of fresh things, and then the usual flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, etc. It's my collection of either the things I can store for long periods of time (the dried and canned things) and the items I use just about everyday (onions, lemons). I keep a few maybe not so traditional ingredients in my pantry too. Things like coconut milk, because I love it so much. Build your pantry out of the ingredients you love and love to use and hopefully, this is my goal, there will always be something to throw together for dinner.

So this most amazing soup comes from just that, pantry items (at least to me). This recipe comes at you right from one of the most lovely cookbooks I've picked up in a long while, Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Everyday. The whole book is amazing, and I'm not the only one out there who thinks so. Blogs, papers, critics have been raving since it came out, and for good reason.

I am not joking when I tell you this is the best soup I've made in a long time, and I'm one for soup, so I think that says something. Somehow, without being complicated the brown butter, the curry, the coconut milk all come together and just completely sing. I am 100% in love with this soup. If those ingredients sound good to you. Don't hesitate... make this ASAP.

green lentil soup

adapted from Super Natural Everyday

serves 4-6

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
5 1/2 c vegetable broth
1 1/2 c green lentils (or green split peas), picked over and rinsed
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp Indian curry powder (I used Madras)
1/2 c coconut milk
salt to taste
chives, chopped (optional)

In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and stir often until onion softens, a few minutes. Add vegetable broth and the lentils. Simmer, covered until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes (can take up to 50 min).

Warm other 3 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and brown, until it begins to smell nutty and fragrant, but don't let it burn. Stir in curry powder and saute until fragrant, less than 1 minute. Set aside.

When lentils are tender, remove from heat, stir in coconut milk and 1/4 tsp salt. Puree using an immersion blender, leaving the soup a little chunky, if you like, or until perfectly smooth. Stir in half of the spiced butter. Taste and add salt, if needed. Serve drizzled with remaining butter and sprinkle with chives.

a new beginning

2011-07-19T22:01:00.000-04:00

time for a new post.

i've been delaying and delaying writing this. looking and thinking of the best recipe I can think of that perfectly signifies how special this moment is. something sweet, of course.

but nothing has come to mind, and i've come to realize that nothing will, this is much to special.

if we are friends on twitter, you may (or may not) have figured out by now that a few weeks ago Kevin and I took a trip a few hours south...

... we sat on a sandy beach at sunset and watched as surfers were finding their last waves of the day, as bonfires were being lit, and families were packing up to go home. we sat for a while, resting and relaxing, and there with sand in our toes, kevin asked me to be his wife and i said yes.

words really can't describe my excitement as i am in the beginning stages of planning a wedding to signify a new beginning and our choosing each other to spend the rest of our days with and to build a family and a new life. kevin is my best friend and the kindest man I know, and I can't wait to call him my husband.

churros!

2011-06-29T20:01:00.001-04:00

I have a short history with churros, but a pretty deep one. My first churro was approximately two or three years ago, can you believe that?

Mama Inez in West Lafayette, IN she is the one who got me onto them, and let me tell you she knows what's up. I love and curse her for it every day.

Then there was a trip to Mexico last summer where I ate just about as many as I could fit on my plate. Despite the way this photo looks, that statement is indeed true. Also despite the photo, I never cut my hair to look like a little boy's, its just a bad picture, ok people? Yikes, should I really post this?

Finally there was last weekend, when I had a small little dinner party with and Emily & Rob and some co-workers of Kevin. Flank steak was grilled and tomatillo salsa was made, a la Rick Bayless, Emily brought a delicious salad filled with organic produce from her farm adventures earlier in the day, and yes, oh yes, churros were fried, covered with sugar, then devoured. I might mention it was quite a fun and hilarious kitchen adventure with the girls. Note: if you don't use the star tip to pipe your churros, you might get some pretty great shapes, that after a few Mexican beers you just can't stop laughing about... you get my drift, yes?

Without having made them before, I scoured the recipe sites and went for one of the easier recipes around the interwebs, with a shorter list of ingredients than many (i.e. no eggs or butter included), and though I was worried they wouldn't be as good, they tasted just like perfect little churros to me.

My only few notes of caution are not to make them too thick, otherwise they may not cook enough (mine were about 1/2-inch diameter and perfect) and to definitely eat them within a few hours of frying... day after churros, not so great (sad but true).

So, if you're up for some deep frying, have a hankering for churros like I did, here is a pretty straight-forward recipe to follow with super yummy results. It also doubles super easily, fyi. Comamos!!

churros

serves about 4, makes 25-30 small churros (2-3 inches)

recipe adapted from here

1 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts oil for frying
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball and is smooth.

In a paper bag or in a plate, combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, or deep fryer, heat a few inches of oil to 375 degrees F. With a large star tip (optional), pipe strips of dough into hot oil using a pastry bag. Alternatively, place dough in a plastic ziplock bag and cut tip off so diamter is about 1/2-inch, then pipe strips into hot oil. Fry until deep golden. Drain on paper towels. Shake or roll churros in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature (same day!)

gwyneth paltrow's grilled halibut with mango avocado salsa

2011-06-23T00:29:00.000-04:00

i'm here to tell you that I miss you guys. Three weeks without posting is just not what I want to do here. I'm not going to lie, a lot has been going on, but that's no excuse. It's good for me to be here. It gets my creativity flowing, and I honestly wish I had a more time to play around with that.

With all that has been going on, a lot of it being very, very happy news that I just can't wait to share with you... very soon, I promise, when the time is just right. And anyway, today I want to leave you with something nourishing and satisfying and just right for this time of year. Something with fresh mangoes and avocados, some of my favorite things. Something healthy and citrusy...

... something developed by my number one girl crush of all time, Gwynie Paltrow, of course. The woman is pretty amazing, don't you think? With the release of her new book, My Father's Daughter, she was the cover for June's Bon Appetit (where this recipe comes from), and honestly, even though I wasn't sure about that at first, but what I am sure about is that the girl knows her food and how to cook it. I have her new cookbook, which is just completely lovely, that she worked oh so hard on with the amazing Julia Turshen. It looked too beautiful, easy, and delicious to pass up, and is certainly not a typical celebrity cookbook, this book has heart (and great recipes), I promise you that. I can't wait to set aside some time and dive in even more.

Based on history, I'm clearly a sucker for white fish with citrus salsa on top, and this recipe is totally great. A favorite meal from the past few weeks. It reminded me, a girl who isn't the biggest lover of fish in the world, how delicious halibut can be... and how beautiful is that piece of fish? Gorgeous, I know! The super fresh California produce didn't hurt either, oh and that salsa, its as simple and yummy as it should be, and its just great on its own too! I love how easy the recipe is and how quickly you can make such a great meal. It also reminds me that cooking great food after work isn't impossible, it is in fact as easy as this!

now back to the business of things. I hope you are loving this recipe as much as I am, enjoy!, and I'll be back soon, this time, it's a promise!

p.s. I'm totally needy tonight... shoot me a comment or a tweet, if you're still there, because I just love saying hello!

grilled halibut with mango-avocado salsa

adapted from June 2011 Bon Appetit, here

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice

1 medium ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

4 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6-ounce halibut fillets

lime wedges

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Gently combine the avocado, mango, tomatoes, basil, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Season salsa to taste with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature, gently tossing occasionally.

Place fish fillets in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoon lime juice over. Season fish with salt and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes, turning fish occasionally.

Brush grill rack with oil. Grill fish until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Spoon mango-avocado salsa over fish. Squeeze a lime wedge over each and serve.

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oatmeal muffins

2011-06-02T23:38:00.000-04:00

dear readers,

thank YOU for hanging in there. Are you hanging in there? I sure hope so. Like I said before, transitioning to a new job, is well, a transition to me. I went from having almost infinite "free" time to trying to figure out a new pace of waking up early, getting home late, and trying to squeeze in grocery shopping and cooking meals somewhere in between. I'm getting better, much better, and it's only been a few weeks.

Not that I expect to be cooking "post-worthy" meals quite as much as perhaps I was before, I still hope to be making and posting things that excite you, and well, excite me too.

Who knows, this could be a great opportunity to see what else I can and may want to do with this blog...

Well, one thing that is important to me that doesn't come up quite as often as it should on here is staying healthy. Sure, I love a big ole huge slice of cake and I can't seem to help myself anytime a plate of cookies are around (hellooo sweet tooth), and guess what (well, you know), I cook/bake with butter... and sugar!

To me, staying healthy is about consuming food (real food), just in small proportions. This is better said by Michael Pollan, who I've quoted on here before, "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants". Those words are currently scribbled across a little chalk board in my kitchen. I agree with that 100%.

But sometimes I wonder, and I asked you guys on twitter, do I still need supplements? Am I getting enough Vitamin D? What about Omega-3's? Am I eating enough vegetables? Does it really make a difference if you take those Vitamins or not? These questions I'm not so sure about still... if you have more thoughts, I'd love to know... i.e. comments, please! :)

Ok, while I'm thinking about that and talking a little, ever so little, about health, I wanted to give you my favorite healthy muffin recipe passed onto me from my mother, I'm sure when she was in her Francophile phase, and reading about how to stay slim like a French woman.

These muffins, have ZERO sugar in them, so they aren't the muffin you make for a special brunch, in my opinion. They are the muffins you make for everyday, think bowl of oatmeal. They are tasty (yes, they are!), especially with a little of this jam, and pretty darn guilt free if you ask me. I've added some roasted flax seeds to the mix for a little boost of those Omega-3's and because I like the flavor, but you can leave that out if you want. These muffins also freeze extremely well, so I basically immediately put half of the cooled muffins into a freezer bag and in the freezer and when I need one, pop them in the oven until they are hot.... perfect & perfectly healthy!

oatmeal muffins

adapted from Anne Barone (& my mom)

4 cups low-fat or non-fat buttermilk or sour milk  

4 cups rolled oats, quick or old-fashioned 
4 eggs (or 4 egg whites) 
1/3 cup cooking oil 
4 cups unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda  
1 teaspoon salt
4 Tbsp roasted flax seeds, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Oil the cups of two muffin tins (12 muffin capacity) with cooking oil.

Put four cups of buttermilk in a large (4 quart capacity) mixing bowl. Stir in the rolled oats. If using regular or old-fashioned (not quick) oats, allow the oats to absorb the milk for 15 minutes. Beat 4 eggs into oat and milk mixture. Stir in the oil. Put the unbleached flour on top of the oat mixture. Sift on the baking soda. Stir soda lightly into flour. Stir in the salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet only until well-moistened. Do not beat.

Spoon the batter into the 24 muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Or until the muffins are golden on top. Remove from muffins from the tins and cool on a wire rack.

These oatmeal muffins freeze well. When completely cool, place muffins in a zip plastic bag, seal well. Store in the freezer of your refrigerator. To reheat 1 muffin, take the muffin from the freezer. Place on a paper towel and heat in the microwave for 1 minute on high. To reheat in a convention oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the frozen muffin on a metal pan. Heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until hot in the interior.

Point Reyes & Tomales Bay - weekend edition

2011-05-31T00:35:00.000-04:00

In search of a little food, a little sea, and a little shopping, Kev and I hopped in the car on Sunday for a quick jaunt up to Point Reyes Station & Tomales Bay. If you've never been, I can not recommend a trip up there more highly. The drive from Easy Bay is gorgeous, winding through state parks and red woods, passing pasture after rolling hill of grazing cows (happy cows!), sometimes catching site of a few deer, and often slowing down for wild quail crossing the street.

We first went up to the Point Reyes National Sea Shore for a night of camping a few weeks ago. We stayed in Coast camp, and these two photos below were the views from our tent. Not too shabby, right?

This time, we made the ritual stop at the Pine Cone diner, strolled along the main street, stopping in all the amazing shops, including coyuchi (an amazingly lovely organic bedding shop), running into an absolutely lovely little new & used bookstore and, of course, picking up cheese @ Cowgirl Creamery & bread + pastries @ the Bovine Bakery.

a neat little park in the sun, perfect for snacking on Bovine Bakery goods

treasures picked up while shopping in town

With supplies in hand, we headed to Tomales Bay for some Hog Island Oysters, and were lucky enough to grab a bench + grill in the sun despite the huge crowd. The picnic area was full of energy, with fun music blasting, games being played, champagne popping, and the weather was sunny as can be. Most importantly, I shucked my first oysters, adding a necessary check to my list of "cooking things I want to know how to do".

So, all in all it was a pretty great Memorial Day weekend. I hope it was pretty great for all of you too!

all is quiet

2011-05-23T18:55:00.002-04:00

hello my friends. i'm simply here to check in today.

it has been a roller coaster, to be honest, these past few weeks, as I've been preparing and then starting a new job. Change has always come a little bit hard for me, and I can be slow at getting back to normal, and that is exactly what is going on these days. As I am ramping back up to my normal pace of life I wanted to leave you with a few blissful things that have brought me back to equilibrium, even if just for a few moments.

1) My beautiful best friend Abbie sent me lots of pictures of her wedding dress shopping excursion, since I couldn't be there with her. Let me just tell you, she is going to be the most beautiful bride in the world.

2) My grandmother's spaghetti sauce, which I made for the first time, ever. This is a recipe I could never share on here, not because I'm a hoarder of family recipes (darlings, I'm all about the sharing), but because I'd be infinitely embarrassed if you knew what went in there. It's just one of those things I grew up with, that I will always love. I made a ton and froze just as much to make dinners easier as I'm transitioning into this job.

3) Reading. I've been behind on reading books and have had An Object of Beauty on my list since it came out, well I'm finally digging in and loving it so far. It makes my long commute (luckily on public trans) a lot nicer.
4) Fresh cherries. Apparently it is cherry season around here. I've bought 4 lbs in the last couple of days, that are sweet, ripe, and just in season. Cherry sauce + vanilla ice cream, here I come.

5) My ity bitty potted herb + flower + tomato garden. City livin doesn't allow for much more than this, but that's ok!

Tell me, friends, what do you do at times like these?

baked chicken meatballs with pepperonata

2011-05-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

This has already become one of those weeks. Starting with my poor mama, who broke her ankle on Saturday and was promptly sent to surgery on Sunday, just in time for mother's day. Hope you're feeling a little better today! Add to that a loaded schedule, all the stress that comes with starting a new job on Monday (wheee!), and now what seems to be an annoying car problem (again). Luckily, Kevin's sister will be in town on Thursday night, so no matter what we get done and what we don't and what's left to figure out, we will be relaxing and having a great weekend. So, thank you Laura, for the ever needed forced relaxation and break in the busyness. Can't wait to see you!

It's times like these when I go back to old favorite recipes, so I don't have to add figuring out what's for dinner to list of craziness. Though we really don't eat that much meat around the house, these chicken meatballs have become a favorite. I first made this for my friends Jess & Dan, almost two years ago now, when I was visiting them in Portland. I was reading my trusty Bon Appetit on the plane ride over and tagged this recipe based on the picture alone. When I decided to make dinner one night for us, I pulled out my magazine and went straight for the meatballs.

These are absolute best chicken meatballs I've ever had. I happen to love them served with the recommended pepperonata and a hearty piece or two of garlic bread, though you can serve them however you choose. Above, I made them into open faced sandwiches with a little fresh mozzarella.

Though the recipe may look a little long, it's not hard or complicated at all, I promise. Basically, you cook up the pancetta + onion, then toss everything together, form into balls, and bake. Like I say in the note, if you want to serve with the pepperonata, but don't have the time for roasting, buy a jar of roasted peppers and put everything together while the meatballs are baking. Voila - an easy, healthy, delicious recipe, that has become one of my favorites and immediately comes to mind when I just don't know what to make.

baked chicken meatballs

recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, here

note: if in a time pinch, use jarred roasted peppers instead of roasting your own.

for the pepperonata:
1 red bell pepper

1 ½ tsp capers, drained

1 tsp evoo + 1 tbsp for roasting

2 tsp red wine vinegar

pinch red pepper flakes

for the meatballs:
3 slices Italian bread, crust removed & torn into pieces, about 1 cup
1/3 cup milk
3 ounces sliced pancetta, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 pound ground chicken (I use 1/2 dark + 1/2 light, but any combo will do)
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon tomato paste

for the pepperonata:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Place pepper on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Rub olive oil all over pepper then place in oven. Roast for about 45 minutes, turning pepper 2 or 3 times, until skins are wrinkled and charred in places. Remove from oven and carefully wrap pepper loosely with the foil. Let sit about 30 minutes to cool. Open foil, remove stem and seeds from inside of pepper, peel of all the skin, and slice into strips.

In a bowl, combine all pepperonata ingredients and toss to coat. Let sit while preparing meatballs.

for the meatballs:
Bring oven to 400 degree s F.

Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil and cook pancetta, onion, and garlic with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper, until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Cool slightly.

Squeeze bread to remove excess milk, discard milk, then break up into small pieces.

Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then using a fork, combine with chicken, pancetta mixture, bread, and parsley. Form 12 meatballs and arrange on a baking pan.

Stir together tomato paste and remaining tablespoon oil and brush over meatballs, then bake in upper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

baked chicken & bean taquitos

2011-05-05T11:47:00.000-04:00

Hola and Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Today, I'm over at Michelle's blog, Pretty Mommy, with a guest post while she is spending some much needed time with her new beautiful baby girl!

If you're looking for a yummy, healthy riff on a Mexican favorite of mine, taquitos, head over to her blog and check out my recipe!

cardamom angel food cake with balsamic strawberries

2011-05-04T17:09:00.001-04:00

alright, this will be a quick one, because I've got a ton of things on my to do list, not yet crossed off, and even more the weather is so crazy, beautiful today that I would just be crazy to not go enjoy it. That said, I wanted to get this post to you asap, as mother's day is coming up after all, and what better way to thank your mama and tell her you think she is just heavenly than to make her an angel food cake?

it is also still strawberry season around here, which is just perfect timing. If you're looking for something light (check the ingredients folks, no egg yolks, no butter, no oil), but still sweet, this is your cake. If you've never had homemade angel food cake, um... I'm sorry? :) run, go make this! It is terribly easy and quite rewarding. Your mama will be proud!

I served mine with a little side of balsamic strawberries. What's that?, you ask. Cut up strawberries into quarters (or halves, or even pieces if you like), sprinkle with just a little sugar and splash with some good balsamic vinegar (this is where I say "good balsamic" and actually mean it). Give it a stir and add a little more sugar/ vinegar if you see fit. Let sit for a bit, maybe an hour or even all day, and serve. Voila.

On a completely separate, but utterly important note. Isn't this just the cutest little hokie you've ever seen? That's my main squeeze Brayden and I'm pretty sure he's quite happy in his 8th week of life, bopping around, going to National's games and Top Chef Spike's burger joint, and even a Smithsonian musesum! What a complete joy it was to meet him this past weekend!! Now, off to the kitchen, and enjoy this cake!

cardamom angel food cake

note: I loved the pop of cardamom in the cake, 1/2 tsp is just the right amount. If you would rather make a traditional angel food cake, simply leave the cardamom out and make no other changes!

basic recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

1 c cake flour
1 1/2 c superfine sugar
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (I bought pods, popped out the seeds and ground them to 1/2 tsp)
1 3/4 c egg whites (from about 12 large eggs), at room temperature
1 Tbsp warm water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, 3/4 c sugar, and ground cardamom four times.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and water on medium-low speed until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla, and beat on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Leaving the mixer on, slowly add the other 3/4 c sugar to egg whites. Beat on high speed until stiff and glossy peaks form, about another 2 minutes. Be careful not to over-mix, creating dry whites.

Sift 1/4 of the flour mixture over egg whites and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Repeat for the other quarters. Gently transfer batter to an un-greased 10-inch tube pan. Run a knife through the batter to release any air bubbles. Smooth top with spatula. Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when touched, 35-40 minutes.

Invert pan onto its legs and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Carefully run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen and invert on a plate or wire rack. Cake can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.

Before & After (& DIY) Home Decor - April 2011

2011-04-28T12:33:00.002-04:00

so there has been a lot happening around my home these past few months. I finally decided it was time to bite the bullet and get the new digs (ok, the "digs" were new in October, but still...) spruced up. I wanted to share a few before & afters to give a little perspective and sneak peak into my un-trained design mind. I should also note that I am an obsessive (or is it compulsive?) re-decorator, I'm constantly shuffling things around, from room to room, from table to table, trying to get things right. It seems once things are right for a few days or weeks, they're wrong again. Am I the only one here like that? Luckily for me, my storage, and my budget I'm more into buying things I love for my home and shuffling them around in stead of buying a ton of new things all the time. So here goes, a break from recipes for a moment...

1) a dresser DIY (inspiration & DIY directions @ Marcus Designs). I saw Nancy's amazing tutorial for her dressers, and I knew it would be perfect for the side table in my living room (+ the price was right!). The gold paint I bought failed, and I'm now deciding if I should just leave off a gold Draper-style design. **My fav feature: I left off the backing of the dresser so I can run cords through the back, store laptops in the drawers, and leave those cords out of site; I love it!!

Rast Dresser from Ikea ($29.99). I won't show you what was there before. It's too embarrassing! :)

2) A pillow DIY!! I loooved this silk dress and the pattern from Martin + Osa (which sadly no longer exists). I bought it for a trip to Mexico, and darlings, it was just far too short for me. It worked in Mexico, but not in my normal life. I tried it as a shirt, and no, it looked crazy, so I took the scissors and sewing machine to it and made this little pillow for the couch, which I adore! *My DIY tip is about "up-cycling". If you don't use something as it is anymore, could you use it in another way??

sheep skin pillow from west elm

3) the bedroom: bedding & lamps (jewelry organizing, here). I don't have a real before photo (which is a good thing for you) so this mid-way through photo will have to do. I chose neutrals for the bedroom, whites + grays, because I like my bedroom to be as serene as possible. I'm in love with how it turned out.

white bedding from west elm, marimekko bedding from crate & barrel, lamps JC Penney

4) Bedroom Dresser - also an Ikea fixer-uper (can you tell we were on a major budget?). I simply bought some new drawer pulls, the ones from the living room dresser, and I think the impact is huge. *Minor (& budget friendly) changes can make a huge difference. New drawer pulls are a great way to modernize/ freshen something up.

5) Last but not least, and I'm a little embarrassed to say this on my blog, in full disclosure, I still have a futon in my living room. Ok, I told you we were on a budget, so a new couch wasn't in store yet. A new pillows are all it took to somewhat hide the fact that indeed we had a futon. A new cover would work great as well, but I tried a white one, and it looked awful, so stayed with navy. Some gold and ikat pillows freshened up the look, don't you think? **Searching the interwebs for ways to update a futon is DIFFICULT. I went with my gut instinct, a) buy what you love and b) lean towards richer fabrics & prints to offset the futon-ness of it all. I think it works well enough for now, and I love the pillows.

ikat pillow from west elm. gold pillows from Pier 1

Hope you enjoyed this little before-and-after home tour (let me know what you think)!! I'm headed out of town today to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends and her new bebe in DC. I'll be back next Tuesday or Wednesday with something yummy!

hollandaise

2011-04-26T15:02:00.000-04:00

Something healthy for today... ok, or not. Hollandaise is certainly a guilty pleasure of mine. Unfortunately, it is not one of those things when you make it at home, you feel better about eating so much of it. Hollandaise is butter; butter and egg yolks, and that's pretty much it. The upside is that making hollandiase leads to a feeling of accomplishment. I've now made it twice, both times being totally successful and yummy, and both times I started with a feeling of dread that all that butter and all those eggs would go completely to waste. When that doesn't happen and the result is perfect, accomplishment ensues.

Luckily Julia Child stepped in and I read her section on hollandaise as if it were a text book, which it very well is. I won't go into all the tips and details here, but I will leave you with the recipe I used both times which worked beautifully for me. If you are looking to figure out how to squeeze a little more butter in there or the science behind the method, please, go read Julia Child, but if you just want to know a great recipe/ method for making the sauce, read below.

One benefit of making this sauce by hand is that your arm (ok, I should say my arm, because I have quite literally no upper body strength, so this may be different for everyone) may be a little sore after all that whisking. A benefit?, you might ask. Think of all those burned calories... more room for more hollandaise!

p.s. so, I posted poached eggs for you, and now hollandaise. though, believe it or not it wasn't in the plans, how about I make and post some homemade english muffins for you, for a full-on homemade eggs benedict? You in??

hollandaise sauce

adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

**add corn starch only if needing the sauce to hold warm for a long period of time. I have made this with and without the corn starch and the results were very similar in taste and texture. With the corn starch, the sauce did hold for > 2 hours over a pan of warm water

12 Tbsp (6 oz) unsalted butter, melted

3 egg yolks

1 tsp arrowroot or cornstarch**

1 Tbsp cold water

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

large pinch of salt

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold

salt, pepper, more lemon juice, to taste

Melt 12 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan and set aside. Add an inch or so of water to a medium size saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn heat down so water is barely simmering.

In large glass bowl, whisk egg yolks for one minute until they become thick and sticky. Wisk in corn starch, if using. Add in cold water, lemon juice, and salt and whisk for 30 seconds. Add in 1 Tbsp cold butter then place over simmering water.

Stir egg yolks with whisk until they thicken into a smooth cream, 1 to 2 minutes. The yolks are thick enough when you can see the bottom of the pan between strokes and the mixture forms a light cream on the whisk.

Remove from heat and whisk in the other 1 Tbsp cold butter.

Whisking the entire time, add the melted butter by droplets (1/4 tsp full, approximately) until sauce begins to thicken into a heavy cream. At this point, butter can be added a little faster, while whisking. Once all butter is incorporated, season sauce to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Serve hollandaise warm. I keep mine warm by turning the heat off the simmering water then placing the bowl of sauce back on top, stirring occasionally. It could also be kept warm in a thermos.

happy birthday kev!!

2011-04-22T20:21:00.000-04:00

an ode to kevin (the best man I know) in so many photos (& words), for your birthday.

kevin is someone who:
loves the outdoors

can dork out, just like I me. Yes, that says "measurement of thermionic electron emission from modified graphene petals", right.

who loves when I take his picture while driving

who loves my family's dogs, even though they are the worst-dogs-in-the-world!

who takes me to pumpkin patches and to pick apples from trees

who wears my college's t-shirt (and admits my mascot looks way better in that stance than his does)

who is a lover of fine foods

who doesn't know karate, but karate chops things when he thinks no one is looking

who is almost as silly as I am

and who loves me a lot!

...for all those reasons and so many more, I love you, my boy. May this year be filled with just as much joy, fun, and love as the last. Happy Birthday!!

Brownie recipe found here (per Kev's request) + PB icing, PB m&m's + birthday candles!

swiss chard & a poached egg on toast

2011-04-18T19:03:00.000-04:00

what's with today, today? 10 points if you know what that quote is from! what is with today? the sky is completely gray and it's monday. blah, right? luckily there are about 3 things keeping my spirits up. 1) the coconut pound cake I made for a potluck yesterday 2) emily's earthquake blackout party tonight and 3) this yummy very local dish I put together for meatless monday.

Last Friday, I gave you a little how-to on poaching eggs. You guessed right, I did that on purpose. Well, what I said in that post was 100% true, I'm trying to learn here and that post was part of the experience, but at the same time, I wanted to serve that farm fresh poached egg with my swiss chard from the farmer's market, and if good (which as you can hopefully see, it was) I wanted to share that with you.

Spring produce is a favorite of mine. There was lots of green showing at the market last weekend, and I picked up this rainbow chard, some fava bean leaves (made pesto!, just sub basil for fava leaves for a nuttier, slightly earthier sauce), a couple of artichokes, and some avocados, as well as strawberries (they are so, so good right now), flowers, and eggs.

The bread I used for this dish came from an uber cool local company, sour flour. Thanks, Danny! I was turned onto it from an event I attended last week, and am hooked. It was amazingly delicious, and I am just dying to learn a little more about bread baking from Danny, himself. Hoping to sign up for a class sometime soon!!

With that amazing sour dough bread turned to toast, the fresh chard simply sauteed and liberally seasoned, and a wonderfully poached farm fresh egg, I really couldn't ask for a more healthy, quick, and seasonal meal. Hope you enjoy!

Swiss Chard & a Poached Egg on Toast

serves 2 to 4

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large bunch of swiss chard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, diced
1/8 to 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
4 large slices of country bread, grilled or toasted
4 poached eggs (see link)

To clean swiss chard, cut down both sides of stem to remove it. Plunge leaves in a large bowl of water and mix with hands. Let sit for a few minutes, letting dirt fall to bottom. Remove chard, drain water and repeat a few times. Dry chard either with a salad spinner or on towels. Once dry, cut chard into large (1/2-inch wide) ribbons.

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds. Add chard and nutmeg and cook until chard is soft, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside, or leave on low heat until ready to serve.

To serve, arrange 1/4 of chard mixture onto each piece of bread. Top with a poached egg and season with a little salt and pepper if desired.

how to poach an egg

2011-04-15T13:47:00.002-04:00

There are a few reasons I write this blog, and there are even more reasons that I write this blog about food. Cooking, and specifically cooking well, is something that I feel passionate about, so the topic falls from that tree. On a broader sense, though, blogging helps me navigate through and, of course, documents my path towards learning. To learn and to be inspired are two guiding forces in my life. Writing this blog has led me to both. It has given me the strength to be a little more curious about food and to try new things. It has provided me something to hold on to, so that when and if something doesn't work, I want to make it work, so I can blog about it. It has led me to other blogs filled with endless inspiration (not just in food, but also in home, in design, in fashion, in just plain living).

For these reasons, I am ever grateful to this funky, free, easy way to publish yourself on a global stage. I am even more grateful for the nice comments I get, keeping my head up on otherwise difficult days, so thanks to you!

This blog has helped me not only learn about new things, but compelled me to finally learn about the most basic parts of cooking, the parts that often get neglected, the parts that I feel that as someone who claims to love to cook and to be fairly good at it, I feel I should be able to execute to perfection. Poaching an egg is one of those things.

If you are like me and are someone who is always striving to learn, because what more noble thing is there?, then I hope you like what I'm going to say. On occasion (i.e. when it comes up), I'm going to pop on my cooking 101 hat and really teach myself how to execute these basic techniques/ recipes, and then I'm going to post it here. I'm even going to make a special little spot on the top of my recipe index, labeled as "basics". Though I have some other posts that may qualify as basics, like those cream scones for example, this is my first with intention. Here you go!

poached eggs

Bring a pot of water to barely a simmer. Bubbles should be rising from the bottom, but the water should not be near a boil. Add about 1 Tbsp vinegar for every pint of water (not absolutely essential, but highly recommended).

Crack an egg into a small bowl or ramekin and when water is ready, pour egg into water gently (getting as close to the water as possible helps with this) and stir egg whites towards the yolk with a wooden spoon, to keep it all together.

Let eggs cook 3 to 4 minutes, keeping the water at barely a simmer by adjusting the heat. To test, remove egg with a slotted spoon and check that the white is set and the yolk is soft.

Either let dry on a towel and serve or drop in a bowl of cold water to remove the vinegar & stop the cooking. You may also trim off any stringy pieces of the white at this point. (DO AHEAD: In cold water, poached eggs will last several hours. This is a great tip if serving a larger group).

To re-heat, set egg(s) in a bowl of hot water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve immediately.