lookie lookie

Say hello to my little friend....

a friendship blossoms...

When someone new comes into your life and you're not 100% sure whether or not the two of you will gel the right way there's always some trepidation about the first encounter.  When that first encounter goes well...man it's f*cking exciting.


All I did was take it out of the box, plop it on my kitchen table and look at it for the first 4 days.  I was out for dinner, or I didn't know which shelf to put it on, or I didn't know if I should get rid of my other one, and I even wondered if it was too big to handle...cause, guys, 13 inches is huge.


Then tonight, I got a hankering for something quick (surprisingly simple) and good...thus was born my first attempt with my new cast iron skillet - skillet macaroni and cheese.


Dang.  It was so easy.  So good, it will be better this is why I'm not sharing yet, but I had to share the experience.  I was even eager to clean it immediately and re-season. Who does those things?  Oh, clearly I do!


Anyway, be prepared for more skillet meals 'cause this guy and I are going to be amazing friends and I got a feeling the relationship is going to last a long time.


What'd you make for dinner tonight? 

darn soft cookies!

Apartment deep clean: check.  Exercise: check.  Hike: check.  Awesome acting class: check.  Day spent with a girlfriend: check.  Italian dinner: check.  It was a good 3-day weekend. 


As you might know, I love food blogs. I love reading them and I love drooling over them.  It's one of my favorite things to do, especially at work when there's a lull in my day.  I've been reading Slow Like Honey for a couple years and I love it and bet you would too!  It's the kind of place you find yourself reading archives because you're enjoying yourself.  On Thursday night I decided to make some cookies at work because I was in the mood to bake and it's nice to bring something sweet just cause. :) So I tried out SLH's Peanut Butter Cookies. Man. These were the softest cookies I have ever made. They were so yummy.  I switched it up a little, try it!

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Cherry Chunk Cookies
Adapted from Slow Like Honey

17.feb.2012
Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip,
Cherry Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (I used a generous cup)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temp.
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt (I tend to put  more salt then is asked for - I really like savory with my sweet! But just a teeny tiny bit more). Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture in two batches and beat thoroughly. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped cherries. Cover the dough and put in in the fridge for about 20 - 30 minutes.  

Get a cookie sheet with parchment paper and using a spoon get a meatball amount - not like, I'm having an entree meatball but like a swedish meatball from IKEA size - roll into a ball and put on cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using your palm, push down on each cookie a little, you're not mashing them you're just flattening them a little. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (I did 11 minutes). Don't overbake. They may appear to be underdone, but they're not. This is where they get good!

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk and remember to share!

Here are my other instagrams! (ps. I LOVE instagram)

18.feb.2012
Grant & Wendy hard at work - Wendy is an
awesome AD!

18.feb.2012
Josh & Vanessa getting ready to do some reaction
shoots so we have stuff for coverage. These two
are funny, funny actors!

20.feb.2012
Egg Day Off Salad Sandwich for lunch.

just another day

Yesterday started as a normal day.  It was Valentine’s day, I had a plan for my day – go grocery shopping on my way home from work and also pick up a gift or two.  The day did not remain normal.  Having expectations for things sometimes comes with its downfalls...things happen.  Life happens.  Clearly, it was nothing catastrophic.  Work was hectic, the interweb was down and I had to use my phone to do follow-ups, forgot my phone charger, no one had one at work...by the end of the day, I was dead.  Out of touch with any and everything.  The mister knew I was going to the grocery store before I got home, but he didn’t know I was going shopping – as he wasn’t supposed to b.c it was a surprise for him!  When I got home, an hour later than expected, he frustratedly left for an audition, an important one where an important person specifically requested to see him...think I'd feel the same.  He was expecting to be on a certain schedule.  Nothing wrong with it, we all do it.  I try to remind myself to “hope for the best and expect the worst.”  It limits the disappointment, or so it seems...sometimes.

14.feb.2012
Yo, DJ!

I was just having a conversation (read shared blog post) with my best girl friend about telling stories with points.  [Side note: she’s really the best, I’m like totally in love with her.]  I’m not very good at it.  Rory give me a hard time about it too...I tend to ramble and get lost in my details and tangents...which, sure, is good from time to time...but all the time?  I don’t know, maybe I will take a story telling class and get my points all lined up.  Or maybe I just accept that that's the way I work after 30 years.

Back to yesterday, while there were some let downs there were also total positives...it was Valentine’s Day after all.  It was also our mini-celebration of our 7 year anniversary.  Seven years!  Man.  It doesn’t seem like that long, or it doesn’t feel that long.  I guess that’s what happens when you fall in love and decide to spend the rest of your life with someone and that someone if the right someone.  Everything just sort of fits.  It works properly.  Even when there are problems, you work them out.  I’m glad to say that we don’t fight all too often.  When we get mad at each other, we’re typically able to come to common ground and we just don’t disagree on a ton of stuff.  I’m a lucky girl who’s madly in love with the man she’s going to marry.  That’s all.  A friend of mine tonight, after I said Rory was off for a whole month, told me I was "so understanding."  Sure, I am but that's also just part of what our relationship is.  We've learned to make it work.  It's very hard from time to time but I think it's also good for us.  It's made us value each other, everything about each other.  The good's, the bad's and even the ugly's.  In the end, I think it makes us love each other harder and fuller.  That's what I feel, full.  So cliche, but Rory kinda completes me. He makes my life full.  When he's not around or off on one of his distracted ways its hard but in the end, at the root of it all there is so much love and patience and kindness and joy and positive emotion that the good truly does outweigh the bad. Really.

Now on to the food!  Yes, it’s a recipe post.  I’m excited, it’s been FOREVER.  Plus it was my instagram yesterday so, even better. (Actually I had two, both in the post)  I made lamb with a yogurt mint sauce, broccoli rabe and hasselback potatoes. Then store bought pound cake w. strawberries and homemade vanilla whip cream. Delish.

14.feb.2012
Nom, nom, nom

Lemon-Garlic Lamb Chops with Yogurt Sauce

Slightly adapted from epicurious

For yogurt sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
a big handful of chopped fresh mint

For chops:

fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
a good shake dried oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 (1/2 to 1 inch-thick) shoulder lamb chops (I asked my butcher for shoulder chops and he sold me a whole shoulder, thought of roasting the whole thing but just ended up cutting my own pieces – I guess you could do the whole thing but think you’d need to increase the marinade)
1 tablespoon water (plus whatever you feel like you need, probably used ~ 1 cup)

Make sauce:
Put a cup of yogurt in a doubled up piece of cheesecloth, make sure you have enough to tie this up.  Then tie the lose ends to a spoon and rest the spoon over a large pot, be sure to put a bowl under the cheesecloth/yogurt concoction so you catch the liquid.  Recipe calls for 20 minutes, I did it for like 30-40 minutes…so worth it.  Mix in the garlic, mint, and salt and pepper to taste.  You can do this a day ahead of time if you want to, just make sure it comes to room temp before serving.

Prepare chops while yogurt drains:
Stir together lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and 2 tablespoons oil in a shallow baking dish. Add lamb chops, turning to coat, and marinate.  Recipe calls for 20 minutes, I did it for a little over an hour (I had the time) just be sure to take the lamb out of the fridge so it comes back to room temperature.  Remove lamb from marinade, reserving marinade, and season with salt and pepper.  Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté chops in 2 batches, without crowding, about 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare.  I had to go back and heat these a little longer, so be sure to check the meat and do sauté to the appropriate done-ness for you.  Transfer to plates. Boil reserved marinade in skillet with water 1 minute and pour over chops.  Serve w. the yogurt sauce.

Now for the potatoes…so yummy, they were sweet and spicy from the pesto.  Rory doesn’t like pesto, I knew this and still made this…he even LIKED the pesto.  Goes to show you can’t judge all pestos by the cover...wait, what?! Oh, before potatoes, I really didn’t do anything to the broccoli rabe.  I blanched it, then sautéed it with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes until they were done.  Easy-peasy!

Hasselback Potatoes with Spinach Cashew Pesto
Barely tweeked from Joy the Baker

For the Potatoes:
4 russet potatoes
4 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
coarse sea salt
olive oil for drizzling
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Thinly slice garlic cloves – try to keep them consistent, this is near impossible for me…just try to get them pretty thin.  Set aside.  Clean the outside of your potatoes well.  So your potatoes don’t slip around and you don’t slice off a finer, cut a small part off the bottom of the potatoes…I picked the wonkiest side. (You can do this with onions too so as to not have the onion roll around while you’re sobbing through your slicing)  Slice into the potatoes creating ribs, don’t go all the way through the potatoes, so everything stays connected.  Slide garlic slices in between potato slices.  This is a lot harder than it seems, you may have to be a little rough with these buggers, but not so rough that you break them apart.  End goal, keep them in original potato shape!

Put 'em on a baking sheet, salt them, well.  Put a tablespoon of butter on each potato and drizzle with oil.  Bake for about 1 hour. Every 15 minutes, baste the potatoes with the oil and butter deliciousness that is happening.  (When I was doing this, I wished that I had put the potatoes in a deeper dish, I kept fearing that the mixture would pour over onto the bottom of my oven, so...a suggestion?) When cooked through and crispy, remove from the oven, top with spinach pesto and serve.

For the Pesto:

2 loosely packed cups of spinach

3 garlic cloves

1/4 cup toasted cashews

juice from one fresh lemon

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup olive oil

Put everything (sans oil, salt & pepper) in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend until spinach is broken down and, whiles still blending, slowly pour in the olive oil.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. 

Cook's note: this makes a TON of pesto, after dinner I grabbed a piece of parchment paper and put 4 globs (about the size of a silver dollar pancake) of pesto on it and put in the freezer.  I meant to grab them last night, but just put them in their own ziploc bags in the freezer.  These are perfect for a pesto pasta dinner down the road...now you don't have to make the pesto!

I hope you enjoy these recipes, it always makes me so happy to cook. To cook something I've never eat but have read about somewhere else that someone else tried...I always want to know what I can do with it.  

What'd you make (do) for Valentine's day? 

xo

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I just decided to make whisky vanilla extract.  I used two big Madagascar vanilla pods split in two then a cup of Irish whisky and popped it all in a jar.  Shook it once or twice and stored it under my sink, I'll be back in a week to check on it but it's supposed to take a month or so...so, we'll see.

Ever made home vanilla extract?Better luck with vodka or bourbon?


xo

Comfort Food

Before we get to the deliciousness that is below, know that if you decide to make this pot pie - it takes some time, and having that time is really really nice because you don’t feel like you’re in a rush.  Albeit, we made it fast and it was still amazing.  But slow and steady really wins the race...I may have felt rushed b.c I was also making chocolate chip cookies for out dessert. That’s my own fault for reaching for more...I could have bought cookies.

Also, totally random side note, when I cook for myself I don’t go fancy nor do I always go awesome...like I just make a quesadilla with really just cheese and that’s it.  If I have greens, it’s greens and an egg. And, even if its gross, I’ll still eat it because I took the time to cook it! Terrible, right?

This recipe calls for shredded chicken.  I assume they don’t sell shredded chicken so you have to cook and shred your chicken.  I poached chicken breasts in milk and water until they were done, barely let them cool then pulled them apart.  I then just started chopping it up because my hands were burning and like I mentioned, I was in a hurry.  These biscuits are also awesome and really easy.  I’d make them on Saturday morning for a homemade brunch.

Enjoy this! And thanks to Joy, she really does know how to make amazing food...can’t wait for her cookbook, which I pre-ordered!

Chicken Pot Pie with Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits
Makes one 9×13-inch dish with 12 biscuits

For the Biscuits:

• 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 1 t granulated sugar
• 1/2 to 1 t coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 C chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 C (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 4 oz (half of a brick) cream cheese, cold
• 3/4 C buttermilk, cold (if you don’t have buttermilk, take a T of of white vinegar and then enough milk to make a C and let sit for 10 minutes, then get 3/4 C from it.  So easy! You can even use lemon juice)

For the Filling:

• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 2 C chicken broth
• 1 1/2 C whole milk
• 4 oz (half of a brick) cream cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 t fresh ground nutmeg
• 3 C shredded chicken meat (I used 3 decent sized chicken breast - might have been too much)
• 2 T butter or olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 C thinly diced carrots
• 1 C diced zucchini (optional)
• 1 1/2 C frozen peas, thawed

Make your biscuits first, really simple, really quick.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, black pepper, and chives.

Add butter and cream cheese to the dry ingredients.  Use your fingers to quickly incorporate the butter into the flour.  This is one of those, use your hands add the love type recipes, it’s really the best way to get the best results.  Break up the butter and cream cheese with your fingers until there’s some the size of oat flakes and some the size of small pebbles.

Make a small well in the center of the fat and flour mixture.  Add the buttermilk.  Using a fork, combine the wet and dry ingredients, make sure you get everything moistened.  Dump the biscuit dough onto a lightly floured work surface - at this point you may think the dough’s a little weird it’s okay, just go with it.  Knead together until dough forms a disk about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Use a round, 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut biscuits.  Gather the dough scraps, knead a few times, and cut out more biscuits until no dough remains.  Place biscuits on a small cookie sheet and place in the fridge until ready to bake.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Dice onion, garlic, carrots, zucchini, and thaw the frozen peas.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk in the flour, this will be really thick, heat for 1 minute.  Turn heat to low and add the chicken stock.  Whisk until no flour chunks remain now, whisk in the milk and add the cream cheese.  Turn your heat back to a medium/low temp, stir often until cream cheese has melted and the mixture is the consistency of warm, thick pudding.  Add chicken, lemon, and nutmeg, stir then add salt and pepper to taste.   Remove mixture from heat and set aside.

In a medium pan over medium heat, melt butter.  (I added all of the veggies at once, you could do it like Joy and go layer by layer I think this is better but remember I was on a time crunch.) Add onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add minced garlic and saute for one minute more. (At this point, if you wanted to kick up the heat, you could add a few shakes of red pepper flakes.)  Add carrots, zucchini, and peas.  Cook for  about 3 minutes.  The vegetables will not be entirely cooked through do not worry!  Remove from heat and add vegetable mixture to the creamy chicken mixture, stir to combine.

Spoon filling into a 9×13-inch pan.  Remove the biscuits from the fridge and place them on top of the filling.  Brush the tops of the biscuits with heavy cream, buttermilk, or egg wash.

Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until biscuits are puffed and golden, and the sides of the pot pie are bubbling.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Chicken Pot Pie will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days...if you can make it that long, we for sure didn’t.

Enjoy this so much … treat yourselves to it! xo

on a whim

I decided to make granola.  I looked at a few different recipes from sites I love (shutterbean & big girls small kitchen) and made an easy bastardized version of their granolas.  It smells great.  I hope it tastes good and that I can wait until tomorrow morning to eat it.  I really think this is the kind of thing you can put anything crunchy in. Walnuts? Pumpkin seeds? Other fun crunchy grains? Whatever.


Fall is the time for baking, so get on it.  I recommend some explosions in the sky blasting in the background and, this might sound dumb, but as you mix an bake have an intention.  Are you making this to help you be smarter about what you eat?  Is it because you love your partner and want to make the something yummy?  Is it for that friend of yours that is going through a rough patch?  Whatever it is (it could even just to celebrate you - we don't do it often enough) just think it while you work.  You'll end up putting so much love into something so simple you will be able to taste it. Enjoy!

Tuesday Granola
bastardized from here and here


Ingredients
3 C rolled oats
1/2 C slivered almonds
1/2 C raw sunflower seeds
1/2 C (+ more) mix of raisins, dried blueberries, cranberries, and cherries (what, what trader joes!)
1/2 C raw millet
1/2 C honey
1/2 T cinnamon
1/2 C canola oil (you can probably use olive oil to give it a more savory quality)
salt to taste


Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all of your dry ingredients in a big bowl. Once mixed add the honey and the oil to coat.  Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet, set your timer for 10 minutes and bake.  Take out and stir around, then do this 2 more times.  Once your granola is a nice even toasted brown color, you're done.  Let cool completely before putting into air tight containers. While its cooling - continue to stir it around to keep it all broken up. (The other recipes said they made about 6 cups...I think thats what I got?!)


xo

I made 'em again

I pickled.  I pickled carrots and green beans.  I don't have the proper pickling stuff....so I improvise!  I have tongs, I have a deep pot and I have old pickle jars (yes, I see the irony).

I haven't eaten dinner yet, I wanted to make pickles and I had a late snack, no worries though, 'bout to heat up left overs and poach an egg. 

Pickles.  Here's what I did:

6-8 medium carrots, cut into spears

a good handful of green beans, ends cut off

1 1/4 C white vinegar

1 1/4 C filtered water

1/2 T kosher salt

about a palmful of:

crushed bay leaves

yellow mustard seeds

whole black peppercorn

coriander seeds

fennel (much less than a handful)

dill

red pepper flakes

magic spice - if I could tell you what's in this, I would...but I don't know

Put everything in a pot, bring it to a boil.  MEANWHILE, put the chopped veggies in your sanitized jar let it hang out.  When the mixture comes to a boil spoon over the veggies, leave yourself 1/2 inch head space.  Put your lid on, tight. Then fill your big pot with water again, bring it to a boil, place your jar of veggies into this boiling liquid, let boil for 5 - 15 minutes. Use tongs to remove the jar, place it on a flat surface and DO NOT TOUCH it for until tomorrow.  Then when the jar is cool, push on the lid a little, if there is give and it makes a popping noise, you can't put these on your shelf, they have to go in the fridge.  They'll still be good and will keep for about a month.  If your lid has no give, you've done it!  You can put these babies on your shelf for up to 6 months (I think...any other picklers out there disagree with me?) If you can't wait to eat your creation - I understand - just give them like 3-4 days before you pop 'em open.
my picture is so small. :( Enjoy!
xo

the return - of sorts

I made this the other night.

It was so good. AND so simple.  Boil salted water, throw in your pasta (I almost got bucatini but opted for these guys).  After you've put the pasta in the water, start the sauce.  Melt some butter in a pan, throw in a few spoonfuls of capers, add chili flakes, saute for a bit.  Then squeeze half a lemon into this, add some parmesan cheese, stir, stir, stir.  Get yourself a cupful of that pasta water, be careful not to burn yourself!  Add it bit by bit to the sauce - not all of it yet.  When your pasta is al dente, drain, then put the pasta directly into the pan with the sauce to coat.  Add the reserve pasta water as you see fit, more parm as you see fit then when you feel (cooking it all about feeling and taste!) the pasta is coated and ready to go you are set to eat.  Dress with more parm if you want and some fresh parsley.

It was the best dinner I've had in a while.  I have a feeling that my fall is going to get really busy.  However, I am committed to this outlet so I will make the most of my return.
  
See you in a second.
xo

things and stuff and things

I made scones, but they weren't that great.  I also tried to make a Red Velvet cake but it stuck to the bottom and there was a huge FAIL stamped on the cake. UGH.

I'm making Flank Steak tonight and mashed potatoes and corn on the cob w. salad tonight.  This, I am looking forward to.   Rory's family is in town and we're having a feast!

dinner

Tonight I am making grits & scones. :)

Light on the dressing

I just received my fruits and veggies from the farm share...Fridays are always great days.  What I love about summer produce is that most of it is best when raw and fresh.  

I just cut 2 cucumbers, a peach, and a tomato up.  Combined them in a bowl with a handful of micro greens, a splash of olive oil and balsamic, a smidgen of salt and pepper.  Voila - have myself a nice fresh salad for lunch. Thank you earth :) 

How's your summer eating?

Yeast and flour smell so good

Why is it that that's so true.  On my day off today I decided to bake some bread - proper sandwich loaf - and man does it smell and look good!  It's been nice, sitting in the house working on ideas for wedding stuff, working on my resume, even going for a walk and catching up with some old friends...all the while in the background of my day the bread hangs out.  Then once in the oven the smell of fresh bread eeks out making my apartment smell delightful! 

And man does it taste good. Best bread I have made thus far, for REALS yo.  

After spending about an hour doing research about how to switch whole wheat flour for the bread flour and whether I could use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, I came up with my rendition of this recipe....and remembered that I have durum flour (a high-protein/high-gluten flour) in my cabinet thanks to my older sister who has a love of perfect pizza dough. So, here you go.  

Sarah & Janell - I think you both should make this.

Light Wheat Bread

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes one two-pound loaf

2 1/2 C unbleached durum flour (or high-gluten or bread flour)
1 1/2 C whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 t honey
1 1/2 t salt
3 tablespoons powdered goats milk (I'm sure regular powdered milk works too!)
1 3/4 t dry active yeast (it's really just over 1 3/4 t - as you are supposed increase original by 25%)
2 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 C water, at room temperature

Stir together the durum flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, powdered milk and yeast in a large mixing bowl (or if you have a stand mixer, in that bowl). Proof your yeast w. some lukewarm water, let sit for 5 minutes.  Add yeast mixture, butter, honey and water.  Stir or mix on the lowest speed with the paddle/bread piece until the ingredients form a ball.  Flour still on the bottom?  Add a little more lukewarm/room temp water.  Dough should feel soft and supple not firm and stiff.

Sprinkle whole-wheat flour on your kneading area, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook...however, I think that this is your opportunity to get really up close and familiar with your bread making process AND as tough as it is to do for 10 minutes, it's rather nice).  Add more flour if too sticky, you want the dough to be a little tacky so don't add too much!  Kneading should take about 10 minutes (6 minutes by machine). The dough should pass the windowpane test - pull off a small piece after ~5 minutes, pull it apart slowly, is it snapping apart too quickly?  You've got more kneading to do!! Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Proof at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Take the dough out of the bowl and press it by hand into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 to 10 inches long. Make your loaf by rolling it from the short side, pinching the crease with each rotation to strengthen the surface tension. It will spread wider as you roll it. Pinch the final seam closed. Place the loaf in a lightly oiled 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch bread pan (ends of the loaf should touch the ends of the pan to ensure an even rise).  Rub some oil on the top of the dough and loosely cover with plastic wrap.

(2nd proof!) Proof at room temperature for approximately 60 minutes, or until the dough crests above the lip of the pan. .. this varies from place to place.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.

Place the bread pan on a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the oven. The finished loaf should register 190 degrees F in the center, be golden brown on the top and the sides, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

When the bread is finished baking, remove it immediately from the loaf pan and cool it on a rack for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours, before slicing or serving. ... you can make it those 2 hours. TOTALLY WORTH IT!!

enjoy! xo

pickles

I seem to always try to make fridge pickles. My problem, a) I never have "enough" cucumbers or whatever it is I am pickling, b) I don't really measure my brine ingredients c) or my spices, d) I rush it and e) I don't follow directions well.

So, these are sort of from Mark Bittman's website.  I'd say, wait until I see if winging it is sufficient enough OR if you want to jump on this train right now, follow the directions.  His directions not mine.

I wonder if this realization about how I make pickles could correlate to how I live my life...both the positive and the negatives of it all.  Hmmm. Maybe there's room for some soul searching here.

This is what they look like, at this point (the beginning):

What I did was: took 1 Persian cucumber, 2 large radishes, 2 summer squashes and probably 6-8 cloves of garlic.  Then I cut them all up and shoved them in the jar, like the other recipe says, I sprinkled spices as I went.  I used: dry dill, coriander, black peppercorn, yellow mustard seeds, fennel, bay leaves and a thing my friend got me from St. Martin's called magic spice. Oh, and salt.   I also boiled 1/4 cup kosher salt with 3 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar.  Once it was boiled, I poured as much as I could over the veggies, closed the top, shook it all around and added more.  I did this a few times until I lost what felt like too many of my spice balls....you know what I mean.  And now, they come to room temp and I leave them in the fridge for 2+ days.

I'll let you know how they turn out!

Ever make quick fridge pickles? Got a good recipe? What have you been cooking now that summer is here?

Oh my meatballs

Dang guys...I made meatballs tonight and they were INCREDIBLE. Restaurant good. I would, for sure, order these a second (or third) time if I ate them somewhere other than my house...extra bonus!?!? They are easy to make and now are my go-to meatball. Everyone needs one, right? I think Emily Post wrote about it at some point in her life.

If you don't eat meat, I understand, well I don't but I respect it and I'm really thankful that I love veggies too. But, I'm not sure I get it...back to the main objective here...meatballs. The reason these might be so good is that they are from 'the Frankies Spuntino's' cookbook. I'm sure I've talked about this before...Rory's sister (my future sister-in-law!!!) gave me this book for Christmas and it's awesome. It's so great. If you are as much of an Italian food fan as I am, you might do yourself a favor and go buy this cookbook. Seriously.

So, I didn't follow the recipe to the T because I didn't have everything I was supposed to, and if I'm 100% honest...I don't know how I feel about raisins in meatballs. Here's my version of the Frank's meatballs. Enjoy 'em!! (oh, and if you want the original recipe email me and I will get it to you!)

Jordan's version of the Frankie Spuntino Meatball

Makes about 15 meatballs; 4 servings

Ingredients

2 slices of wheat bread (about 1 packed cup)

1 pound ground beef

2 garlic cloves, minced

A hardy handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley

Almost 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

A hardy handful of chopped walnuts

Salt

20 turns on your pepper grinder

2 large eggs

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

Tomato sauce (you can make your own or use store bought, I used TJ's marinara)

How Ta Do It

First, heat your oven too 325 degrees. Then put the bread in a bowl and cover with water. Let sit for about a minute or so. Pour out the water and squeeze out as much water as you can, then crumble and rip into small pieces. (by the way...this is one of those use your hands and get dirty kinds of recipes!)

Next, in the same bowl combine all the remaining ingredients (sans the tomato sauce). The original recipe said to combine them in the order listed, however, I added the meat right before the eggs. The whole mixture should be moist wet, not sloppy wet so your breadcumbs may very...you might need more, you might need less.

Shape the meatballs in your hands to a little bigger than a golf ball size.  Space these puppies evenly on a baking sheet. You may want to line the baking sheet with parchment paper or something similar...I ended up with a messy pan. Bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, I only baked for 25 minutes. The meatballs should be firm yet still juicy and gently yielding when they are cooked through. (Feel free, at this point, to let these guys cool and pop them in the freezer for some later date.)

Meanwhile, heat whatever tomato sauce you have choose in a sauté pan large enough to accommodate all the meatballs.

Dump the meatballs into the pan, simmer for about 10 minutes (original recipe calls for 30...I was way too hungry.) you want to make sure that they have had the opportunity to mingle with the sauce.

Serve the meatballs 3 to a person with a generous helping of sauce AND cheese! Yum. I ate 4 and had asparagus and a poached egg...I like food. Please try these and let me know what you think!!

Xo

Did it again.

I am currently working on a project with my niece about baking. I asked her what she wanted me to bake and she said 'bread, from scratch.'  So before I actually teach her how to do it, I've set out on my own mission to find a simple, easy recipe that's kid friendly.  

I initially tried the 'No Knead Bread' that was covered by Mark Bittman in the NYTimes a few years ago, that resurfaced last year.  I wasn't satisfied. And I don't know how that guy from Sullivan bakery doesn't have his dough all sticky and too tough to work with after the first rise - I keep adding flour and more flour and more flour.  So I tried it again, this time with a little extra salt and with a light knead at the suggestion of my Cook's Illustrated iPhone app.  Much, much happier.

 

I slashed the top in an 'x' and actually checked the temp inside the loaf...It's supposed to get to 210 degrees, I got to like 200 and got impatient and worried about burning.  This time around, the bread tastes better too. However, I'm still not 100% satisfied, so I have to come up with something else or tweek the recipe a few more times.

Have any simple bread recipes that you think a 7 year old might enjoy making?

Easter! Nummy Bread!

I was inspired by my Mother last night.  She said she was making Pork Roast for Easter dinner and we have a guest in town so...it seemed fitting to make a nice dinner.  It was great.

Roast Pork w. Mustard and Herb coating (I don't like the word coating, it feels kind of gross.  But I can't call is a rub or a glaze because it's not either of those things.) It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Found it on epicurious.com.  Also made Seared Rainbow Chard w. Leeks (I added beet greens too) also found on epicurious.com, had I been away from my computer I would have used my handy-dandy iPhone app. Unnecessary statement.  Lastly, I threw together some mashed red potatoes w. garlic.  The most exciting part is that the Swiss Chard, the leeks, the beet greens and the green (!!) garlic all came from my farm share. Oh farm share, how I love you.

The highlight of today is that I am making a Banana Cranberry Walnut Cornmeal Quick Bread. I can't wait to show it to you. I tweeked the recipe from Joy the Baker. Here it is for you.

Banana Cranberry Walnut Cornmeal Quick Bread

adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup medium or fine ground cornmeal
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup honey (or pure maple syrup if you have it on hand)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 super ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (reserving a small handful for decorating the top)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, or two slightly smaller loaf pans.  Set aside the greased and floured loaf pans.  

In a large bowl, whisk together both flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.  

In a smaller bowl whisk together honey, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, bananas and vanilla extract.  Make sure you really mash up the bananas.  If you don't have buttermilk - and who does, you can make some.  I took a cup of milk and added 1 1/2 teaspoons of cream of tartar.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until blended.  

Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.  

Divide batter between two smaller loaf pans or into one large loaf pan. Spread evenly in pan and tap out the any bubbles.  Add the whole walnut halves and place in preheated oven.  I probably should have made two smaller loaves because I have bits of batter spilling over onto the bottom of my oven.  For smaller loaves bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes of clean.  For the larger loaf, bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. I baked mine for like 80 minutes. (yikes!)

Cool loaves in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.  Invert onto a plate or board.  Serve warm with butter. 

xo

Friends and good ol' comfort cures

I just got back from a week out of LA. It was great, it was needed and even though I've come back a little sick (I think OR it's allergies) it was awesome.

We road tripped to San Francisco for my birthday and for Rory's CD recording. We stopped in Monterey, had a birthday beer.

Checked into our hotel, rested and relaxed and went out to celebrate my 30th birthday. Went to the Elbo Room in the Mission, a bar that has arcade games and a photo booth plus great cocktails. This is where Rory surprised me with one of my birthday presents.

Then we went to Delfina, a lovely Italian (DUH!) restaurant in the Mission. We had a lamb ragu, a spicy cauliflower pasta, roast chicken and a buttermilk panna cotta with balsamic strawberries. Yum. Yum. Yum. We also had a lesson in determining if our wine was good or not.  We got a bad bottle, thought it was okay and the sommelier wasn't so sure, so she tried it and brought us a different bottle. We were thankful that she was so honest. I enjoy San Francisco, a lot.  Rory had two awesome shows and I'm pretty sure he's going to be happy with his album. 

Then I drove 9 hours to Vegas - long long trip but I drove through San Luis Reservoir and it was gorgeous. Had birthday dinner with my family. 30 candles!

Hung out with this guy, Aadi. He's pretty adorable.

Got to hug my super pregnant friend, Tiff, while hanging out with a ton of friends.

And now, I'm home and a little under the weather, so, I made chicken soup. Easy and delicious. 

Old Fashion Chicken Soup 
slightly adapted from here
serves 12 or more

16 cups chicken stock (low sodium or not)
1 4lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I forgot this step!)
2 leeks, sliced
8 oz dried wide egg noodles (I poured the whole bag in...oops!)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley


Break down your chicken. I demolished my chicken...not the way I was supposed to I don't think. You can always buy pre-brokendown chicken or you can goggle breaking down a chicken and follow someones steps.


Combine chicken stock and chicken in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes. Take the chicken out, let it cool. Let broth cool and skim the fat off the top. Discard the skin and bones (you can keep the bones for your own stock! I forgot and put the bones into a freshly bleached sink), tear chicken into bite-size pieces and reserve.


Return the broth to a simmer, add onion, carrots and celery.  Simmer about 8 minutes.

Melt butter in a heavy skillet, add the mushrooms and leeks, saute until the mushrooms are a little brown.  Add to the broth, stir in the noodles, parsley and chicken.  Simmer until noodles are tender, season with pepper and salt if you need it. And enjoy. 


xo