For the Love of Dog

Pumpkin Shrimp Curry

2012-01-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

As you may know from some of my previous posts, I am an absolute fiend for pumpkin and am always looking for new ways to incorporate it into my recipes. So you can imagine my excitement when I came across the 3 Chefs, 1 Ingredient feature in the November issue of Bon Appetit where they asked three different chefs to describe new ways to use pumpkin and proclaimed that "pumpkin is for more than just pie". (I couldn't agree more!) I promised you back in my Thanksgiving post that I would share my take on their suggestion for a Pumpkin Shrimp Curry and here I am finally getting around to it. The next pumpkin recipe I plan to tackle is a pumpkin pasta, so all my fellow pumpkin fanatics out there should be sure to stay tuned!

Pumpkin Shrimp Curry

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
1 Tbsp ginger
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1 cup chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 can coconut milk
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and ginger. Stir to coat onions with ginger and saute until onions are soft and translucent (about 8 to 10 minutes).

Add garlic and saute for another minute. Add tomatoes (including any liquid from the can) and pumpkin and cook for 10 minutes.

Add broth, coconut milk, and both spices. Stir to incorporate and simmer for 20 minutes.

I used light coconut milk. All the flavor, creaminess, and richness of the regular version with only a third of the calories and fat - how can you go wrong?

Add the shrimp and simmer until they are cooked through.

Serve over steamed rice. I garnished mine with cilantro and grated lime zest.

Cookies! Om Nom Nom Nom

2012-01-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

Instead of making the standard New Year's resolutions this year, Paul and I have decided to give up a different vice each month. January's choice felt obvious to both of us after all of the overindulgence of the holiday season: no alcohol. I have toyed with this idea every January for the past few years and I usually make it for about two weeks before having a drink. I am happy to report that we have stuck with it this year (at least for the 22 days that have passed thus far). I thought it was going to be really difficult, but I have to say that it has been fairly easy.

But there has been one unanticipated side effect of not drinking. Against all odds, I am finding myself absolutely ravenous for sweets. For years I have been the type of person who orders a cheese plate for dessert and skips the french toast at breakfast for the savory options. But day after day I have found myself craving chocolaty treats. And when I think of chocolaty comfort foods, the first thing that comes to mind is chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chip cookies were the first recipe I learned how to make on my own as a child, so they hold a special place in my heart. These days, I make them taste a little more "grown up" by adding dark chocolate, sea salt, and walnuts to the batter instead of the ingredients I used a child, but the nostalgia remains just the same. They sure do satisfy the cookie monster that I have become lately and I am sure that the cookie monsters in your neck of the woods will enjoy these too.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/8 cup granulated sugar
3/8 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Mix dry ingredients (flour, sea salt, and baking soda) in a small mixing bowl:

In a large mixing bowl, melt butter in the microwave for about 1 minute on high:

Add granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract and stir to mix the ingredients together:

Add the egg and stir to incorporate:

Add the dry ingredients in two separate additions and mix well to incorporate after each addition:

Once you have added all of the flour, the batter should look something like this:

Add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix to incorporate:

Take two spoons and drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat (if you don't have a silicone mat, you can line the cookie sheet with parchment paper):

Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for about a minute before transferring them to a wire baking rack to cool completely:

I Took the BA Ribbon Cake Challenge

2012-01-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I know that today is the day that people normally come up with their lists of resolutions for the year to come, but in this post I'd like to focus on a resolution that I made two years ago. At the beginning of 2010 I vowed to make at least one recipe from Bon Appetit each month. January flew by, then February, and I am sad to say that like so many New Year's resolutions that I have made over the years, I failed miserably at sticking to my plan. Before I knew it, March had rolled around, and I still hadn't attempted to make a single recipe from the magazine (for a refresher about my progress, or perhaps more accurately lack thereof, see here).

By the time the December issue found it's way into my mailbox, I had only successfully made two recipes from 2010 issues of the magazine (a far cry from the twelve I had aimed for, but better than nothing!). But the moment that I laid eyes on that cover, I promised myself that I would make the amazing cake that graced it no matter how many months (or years) it took me to get around to it.

Now I want you to understand, this cake is no ordinary cake. This cake recipe is the one recipe that has been requested more often than any other recipe in the entire history of Bon Appetit magazine. (The magazine calls it "The Ribbon Cake Challenge".) It's a three layer chocolate cake, topped with a rum and chocolate buttercream frosting, topped with an espresso chocolate glaze, topped with chocolate ribbons. All told, 7.5 sticks of butter and 3.5 pounds of chocolate go into this cake. It is the ultimate cake. (You can find the recipe here.)

Once I had my heart set on making the cake, it was just a matter of when I would partake in an event that warranted such an extravagant and decadent cake. Luckily, December 2011 presented me with the perfect reason - my mother-in-law's 70th birthday party. What better time to indulge than when celebrating such an amazing milestone?

I am here to tell you that making this cake was not easy. It took 2 days for me to complete this cake, thanks in no small part to help from my sous chef Paul. Hands down, it was the most ambitious and difficult baking project that I have ever tackled. But the result was well worth the effort. Just maybe don't ask me to make it again until my 70th birthday.

Here are some of the highlights from the process:

The cake with the buttercream frosting.

The ingredients for the glaze . . .

And the glaze itself.

Waiting for the glaze to set.

The cake once the glaze has set.

After adding the first set of white chocolate ribbons . . .

And topping the white chocolate ribbons with dark chocolate ones.

Bending the chocolate pieces that are to be used to form the bow . . .

And after adding the dark chocolate ribbons on top.

The finished product.

Chilly Weather = Chili Time

2011-12-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know about anyone else, but I am completely addicted to the cooking competition show Top Chef. This season takes place in Texas and a few episodes back they all had to compete in a chili cook off. One of the groups made a mole inspired chili with cinnamon and chocolate, which inspired me to create the recipe below. The best part about chili is that the longer it cooks, the better it tastes. It's perfect for this time of year because you can spend 20 minutes getting this recipe going in the morning, then let it simmer away in a crock pot while you head out to do your holiday shopping. Hours later, you can come in from the cold to a rich home cooked meal. It will taste so hearty and flavorful that everyone will think you spent hours slaving away in the kitchen. (Don't worry - your secret is safe with me.)

Vegetarian Chili

3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large white onion, diced
2 large jalapenos, cored and seeded, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp salt
4 15 oz cans of beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (including added puree)
1 cup vegetable broth
2 Tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips

Heat oil in slow cooker (or large stock pot) over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add jalapenos and garlic and saute for 2 minutes:

Add spices and salt. Stir to coat onion and pepper mixture evenly. Cook for one minute:

Stir in beans (I used 2 cans of black beans, 1 can of white beans, and one can of kidney beans because that's what I happened to have on hand, but you can use whatever beans you like best), tomatoes, and veggie broth and cook for 5 minutes (or until mixture begins to thicken slightly):

Stir in chocolate chips. Cover slow cooker (or stock pot) and turn heat to the lowest setting. Let the chili simmer away for at least 4 hours (up to overnight).

I topped my chili with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives and served it with cream biscuits (I found the recipe in the November issue of Bon Appetit). Enjoy!

East Meets West: Curried Pumpkin Soup

2011-11-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

Although I love all of the tradition associated with Thanksgiving and the delicious foods that I grew up eating on this holiday, as I mentioned in my last post, I was looking to shake things up a bit this year. I think that one of the most exciting aspects of cooking is trying out new flavor combinations and I recently came across a recipe for a Pumpkin Shrimp Curry which sounded amazing. (Although I haven't yet gotten around to giving it a try, I am definitely planning to and I promise to share). This got me thinking - what if I added the flavors of curry to a traditional pumpkin soup recipe? The result was so tasty that I may just have to make it a Thanksgiving tradition after all.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cardamom
1 tsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken if you prefer)
1/2 of a 14 oz can of coconut milk

**Note: I realize that cardamom and coriander can get expensive and may not be spices that you use very often. If you don't have these spices lying around and don't feel like investing in them, you can simply double the amount of curry powder that you add to the soup since curry powder already contains these spices.**

Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent (approximately 5 to 10 minutes). Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and curry powder and stir to coat onions. Cook for about 2 minutes to meld the flavors:

Add salt, red pepper flakes, pumpkin, broth, and coconut milk. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth (I do not recommend transferring all of the soup to the blender at once - I did this and ended up with hot pumpkin soup all over my kitchen. Be sure to blend in small batches instead to avoid burning your hand and having to clean the kitchen top to bottom!). Pour blended soup into bowls and serve with warm crusty bread.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart: The Pie That's Not a Pie

2011-11-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving I was feeling super ambitious and decided to try out a whole bunch of new recipes, including a curried pumpkin soup (recipe to follow in the next post). And although I have a well documented obsession with all things pumpkin (see here and here), I thought that pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie all in one meal might be overkill, even for me.

But this left me wondering what I should make to finish off the big meal. A different type of pie? Cake? Cookies? I asked Paul what he thought I should make and he said, "How about a pie that's not a pie?". When I responded with, "A pie that's not a pie? What does that even mean?", he just shrugged, so I knew that in order to solve this mystery I would have to go straight to the source:

This fantastic cookbook is a 690 page bible of dessert awesomeness, including a 35 page intro section that defines every ingredient and piece of cooking equipment you may ever need to use, and a section that walks you through the proper way to follow a recipe. In other words, there is absolutely no dessert problem that this book cannot solve. And as I flipped through the book I came across the answer to the question: a tart is kind of like a pie that's not quite a pie. I tried my own spin on one of the recipes I found in the book and I've shared it with you below. Give it a try! I promise that it's much easier to make than it looks, but your guests will be fooled into thinking that you went to pastry school and spent hours slaving away in the kitchen (or at least that's what I like to tell myself).

Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart with White Chocolate Swirls and Pecan Walnut Graham Cracker Crust (Adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts)

Pecan Walnut Graham Cracker Crust:

9 graham crackers, broken
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
pinch of salt
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp half and half
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 of an 11 oz. bag of dark chocolate chips
1 Tbsp brandy
1 tsp vanilla extract

White Chocolate Swirls

1/4 of an 11 oz bag of white chocolate chips

Preparing the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9" tart pan with removable bottom with non-stick spray:

Break 9 graham crackers (the entire graham cracker sheet as pictured below, not 9 individual crackers) and place in a food processor:

Add pecans, walnuts, and brown sugar and pulse to mix completely:

Transfer cracker, nut, and sugar mixture to a large mixing bowl. Microwave butter for about 30 seconds on high to melt. Add melted butter and vanilla extract to cracker mixture and mix to incorporate:

Pour mixture into tart pan:

Press the mixture down with your fingers to evenly distribute crust in the pan (don't be discouraged if the crust seems thick - it's supposed to be that way):

Bake crust for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely at room temperature before adding the filling.

Preparing the filling:

Bring heavy whipping cream, half and half, dark brown sugar, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat (keep an eye on the pan and stir periodically so that the mixture does not burn):

Remove mixture from heat and add dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli, but you can use any brand of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips that have 61% cacao or less). Whisk until chocolate chips have melted and the mixture looks smooth:

Add brandy and vanilla extract to the mixture and whisk to incorporate. Pour filling into crust (the filling is so glossy that you can see the reflection of my espresso machine in it).

Preparing the white chocolate swirls:

Place white chocolate chips in small heavy saucepan on the lowest heat setting possible. Stir constantly until chips melt:

Transfer melted white chocolate to a small ziploc bag (I did this because I don't own a pastry bag, but I'm sure that if you do, that would work just as well). Twist the bag just above the chocolate:

Snip off the tip of the bag (be sure to do this near the tart because the chocolate is going to want to start flowing almost immediately). Pipe white chocolate in 1 continuous spiral starting at the center of the tart and working your way towards the edges (to make it look really professional you'll probably want to space the lines at an equal distance. I can't even write my name in a straight line, so I ended up with an unevenly spaced spiral that was a bit of a lopsided mess):

Take a sharp knife and run it through the filling, starting at the center of the tart. Move a few inches over and run the knife through the tart again, this time starting at the outer edge. Continue alternating until you've worked your way around the entire tart:

Tent foil over the tart and refrigerate for 2 hours (or overnight) so that the tart can set:

Then dig in and enjoy - it tastes every bit as decadent and luxurious as it looks!

Hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Thai Take Out, Straight from Your Kitchen

2011-11-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

After logging yet another 12 hour day in the lab, the last thing that I wanted to do was cook. I spent the last few hours of my work day dreaming of ordering glorious take out boxes stuffed with delicious treats. But then I remembered that Christmas is somehow only 5 short weeks away (yes really) and that I need to hang on to every last penny in my pocketbook so that I don't have to deny my loved ones or myself of a fabulous holiday break.

Cut to the following recipe - Thai style fried tofu that literally takes fewer than 10 minutes of active cooking time from start to finish. Throw a couple of pre-made dipping sauces and some microwaveable rice in your grocery basket, and you've got yourself a complete meal with minimal time spent in the kitchen and some change left over in your wallet.

Thai Style Fried Tofu

1 block extra firm tofu
1 cup vegetable oil

Serve with:

store bought dipping sauces
pre-cooked microwaveable rice

Before you fry the tofu, you'll want to remove excess liquid. To get started, cut tofu package open and drain the liquid from the packaging:

Place drained tofu block in a shallow dish:

Fold a paper towel and place on top of tofu:

Place a heavy bowl on top of the paper towel:

Within a minute or so you should start to see liquid seeping out of the tofu, like so:

Let tofu sit with paper towel and bowl on top for 20 to 30 minutes, by which time a lot of liquid should have escaped the tofu and it should be ready to fry:

Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat until almost smoking. You can test whether the oil is ready by dropping a small piece of tofu in and seeing what happens. If small bubbles rapidly form around the tofu and it floats to the surface, you will know that the oil is hot enough for frying:

Cut the tofu block into cubes:

And place in the pan with the hot oil (if you have a deep fryer, it would work well for this recipe too). After about 2 minutes, turn the tofu cubes to ensure that they brown on all sides.:

After the tofu has thoroughly browned on all sides, remove the tofu from the pan and drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil:

Serve with store bought dipping sauces (I used Thai peanut sauce and Thai sweet chili sauce):

and steamed rice (I found this pre-cooked rice in the freezer section which only requires 3 minutes of microwaving to heat up):

Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2011-11-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

There is this great soup, salad, and sandwich place on campus called Croutons that I frequent for lunch. A few weeks ago they had a delicious loaded baked potato soup on the menu that I just had to try and I've been craving it ever since. They haven't served it again so I had to take matters into my own hands - here is what I came up with.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

For the soup:

3 Tbsp butter
4 strips of bacon, diced
1 white onion, diced
5 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup half and half

For the toppings:

6 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (or bacon bits)
grated cheddar cheese
sour cream
chopped chives

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in large stock pot over medium heat:

Add diced bacon and cook until crispy (5 to 10 minutes):

Add onions and cook until translucent (about 10 minutes):

While the bacon and onions are cooking, peel 5 large russet potatoes:

Cube potatoes and add to the cooked onions and bacon. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often to coat potatoes with bacon and onion and to prevent potatoes from sticking to the pot and burning:

Add chicken stock (it should just cover the potatoes):

Cover pot and cook for 30 to 40 minutes (or until potatoes are tender). Stir in cream, half and half, and remaining Tbsp butter and cook for another 3 minutes:

Ladle half of soup into blender and mix well. It should come out looking something like this:

Ladle non-blended soup over blended soup until you achieve the desired texture (I did this because I like having some potato chunks in my soup - if you prefer your soup to have a smooth texture, you can use an immersion blender to blend all of the soup in the pot together):

Top with all of the things you like to eat on a baked potato (I used sour cream, crumbled bacon, chives, and cheddar) and serve. Enjoy!

Fettuccine ai Funghi (Mushroom Pasta)

2011-11-06T10:17:00.000-08:00

It's finally fall, the temperature has started to drop, and I have found myself craving comfort food. When I was a kid, my mom used to make hearty meat and pasta dishes in the fall like beef stroganoff and chicken cacciatore. But since my husband and I rarely eat meat (and almost never cook any meat besides seafood), I was looking for something hearty without the meat, which is how I came up with this recipe for pasta with mushrooms. It's kind of like beef stroganoff, just without the beef. And it's so rich and hearty that I promise you won't even miss it!

Fettuccine ai Funghi

9 oz fresh fettuccine (or other wide noodle pasta, such as pappardelle)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 lb baby bella mushrooms, sliced (crimini, oyster, or shiitake would work too)
1/2 cup heavy cream
nutmeg, salt, and pepper (to taste)
1 Tbsp freshly chopped oregano
freshly grated parmesan cheese (as a garnish)

Melt 3 Tbsp butter with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat:

Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, and cook until it just starts to brown (about 2 minutes):

Add wine and cook for approximately 2 minutes (or until the wine reduces by half). Add mushrooms, remaining butter and olive oil, and cook until mushrooms start to brown:

Add cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and oregano, and cook until the cream starts to bubble and thicken (about 2 minutes):

Add cooked fettuccine to the pan and toss to coat:

Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Bread

2011-10-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

Once again it is my favorite time of the year - fall! And to me fall is synonymous with one thing: pumpkin. Each year I anxiously await the arrival of all things pumpkin - pumpkin beer, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie (I really could go on and on.)

I hate to play favorites, but if I were forced to, I might have to say that pumpkin bread is my favorite fall treat of all. But unlike the other pumpkin filled treats that I enjoy, it is one thing that I have never tried to make. I have only ever really made bread once (click here for a refresher) and although it ended up tasting fine, I walked away feeling like bread baking might not be for me.

This year, I was determined not to let my past bread baking experience deter me from trying to make my favorite tasty treat, and boy am I glad that I gave bread baking another shot! This time around, all of the ingredients came together in the recommended proportions, and the bread was so delicious that I could have eaten the whole loaf in one sitting. You should give this recipe a try even if pumpkin isn't your favorite thing - the pumpkin flavor isn't too dominant and the spices give it a wonderful flavor. (And as an added bonus for all of you with allergies or dietary restrictions, this recipe is dairy and egg free!)

Pumpkin Spice Bread

1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup unsulphured (dark) molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 F and spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray:

Combine pumpkin:

molasses:

vanilla extract (I finally had an excuse to use the delicious extract I brought back from Tahiti!):

with sugar and oil in a large bowl and stir to mix:

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger:

And stir to mix. Add the flour and spice mix to the pumpkin mixture in three additions, stirring to mix well after each addition. Once you have added all of the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, the dough should look something like this:

Spoon the dough into the loaf pan and use a knife or spatula to smooth out the top of the loaf to ensure even baking:

Set your timer for 65 minutes (total torture once you begin to smell the delicious bread baking!):

Once the bread has finished baking, transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes (leave the bread in the pan for now):

After 10 minutes, run a knife or spatula along the edges of the pan to loosen the bread from the sides of the pan. Invert the bread onto a cutting board, and then turn over to slice:

Although this bread tastes great anytime, I definitely recommend trying a piece right out of the oven while it's still warm. Heaven!

Panamania!

2011-10-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I know, I know - long time no blog. I apologize. I have been traveling and computer-less (and dare I say, slightly more sane in a Facebook and iPhone-less world).

But now I am back, and although I haven't spent much (or really any) time in my kitchen, I figured I could share some of the fun and delicious foodie adventures that I experienced on my travels through - drum roll please - PANAMA!

We had the best meal of our trip in Panama City at an adorable restaurant called S'cena in the colonial neighborhood of Casco Viejo. Here's the view of downtown Panama City from outside the resaturant:

We worked up an appetite for dinner by spending the day on a Jungle Cruise in the midst of a monsoon on the Panama Canal, where we got up close and a little too personal with these guys:

We started the dinner with ceviche:

And seared ahi:

And followed it up with salmon topped with fried plantain chips:

And steak with pineapple risotto:

S'cena may have been our best meal, but Panama City definitely wasn't the only place where we found good food. At our hotel in Boquete, we woke up to find this complimentary breakfast waiting for us:

And as if all of that deliciousness wasn't enough, they brought out homemade apple cinnamon empandas too:

The meals (and Jungle Cruise) were definitely huge highlights of the trip, but hands down the most unique experience that we had was touring a coffee plantation!

We learned that Panama has some of the world's best coffee, which is consistently rated a perfect 100 points and sells for $300 per pound in Asia, although it is rarely exported to the US.

When the coffee "cherries" ripen, they turn red.

You can eat them just like a grape. The seeds (or coffee beans) look like this:

They lay the beans out on this rack to dry in the sun for several weeks:

And once they've dried, they shrink and look like a raisin:

The coffee beans shrink too:

Here's what the beans look like prior to roasting (I think they resemble peanuts):

One of the coolest parts of the tour was that I got to do the roasting (the garb reminded me of when I used to volunteer in the ICU in college)!

First, I had to weigh out 4 pounds of coffee beans:

And load them into the roaster:

I had to heat the beans up to 450 degrees:

They have to be cooled off rapidly before they burn and turn the coffee bitter:

So the machine has this spinning device to aerate and more rapidly cool the beans:

The final product:

Good to the last drop!

Thanks for the memories Panama!

Dog Days Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta

2011-08-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

I don't know what the weather has been like in your neck of the woods lately, but here in San Diego it has been H-O-T hot! And because San Diego is a coastal city, the developers of this area, in their infinite wisdom, didn't install air conditioning in any of the buildings around town - not in my apartment, not in the building I work in, not even in the grocery store.

So as you might imagine, in these dog days of summer when it's 90 degrees outside and I have one measly little fan to cool me down, the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven, let alone eat a hearty bowl of pasta with tomato sauce. Luckily for me, there is pesto to the rescue. I thought I'd shake things up a bit from the classic pesto recipe that I often make (see here) by using sundried tomatoes, walnuts, and red pepper flakes to liven things up. Enjoy and stay cool wherever this recipe finds you!

Sundried Tomato Pesto

1 8 oz. jar of sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained
1/2 cup basil
1/4 cup walnuts
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1 lb. pasta

Add sundried tomatoes, basil, walnuts, garlic, cheese, and red pepper flakes to food processor:

And blend until just mixed:

With motor running, pour olive oil in a steady stream into the top of the food processor and blend until pesto is smooth and oil has become incorporated.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until al dente (according to package directions). Strain pasta, reserving 1/3 cup cooking water, and pour pasta into large bowl. Add pesto and reserved cooking water:

And stir to coat pasta evenly. Serve by topping with (what else?) more cheese:

Garlic Parmesan Truffle Fries

2011-08-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Right about now you may be thinking to yourself, "Really? All of those ingredients piled on a french fry? This sounds like a fancy restaurant gimmick to me where they take perfectly good dishes and mess them up by trying to make them into something they're not." Now don't get me wrong, I think french fries are delicious all by themselves and there is a time and place for a simple ketchup side (or even fry sauce, for all of you Utahans). But before you write this dish off, I think that you should ask yourself this: What's not to love about a dish that combines the holy trinity of everything in the food world that is sacred - cheese, potatoes, and truffle oil?

Garlic Parmesan Truffle Fries

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
2 Tbsp white truffle oil

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Cut the round ends off of potatoes as well as the sides to form a rectangular potato cube. Cut the rectangle lengthwise and crosswise to form fries. Toss fries in a large bowl with vegetable oil to coat and season with salt and pepper (to taste).

From here, you have two options for baking the fries. If you like your fries crispy throughout, use a metal cookie sheet. If you like your fries crispy on the edges and tender in the middle, use a 13 x 9 glass baking dish (this is the approach I took). Spray your preferred baking dish/sheet with non-stick spray and add the fries to the dish. Spread fries evenly in a single layer, like so:

Bake for 30 minutes, turning fries over once to ensure even browning on both sides. Whisk truffle oil, garlic, and parsley together in a small bowl. Remove fries from oven and pour oil, garlic, and parsley mixture over fries. Toss to coat evenly:

Top with parmesan cheese and serve.

Bonbon-A-Thon

2011-08-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

While I was flipping through the June issue of Food and Wine, I came across an article with a recipe that seemed so deceptively simple that it lead me to believe that I, a complete bonbon making novice, could make ice cream bonbons from scratch. They lured me in with pictures like this one, promising that if I followed their three easy steps, I too could make these round, perfect, delicious ice cream filled bonbons:

Well readers I am here to tell you that Food and Wine lied to me! I mean really, how in the hell are you supposed to roll ice cream in molten chocolate and NOT have the ice cream melt all over creation??? Short of dipping the ice cream in liquid nitrogen or using an extreme sub zero freezer, I have no idea how this is possible. I even enlisted the help of my poor dinner guest Erin and we formed a bonbon assembly line, but we still could not work fast enough to make them look perfect! Between the ice cream melting all over the place and the chocolate hardening up as it cooled, our bonbons came out looking something like this:

But I will say that what these mangled chocolate covered ice cream balls lacked in beauty, they more than made up for in flavor. I've shared what we did below. If you have any tips and/or a better approach, please do share them with me in the comments!

Ice Cream Bonbons

Ice Cream (any flavor you like will do)
10 ounces of chocolate (I used a mixture of 1/3 each dark, milk, and semisweet)
sea salt (for topping)

Place chocolate in a double boiler or in a large bowl over boiling water:

And stir until melted:

Scrape chocolate into a new bowl and allow to cool slightly. Scoop Tbsp sized balls of ice cream (we used the following delicious flavors, but as I said earlier, you could really use and flavor you like):

And quickly roll them in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt. Immediately transfer to wax paper lined cookie sheet in the freezer (you'll notice the melted ice cream dripping everywhere):

Freeze for 30 minutes, then consume. They may look like this:

But I promise that they will be delicious!

Risotto alla Milanese (Saffron Risotto)

2011-08-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading this blog for awhile, you might remember my quest to create the perfect porcini mushroom risotto (see here for a refresher). I pretty much constantly crave this savory creamy concoction. But hearty mushroom risotto doesn't necessarily jump to the front of your list of things to make during the dog days of summer.

So what can you do to satisfy your risotto cravings despite the heat? Enter Risotto alla Milanese. You've most likely seen this risotto served as a side dish alongside Osso Bucco, but I think that serving it as a side doesn't allow it to radiate in all of it's delicious glory. The saffron adds a hint of subtle richness that's not overbearing. The simple ingredients combine to make this dish light and creamy, not gut busting. In other words, it's perfect all on it's own.

Risotto Alla Milanese

5 to 6 cups of chicken stock
1 large pinch of saffron
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
1 tsp salt
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Don't be frightened by the fact that saffron costs $238 per ounce (no really - it's more valuable than gold). I bought this 0.06 oz bottle and didn't even use 1/10 of what was provided - a tiny amount goes a long way in terms of adding flavor and beautiful color:

It's so delicate that it comes in a small envelope:

Heat stock in a saucepan over medium heat until just boiling. Add saffron (as I said above, you'll only need a small pinch. I used the tip of a teaspoon as my guide):

Then cover stock and reduce to the lowest heat setting to simmer the stock and keep it warm.

In the meantime, pour oil into large saucepan over medium heat until the oil just coats the bottom of the pan (approximately 2 to 3 Tbsp, depending on the size of the pan):

Add the diced onion and salt to the pan:

And cook until the onion starts to become translucent:

Add rice and stir to mix well:

Cook rice, stirring often, for about 3 minutes (rice should brown slightly but not burn). Add the wine and cook until the rice has just absorbed it:

Add 1 cup of saffron infused chicken stock:

And cook, stirring often, until the rice has absorbed the stock. Continue to add stock by the cupful, cooking until the rice has absorbed the liquid before adding the next cup. After all of the stock has been absorbed, the risotto should like something like this (most of the liquid should be absorbed, but the rice should still be loose):

Add butter and freshly grated parmesan:

And stir until the butter and cheese have melted and become incorporated into the rice:

Garnish with freshly shaved parmesan and serve. Buon appetito!

Anytime Appetizer: Roasted Garlic Crostini

2011-07-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

When it comes to entertaining, I often go to the hands down easiest to make appetizer in my recipe arsenal: roasted garlic crostini. It's the perfect thing to make when you want to serve something that will be a sure fire crowd pleaser, but you still want to have time to actually enjoy your guests and not be stuck in the kitchen the entire time. And the best part about it is that you can top these warm garlicky toasts with just about anything that you have lying around the house - sun dried tomatoes, olives, tapenade, cheese - the possibilities are endless!

The other night I set out to make this dish as a pre-dinner appetizer, but everyone loved it so much, we ended up eating several crostinis each in place of dinner. Vampires and those on a first date need not apply. All others, dig in!

Roasted Garlic Crostini

2 large heads of garlic (or more, depending on the number of guests you have)
extra virgin olive oil
1 baguette, sliced
assorted toppings

For the garlic:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the tops off of heads of garlic to reveal individual cloves like so:

Drizzle with olive oil and place in baking dish lined with aluminum foil:

Wrap foil around heads of garlic to completely enclose:

Then bake for 1 hour (or until garlic becomes soft and has just started to caramelize):

While garlic is cooling, place bread slices on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil:

Bake at 400 F for 10 to 12 minutes (bread will be lightly toasted but not dark brown - if you prefer your bread more toasted, place under broiler for about a minute):

Scoop garlic cloves out with a spoon or fork and place on toast:

The garlic should be soft enough that you can spread it with the back of a fork or a butter knife:

I topped one of my toasts with goat cheese and rosemary and the other with gruyere and balsamic vinegar, but like I said before, you could top them with just about anything and they'd still be delicious - enjoy!

Cinque Terre Dreaming: Spaghetti al Limone

2011-07-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

Just before starting graduate school, I had the great fortune of being able to take 17 days to backpack through Europe. It was my first trip to "the Continent", my first big vacation with my then boyfriend (now husband), and because of all that, has always had a romantic, magical quality in my memory. Every place we went was a revelation, the realization of all of the sights, smells, and sounds I'd always dreamed of immersing myself in. And when it comes to food, none more so than Italy.

Based on the recommendation of my dear friend Julie, who had recently gone to Italy for her honeymoon, we decided to spend a few nights hiking through the Cinque Terre. The Cinque Terre are five remote coastal villages in the Italian Riviera connected only by an old train and a rugged hiking trail. Due to their remote location, these villages have retained much of their historical character and a visit here is like taking a trip back in time:

The view of Vernazza from the hiking trail.

We spent a night in Vernazza during our trip and our dinner that night was one of the best meals I've ever had. Paul had a ravioli dish with pesto (since this region is famous for it's pesto), and I enjoyed another local specialty, the pasta with lemon sauce. I loved it so much that I cleaned every last bite from my plate. It's the perfect pasta for a summer's day, or anytime you find yourself dreaming of the Italian Riviera.

Spaghetti al Limone (Spaghetti with Lemon)

1 lb spaghetti
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly squeezed juice of 3 lemons (between 1/3 and 1/2 cup lemon juice, depending on the size of the lemons)
1 cup reserved pasta water
salt and pepper, to taste
1 oz. chopped basil
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente (according to package directions). Strain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water to use in the sauce.

In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Zest two lemons (I don't own a zester, so I used the small side of my cheese grater):

Be sure to stop zesting once the dark yellow parts of the lemon rind are gone - the light white parts of the rind are very bitter and shouldn't be used in the pasta sauce:

Add 1/2 Tbsp of lemon zest and garlic to the skillet with olive oil and saute until garlic just begins to brown, about 1 to 2 minutes:

Freshly squeeze the juice of 3 lemons (this should come out to between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of juice, depending on the size of the lemons you use):

Add lemon juice and reserved pasta water to skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste:

Cook until liquid reduces by about half. Add pasta, basil, and parmesan and toss to coat pasta:

Freshly grated parmesan.

Spoon pasta into bowls to serve and garnish with more parmesan and remaining lemon zest. Enjoy!

Garlic and Anchovy Pasta

2011-07-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

Another pasta post! (What, you thought that I had given up on pasta? Silly rabbit.)

As much as I adore hearty, tomato-based pasta sauces, sometimes they are just too heavy for a meal on a hot summer's day. In this spirit of making something lighter, I toyed around with the ingredients I had on hand and came up with the following recipe. (Even if you don't think that you like anchovies, you should give this recipe a try - since there are only 2 oz. of anchovies they add a nice brininess to the pasta without overpowering it, while the parsley balances out the saltiness by adding brightness to the dish.)

Garlic and Anchovy Pasta

1/2 lb spaghetti
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 oz can of anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp freshly chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti in large pot of salted boiling water:

In the meantime, heat olive and butter in a skillet over medium heat until butter has melted:

Add garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, anchovies, and parsley to skillet and season with salt and pepper:

Cook, stirring often, until garlic is just starting to brown and anchovies begin to disintegrate:

Add pasta water and boil until the mixture reduces by about half:

Add pasta and cheese to skillet and toss until cheese melts and pasta is coated with sauce. Spoon into large bowls and enjoy!

Independence Day 2011

2011-07-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

Last year over the July 4th holiday weekend it was cloudy and rainy with highs in the high 50's/low 60's. We had a pretty hard time motivating to do much, except cook, as evidenced here.

This year could not have been more different! The weather was postcard perfect San Diego weather - in the high 80's all weekend and the fog burned off each day by 9 or 10 a.m. We spent almost the entire weekend outside. But I have to say that the biggest highlight was Paul's blue ribbon win at the San Diego County Fair Homebrewer's Competition!

He entered a Scotch Ale:

In addition to the ribbon, he got this "trophy":

While we were waiting for the announcement of the winners, we perused some of the county fair cuisine. The newest addition to the fried food parade this year was deep fried Kool-Aid:

I was way too creeped out by the idea to try it, although I did see some kids eating it. Instead, I decided to indulge in some Indian fry bread and a beer, two of my favorite guilty pleasures (though they are usually hard to find in the same place):

On the actual holiday, we headed down to Scripps to bbq. We set up shop on the deck of one of the labs and you sure can't beat having this as the view from your office:

There was a charcoal grill set up on the deck and we threw some salmon burgers and veggies over the coals:

Paul topped his burger with Swiss cheese, grilled onions, avocado, tomatoes, and lettuce. I topped mine with bbq sauce and Swiss cheese:

Hope you all had a very Happy 4th of July!

Father's Day Brunch: Three Cheese Mushroom Strata and Insalata Rucola

2011-06-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day this year I made brunch for my in-laws. My father-in-law spent several years living in Rome when he was younger with his father and step mother, so I am always trying to impress him by making my version of Italian recipes.

The first time I ever had strata was at a bridal shower that my mother-in-law threw for me. She bought a delicious strata from a local Italian market to serve for brunch. (If you're not familiar with strata, it's basically a brunch casserole in which bread is layered with cheese, eggs, and other ingredients to form several layers or "strata"). I loved the combination of cheese, egg, and bread all baked together and vowed to try my hand at making it one day.

Here's my first attempt:

Three Cheese and Mushroom Strata

1 medium sized baguette, cut into cubes (as you would cut bread for dipping into fondue)
2 1/2 cups of milk
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups of half and half
5 eggs
1 4 oz. package of chives, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
1 cup grated fontina

Cut a medium sized baguette into large cubes, as you would for fondue:

(I used a sourdough baguette from local San Diego bakery Bread & Cie):

Pour milk over bread and let sit, turning once to coat thoroughly, until bread cubes have absorbed milk (about 10 to 15 minutes):

While bread cubes are absorbing milk, wash baby bellas:

And shiitakes:

Remove stems and slice:

Melt butter over medium heat:

Add mushrooms and garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste:

Saute until mushrooms have absorbed butter and are tender (about 8 to 10 minutes) and remove from heat:

Heat oven to 350 F and spray a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish with non stick spray. Place half of bread cubes in a single layer on the bottom of the casserole dish (they will not completely cover the dish):

Top bread crumbs with half of the sauteed mushrooms and garlic:

Top with half of the grated parmesan, fontina, and crumbled goat cheese:

Whisk half and half, eggs, chives, thyme, and salt and pepper together in a medium sized bowl:

And pour half of this mixture over bread crumbs:

Repeat layering with remaining ingredients (casserole dish will be full and bread cubes will be poking through the top, like so):

Bake for 1 hour, until cheeses have melted and bread cubes have started to brown:

For brunch, I served the strata with an Insalata Rucola (Italian for arugula salad) that I have based on the version at my favorite Neapolitan style pizzeria, Settebello.

Insalata Rucola

8 oz container of baby arugula
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
shaved parmesan (as a garnish)

Whisk olive oil and lemon juice together in a small bowl to mix:

Pour mixture over rinsed arugula and toss to coat. Top with grated parmesan cheese:

Hope you and yours had a wonderful Father's Day!

Weeknight Wonder: Mustard and Brown Sugar Salmon with Oven Roasted Onion Potatoes

2011-06-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but during the workweek I am always looking for quick and simple recipes that I can whip up with as few ingredients as possible that involve as little prep time as possible.

This week I came home from another 12 hour workday (exhausted, as usual) and was determined not to give in to my urge to order pizza or run to Chipotle. I scoured my cabinets and fridge for something as quick, easy, and semi-healthy as possible to whip up. Luckily, I came across a bag of these adorable little Dutch Yellow potatoes from Trader Joe's that I had leftover from a soup that I had made recently:

And a box of Lipton Onion soup mix:

If you've got potatoes, onion soup mix, and olive oil, you whip up these tasty potatoes in no time!

Oven Roasted Onion Potatoes

2 pounds small potatoes, quartered
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (if you don't have olive oil, substitute vegetable oil)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut potatoes into quarters:

And place into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish:

Whisk oil and soup mix together in a small bowl:

And pour over potatoes. Toss to coat potatoes evenly:

Place on center oven rack and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and starting to crisp, like so:

To go with the potatoes, I made salmon, once again using the ingredients that I had lying around in the fridge and pantry.

Mustard and Brown Sugar Salmon

1 pound salmon filet
freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup golden brown sugar

Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over salmon filet seasoned with salt and pepper:

Bake salmon in 425 F oven for 20 minutes. Whisk mustard and brown sugar together in a small bowl until smooth:

(I used this mustard from Trader Joe's, but you could use any spicy brown mustard):

Remove salmon from oven and pour mustard/brown sugar mixture over baked salmon:

Turn on your oven's broiler (my broiler only seems to have one setting - Hi):

Broil salmon for about 3 minutes, until the mustard/sugar mixture starts to caramelize and bubble:

Plate salmon and potatoes and enjoy your 7 ingredient weeknight wonder meal!

Chilaquiles: The Best Thing I Ever Ate (Breakfast Edition)

2011-06-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

You know that show The Best Thing I Ever Ate on the Food Network? The one where famous chefs talk about their favorite meals? Well whenever I watch this show, it always spurs a conversation in my house about what the best thing I ever ate was. For someone who loves food and traveling as much as I do, trying to narrow down my favorite meals is usually no small task.

But I have to say that when it comes to breakfast, there is one meal that stands out above all others in my mind: the chilaquiles I had on my 29th birthday at Hell's Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah. Even though I had lived in Utah for 4 years at the time, I had never heard of Boulder, Utah or Hell's Backbone Grill until I picked up Bon Appetit's May 2009 issue and read the article The United Plates of America: A Guide to the Best Things to Eat, Drink, and Buy in All 50 States (if you haven't read this article before, I recommend that you click on it - you just might discover something that you didn't know about in your own state too). After I read the article, I googled Hell's Backbone and saw that it had also won acclaim from Fodor's, the New York Times, and Zagat and I decided that I absolutely had to eat there before I moved away.

So for my birthday we went on a road trip and camped in various parts of Southern Utah. We ended up at Hell's Backbone on the morning of my birthday for brunch:

I ordered the chilaquiles and I was blown away. Of course I had had chilaquiles before, but none this good. Maybe it was just because everything tastes better when you've been camping. Maybe I was on a birthday celebration high. Whatever the reason, these chilaquiles were the BEST. THING. I. EVER. ATE!

Watching that show on the Food Network gave me a fierce craving for this delicious dish. Since I'm 650 miles away from Hell's Backbone this morning, I decided that I had better just make some for myself.

Chilaquiles (pronounced chee-lah-kee-less)

vegetable oil (for frying the tortillas)
8-12 small corn or flour tortillas (if you don't have tortillas on hand, you can use tortilla chips instead)
salt (to season the tortillas with)
1 14 oz can of red chile sauce (if you can't find red chile sauce, substitute salsa or enchilada sauce)
6 eggs, scrambled
1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
grated cheddar cheese (as a garnish)

Pour enough vegetable oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom and heat over medium heat. Cut tortillas into quarters:

Once oil is heated, fry tortilla pieces in three separate batches for about 2-3 minutes per side (until starting to lightly brown and crisp slightly).

When you first put the tortilla pieces in the oil, they'll look like this:

After 2 -3 minutes, flip them over (they should be light brown and slightly crisp, like so):

Remove tortilla pieces from skillet and season with salt. Drain tortilla pieces on a paper towel lined plate (to remove excess oil):

Remove excess oil from skillet and add red chile sauce:

Heat until just boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes to heat sauce through:

As the sauce heats, whisk 6 eggs and 1 Tbsp cream together in a medium sized bowl:

And scramble over medium heat in a separate skillet:

Once sauce has heated, add tortilla pieces, turning to coat:

Cook until tortillas start to soften slightly (about 3 - 5 minutes). Remove tortillas and place at the bottom of a shallow bowl:

Top with scrambled eggs:

Drizzle with more red chile sauce:

Top with cheese and enjoy!

Soup's On!

2011-06-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

After three decadent pasta posts in a row (here, here, and here), I figured it might be time to lighten up a little (because even though I'd absolutely love to, I probably shouldn't eat pasta for dinner every single night).

I grew up in a fairly small town which was your typical suburb on the outskirts of a big city. It was full of strip malls, fast food chains, and mass market retailers. Like most suburbs, it was hard to find local shops and even harder to find multi-cultural restaurants (a.k.a. anything but pizza and burgers and chain restaurants). Because of this, there were a lot delicious foods that I never had the opportunity to try until I moved away to "the big city" for college (sushi, spanakopita, pho, and chana masala, just to name a few).

But there were a couple of hidden gems out there. One was called the Great Wall (and served, as you may have guessed, Chinese food). As a kid I loved getting to try all of the fun, exotic dishes that my parents never dared try to make at home - General Tso's chicken, Kung Pao shrimp, egg drop soup.

But far and away my favorite dish was always the wonton soup. The other day I got a craving for some, and being 150 miles or so away from the Great Wall, I decided to try to whip some up myself.

I had these chicken gyoza/potstickers from Trader Joe's in the freezer, so I decided to use them instead of attempting to make my own from scratch:

Wonton Soup

5 cups chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions (use both the pale and dark green parts of the onions), chopped
8 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 16 oz package of frozen gyoza/potstickers (about 10 potstickers)
several tsps sesame oil (as a garnish)

Bring stock, minced garlic, and chopped green onions to a boil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until tender (about 5 minutes). Add potstickers and cook for about 5 minutes (or until potstickers are tender and cooked through). Ladle soup into bowls, garnish each bowl with 1 tsp sesame oil, and enjoy!

Lemon Pepper Pappardelle: Pasta Perfection Part 3

2011-05-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

My favorite restaurant here in La Jolla is Piatti. I've celebrated many of my life's milestones there: we held our rehearsal dinner for our wedding at Piatti, and I've celebrated several birthdays and our first wedding anniversary there as well. The restaurant has a charming candle lit patio where you dine al fresco under a huge ficus tree (very romantic). But what really keeps me coming back time and time again is a heavenly pasta dish that they make called Pappardelle Fantasia. This delectable pasta consists of a saffron pappardelle in a white wine, garlic, and tomato sauce served with shrimp. I love this pasta so much that if I could eat it every day, I would.

When I was living in Salt Lake City for five years, this pasta was one of the things that I missed most about San Diego. I wrote to Bon Appetit's RSVP column (a feature in the magazine where readers write in with stories about their favorite restaurant meals and the magazine asks the chefs to share the recipe) several times, pleading my sob story about how my favorite dish was now three states away and how I desperately wanted the recipe so I could recreate it at home, all to no avail.

I'll never know if my story was not intriguing enough to stand out amongst the hundreds of submissions to the column or if the chef simply refused to share the recipe. Whatever the case, in the end it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it forced me to be creative in the kitchen and try to recreate the dish on my own. I admit that I never quite mastered the exact nuances of the restaurant's dish, but now that I'm back in San Diego, I can go to Piatti whenever I please. And on the nights when I'd rather eat pasta on the couch in my p.j.s (which is more often than not) , I can whip up this pasta which comes in as a close second to the Fantasia.

Lemon Pepper Pappardelle

1 8 oz package of lemon pepper papparedelle (if you can't find flavored pappardelle, use regular noodles)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 cloves minced garlic
1 15 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water
fresh basil and parmesan (as a garnish)
(for a non-vegetarian version, you could top this pasta with chicken or shrimp)

Bring salted water to a boil in large pan and cook lemon pepper pappardelle until al dente according to package directions (Trader Joe's sells a great one, pictured here):

While pasta is cooking, melt 2 Tbsp unsalted butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes:

Add diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes, white wine and pasta cooking water and simmer until mixture reduces by about half:

Add pasta and remaining 1 Tbsp of butter to tomato mixture. Cook until butter melts and toss noodles to coat:

Plate and granish with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan:

Pasta Al Pomodoro: Pasta Perfection Part 2

2011-05-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

I promised that I'd be sharing lots of pasta recipes with you all in the coming posts, and I do not aim to disappoint!

The second pasta recipe that I'd like to share is a variation on the cover recipe from the Bon Appetit Italy issue that I mentioned to you in my last post:

Usually when I think of making pasta al pomodoro, I don't think of adding onions - just a very simple sauce consisting of tomato, basil, and garlic. After trying this recipe, I have to say that the onions do add a nice depth of flavor to this simple, light, and delicious sauce.

Pasta Al Pomodoro

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 28 oz can of tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 4 oz package of fresh basil
1 lb. of spaghetti
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add onion:

Cook for approximately 12 minutes (or until onions start to soften and are coated with olive oil):

Add garlic and cook for 4 minutes, stirring. Add red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.

Increase heat to medium and add tomato sauce:

Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add basil sprigs (whole).

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti and cook until 2 minutes shy of al dente (according to package cooking directions). Drain pasta but reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water.

Remove basil from sauce and discard. Heat sauce over high heat. Stir in pasta water and bring to a boil. Add spaghetti:

Cook until pasta is al dente (approximately 2 minutes). Remove pan from heat and add butter and cheese:

Stir until cheese and butter melt. Serve warm and top with more cheese (can you really ever have too much cheese?).

Cacio e Pepe = Pasta Perfection

2011-05-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been such a lame blogger as of late. After my last post, I spent several weeks traveling (both for work and for fun) and once I got back, I was super behind and had a ton of things to catch up on, both at work and at home.

Now that things are finally settling down (and I am strapped for cash from my latest travel extravaganza), I am finally getting back into cooking - which is good news for both my wallet and my blog!

My latest cooking inspiration has been coming from one of the recent issues of Bon Appetit, which had the following promise on the cover:

Um, yes please! (You can expect to see lots of pastas coming your way in the next few posts people.)

According to this issue of the magazine, the real secret to restaurant-worthy pasta is all about combining the sauce and the pasta together in a single pan and letting them meld together.

For my first attempt at this technique, I attempted a traditional cucina povera (or "peasant cuisine") style dish - in a nutshell, this is basically a dish that requires very few ingredients but is still rich in flavor. I chose Cacio e Pepe, which is literally translated to "cheese and pepper", and it is honestly just about that simple. But don't let the simplicity of the recipe or the cucina povera nature of the dish fool you into thinking this is just some ho hum dish - you'll find it hard to believe just how rich and flavorful cheese and freshly cracked pepper can be!

Cacio e Pepe

1 lb spaghetti
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan
1/3 cup finely grated pecorino romano

Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and cook spaghetti until 2 minutes shy of "al dente" (according to package cooking instructions). Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in large frying pan over medium heat:

Add pepper and cook until toasted (approximately one minute):

Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water to pan and simmer until reduced by about half:

Add pasta, remaining Tbsp of butter:

and both cheeses:

Reduce heat to low and toss with tongs (or, if you are brave and not afraid of possibly having to scrub down your range after, by doing those fancy pan flips you always see celebrity chefs doing) until the cheese is melted and the pasta is coated with sauce. (If the sauce seems too dry, add more pasta water):

Spoon into bowls and serve.

Bon appetite!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

2011-03-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

When someone first told me about Irish Car Bomb cupcakes, my reaction was, "How in the hell could something so amazing exist without my knowledge?" My second reaction was: I need to find an excuse to make those delicious treats.

With St. Patty's Day almost upon us and it being my favorite Irishman's 31st birthday and all, I decided to give them a whirl. I got my cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen (which seems to unanimously be the favorite car bomb cupcake recipe of everyone on the internet), but used my own frosting recipe and omitted the chocolate whiskey ganache filling in favor of piping some of the Irish cream frosting mixture inside of the cupcakes instead.

I hope you enjoy these perfect little desserts as much as we did!

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

(This recipe makes 2 dozen cupcakes.)

1 cup Guinness
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Irish Cream Frosting

1 lb. box confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup Irish Cream

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Add 1 cup of Guinness:

and 2 sticks unsalted butter to small saucepan over medium heat:

After butter has melted, add 3/4 cup of cocoa powder and whisk to mix completely. Allow mixture to cool slightly.

While the Guinness, butter, and cocoa mixture is cooling, beat eggs and sour cream together with an electric mixer until smooth:

Add stout-butter-cocoa mixture to the egg-sour cream mixture and combine until smooth:

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and add to stout-butter-cocoa-egg-sour cream mixture in three additions, stirring well to combine after each addition.

Divide batter among 24 lined cupcake tins, filling each tin approximately 3/4 full:

Bake cupcakes for 17 minutes (or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean):

Transfer cupcakes to wire rack and cool completely.

For the Irish Cream Frosting:

In electric mixer using whisk attachment, whisk 1 stick room temperature butter with box of powdered sugar until just smooth. Add vanilla extract and Irish Cream - I had this bottle of Carolans lying around from a night of Copper Camel drinking (if you've never had a Copper Camel, make one - they're delicious), but of course Bailey's would work just as well:

Stir to combine. Frosting should be slightly stiff, but creamy, like so:

(If the frosting is too liquidy/not stiff enough, add more powdered sugar. If the frosting is to firm, add more Irish Cream.)

Either simply top the cupcakes with the frosting, or use a knife to cut a hole in the center of the cupcakes and pipe some frosting in.

Chana Masala = Spice Paradise

2011-02-23T15:06:00.000-08:00

When we were still living in Salt Lake, we would go out for Indian food about once a week to the Star of India. My husband's favorite meal there was the Chana Masala, extra spicy. Now that we're out here in San Diego, we don't have an Indian place to go to anymore (although I am sure there are plenty of great spots that we just haven't found yet). So as a surprise for my husband, I decided to try my hands at making Indian food for the first time. (I'm not sure why, but I have never made Indian food before. I think all of the spices that are involved have always seemed intimidating to me.) Here's my first attempt at chana masala - to my surprise, it was quick, easy, and I was able to make it entirely with spices I already had in my pantry. And while my recipe may not have been traditional (I didn't have some of the traditional ingredients including garam masala and amchoor powder and I am fairly certain that jalapenos are not normally in Indian food), it sure was tasty:

Chana Masala (as written, this recipe will serve 2-3 people)

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 jalapeno (cored and seeded with the white part removed), minced
1/2 Tbsp coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/3 cup water
freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and saute until browned (for approximately 5 minutes):

Reduce heat to medium-low and add all spices:

Stir to mix and saute for about 2 minutes until onion mixture is well coated:

Add tomatoes and stir to mix:

Add garbanzo beans and water:

Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to reduce. In the meantime, heat oven to 200 F. Wrap naan in foil and heat in oven for 5 minutes to warm. (I used Trader Joe's Tandoori Garlic Naan, pictured below):

After the chana masala has simmered for 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper, and add freshly squeezed lime juice and cilantro to taste:

Serve with naan and cilantro lime rice (see below for recipe) and enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lime
chopped fresh cilantro (approximately 1 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp butter

Add rice, water, lime juice, cilantro and butter to a rice cooker (or medium sauce pan):

Cook until liquid is absorbed (approximately 20 minutes). Fluff with fork and serve.

Dinner a Deux

2011-02-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

This year marked our first Valentine's Day as a married couple where we lived in the same city (imagine that). Last year, Paul flew out to Salt Lake and we had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, The Paris Bistro. While usually this restaurant can do no wrong in my book, their Valentine's menu was a complete let down for me. It was a prix-fixe menu (so the options were very limited) and the items they did have on offer were surprisingly underwhelming and no where near as good as their usual offerings. To top it all off, at $65 per person, it was no bargain.

After looking around at my favorite restaurants here in San Diego and seeing that all of them were offering prix-fixe menus for Valentine's Day, we decided to spend this year making a feast for ourselves at home (in an effort to avoid repeating the disappointment of last year's experience).

I put Paul in charge of the first course, and he did not disappoint when he decided to assemble a cheese board with the following cheeses:

For Christmas, my sister Renee got us these awesome cheese knives from Sur La Table:

And the cheese board gave us an excuse to finally use them - thanks Renee!

It was hard to pick a favorite between them since they were all delicious. The gouda was so interesting with the bits of black truffle infused throughout (as you can see here):

And the taleggio tasted truly amazing served atop a baguette with smoked salmon:

And it tasted even better paired with champagne, of course:

For the main course, I made my ravioli with brown butter walnut sauce that I have featured on the site before:

I used store bought pasta instead of making my own from scratch since it was a week night and it tasted great:

We accompanied dinner with one of my favorite wines, which we first tried in Portugal on our backpacking trip through Europe:

And for dessert, I tried my hand at making a souffle for the first time. I have always been terrified of trying to make a souffle since you always hear horror stories about how if you so much as sneeze, let alone slam a door, a souffle will collapse in the oven and be destroyed. Since I was scared and didn't have high hopes of it working out, I just made a simple chocolate souffle. But I am happy to say, it is one of the easiest desserts that I have ever made (and delicious too), so stay tuned for more complicated flavor combos soon!

To start with, you will need a souffle pan (I got mine at Crate and Barrel for $10):

Preheat oven to 350 F. Rub the inside of the souffle pan with butter, then coat with sugar, like so:

Take half a bag of bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli):

And melt them in a double boiler (I don't have a double boiler, so I made my own version of one by placing a glass mixing bowl over gently boiling water and it worked just fine):

Stir the chocolate as it melts so that it doesn't burn:

And heat until it is completely melted:

Then add 3 egg yolks and stir to mix (it will look grainy and similar to brownie mix batter, as pictured below):

Next, add a pinch of salt to 6 egg whites (I'm not sure exactly how much a pinch of salt is - lucky, I have a measuring spoon just in case):

Whisk salt and egg whites together at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks, like so:

Add 1/3 cup of sugar and beat at medium speed to mix. Increase speed to high and beat until the whites just hold stiff peaks, like so:

Add 1/2 of egg white mixture to chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly to combine:

Add chocolate and egg white mixture to the remaining egg whites and fold carefully (so as not to deflate egg whites) to mix:

Then pour the batter into the souffle dish:

And bake for 25 minutes (whatever you do, DO NOT open the oven to check on the souffle or it will collapse). When it is finished it, should have risen to the top of the pan (it will start to sink almost immediately after you remove it from the oven, so don't worry if it doesn't stay tall and fluffy for long):

Since it was Valentine's Day, I decorated my souffle with rose pedals, powdered sugar, and a heart:

I served it with Rosa Regale sparkling red wine (which I have posted about before):

Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day!

Breakfast of Champions

2011-02-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

We received a lot of fantastic, thoughtful wedding gifts. As you might imagine after reading this blog, some of my favorites are the kitchen related items. And while I probably would never be able to choose one favorite item above all others, I do have to say that the panini press has gotten a lot of love from me. I often say that I think I was Italian in a past life due to my love of all things pasta, wine, and parmesan related. And I have to say that when it comes to sandwiches, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a more delicious way to combine ingredients than by simultaneously toasting, melting, and compressing them all together into one tightly sealed little package.

Although I haven't yet met a panini I didn't like, one of my all time favorites is a breakfast panini with bacon, egg, and cheddar. When I was living in Salt Lake, there was this local bakery that sold the perfect ciabatta rolls for paninis at my neighborhood market. Since moving to San Diego, I was at a loss as to where to find these types of rolls.

That is, until the other day when I discovered Con Pane Rustic Breads and Cafe (for some reason they don't seem to have their own webpage, so I linked to another blog that reviewed them). This shop is in Liberty Station in Point Loma, which used to be a Naval Training Center but has now been repurposed by the city as a multi-use shopping and residential area.

But I digress. Con Pane is fabulous. Fantastic sandwiches, coffees, and other baked goods, including freshly baked bread (and more specifically for my panini making quests, ciabatta rolls). So long as you have access to a panini press and a delicious bread supply, these sandwiches are quick and easy to make, not to mention delicious.

Mmmm, delicious ciabatta. Thanks Con Pane!

First, cut open the ciabatta roll:

Top with scrambled eggs:

Bacon (I used veggie bacon but you could of course use regular bacon too):

And sliced sharp cheddar cheese:

Replace top of roll:

And place in heated panini press:

Press down on handle of panini press to apply pressure to sandwich as demonstrated below (isn't Paul an awesome sous chef?):

Once the panini is finished it will be golden brown and have these beautiful grill marks on it:

Cut the panini in half on the diagonal like so:

It will make enough to share (or not depending on your mood).

Mmmm, melty, eggy, cheesy goodness. Enjoy!

Super Sunday Funday Snacks

2011-02-08T18:16:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, after your team is out of contention you stop caring about football very much. Inevitably, this happens to me every year (since the Chargers always seem to find a way to let me down). So to be honest, I had no idea who was even playing in the Super Bowl this year until the game came on. But I did know one thing for sure - I was going to use the game as an excuse to enjoy some beers and some tasty snacks.

The big hit of my Super Bowl parties is always my beer, bean, and cheese dip (I've included the recipe below). And really, what goes better with football than beery, cheesy goodness?

This year, I followed the chips and cheese with some chili cheese fries (for my go to chili recipe, see my friend Hailey's blog):

And brownies (these beauties happened to be the cover recipe of Bon Appetit this month and I can safely say that they were not kidding when they warned that you would want to eat the entire tray by yourself):

And of course, I followed up all of this hard work in the kitchen with a cold, delicious beer (or five, but really, who's counting?):

Hope you all had a great Super Bowl Sunday too! Now off to the gym . . .

Beer, Bean, and Cheese Dip

1/2 cup pale ale (avoid IPA - the hop flavor will overwhelm the dip)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 can refried beans
1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 16 oz package of Velveeta

Bring beer, cumin, and garlic powder to a simmer over medium heat. Add beans and Rotel. Stir for one minute. Chop Velveeta into 8-10 cubes and add to mixture. Stir until cheese melts. Serve with tortilla chips (and beer) and enjoy!

Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams

2011-01-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas, my father-in-law makes these delicious blinis (which as far as I can tell are just mini-Russian pancakes) with caviar and smoked salmon. I had actually never had caviar until I had it at my in-laws house. And boy, as with all things of luxury, was it a slippery slope. It was so delicious and decadent and I was immediately hooked. Until, that is, I found out that caviar costs upwards of $100 for an ounce.

Since over at my house life is more along the lines of "champagne taste on a beer budget" than the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous that Robin Leach was always talking about, I have never before attempted to make this dish. But since Christmas I have been craving it and I decided to give it a shot by making my own poor man's rendition. I of course bought the least expensive caviar that I could find, which was $9.99 for two ounces (the most expensive part of this meal thank you very much):

I scoured the internet for blini recipes and all of them called for buckwheat flour which I could not find for the life of me, even after going to 3 different grocery stores, so I gave up and bought whole wheat flour. I really didn't notice a difference.

To make the blini batter, whisk together the following ingredients in a large bowl:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk (I used soy)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

until it looks smooth and light brown, like so:

Pour the batter into a frying pan over medium-low heat by the 1/8 cup full (about 2 Tbsp). Cook for about 2 minutes before flipping - you will know when they are ready to flip when tiny bubbles rise to the surface, like so:

Cook for about another minute and then transfer to a plate. Cover with a paper towel to keep warm.

Don't get discouraged if your first few come out a bit wonky looking - I had the same problem:

But with some practice, I eventually got the hang of it:

Top the blinis with smoked salmon, sour cream, chopped fresh chives, and caviar:

Go ahead and serve them with a glass of champagne (or if you're budget conscious like me, cava) and toast to your resourcefulness at making a beautiful looking yet budget conscious meal. Cheers!

Eat Light and Fit, Be Light and Fit

2011-01-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, you ate and drank WAY too much over the holidays. Now that it's a new year and time for a fresh start, I have a few seemingly simple goals (in theory) in mind:

1. Spend less/save more.
2. Eat better.
3. Exercise more.
4. Drink less.

So far, in these first 4 days of 2011, I have succeeded in not drinking any alcohol and eating fewer carbs, although I still have yet to hit the gym and am still struggling to pay off those Christmas gifts and holiday trips (which I anticipate I'll be doing for quite some time).

In the spirit of focusing on the positive (as in what I have managed to achieve thus far), I thought I'd share a light and healthy carb-free recipe. It's super easy (it literally takes under 5 minutes to make) and filling, yet light on calories and fat. It's great for a light and healthy lunch or dinner, but of course could make a delicious breakfast/brunch option too. Basically, it's a win-win! Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Omelette

2 eggs
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 oz fresh chives, finely chopped
1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp low-fat sour cream
2 oz. smoked salmon

Whisk eggs, water, and herbs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper:

Spray frying pan with non-stick spray and heat over medium heat. Add egg, water, and herb mixture and cook until edges begin to set. Flip once and cook until eggs are set but still moist. Transfer to plate:

Whisk mustard and sour cream together in small bowl:

Spread 1/2 of omelette with sour cream mixture (use as much or as little as you like):

Top with sliced smoked salmon:

Fold over to seal and serve immediately:

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T15:04:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011 everyone!

This holiday season was crazy busy for us, but some of the fun highlights included:

Baking tons of sugar cookies (and eating all of them before even having a chance to frost them).

Decorating a tree (and having Charlie only eat three of the ornaments this year, instead of several ornaments plus the lights).

Finally having a fireplace to hang stockings from!

We headed out to Utah this year and spent 4 days skiing. We were fortunate enough to arrive there just as it was getting hit by a winter storm that dropped 7 feet of snow in 2 days. In a word: heaven.

We spent Christmas Eve at our friend Charlie's cabin up at Alta. We had to hike through the aforementioned 7 feet of snow to get there, breaking trail on fresh bootpack the entire way. Here's the view from his front porch just after we arrived:

It was worth it just to see this sunset:

And the Christmas morning sunrise:

I hope that everyone had a very happy holiday season and that 2011 finds you all happy, healthy, and well!

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

2010-11-30T16:08:00.000-08:00

Hi friends and faithful blog readers! I know that I have been MIA for the past few weeks, but a lot has happened in that time and I can explain.

2 weeks ago, my sister Renee, Paul, and I ran the Big Sur Half Marathon. I made the mistake of getting dressed in the dark (so as not to wake my sister Anne who was not running) and accidentally putting on an old pair of pants. These pants decided to rip along the seams of both of my inner thighs. I ended up with chafe so bad that my inner thighs were raw and bloody, black and blue with bruises, and swollen to three times their normal size. I had to bandage them for the next week and a half and I ended up missing two days of work because I was incapacitated. But I ran the whole damn thing (ok, technically, I ran the first 8 miles, then walked a mile, then tried to ran again and started to cry because of the pain, then walked the last 4.1 miles, but damn it, I finished the race).

Goofing around pre-race.

One of the photos the camera crews snapped of me, around mile 7. As you can see, the views along the race course aren't too shabby.

After recovering enough to limp around a bit, I returned to work, only to get the flu. And I am not talking about any old namby pamby flu. I was so ill and threw up so much that I lost 8 pounds in 24 hours (I kid you not). So I was then incapacitated for another week. The week of Thanksgiving, I might add. So while everyone else I knew was enjoying delicious holiday treats, I was eating this for every meal (not the most delicious celebratory feast for a foodie):

As you can probably sense, I was just ever so slightly bitter about missing the holiday festivities at the cabin my in-laws rented up in Idyllwild for a holiday weekend respite. But I decided not to let the flu defeat me completely. Determined to have some fun once I returned to solid foods after 5 days on a liquid diet, I baked myself my favorite Thanksgiving dish - a pumpkin pie. Since I was sick, I didn't do anything fancy or improvise at all - I simply followed the Libby's pie recipe right off of the can and I used a frozen pie crust because standing for more than 5 minutes felt like running the aforementioned half marathon with how weak I was. But even though the pie wasn't fancy or gourmet, you had better believe that it tasted like manna from heaven after all of that damned chicken noodle soup. And after all, when it comes to the holidays, sometimes tried and true is really the best way to go.

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday!

Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) Libby's pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 frozen 9-inch deep-dish pie shell

Frozen pie crust - works for me!

Mix sugar, spice, and salt together. Beat eggs in separate bowl and then mix in spices and pumpkin:

Your mixture should look something like this:

Add evaporated milk and the mix will look something like this:

Pour into frozen pie crust and bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then decrease to 350 F for 40 to 50 minutes (or until knife inserted in center comes out clean). It should look golden and delicious, like so:

Top with whipped cream and enjoy!

Mediterranean Made Easy

2010-11-08T10:54:00.000-08:00

You know what the second best thing to going out to eat is? Having someone else cook dinner for you! Lucky me, my sister Anne made dinner for me on Friday night (for the first time ever, I might add), so for once I got to kick back, relax, and enjoy some wine after a hectic work week (is there any other kind?) instead of having to cook when I got home.

Anne made a super yummy, quick and easy shrimp, feta, and rice dish (maybe she'll decide to become a cook after all). Less time spent cooking by me meant more time available for photographing the delicious food and fun.

Shrimp and Feta Kabobs with Rice

2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
juice from one lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
steamed white rice

Place shrimp in a ziploc bag with olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, oregano, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes:

I did not have oregano, so I substituted this dried herb mixture that I found in my spice rack:

Marinate shrimp mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once to coat. After 30 minutes is up, remove shrimp and thread onto skewers, like so:

If you have a bbq, these would be delicious grilled over an open flame. My apartment complex does not allow bbqs, so we baked them at 350 F for about 20 minutes, flipping them once, until they truned pink and started to slightly brown, and they came out looking like this:

Scoop steamed rice onto plates and crumble feta over rice like so:

We used a lemon, garlic, and oregano feta to complement the other flavors in the dish:

Top with shrimp skewers and serve:

Crazy dog who tries to steal your dinner optional:

Pasta "in the Whoreish Fashion"

2010-11-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

If that title didn't get your attention, then I don't know what will.

The inspiration for this recipe came from when I was running 5 miles on the treadmill the other day. Why was I doing such a crazy thing? It has something to do with the half marathon I am supposed to run NEXT weekend, even thought I have not done a long run in over a month due to all of the traveling I have been doing. I am afraid readers, very, very afraid.

But I digress. As I was torturing myself on the treadmill, I happened to come across Nigella's Kitchen on Food Network. Nigella was making Pasta alla Puttanesca, which she said translates roughly to "pasta in the whoreish fashion", or as she likes to call it, "Slut's Spaghetti". According to Nigella, there is some debate as to where this name comes from. Some speculate that the pasta is whoreish because you can throw it together with mostly canned/jarred ingredients instead of running to the store to buy fresh products, leaving you plenty of time to entertain your gentleman callers. Others posit that the bold, in your face flavors of the pasta are responsible for the name.

Whatever the case, pretty much everyone can agree that the pasta is delicious. I couldn't resist giving it a try and I hope you will too!

Pasta alla Puttanesca

3 Tbsp olive oil

8 anchovies packed in olive oil, drained and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

14 oz can tomato sauce

2 Tbsp non-pareille capers, drained and rinsed

2 1/4 oz can of black olives, finely chopped

1 lb spaghetti

finely chopped Italian parsley (as a garnish)

First you will need anchovies packed in olive oil:

Drain the can and remove 8 anchovies:

Finely chop them and place them in 3 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat (the anchovies will have small bones in them - don't worry about removing these as they will break down during cooking):

After about 3 minutes of cooking, the anchovies (and bones) will start to disintegrate like so:

Once they have fully disintegrated, add the crushed red pepper flakes:

And garlic to the pan and cook for about 1 or 2 more minutes:

Next, you will need a can of tomato sauce:

Add the tomato sauce to the pan and stir:

Then grab some capers:

Scoop the capers into a small bowl and rinse them several times with water before adding them to the sauce:

Grab a small can of black olives:

Dice them and add to the sauce. Stir and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes:

In the mean time, cook your spaghetti:

Once the spaghetti has finished, drain it and add to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly:

Plate the pasta, garnish with parsley, and enjoy!

Stress Soothing Comfort Food

2010-10-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

The past month has been a whirlwind, filled with highs and lows. It all started with my 30th birthday. In honor of the big day, my sister and I flew to Hawaii. We had such a great time (I'll write more about that in a later post). After the Hawaii trip, I came home and almost immediately headed off to Scottsdale for a wedding. These were the highs.

While I was at the wedding, I found out that my grandfather, who I had not seen since before I moved to Utah for grad school, passed away. Although the wedding was lovely, the news that he had passed put a damper on the whole experience. Two days later, I had to make the 9 hour drive up to Sonora for the funeral. This was the first time I had seen most of my family in about 8 years. It was so nice to see my grandmother, my 6 aunts and uncles, and my 19 cousins, but it was of course exhausting at the same time, driving 18 out of 48 hours to get up there and back here in time.

After all of this traveling and this emotionally draining experience, I have been craving the comfort of home and a hearty homemade meal. Although I was far too tired to tackle making gnocchi from scratch this time, I promise I will attempt it one day and document it here. Until then, I hope you will enjoy my store bought gnocchi with brown butter sage sauce.

Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

1 lb store bought potato gnocchi
1 stick unsalted butter
1 3.5 oz. package sage leaves
juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1/4 cup)

The gnocchi I used.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Melt butter over medium heat:

Once the butter has melted, cook until it begins to brown. Add the sage and lemon juice and cook for approximately 5 minutes:

Pour over gnocchi and serve:

Let Them Eat Cake

2010-10-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was my 30th birthday. If you know me, then you know that I absolutely love birthdays. I make a huge deal out of other people's birthdays, and I love a celebration.

This year, in honor of the big 3-0, I spent 3 days making myself a birthday cake. I had made this cake once before (I got the recipe from a Thanksgiving issue of Bon Appetit), so I knew it was no small undertaking. I mean, it involves not only making the batter and frosting from scratch, but also making your own caramel from scratch. (A process which I have documented below and prior to this recipe would never have considered attempting.) But if you are ever going to spend your precious spare time making yourself (or someone you love) a cake this involved, I would say that a milestone birthday is probably the proper occasion. Here are some highlights from the process:

I started out by buttering and flouring my cakepans to make sure the batter wouldn't stick:

The finished pumpkin spice cakes came out looking golden and delicious:

After letting the cakes cool overnight, I started on the frosting. The first step is to make the caramel. You start with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a pan over medium heat:

The sugar starts to melt:

And take on a golden brown color:

Once it has all melted, you continue to cook it until it turns amber:

At which point, you add 1/2 cup cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp salt and the mixture begins to bubble like crazy:

You'll want to stir the mixture until any grainy bits dissolve:

And then strain it:

Once the strained caramel has cooled to room temperature, you can add it to the cream cheese frosting:

Then after frosting the cake and letting it set overnight it will look something like this:

I ate this slice for breakfast (because one nice thing about being 30 is not having to wait until after you finish all of your dinner before you get to eat your cake):

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2010-10-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks where temperatures hit 107 here in San Diego, this past week something amazing happened. It rained for three days straight. Highs were in the 60s. Pumpkin beer showed up at the grocery store. And I realized that before I had even had the time to stop and notice, it had once again become not only my favorite season of the year (fall), but also my favorite month (October).

Now I realize that I might be the tiniest bit biased in making the previous statement (seeing as my birthday is in a week and all), but even for those of you out there who are not lucky enough to be Libras, what's not to love about fall? And of all of the many things that I love about this glorious season, I think my favorite part has to be the return of hearty comfort foods.

When I think of comfort food, one of the first things that I think of is soup. All week I have been having a serious craving for egg drop soup. If you come to this blog often, then you'll know that I tend towards Italian style dishes. It is extremely rare that I branch out into more exotic cuisines. But with the initiation of student loan repayments looming in less than a month (eek!) and a trip to Hawaii coming up in a few days for my birthday, I decided that grabbing take-out was not an option and so I decided to make some egg drop soup for myself.

I found a highly rated recipe on epicurious and was all set to copy it step by step, only to get home from work and realize that I lacked some of the most vital ingredients (no ginger? REALLY?) Since I am on a strict budget, going to the store for the lacking supplies was not an option, so I had to improvise. They say necessity is the mother of all invention, right?

Readers, in addition to the missing ingredients, I messed up this recipe in almost every way possible (I added too much of one ingredient, too little of another, etc.). I know that anyone who actually knows anything about Chinese cuisine will probably look at this recipe and shake their head at how wrong it is, but you know what? It actually turned out pretty darn tasty for a first attempt.

Although it's not traditional, the recipe I found suggested adding egg noodles to add some texture (this is just about the only part of the recipe that I got right). This package contained 4 "nests" of noodles - I used one nest in my soup:

Mish-Mashed Improvised Egg Drop Soup

5 cups low salt vegetable broth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp cooking sherry
1 tsp dried allspice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 "nest" of dried egg noodles (or about 1/4 box)
2 eggs, beaten
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil

Combine broth, soy sauce, sherry, allspice, and garlic and bring to a boil over medium heat in a large pot. Add noodles and cook for the time listed on the package. Slowly pour beaten eggs into soup while stirring in a circular motion. Cook undisturbed until egg strands start to form (approx. 1 to 2 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in green onions and sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Satisfying a Craving from Halfway Around the World

2010-09-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

It's Oktoberfest time and that has me thinking of the delicious food I consumed the last time I was in Munich. I have never been to Munich during Oktoberfest, but I did spend a good amount of time in Munich's beer halls. And while all of the beer halls were fun in their own right, there was one that had the tastiest food hands down - the Ratskeller. This restaurant is located in the bottom story of the Rathaus (which is the town hall) in the middle of the Marienplatz (which is the old town square). This building is amazing and if you ever go to Munich you should check it out (I would put up a photo, but the computer that my pictures from this trip were on got stolen - sigh).

At the Ratskeller, my favorite thing on the menu were the delicious German style potato pancakes. I have searched high and low and nothing has compared to these pancakes. The closest I have come stateside are the potato pancakes with smoked salmon at MacCool's in Salt Lake City, but seeing as I am now 600 miles away from Salt Lake that isn't really an option either. So I decided to do the next best thing to traveling halfway around the world in the pursuit of food - I decided to try and make them myself.

I started out with 2 pounds of russet potatoes, which I peeled:

I then put the grater attachment on my food processor:

And they came out looking like hash browns:

I placed the potatoes in a dish towel and attempted to wring out most of the moisture from them. Then, I mixed them with one egg, 1 Tbsp flour, and 1 tsp baking powder to bind the potatoes together and dropped them into hot vegetable oil on the stovetop, like so:

I cooked the pancakes for about 4 minutes (until they started to brown), and then flipped them over and cooked them for another 4 minutes on the other side:

Then I transferred them to a cookie sheet and baked them in the oven at 425 F for 3 minutes per side to get them extra crispy (if you prefer them less crispy, you could skip this step) and they came out looking like this:

I topped them with a dollop of sour cream, smoked salmon, and chopped fresh chives:

Serve these with your favorite Oktoberfest lager - prost!

Ladies Who Brunch

2010-09-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

***REMINDER: If you haven't had a chance to yet, please hop on over to YouTube, log in/create an account (you have to have an account or your vote will not be registered), and "like" my video - I really want to win those cooking lessons! And of course, if you have already voted - thank you! I really appreciate the support.***

Wow, September 21st already. It's crazy how time flies.

I had another moment of the realization that time goes by while you are too busy to notice the other day when I had my friend Darlene over for brunch. Darlene is turning 30 this week. The fact that we are both turning 30 this year got me thinking about the fact that we have been friends since we were 10 years old. Which means (of course) that we have been friends for 20 years now. It's hard for me to wrap my head around all of the experiences we have shared in the 20 years that we have known one another, or how we suddenly got to this point without even realizing it. But most importantly, I feel so incredibly blessed to have a friend that I have shared 2/3 of my life with!

When I used to live in San Diego prior to graduate school, Darlene and I used to get together once a week and make dinner at one another's houses. Now that we are a older and have a bit more money, we tend to get together over drinks at happy hour or going out for dinner. But I thought it would be a nice change of pace to get together over a homemade meal and decided to switch it up by making brunch.

For our brunch, I decided to try making a frittata. I had never made one before, but it appealed to me because it's the type of dish where you can throw whatever you have on hand into it, pop it in the oven for 20 minutes, and come back to a complete meal. What's not to love about that? I kept my recipe very simple with only 4 ingredients, but as I say, the beauty of this recipe is that you can glam it up anyway you like by changing the type of cheese (a sharp cheddar or smoked gouda would be amazing) or adding more veggies (peppers or white onions come to mind).

I started my frittata by chopping up a bunch of green onions:

I added the chopped onions to 2 cups of hashbrowns in a skillet over medium-high heat:

Then I whisked together 8 eggs and seasoned them with salt and pepper:

After the hashrbown had crisped and started to brown (about 8 minutes later), I poured the eggs into the pan:

Then I crumbled a package of garlic and herb goat cheese:

And added it to the egg, potato, and green onion mixture:

And mixed everything together:

Then put it in the oven at 375 F for 20 minutes:

After 20 minutes, take the pan out of the oven, place a plate on top of it, and invert wearing oven mitts ON BOTH HANDS (this is key - I burnt the bejeezus out of myself when I held the plate without an oven mitt on). It came out looking like this (not perfect looking, but delicious tasting):

I served it with smoked salmon and Laughing Cow cheese on ciabatta toast.

I Need Your Support!

2010-09-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Readers,

I hate to be a pest, but I need a favor from you. My apartment complex is holding a competition called A Taste of Archstone. The resident with the cooking video that gets the most "thumbs ups" will win a trip to Napa to take cooking classes at the Culinary Institute of America. I really, really, REALLY want to win! But I can't do it without your support!

Here is what I need you to do:

1. Log into or create a YouTube account.

2. Click on my video and give it a Thumbs Up - you can do this once per day now through Sep. 25th.

Thank you so much friends - you know that it would mean the world to me to get the chance to learn some new cooking skills. And I promise I will share all of the fabulous recipes and new techniques I learn with all of you if I win!

Thanks for your support and for continuing to read my blog - I love you all!

For the Love of Pasta

2010-09-09T11:05:00.001-07:00

If you frequent this blog then you have probably noticed a trend around here - pasta. I really do love pasta in all iterations - fresh, dried, stuffed, it really does not matter to me.

Please allow me to go off on a bit of tangent about running for a moment (I promise that it will all make sense later if you are patient enough to bear with me). The other day I had this crazy idea to register for a half marathon. I say this is crazy because I have not run in almost 3 years. At all.

I used to be a fairly avid runner. I ran The Other Half Marathon in Moab, UT two years in a row back in 2005 and 2006. (As a side note, if you happen to be looking for a half marathon to run, I highly recommend this one. It is a mostly flat course interspersed with just a few gently rolling hills and it winds its way along the Colorado river through red rock country. Absolutely beautiful and truly the perfect weather in October.)

In training for this race for the third year in 2007, I broke my foot. It was one of those super lame bone breakages where you can still kind of limp around but your foot is swollen and in mild (but not excruciating) pain. It actually took me a month to go in and get an x ray because I was convinced (and naively hopeful) that I just had a bad strain. Not so. I had broken the middle bone in my foot, just below the toe. I was not so comfortingly informed by the student health nurses that a cast will not help such a bone heal, and so I was relegated to wearing a mini-boot and put on crutches for 3 months - not so fun when you have a hyper little 2 month old puppy running around.

In the years that followed I swam for exercise and avoided running like the plague. But recently I started to get the itch to run again. It's like a bad addiction creeping up for a relapse. At first you think about it once or twice and then shrug it off, but the more you try to push it out of your mind, the more it tends to creep back in slowly. Maybe it was watching my sister get so excited for her race. Maybe it was all the years that my runner friends in Utah and I talked about running the Big Sur Half Marathon but never followed through with it. Perhaps it was driven by the fact that I am turning 30 in a little over a month (gasp) and feel like I couldn't run to the mailbox if I needed to. Or maybe it was a combination of all of the above. Whatever the impetus, dear readers, the itch to run came back and it came on strong.

So I took the plunge. I registered for the Big Sur Half Marathon. It is 10 weeks away. I am pretty sure that I may be insane. But damn it, I'm going to do it anyway!

I got off to a great start by skipping my first scheduled run (it was on Labor Day and I was on a road trip - excuses, excuses, I know). But yesterday I drug myself out of bed and I ran 3 miles. And while this is really no big accomplishment for any seasoned runner, the fact that I can still walk today (although I am a little sore) after not having run in 3 years feels like a victory in and of itself to me. And to be perfectly honest, it really wasn't all that bad (see, I told you - I am officially going crazy).

But now back to the pasta. Sweet, delicious pasta. As I was looking over my training guide, I came across this little gem of a statement, "Carbohydrates provide the fuel runners need. During half marathon training, 65% of your total calories should come from carbohydrates." HALLE-freakin'-LLUJAH my friends! I just got a license to make 65% of my diet be composed of carbs (not that I really needed an excuse, but hey, they gave me one). Don't mind if I do! And while the following recipe is probably not what that running guide had in mind, I decided to take a few liberties because I just ran 3 miles and I wanted to celebrate with some cheesy cheese-filled pasta (and really, is there any other way to celebrate such a victory?).

Baked Tortellini (Adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis)

2 cups store bought marinara sauce
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1 pound cheese tortellini (you can also substitute penne or rigatoni if you think the tortellini make the dish too heavy)
2.5 ounces grated smoked gouda
1/2 cup grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 2 quart round pyrex baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (if you lack a round pyrex, a brownie pan will also work). Mix sauce and mascarpone in a large bowl. Cook tortellini in large pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and add tortellini to sauce, stirring to coat evenly. Transfer to baking dish and top with grated gouda, mozzarella, and parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until cheese melts.

The deliciously cheesy pasta mixture prior to baking.

The finished product - served with garlic bread to ensure complete carb overload.

Running, Ravioli, and Gelato

2010-08-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

The runner, complete with finisher's medal (and ice pack).

This past weekend my sister Anne ran her very first half marathon - and rocked it's socks off for that matter, by finishing in a mere 2 hour 2 minutes and 29 seconds! To celebrate her efforts, I decided to treat her to a glutinous dinner (what better way to celebrate getting up at 3 a.m. to run 13.1 miles?).

Anne's favorite food on the planet is ravioli. It doesn't matter what type of ravioli it is, she loves them all. Although I have tried to make homemade pasta once or twice before, I have always been too afraid to try making ravioli. But in honor of her effort at trying something new, I decided to get over my fears and try something new too.

The first step in making homemade pasta is making the dough. This starts with 4 whole eggs:

which you whisk together with 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and 1 Tbsp of salt. Place 3 cups of all purpose flour in a food processor and add egg-oil-salt mixture. Pulse a few times to combine, then stir for about a minute. When you are finished, the dough will not be smooth and will look something like this (I think it looks like couscous):

Remove dough from food processor and form into a ball on a lightly floured surface:

Cover with saran wrap and let the dough "rest" for 30 minutes. After the dough is done resting, roll it into sheets using a pasta maker to your desired thickness. There are all sorts of fancy pasta makers out there, but I own an old fashioned hand operated one:

Once you have finished rolling out all of your pasta sheets, let them rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board:

After the dough has rested and started to dry somewhat, cut the sheets into the desired width of your ravioli and spread your filling on the sheets. The filling I used for these ravioli consisted of 1 small package of goat cheese (4 ounces), 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup of mascarpone cheese mixed together with 1 tsp dried basil and 1 tsp dried oregano, pictured here:

Then I used a ravioli attachment to my pasta maker to roll out the ravioli. (If you don't have a ravioli attachment, never fear - you can cut your dough into squares by hand and pinch the dges together with a fork to seal them.)

Once I had rolled out all of the ravioli, I laid them out to dry on a drying rack for another 10 minutes:

Then I got to work on the following sauce (which, by the way, was so delicious that I wanted to eat it alone as a soup):

Brown Butter Walnut Sauce

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried rosemary

Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add walnuts and saute until golden - about 2 minutes:

Add garlic - saute for another 30 seconds. Add wine and simmer until mixture reduces by about half. Add both herbs and simmer for another minute. Toss with ravioli and serve:

It looked so perfect that I almost didn't want to eat it. Then I smelled it and I got over that really fast. :)

And because no glutinous feast would be complete without dessert, we also had homemade nutella gelato. I use Giada's recipe for this gelato, which is fantastic, although I do recommend that you strain it twice - once after you make the custard (as she says) and once after you let the custard and nutella mixture cool overnight in the fridge, because it comes out looking super clumpy and unappetizing like this:

So I put a strainer over my ice cream maker and pour it through, like so:

Then it enters the ice cream maker looking like chocolate milk:

And you'll know it's done once it starts to thicken up, like this:

Scoop it into bowls and eat it fast - it melts really quickly since it has no preservatives! Or you can freeze it for up to a week (but I highly doubt that you'll be able to resist eating it for that long).

Mmmm - gelato.

Wine Country Weekend

2010-08-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I flew up to meet my sisters for a Northern California wine tasting trip. If you frequent this blog, then you know how much I love wine. And delicious food. Lucky for me, this weekend was chock full of both! A trip of wining and dining of this magnitude, although it does not come around often, is like a mini trip to heaven for me.

We started the trip in Healdsburg, CA where we had dinner at the Bear Repub l ic Br ewery (a woman cannot survive on wine alone). We did the full 22 beer sampler. The food was nothing special, but the beer sure was delicious. My personal favorites were the Red Rocket and the Wangdoodle (and yes, I do realize how that sounds).

Mmmm, delicious beer samples.

After dinner, we went to a speakeasy called Prohibition.

The bar is hidden behind an old phone booth, which made for some entertaining photo ops:

My sister Renee in the "phone booth".

Because you never know when Al Capone might show up.

The next morning, we made our way south east to St. Helena. Our first stop was Terra Valentine winery. This place was amazing. It sits high up on a hill overlooking the Napa Valley and the original owner built the entire place himself by hand over the span of about 30 years. Everything from the doors to the stained glass was made by him and has been preserved by the new owners.

All set up for our tasting on the balcony (we were fortunate enough to be the only people there).

The view from our tasting table overlooking the Napa Valley some 2000 feet below.

Just one of the many beautiful handmade stained glass windows found throughout the winery.

Me, Renee, our gracious driver and wine country tour guide Andrew, and Anne in front of the hand carved wood doors.

Our next stop was for lunch at Taylor's Refresher in downtown St. Helena. (You may have seen this place on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri.)

If you are lucky enough to see this place in person, run (don't walk) towards it and grab your place in line (because there is always a line). No matter how long the line looks, don't let it deter you - it is well worth the wait.

I had the Ahi Burger - ridiculously good!

The nest stop on our journey through wine country was at Pine Ridge winery. Renee's friend Jason was recently hired on as the Assistant Wine Maker at this winery, so we got the VIP treatment, complete with cave tour and barrel tasting.

The vineyards at Pine Ridge all dolled up for their evening lobster boil.

Their wine cave had a Chihuly sculpture.

This time our tasting was held in the wine cave.

Posing amongst the barrels.

Our last stop for the day was at Mumm Napa. They have a great patio overlooking the vineyards and give you the option to taste multiple wines or just sip a glass of your favorite.

They also give you coasters with famous champagne related quotes on the back. My personal favorite came from Napoleon: "Champagne! In victory, one deserves it; In defeat, one needs it."

The twins soaking up the sun on Mumm's patio.

That evening, we returned to Healdsburg and had dinner at Scopa. This adorable Italian restaurant had great food.

Be sure to make a reservation - this place gets packed.

Renee was nice enough to share one of her bottles from Pine Ridge over dinner.

After dinner we were exhausted so we headed back to our bed and breakfast for the night: The Grape Leaf Inn.

This adorable little B&B was named one of Conde Nast's top five romantic hideaways in North America.

It's surrounded by enough lavender to make you feel as though you're in Provence.

After our first course of banana walnut crepes, chicken apple sausage, and gorgonzola creme brulee (I am not even exaggerating), they brought out this cute little rabbit tureen, which was filled with this delicious mixed berry panna cotta:

Did I just die and go to heaven? How awesome is this breakfast?

After breakfast, they let us check out the speakeasy downstairs:

Which was hidden behind a bookcase!

By the time we had finished gorging ourselves on our delicious breakfast and goofing around in the bookshelf speakeasy, it was only a few hours until Anne and I had to catch out flight home to San Diego. Luckily, we had enough time to make one more stop at Cakebread Cellars, where we learned all kinds of interesting facts. For instance, did you know that Napa produces only 4% of North America's wine but accounts for 30% of it's wine sales?

Just a fraction of the barrels tucked away in their enormous cellar.

They also had an entire ceiling covered in corks - how's that for recycling?

I hope this post gave you some inspiration for a trip up to wine country. I know I am already dreaming about my next trip . . . . .

Date Night Delicacy

2010-07-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

When I think of romantic date-worthy food, my mind automatically turns to France. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I was proposed to in one of the most romantic cities on the planet - Paris - right beneath on of the most romantic icons in the world - the Eiffel Tower - (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have got nothin' on me), but I like to think it's something more. After all, what's more romantic than a candlelit dinner at a sidewalk cafe with a nice bottle of wine? And while this type of dinner can be romantic anywhere in the world, the French have truly perfected it.

For those of us who can't afford to jet over to France for an evening meal, I provide the following recipe for French-style scallops in white wine and butter sauce with capellini. This is such a great date night meal. It literally takes less than 10 minutes to make, but it tastes so decadent and rich that your date will think you spent hours slaving away on it. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me.

Scallop Capellini with White Wine Butter Sauce

1/2 lb (1/2 box) capellini pasta
1 lb fresh scallops (avoid frozen or previously frozen scallops)
salt and pepper (for seasoning)
all purpose flour (for dredging)
1/2 stick of unsalted butter, divided in half
3 large shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
1/3 cup white wine
fresh lemon juice

De Cecco = Delicious. Plus, capellini only takes 2 minutes to cook (no joke).

Chop scallops in half and season with salt and pepper.

Dredge in flour.

Turn to coat both sides with flour.

Place scallops in hot pan with 1/4 stick (1/2 of total amount required for recipe) melted butter over medium-high heat. No matter how tempted you may be, DO NOT under any circumstances touch or turn the scallops for at least 2 minutes.

After two minutes, flip the scallops over. They will have this lovely golden brown crust. Cook for another two minutes on the previously uncooked side, then remove the scallops from the pan.

Melt the remaining 1/4 stick of butter and add parsley, shallots, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.

Add white wine and return scallops to pan so that all of the flavors can meld together. Cook for two minutes, then add several squirts of fresh lemon juice just before serving.

Plate the pasta. Top with scallops.

Pour sauce over pasta, then toss to coat evenly.

Serve al fresco with the wine you used in the recipe (and, of course, candlelight).

Dog Beach

2010-07-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about San Diego (and the thing I missed the most while living in the mountains) is the beach. If I could, I would go to the beach each and every day. I love the beach when it's stormy, when it's sunny, when it's cloudy, when it's hot, when it's cold - you get the idea. There is just something so soothing about the sound of the waves and the smell of the salty breeze.

There are so many things that I love to do that I don't get to share with my dogs, but luckily the beach is not one of them since there are at least 4 different dog beaches around San Diego that I know of. Taking the dogs to the beach is quite the undertaking though, so I have only made it to one of the dog beaches so far - the one in Del Mar near the fairgrounds (which also conveniently happens to be the one closest to my house).

When I first took the dogs to the beach, I was worried that they would be afraid of the ocean. Tenaya is a total water dog and has always loved swimming in lakes and rivers and streams any chance that she gets, even when she was just a tiny puppy. Charlie, on the other hand, is a total weirdo around water. (I was actually convinced for almost a year that he just wasn't able to swim at all because he never went in to water any higher than his knees. Then one day, he was chasing a dog at the Sunnyside dog park in SLC like a bat out of hell. The dog went leaping into the lake and Charlie followed full steam ahead. I thought that was the end of Charlie and he would surely drown, but he shocked me by swimming across the entire lake like he had been swimming his whole life. That dog never ceases to surprise me.)

Even though I knew the dogs could swim, I thought for sure that when they saw and heard the crashing waves they would be scared and not want to get anywhere near the water. Let's just say, I couldn't have been more wrong! They BOTH dove right in and now dog beach is probably their favorite place to go. Watching them play there is one of the cutest and funniest things that I have witnessed. Here are some photos I managed to snap on our most recent visit this weekend:

When Tenaya sees water, she has only one priority - fetch.

Super dog!

Charlie, on the other hand, is more interested in exploring and finding other dogs (or sea creatures) to play with.

This time he met another husky who wanted to be his girlfriend.

They were basically inseparable the entire time. It almost made me wish I had another husky for a second (until I imagined all of his craziness multiplied by two).

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

This year, the 4th of July marked one month at my new job. I was totally digging my new job and getting into a groove, when, of course, like clock work, things started to go wrong. Not just one thing. Oh no. That would be far too simple. One thing after another stopped working and I was (and still am) getting frustrated.

So as you may imagine, a 3-day weekend was just what this doctor ordered. I wish I could tell you that the weather was gorgeous and I went to the beach and partied and drowned my work sorrows in a weekend o' fun, but I would be lying. It is in the 60s here in La Jolla, it is windy, and rainy, and I haven't seen the sun in 4 days. And although the weather is not causing my work funk, it is definitely not helping it either.

Due to this weather rut, I spent most of my weekend indoors. Although this doesn't rank high on the excitement meter, it was very relaxing and I got to catch up on my Netflix queue, as well as some much needed rest. I also got to get back in the kitchen and try some new recipes. And really, what better excuse for mid-summer cooking is there than the 4th of July? I made my first attempt at homemade bbq sauce, as well as some patriotic desserts, and more than a few tasty beverages. If you live somewhere chilly like me, bake this salmon and warm up your kitchen. If you live somewhere warm, fire up your grill and try your hand at grilling this salmon. I promise that you won't regret it!

You can find this bbq sauce recipe here. As you can see from the number of ingredients required, it's kind of a kitchen sink approach, but it sure is tasty!

Here's what it looks like once you start boiling it in the pan. The brown sugar makes a nice glaze. It was great on salmon, but would go really well with red meat too.

I made this couscous to accompany the salmon. Pearled (or Israeli as it is also known) couscous is delicious and tastes heartier than regular couscous. Give it a try if you haven't already.

The finished product (not the most gorgeous plating, but you get the idea).

Paul enjoyed some boiler makers while I worked on the meal.

We tried to get Charlie in on the festivities.

To finish the meal, I made mini cheesecakes. The recipe is as follows:

Mini Cheesecakes

Crust:

6 honey graham crackers
1/8 stick of butter (1/4 cup)

Filling:

2 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks

Topping:

fresh berries (I used blackberries and raspberries, but blueberries would be nice too)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Coat 4 small pyrex custard cups with non-stick spray. Grind graham crackers (I used a mortar and pestle, but you could also crush them in a ziploc bag). Melt butter and toss with graham crackers in a small bowl. Place 3 Tbsp of the graham cracker and butter mixture in pyrex dishes. Press down with fingers to form loosely packed crust.

Graham crackers before . . . .

And after.

Mini crusts.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl for about two minutes. Add eggs and yolks one at a time, blending well after each addition. Divide filling evenly between pyrex cups. Place cups in casserole dish and pour enough hot water in the casserole dish to reach halfway up the sides of the cups. (I know it's not easy to make out the water with the blue dish, but hopefully you can see it below.)

Bake for 45 minutes at 325 F. Remove cheesecakes from water bath immediately after baking and place on baking rack to cool completely.

After cooling, wrap each cheesecake in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (up to overnight). Top with berries and serve.

My lame attempt at making a star.

Demystifying Tofu

2010-06-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

When I first decided to stop eating all meat other than fish, I was positively frightened by tofu. I definitely did not grow up eating tofu (my dad is a tried and true steak and potatoes kind of guy) and although I had heard time and time again that tofu could be used as a healthier alternative to just about every protein on the planet, just how in the hell was I supposed to get from the flavorless white block I saw in the grocery store to a delicious meal?

The first tofu dish that I ever made was what I like to call chili and garlic tofu. I decided to go with a Chinese food-ish recipe (considering that tofu has been a prevalent ingredient in all different types of Asian cultures for centuries, I figured this was probably the best place to start). I found one that called for a whole host of different exotic veggies, but when I got to my local grocery store, I couldn't find most of them. So I bought the ones I did find and I ended up with a delicious recipe that I still enjoy to this very day, 8 years after my first foray into the wonders of cooking tofu.

(Side note: I know some people honestly cannot stand tofu, but don't shy away from this recipe - it also makes a wonderful marinade for chicken! You can whisk the ingredients together and marinate chicken breasts in them for 2 hours, then cook as you usually would.)

Chili and Garlic Tofu

2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 block extra firm tofu, cubed
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of green onions, diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
(Be sure to remove the seeds and all of the white part of the jalapeno - otherwise the dish will be overly spicy!)
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Heat sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu and saute for about 5 minutes, turning once (tofu should have a crispy, golden-brown color). Add garlic, green onions, and jalapeno and saute for 3 minutes. Add soy sauce and saute for 3 minutes. Serve over steamed rice.

Practicing my chopping skills for when I audition for Next Food Network Star. ;)

Cubed tofu (before it's transition into deliciousness).

Spa Cuisine

2010-06-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

As much as I love cheesy snacks, no one should live on bar food alone. And with the NBA finals dragging on to game 6, I have been consuming more than my fair share of bar food and beer, so I was starting to crave something healthy.

Enter the following dish - it's light and healthy, but packs a ton of flavor. Baking the salmon cuts down on the extra fat you would get while frying the fish. And as an added bonus, it only requires 5 ingredients and 20 minutes to make. After eating it, you'll feel full without feeling weighed down. It's like going to a health spa, without the price tag and time commitment.

Baked Salmon with Lemon Olive Oil and Basil

2 salmon fillets
grapeseed oil
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
chopped fresh basil

Heat oven to 350F. Brush salmon with grapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake salmon for 20 minutes. Whisk lemon juice and olive oil together in a small bowl. Drizzle salmon fillets with lemon-oil and sprinkle with chopped basil. Serve with couscous (the brand and flavor pictured below pairs really nicely with this salmon recipe).

Game Day Goodies

2010-06-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

As much as you all know this girl loves to watch her sports in a bar, not getting a paycheck for a month and a half has put a damper on going out to eat/drink/be merry. So when game 4 of the NBA finals rolled around, I decided to whip up some bar food of my own at home. Bust out the cheese and the bacon - we're making Irish Nachos!

My sister introduced me to this tasty treat not long ago and I quickly became hooked (what's not to love about potatoes, bacon, and cheese?). In doing an internet search for Irish Nachos, I discovered that a bar in Arlington, TX called J. Gilligan's Bar and Grill is credited with inventing this delicious dish. It seems there are a million different ways to make this dish, but basically, these are just nachos with potatoes used in place of the tortilla chips. I went with a more traditional version, but feel free to spice it up as you see fit! Oh and one more thing, GO LAKERS!

Irish Nachos

1 bag frozen potato wedges
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
1 cup grated mozzarella
2 strips bacon, crumbled (since I don't eat meat, I used veggie bacon, pictured below)
chopped chives (used as garnish)

Cook potato wedges according to instructions on package (either bake or fry - it does not make much of a difference). Sprinkle wedges with cheeses and crumble bacon on top. Scatter chives on top to garnish. Place under broiler at 450F for 5 minutes (or until cheese starts to bubble but has not started to brown yet). Serve with ketchup and sour cream and enjoy!

Fake Bacon! (Almost) as good as the real thing.

Work, Work, Work

2010-06-04T19:38:00.001-07:00

Ok, so if you read my last post you know that I am back at work after several months of working primarily from home, traveling, or being off work completely (ah, the good life). I often hear people say that they are so bored staying home, they could never not have a job, etc etc. I am not going to lie to you - I have no idea what these people are talking about. I have so many hobbies, interests, and passions that have nothing to do with working, I feel like I could never work another day in my life and not ever be bored. But alas, I haven't won the lottery (yet), so I can't afford to be jobless. Maybe once I pay off those student loans . . .

But back to reality - I am neither independently wealthy nor out of debt, so I must work. Today marks the end of my first week at my new job, and I have to say, the job has been so far so good (knock on wood so that I don't completely jinx myself). My co-workers have been welcoming and helpful, I am working on something unrelated enough to my thesis that I am not bored but related enough to my strengths that I am not completely overwhelmed - all in all, a pretty good fit so far. But as you can probably imagine, there is one severe drawback to being back at work - the reduction of my precious free time by a minimum of 9 hours each day. And one of the first things to fall victim to my limited free time is cooking. Until I get into more of a groove, I am looking for simple, delicious meals that I can eat more than once a week (that's right folks, I said I would eat the same meal more than once in one week which, if you know me, is not at all my style).

Enter the casserole. It has been serving just this purpose for years and years now. It takes minimal prep time, you can throw ingredients together, you can make it as high or low class as you want, it doesn't have to be pretty or perfect, and then you can just throw the whole thing in the oven for 30 minutes and it will be hot and ready to eat. In essence, exactly what I am looking for these days. I chose mac and cheese because it's a great, classic comfort food, and it's super easy to make (even as far as casseroles go). There are tons of variations on a classic mac and cheese recipe, but what makes this one so delicious is the use of several different types of full-flavored cheeses. Thanks mac and cheese for saving the day for a tired cook once again!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

7 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups non fat milk
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar, 1 cup grated sharp cheddar, 1/2 cup grated emmentaler, 1/2 cup grated gruyere (12 ounces of cheese total)
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 3 quart casserole dish with non stick spray.

Melt 6 Tbsp butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Add flour and whisk for 3 minutes to form a roux (basically a french term for "thickening agent" - you can use roux to thicken up gravies, sauces, soups, or stews). Pour milk into saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking often (this takes awhile, so be sure to whisk so that you do not to allow this to burn). Add mustard powder, cayenne, and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until mixture thickens, whisking occasionally (2-3 minutes).

Meanwhile, cook the pasta and drain. Return to pasta pot and add sauce, and cheeses (saving 1/3 cup parm for topping), stirring to mix evenly:

Transfer to casserole dish. In a bowl, mix panko (pictured below) and 1/3 cup parm to form topping.

Sprinkle pasta in casserole dish evenly with panko/parm topping. Cut remaining 1 Tbsp of butter into small squares and distribute over topping, as pictured below:

Bake on middle oven rack for 30 minutes, until topping begins to brown. Serve and enjoy!

Happy (Belated) Memorial Day!

2010-06-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a nice holiday weekend!

This Memorial Day weekend marked the last weekend before I started my new job as a postdoc at UCSD, so I was determined to have as much fun as possible. My sister Renee flew down from Davis for the weekend and she, my sister Anne, and I went to the beach, laid out by the pool, relaxed, and did a lot of bar hopping. But in between all of these hedonistic pursuits, we took some time out to make a delicious Sunday morning brunch (accompanied by mimosas, naturally). She made her version of "upscale" french toast (by coating it with an almond crust) and I made my berry-infused maple syrup to top it off with. It was the perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday morning!

The three of us enjoying our mimosas.

CHALLAH!

Whisk 1 cup heavy cream, 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 Tbsp cinnamon in a large bowl.

Dip the bread in the batter and turn to coat evenly.

Cover a plate with sliced almonds.

Roll the crust of the bread in the almonds.

Place in a hot pan and cook until just golden brown on each side.

Place one package of blackberries and one package of raspberries in a small sauce pan.

Heat berries over medium-low heat and allow to break down.

Pour berry mixture through a strainer.

Push on berry mixture to extract as much juice as possible. Return strained berry juice to saucepan and combine with 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup light brown sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 - 15 minutes.

This is what your finished product should resemble.

Drizzle over french toast and enjoy!