A Sip of Autumn

So I know I have been like the worst blogger ever, randomly posting, having no schedule at all and telling everyone that I'll be more on top of it. But as it would turn out, my personality doesn't really support these promises. So I have decided to let go of any kind of "holding myself to it" and have decided to embrace the fact that the beauty of blogging is not being on any kind of schedule. The other reason I have been so held back from writing besides the fact that I'm awful at following routine is that I only ever want to write about truly mouth watering treats. Things that impress and inspire me and my foodie-ness. And it just so happens that this is one of those very foodie occasions.

And while I know that we are not exactly out of the summer heat yet (unless of course you live where I do and have been in mostly winter this summer) I am starting to have cravings for fall and all the wonderful food surprises it brings.

To me autumn feels like a point of renewal, a time to take a look at yourself and re-evaluate how you live your life. I have been having such thoughts of renewal as I contemplate my move back to the east coast to go back to school. I've made goals for myself: eat better, more veggies, exercise more, practice more, work more, care more about school and myself. And while I find it is absolutely fantastic to have so much free time in which to bake wonderfully sweet treats, I feel it is time to go back to the goodness of healthy, natural, simple eating.

Watching the food network a lot lately, I am inspired by the fact that they make everything from scratch. Things that I wouldn't normally make in order to save time such as broths and ice cream and pasta and mayonnaise. But making it from scratch ensures you are using wholesome ingredients, that there is no trans fat (which is the only fat with sufficient evidence that it can cause CHD, coronary heart disease) and that it is made, although perhaps with a side of frustration, from the heart. 

Today's recipe is still a little sugary but it definitely brings to mind the essence of autumn and renewal and the feeling that I can do anything (especially in cooking). Chai tea is one of my most loved warm brews to be sipped on crisp autumn mornings. I particularly love chai lattes which combine creamy and spicy together to make a richness that I imagine some princess in a snow castle drinking with Turkish delight up on a brightly colored cushion.

Homemade Chai Tea
adapted from the Earthbound Farms Cookbook

You will need:
-1 cinnamon stick (4 inch)
-6-8 whole cloves
-fresh ginger (3 inch piece) peeled and sliced thinnly
-1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
-6-8 cardamom seeds (or 1/2 tsp. ground)
-zest of one lemon or orange in thick strips (use a peeler)
-3 cups water
-4 black tea bags (I used Lipton and it turned out great)
-1/2 cup low fat milk
-1/2 cup half n half
-1/4-1/3 cup sugar

1. Crush the cinnamon stick, cloves, ginger, peppercorns, and cardamom by any means you have into pieces. It doesn't need to be a powder, just crushed enough that everything is in small pieces. I used a plastic bag and one of those kitchen hammer things (I don't know what it's called) and that worked fine.

2. Add your newly crushed spices to a medium saucepan and add your zest. Bring the mix to a boil and then turn the heat to low and cover for 10 min.

3. Take off the heat and add your tea bags. Steep for 5 min. with the lid on.

4. Remove the tea bags. Add your milk, half n half, and sugar and stir on medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

5. Strain the tea into whatever you want to store it in and discard of the solids. Serve immediately or let it sit out covered with plastic wrap with some holes in the top until it reached room temperature before storing it in the fridge.

6. Feel free to add whipped cream if you wish to serve it as a dessert. It is excellent!

I hope you enjoy this little sip of autumn. Happy Cooking!

-Kristin

A Little Bite of Summer

Summer is one of my favorite times of year as long as I'm somewhere hot and country like, and my grandparent's house in the Napa valley is the perfect place for a summertime atmosphere. I filled my lungs with sweet smelling air, rolled down the windows, dressed in summer rompers and sandals, and listened to my favorite bluegrass band. And I stayed in this state of utter summer bliss for an entire week. I was also especially lucky to have my two cousins to share adventures and laughter with. I left last Monday with a complete feeling of fulfillment and high spirits only found in such a perfect summer getaway.

It's hard to explain the sense of attachment I have to my grandparent's house. I still feel the same sense of wonder and excitement I felt as a child at that house whose garden provided my very own wonderland to be explored. During Easter me and my cousin decked in matching outfits would pretend we were fairys, announcing our elemental powers. We would dance around the garden, chasing dragonflies, making daisy chains, and jumping off the pick-nick table onto a tire swing hung from a huge moss laden tree (which is still there to this day).

These experiences have stayed with me and as I run from the main house to the smaller guest house, across the lawn surrounded with such an array of flowers cascading their long necks onto the edge of the grass, I feel as if I was a little girl again. I feel as if I was Alice in her wonderland garden, and I am able to replenish that child-like spirit that is so easy to lose as you grow older. 

But perhaps you are wondering what any of this has to do with food. Well, one of my favorite past-times while enjoying the summer weather is to bake delicious desserts such as puddings and pies and ice cream, which I did liberally during my last stay. The first weekend of our stay we were to celebrate my Grandpa's 80th birthday and my Grandmother's 75th birthday, so my mom and I together set about making three delicious pies. I was in charge of the Sour Cherry Pie, which was a wild success, as well as a large Dutch Apple Pie which was savored over the entire weekend. My mom baked an apricot pie in the style of her ever-popular pear pie which has a sort of yummy custard froth that is poured over the pears and baked creating the most decedent smelling and tasting pie. If you are interested in any of these recipes, the Sour Cherry Pie can be found in the Williams-Sonoma's American cookbook which also has a very delicious recipe for chocolate-chip cookies. You can find the Apple Pie recipe in the Joy of Cooking; use the apple pie recipe except for the part about the second crust top and instead use Strudel 1 recipe for the topping.

After the big celebration, early in the week my cousin, sister, mother, grandmother, and I had the random inclination to drive up this very regal looking driveway on the way back from a hike and to our surprise, there sat a very large castle winery called Castello di Amorosa which we had no idea was there previously. Even my grandmother who had lived in the Napa Valley for some long years, had never known it was there. We also realized, being guiltily of watching the Bachelorette show on T.V., that this castle was also where one of the final episodes of last season had taken place. Full of curiosity we decided to return the next day in our summer dresses to take pictures and to explore the castle.

 The next day we paid the entrance fee which also including a free wine tasting and juice for minors. We toured the beautiful castle which we all remarked, made us feel like we were in Italy. When we were through walking around the castle turrets, the large fully-painted dining hall, and the various other rooms we were allowed to walk through, we made our way down to the wine tasting room. There was also a large selection of objects and books and colorful pasta to buy which I had fun looking through. And as I was looking through the cookbooks with my cousin and sister, I came across a very appealing looking cookbook entitled Farmers' Market Desserts by Jennie Schacht. I opened to a random page to find the most decadent dessert staring up at me: Orange Cupcakes with White Chocolate-orange Butter cream. I flipped to another page and it read: Roasted Pumpkin Pie in a Maple-Pecan Crust. Page after page were filled with such yummy and outrageous sounding desserts that I just had to purchase the book, which I did.

On the way back to my grandparents, my cousin and I crooned over even the strangest sounding concoctions and planned the next few days of dessert adventures. First up, we decided to create the very daring recipe: Avocado Velvet, a kind of avocado pudding with syrupy blueberries and whipped cream on top. We were slightly speculative of the taste but we decided to go for it. We followed the directions precisely, processing the avocado with sugar, lime, salt, and cream into a smooth, thick pudding. We made the simple syrup and tossed sprigs of mint and blueberries into it. Served in little bowls, we handed out the concoction tentatively and dipped our spoons in with hesitation only to be greeted with the most delicious combination of flavors. While the pudding itself was not exactly the most appealing tasting pudding alone, the blueberries and syrup and whipped cream made the pudding come alive and become something so utterly decadent. It was a very pleasant and fresh surprise. My grandmother was the most pleased, being a huge avocado lover herself.

The next day we took on our next challenge, Grilled-Fig Sundaes with Balsamic "Fudge". In the morning I made the Balsamic "Fudge" which essentially is a balsamic reduction with dry red wine and sugar added which a sweet and tangy sauce. Later, we picked rosemary sprigs from the garden and stripping the needles away, created skewers which we passed through the backside of halved figs sprinkled with olive oil, salt and pepper. We then proceeded to create our own french vanilla ice cream which turned out extremely well, although there was hardly enough to go around. Next we grilled the figs on the grill and served them next to the ice cream, the balsamic fudge drizzled on top. We served the interesting array with more confidence this time and were again, blown away by the flavors presented in the presentation. The sweetness of the figs and the ice cream balanced with the tangy balsamic was an unbelievable combination, a delightful mix of sweet and savory flavors.

This cookbook exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to try many many more of the recipes presented here. For now, I will share with you the recipe for the Avocado Velvet:

Avacado Velvet 
from the Farmers' Market Desserts cookbook by Jennie Schacht

Recipe makes about 4 servings

You will need:
-1 pound (about 2 large) firm-ripe avocados
-6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
-2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-1 cup half-n-half, very cold
-2 Tablespoons water
-1 spring mint, about 3 inched long, plus extra leaves for garnish
-lightly sweetened whipped cream

The Velvet:
1. Remove the skin, the pit, and any brown spots from the avocado flesh and measure about about 1 cup packed avocado. Add the avocado, 3 Tablespoons of the sugar, the lime juice, and the salt into a food processor and blend until very smooth and thick. Add the half-n-half and blend completely until very pudding-like. Taste and add more sugar if you would like. Refrigerate the mixture for 2 hours or up to a day.

The Bluberries:
2. Add the water and the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the mint and 3/4 of the blueberries and toss until the syrup completely covers the berries. Store in an air-tight container at room temp. for up to an hour or in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Together at last:
3. Stir the remaining blueberries into the cold pudding. Remove the mint spring from the sugared blueberries. Serve the velvet into four small bowls, add a dollop of whipped cream to each, divide the syrupy blueberries between the bowls, and garnish with a fresh mint leaf, whole or cut into ribbons.

Serve and Enjoy!!

Who would ever think that avocado and blueberries would work so well together!

Happy Cooking!

-Kristin

Miami is Rotund.

All I can say is, Miami Beach is rotund. Everything seemed overpriced, over-sized and unbearably hot. I took this week long trip towards the beginning of June when the brunt of the heat hadn't even hit yet. Walking from the cool air-conditioned airport across the threshold and into the 95 degree weather was a slap in the face. Not that I didn't get used to it after awhile, but I was very aware of my pale, freckle-y redheaded self in that summer heat and trying not to get burned became my main goal.

We were starving once we finally got to our very mod decor hotel, the Sagamore. It was very fitting for my artsy-aware family. Decorated in mostly white colored furniture, walls, ceilings, and floors, and plenty of black and white photography, it was accented with black accent pillows and splashes of color here and there that drew your eye to them. This including a photograph of the Sagamore's pool filled corner-to-corner with naked women floating face down forming a kind of pool cover, their butts lined up for all to see.

So as I said we were starving by this point, although it was around 4:00, a very awkward time between lunch and dinner. So we decided to stroll along the beach until we hit a strip of restaurants that my mom remembered to be there, and to stop and have some appetizers at one of them. What was a strip of restaurants turned out to be a bunch of haggling door people, yelling at you to come to their restaurant which I hate because all you want to do is rush past them, keeping your eyes averted. We ended up sitting down in one of these restaurants (which we tried to pick out later as we were driving along this strip, but couldn't because they all look the same) and were promptly informed it was happy hour with two for one drinks.

So we all ordered a drink to sip on while we waited for our appetizers which I can't even remember now except that one was a small pizza. What we didn't know was that the drinks were going to be our appetizers. I don't even know how they all fit on one tray they were so huge. If you were to imagine a large soup (family sized) from a Chinese restaurant and then balance that bowl on a 5 inch glass pole, that's how these drinks looked. They were margarita glasses for small giants. You can picture how big our eyes got as these were set down, one in front of each of us. The funny part is they weren't even that good. We also didn't know how overpriced each of these drinks were going to be. Let's just say that our bill was the same price as a semi-nice restaurant's bill would have been for four people. You can imagine how thankful my family was to me for making them take the cheap commuter bus over to Miami Beach other than an expensive cab ride.

So long story short, Miami proved itself to be a little over the top. Most of our meals, although we didn't make the mistake again to walk into a restaurant like that, were less than excellent and charged high. We did manage to go to a very authentic Cuban restaurant which was affordable and really good, but gave most of my family a hard time for the next day or so, if you know what I mean. I however, have always said I have a stomach of steel and can take most food-oriented beatings.

There was one night however, that stood far among the rest. D. Rodriquez Cuba at the Astor Hotel was recommended by our concierge for it's fun music on thursday evenings. So we dressed up a little in preparation for a good time and took a short cab ride over to the hotel where the restaurant would be. Upon sitting down in the very wonderful outside space decorated with metal and glass lanterns and candles, we were graced with amazing service, the best service, I think I have ever gotten at a restaurant. And. The. FOOD! It was so wonderful on so many levels. Not only were the combination of flavors unusually creative and an adventure for the taste buds, but the presentation and portions and everything were so perfect and appealing. While their prices range from about $8 for appetizers and $29 for their most expensive seafood dish, the food was extremely worth it. Oh and if you're planning on going for any reason, try the Yerba Mate Soda they serve called Materva. It's very refreshing, not to mention fresh. You can view their menu, which I think is updated quite frequently at: http://www.drodriguezcuba.com/menu

So I have decided, apart from that one restaurant, Miami Beach is rotund and overpriced and over-everything and I am over it.

Happy Eating!!

-Kristin

Home at last but not for long.

So while I didn't commit to any "blogging schedule", I believe I am atrociously behind and have even disappointed myself. It partly has to do with the fact that now that I'm on summer break, I have less creative ideas as my mom takes over a lot of the cooking and I recreate, on her request, many of the recipes I've already described here. It's also partly that I've convinced myself that I can only write about my own cooking ventures, which is a little bit limiting since I have been on more trips away from home than home itself.

So I've decided to expand my horizons and not only talk about the food I've personally cooked, but the food that others have bestowed upon me which leads me to talk about all of the random trips I have been taking lately. 

So the next few blogs may all be written on the same day, but in reality cover the entirety of about a month.

Brilliant Brussels

Brussels sprouts have got to be one of the most pushed-to-the-side-of-the-plate veggie of all the leafy greens. This is something I've never understood. Perhaps those who hate these little sprouts, which resemble small cabbages, had some terrifying experience as a child with awfully prepared greens. Boiled or overcooked, the sprouts release the full potential of their bitterness which kids find unappetizing. Or perhaps it's just the natural dislike of vegetables that tends to run in children. Personally, I have never hated Brussels sprouts in my life. Although, I may have been reluctant at first to try them at first because a lot of kids answer the question, "what is your least favorite food," with Brussels sprouts.

My mom raised us with the firm belief that a child gains a dislike first and foremost from their parents. If a parent shows their child that they don't like something or says something like, "you may not like this, but try it," the kid might learn, before even putting the food in their mouth, that the food isn't good. Of course, there are certain foods that people have to "grow-into" or is an acquired taste. For instance, I didn't like avocados until I was in high school. When I was younger, the taste was too overwhelming. But as a result of my mom's decision to not let us not try anything, there is hardly anything I don't like. In fact, my least favorite foods are processed foods which taste often too sweet and unnatural to me.

As far as Brussels sprouts, I'm not going to sit here and try to convince you to try anything. My point is, you never know. Perhaps your taste palate has changed and the sprouts may surprise you. It also helps to know how to prepare them in such a way that it minimizes the bitterness and brings out the savory flavor of these little cabbages.

Delicious Pan Fried Brussels

You will need:
-12-15 brussels sprouts (you can get a big bag of brussels sprouts at Trader Joes for a good price, and I heard-- pre-cut too!)
-olive oil (about 3 Tablespoons)
-salt (I prefer granulated sea salt)
-Parmesan cheese (optional)


1. Start by rinsing the sprouts in water. Pull off any browning or shriveled leaves off. If your Brussels sprouts are whole and not cut yet, cut off the stem of the Brussels sprout at just the base so that the leaves remain attached. Cut the sprout in half lengthwise through the base.

2. Heat a large skillet with the olive oil for a minute or until the oil starts to shimmer. Put the sprouts in the pan face down in the oil. Be careful not to burn yourself with the oil. Sprinkle the salt over the sprouts in a few short movements over the pan.

3. Let the sprouts cook until the faces are a light-medium brown color (careful not to burn!) Turn over the Brussels and toss in the remaining oil for about a minute or two more.

4. Serve immediately. Additionally, you may choose to serve with grated Parmesan on top.


Happy Cooking!

-Kristin

Crepe Cravings

Not wanting to deal with a pile of dishes from some complicated dinner, I decided to satisfy a craving for crepes instead. Crepes have been my Dad's breakfast specialty, since I was little. They would always be the special occasion breakfast, a request on birthday mornings, and sometimes we'd be lucky enough to get them on an average weekend, creating an extraordinary start to Sunday. So crepes, to me, are a little piece of home, and a love my Dad gave to me when I was a little girl. They always seem to make an ordinary meal unexpectedly special.

Crepes are also something that I've had in many different cultures. Walking through the crowded, brightly colored shops in Japanese malls, you will almost always find a crepe shop with options as delicious as bananas, whipped cream, and chocolate, to crepes as unimaginable as hot dog with ketchup and lettuce. In Japan, they serve you the crepe in a paper cone which holds in all of the goodies wrapped in the wonderful golden crepe. I've also had crepes in Amsterdam which were served in huge portions, crepes as big as serving platters, grilled flat with thinly sliced apples and cinnamon or spinach and melted brie.

Part of the magic of crepes is that no matter what you put in them, they almost always taste amazing, whether as simple as butter or a pile of fresh veggies and decadent cheese. Growing up, we'd always pile the inside of the crepe high with fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream, and my Dad taught me that the simple combination of lemon and powdered sugar was unbeatable.

Tonight, I used what I had in my fridge which included pre-shredded "Mexican mix" cheese from Trader Joes, sliced ham, and fresh chopped parsley. I made enough for about 4 medium crepes that were a little thicker than normal, but had to make more batter to make enough for dessert crepes. Yum! I used the Joy of Cooking's "Sweet Crepe" recipe for this concoction that, despite the name, works just as well for savory crepes.

Joy of Cooking's "Sweet Crepes"
Recipe makes 4-6 medium crepes depending on thickness (with my toppings, it made 4)

You will need:
-1/2 cup flour
-1/2 cup milk
-1/4 cup lukewarm water
-2 Tablespoons melted butter
-2 eggs
-1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
-pinch of salt

-various fillings/toppings including shredded cheese, ham, herbs, parsley, etc (for savory) or thinly sliced apples, sugar, butter, cinnamon, etc. (for sweet)

1. Mix all crepe ingredients together (obviously not including the toppings) in one bowl with a whisk, combining well (it can be a little clumpy, but smooth as possible)


2. Spray a small/medium sized pan with non-stick spray or spread a small amount of butter, just to cover the pan. Heat for about a minute on medium low heat.

3. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan while holding the pan in the air and simultaneously tipping the pan side to side and around to spread the batter, evenly as possible, in a thin layer around the pan. (This is the hardest part! Don't get discouraged if you get it wrong the first couple times. My Dad is the master at this and taught me well, but I used to get frustrated when the crepe would cook too fast for me to spread it around or I created holes in the layer. If this happens, just add a little more batter and swirl around over the missing parts.)

4. Depending on the type of crepe you're making, you can add toppings into the wet batter on the top side of the crepe. Tonight I added cheese, ham, and parsley into the batter. This would be the time to add any items you want coked into the crepe rather than sitting on top.

5. Check the bottom of the crepe carefully with a spatula (try not to break it). Some people like their crepes dark, but I like my crepes on the light-brown side. So when they're looking like this, I slip the spatula under the crepe and in one fluid motion, flip it over! Let it cook until the color is to your liking.

6. Slip the crepe carefully from the pan onto a plate. You can add any other toppings you want at this point. For example, if you made a dessert crepe, you may choose to cover your crepe with a dollop of whip cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar. As a fun option for a group of people, you can serve a pile of plain crepes in a big stack with bowls of various ingredients for people to help themselves. SERVE and enjoy!

I hope you try making crepes and remember: be creative! These are quick and simple and perfect for making a memorable Sunday morning (or night!)


Happy cooking!

-Kristin

Yummy, Easy, Impressive Asparagus Risotto

School is finally over which is a relief because that means I can start to actually cook again. For the two weeks that exams took over my life, I found myself surviving on the repeated meal of baked mac n cheese and leftover chocolate cake from my birthday a couple weeks ago. After that ran out, I don't even remember how often or what I ate, my entire concentration was on staying focused and getting myself through finals. So you can imagine the state of my apartment, not to mention my kitchen. It looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in a month. Absolutely disgusting! Now that I have a chance to breath, and the summer weather is starting to sneak in, I was able to spend the beginning of my day cleaning and organizing everything in my kitchen.

I wanted to cook something for lunch that simultaneously fulfilled my desire to have real food and use as much food in my fridge as possible. Pulling from the fridge frozen asparagus, cilantro, onions, and some garlic, I viewed my selection and got the rice from the cupboard, deciding to make some sort of rice veggie thing. I thought at first, I'll just make some rice and put the cooked veggies on top. Then I thought, "I wonder if I could make a really simple risotto out of this??" I had never made a risotto, and knowing the product's reputation, I was nervous it would be really difficult. I decided to look up someway to cook a risotto really easily and came across a recipe that used a rice cooker. What a great idea! Not only would the non-stick minimize a sticky clean-up, but I could do the entire recipe in one pot. Sounds great! I got out my rice cooker, and got to work.


Turns out--not so much work. It was so simple! And when my boyfriend tasted it, he couldn't believe how good it was. So here is my recipe for Asparagus Risotto, made in a rice cooker:

Asparagus Risotto
adapted from Jessica Harlan's recipe at about.com
(my inspiration for using a rice cooker!)

You will need:
(keep in mind, you can be very creative with the veggies and herbs, but this worked really well for me) 
-8-10 shoots of asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces ( I used frozen, but you can use fresh)
-1 sweet onion, diced (you can use a small yellow onion, it will work just as well)
-1 clove garlic, crushed
-2 Tablespoons butter
-2 1/2 cups chicken or veggie broth
-a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
-1 cup rice (I used Jasmine, but you can use whatever you have)
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
-pepper
-rice cooker ( you can do this recipe in a medium saucepan too)

1. Turn your rice cooker on and melt butter in the bottom of the pot (I don't know what else to call the rice cooker pot thing)

2. Add onion and garlic and saute in butter for a couple minutes. If your rice cooker only has an on/off setting, put the lid on so that the cooker creates more heat to do this.

3. Add the rice and broth. If you are using fresh asparagus, add it now. Cook the mixture covered with lid for 20 min.. Halfway through the time (10 min.), stir the mixture and if you're using frozen asparagus, add it now.

4. When the time is up, make sure the rice is cooked either al dente or fully cooked and that the broth is almost all absorbed. There should still be a little wetness in the mixture (it shouldn't be dry).

5. Add the cilantro and mix in. Add cheese and a little more butter if you want. Mix in until cheese melts and is no longer dry. Finally, pepper to taste. Serve in bowls with a sprig of cilantro and (if you want to be really fancy- fresh grated Parmesan) on top. Yummy, easy, and quite impressive if I can say so myself.

Hope you try this recipe and enjoy!! Try adding different herbs and veggies. Try adding lemon. Be creative! This serves about 2 people.

Happy cooking!

-Kristin