Oregano
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| photo taken on iphone 4S |
Showing posts with label in the kitchen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in the kitchen. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
From my Garden [Wordless Wednesday]
Another weekly blog meme I've been wanting to do for so long. But.. but.. WORDLESS Wednesday? That's going to be soooo hard not to type anything. See? I've messed up already. ;)
For more wordless wednesday posts, visit here.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
COOKBOOK REVIEW: The Gardener & The Grill by Karen Adler & Judith Fertig
This coming Monday is Memorial Day in the US--a National holiday of remembrance and respect for the men and women who died while in service to our nation [traditionally May 30 but observed on the last Monday in May since 1971]. Many towns will hold parades on Monday in honor of these men and women and adorn their graves with American flags and flowers, traditionally red poppies. Memorial Day weekend has also come to be the unofficial start of the summer season, bringing family and friends together for the first backyard barbecues of the season. If you're getting your grill fired up for the season and looking for some inspiration, I have a cookbook recommendation for you: The Gardener & The Grill by Karen Adler & Judith Fertig.
The full title of this cookbook is The Gardener & The Grill: The Bounty of the Garden Meets the Sizzle of the Grill, which pretty much describes exactly what this cookbook is all about. Whether you have your own backyard vegetable garden or you harvest your seasonal produce at your local farmer's market, you will find an abundance of recipes in this cookbook that you're going to just have to make this summer. Recipes will appeal to vegetarians and flexitarians alike.
(A "flexitarian" = an individual who is not vegetarian, but traditionally eats less meat than typical omnivores. A bit of trivia: "flexitarian" was first introduced to the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary in 2012. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexitarian])
The Gardener & The Grill is loaded with great tips, recipes and ideas for grilling with chapters for the following:
Pantry
Appetizers
Sandwiches,
Flatbreads and Pizzas
Soup & Salad
Meat, Poultry & Fish
Vegetable Sides
Fruits & Desserts
The book opens with a short primer on grilling techniques. Not a very elaborate primer, but techniques such as grill roasting, indirect grilling ,planking, plant-roasting, smoking and stir-grilling (using a metal wok on the grill grates) are discussed. Then the fun starts with the Pantry chapter. This chapter is brimming with inspiration. So much so that I think your grilling style will be transformed from ordinary to EXTRAordinary by the recipes in this chapter alone. There are recipes, ideas and tips for making your own seasonings, salts, marinades, dressings, dipping sauces, bastes and flavored butters. I want to try all of them!
After the pantry chapter come the grilling recipes that focus on fresh, seasonal (mostly summer) vegetables, herbs and even fruit that many of us grow right in our own backyards or buy at our local farmer's market. If you love vegetables or simply want to make them more enticing for you and your loved ones, this cookbook is just what you need to spice up your summer menus. Here's a list of things I love most about this cookbook:
Each and every recipe in The Gardener & The Grill appeals to me, but if I had to design a menu using one recipe from each chapter, I'd go with the following:
Chard-Wrapped Goat Cheese on the Grill
Herb-Stuffed Afghan Flatbread
Smoked Tomato Bisque
Tandoori Turkey Burgers with Grilled Red Onions and Tomatoes
OR Peppered Tuna with Grilled Peach, Red Bell Pepper and Onion Relish
Charred Green Beans with Lemon Verbena Pesto
Grilled Cantaloupe Rings with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
OR Skewered Strawberry & Marshmallow S'mores
Sounds delicious, right? I can't wait to try these recipes! I think I might just make the strawberry s'mores this weekend if it stops raining and I can actually get a fire going to grill the berries and marshmallows!
I borrowed The Gardener & The Grill from the library, but I'll be adding this one to my kitchen bookshelf for sure!
Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun!
Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post.
(A "flexitarian" = an individual who is not vegetarian, but traditionally eats less meat than typical omnivores. A bit of trivia: "flexitarian" was first introduced to the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary in 2012. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexitarian])
The Gardener & The Grill is loaded with great tips, recipes and ideas for grilling with chapters for the following:
Pantry
Appetizers
Sandwiches,
Flatbreads and Pizzas
Soup & Salad
Meat, Poultry & Fish
Vegetable Sides
Fruits & Desserts
The book opens with a short primer on grilling techniques. Not a very elaborate primer, but techniques such as grill roasting, indirect grilling ,planking, plant-roasting, smoking and stir-grilling (using a metal wok on the grill grates) are discussed. Then the fun starts with the Pantry chapter. This chapter is brimming with inspiration. So much so that I think your grilling style will be transformed from ordinary to EXTRAordinary by the recipes in this chapter alone. There are recipes, ideas and tips for making your own seasonings, salts, marinades, dressings, dipping sauces, bastes and flavored butters. I want to try all of them!
After the pantry chapter come the grilling recipes that focus on fresh, seasonal (mostly summer) vegetables, herbs and even fruit that many of us grow right in our own backyards or buy at our local farmer's market. If you love vegetables or simply want to make them more enticing for you and your loved ones, this cookbook is just what you need to spice up your summer menus. Here's a list of things I love most about this cookbook:
- Recipes or instructions for making just about everything in this cookbook from scratch, even down to the homemade corn tortillas, flatbreads, naan and pizza dough.
- Tips for container gardening, raised bed gardening, companion planting, how to prep produce for grilling and even using edible flowers in recipes.
- Recipes are simple with only a few ingredients, yet have gourmet flare.
- Recipes are healthfully plant-based and promote sustainability.
Each and every recipe in The Gardener & The Grill appeals to me, but if I had to design a menu using one recipe from each chapter, I'd go with the following:
Chard-Wrapped Goat Cheese on the Grill
Herb-Stuffed Afghan Flatbread
Smoked Tomato Bisque
Tandoori Turkey Burgers with Grilled Red Onions and Tomatoes
OR Peppered Tuna with Grilled Peach, Red Bell Pepper and Onion Relish
Charred Green Beans with Lemon Verbena Pesto
Grilled Cantaloupe Rings with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
OR Skewered Strawberry & Marshmallow S'mores
Sounds delicious, right? I can't wait to try these recipes! I think I might just make the strawberry s'mores this weekend if it stops raining and I can actually get a fire going to grill the berries and marshmallows!
I borrowed The Gardener & The Grill from the library, but I'll be adding this one to my kitchen bookshelf for sure!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to all my peeps! I hope you're enjoying the day whether you celebrate Easter, Passover or nothing at all this time of year. Easter Sunday has always been a reminder to me of the hope and joy that spring brings as everything in nature begins to come to life again around now. Although you wouldn't guess it this particular chilly, gray day here in the NY metro area.
My apologies to those of you who already follow me on instagram. All of the photos in this post come from there except for one.
We've seen snowdrops and crocuses blooming over the last several weeks and while the daffodils have been sending up green leaves, I haven't seen any blooming yet in my neighborhood. I did spot the rhubarb crowns in my garden pushing up, so there is that! I'm hoping to have enough for a strawberry-rhubarb tart later this spring. Do you like rhubarb?
I don't have a lot of memories of Easter celebrations from my childhood, although I do remember dying Easter eggs with my family the day before Easter for an egg hunt in the morning. I have vivid memories, however, of one particular Easter Sunday that we spent at my Oma and Opa's house. I remember an Easter egg hunt in their backyard, where eggs were hidden among the long, long rows of white and yellow daffodils lining their vegetable garden fence. I think it was one of the only outdoor Easter egg hunts of my childhood and for that alone, it stands out in my memory. Well, that and that it was spent at my Oma and Opa's house on Eastern Long Island. It was a special place. :)
As an adult, I have colored Easter eggs the evening before Easter, too, ever since I was living on my own. In the beginning, it was just my husband and me but of course our girls have participated every year since they were born even if just as a spectator on our laps when they were babies. Now at ages 14 and [almost] 18, they still color Easter eggs and hunt for them in the morning. This year, the girls hid the eggs for my husband and me to find. What a fun change of events!
I have to say, our egg decorating gets more and more creative every year. Here is a photo of a creative egg that my oldest made last night:
It's Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc.! Ha!
She also made this one that she calls her "galaxy egg." I love it!
I filled the girls' baskets with jelly beans, robin eggs [malted milk balls], marshmallow peeps, a peanut butter egg, a few Dove coconut creme filled chocolate eggs, a chocolate bunny and a Starbucks and iTunes gift cards. Lucky bunnies!
What's your favorite Easter basket treat?
What are some of your Easter food traditions?
Not exactly a #WeekendCooking post, but I'm linking it up there anyway because it is somewhat food related and I'm anxious to break my very long Weekend Cooking hiatus! It's been way too long since I've participated..
Wishing you all a wonderful day! xo
Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun!
Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post.
My apologies to those of you who already follow me on instagram. All of the photos in this post come from there except for one.
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| crocuses |
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| rhubarb |
I don't have a lot of memories of Easter celebrations from my childhood, although I do remember dying Easter eggs with my family the day before Easter for an egg hunt in the morning. I have vivid memories, however, of one particular Easter Sunday that we spent at my Oma and Opa's house. I remember an Easter egg hunt in their backyard, where eggs were hidden among the long, long rows of white and yellow daffodils lining their vegetable garden fence. I think it was one of the only outdoor Easter egg hunts of my childhood and for that alone, it stands out in my memory. Well, that and that it was spent at my Oma and Opa's house on Eastern Long Island. It was a special place. :)
As an adult, I have colored Easter eggs the evening before Easter, too, ever since I was living on my own. In the beginning, it was just my husband and me but of course our girls have participated every year since they were born even if just as a spectator on our laps when they were babies. Now at ages 14 and [almost] 18, they still color Easter eggs and hunt for them in the morning. This year, the girls hid the eggs for my husband and me to find. What a fun change of events!
I have to say, our egg decorating gets more and more creative every year. Here is a photo of a creative egg that my oldest made last night:
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| A Mike Wazowski Easter egg |
She also made this one that she calls her "galaxy egg." I love it!
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| "Galaxy Egg" by Maria Alba photo credits: Maria Alba |
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| Yummy Easter basket |
What are some of your Easter food traditions?
Not exactly a #WeekendCooking post, but I'm linking it up there anyway because it is somewhat food related and I'm anxious to break my very long Weekend Cooking hiatus! It's been way too long since I've participated..
Wishing you all a wonderful day! xo
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
RECIPE: Dried Fruit & Oat Bars [vegan]
These snack bars are gluten-free and vegan. I made these late in Week 2 of the 21-Day food based cleanse I'm following featured in the Jan-Feb 2013 issue of Whole Living magazine. They literally saved me from cheating when my girls came home from school one day and asked me to bake brownies. So glad I made these oat bars for myself instead. So much healthier and now I have a new go-to recipe for a satisfying afternoon snack or workout fuel for those long runs or bike rides!
Adapted from Cherry-Date Oat Bars from Whole Living magazine:
Dried Fruit Oat Bars
Makes 9
Coconut or olive oil
3 cups oats (gluten-free)
1 cup mixed unsweetened dried fruit
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 smooth almond butter
4 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
1/2 cup Unsweetened Pear Sauce (or apple sauce)
1/3 cup maple syrup (or agave syrup or honey)
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with coconut or olive oil. Line the pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine oats, dried fruit, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. I used dried cherries, Medjool dates and dried apricots. Other good choices would be raisins, prunes, dried cranberries and dried apples. Let your creativity flow!
In another bowl, stir together almond butter, ground flaxseed (I grind whole flaxseeds in a clean coffee grinder), pear sauce, maple syrup, orange juice and vanilla extract.
Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
Press mixture into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and firm.
Let cool for several minutes and cut into 9 squares.
Delicious warm or at room temperature.
Store in an airtight container for three days or freeze for longer storage.
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| Dried Fruit Oat Bars |
Dried Fruit Oat Bars
Makes 9
Coconut or olive oil
3 cups oats (gluten-free)
1 cup mixed unsweetened dried fruit
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 smooth almond butter
4 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
1/2 cup Unsweetened Pear Sauce (or apple sauce)
1/3 cup maple syrup (or agave syrup or honey)
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with coconut or olive oil. Line the pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine oats, dried fruit, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. I used dried cherries, Medjool dates and dried apricots. Other good choices would be raisins, prunes, dried cranberries and dried apples. Let your creativity flow!
In another bowl, stir together almond butter, ground flaxseed (I grind whole flaxseeds in a clean coffee grinder), pear sauce, maple syrup, orange juice and vanilla extract.
Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
Press mixture into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and firm.
Let cool for several minutes and cut into 9 squares.
Delicious warm or at room temperature.
Store in an airtight container for three days or freeze for longer storage.
RECIPE: Qunioa Porridge with Blueberries [vegan]
I've made various versions of this quinoa porridge this past week while in my second week of the 21-Day food based detox plan featured in the Jan-Feb 2013 issue of Whole Living magazine. The original recipe calls for ground cardamom (I was out) and fresh diced pears. The recipe was good, but I happen to like it a lot better with blueberries being the center of attention.
Adapted from Cardamom-Quinoa Porridge from Whole Living magazine:
Vegan and gluten-free!
Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries
Serves 2
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or cinnamon
pinch of salt
For each serving:
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or agave syrup, optional
Unsweetened Pear Sauce, optional
Combine rinsed quinoa, almond milk, water, vanilla, allspice, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork. For each serving, spoon half of the quinoa into a bowl and top with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/3 cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon sliced almonds and drizzle with 1 teaspoon maple or agave syrup, if desired.
I had some homemade, Unsweetened Pear Sauce on hand and stirred about 1/4 cup of that into my porridge this morning for added sweetness instead of using maple or agave syrup. VERY delicious!
Do you eat quinoa? What's your favorite quinoa recipe?
Adapted from Cardamom-Quinoa Porridge from Whole Living magazine:
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| Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries and Almonds |
Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries
Serves 2
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or cinnamon
pinch of salt
For each serving:
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or agave syrup, optional
Unsweetened Pear Sauce, optional
Combine rinsed quinoa, almond milk, water, vanilla, allspice, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork. For each serving, spoon half of the quinoa into a bowl and top with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/3 cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon sliced almonds and drizzle with 1 teaspoon maple or agave syrup, if desired.
I had some homemade, Unsweetened Pear Sauce on hand and stirred about 1/4 cup of that into my porridge this morning for added sweetness instead of using maple or agave syrup. VERY delicious!
Do you eat quinoa? What's your favorite quinoa recipe?
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Best of 2012 In the Kitchen
I stole the idea for this post from Beth F, the creator and host of the popular Weekend Cooking feature that can be found every Saturday morning on her blog Beth Fish Reads. Yesterday, Beth F posted a wonderful recap of her year in Weekend Cooking posts with a Best of 2012 Cookbooks, Drinks and Favorite Posts list. Check out her post and links to other Weekend Cooking posts HERE. I'm doing something similar here tonight.
NEW COOKING EXPERIENCES IN 2012:
Unfortunately, I didn't keep a detailed journal of my new cooking and dining experiences in 2012, so I'm working this list from memory and my blog posts, the former of which isn't 100% reliable, I'm afraid. At least I have a new journal idea for 2013 now.. ;) Here's a list of the foods I made for the first time this year:
Lime curd
Lime Curd {from homegrown limes!}, June 2. 2012
I made homemade lime curd using tiny limes that my husband brought home from his uncle's backyard in Texas while visiting there in April. It was really pretty easy to make and so delicious--refreshing with a sweet tart zing! I'll definitely make lemon, lime or other citrus curd in the future.
Meringues
Chocolate-Peanut Meringues from Everyday Food Magazine, April 1. 2012
I made meringues from a recipe in a cooking magazine. They came out great. Again, so easy to make at home, even if the shape wasn't as nice as store bought meringues.
Home Canning Tomatoes, August 28. 2012
I got invited to partake in a day of canning vats of fresh tomatoes one day last August. What a neat experience! I came home with 2 1/2 cases of tomatoes in quart jars. I am down to one case already, which means I'm going to definitely run out before the winter is over. Lesson learned.. I need about 5 cases of tomatoes to last my family a whole year.
Pear butter
Homemade Pear Butter The Lazy Girl's Way, October 28. 2012
I found an easy and delicious way to use up a plethora of over ripe pears, thanks to a recipe for making homemade pear butter in the oven from Farmgirl Fare blog.
Spätzle!
German Cookery by Elizabeth Schuler [Cookbook], December 1, 2012
I made homemade spätzle for the first time--it was fun and everyone liked it. I might make it again sometime, but it won't take a spot on my regular menu, though. I thought the spätzle needed a lot of butter to give it a good flavor and that's just not how we eat on a regular basis.
Green Juicing!
Drink Your Greens, March 17, 2012
Woot woot! Good Excellent health in a glass. I started green juicing in 2012 thanks to the Whole Living Action Plan in which I participated back in January. It's basically a food based detox to jump start your body back to a healthy digestive state. Anyway, green juicing is one of the habits that I took away from the cleanse and continued to do all year long. I'm officially hooked. The other awesome thing I took away from that cleanse was to break my addiction to caffeine. Very liberating and I don't get nearly as many migraines as I used to. I think I might have had 2-3 migraines all year whereas I used to have that many in one month. If you suffer migraines, you may want to consider giving up caffeine, too, to see if it helps you.
FAVORITE RECIPE POSTS:
Best Homemade Pizza Dough, March 3, 2012 gets tons of hits. Over 1500 so far--which is a lot for my little ol' blog. I hope that means people are making my recipe. I just made it the other night!
My recipes for Vegan Basil Pesto, Vegan Arugula-Garlic Scape Pesto and Vegan Potato Leek Soup also get a lot of hits. I'd say there's a niche for vegan recipes out there.
FAVORITE COOKBOOKS:
2012 Cookbooks.
Did you vote in the 2012 Readers Choice Awards on Goodreads this year? Most of the readers of my blog are fellow book bloggers, so chances are you did. Did you read a lot of the books from the fiction categories? I read a few and was otherwise familiar with many of the others across many genres. Surprisingly, it was the cookbook genre that I was most familiar with, having read SIX of the nominees, including the winning book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond. It was not my favorite book of those that I read. The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond) is a wonderful, fun, down to earth voice in home cooking and her cookbook is nice, but not nearly as original or inspiring as the cookbooks below which I've also read this year. Three 2012 cookbooks that I read and adored this year are:
Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan (My vote in the readers choice awards)
The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila
Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach
I highly recommend all three of these lovely, original and inspiring cookbooks. I hope you check them out. I'm still on the waiting list for The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman, also published in 2012. Any day now...
The Results of the 2012 Readers Choice Awards on Goodreads for Cookbooks
I must mention the following three 2011 publications that caught my attention in 2012, all of which I highly recommend.
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer
I LOVE ice cream in a scary big way and was intrigued by all the positive buzz this cookbook was getting, so I bought Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home cookbook earlier this year. I finally got around to making Roasted Pistachio Ice Cream in September and the results were amazing! Wow.. just wow. If you have an ice cream maker, you should really get this book.
The Newlywed Cookbook by Sarah Copeland
Gorgeous presentation, fantastic recipes--some classics, some twists on old favorites and many original creations that hopefully inspire couples to cook together. The narration is charming in a cozy sweet blissful newlywed way, although at times a little too sugar coated for me. Still.. I read every page and wanted to devour every recipe. Highly recommended.
Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr
Although not really a cookbook, Crazy Sexy Diet does have recipes in it and it is all about healthy living and eating to be your healthiest and happiest, so I'm mentioning it in this post anyway. Kris Carr is SO positive and inspiring!
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Everyday Food Magazine will no longer in publication after the December 2012 issue. I've been subscribing to this magazine since June 2005 and still have every issue. I've loved it over the years and will miss it greatly. :(
Do you have anything on your Best of 2012 List from your kitchen?
Did you try any new-to-you foods in 2012?
A new favorite restaurant or cookbook?
NEW COOKING EXPERIENCES IN 2012:
Unfortunately, I didn't keep a detailed journal of my new cooking and dining experiences in 2012, so I'm working this list from memory and my blog posts, the former of which isn't 100% reliable, I'm afraid. At least I have a new journal idea for 2013 now.. ;) Here's a list of the foods I made for the first time this year:
Lime Curd {from homegrown limes!}, June 2. 2012
I made homemade lime curd using tiny limes that my husband brought home from his uncle's backyard in Texas while visiting there in April. It was really pretty easy to make and so delicious--refreshing with a sweet tart zing! I'll definitely make lemon, lime or other citrus curd in the future.
Meringues
Chocolate-Peanut Meringues from Everyday Food Magazine, April 1. 2012
I made meringues from a recipe in a cooking magazine. They came out great. Again, so easy to make at home, even if the shape wasn't as nice as store bought meringues.
I got invited to partake in a day of canning vats of fresh tomatoes one day last August. What a neat experience! I came home with 2 1/2 cases of tomatoes in quart jars. I am down to one case already, which means I'm going to definitely run out before the winter is over. Lesson learned.. I need about 5 cases of tomatoes to last my family a whole year.
Homemade Pear Butter The Lazy Girl's Way, October 28. 2012
I found an easy and delicious way to use up a plethora of over ripe pears, thanks to a recipe for making homemade pear butter in the oven from Farmgirl Fare blog.
Spätzle!
German Cookery by Elizabeth Schuler [Cookbook], December 1, 2012
I made homemade spätzle for the first time--it was fun and everyone liked it. I might make it again sometime, but it won't take a spot on my regular menu, though. I thought the spätzle needed a lot of butter to give it a good flavor and that's just not how we eat on a regular basis.
Drink Your Greens, March 17, 2012
Woot woot! Good Excellent health in a glass. I started green juicing in 2012 thanks to the Whole Living Action Plan in which I participated back in January. It's basically a food based detox to jump start your body back to a healthy digestive state. Anyway, green juicing is one of the habits that I took away from the cleanse and continued to do all year long. I'm officially hooked. The other awesome thing I took away from that cleanse was to break my addiction to caffeine. Very liberating and I don't get nearly as many migraines as I used to. I think I might have had 2-3 migraines all year whereas I used to have that many in one month. If you suffer migraines, you may want to consider giving up caffeine, too, to see if it helps you.
FAVORITE RECIPE POSTS:
Best Homemade Pizza Dough, March 3, 2012 gets tons of hits. Over 1500 so far--which is a lot for my little ol' blog. I hope that means people are making my recipe. I just made it the other night!
My recipes for Vegan Basil Pesto, Vegan Arugula-Garlic Scape Pesto and Vegan Potato Leek Soup also get a lot of hits. I'd say there's a niche for vegan recipes out there.
FAVORITE COOKBOOKS:
2012 Cookbooks.
Did you vote in the 2012 Readers Choice Awards on Goodreads this year? Most of the readers of my blog are fellow book bloggers, so chances are you did. Did you read a lot of the books from the fiction categories? I read a few and was otherwise familiar with many of the others across many genres. Surprisingly, it was the cookbook genre that I was most familiar with, having read SIX of the nominees, including the winning book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond. It was not my favorite book of those that I read. The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond) is a wonderful, fun, down to earth voice in home cooking and her cookbook is nice, but not nearly as original or inspiring as the cookbooks below which I've also read this year. Three 2012 cookbooks that I read and adored this year are:
The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila
Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach
I highly recommend all three of these lovely, original and inspiring cookbooks. I hope you check them out. I'm still on the waiting list for The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman, also published in 2012. Any day now...
The Results of the 2012 Readers Choice Awards on Goodreads for Cookbooks
I must mention the following three 2011 publications that caught my attention in 2012, all of which I highly recommend.
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer
I LOVE ice cream in a scary big way and was intrigued by all the positive buzz this cookbook was getting, so I bought Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home cookbook earlier this year. I finally got around to making Roasted Pistachio Ice Cream in September and the results were amazing! Wow.. just wow. If you have an ice cream maker, you should really get this book.
Gorgeous presentation, fantastic recipes--some classics, some twists on old favorites and many original creations that hopefully inspire couples to cook together. The narration is charming in a cozy sweet blissful newlywed way, although at times a little too sugar coated for me. Still.. I read every page and wanted to devour every recipe. Highly recommended.
Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr
Although not really a cookbook, Crazy Sexy Diet does have recipes in it and it is all about healthy living and eating to be your healthiest and happiest, so I'm mentioning it in this post anyway. Kris Carr is SO positive and inspiring!
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Everyday Food Magazine will no longer in publication after the December 2012 issue. I've been subscribing to this magazine since June 2005 and still have every issue. I've loved it over the years and will miss it greatly. :(
Do you have anything on your Best of 2012 List from your kitchen?
Did you try any new-to-you foods in 2012?
A new favorite restaurant or cookbook?
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Crazy for Christmas Cookies!
As you can guess from the title of this post, I am crazy for Christmas cookies. Ever since I can remember, my mother would bake dozens of Christmas cookies--at least five or more varieties and store them in decorative tins on the dining room table. We would eat them, of course, but my mom would also package sampler plates of cookies, wrapped in cellophane and tied with ribbon to gift to relatives, friends, neighbors, the mailman, the garbage collectors, teachers, crossing guards, and so on. She made a lot of cookies!
My mom practiced this Christmas cookie tradition after learning it from her own mother--my maternal grandmother whom I called Oma. My Oma baked traditional German cookies such as spritz, lebkuchen and linzer cookies. My mom baked those same cookies--except for the lebkuchen, and then some. She'd switch it up a bit every year but there was always spritz, linzer cookies, almond crescent cookies, chocolate chip cookies with walnuts, iced holiday cutout cookies. My brothers and I usually helped with the cutout cookies. So much fun!
From the first year that I had my own kitchen, I've been baking Christmas cookies for the holiday season as well. There may have been a year or two when I only managed to make one or two varieties, but I always baked some cookie for Christmas. Interestingly, the only cookie from my childhood that I consistently bake every year are spritz cookies. I wrote about my affection for spritz cookies last year, in which I include a recipe in this post HERE. I have been using the same cookie press for almost 20 years now and I think I'll just cry the day it fails me. I sure hope I don't jinx myself by even thinking of that happening.
I love cooking magazines probably just as much as I love cookbooks and I have acquired many many issues over the years. That can be a whole separate discussion, but the point here is that every December I pull out all the holiday issues of cooking magazines in my collection and pour over them for days and days and days and weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, deciding on the cookies that will make that year's list. I think planning the cookies is almost as much fun as baking them! But never as much fun as eating them. ;)
My holiday magazine collection includes:
Over a decade of December issues of Cooking Light magazines:
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| Holiday issues of Cooking Light magazine |
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| December & Holiday issues of Everyday Food magazine |
These include decorating and homemade gift ideas and instructions. SO fun!
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| Holiday cookies {and homemade gifts} MS publications |
I subscribed to this magazine for a year or two--loved it. Very good for serious cooks who love reading about test kitchen processes and food science as much as they love cooking.
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| Holiday Baking special publication from Cook's Illustrated |
SO many terrific cookie recipes and tips in these magazines. Also, instructions and templates for making Gingerbread Houses. I bought a new one [the red Holiday Baking one on top] just the other day because I want to make the gingerbread house inside it this year. :)
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| Christmas Cookies | Holiday Baking Special publications from Better Homes & Gardens magazine |
I also have ONE Christmas Cookie cookbook that I absolutely LOVE. I have cooked many recipes from this cookbook of classic Christmas cookie recipes. That is, Joy of Cooking Christmas Cookies by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer-Becker and Ethan Becker. If you are passionate about Christmas cookies like I am, I highly recommend this cookbook. It's no longer available in print from the publisher, but look for it at your library or from used book sellers! This is becoming my trademark line lately, isn't it?Nothing says Crazy for Christmas Cookies like my collection of cooking magazines, don't you think?
I also have a collection of Christmas craft books and cross-stitch patterns that rivals this collection of Holiday magazines... ; )
Are you crazy for Christmas cookies, too?
What is your FAVORITE Christmas cookie?
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Cookbook: Indian Regional Classics by Julie Sahini
Back to the cookbook in discussion! Indian Regional Classics: Fast, Fresh and Healthy Home Cooking by Julie Sahini is a great starter cookbook for anyone looking to dabble in Indian cooking. This cookbook doesn't contain quite the plethora of recipes as Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahini
but there are plenty of recipes for the adventurous home cook looking to learn a few authentic Indian recipes. Indian Regional Classics also pays careful attention to keeping the recipes healthier in this cookbook--always a plus. As the title implies, the author presents a variety of recipes showcasing specialties and styles of cooking from different regions of this vast and diverse country.
The cookbook begins with a discussion on Indian spices and herbs as well as the Indian way of eating. Then the recipes are presented by type--appetizers and soups; breads and savory pastries; rice and grains; tandoori grilling; fish and shellfish; chicken and poultry; meat; vegetables, legumes, eggs and cheese; yogurt salads, chutneys and condiments and finally desserts and beverages. There is also an Indian pantry checklist and a glossary of ingredients. Obviously from those recipe categories, you can see this is not a vegetarian cookbook. There are, of course, numerous recipes that could be prepared with vegetables, beans and grains that would be well suited for a complete vegetarian meal, but many, if not most, of the recipes in this cookbook call for animal products, including dairy.
I made two recipes from this cookbook tonight--Zaffron Pulao [Saffron Pilaf] and Malai Jheenga [Moghul Shrimp in Cream Sauce]. I also oven roasted a few potatoes, carrots and a small head of cauliflower, toasted some store-bought frozen naan in a skillet and made a delicious new-to-me dish of Hirvya Tamatyachi Bhaaji [Green Tomato Sabji] from Aarti's Corner using the green tomatoes from my garden that have been stubborn to ripen on the counter. This recipe was recommended to me on twitter by Joy [Joy's Book Blog] after I posted a photo of way too many green tomatoes I picked from my garden last weekend when I was preparing the yard for the hurricane. So glad I made this dish. It was excellent! Thanks, Joy!
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| Homemade Indian food for dinner. Yum! |
The Moghul Shrimp in Cream Sauce was mildly fragrant and also quite delicious. My husband thought it lacked a distinct flavor and was rather plain, but my eldest daughter and I liked it. I'm not in a great rush to make it again, but am not adverse to the idea either.
I'll definitely be cooking more recipes from this cookbook now that I've sampled these recipes.
You can visit Julie Sahini at her website http://juliesahni.com/ .
The Cookbook Challenge runs through the end of November, so if you'd like to join in, visit Cynni's sign up post HERE. Hope to see you cooking from a much neglected cookbook on your shelves soon!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Homemade Pear Butter The Lazy Girl's Way
Most of my happiest times in the kitchen are when I'm making something completely from scratch. I love experiencing the farm to table connection--knowing where my food comes from and taking a few simple, whole food ingredients and transforming them into a dish that is as impressive as it is simple with my own hands right in my own kitchen. It's incredibly satisfying to me.
One farm to table connection that I enjoy tremendously is belonging to an organic co-op from which I receive a box of organic produce every other week. I recently accumulated quite a generous supply of pears since we've been getting either Barlett or Bosc pears in every box lately and no one in my family has been eating them. I don't know why that is--we like pears! Not our favorite, but we still like them. Anyway, faced with about a dozen overripe and slightly bruised pears in my refrigerator bin, I decided to make some pear butter with them. I found the perfect recipe at a wonderful new-to-me cooking, gardening and farming blog called Farmgirl Fare. I love this site and will be sure to visit it often. I encourage you to check it out, too--especially if you like growing and eating your own fruits and vegetables.
If you ever find yourself interested in making pear butter, I cannot recommend enough that you try Farmgirl Fare's method that she outlines in detail in her post Recipe: How To Make Really Easy Low Sugar Pear Butter in the Oven (with step-by-step photos). This is the best pear butter recipe EVER. It's so incredibly easy and wow does it taste amazing, too! The only caveat is that you have to have a food mill for this method. I don't have one, but borrowed my friend's. I think I'm going to ask Santa for one for myself.
Here's my version of Farmgirl Fare's recipe and photos from my day spent making pear butter yesterday:
Pear Butter
5 lbs. really ripe organic pears (I had Bartlett and Bosc)
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks (or 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon)
1 teaspoon whole cloves (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves).
Cut the pears into chunks. Don't even peel or core the pears. Perfect for lazy girls and boys.
Run pears through the food mill over a big bowl. Okay so you can't be lazy here. It's a bit of an arm workout, but honestly not so bad.
Run pear purée through the food mill again for a smoother purée, if desired. I did this right over the baking dish in which I'm going to bake the pears.
Add sugar and lemon juice to pear purée and stir well.
Pour the pear mixture into a 13x9 glass or ceramic baking dish. Add cinnamon and cloves to the pear mixture.
Bake in a 300 F oven for 3-6 hours or until the pear mixture thickens to the consistency you like, stirring once in a while. You can be lazy that whole time if you want to!
The longer you bake the pear butter, the thicker and richer the flavor. I like mine thick like softened butter. The flavor is more intense and it spreads on bread just like butter, but so much healthier for you!
Remove pear butter from oven and you're done!
You have a few different options for storing your pear butter:
1. Transfer the pear butter into clean glass jars with lids and store in your refrigerator for several weeks.
2. Transfer some of the pear butter into a clean glass jar to store in your refrigerator for several weeks and freeze the rest! I like to freeze foods in glass jars, but I know a lot of people are not comfortable freezing glass jars because of the potential for breakage if the jar falls out of the freezer. In that case, you can also use plastic containers or those plastic zip-top bags.
3. Spoon your pear butter into 4 oz. or half pint canning jars, leaving 1/4" head space at the top and processing in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Be sure to run a knife through the pear butter when you've spooned it into the jars to get rid of any air pockets before you process them in the water bath. This is the method I chose to do so that I could gift some pear butter to friends for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
And that's it! Sounds pretty easy, right? I hope you give it a try the next time you have some overripe pears on hand. Or maybe you'll let some pears get overripe just to make this delicious, low sugar pear butter. If you do, dont' forget to read through Farmgirl Fare's entire post on How To Make Really Easy Low Sugar Pear Butter in the Oven (with step-by-step photos).
Some serving suggestions for pear butter:
+spoon onto your morning oatmeal
+spread on bread or toast
+stir into plain yogurt
+spread on a cheese, ham or turkey sandwich
+spread on a cracker topped with a bit of brie or other favorite cheese
+any other suggestions?
Do you like fruit butter? What's your favorite kind?
Do you ever can fruit or vegetables at home?
Other posts I've written on canning and home preserving:
Home Canning Tomatoes
Grape Plum Jam (refrigerator jam)
Putting By
{Super Easy} Golden Raspberry Jam
Jam Session (Soft Strawberry Jam)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun!
Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post.
One farm to table connection that I enjoy tremendously is belonging to an organic co-op from which I receive a box of organic produce every other week. I recently accumulated quite a generous supply of pears since we've been getting either Barlett or Bosc pears in every box lately and no one in my family has been eating them. I don't know why that is--we like pears! Not our favorite, but we still like them. Anyway, faced with about a dozen overripe and slightly bruised pears in my refrigerator bin, I decided to make some pear butter with them. I found the perfect recipe at a wonderful new-to-me cooking, gardening and farming blog called Farmgirl Fare. I love this site and will be sure to visit it often. I encourage you to check it out, too--especially if you like growing and eating your own fruits and vegetables.
If you ever find yourself interested in making pear butter, I cannot recommend enough that you try Farmgirl Fare's method that she outlines in detail in her post Recipe: How To Make Really Easy Low Sugar Pear Butter in the Oven (with step-by-step photos). This is the best pear butter recipe EVER. It's so incredibly easy and wow does it taste amazing, too! The only caveat is that you have to have a food mill for this method. I don't have one, but borrowed my friend's. I think I'm going to ask Santa for one for myself.
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| Jars of Homemade Spiced Pear Butter |
Pear Butter
5 lbs. really ripe organic pears (I had Bartlett and Bosc)
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks (or 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon)
1 teaspoon whole cloves (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves).
Cut the pears into chunks. Don't even peel or core the pears. Perfect for lazy girls and boys.
Run pears through the food mill over a big bowl. Okay so you can't be lazy here. It's a bit of an arm workout, but honestly not so bad.
 |
| All that remains after running 5 lbs. of pears through the food mill. |
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| 5 lbs ripe pears yields approximately 8 cups of pear purée |
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| Running the pear purée through the food mill again to ensure a smooth pear butter. |
Pour the pear mixture into a 13x9 glass or ceramic baking dish. Add cinnamon and cloves to the pear mixture.
 |
| Cinnamon sticks and whole cloves added to pear mixture... ready for the oven. |
The longer you bake the pear butter, the thicker and richer the flavor. I like mine thick like softened butter. The flavor is more intense and it spreads on bread just like butter, but so much healthier for you!
 |
| Finished pear butter. |
You have a few different options for storing your pear butter:
1. Transfer the pear butter into clean glass jars with lids and store in your refrigerator for several weeks.
2. Transfer some of the pear butter into a clean glass jar to store in your refrigerator for several weeks and freeze the rest! I like to freeze foods in glass jars, but I know a lot of people are not comfortable freezing glass jars because of the potential for breakage if the jar falls out of the freezer. In that case, you can also use plastic containers or those plastic zip-top bags.
3. Spoon your pear butter into 4 oz. or half pint canning jars, leaving 1/4" head space at the top and processing in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Be sure to run a knife through the pear butter when you've spooned it into the jars to get rid of any air pockets before you process them in the water bath. This is the method I chose to do so that I could gift some pear butter to friends for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
And that's it! Sounds pretty easy, right? I hope you give it a try the next time you have some overripe pears on hand. Or maybe you'll let some pears get overripe just to make this delicious, low sugar pear butter. If you do, dont' forget to read through Farmgirl Fare's entire post on How To Make Really Easy Low Sugar Pear Butter in the Oven (with step-by-step photos).
Some serving suggestions for pear butter:
+spoon onto your morning oatmeal
+spread on bread or toast
+stir into plain yogurt
+spread on a cheese, ham or turkey sandwich
+spread on a cracker topped with a bit of brie or other favorite cheese
+any other suggestions?
Do you like fruit butter? What's your favorite kind?
Do you ever can fruit or vegetables at home?
Other posts I've written on canning and home preserving:
Home Canning Tomatoes
Grape Plum Jam (refrigerator jam)
Putting By
{Super Easy} Golden Raspberry Jam
Jam Session (Soft Strawberry Jam)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
COOKBOOK REVIEW: Autumn by Susan Branch
Published 2004 by Little, Brown and Company
No longer available in print.
I apologize for writing such a rave review for a cookbook that's no longer in print. I honestly had no idea it was out of print until I wrote this post up and went in search of some links to book sellers. You can buy the cookbook through used book sellers on amazon and I'm sure at other sites as well, but it's very expensive. Of course, you can always try looking for it at your local library. :)
I have had this lovely cookbook on my shelves for so many years now and while I often pull it off the shelf to read it, I have never actually prepared any of the recipes. Until now. Inspired by the Cookbook Challenge hosted by Cynni who blogs at She Likes Bento, I pledged to cook 5 or more recipes from cookbooks I own but rarely, if ever, use and Autumn by Susan Branch was one of them.
First things first, this cookbook--like all of Susan Branch's work--is a piece of art in itself. The cookbook is 100% hand drawn. Every single word and image--it's beautiful. Inside, you will find not only mouthwatering recipes that showcase the foods of autumn, but gorgeous drawings of food, nature, and home that will ignite your love for this beautiful season. Scattered throughout nearly every page are also fun, thought provoking and heart warming quotes. The author even includes entertaining, gardening, home decorating, craft and gift ideas. There's creative inspiration on every page!
Once I decided to cook from this cookbook, I bookmarked some recipes I wanted to try and let me tell you there were a lot! I decided my first recipe should be a simple one for which I already had the ingredients on hand. I chose Butternut Shotglass Soup. I realize butternut squash soup recipes are a dime a dozen, and this one is a pretty basic one at that. But it is oh so good. It's made with a butternut squash, an onion, a couple of carrots and potatoes that are simmered in some chicken or vegetable broth. The vegetables are then spiced with curry powder, a dash of ginger and nutmeg and seasoned with salt & pepper before being pureed to a velvety texture. The flavor is wonderful and the presentation is extra-special. Imagine serving shot glasses of this warm, comforting soup to your family and friends at the table, around a cozy fire or in front of the tv on a chilly evening. Really cute.
I'm so happy that I finally cooked something from this cookbook that I've treasured reading for so many years. Other recipes from this cookbook that are on my list to try are Red Pear, Black Grape, Spiced Pecan Salad, Pear Salsa, Tomato Soup, Iowa Corn Bread, Chicken in Cream Sauce over Happy Rice, Orange Spiced Harvest Stew, Pear Tatin, Indian Pudding and Pumpkin Latte. In fact, I'm going to go make that Pumpkin Latte right now!
For a peak at the inside of this cookbook, visit the cookbook's amazon page HERE.
I give Autumn by Susan Branch 5 out of 5 stars.
GRADE: A
No longer available in print.
I have had this lovely cookbook on my shelves for so many years now and while I often pull it off the shelf to read it, I have never actually prepared any of the recipes. Until now. Inspired by the Cookbook Challenge hosted by Cynni who blogs at She Likes Bento, I pledged to cook 5 or more recipes from cookbooks I own but rarely, if ever, use and Autumn by Susan Branch was one of them.
First things first, this cookbook--like all of Susan Branch's work--is a piece of art in itself. The cookbook is 100% hand drawn. Every single word and image--it's beautiful. Inside, you will find not only mouthwatering recipes that showcase the foods of autumn, but gorgeous drawings of food, nature, and home that will ignite your love for this beautiful season. Scattered throughout nearly every page are also fun, thought provoking and heart warming quotes. The author even includes entertaining, gardening, home decorating, craft and gift ideas. There's creative inspiration on every page!
Once I decided to cook from this cookbook, I bookmarked some recipes I wanted to try and let me tell you there were a lot! I decided my first recipe should be a simple one for which I already had the ingredients on hand. I chose Butternut Shotglass Soup. I realize butternut squash soup recipes are a dime a dozen, and this one is a pretty basic one at that. But it is oh so good. It's made with a butternut squash, an onion, a couple of carrots and potatoes that are simmered in some chicken or vegetable broth. The vegetables are then spiced with curry powder, a dash of ginger and nutmeg and seasoned with salt & pepper before being pureed to a velvety texture. The flavor is wonderful and the presentation is extra-special. Imagine serving shot glasses of this warm, comforting soup to your family and friends at the table, around a cozy fire or in front of the tv on a chilly evening. Really cute.
 |
| Butternut Shotglass Soup from Autumn by Susan Branch |
For a peak at the inside of this cookbook, visit the cookbook's amazon page HERE.
I give Autumn by Susan Branch 5 out of 5 stars.
GRADE: A
Do you have any cookbooks on your shelf from which you've never cooked?
What's your favorite soup?
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Make Your Own Ice Cream Cake!
I made a homemade ice cream cake for my birthday celebration earlier this week and am so excited to share the recipe with you. I suppose it's more semi-homemade than truly homemade. I didn't make the ice cream from scratch this time, but the cake is made at home, so that kind of counts as homemade, right? By the way, I have a birthday giveaway going on right now that I think will definitely appeal to any weekend cooking people, so please head on over to My Happy Birthday Giveaway post to check it out.
Before I get into the instructions, I feel compelled to tell you that my husband was quite beside himself that I made my own birthday cake. He did not approve of this, but reluctantly relented when I insisted that not only was this the cake I wanted and he couldn't buy it anywhere, but also that I was having fun making it and that the whole thing simply made me happy? The icing on the cake to this scenario (pun intended), is that now I have photos and how-to instructions to share with all of YOU!
Wait until you see how easy this is. The instructions look lengthy, but don't be intimidated. It's not at all complicated and really... how badly can you mess up a cake assembled with store-bought ice cream and toppings, right?
These instructions are for making a small ice cream cake in a loaf pan that serves 6-8 people. Once you make an ice cream cake in this size pan once or twice, you can move on to making larger cakes in other shaped pans, such as a round 1.5 quart round casserole dish or a springform pan. It's just as easy to layer the ingredients, but a little more challenging to line with plastic wrap and unmold. Because of it's size and shape, I'd probably gently press crushed nuts or cookies to the sides of the unmolded cake for a nicer presentation. That's going to be my next ice cream cake project.
What you need:
8.5 x 4" loaf pan
plastic wrap
cooking spray {or a tiny bit of butter on a paper towel}
2 or 3 pints of ice cream, frozen yogurt or sherbet of desired flavors
topping ingredients, optional
Some suggested topping ingredients:
chocolate sauce
caramel sauce
chopped nuts
whole or crushed cookies
shredded coconut
sprinkles
fruit preserves
I used three different flavors of ice cream to make my cake, but you can use just two if you like. Just skip steps 8 and 9. You can also make the cake without any toppings between the ice cream layers. It's totally up to you how you want to customize your cake.
What you do:
Go crazy and customize the ice cream flavors and layer ingredients with your favorites. The sky's the limit!
One time I made a Vanilla & Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake with whole chocolate wafer cookies layered in the middle for my daughter's birthday. It was a big hit!
I think Vanilla Ice Cream & Orange Sherbet would be a delicious combination.
A Creamsicle Cake!
Or Vanilla & Strawberry or Blackberry Ice Cream with graham crackers in the middle?
Or how about a Coffee & Chocolate Ice Cream?
Did you ever think making a homemade ice cream cake could be this easy?
What flavors would you choose for YOUR personal ice cream cake?
Before I get into the instructions, I feel compelled to tell you that my husband was quite beside himself that I made my own birthday cake. He did not approve of this, but reluctantly relented when I insisted that not only was this the cake I wanted and he couldn't buy it anywhere, but also that I was having fun making it and that the whole thing simply made me happy? The icing on the cake to this scenario (pun intended), is that now I have photos and how-to instructions to share with all of YOU!
Wait until you see how easy this is. The instructions look lengthy, but don't be intimidated. It's not at all complicated and really... how badly can you mess up a cake assembled with store-bought ice cream and toppings, right?
These instructions are for making a small ice cream cake in a loaf pan that serves 6-8 people. Once you make an ice cream cake in this size pan once or twice, you can move on to making larger cakes in other shaped pans, such as a round 1.5 quart round casserole dish or a springform pan. It's just as easy to layer the ingredients, but a little more challenging to line with plastic wrap and unmold. Because of it's size and shape, I'd probably gently press crushed nuts or cookies to the sides of the unmolded cake for a nicer presentation. That's going to be my next ice cream cake project.
Vanilla Bean, Pumpkin Spice & Toasted Almond Ice Cream Cake
 |
| Homemade Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice & Toasted Almond Ice Cream Cake |
8.5 x 4" loaf pan
plastic wrap
cooking spray {or a tiny bit of butter on a paper towel}
2 or 3 pints of ice cream, frozen yogurt or sherbet of desired flavors
topping ingredients, optional
Some suggested topping ingredients:
chocolate sauce
caramel sauce
chopped nuts
whole or crushed cookies
shredded coconut
sprinkles
fruit preserves
I used three different flavors of ice cream to make my cake, but you can use just two if you like. Just skip steps 8 and 9. You can also make the cake without any toppings between the ice cream layers. It's totally up to you how you want to customize your cake.
What you do:
- Take ice creams out of freezer and let stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften a bit. You can also put ice cream containers in microwave for 10-20 seconds at a time until ice cream begins to soften.
- While ice cream is softening, spray the inside of the loaf pan very, very lightly with cooking spray. Or use a tiny bit of butter on a paper towel and lightly grease the inside of the loaf pan. This will allow the ice cream cake to be removed from the pan more easily later without having to melt the ice cream to get it out.
- Line the inside of the loaf pan with plastic wrap, making sure there is excess plastic wrap that extends past the sides of the pan. Try to make the plastic wrap fit snuggly into the pan without too many bumps or large creases. This will give your cake a nicer appearance when serving.
- Decide which flavor will be the top layer of the cake when it's removed from the pan. This isn't really important for any reasons other than for presentation purposes. A light colored ice cream, such as vanilla, will look nice with colored sprinkles or shaved chocolate on top. A dark colored ice cream such as chocolate would look nice with shredded coconut or chopped nuts on top.
- Scoop the ice cream into the loaf pan and then carefully spread the ice cream along the bottom of the loaf pan with a spatula or the back of a spoon until the layer is even and smooth. This is going to be a mess if your ice cream is too firm, so make sure it is soft enough to spread, but not too soft that it's melted. If the ice cream is too soft, the ice cream is likely to get a little icy when it's refrozen, which isn't so nice. I used vanilla bean ice cream as my first layer.
- If using topping ingredients between ice cream layers, add a this now. Chocolate sauce is very nice, as is a layer of crushed cookies. Or try both! In my cake pictured here, I used generous drizzle of chocolate sauce spread evenly with the back of a spoon and sprinkled crushed graham crackers on top. Note: If you use whole cookies, make sure the cake sets in the freezer longer than just a few hours so that the cookies absorb some moisture and are easier to cut through. If the cookie is too hard, you won't be able to make nice, clean cuts through the center of the cake.
- Scoop the next layer of ice cream on top of the special topping ingredients. Carefully spread this layer of ice cream until it is smooth and even, being careful not to get the topping ingredients all mixed into the ice cream. You want them to be separate layers. I used pumpkin spice ice cream in the middle of my cake.
- If using topping ingredients between ice cream layers, add the next layer now. I used shredded coconut and more crushed graham crackers.
- Scoop the third layer of ice cream on top of the topping ingredients. This will be the bottom layer of your cake when it's removed from the mold. Again, carefully spread this layer of ice cream until smooth and even, being careful not to get the topping ingredients all mixed into the ice cream. I used toasted almond ice cream.
- Cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap and put the pan into the coldest part of your freezer, making sure the pan is level. If it's tilted, your layers might tilt in the pan as well and then freeze in uneven layers.
- Freeze until firm, which may take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. Overnight is even better to really firm up the ice cream and especially helpful if you are serving this cake for a summer birthday.
- To unmold the cake for serving, remove the plastic wrap from the surface of the ice cream. Turn the loaf pan upside down on a large plate or platter. Gently tug on the pieces of plastic wrap that extend past the top of the ice cream until the cake pulls free from the pan. Remove the plastic wrap from the surface of the ice cream.
- If desired, garnish the top of the ice cream cake with your choice of topping ingredients.
- To serve, have a glass of hot water nearby and dip a knife into the water before slicing each piece of cake. This not only helps the knife cut easily and smoothly into the ice cream, but it also keeps the knife clean between slices so each slice of cake is as pretty as the first.
 |
| A slice of ice cream cake. |
Go crazy and customize the ice cream flavors and layer ingredients with your favorites. The sky's the limit!
One time I made a Vanilla & Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake with whole chocolate wafer cookies layered in the middle for my daughter's birthday. It was a big hit!
I think Vanilla Ice Cream & Orange Sherbet would be a delicious combination.
A Creamsicle Cake!
Or Vanilla & Strawberry or Blackberry Ice Cream with graham crackers in the middle?
Or how about a Coffee & Chocolate Ice Cream?
Did you ever think making a homemade ice cream cake could be this easy?
What flavors would you choose for YOUR personal ice cream cake?
Thursday, October 4, 2012
A Cookbook Challenge
The challenge is really straight forward. Choose your level [by the number of recipes you'll try] and cook at least one recipe from the cookbooks you choose to use. You can use any number of cookbooks, but you must choose a cookbook from which you rarely use.
You don't have to write a review of the cookbook or even post the recipes on your blog if you don't want to, but it is welcomed, if not encouraged. You can opt to just post what you made and your thoughts on the dish and or the cookbook. You can also share your progress in the challenge with photos. It's really pretty flexible.
The challenge runs October through November, so you can jump in and participate at anytime between now and November 30.
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| My Cookbooks [photo taken July 28, 2012] Also my collection of Everyday Food magazines and a few library books, |
Indian Regional Classics by Julie Sahni
Autumn by Susan Branch
The Pumpkin Cookbook edited by Nicola Hill
Holiday Baking by Sara Perry
German Cookery by Elizabeth Schuler
I'll start out with the plan to prepare one recipe from each cookbook which would put me at the Creative Croissant level of 3-5 recipes. Perhaps I'll be inspired to do more as I go along.
For more information about the challenge and to sign up, visit Uniflame HERE.
Hope you'll join me!
Do you own cookbooks from which you've never tried a single recipe?
What's your excuse?
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Vegan Basil Pesto
The perfect recipe for harvesting all that basil in your garden at the end of the summer!
Pesto is one of those foods that every home cook should know how to make. It's quick, easy, tasty, versatile and impressive. Well, at least impressive to your family and friends who don't know how easy it really is to make. Once you know the basic method of making pesto, you can get really creative with the variety of herbs or greens and nuts you use to make different flavors.
This recipe for basil pesto happens to be my personal favorite. It also happens to be vegan, simply because I prefer to make my pestos without Parmesan cheese. The first few times I ever had pesto, I thought it was okay, but kind of strong. Yet I loved the way it smelled and always wanted to love it more. Then one day I tried pesto my friend's homemade pesto and I was won over. Her secret? No Parmesan cheese! I started making my pesto without Parmesan cheese, too, and haven't turned back since. I think I just find the basil and Parmesan are just two very strong flavors and the way the compete with each other in traditional pesto just doesn't appeal to me, although I adore both of these ingredients separately. Anyway, if you normally aren't crazy about pesto maybe give this vegan variation a try and see if it doesn't win you over.
Vegan Basil Pesto
Once you make homemade pesto a few times, you won't need to measure ingredients anymore.. you'll just pull the ingredients together in your food processor, give it a whirl and have perfect pesto every time.
2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 cups tightly packed fresh parsley leaves
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup pecan pieces
olive oil [1/3 to 1/2 cup]
kosher salt [1/2 to 1 teaspoon]
1. Add the basil, parsley, garlic and pecans into the bowl of your food processor and process it until finely chopped.
Note: You can do this in steps if you prefer, processing the garlic and pecans first until finely chopped, then adding the basil and parsley and processing a bit more before proceeding with step 2 below.
2. While the processor is running, drizzle olive oil through the food chute until the pesto reaches the desired consistency. This can require anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup of olive oil.
3. Add a generous sprinkle of salt and give the pesto a few more whirls in the food processor.
4. Use the pesto immediately in your favorite pesto recipe.
5. Store any left over pesto in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for long term storage.
Storing Pesto:
For best flavor, store pesto in a clean glass jar with a tightly fitting lid. Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the pesto until it is covered. This will help prevent the basil from oxidizing and turning a darker color. For best flavor, consistency and presentation, pesto should be used within a few days, although I have stored it a bit longer without any problems. It's a good idea to freeze whatever pesto you don't use within a few days.
Freezing Pesto:
This pesto freezes well. Again, store pesto in small, clean glass jars with tightly fitting lids and drizzle olive oil over the top until the surface of the pesto is covered with oil. It's also nice to freeze pesto in ice cube trays and then transfer the pesto cubes to freezer safe bags. Then when you need just need a tablespoon or two of pesto, it's at the ready. For best results use within 6 months, but I have used frozen pesto within 12 months.
How to use pesto:
+use as a sauce for pasta or gnocchi, diluting it a bit with the cooking water used to boil the pasta or gnocchi.
+use in a cream sauce for pasta--especially delicious with seafood.
+as a base on pizza instead of tomato sauce. See HERE.
+as a dip or spread on slices of rustic bread as an appetizer
+add a teaspoon or two to bowls of soup before serving.
+dot on top of tomato halves and roast
+as a spread on your favorite hot or cold sandwich
+drizzle over roasted vegetables such as eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, etc.
Do you like pesto? How do you use it?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun!
Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post.
Pesto is one of those foods that every home cook should know how to make. It's quick, easy, tasty, versatile and impressive. Well, at least impressive to your family and friends who don't know how easy it really is to make. Once you know the basic method of making pesto, you can get really creative with the variety of herbs or greens and nuts you use to make different flavors.
This recipe for basil pesto happens to be my personal favorite. It also happens to be vegan, simply because I prefer to make my pestos without Parmesan cheese. The first few times I ever had pesto, I thought it was okay, but kind of strong. Yet I loved the way it smelled and always wanted to love it more. Then one day I tried pesto my friend's homemade pesto and I was won over. Her secret? No Parmesan cheese! I started making my pesto without Parmesan cheese, too, and haven't turned back since. I think I just find the basil and Parmesan are just two very strong flavors and the way the compete with each other in traditional pesto just doesn't appeal to me, although I adore both of these ingredients separately. Anyway, if you normally aren't crazy about pesto maybe give this vegan variation a try and see if it doesn't win you over.
 |
| Pesto! |
Once you make homemade pesto a few times, you won't need to measure ingredients anymore.. you'll just pull the ingredients together in your food processor, give it a whirl and have perfect pesto every time.
2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 cups tightly packed fresh parsley leaves
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup pecan pieces
olive oil [1/3 to 1/2 cup]
kosher salt [1/2 to 1 teaspoon]
1. Add the basil, parsley, garlic and pecans into the bowl of your food processor and process it until finely chopped.
 |
| Add basil, parsley, garlic and pecans to food processor bowl |
 |
| Process until finely chopped. |
 |
| Add olive oil and process until pesto is smooth. |
4. Use the pesto immediately in your favorite pesto recipe.
5. Store any left over pesto in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for long term storage.
Storing Pesto:
For best flavor, store pesto in a clean glass jar with a tightly fitting lid. Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the pesto until it is covered. This will help prevent the basil from oxidizing and turning a darker color. For best flavor, consistency and presentation, pesto should be used within a few days, although I have stored it a bit longer without any problems. It's a good idea to freeze whatever pesto you don't use within a few days.
Freezing Pesto:
This pesto freezes well. Again, store pesto in small, clean glass jars with tightly fitting lids and drizzle olive oil over the top until the surface of the pesto is covered with oil. It's also nice to freeze pesto in ice cube trays and then transfer the pesto cubes to freezer safe bags. Then when you need just need a tablespoon or two of pesto, it's at the ready. For best results use within 6 months, but I have used frozen pesto within 12 months.
How to use pesto:
+use as a sauce for pasta or gnocchi, diluting it a bit with the cooking water used to boil the pasta or gnocchi.
+use in a cream sauce for pasta--especially delicious with seafood.
+as a base on pizza instead of tomato sauce. See HERE.
+as a dip or spread on slices of rustic bread as an appetizer
+add a teaspoon or two to bowls of soup before serving.
+dot on top of tomato halves and roast
+as a spread on your favorite hot or cold sandwich
+drizzle over roasted vegetables such as eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, etc.
Do you like pesto? How do you use it?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post.
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