The art of pretentious living for the bourgeoisie crowd

Moving.

2011-01-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

Hello! I've decided to relocate my blog to a new address because I couldn't figure out what I want to do with konosur anymore, and also because I want to start having a more personal blog rather than a cooking blog. I'll be updating this site occasionally with recipes - more as a food diary than anything. I've discovered than when I was running a food blog, I weighed a good 10lbs less...

Snow.

2010-11-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

Oh, my. Seattle just isn't built for snow. Everything has come to a complete standstill, with buses, cars and garbage cans abandoned on street corners.

(My yard, in 3 inches of snow! I just realized our mini grill looks like a Stormtrooper)

(Our street at 9am)

And in case you wanted to see how bad it gets when a city that rains 6 months a year starts getting icy, here's a pretty funny-if-it-wasn't-so-tragic video taken near 20th and John in Capitol Hill - not too far from where I used to live.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:26:00.000-07:00

Goodies I made for Halloween - pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and salted cinnamon-chocolate fudge.

Of the melting Arctic and electric cars

2010-10-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

This commercial by Nissan for the new Leaf electric car makes me want to cry:

Oh, the power of advertising.

Easy weeknight dinner: Creamy tomato soup

2010-09-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

Rain season is upon us. There's nothing more satisfying on a cold, dreary Seattle night than soup and bread. Tomato is one of my favorite soups, and is satisfying, comforting and absolutely delicious when served with some good Willamette Vally Pinot Noir, crusty bread and goat cheese. I always have cans of crushed tomato, dried herbs and vegetable bouillon on hand. This recipe is really easy and comes from years of being obsessed with tomatoes. It takes about half an hour to make from start to finish so it works really well for those evenings when all you want is to curl up on the sofa beside the fireplace with the dog, a good book, a bottle of wine and your favorite person in the world (who by the way, does NOT like tomato soup. *cries*)

Creamy Tomato Soup
Makes about 1 1/2 pints of soup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 carrot (yields about 1/2 cup diced carrots)
1 stalk celery
1/2 white onion (yields about 1/2 cup diced onions)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 can 28oz. crushed tomatoes (San Marzano works well)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
2 low sodium vegetable bouillon cubes (or about 1 tablespoons)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper *see note below

1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat
2. Add in the diced carrots, diced celery, diced onions and minced garlic. Add a tiny bit of salt to soften the vegetables. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
3. Add in the crushed tomatoes and saute for another 5 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add in the herbs, vegetable bouillon and water and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes until the carrots are softened.
5. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf and puree in a blender or use an immersion blender. I like my soup a little chunky, so I don't go crazy with the pureeing. Add in the heavy cream and stir gently to mix. Season with salt and pepper and serve!

*Note: Adding salt and pepper as you go brings out the flavors more!

Boardwalk Empire

2010-09-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

This is one of the few rare times I'm beating myself up for not having cable. From what I've seen, heard and read, Boardwalk Empire might just be the one series I'm going to be all over this Fall.

Prohibition era. Check.
Black comedy. Check.
Coupe martini glasses. Check.
Hats, gangsters and guns. Check. Check. Check.
ALCOHOL. OH YEAH.

The week that was: September 6 - 12

2010-09-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

- Took the doggie for tons of walks
- Saw The Walkmen and Menomena live
- Got drunk on dry martinis at The Walkmen, felt terrible for three days after
- Saw Brent from Menomena's latest squeeze (fangirling moment! She kinda looked like Rebecca Gayheart)
- Made creamy tomato soup! Recipe coming soon.
- Bought a new necklace
- Got depressed reading this article at the bus stand - particularly about the cuts in education

Source: The Stranger

I've also decided not to renew my subscription to The Economist, although I probably will restart it in about 6 - 9 months. News these days just depresses the hell out of me, there isn't a single issue of The Economist that doesn't mention America's shitty economy, America's shitty political hullabaloo, dying people in the Middle East, China's double standards, climate change or just the sheer stupidity of some people who comment in the "Letters" section. I think as I age, I have become less tolerant of ignorance and asshattery and by jove, is this world filled with them.

Instead, I think I will spend the next half a year going through the whole list of Modern Library's Top 100 Novels of the 20th century, and working on my dissertation. I've read about 16 of those books listed; I found "Ulysses" to be rambly and quite tedious when I read it a good 10 years ago, but I might have to go through it again. I started with "The Sound and The Fury" which is proving to be quite a challenge to comprehend when you're sitting on the bus, bouncing around on disastrous Seattle roads. Maybe mindless shit like John Grisham novels would serve me better on those occasions.

Matcha ice cream

2010-09-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

I finally caved in and bought an ice cream maker. Yes, I know. Cheesecake and ice cream, what gluttony. I got it in two days from Amazon Prime, and just yesterday, I ripped opened the packaging and froze the freezer bowl. I know summer is coming to an end, but ice cream will help me get through winter by proxy of fatty insulation. Go figure.

There are only two flavors I ever get in ice cream - vanilla and dark chocolate. However, my absolute favorite ice cream flavor is green tea (matcha). Unfortunately, I don't think any store bought ice cream ever measures up to the original Japanese stuff. So naturally, when I decided to buy the ice cream maker, the first recipe I wanted to try was a green tea one!

It's strange how making your own ice cream can be so deeply satisfying. And oh my god, is this green tea ice cream heavenly. I love that I am able to control what goes into my ice cream (guar gum? urgh!), and that I can add as much green tea or sugar as I want. This recipe is from David Lebovitz's A Perfect Scoop, courtesy of Use Real Butter. I may have to go out and actually BUY the book now that I am part of the homemade ice cream fan club. And please, for goodness sake, use powdered green tea i.e. matcha. This does NOT work with steeped green tea.

Matcha (green tea) ice cream
Yields 1 quart

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
6 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
4 tsp matcha

1. Warm the milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan.
2. Whisk the matcha and heavy cream together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the eggs yolks slightly in a medium bowl. Continue whisking the eggs while slowly pouring in the warm milk mixture so as not to let the eggs curdle.
4. Return the egg-milk mixture to the saucepan and set over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens (see Note (a))
5. When the custard has thicken, strain over a fine mesh into the heavy cream-green tea mix while whisking vigorously.
6. Whisk until all the green tea has dissolved (see Note (b),(c))
7. Allow the ice cream mixture to cool and then refrigerate for at least an hour.
8. Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. (see Note (d))

Notes:
(a) The mixture is thick enough when it coats back of spoon i.e. it doesn't drip away quickly but is quite viscous. Make sure the eggs don't curdle!
(b) I find that it's quite hard to dissolve the matcha powder. The trick according to Harumi Kurihara is to use 1 tbsp of the warm milk mixture to dissolve the matcha powder, then add it to the heavy cream.
(c) For a smoother consistency, strain the final mixture again over a mesh before refrigeration.
(d) I have a Cuisinart ICE-21 which yields soft serve ice cream. To firm up the ice cream, freeze in pint/quart containers for about 3 hours. It comes out PERFECT.

Japanese Cheesecake

2010-09-02T19:06:00.001-07:00

While the boyfriend is away over this Labor's Day weekend, I've decided that I am going to subsist on things that I don't usually have when he's around. This means all things dairy and deep fat fried. Yes, the boyfriend will come home to a more rotund, less appealing girlfriend.

That being said, I thought I'd kick off the solo weekend with some cheesecake and tea. How girly! However, I'm not a huge cheesecake fan. They come across as cloying, rich and sometimes bordering on nauseating. A slice of the Oreo crumbled one at The Cheesecake Factory is enough to send me into convulsions and regret for a month. On the two separate attempts I have tried at making my own low-fat cheesecake, I have failed miserably. One was a no-bake attempt that fell apart as soon as I removed it from the freezer. The other was a sugared-up hunk of cream cheese studded with graham cracker bits.

When I received the Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking cookbook last Christmas, I found that she had included a recipe for Japanese cheesecake that seemed fairly easy. Now, if you've never had Japanese cheesecake, you're in for a surprise. It doesn't taste as cheesy as your regular New York style cheesecake. It tastes a little bit more like a cross-between a sponge cake and a souffle. The difference is that a traditional cheesecake uses tons of cream cheese while a Japanese cheesecake uses more whipped eggs and minimal cream cheese. The result is an airy cake that doesn't cause coronary problems and is a really enjoyable treat when served with some warm green tea.

This recipe by Harumi Kurihara is really simple and as someone who REALLY HATES BAKING CAKE, it was fantastically easy to whip up. As long as your ingredients are at room temperature, you can make this in less than 15 minutes (not including baking time). Her recipe called for a 7-inch springform pan, I had an 8-inch. I improvised by making a quarter extra of the batter and crumbs. The cake turned out really great and I can safely recommend that if you're looking for an easy-peasy dessert, this is it.

Japanese Cheesecake (adapted from Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking)
Makes a 7-inch baked cake

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (100 g/3.5 oz.)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42.5 g/1.5oz.
1 cup cream cheese (225 g/8oz.)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (112.5 g/4oz.)
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons sifted all purpose flour (23.5 g/0.85oz)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Make sure butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. Line the a 7-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
2. Soften the butter and mix with the graham cracker crumbs.
3. Pour the graham cracker mix into the bottom of the prepared pan and press down lightly to make a base. Preheat the oven to 340°F.
4. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until soft, then add the rest of the ingredients, in order, mixing each one thoroughly before adding the next.
5. Continue until the mixture thickens (about an extra 5 minutes after adding the lemon juice), then pour into the pan on top of the graham cracker crust. Bake in the oven for 45 - 50 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
6. Once it had cooled, remove from the pan, discard the lining paper and leave on a rack to cool completely.

Konosur's Notes:
(a)You can refrigerate the cake for up to 3 days in a cover container. It will become thicker and richer.
(b) I baked for about 55 minutes but the top did not turn golden. However, the top jiggle only slightly when I removed it from the oven - a sign that the cake is done. I think I will use the convection setting next time.

Newsflash! This beer is the awesome!

2010-08-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

I have left my world of kriging to bring you some tidings: Go get yourself some Southern Tier Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout! I swear Southern Tier makes some of the most addictive stouts in the world, and I'm going to go ahead and jump on the bandwagon and say that the Creme Brulee one might be my favorite. The Mokah comes a close second - but a good piece of dark chocolate and this magnificent stout can offset anything a bottle of good wine does to a girl. The creaminess, the overwhelming vanilla scent, the smoky caramel flavor. Oh my. Those silly boys and their hop fetish over at beeradvocate.com gave this decadent beer a B+. B+! Blasphemy! I suggest you go out and try this for yourself and decide if your Monday blues will be offset by what I would say is one of the most exciting beers I've ever had.

Vanilla come to mama.

P/S: Food, shoes and life updates are forthcoming, I promise.

A new direction

2010-08-20T00:26:00.000-07:00

I've been suffering from existentialist issues of late. I guess according to Kierkegaard, I must be rejecting my bourgeois moralities. I'm not sure what that means, but I think it means that I'm burdening myself with "nobler" concerns i.e. the weight of the world. I guess it comes from reading all those dry prose in The Economist.

I've decided that I really don't have time to cook and photograph and arrange everything to look impeccably pretty. I think I would rather like having some time to sit around, stare at the wall and indulge my pretentious, hipster philosopher phases while cutting my wrists to ...Trail of Dead. That aside, I also think grad school is slowly killing me, both physically and mentally. I've been subsisting on Amy's Kitchen microwave meals and an unhealthy diet of ice cream while simulating snow melt thousands of miles away in Siberia. I think the weight of things these days (economy, work, life) and the fact that I have a tendency to overthink, has made me impatient when it comes to both eating and cooking.

That being said, I think I would like to turn this blog into something more of a personal rant page, peppered with food posts (I still love food!), silly girly things like shoes, and a whole slew of random things like political and cultural gibberish. I think it's more fun for me than to spend 20 minutes on taking a picture of melted cheese on a sandwich.

I hope many of you would still pop by every now and then because I really do enjoy having this blog and I promise there will still be some really good recipes to share. Also, hopefully my rants will be coherent enough to elicit at least some form of amused chuckle and my random posts would contain something pertinent to your life that you find interesting.

Easy baked chicken

2010-06-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

In our house, I make it a point to have a whole organic chicken in the freezer at all times. I usually get the butcher at the store to cut it up for me so that it's easy to thaw and easy to cook. Sometimes I use parts of it - like breasts for marsala chicken or thighs for stir fries, but lately, my favorite recipe is a one pot dish that lasts us for a few days.
While most people make roast or rotisserie chicken a staple in their monthly menus, I find that baking chicken is faster, easier and requires much less work and cleanup. All you have to do is get cut-up chicken, rub with herbs and spices and pop it into the oven. The leftovers can be used in wraps, salads or simply heated up to counter the effects of a night of heavy drinking.

I know this is a superbly simple recipe that has made its rounds on the food blogosphere, but to me, it's something so supremely easy that everyone must try it at some point and be wowed by such a great dinner fixin'. This is my regular take on baked chicken using my favorite herb mix of paprika and Mediterranean herbs, but you also make this with teriyaki sauce, a combination of other spices or a really spicy chicken with cayenne pepper, ancho chili powder and dried cilantro.

Easy baked chicken

1 whole roasting chicken, about 4lbs, cut into 10 pieces with back removed
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
Olive oil

Pat the chicken pieces dry and lay them down in a roasting pan, skin side up. Put the bigger pieces like the breasts and thighs in the middle of the pan.

Massage the chicken all over with the herbs and spices and drizzle GENEROUSLY with olive oil.

Pop into preheated oven at 400°F for about 35 minutes + 5 minutes for each pound of chicken. So a 4lb chicken would take about 55 minutes. Double check with a meat thermometer - 180°F for chicken breast piece to be cooked.

Remove from oven, tent with aluminum foil for about 10 minutes and serve.

Easy weeknight meals: Beef Stroganoff

2010-05-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

There are a few things in my kitchen that I am willing to spend an obscene amount of money on: cheese, bread, milk and anchovies. I love cheese to death. Give me a wedge of Stilton, some good French bread and wine and I'll call it a good meal. Unfortunately, during those rare times I decide that goat cheese and crusty baguette would suffice for dinner, the boyfriend would have to resort to ramen. I sometimes can't help but feel so terribly sorry that he would never be able to have cheesecake or creme brulee or all the wonderful food that cream and cheese creates. I do try however, to hunt down dairy-free alternatives that would work just as well as the real thing - Earth Balance shortening for chocolate chip cookies, garlic sauce instead of tzatziki, Rice Dream in mashed potatoes and soy yogurt in potato salads.

We recently discovered a dairy-free alternative to cheese and sour cream at Whole Foods. I can vouch that the sour cream by Vegan Gourmet taste almost like regular sour cream, with a slight soy flavor that mellows out when added to dishes. In fact, I think their sour cream is so much like the real thing that I've started using it in fajitas and tacos. So for the first time in his adult life, the boyfriend is finally able to try beef stroganoff - not just browned beef and egg noodles, but the whole creamy deal. It's rare times like that I think technology and chemicals have made life that much easier for a handful of people.

This is the recipe I use for beef stroganoff - you can substitute beef slices for ground beef and I've also listed the regular, dairy versions that can be used.

Beef stroganoff
Serves 4

1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbsp butter (or Earth Balance)
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced, stems discarded
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1/3 cup marsala wine (or sherry or red wine)
1.5 cups sour cream (Vegan Gourmet or regular)
1/2 cup milk or Rice Dream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 0z. Egg noodles
Fresh parsley, chopped

Cook the egg noodles according to directions. Drain the cooked noodles, return to pot and toss with a tablespoon of butter. Cover to keep warm.

Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet, add the ground beef. Use a wooden spatula to break up the chunks and sprinkle with a little salt and ground pepper, paprika and Worchestershire sauce. Allow the beef to brown without stirring - about 6 minutes. Flip over, sprinkle again with salt and ground pepper. When all the beef has been browned, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.

To your pan, add the remaining butter and toss in the onion and mushroom. Sprinkle lightly with salt and allow the onions and mushrooms to brown. Remember not to stir as stirring prevents browning. Once the onions and mushrooms have been browned, add in the marsala wine to deglaze the pan, scrapping the browned bits and pieces from the bottom of the pan. Turn up the heat and allow the wine to reduce by half and then turn the heat down to the lowest setting.

Add in the beef, sour cream and milk. Stir gently until the sour cream has melted and a rich thick sauce is created. DO NOT BOIL! Season with salt and pepper. Serve over egg noodles and sprinkle generously with the chopped parsley.

Question for Lost maniacs

2010-05-24T20:13:00.001-07:00

How did Jacob ever get off the island to meet with the candidates to persuade them to go the island?

The Sunday that was: Cochon 555

2010-05-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I managed to snag some coveted tickets to Cochon 555 as part of the Foodbuzz Foodie Correspondent Program. In case you've never heard of Cochon 555 (which I haven't either, up to this point), it is "a culinary event featuring five chefs, five pigs, and five wine makers in a friendly competition for a cause." And let me tell you first hand that five pigs can feed A LOT of people.

This year's Cochon 555 took place in the Bell Harbor Convention Center right down by the waterfront, which I think is venue that represents Seattle really well. Inside the dining hall, we were first greeted by a cheese selection from DeLaurenti and crackers from Macrina bakery. Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats down in Portland was on hand to demonstrate how to butcher a whole pig. That was by far the most interesting thing I saw at Cochon 555. There were also slideshows of cute berkshire and mangalitsa piggies projected on screen while slightly buzzed people noshed on pulled pork. I don't know if that was in good taste, but I am so glad Foodbuzz gave me the tickets because I had an incredible time; I drank and ate more than I should have (trusty Mr.Tums fixed the problem this morning) and talked to some very interesting winemakers and foodies.

And the piggie said, "Bleu cheese!"

My favorite chef for the event was Tamara Murphy of the now defunct Brasa restaurant. For some reason, her restaurant was never really that amazing, but my goodness - the menu for Cochon was absolutely delicious. I thought her chorizo sliders were the cutest thing ever and tasted perfect topped with slivers of blue cheese, a bowl of chili verde on the side and complete with a glass of 2008 Pinot Noir from Elk Cove Vineyards.

John Sundstrom of the almighty pretentious Lark ended up winning the event, and to prove my point of his almighty pretentiousness, his menu included tarte tatin with bacon caramel. Pretentious but delicious, I suppose. I couldn't get a picture of the tarte tatin close up because people were jostling and I swallowed mine in a split second lest some person kicked me in the shins and stole mine. I did however manage to grab a photo of John Sundstrom himself smiling knowingly, and a man in the background that looks strangely like Steven Spielberg (Do the Waldo thing)!

We managed to sneak in some nerdy chat time with some people from Elk Cove (3 kinds of Pinot!) in between lining up for the food samples. The gentleman very kindly suggested pairing the pate from Chester Gerl of Matt's in The Market with the estate Riesling. The other noteworthy small plates I liked were pork dumplings in dashi sauce from Adam Stevenson and a pulled pork dish with sparkling apple cider from Anthony Hubbard of Chow Foods. Also, the "head" chorizo by Mr. Gerl was quite amazing (On a side note, I went to Matt's once for my birthday and found it a little subpar, but I might have to try them again based on their perfomance at Cochon!).

I think many of the food items conjured up by the Seattle "superchefs" were pretty interesting. Most were your standard high-end cafe fare while others were slightly more upscale. The only thing I did not care for were these really gross looking red velvet cupcakes with lard frosting. They tasted sort of like a cross between rancid Betty Crocker canned goop and Safeway cupcakes.

At the end of the day, I went home stuffed with pork goodness, and stumbling slightly from some really good wine. Thank you, Foodbuzz for the great opportunity and here's looking forward to next year's Cochon 555!

A lemon and lavender cake for Mother's Day

2010-05-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, I was seized by some unbearable need to purchase a bag of 20 baby lemons at Whole Foods. I don't know if it was being in Whole Foods that made me feel I needed to spend money, or if was the fact that lemons somehow scream summer and that in the middle of May, Seattle is 46 degrees and raining. Lemons have an uncanny ability to look attractive in any spot they sit in - in a bowl, in a pasta dish, in a roast chicken or in a cake.

But back to the lemons, I call them baby lemons but in my uneducated citrus-food guess I think they're just dwarf-sized lemons. However, they came unwaxed and bright-yellow for the affordable(!) price of $4.99. I had stumbled on a recipe at formerchef.com for a lemon and lavender cake that I wanted to try really badly and a monstrous bag of lemons seemed like the perfect excuse.

Back home, I also figured out a way to trick Brian into allowing me to have the cake. My first trick was to turn the cake into a non-dairy one by using rice milk instead of the regular dairy version (Aha! I have him trapped, we're both gluttons now). And the second trick was to use this as Mother's Day prototype to dedicate to both our mothers who are stuck in their morbid jobs far away from us. Also, I think I deserve to celebrate mother's day since I believe I have done a pretty decent job "mothering" my very rascally dog for the past two years.

So, here's my take on the lemon and lavender cake by Kristina at formerchef.com. It should serve well at a Mother's Day brunch with some nice finger sandwiches, tea and strawberries with lots of cream! I used light olive oil instead of vegetable oil, unwaxed lemons and organic lavender flowers; suggestions for swaps are listed in the recipe. You can make this one day ahead - seal tightly with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil and store in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge about 90 minutes before serving. It should still be moist and delicious.

Naked lemons always make me feel sad.

On a side note, I won a Foodbuzz giveaway to Cochon 555 which is an event that has some famous Seattle chefs killing a whole pig and serving it to us. Oh, and there's also wine! I'm excited because I may be able to rediscover my Asian gastronomic roots by noshing on crunchy pig ears. Hurrah!

Lemon and lavender cake
Makes a 7" round cake or 8"x5" loaf

Cake
1.5 cups all purpose flour (200g)
1 cup granulated sugar (100g)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup rice milk (120ml) (or just use regular milk)
1/2 cup olive oil (120ml) (or swap vegetable oil)
2 eggs
2.5tsp lemon zest
1.5tsp dried lavender flowers

Glaze
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/3 cup honey (113g)
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray your baking pan with cooking oil or just rub some oil using a paper towel.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil, lemon zest and lavender flowers. Create a well in the large bowl and pour in the egg mixture. Stir gently until all ingredients are just combined. Pour into prepared baking pan.

Chuck into oven and bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Stab it with a small knife and if there are no soft crumbs sticking to the knife, it's done. Otherwise, check at every five minute intervals.

When the cake is done, remove from the oven. Let it cool in the pan and you can start on your glaze. Heat all the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and the glaze is slightly viscous.

Stab your cake all over with a chopstick or a skewer and pour the glaze all over it. Leave it to soak for about 5 minutes, remove from the pan and it's ready.

How to make Chiu Chow Chili Oil

2010-04-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

If you're crazy about spicy foods like I am, you might benefit from making your own chili oil. While regular chili oil is super easy and cheap to make at home, I prefer the more dramatic flavors of Chiu Chow chili oil. It spices up noodle dishes, can be used in stir-fries and is a must in Sichuanese cuisine. The stuff you pick up at the Asian market is usually filled with preservatives, or in the case of Lee Kum Kee, an insane amount of salt (which also acts as a preservative).

Chili oil is basically oil infused with chili to impart that smoky, spicy taste to the oil. Traditional chili oil is filtered to remove the dregs such that the resulting infusion is clear and light. Chiu chow chili oil is slightly different from the traditional chili oil in that it usually contains a mixture of chillies, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil. You can use both the infused oil and the dregs in cooking. I personally use the oil for stir-frying and the dregs I eat it as a condiment to pho and wonton soup. I have it in my pantry all the time and have basically substituted this for the artificial pastiness of Sriracha.

To avoid botulism and the various incapacitating hazards that go with infusing oils, I strongly suggest using dried ingredients and making sure you avoid getting any of the ingredients or tools wet while you are making this. This recipe is really easy to remember - it uses a 1:3 system. It also keeps for a long time, so you can make a big jar of it and use it for lightning quick chili fixes.

Chiu Chow Chili Oil
Makes about 250g.

1/2 cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons dried chili flakes
3 tablespoons fried onions, crushed with the back of a spoon into fine crumbles
1 tablespoon dried garlic granules

3 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Heat the peanut oil and sesame oil in a pan over very low heat for about 6 - 7 minutes. Your oil should be hot but not smoking or boiling. You don't want to scorch your chilies.

Assemble all the remaining ingredients in a CLEAN, DRY glass bottle. Pour the hot oil over the chili mixture, mix gently with and let stand until cool. Seal tightly and leave at room temperature for three days. And on the third day, chiu chow chili oil is made! Make sure to use a clean, dry spoon every time you use your chili oil - the chili oil should keep for up to two months at room temperature.

Stories from my kitchen, deep in the recesses of the Grad School abyss.

2010-04-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

The average graduate student in the United States takes 6.7 years to complete a PhD. I can tell from experience that this is a statistic of high significance. Earning a PhD. (and by earning, I sincerely do mean earning) is one of those things that you enter into thinking you'll be the one heroic person that won't ever be sucked into the black hole of procrastination and despair, and yet as you ever so gracefully fight your way through the torturous mount of journal articles, research assignments and unfortunate talks by dawdling old grandfathers, you feel as if the fight was already lost the moment you applied for graduate school.

I have been so despondent lately with the prospect of dragging this degree out beyond a decade that I have sunk into another unfortunate hole that graduate school digs for you: the hole of prepackaged cookies, microwave meals and tinned soup (horrors!). I sometimes think that cookbooks really should never be called cookbooks because really, in times of crises, they have absolutely nothing to offer! I do not have a single cookery book in my house that offers me advice on what to whip up when I'm tired, cranky and sully at 3am in the morning. I most certainly do not look kindly on Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall's butchering of a pig to make stew when I'm dying from hunger. I do not want to raid my spice cupboard after a nasty day at work for any of David Tanis' supposedly easy homecooked meals. And so I am resigned to tinned soup and Healthy Choice packet bought in bulk at Costco.

But all is not lost dear reader, for I have decided that while I will be no Thomas Keller, I will also not subscribe to being Julia Dreyfus. I also do not intend on being 20lbs overweight on Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies. Here's a sneak peek on what I will try to make more of on this blog: fast, healthy meals that can be prepared in no time and that taste better than anything your local Target can peddle.

Thick slices of full rye bread with lax & dill

Nicoise salad with smoked salmon

Leftover challah bread turned into french toast

Spanish rice with andouille sausage, spinach and pancetta

2010-04-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

A little over three months is a long time to be getting my New Year's Resolution started. In between moving, going on a holiday, a surgery or two, school and general laziness, cooking has taken a backseat. A severe backseat, I might venture to say. I have had the opportunity to savour some of the finest from Safeway's frozen aisles and subsisted on copious amounts of rotisserie chicken and bread. In fact, my wine rack is so miserably barren, I feel an inconsolable amount of sadness.

All these leads me to the question of when will Coolio get his due and have his 76 or so ghetto-fab recipes featured on Konosur? As he would put it, "I've got no friggin' idea, shazam!". I really don't. But what I do now is that I have a pretty decent kitchen right now with a fancy shmazzy gas stove (gas stove!), a convection oven and several really good cookbook I've been dying to get (eg, David Tanis' 'A Platter of Figs' and 'The River Cottage Cookbook').

After a couple of seriously hectic and mind-numbingly dull weeks, we finally got our CSA box in this week. Spring is in transition and the first shipment of strawberries came. I think I might try making some rose-scented strawberries for Easter this weekend. But for now, I've put my aging carrots and bananas to good use for a fine breakfast coffee cake. This is probably nothing new, but it's a great way to use up bits and pieces of leftover carrots and bananas. I made this super easy cake for us , and a carrot/banana puree for the dog. Nothing goes to waste in this house.

Carrot and Banana Loaf Cake
Makes 12 slices

1 cup unbleached AP flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x5" loaf pan.

Mix together sugar, oil, eggs and applesauce in a bowl. Stir in bananas. Gently fold in flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda, alternating with the grated carrots. Fold in chopped nuts until just well mixed.

Chuck it into the preheated oven and bake at 350°F for 50 - 60 minutes until the "test"** shows the cake is cooked through. Remove from oven, leave to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack, cool for another 5 minutes, cut and serve!

** Test refers to the thin knife/skewer method, you know what I mean.

A New Year's Roast-olution

2010-01-18T19:13:00.000-08:00

2009 went by in such fury I cannot believe it's already mid-January of a new year. I think somewhere along the way - amidst the hustle of grad school, taking care of a crazy dog with thyroid issues, and trying to save a nickel for myriad reasons, I lost the will and drive to cook. Most days at the end of 2009 were spent eating store-bought rotisserie chicken, having canned soup for lunch and gorging on raspberry croissants from The Essential Bakery during tea-time. A combination of these eating methods have not only left me inches bigger but I swear I'm more lethargic, more acne-prone and more

My belated New Year's resolution includes these things that I hope you dear readers will share with me:

1. Cooking all 76 recipes in Cooking with Coolio in 365 days. I received the cookbook for Christmas and have been constantly bemused and somewhat befuddled by the names of recipes (Yappa Dabba Snappa!) and funny descriptions. Fo' shizzle!
2. Cooking on a budget - reading through Coolio's cookbook and having had discussions with some food-discerning friends, I've come to the conclusion that trying to eat well and healthy these days really does cost a lot.
3. Cooking ethically. Speaks for itself.

In the meantime, to start off my resolutions, I went to the Farmer's Market on Saturday and bought a frozen pastured chicken. The fresh chickens were about 50cents/lb more expensive and the very nice lady told me to go for the frozen chicken instead and let it thaw out in the fridge over two days. Since all my herbs died in an early frost (and because I allowed them no water or fertilizer over September), I am using dried herbs for this recipe and it works equally well - particularly since it's winter and when else better than to use dried herbs. I plan to split this meal into four parts for Brian and I; you can be pretty sure we'll be sick of roast chicken by the end of this week. The recipe is an adaptation from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Giada de Laurentiis' roast chicken recipes, cooked in a cast-iron skillet for ease of preparation and crispy well-done skin. Put that stupid, overprice All-Clad roaster aside and taste the magic of Lodge Logic.

Easy Skillet Roast Chicken
Makes 4 servings and leftovers!

3 lbs. fresh/frozen chicken (preferably organic/pastured)
1 head garlic
1 lemon
1 orange
2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp dried oregano
Paprika
Salt
Finely ground pepper
Olive oil

1. Remove your fully thawed chicken from the refrigerator and rinse it gently with cold water.
2. Wipe the inside and outside completely dry with paper towels (remember to compost your paper towels!). You want to make sure the chicken is super dry or else it will steam in the oven and produce wilty-slimy skin. Allow the chicken to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, covered in paper towels so that the any remaining liquid is soaked up. Salmonella schmonella. Pish.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a stovetop burner, set your cast-iron pan on medium heat to warm it up. If you're using a roasting pan, chuck it in the oven for a brief while.
4. Rub some salt and pepper into the cavity of your chicken.
5. Smash and peel your garlic bulb, quarter your lemon and orange. Stuff two lemon quarters, two orange quarters and about 3/4 of the garlic cloves into the cavity of the chicken.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper, oregano, marjoram and paprika over your chicken. Top with a few glugs (as Jamie Oliver will say) of olive oil and rub the spices all over your chicken. It's quite obscene, but your raw chicken will love the massage. Make sure you get all the nooks and cranny and both sides of the chicken.
6. Truss (fancy term for tie) end of chicken drumsticks.
7. Set marinated chicken onto heated cast-iron pan or roasting pan gently and chuck into preheated oven.
8. Roast at 400°F for 40 minutes and 450°F for 15 minutes until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thighs is about 160°F.
9. Turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Serve with warm potatoes, chicken gravy and tons of wholesome vegetables.

Midnight Moon Gouda Cheese

2009-08-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

[Image from pdphoto.org]
One of my favorite things to do everytime I go to Whole Foods is look and sample at the extensive cheese collection. While the quality of the cheese selection varies from place to place, the Whole Foods I frequent has an INCREDIBLE selection, much more so than any other "pretentious" cheese importers I've been to in Seattle.

Over the past weekend, I picked up an extremely small piece of Midnight Moon Gouda Cheese which is imported by Cypress Grove Creamery in California. It costs $21.99/lb which I guess is one of the more expensive goudas I've seen. But holy lord, it was worth the $7.98 I paid for a wedge smaller than my hand.

The cheese is made from goats milk and aged for 12 years and bursts into a wonderful nutty creaminess in your mouth. There's subtle goat cheese flavors with a mild saltiness that goes so incredibly well with a fruity rose from Spain or even a crisp
French Chardonnay. Grilled peaches rounds with an endive salad rounds off the cheese and wine for a splendid summer supper.

P/S: I wrote this in lieu of actual cooking updates, I think I'm going to do a bit more of wine, cheese and beer updates now since I've been consuming more of these things due to lack of time!

Rendang Ayam (Chicken Rendang)

2009-08-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

Chicken rendang is one of those dishes I grew up eating but never realized how bad it actually is for me. Rendang is basically and Indonesia or Malaysian style curried chicken simmered in coconut milk and dessicated coconut. I remember ladling spoonfuls after spoonfuls of it for my morning "nasi lemak" jaunt.

When I first started cooking chicken rendang, then I realized that unless I wanted to die of a heart attack at 29, I had better cut it out of my diet immediately! I haven't eaten chicken rendang in over a year, and it just seemed an appropriately Malaysian dish to cook for my couples' date night (part of my surburban, growing old ritual). This recipe is something I've spend a long time perfecting, and which I promise you, will be one of the best rendang recipes you'll ever find.

If you can't find screwpine (pandan) leaves in the fresh produce section of an Asian supermarket, try the frozen aisle. If you're in Seattle, Vietwah supermarket down in the ID has it frozen (It's call La Dua in Vietnamese), alongside some frozen banana leaves. I literally had to run to four different stores just to locate pandan leaves and kaffir lime leaves. So if you want to attempt this dish, make sure you have a decent Asian market close to you. You need tons of shallots and lemongrass to ensure that you have a thick gravy instead of a wussy, soupy one.

I also used fresh chillies instead of dry ones - I think dried chillies are much spicier and definitely not as tasty. Jalapenos or habaneros don't really work for this either - instead I used Korean chillies, also known as the Holland varietal which is milder, sweeter and the skin is much smoother and blends easier. If you can't find any Korean chillies, use 2 red Jalapenos and 8 dried chillies, soaked and deseeded.

Chicken Rendang
Makes 6 servings

2 lbs chicken (I used 6 chicken drumsticks and 6 pieces skinless, boneless thighs)

8 fresh red chillies, deseeded and rinsed and cut into 1 inch pieces
15 shallots, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 piece fresh ginger (about 2 inches long), coarsely chopped
2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

4 pieces lemongrass
5 pieces kaffir lime leaves
2 screwpine (pandan) leaves, knotted
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups dessicated (shredded) coconut
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a frying pan over low heat, toast the shredded coconut until it becomes a dark golden hue. Set aside to cool. Cut the lemongrass into 3 inch pieces and give each piece a whack with a rolling pin to release the flavors.

Grind the chillies, shallots, ginger, turmeric and garlic in a food processor until fine, but do not puree.

In a large wok or dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat. Add in the grinded chilli mixture and fry for about 15 minutes until the mixture is golden and fragrant.

Add in the chicken and stir fry for an additional 10 minutes, until the chicken turns yellow from the turmeric and is coated through with the chili mixture.

Add in the coconut milk, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and pandan leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

Toss in the toasted, shredded coconut, and stir to mix thoroughly. Allow the rendang to simmer uncovered until the gravy is thick (about 15 minutes). Add in salt and sugar, stir and turn the heat off.

Remove the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and screwpine leaves and serve the chicken rendang with rice, bread or "nasi lemak"!

Japanese food made easy

2009-08-05T22:42:00.000-07:00

Oh, dear. I've become one of those bloggers that never update. And I apologize sincerely - I've been busy with work, fretting over work and have generally just not been in the mood to do much cooking (or posting about it). I made a fantastic meatloaf the other day though (if I may brag), and will put up the recipe when I eventually have the time but in a brief respite, I thought it would be nice to showcase the kind of meals I've been having - quick and really just not much to it.

We went over to the International District to find some ingredients for a chicken rendang recipe I wanted to make over the weekend. We ended up picking up some sashimi grade salmon for an easy Japanese dinner. Add some avocado, Calrose rice and tobikko and you have a nice donburi. The CSA brought over some sugar snap peas and green beans and I followed a really great recipe by Giada De Laurentiis to make a light and refreshing "Anytime Vegetable Salad".

Have a great week! Chicken rendang recipe is promised soon.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

2009-07-21T23:26:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness. As I type this, I am sitting in a sweltering room, leaking sweat from the back of my chubby knees and wondering why the hell it hasn't rained in seven days. I know I moan and groan a lot during winter when it actually does rain, but it is really too bloody hot. Global warming, damn you.

When it's this hot out, I don't really enjoy being outside at all, so I usually just sit indoors and stare at the fan with a tall pitcher of iced tea and do nothing. But of course, my tummy gets all rumbly because I'm a greedy person, so I have to get up grudgingly and make some food.

Usually all I really crave in this weather is some lovely pinot grigio and prosciutto wrapped melon slices. But today I discovered I had some lovely wild king salmon fillets in the freezer and thought a Mediterranean style salad with some cooling cucumbers would make a lovely supper. The CSA also brought along some really beautiful heirloom cherry tomatoes that were just so cute and tasty (always seems wrong to put tasty and cute in the same sentence)!

This recipe is my take on the classic Mediterranean couscous salad, except that it uses quinoa and white wine vinegar. Quinoa is much better for you and works as a one dish meal in almost anything since it contains both carbs and protein. This recipe also makes about enough servings to last you through the week, so you can just be lazy and lie in a bath of ice cubes instead.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Makes about 8 servings

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions, cooled and fluffed *see note
2 medium English cucumbers, seeded and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1.5 pint cherry, grape or heirloom cherry tomatoes
10 large Italian basil leaves (or about 20 smaller ones), julienned
10 large mint leaves (or about 20 smaller ones), julienned

For the vinaigrette

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine quinoa, vegetables, mint and basil in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette and add in to the quinoa salad. Toss well to combine. Serve with salmon fillets or tuna kebabs or sprinkle feta cheese over and eat as is!

*Note: To make perfect quinoa for a salad so that it doesn't turn out too mushy, always wash your quinoa well, strain and use 1 1/4 cup water to 1 cup quinoa. Once your quinoa is cooked, allow it to steam, covered for an additional 5 minutes.

Cultured Butter OMGOMGOMG

2009-07-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I've never figured out why eating bread and butter in France always tastes better than eating it in any French Boulangerie in the United States (not to mention French cafes here are not really French cafes but silly pretentious frou frou ones). Butter here always tastes flat and greasy and kind of I don't know, bland? Call me ignorant or unfortunately unaware, but I recently discover the miracle of cultured butter - which I can make at home and it tastes like I bought it for $15 a pound at Whole Paythroughmyarse.

Anyway, cultured butter omgomgomg. Yes, it makes me that giddy. OMG! I found the method for making cultured butter on The Traveler's Lunchbox and well, OMG!

Cultured butter is a breeze to make, and costs half the price of something from Vermont Butter and Cheese Company or imported butter. All you need is a pint of the BEST heavy cream you can find, with the highest butterfat content and is not ultra-pasteurized, some creme fraiche and a lot of patience!

This butter goes absolutely FANTASTIC with crusty slices of baguette (as I'm typing, the roof of my mouth is bleeding from the whole loaf of baguette I just inhaled). I'm glad there are at least some decent baguettes here in Seattle, and with this cultured butter and a nice strong cup of cafe au lait, it's almost like I'm in Paris.

Cultured Butter (adapted from The Traveler's Lunchbox)

*Note: You can change the amount of cream used to yield more or less butter. One pint of cream will yield about 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of buttermilk. For each pint of heavy cream, use 2 tablespoons creme fraiche.

1 pint heavy cream (I used one with 40% butterfat, pasteurized)
2 tablespoons creme fraiche (see note above)
A big bowl of iced water
Fine mesh strainer

In a clean glass bowl, combine the heavy cream and creme fraiche. Stir lightly with a wooden spoon an cover with a clean dish towel. Place the covered bowl in a warm place, ideally the air temperature should be about 75°F (I put mine in the oven overnight). Leave it for 12 - to 24 hours.

After that period, the cream should look a little thicker and you can test with a clean spoon to see if has become tangier. If the cream is gassy and bubbly, you will want to toss it away and start over. It has always work for me within 12 - 14 hour period. Melissa from The Travelers Lunchbox suggests that the ideal temperature for churning is 60°F but I've discovered that at such a temperature, my butter takes forever to come together. So I take it straight from the oven and start churning using a handheld mixer on medium speed. It usually comes together within 20 minutes.

Churning may get a little messy, so you want to don an apron and use a really deep bowl. I used a handheld mixer on Speed-3. The first thing that will form when you beat the cream is whipped cream, which is thick and white. If you keep on beating, little yellow bits will start to curdle, and you know you have your butter. Bring the speed down to low and beat a while longer until the liquid is clear white (buttermilk) and your butterfat has come together.

Strain the buttermilk into a bowl and you can keep this for pancakes or muffins. Pour a cup of ice water over the butter and knead the butter with a fork. Discard the water when it becomes cloudy. Do this multiple times until your water is clear. Your butter will now be in a ball, and will be quite tough. At this point, you want may want to add a bit of sea salt to flavour your butter and give a final knead to release most of the water.

Put your butter on a piece of paper towel and squeeze to release any remaining water. You may want to do this a few times to ensure that your pat of butter is dry.

And voila! You now have salted, cultured butter! I wrapped mine in wax paper and put it in a Ziploc bag - if it is salted, it should last up to a month (if you don't finish it within two days with a loaf of baguette).

With the buttermilk, here's what I made:

Spinach and basil pesto

2009-06-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking: There must be something fundamentally wrong with this girl - she's like a carb factory and damn it, pasta again?

I think I have a right to defend myself here. Our CSA has been bringing a big load of spinach for a couple of weeks now, and as much as I love spinach, I don't eat it as fast as Popeye himself and always find myself throwing it out when the spinach turns to mulch in the refrigerator. The best way to preserve veges is of course freezing them or in my case, add a whole lot of nuts and cheese and turn them into pesto.

There are also a couple of things I tend to splurge on: extra virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano (and I'm as pretentious as to say, not parmesan, pish!), good-quality pasta (not that Safeway mush), coffee, wine and beer. Oh and bread too.

So when it comes down to it, the best dinner I can make is a bowl of pasta topped with Parmigiano and a glass of wine!

This pesto will keep in for about a week in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. The best way to serve this is to dump two heap tablespoons over steaming hot flat pasta, and toss with some freshly cracked black pepper, a few cherry tomatoes and a smidgen of crumbled goat cheese. Heaven! (And in heaven, you get to eat this with a glass dry Côtes du Rhône rose out on a sunny deck).

(Mr. Basil Plant - purveyor of fine frontyard basil leaves)

P/S: Use the best ingredients you can find, it makes a world of difference.

Spinach and Basil pesto
Makes 2 cups pesto

2 cups fresh organic spinach (hard stems removed and roughly chopped)
1 cup sweet basil (stems removed)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, quartered
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Chuck everything except the olive oil slowly oil and salt in a food processor and pulse until it becomes a paste. Add in the olive oil slowly and pulse just to combine, about 3 or 4 times.
Stir in the salt to taste and you're all set.

Mini Chelsea Buns

2009-06-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Two of the my favourite things about the British: 1) The ability to crack a really good joke with a deadpan 2)The ability to sit down for tea even in times of crises.

For the first, I think it stems mostly from my innate cynical and sarcastic outlook on life. The second, is due to the fact that I absolutely love tea and the pomp and fuss that comes with a true British afternoon tea. I recently bought a book on afternoon tea for my ~~coffee~~ tea table and found myself drawn to a rather simple recipe for mini Chelsea buns. Chelsea buns are the British version of the cinnamon bun and usually has currants and other dried fruit.
Let me warn you that these things are addictive! They are so tiny that before you know it, you've swallowed 18 of these - honey-soaked fingers, contented smile and all. Serve with some first flush Darjeeling tea and a pot of raw wildflower honey for a great afternoon tea experience.

Note: I made this non-dairy but you can (and should) use milk and butter for this recipe, it makes a WHOLE lot of difference

Mini Chelsea Buns
Adapted from Afternoon Tea by Susannah Blake
Makes 16 mini buns

3 1/2 cups (420g) bread flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 oz. active dry yeast (one packet)
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cups milk (or unsweetened soy milk)
3 oz. butter (or shortening), melted
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons dried currants
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Honey, for brushing

Sift the flour, sugar, yeast and salt into a large bowl. Place a saucepan over low heat and add in the milk and butter, stirring gently until the temperature is lukewarm. Remove from heat and mix in the beaten eggs.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture. Use a stiff spatula to combine all the ingredients until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour surface and knead until smooth and shiny (about 10 minutes). If using a machine, knead for 5 minutes.

Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place for about an hour until the dough rises to double its size.

Grease an 8x8 inch pan. In a small bowl, combine the apricots, raisins, currant, brown sugar and cinnamon. Divide the dough into four equal sections. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the each dough section into a rectangle, measuring 5x8 inches. Brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly. Roll the rectangle into a log, beginning with the long end. Brush lightly again with some melted butter to seal the ends. Cut into four equal parts and arrange in the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining dough, such that you get 16 buns. Wrap the baking pan in plastic wrap and let stand for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the buns for 20 minutes at 400°F. Remove and brush the tops lightly with honey, return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack. Tear apart and serve.

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Penne alla Insalata Caprese

2009-06-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

I have a confession: Give me a few balls of well made mozzarella and I go weak at the knees and fall into greedy mess. Fresh mozzarella is my kryptonite.

A couple of days ago, we picked up some buffalo milk mozzarella from Costco - I'm discovering new cheeses everytime I head there. Who knew, Costco of all places! In summer, one of my favourite meals is the traditional caprese salad made up of fresh cherry tomatoes, balls of mozzarella and fresh basil. I usually eat that with some grilled ciabata and olive oil. But I thought that today, after having finished a final paper, I should kick back with a glass of Muscadet and enjoy the sunny weather with some Mediterranean flair.
This dish is inspired in part by the Caprese salad and by Jamie Oliver's 'Mothership Tomato Salad' found in his 'Jamie at Home' book. Unfortunately, we don't get enough sun in our yard to plant tomatoes, something which I hope to remedy by finding a south-facing yard the next time we move. In the meantime, I used store-bought organic cherry tomatoes, mozzarella di bufalo and the basil that came in the CSA for this really summery dish!

Pasta alla Insalata Caprese
Makes 4 servings

12 oz. whole grain penne
3 balls mozzarella di bufalo or regular cow's milk mozzarella (ovoline), cut into 1/2" cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch fresh basil leaves (about 2 oz.), julienned
Fresh sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced finely (about 2 teaspoons)
1/4 tsp Chile pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper flakes (or to taste)

Toss the cherry tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Set aside to drain in a colander over a small bowl for 15 minutes.

Cook the pasta according to directions until al dente, drain and run under cold water until it reaches room temperature. Combine with the cubed mozzarella and prepared tomatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Drizzle over the pasta, top with julienned basil leaves and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine and serve with a dry white wine.

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Turkey and Avocado Donburi

2009-05-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

While basking in the brief respite of the weekend, I got into a discussion with a couple of friends about finding time to cook. Most of them, being students like me, usually resort to either eating cafeteria food (which is ultra expensive) or standing in line at 'Pickles and Fries'(we sell burgers too!). I don't particularly like Pickles and/or Fries. I'm also extremely nitpicky when it comes to paying $6.75 for an organic BLT at the cafeteria. One way I've found to get around this is to make sure your freezer and pantry is always well stocked with a good selection of grains and meat, and you can whip anything up - for example a donburi.

Donburi is basically a Japanese fast food made up of a rice bowl topped with a mixture of ingredients (usually meat and vege mixed together). This donburi recipe is super easy, involves a relatively quick stir-fry and is finished off with fresh cubed avocado and tobiko (flying fish roe). Of course, you can omit the tobiko if you're not incline to eat fish eggs. Otherwise, the tobiko lends a subtle salty flavor that complements the rice and avocado really well!

Turkey and Avocado Donburi
Serves 4

2 cups genmai (Japanese brown rice)

1 lb lean ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced into 1/4" cubes to yield about 1 cup
1 stalk green onion/scallions
1 cup frozen peas
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed into 1/4" cubes
1 small jar tobiko (from any Japanese grocery store)

For the sauce
2 tbsp sweet bean sauce *
2 tbsp mirin *
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp sweet soy sauce
Ground black pepper

Cook the rice according to directions for your rice cooker or the directions on the packet. 2 cups of dry genmai should yield about 4 cups cooked.

In a wok or saute pan, heat up a generous amount of vegetable or extra light olive oil. Fry the ground turkey for about 4 minutes until the pink parts start to turn white. Make sure you break up the ground meat properly with a heavy wooden spatula. Add in the garlic fry until the turkey is almost cooked through. Add in all the ingredients for the sauce and mix to combine. Toss in the diced red pepper, peas and scallions. Fry for another 2 minutes and turn the heat off.

To serve, arrange on cup of rice in a bowl, top with turkey mixture, avocado cubes and a teaspoon of tobiko.

* You can use the sweet bean sauce found at the Chinese section of the grocery aisle or for a more authentic flavor, use shiro miso (sweet miso).
* If you don't have mirin, just substitute with equal part rice wine and sugar.

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Penne with Zucchini, Peas and Sausages

2009-05-21T20:39:00.001-07:00

It's midweek, work is tiring and all you want to do is put your feet up, sink into a glass of wine and have a nice dinner when you get home. Pasta is perfect for those days when you really don't feel like doing anything but don't really feel like having take outs either. Let's face it, you can throw ANYTHING together with a handful of whole wheat pasta and make a delicious meal out of it. The trick is to add a good helping of vegetables to make it a wholesome meal. This recipe is one that I go back to time after time especially during this wonderful spring season when the weather is warm and meat sauces just seem to heavy. Zucchini and peas lend a refreshing amount of greens while cherry tomatoes, sausages and creme fraiche add a sophisticated touch for a simple yet delicious and healthy weeknight dinner.

Penne with Zucchini, Peas and Sausages
Serves 2

4 oz. whole wheat penne
1 stalk green garlic or 1 whole garlic clove, minced finely *see note
1 mild Italian sausage link, sliced thinly on the diagonal (about 1/4" thick)
1 medium zucchini, sliced thinly on the diagonal (about 1/4" thick)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
2 tbsp creme fraiche, mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
A generous helping of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt and pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cook the penne according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, heat a generous amount of the olive oil in a saute pan (I used roughly 1 tbsp) over low heat. Toss in the minced garlic and saute for a one minute and add in the sliced sausages. Brown the sausages for a few minutes and add in the zucchini. Sprinkle with some salt and turn the heat up to medium. Saute the zucchini and sausages until the zucchini is softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the peas. Cook for 1 minute.

Turn the heat down to low, add in the cooked pasta, creme fraiche, cherry tomatoes and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and toss everything together to combine. Spoon out into bowls and serve with grated Parmigiano. Enjoy with a good glass of slightly chilled Chardonnay!

*Note: Green garlic which came in my CSA is like scallions but is actually the young stalk and bulb of a garlic. It has a milder taste than full grown garlic. If using green garlic, discard the yellow stalks and dark green leaves. Use the bulb and the light green parts of the stalk.

No-Fail Potato Salad for Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

The everlasting potato salad: always up there with zucchini bread, lemon cake, grilled salmon and hamburgers as things that will never ever go away. Everyone has a generational recipe handed down in sworn secrecy; everyone has that special potato salad recipe that they bring to potlucks and smile gently knowing that it's THE best potato salad ever.

But the truth is, sometimes, there are those potato salads that just look (and taste) like horse puke. Yes, those kind smothered in so much mayonnaise, topped off with so much hard-boiled eggs, and mashed into such fine pulp it feels like you're swallowing a vat of lard-soaked bread. I don't particularly like potatoes , but when the CSA came around with a beautiful looking bunch, I knew I had to make the one simple dish that has never failed me.

I used an eggless mayo (only 35 calories per tablespoon!) from Trader Joe's that gives the potato salad a slight creaminess, but you can use low-fat mayo instead. Or even better, just use more mustard and top if off with olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. Try this for your Memorial Day weekend barbecue with said everlasting hamburgers, lemon cake and lots and lots of wheat beer. It's perfect especially for the American Craft Beer Week happening now. And just to make sure it's no-fail, here's everything you need to know:

Sweet relish, egg-free mayo, whole grain mustard, potatoes, white wine vinegar, onion, celery, parsley and spring onion

Chop celery and onions

Quarter cooked potatoes

Mix remaining ingredients

Keep away from neighbours

Konosur's No-Fail Potato Salad
Makes six 1-cup servings

2 lbs new red potatoes, scrubbed, skin on
2 stalks celery ribs
1/4 large red onion, diced yield 1/2 cup
2 tbsp sweet relish
3 tbsp egg-free mayonnaise (substitute with low fat mayonnaise if not available)
1.5 tbsp whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 stalk spring onions, chopped

In a large pot, cover the potatoes with enough cold water so that the potatoes are all submerged. Bring the water to a boil, cover and bring the heat down to medium-low so that the water is still rolling but not boiling over. Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes and prick with a fork to make sure the middle is cooked through. Otherwise, cook for another 5 minutes and check again.

In the meantime, finely chop the celery and combine with the minced onions in a large bowl. When the potatoes are cook, discard the boiling water and run some cold water over them for about 1 minute. Allow to cool until you can touch them and then quarter them, leaving the skins on. Toss the quartered potatoes in the bowl with the celery and onions. Add in all the remaining ingredients and very gently toss to combine, making sure that you don't break up the potatoes.

Rye Crackers & some website updates

2009-05-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

My friends..., well, ok. That's not the best way to start, I stopped being John McCain about a week ago, but yes. Dear readers, there is news on Konosur! I've decided to change the web design into something more pretentious that will hopefully work out for the best. Please let me know if you find the design to your liking or if you prefer the former, sparse design.

In other news, you can now follow my mundane musings on Twitter. I've decided to jump on the social hipster bandwagon and do the Tweet (that's right, it's a dance where you put your left leg in the air and press the keys on your cellphone really fast). So far I've been ~~twitting~~ tweeting about my disastrous viewing of 'Australia' but I promise to provide more susbtantial 140-character ramblings in the future.

Here's a healthy recipe (sort of) for some rye crackers that would go absolutely fantastic with some goat cheese, a bottle of Cotes du Rhone and a living room discussion about the silliness of 140-character ramblings nobody really cares about.

Rye Crackers
Makes about 16 2x4 inch crackers

1 cup unbleached rye flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp caraway seeds OR toasted sesame seeds(optional)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup and 1 tbsp cold water
Flaky sea salt like Maldon (I used an Australian Pink Flake Sea Salt)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt and caraway or sesame seeds. Make a well in the center and add in the olive oil. Using a wooden spoon, swirl the flour towards the center into the olive oil to combine. Drizzle cold water slowly into the mixture, stirring until a ball of dough forms. The dough will be crumbly but still holding together.

Divide the dough mixture into two. For each half, roll out into a rough square about 1/8 inch thick. Try to roll it out as thin as you can, dusting lightly with whole wheat flour to prevent sticking. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Place the rolled-out dough onto the prepared baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cut into rectangular crackers with a pizza cutter. Repeat for the remaining dough.

Cool the crackers completely and store in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
Note: The crackers are soft and crumbly, to make it harder, bake for a little longer at 325°F.

A heart to heart and some Flambeed Pineapple and Coconut Cakes

2009-05-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

I had a conversation a couple of days with someone about running a food blog. The biggest issue I think for most food bloggers is being able to find time in the middle of a hectic day. This is especially true for those without all the fancy studio lighting - you have to be at home in the middle of the day just to get a half decent photograph. I usually try to get to school early, work like crazy and take off at 3.30pm so I can catch the last glimmer of light. I'm really anal about making sure I finish work before I leave though, and lately that has gotten quite irksome and tedious.

The one thing I've noticed about successful blogs like The Pioneer Woman, Smitten Kitchen, Tartelette, etc. etc. is that most of them either work from home or live a life where they are supposed to cooking all the time. They're all chefs, food writers or stay-at-home photographers. It can get quite disheartening after a while especially if you're trying to match your point-and-shoot with the cameras that these bloggers have that can trace Martian life and pick up radar pulses from the next galaxy.

I run a food blog because I love cooking and eating, I love having things come out of the oven and being able to look at it like an incredible achievement (I HATE baking bread because it takes too damn long!). It makes me happy when people tell me they like my cooking, or better yet, when they tell me my personal recipes are their favourites. Does that make me shallow and selfish in some way? Perhaps, but then I'm happy when the people I'm feeding are happy. And if I dare say, about 80% of the time think I am able to make a given recipe a whole lot healthier without compromising on taste (take that, Ina Garten!).

So why do you run a food blog? I think it's an interesting discussion and I would like to know why you do what you do!

In the meantime, enjoy a cautionary video of me trying hard not to burn down the house (and the dog) while making flambeed pineapples! May include some profanity and a barking dog. No animals or fingers were hurt in the making of this video.

Flambeed Pineapple and Coconut Cakes
Makes about 24 little coconut cakes, 4 servings
Adapted from The Organic Seasonal Cookbook

For the coconut cakes
3 oz. (about 2 cups) unsweetened coconut flakes (I used a reduced fat kind from Whole Foods)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 stick butter (vegan option, use Earth Balance or Saffola), melted and cooled slightly
1 egg, beaten

For the flambeed pineapples
1 tbsp butter
2 15 oz. cans of pineapple chunks in juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Carribean rum or light rum

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut and sugar. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter, stirring to combine. Add in the beaten egg and use a spatula to mix together the ingredients.

Use a dariole mold or a shot glass (I used a 2cl jigger!) to mold the coconut mixture into little pyramids on the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes until the coconut cakes are browned.

To make the flambeed pineapples, melt the butter in a stainless steel or cast iron pan. Strain the pineapple chunks to discard the juice and saute the chunks over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add in the sugar and cook for another 4 minutes until the pineapples start to caramelize and are soft but not mushy. Pour in the rum and give the pan a quick shake, and set the rum alight (Be careful here! Please remember to stand back from the flames and don't attempt this if you're not quick!).

Serve with the little coconut cakes and vanilla ice cream when the flames have died down.

Lemon and Lime Marmalade

2009-04-23T20:44:00.001-07:00

Having your wisdom teeth pulled out is not fun. Despite what blogger #800 says about having his taken out at 9am and eating steak at 6pm. He must have been either terribly drugged up or was already on crack to begin with. And when you're at my age when your bones are as dense as your brain, the healing process takes about three times longer.

I had mine taken out last Friday and am still suffering the after effects of vicodin overdose, a throbbing sensation in my left ear and the distinct smell of gums. I looked like John McCain for the better half of the week, but the nut-filled cheeks have slowly dwindled away and all I'm left with now is teeth socket that has been soaked to the core with homemade chicken broth. I never thought I would say this but I'm actually quite sick of ice cream. What has this world come to!

Anyway, on to happier things, while drugged up on a cocktail of painkillers, I managed to potter around long enough without burning down the kitchen to whip up some lemon and lime marmalade, something that's entirely British but is a very good way to get rid of an overstock of lemon and limes that we bought in bulk from Costco in a fit of madness. This marmalade is a staple in British pantries (along with Marmite!) and puts a little zing in your morning muffins with a dab of butter. I made it less sweet because I like the bitter/sourish taste but you can up the sugar amount from 1 lb to 1.5 lb.

Lemon and Lime Marmalade
Adapted from Delia Smith

Makes 4 12oz jars

3 lemons
3 limes
1 lb granulated sugar
3 cups water
1 piece muslin/cheesecloth about 6in x 6in.

Measure 3 cups of water into a preserving pan or heavy-bottomed saucepan. Turn on the heat to low.

Meanwhile, set up the muslin cloth over a small bowl. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and lime into a medium bowl. Set aside the pith, seeds and pip on the muslin cloth. Cut the lemon and lime peel into thin strips. Don't worry about any of the pith that clings to the peel, it will get dissolved and turn into pectin.

Pour the juice into the water and bring to a simmer. Add in the shredded lemon and lime peel. Tie up the muslin cloth containing the pith, pips and seeds and hang it to the side of the saucepan so that it is suspended in the water.

Simmer the mixture, covered for about 1.5 hours until the peels are soft. At this point, wash your jars with warm soapy water, dry and pop into the oven at 225°F. Pour the sugar onto a baking sheet and pop this into the oven as well. Also, put two saucers into the freezer to be used for testing later.

Once the sugar is melted, pour it into the jelly mixture and stir lightly to ensure all the granules are dissolved. Once the granules are dissolved, bring the entire mixture up to boil. Once it starts boiling rapidly, time yourself. Let it boil for 15 minutes and spoon a little of the jelly onto one of the saucers from the freezer. If the jam has set, it will be stiff and not runny on the cold saucer. If it is runny, time yourself for another 10 minutes, and do the same test.

Once the jelly mixture is set, remove the saucepan from heat and set aside to cool slightly for 20 minutes. This is important so that the jelly has time to set.

Spoon the cooled into the sterilized jars.

P/S: I don't do canning, once the marmalade has cooled in the jars, I just pop them in the fridge. It will last for at least a month.

Orange and Almond Tart

2009-04-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the orange and almond tart from yesterday's Easter lunch. I'm much too tired today to go into all the details of concocting this, so I will leave you with words of wisdom: This is the easiest tart you will ever make. 'Nuff said.

P/S: And it tastes like exploding blobs of citrus too! And it can be made dairy-free! And no crazy pastry-making!

(I couldn't resist the temptation, sorry for the missing slice!)

Orange and Almond Tart
Adapted from The Organic Seasonal Cookbook
Makes 6 servings

1 store-bought frozen pie pastry shell

1 unwaxed organic orange
1 stick butter (Earth Balance or Saffola also works)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup ground almonds (or almond meal)

To make the filling, put the orange in a saucepan, cover with water then simmer for 40 minutes, covered, until completely soft. Let the softened orange cool slightly, then cut in half and remove the seeds. Put in a food processor and whiz to a puree. Add the butter, sugar, eggs and almonds and whiz again until smooth.

Unroll the pastry shell over a 8" tart tin. Anchor the edges of the pastry overhang to the side of the tart tin and prick with a fork all over. Pre-bake in oven at 425°F for 10 minutes.

Fill the pre-bake tart shell with the orange filling and bake at 350°F for 40 minutes until the filling is firm. Remove from the oven and let cool. Serve the tart in slices with good vanilla ice cream.

Happy Easter!: Springtime Lamb Stew

2009-04-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

I have a love-hate relationship with lamb. If it were up to me, and genetics did not make my metabolic rate so terribly flawed, I would have lamb everyday of the week. Lamb chops, lamb patties, lamb shanks, lamb pies, lamb curry and of course lamb stew of all sorts. Before you associate eating lamb with the killing of babies and all things cute, if you have ever tasted a pan-seared lamb loin chop while on vacation in Southern France, you will know that eating a tiny spring lamb is akin to sipping the finest wine in a field of golden tulips at sunset. Well, ok, I was trying to be poetic, but you catch the drift.

This is a Provencal recipe I nicked off a book I found in Borders for less than $5. It's called 'Savoring Provence' and has a fantastic selection of French recipes, every which one I will try at some point. The recipe calls for shelled English peas, but since young tender sugar snap peas are in season, I substituted that instead. The recipe also calls for bouquet garni (pic above) which is just a fancy French name for a herb bouquet made up of fresh parsley, fresh thyme and one bay leaf (fresh or dried is fine) tied together with a piece of butcher string.

Unlike traditional winter stew, this recipe doesn't incorporate potatoes, but is served on the side with boiled potatoes (pic below) tossed with butter, salt, pepper and freshly chopped parsley. For dessert, I made an orange and almond tart that rounds off the whole spring theme really well. But I'm not going to just hand you the recipe, you'll have to work for it by coming back and clicking on this blog and humor my shameless self-promotion.

Oh, and find a good bottle of Cotes du Rhone or Bordeaux blanc. This is one of the few times you will want to pair a meaty dish with white wine.

Springtime Lamb Stew (Navarin d'Agneau)
Makes 6 servings
Adapted from 'Savoring Provence'

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 boneless leg of lamb (about 2lbs), cut into 2-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicke broth
Bouquet Garni (3 parsley stalks, 2 thyme stalks, 1 bay leave)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lbs young Nantes carrots, cut into 2 inch lengths and halved
4 baby turnips, quartered
1 bunch small radishes, trimmed
1/2 lb (about 6) shallots, peeled and quartered
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
24 asparagus tips, about 3 inches long
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)

In a large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Working in batches, add the meat and brown well on all sides, about 15 minutes for each batch. When all the meat is browned, return it to the pan, add the onion and saute until translucent, about 1 minute. Scatter the flour all over and cook, stirring, until some of the flour browns, about 30 seconds.

Add the wine, the chicken broth and the bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. stir the meat, add the garlic, sugar and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and continue to simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. [Amanda's note: You can cool this part and refrigerate if you intend to use it the next day. Just reheat and do the following:]

Add the carrots, turnips, radishes, shallots and cover and cook at a gentle simmer until the meat is tender, about 40 minutes. Add the peas and asparagus about 6 - 8 minutes before the end of cooking time.

Remove the bouquet garni. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat and vegetables to a warmed serving dish and keep warm. Raise the heat to high, bring the liquid in the pot to a boil and boil rapidly, stirring constantly until reduced to a light sauce consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Spoon the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Cheesy Moving Blues: Spaghetti with Chards, Prosciutto and Roquefort Cheese

2009-04-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

The lack of recent updates can be attributed to the activity of moving into a new place - a somewhat tedious chore that has taken well over two weeks and have driven both me and the boyfriend nuts. We've moved out to the edge of the city, not quite the burbs, but on the edge no less where a lawn mower wakes us up on Saturdays and the bus drops off a bunchload of yelling kids down the road, much to the chagrin of my dog who goes off at the slightest sound.

The one good thing about moving farther away from the center of downtown though is that rent is a tiny bit cheaper and I can now afford a CSA box. The box we get from New Roots Organics is massive even though we only signed up for a personal bin meant for a one person household. This week we got a whole bunch of chards, carrots, lettuce and mustard greens and a few asparagus spears, apples, oranges, pears, red peppers and zucchinis.

The other good thing about living farther away from everything that matters is that we make "stock-up" trips so that we don't have to go to the grocery store every now and then. Enter Costco. I've always found their cheese and wine selection to be top-notch. But over the weekend, I must have had dry-heaves about 18 times looking at a 12oz wedge of Papillon Black Label Roquefort that was selling for $13.99. That's right, $13.99. It can cost almost three times the price at a gourmet cheese store, and is one of the reasons I hardly ever eat Roquefort except when we're at a fancy French restaurant.

The combination of chards from my CSA box and finding the Roquefort for cheap leads me to perhaps what is one of my all-time favourite ways to make pasta. You have to ensure that you use really good quality ingredients so that all the flavours meld together to create a wonderfully savoury dish. Everything from the pasta to the cheese down to the lemons you use have to be the best you can afford, otherwise you might just dismiss this as a bland affair. If you can't find/afford Roquefort, a good grade Italian Gorgonzola would also work well. Enjoy with a light white wine such as Semillon or Riesling so that it doesn't overwhelm the flavour of the cheese.
Spaghetti with Chards, Prosciutto and Roquefort Cheese
Makes 2 servings

4 oz good quality whole wheat spaghetti
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups rainbow or swiss chards, chopped and stem removed
4 slices prosciutto, sliced in thin strips
1/2 cup good quality Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoon toasted pine nuts, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat a saute pan with 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil. Add in the minced garlic and saute gently over medium-low heat for 1 minute until it starts to turn slightly golden. Add in the chards and 1/4 teaspoon salt and saute for another 3 minutes until the chards are wilted. Turn off the heat.

Stir in the grated lemon zest, sliced prosciutto and roquefort cheese. Add in the cooked pasta and toss to combine. The residual heat from the chards will melt the roquefort slightly. If the pasta seems to dry, you can add in a little bit of the reserved pasta water.

Add in the freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve the pasta topped with a slight scatter of toasted pine nuts.

Italian Sausage Ragu

2009-03-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

Pasta is one of my favourite dishes in the world, there is no comfort food better than a gigantic bowl of good quality handmade pasta with some old-fashioned meat sauce. Serve that with a piece of crunchy garlic bread and a good bottle of Chianti, and that's the most perfect dinner you will ever have.

Every Italian cook has their own special ragu i.e. meat sauce. Chances are, you will never find the one "authentic" Italian ragu. Some people like it without garlic, some without celery, some add milk, others don't, etc. etc. Well, as someone who has experimented a lot with creating the perfect ragu, I can tell you that the basics are always to start off with a soffrito (onion, celery and carrot mix), use good tomatoes (peeled and seeded) and keep herbs to a minimum. The only time you really want to use lots of fresh herbs is when you're preparing a simple tomato dish, otherwise, you should let the meat do the flavouring.

This recipe is a Konosur concoction, and combines both spicy Italian sausage with ground beef to create a rich and deeply satisfying ragu. I omitted milk from this recipe because of the usual dairy-free fiasco, but I think you will find that it works just fine. Remember to serve this with flat noodles, fresh ones if you can. Just a thin shaving of real Parmigiano would suffice for this. I promise you, you will think twice before buying that bottle of sauce from the grocery aisle.

Italian Sausage Ragu
Makes 6 servings

2 spicy Italian sausage links(you can also use mild), quartered with casings
1 lb lean ground beef (we used < 9% fat)
1 large yellow onion
1 medium carrot
2 ribs celery
1 small red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste or 4 tbsp tomato paste
3 14.5oz cans ground and peeled organic tomatoes
1/4 cup good dry red wine
2 tsp sweet basil
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Prepare the soffrito by chopping the onions, carrots, celery and red pepper together. I used a food processor and roughly pulsed everything.

Heat the olive oil on medium-high heat in a large pot or dutch oven. Saute the soffrito for about 5 -7 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add in the minced garlic, meat and sausage. Saute for another 10 minutes until the meat is browned and fragrant.

Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine. Saute for a couple more minutes until the tomato paste has blended in to the meat mixture. Add in the tomatoes, wine, basil and nutmeg, turn the heat down and cover. Simmer for at least 3 hours (4 if you have time), stirring from time to time. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add in a little beef broth at a time - but this probably just means you've kept the heat on too high.

After 3 hours, season with salt and pepper to taste. The meat sauce should be thick. Stir through and turn the heat off. Serve with tagliatte and grated parmesan and chopped parsley on top. Remember not to oversaturated the noodles with the sauce since the sauce is very thick and a little goes a long way.

Note: To store, cool the sauce completely and freeze in airtight glass containers or double Ziploc bags. They freeze well for at least 3 weeks.

Gastronomic Salad with Homemade Garlic Croutons

2009-03-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but there are some days I just feel "icky". Sort of in the way when you've waddled out of a fast food joint and you smell sickeningly like grease. Or when you've been too greedy at a diner buffet. Or when you've been eating nothing but Twinkies and potato chips for three days. That sort of icky.

So when you're feeling icky, there's nothing better than to keep things light with lots of vegetables and fruits. I like to combine both in a salad with a light dressing - nothing creamy or thick, just a garlicky dressing with olive oil and wine. To make it more satisfying for dinner, I usually add my own homemade croutons (less oil/butter than store bought ones) and some form of meat.

La Panzanella (it's a Seattle institution and the bread and crackers are beyond superb) at the Farmers' Market had a really splendid loaf of focaccia today and I thought it would be good to make some garlic croutons and toss it with one of my favourite Konosur concoctions. The recipe combines spring greens (butterhead lettuce and a herb salad mix), prosciutto and blood oranges to make it a seasonal salad that help rids the "ickyness" of having eaten badly for the past week. It makes a satisfying dinner and is complemented well with a glass of 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from California (Try 2007 Vintage Bogle for a good, cheap Sauvignon Blanc under $10).

Gastronomic Salad with Homemade Garlic Croutons
Serves 4

1/2 loaf foccacia bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp white wine
2 cups butterhead lettuce, torn
1 cup herb salad mix (combination of arugula, dill, tarragon, parsley and endive)
1 large blood orange, peel removed and sliced
3 slices prosciutto, sliced into strips
2 tsp fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sweetened, dried cranberries
2 tbsp roughly chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 325°F.

To make croutons, combine cubed bread, two tablespoons olive oil, rosemary and 3/4 of the minced garlic in a large bowl. Season with a little salt and pepper. Toss well to mix all the ingredients together. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with foil. Toast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, stir with a spatula and toast for another 10 minutes until croutons are crunchy and golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, remaining mince garlic, orange juice, white wine and dash of pepper in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside.

Assemble the salad: On a large platter, arrange the salad leaves, sliced orange and sliced prosciutto. Scatter the cranberries and pistachios over the top. Drizzle with the dressing. Toss everything together and serve with croutons on top.

Homemade Low-fat Tropical Fruit Granola

2009-03-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

There's something always satisfying about waking up in the mornings and knowing that breakfast is there waiting for you. I think that's the reason we all resort to boxed cereal. My usual quick breakfast usually consists of a bowl of homemade granola with skim milk, half a banana and two tablespoons of yogurt. And of course the default mega-size cup of black coffee.

Part of my early diet strategy from a few years ago involved store-bought granola, which if you're not careful in choosing, can contain tons of saturated fat and sugar. The reason why factory-made toasted oats taste so good is because it's slathered with lots and lots of honey, maple syrup and sugar! Add that with plump, juicy, sugar-cured fruits and you've got a candy factory masquerading as health food. Some companies substitute the maple syrup/honey with manufactured sweeteners in order to lower the calories, something which I think takes away from the wonderful flavor of real granola.

The truth is that granola isn't the best kind of breakfast food for you. You'd be better off with cooked oats, a dash of cinnamon, a teaspoon of honey and some sugar free dried fruit. But in moderation, granola can be a nice crunchy topping to some yogurt or cottage cheese, which will be high enough in protein and should keep you feeling jaunty for the rest of the morning.

The secret to good granola is to toast the oats over low heat in the oven until they turn a beautiful brown color. I use applesauce to substitute the oil and to sweeten the granola. Then I toss the toasted oats with some unsulphured dried fruit mix - you can use unsweetened fruit, but because I use less sugar/sweetener than most recipes call for, I think it's perfectly fine to use sweetened fruit.

Homemade Low-Fat Tropical Granola
Makes 12 servings of 1/4 cup

Granola Mix
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
3 tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 cup chopped pecans (you can also use almonds or walnuts)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil (I used Smart Balance 3-oil blend)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Dried Tropical Fruit Mix
1/2 cup unsulphured Tropical Fruit Mix: Pineapple, Mango Papaya, Banana chips (I buy them from the bulk aisle at Whole Foods or they are also available at Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup low sugar dried cranberries (I use Eden Organics)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the granola using two large spoons. To create clusters, use your hands to squeeze the mixture together.

Spread the granola mix onto the prepared sheet pan in one layer. Toast in the oven at 325°F for 25 minutes until the granola is crisp and brown. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.

Mix in the dried tropical fruits. Store in airtight jars for up to two weeks.

St. Paddy's Day calls for Some Cupcakes

2009-03-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

For a long time now I've sworn not to be sucked into the cupcake blackhole that is swirling around on the food blogosphere. Cupcakes! What?! Those tiny little cake/muffin wannabes often decorated to look like sickly cottage drawings; so cute you want to throw them against a wall just to rid them of that sickly pastel hue used in a gazillion pounds of butter and cream and sugar.

Cupcakes! Sold in overpriced shops in the chicest of neighbourhoods, charged at $5 a pop for a malt-button, candy-cane, marzipan topping in the shape of effing "Hello Kitty" or god knows what species of hydrangea and posies. Those bloody cupcakes. I told you I swore not to be sucked in.

But I've come to the realization that cupcake resistance is futile. They're easy to make, come in bite-size amounts, AND you can slather tons of disasterous artery-clogging fat on it, and it will still turn out beautiful. That's the unfortunate and evil beauty of cupcakes.

I thought and thought for days about something to make for St.Patrick's day in order to satisfy my ever-burgeoning sweet-tooth. Somehow the idea of clover-patterned cookies just seem so cliched. Enter the liquer-infused cupcake. Alcohol? Check. Sugar? Check. Butter and cream? Check.

I've been trying for aeons to figure out how to get rid of the bottle of Irish Cream sitting in the back of the liquor cabinet for a long time now. I would drink it neat but it just seems like such a 1990s "mom" thing to do. So here, with my Irish cream buttercream, cream-filled face in hand, I present the beast that is my green-coloured Irish Cream Cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day. They're moist, smell slightly of coffee and topped off with silly little shamrock rosettes. Póg mo Thóin indeed!

P/S: As I write this, I promise you I am NOT drunkk.

Irish Cream Cupcakes
Makes 6 cupcakes (because hey, these can and should be illegal).

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup brewed coffee, cooled
1/3 cup Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 6 cupcake tin with liners.

On a piece of wax or parchment paper, sieve together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes using a stand mixer or 5 minutes using a handheld mixer.

Add in eggs, vanilla, liqueur and coffee. Beat until just combined. Gently fold in the flour mixture and beat for about 1 minute until the mixture starts to form. DO NOT OVERBEAT. Turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold all the ingredients until completely combined.

Divide the batter into the prepared tin, filling the liners until about 2/3 full. DO NOT OVERFILL. Bake in preheated oven at 350°F for 15 - 20 minutes until tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Turn the cupcakes out and cool completely on a wire rack. Top with buttercream frosting (recipe follows).

Irish Buttercream Frosting
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
1/4 cup and 2 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tbsp Irish cream
Green food coloring

Cream the butter, powdered sugar and Irish cream in a bowl for about 1 minute until fluffy. Add in a few drops of green food coloring and stir thoroughly. Spoon buttercream into pastry bag and use a 22 star tip to pipe little rosettes in the shape of a shamrock onto the cupcakes.

Apple Spice Cake with Coconut Caramel Sauce

2009-03-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

The boyfriend ages a year today. By the unspoken law of dating courtesy, I can't reveal his age, but let's just say it warrants a nice home-cooked dinner and a delicious cake to go with it. It's always hard when someone has allergies, and with dairy-allergies it's even worse, because store-bought cake is usually out of the question. More often than not, I have to settle with baking a coffee-cake instead.

This is my take on a classic spice cake which I have tried to turn into an apple spice cake with a fluffier and lighter texture than a coffee cake. The boyfriend's mum first shared with me a spice cake recipe which was called "Wacky Cake" just because it had really weird ingredients like vinegar. I have modified that to include chopped apples and nuts, topped with a coconut caramel sauce, and is best served with some creamy vanilla ice cream on the side. The one good thing about cakes that don't have goops and goops of cream on it is that it's usually quite good for you, and you can always have an extra helping without worrying about the calories.
By the way, I have to make a huge plug for Green and Black's Organic Vanilla Ice-Cream which, when served with the apple spice cake is the most delicious thing in the world. Of course, if you're going completely non-dairy, then you can serve it with soy ice cream, otherwise, Green and Black's Organic Vanilla Ice Cream will satiate your decadent fix.

Apple Spice Cake with Coconut Caramel Sauce
Makes one 8-inch cake

Dry ingredients
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

Wet ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 large egg
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp good quality vanilla essence
1 tsp French brandy

To fold
1 large apple (Fuji or Granny Smith, depending if you like it tart), peeled and chopped
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
2 tbsp chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8-inch cake pan if you're using a traditional aluminum pan. If using a non-stick pan, do not grease.

Sieve all the dry ingredients onto a parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat all the wet ingredients together on high speed until fluffy. Turn the mixer speed down to low. Lift the parchment paper with the dry ingredients and fold into half. Gently pour in the dry ingredients into the wet ones bit by bit. Beat gently until the ingredients come together. Turn off the mixer.

Fold in the apples, walnuts and pecans gently. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes until a thin knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then turn out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely. Serve with coconut caramel sauce (see below) and vanilla ice cream.

Coconut Caramel Sauce
Makes 6 servings

3 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
1 tbsp butter (or vegan cooking margarine)
2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup light coconut milk

In a saucepan over very low heat, gently melt the butter and sugar. Once melted, add in the remaining ingredients and whisk until everything is combine. Reduce and thicken the sauce over low heat for about 5 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and drizzle over the apple spice cake and ice cream.

Italian Beef Stew with Salsa Verde

2009-02-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

In light of things being crazy lately, I haven't spent much time at all cooking or going out and buying expensive ingredients. I've been scared into sitting at home and having frugal salads and noodles... well almost. Last week we were in Portland and had our ritualistic brewpub tour, that sort of made my belly feel all icky and the feeling has lasted till now. So basically I'm feeling both very mentally strained (just from the news, work and life in general) and physically unfit (from too much beer!). Which is just as well, since Oregon might be raising their beer taxes to $0.15 a pint.

I decided tonight that we were going to have the farcical Academy Awards on in the background and cuddle with a good bowl of beef stew, embracing the last days of winter. I can't bloody wait for the dreariness to be over and usher in spring with some darn good asparagus! My predictions for tonight: Everything that everyone predicted will win will win. It's the Academy Awards, it's all about predictability, studio money and bad hairstyles.

This is a recipe I am very proud of, which I perfected off a general Italian beef stew recipe. It's one the best beef stews (in my opinion) that you will ever have and topped with Italian Salsa Verde - which differs from the more famous Mexican one in that it has no tomatillos or jalapenos - is a wonderful meal to have when the outside world is all troubled and all you want is to find a little comfort in the food you eat.

Italian Beef Stew
Serves 4

1 lb beef chuck or stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped into 1 inch portions
3 ribs celery, roughly chopped into 1 inch portions
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 new potatoes, whole or 4 medium sized potatoes, quartered
1 can (14.5oz) organic, low-sodium diced tomatoes
4 cups low sodium beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Olive oil

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven or stainless steel soup pot. Brown the beef evenly, about 4 minutes on each side.

Add in the onions, carrots and celery into pot and saute the aromatics until fragrant, about 7 minutes - the onions should be translucent.

Turn up the heat and add in the garlic and canned tomatoes. Stir for 2 -3 minutes and add in the beef stock, red wine and herbs. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for an hour.

Add in the potatoes and simmer for an additional hour until the beef and potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened into a stew-like consistency. For a tastier stew, let the cooled stew sit overnight in the fridge. Reheat the stew the next day and serve over crusty bread and topped with a dollop of the salsa verde.

Italian Salsa
1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 medium shallot, minced finely
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
Pinch of salt

Combine the parsley, garlic and shallots in a bowl. Add in the vinegar, capers, red chili flakes and salt and stir gently to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil and let salsa verde steep for 1/2 an hour at room temperature.

A Healthy Take on Ina Garten: Chunky Banana Bran Muffins

2009-01-30T21:14:00.000-08:00

So ok. You should really know my workout schedule by now. I try to time my gym sessions with Giada and Ina and Chris Matthews to offset the boredom that is the elliptical or the pain that is the treadmill. For the uninitiated, that's the Food Network cooks: Giada de Laurentiis (tiny Italian, platform wearing, big-breasted hottie) and Ina Garten (big lady with a big gorgeous house) and Chris Matthews of MSNBC's Hardball (grouchy old bloke with a penchant for political sarcasm).

I like Giada mostly because she cooks easy and gorgeous food, doesn't have an annoying grin and because I lust after her pepper mill. I always come away from watching Giada's show with some recipe I keep in mind to make.

Now, the Barefoot Contessa on the other hand. I don't know. I'm quite torn. On one hand, I think she makes really elegant stuff, knows what she's talking about and isn't quite so pretentious like say... oh I don't know, Emeril Lagasse? She definitely isn't as annoying as Daisy Martinez or god forbid, Rachael Ray. On the hand, I find the Ina Garten's recipes so terribly unhealthy, I don't think it should be aired on national telly where half the population are already overweight. She can make even bran muffins unhealthy! It's quite astounding really, how she puts tons of buttermilk AND tons of butter to make bran muffins - something we all associate with being healthy. I don't know, sometimes I come off watching her show feeling a little cheated. Can you really NOT have good food without adding vats of oil and animal fat? The show today was something about breakfasts, I don't get how after having one of those insanely bad bran muffins, you can even think about eating bacon and potato omelettes! The Carbs! The Fat! Aaaahhhh... no wonder we're a nation of pure, unhealthy fatties.

So here's MY take on what a good banana bran muffin should be, one that won't leave you paunchy and sluggish from fat overkill and will still meet your fiber needs. You can have two of them with coffee for breakfast and will still be able to manage your calorie intake even if you are on a dismal, anorexic diet of 1200 calories a day! Serve with a teaspoon of raspberry jam, and you're still in the dismal, anorexic range.

Chunky Bran Muffin
Makes about 9 muffins, 135 calories each

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp grounded flax seed
1 egg
1 large banana, sliced
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup soy milk or low fat milk
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a muffin tin with 9 paper liners.

Whisk egg in a medium bowl. Add in soy milk, applesauce, orange zest and vanilla extract.

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the egg mixture. Mix until just combined. Add in nuts, banana, honey and raisins. Give it one or two stirs to combine.

Spoon into lined muffin tray until 3/4 full. Bake at 400°F for 15 - 20 minutes until a thin knife inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on wire racks. If serving the next day, warm in an oven at 325°F for about 5 minutes.

Chocolate Fix: Eggless Banana Bars

2009-01-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

Now, don't get me wrong. I have absolutely nothing against vegans or the whole vegan agenda, I just like me some meat, lots and lots of cheese and more meat. Heck, my favourite meal is roast chicken with tons of beer! I also like calling vegan baking "eggless" instead of vegan - that's how much in denial I am about the positive side of veganism.

These "eggless" banana-walnut-chocolate chip bars are the best things I've had in a while, they actually taste like soft, moist banana brownies but without all the seemingly evilness of regular brownies. The recipe comes from a website called Cookie Madness (yikes!) and they have a TON of vegan baking recipes on there. These bars are really easy to make and would serve as energy bars or a healthy dessert with some vanilla ice-cream.

Eggless Banana Bars
Yields about 15 bars (2x3 inch bars)

2 large, ripe bananas (mashed)
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon ground flax
3 tablespoon hot water
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line a 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and set aside.

Pulse the old-fashioned oats in a food processor until they look coarsely ground.

Mix the ground flax and hot water together and stir until a paste forms, this will be your binder. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, ground oats, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking soda together.

In a separate medium bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, applesauce, ground flax mixture, melted butter and vanilla.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in banana mixture. Using a wooden spoon or a hard spatula, mix everything together until well combined. The mixture will be quite dry, make sure you mash the bananas well.

Add in the chocolate chunks and walnuts and stir to combine.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Cut into 15 bars.

No-knead Rye Bread

2009-01-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

Bread recipes tend to scare me - mostly because I've heard all sorts of nightmarish stories about loaves that are as hard as brick, a black hole in the middle of the dough, rubbery textures that put a dog's chew toy to shame etc., etc. Also, I've always that bread making should be left up to French pastry chefs and Boudoin.

I very recently, however, stumbled upon this really good site (always strange when a young man likes baking) that had a great rye bread recipe that apparently required no-kneading. I wasn't so sure if it would work, the picture looked mercilessly appealing, and I knew, I just knew that if I could make my own bread, I wouldn't have to make that dreaded Saturday trip to fight with the masses at Trader Joe's.

This bread recipe goes marvelous with an olive oil dip or just some plain ol' good quality butter. It also goes well with curry, soup, sandwiches or just to munch on something while you start preparing the next batch!

Deli-Style Rye Bread
Makes 2 1 lb loaves. From Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day on Pete Bakes.

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp caraway seeds, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup rye flour
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
cornmeal for sprinkling
cornstarch for cornstarch wash

1. Mix the yeast, salt and caraway seeds with the water in a large bowl. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading. Ingredients will be sticky. Cover with a towel and allow to rest at room temperature for about 2 hours. at this point, you can prepare the dough for baking or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks*.

2. Dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off 1/2 of the dough (Note: the dough is sticky, so make sure you dust your hands properly with flour). Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball. Elongate the ball into an oval-shaped loaf. Allow it to rest and rise on a cornmeal covered surface (pizza peel if you’re going to transfer to a baking stone or a baking sheet if you’re baking right on the baking sheet) for 40 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 450 F with an empty broiler tray on the shelf underneath the one you plan to bake on. Heat the baking stone up with the oven if you are using one.

4. Make the cornstarch wash by combining 1/2 tsp cornstarch with a small amount of water to form a paste. Add 1/2 cup water, whisk and microwave for about 60 seconds. Paint the top of the loaf with the cornstarch wash and then sprinkle on caraway seeds. Slash with a deep parallel cuts across the loaf using a serrated bread knife*.

5. Bake the loaf on a baking sheet or slide it onto the hot baking stone. bake for 30 minutes. As you put the bread in the oven to bake, pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

*If you've refrigerated your dough, you might want to let it cool down to room temperature before shaping it into a loaf.
* I don't see the point of making the slashes, unless you want your break your bread easily into slices. This step may be omitted.

Dragon Cookies for Chinese New Year (Manda's Squirrgle Cookies)

2009-01-19T17:05:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year falls on January 26 this year (I think). I'm not sure what zodiac year it is though. The year of the Water Rat? The year of the Brazen Ox? Dunno! But what I do know is that it gives me an excuse to bake some cookies I've been yearning for a long time now.

Dragon cookies or "loong (dragon) peng (cookies)" are sort of the Chinese version of spritz cookies, the melt in your mouth milky kind that you make once a year because it has the calorie content of an entire year's worth of dinner. It's that kind of cookie.

I don't really know if dragon cookies are a predominantly Malaysian-Chinese thing, but by jove, the entire world should know how good these really are. Did I mention that it's milky and melts in your mouth (not in your hands!).

This recipe is from a friend of my mum's who makes cookies for a living. She makes the BEST dragon cookies and pineapple tarts, and my cookies only do half the justice. Some recipes I found online calls for 'cornflour' which is should not be confused with cornstarch, but I find that the combination of 'cornstarch' and all-purpose flour works just fine. Just make sure you use good butter at room temperature.

Dragon Cookies (Loong Peng)
Makes 35 cookies

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn starch
2 tablespoon dried powdered milk
1 cup butter (about 2 sticks) - room temperature and soft
1 cup confectioner's sugar (icing sugar, powdered sugar)
2 egg yolks
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Red food colouring (optional)
Pastry bag and star tip 22

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

Sift flour, corn starch and milk powder in a medium bowl.

Make sure butter is at room temperature and very soft. Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla together until smooth but do not over beat.

Gently fold in sifted flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Spoon batter into pastry bag fitted with a star tip (Number 22) and squeeze batter out into short zigzags (I like to call them little "squirrgles", wheee!) on the prepared baking sheets.

Dab two "eyes" onto the dragons using some red food colouring and the sharp end of a skewer.

Bake for about 10 minutes at 350°F. Make sure that the cookies don't brown and are still slightly soft when you remove them from the oven. Leave to cool on wire racks.

The cookies should last up to two weeks in an air tight container.

Chicken in Cheap Wine: Coq Au Vin

2009-01-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

Ever since I received a dutch (French, pardon) oven for Christmas, I've been wanting to make as many stews as I can, just so it gives me an excuse to use my beloved Staub. It is after all called a cocotte and what else better to make in it than a traditional French dish.

I was hunting high and low just the other day for a bottle of burgundy. Alton Brown suggests a good bottle of pinot noir while Nigel Slater says a beaujolais will do just fine. Seeing as this is my first time making coq au vin, I wanted to keep the cost below $20 for the whole meal. That meant putting aside the $25 of Willamette Valley 2006 Pinot Noir and using a relatively cheapo bottle of wine.

"Blasphemous!", the gourmet cook pooh-poohs. Well, guess what you rotten snooty connoiseur of fine foods. I went out and got THE CHEAPEST JUG of burgundy you will ever find in this lifetime. I settled for a bottle of Carlo Rossi Burgundy that is made from an undefined grape varietal and was aged in Tupperware cases down in Grandma Rossi's basement. The chicken I think, turned out surprisingly marvelous. I would however, not recommend drinking the wine. You would probably want to just feed it to the drain pipes and pull out that bottle of expensive pinot. You know what they say about "never cook with wine you won't drink?", well PISH TO THAT.

By the way, I've modified the recipe to suit regular tender, free range chicken bought in the comfort of your pretentious co-op. Unless you have a shotgun in hand and a taste for wild fowl, it won't take you hours to make this recipe.

Coq Au Vin
Adapted from Alton Brown and Nigel Slater
Serves 4

6 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
15 red pearl onions
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots
5 slices uncured bacon
10 oz brown mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups red wine (pinot noir or beaujolais)
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Salt and Pepper

Cut off the ends of the pearl onions. Bring a saucepan of water to boil and add in the onions. Boil the onions for one minute and remove from the water. Leave to cool. When the onions have cooled, peel off the outer skin and set aside.

Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Add the chopped carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaves, onion and garlic into a 5 -6 quart dutch oven.

In a large saute pan, add one tablespoon of water and the bacon. Fry the bacon until all the water has evaporated and the bacon is golden in colour, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon, leaving the lard in the pan.

In the same saute pan, fry the pearl onions whole until brown, about 8 - 10 minutes. Sprinkle a little salt over the onions. Remove onions and set aside with the bacon. Again, in the same pan, fry the chicken pieces until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Place the fried chicken into the dutch oven.

In the same saute pan, fry the mushrooms for about 8 minutes until the mushrooms are browned and the juices are evaporated. Set the mushroom aside with the onions and bacon.

Deglaze the saute pan with one cup of wine. Pour the wine into the chicken in the dutch oven. Add in the remaining wine and chicken stock into the dutch oven.

Braise the chicken in the oven at 325°F for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

After braising, remove the chicken, vegetables and all the herbs from the stock in the dutch oven and set aside. Discard the herbs.

Bring the stock in the dutch oven to a boil until it reduced by half, this should take about 10 - 15 minutes. Add in the onions, bacon and mushroom and allow it to heat through for about 5 minutes. Add in the chicken and vegetables and simmer for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Turn heat off and serve with bread, egg noodles or potatoes and a side of salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

*Note: Alton Brown marinades the chicken in the wine stock overnight. This works if you're using a really old bird or rooster and the meat needs to be braised for a long time. I find that a waste of time if you're using regular chicken; it makes the wine flavour overwhelming and the chicken meat too soft. Braising or over and hour would suffice to infuse the chicken with a subtle wine flavouring and leave the chicken on the bone.
*Note: Because the bacon is already slightly salty, watch it when seasoning with salt.

Char Kway Teow

2009-01-11T20:54:00.000-08:00

On some days, the Malaysian side of me kicks in and I find myself craving some hawker-style food that involves lots of oil, pork lard and piping-hot stir-fries. As much as I think the Malay Satay Hut is a saving grace to all the forlorn Malaysians in Washington, I sometimes don't think paying $10 for a plate of noodles is justified.

Char kway teow is basically just fried rice noodles, Malaysian style. The three main ingredients in any good char kway teow are chinese sausages, prawns and especially fresh bean sprouts. It's super easy to make, provided you're not afraid to use the highest heat setting on your stove, and make sure everything is prepared beforehand so that you can chuck things in to the wok at rapid-fire speed.

My mum's trick to bringing out the flavour of any fried noodle dish is to add a little pork lard, so I'm using this method here. You can omit this and just add vegetable oil, but I guarantee you won't regret trying out what a little piece of bacon can do!

Char Kway Teow
Serves 4

12 oz. flat rice noodles (fresh or dried)
2 slices bacon or pork belly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 link chinese sausage, sliced thinly on the diagonal
20 medium-sized fresh shrimp (31-40 ct)
4 cups bean sprouts
3 stalks scallions
1 tsp chili paste (sambal olek) or 2 tsps if you like it spicier
1/2 tsp salt

Sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp white pepper

If using dried noodles, soak in boiling water for 10 minutes. Bring entire pot of noodles to a boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and leave the noodles in the pot until al dente. Drain and rinse well with cold water.

Heat a wok or cast iron skillet on medium heat. Fry the bacon until crispy and the lard starts to melt in the pan.

At this point, you want to do everything in rapid succession.

Turn the heat up to high. Add in the chinese sausages. Fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the garlic, prawns and salt. Fry for about 2 minutes until the prawns are no longer pink.

Add in the noodles, chili paste and sauce mixture. Fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Push the noodles aside and break in the eggs at the empty side of the wok. Quickly scramble the eggs and combine it with noodles. Mix everything together and fry for another 3 minutes until the noodles are slightly charred.

Add in the bean sprouts and scallions. Turn the heat off. Give the noodles a quick stir, flip to combine all ingredients and serve immediately.

The 'I Love Sunday' Post

2009-01-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

Aaaah, Sundays... I always wake up feeling nice and contented with warm, toasty toes (but then I go to bed on Sunday night all depressed because it will be Monday when I open my eyes, bleurgh). I wake up to a tremendous-sized breakfast while I read the paper, followed by a nice long walk with the dog. Then, late in the afternoon, in this dreary, north-facing apartment of mine, I snuggle under the blankets with a good book and a glass of wine whilst listening to the latest (illegal) music downloads in the background, over the din of dripping rain. Aaaah, Sundays.

I spent all of last night dreaming about a crème fraîche recipe I saw on Tartelette. My weak spots are, in no particular order, tomatoes, parmesan, Daniel Kessler of Interpol, coffee, beer and crème fraîche. Helen on Tartelette has such amazing photos that I'm almost magically transported back to holidays in Paris where I grew chubby on baguettes, cheese and all sorts of pretty pastries.

I made her banana tatin verrines recipe this morning, but instead of using a full amount of crème fraîche, I used half greek yogurt and half crème fraîche just so I can feel less guilty about indulging.

I'm posting the recipe to serve one person, since I am spending Sunday alone today, but make sure you head over to Tartelette for the original recipe and more glorious dessert drama.

Banana Tatin Verrines
From Tartelette

2 tablespoons greek yogurt
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
1 tablespoons water
1 tablespoons butter
1 bananas, cut into thick slices
Crumble topping (recipe follows)

Spoon the yogurt and crème fraîche into a glass.

In a large skillet set over medium high heat, cook the sugar with the water until it caramelizes to a golden caramel. Turn the heat down to medium and add the butter. Let it melt before adding the bananas. Let them cook in the caramel for a couple of minutes until soft and caramelized. Remove from the heat and wait a couple of minutes before spooning the banana mixture over the yogurt mix. Top with the crumble and serve.

For the crumble topping:
2 tablespoons cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoons cold butter
1 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat your oven to 350F.
In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour. Add the butter cut in small pieces, the ginger and mix with your fingertips until you get a mixture that ressembles coarse crumbs. Spread the mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

Looking for a new camera?

2009-01-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

This is for all you foodies who like pretty pictures:

I've been dying to get a Nikon D60 for ages - I think it's one of the best cameras out there for the price. I spend almost everyday diligently scouring the web for the best deal and... I found a superbly amazing deal on Costco.com (Of course!). The deal beats ANYTHING I've seen in a long time.

Note: In parentheses is the price of the item found on Amazon

It includes the camera body and of course the default 18-35mm VR lens ($519.98), but this deal on Costco also comes with:

55-200mm zoom Nikkor Lens ($189.50)
1GB SD card ($25)
A carry bag ($44.98)

The Costco price is basically the same except they give you $150 off and when you add it to the cart, they take another $50 off - so the whole damn thing is... $649.99.

Go score yourself one. If you're not a Costco member, you should beg/borrow/steal to get one.

Stuffed Chicken for New Year's

2008-12-31T22:40:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I never understand why people find such happiness fussing over the New Year's. It's another year, it's getting older, being slower and growing grey hairs. It's not a very happy moment for me, really. One of the good things though, is that I get an excuse to pig out and enjoy copious amounts of alcohol. Except that because I'm ONE year older, my liver is starting to shrivel to the size of a sorrel mushroom and I can't seem to hold my liquor that well anymore.

Which is why I'm spending the night in. Some Amanda alone time with a glass of wine, some Robert Downey Jr. and trying to stop my dog from invading the rubbish bin. I probably won't stay awake till 12am considering the fact that I've had quite a lot of green tea ice cream and a humongous glass of Riesling, but Happy New Year's all the same! I'll be sitting here with my swansong to 2008, typing a recipe that incorporates all my favourite ingredients and listening to The Walkmen sing 'In The New Year'. Tonight I made chicken stuffed with thyme, goat cheese, crème fraîche and prosciutto (those are the things I ALWAYS have in my fridge) and served with an apple, spinach and raisin salad.

There's really nothing else I would rather have. Except maybe a slice of chocolate cake... Happy 2009! Whee!

Goat Cheese and Thyme Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Serves 2

1 piece chicken skinless and boneless chicken breast
2 tablespoons goat cheese (room temperature)
1 tablespoon crème fraîche
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 slices good quality prosciutto
Fresh black pepper and pinch of salt

In a medium bowl, mix together the goat cheese, crème fraîche, thyme, pepper and salt together.

Make a slit lengthwise in the side of the chicken. Stuff it with the cheese mixture. Prick the surface of the chicken all over with a fork then wrap the chicken with the slices of prosciutto.

Heat a non-stick pan with one tablespoon of olive oil. Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side on medium heat until it is no longer pink and the prosciutto is crispy. Turn the heat up to high for about a minute to reduce any of the juices in the pan. Slice the chicken width-wise and serve with the cheese reduction from the pan.

A date with my cappucino maker

2008-12-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty glad the end of the year is coming. There'll be no major celebration for me (the other half is away in blistery Minnesota with the blokes) - just a good night in with the dog and a movie that hopefully doesn't involve love triangles or bad Al Pacino acting. Or decapitated bodies. A nice French movie, perhaps. Or Iron Man. Either way works.

Over Christmas my mum got me the glass Bialetti Mukka Express from Williams-Sonoma. It's a really pretty contraption, but I haven't had quite the Victrola experience with it yet. It bubbles my milk rapidly, then the froth dies away in a very disturbing way. It's like cappucino maker rabies. The video on the Williams-Sonoma website is a fake, I swear. Look at that man and his perfectly frothed cup of cappucino - I want to stab him with my faulty pressure valve...

One of the good things that came out of a half-arsed cappucino maker though, is my desire to be all faux Italian-suave. I made a batch of white-chocolate hazelnut and cranberries biscotti that I conjured from scratch. And while roasting hazelnuts is single-handedly the worse experience rubbing nuts (ahem!) you will ever have, it's well worth it since roasting brings out the smoky and earthy flavour of the nuts.

White chocolate is in itself a little sweet, so I was careful to use less sugar than normal. I know chocolate-connoisseurs will pooh-pooh at the idea of anything less than 65% cacao,but white chocolate really goes well with the hazelnuts and a cup of flat white coffee.

Oh, and while you're at it figuring out the calorie content of my biscotti, have an oogly-eyed moment at my very mischievious and rascally dachshund. He's one of those dogs that "counter-surf" acrobatically and eat chocolate.

White-chocolate, hazelnut and cranberries Biscotti
Makes about 36 biscotti

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon amaretto
1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chunks
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (roasted and skinned, see below)

Heat oven to 275°F and slowly roast shelled raw hazelnuts for about 15 - 20 minutes until the skins start to the flake and the nuts are browned. Remove nuts and place them on a kitchen towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and twist them tightly over the nuts. Allow the nuts to steam for 10 minutes, rubbing the occasionally to remove the skin. After 10 minutes, with the kitchen towel, rub the nuts in between you hands until almost all the skin is removed. Set aside to cool then roughly chop the cooled nuts in a food processor.

Bring the oven temperature up to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In a medium bowl, combing the flour, baking powder, salt, nuts, chocolate and cranberries.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and amaretto. Slowly add in the flour mixture bit by bit until a dough forms. The dough will be stiff.

Divide the dough into two balls. For each ball, transfer to baking sheet and using a rolling motion, extend the dough into a 12-inch log. Flatten the log into 7/8-inch thickness. You will have two loaves of dough measuring 12-inches long and 7/8-inches thick.

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes until the logs are risen and just beginning to brown. The logs will be slightly soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes. This will allow the chocolate to set and make cutting easier.

Bring oven temperature down to 325°F.

Using a serrated knife, cut the baked logs diagonally into 1/2 inch widths. Place on baking sheet and toast each side of the biscotti for about 5 - 7 minutes until brown.

Cool completely on wire racks.

Holiday Baking Part 2: Orange Sable Cookies

2008-12-20T22:08:00.000-08:00

The usual driving time from Seattle to Portland is on average 3 and the half hours. Today, it took us almost 8 hours. We almost skidded off the road and into an oncoming truck. It was NOT the best experience. The sound of tires grating over ice is possibly one of the scariest things you will ever encounter on solid land.

Anyway, we came home after the ordeal to a marvelous bowl of stew, some home made bread and lots of Christmas cookies. This recipe comes from Martha Stewart and is a citrus-y take on traditional sable cookies. It's super easy to make and goes well with a hot cup of orange pekoe tea.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

Orange Sable Cookies
From Martha Stewart Living
Makes 5 dozen

1 1/4 cups whole blanched almonds
1 cup confectioners' sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely grated orange zest (2 to 3 oranges)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sanding or granulated sugar, for rolling

Place almonds and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal; set aside.

Place butter and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. On low, add almond mixture; beat until combined, 10 to 15 seconds. Add egg and orange juice; combine. Add flour; combine.

Place two 12-by-16-inch pieces of parchment on a clean work surface. Divide dough in half. Form a rough log with each half; place on parchment. Fold parchment over dough; use a ruler to roll and press dough into 1 1/2-inch-diameter logs. Wrap. Chill for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Spread sanding sugar in a baking pan. Unwrap logs; roll in sugar to coat. Cut into scant 1/4-inch-thick rounds; place on sheets, 1 inch apart. Bake until edges turn golden, about 15 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Bake or freeze remaining dough. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Holiday Baking Part 1: Linzer Cookies

2008-12-19T14:31:00.000-08:00

First off, let me apologize for the lack of posts of late - I haven't entirely given up on cooking, I've just been having my term finals, been in San Francisco for a conference and chilling out (literally) in front of the heater and drinking hot cocoa. It's been snowing here for the past couple of days, and in Seattle, anything below 38F is considered madness.

When it's snowing, there's always the danger of ballooning up to 300 pounds because
a)You can never (or don't ever want to) leave the house
b)You're hungry ALL the time
c)You get addicted to hot chocolate and marshmallows with a dollop of creme fraiche

I decided to put to use my time moping around the house by doing some holiday baking. I trudged out last night in the snow to haul back one pound of blanched almonds since both cookies I've decided to make this year are based around almonds.

The first of the baking craze is the Austrian favourite - linzer cookies. I've been wanting to make these cute little things since I picked up a linzer cookie cutter set from Crate and Barrel just for the heck of wasting some ~~hard-earned~~ money. I used my favourite Bonne Maman raspberry preserves, but you can also use any other kind of good quality fruit preserves (a good alternative would be Stonewall Kitchen's Cranberry Orange Marmalade for a festive twist).

Linzer Cookies
Makes 30 2" sandwiches
Adapted from Joy of Baking, Tuesdays with Dorie and Barefoot Contessa

1 cup blanched or sliced almonds, toasted and ground
2 cups (280 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
Confectioners' (Icing or Powdered) Sugar for dusting
1/2 cup Raspberry Preserves

Toast the almonds (or pecans) on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for about 8-10 minutes (or until lightly browned and fragrant). Once the nuts have cooled, place in a food processor and process with 1/4 cup of the sugar from the recipe until finely ground. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Beat in the ground nuts. Add the flour mixture beating just until incorporated. Divide the dough in half and shape into two rectangles about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick. Wrap the two rectangles of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least one hour and up to several days).

Preheat oven to 350°F and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Remove one rectangle of dough from the refrigerator. (Amanda's note, the dough will be crumbly, it would work better if you leave it out at room temperature for 10 minutes). On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch (1 cm) thick. Using a 2 to 3 inch (5 to 7.5 cm) cookie cutter (round, square, heart, etc.) cut out the dough. Place the cookies about 1 inch (2.54 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a smaller cookie cutter (3/4 - 1 inch (2.54 cm)) to cut out the centers of half of the cookies on the baking sheet. (You will be sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small 'window or cut out' in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.)

Re-roll any scraps and cut out the cookies. Remove the other half of the dough from the refrigerator and roll and cut out the rest of the cookies. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until they are very lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

To Assemble Cookies: Place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and lightly dust the tops with the confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar.

On the bottom surface of the full cookie (top of cookie will face out) spread with about a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Place the cut-out cookie on top and gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smug the confectioners' sugar. Using a small spoon, fill the cut-out with a little more jam.

Heads up: Apartment Therapy Giveaways

2008-12-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick post to let U.S. residents know that Apartment Therapy is doing a series of really great giveaways for the holiday season.

This is where it's at. Have fun!

P/S: Crazy holiday baking in pipeline, including linzer cookies and lots of chocolatey fun.

The Thanksgiving blubber riddance: Salade Niçoise

2008-12-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

Hello! I hope your Thanksgiving was as enjoyable as mine. We had an 18lb. turkey which we ate for three straight meals and a gigantic bowl of the best mashed potatoes I've ever had that does not involve dairy. Hurrah! Heading back from Portland to Seattle, I swear my seat belt buckle was almost breaking under my gargantuan mashed potato, pumpkin pie, turkey stuffed self.

While in Portland, I manage to score a copy of Williams-Sonoma's "Savoring Provence" from Borders for almost 75% off. I love French food, and I think it's my New Year's resolution to try every single thing from that book, including frog legs, rabbit saddles and baby fish.

My first choice from the book is the Niçoise salad which basically just translates to a salad from Nice. As always, Niçoise salads MUST have green beans, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, anchovies and olives. The recipe called for artichoke hearts but I skipped it because we don't live in an artichoke friendly household.

Salade Niçoise
Serves 4
(Adapted from Williams-Sonoma's cooking series:'Savoring Provence')

4 small new potatoes, unpeeled
20 baby green beans, trimmed
1 can tuna chunk in olive oil
1 head or 1 bag baby romain lettuce
10 small cherry tomatoes (or 2 large roma tomatoes)
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
8 slices olive oil packed anchovy fillets, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup Nicoise or kalamata olives
1 tablespoon capers
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered lengthwise

Vinaigrette
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 small shallot, minced fine
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook potatoes until tender, about 10 - 15 minutes. Drain, and set under running water until cool. Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Blanch the green beans in a pot of salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain, and set under running water until cool.

Drain the tuna and separate into large flakes. Make the vinaigrette by whisking the vinaigrette ingredients together in a bowl.

Line a large salad bowl with lettuce leaves. Lightly toss the remaining ingredients except for the eggs in a separate bowl with the vinaigrette. Spoon over the lettuce and arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs on top.

The fastest and easiest and moistest chocolate cake you will ever bake

2008-11-21T15:26:00.001-08:00

Confessions of a girl who oft-denies her feminine side: I don't like cake. I'm not a cake person. I like the idea of the gratification that cake brings, but after a bite of chocolate, cheese, berries or whatever the heck is in those things, I feel like throwing up and go into anaphylactic shock (literally). I've made a couple of cakes on this blog, but mostly those were pretty healthy, involved minimal use of butter and were ready in 45 minutes flat.

I recently bought a Food & Wine cookbook from 1998 at Half-Price Books for $2. I don't do Gourmet or Bon Appetit subscriptions. I'm cheap like that. In the Food and Wine book was a recipe for a mix-in-the-pan chocolate cake. I was semi-thinking: How good can a chocolate cake that didn't involve a mixer be? Wouldn't that just taste like brownies (which I find marvelously gross)?

I decided to try it anyway because a) I didn't get cake for my birthday (I'm anti-cake like that) b) I have a potluck tomorrow for someone's birthday, the cake would be my contribution. And also, lately, I've been craving chocolate so much. I blame that both on Ina Garten and leftover Halloween-goodies, and oh, on the economy, on General Motors, on my thesis advisor, on Eric Cantor and change we may never believe in.

Have a go at this chocolate cake that is so easy, it's laughable. To make it more elegant, you can (and should) bake it in a round cake pan - the recipe will yield two round 8" cakes. Otherwise if you're like me, this recipe will yield a moist, soft and supremely chocolatey 8" square cake, dripping with chocolate glaze and sparkling with chopped walnuts.

Fast and Easy Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Food and Wine, 1998

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 lb unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1/2 cup very hot water
1 cup low fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Whisk in the eggs, butter, hot water and vanilla. Then whisk in the yogurt. Mix together with a rubber spatula and pour in to the prepared pan until it is half filled. (Note: Do not overfill or you cake will resemble a chocolate volcano!) . Bake for 40 minutes at 350°F until a thin knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out gently on a wire rack and cool completely. Top with chocolate glaze and chopped walnuts.

Chocolate frosting
4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Melt the chocolate and butter in double boiler. Gently pour over the prepared cake, starting from the middle of the cake and letting the glaze drip over the sides. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Chana Dhal (Indian Lentils)

2008-11-17T20:51:00.000-08:00

News alert: Dogs aren't really that cute. Especially if they're rascally dachshunds that have learned to jump up on your garbage bin and crawl across the counter to munch on half a pack of raw chorizo. They are NOT cute that way.

Indian food is one of the three staple cuisines I grew up with in Malaysia. Weekends were usually spend watching live football (to be incorrectly termed: Soccer) broadcasts at 3am whilst chomping on a traditional roadside Indian dish of dhal and 'roti'. That was of course, complemented by mugs and mugs of milky tea that were guaranteed to give you a tummy-ache hours later.

For some reason, the change of season has brought back rather strong urges for both football and dhal with 'roti'. I recently found out that the Seattle Sounders FC have signed on my once-upon-a-time favourite Arsenal player Freddie Ljungberg as the distinguished player for the club. So I figure I'll get an early headstart on the food part of the soccer night outs.

Dhal is usually made with ghee, a kind of shortening. I used vegetable buillion cubes and a small amount of vegetable oil instead to make this a healthy dish that you can serve with some store bought naan and a cup of milky chai. It works wonderful on a cold day, and lends a subtle spicyness to offset the chill factor.

Chana Dhal (Indian Lentils)
Serves 4

1 1/2 cups yellow split peas
3 cups water
2 big green chilis (Paprika or Hot Cherry works fine)
1 large tomato, cubed
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
4 slices fresh ginger
2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp black mustard seed
1/2 cube vegetable buillion
Pinch of Red pepper flakes
Handful fresh parsley leaves
Salt to taste

Note: If your lentils are still tough, and you would like it to be softer - add in 1 heap teaspoon of baking powder. Likewise, you can use an immersion blender to pulse the lentils.

Soak the lentils in 4 cups of water for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

In a big pot, bring the lentils, water and a teaspoon of salt to a boil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, uncover and stir in the Garam Masala and curry powder. Let the pot remain simmering, uncovered.

In a separate frying pan, heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil and fry the garlic, onions, ginger, tomatoes, chili and black mustard seeds until fragrant, about 7 minutes.

Stir in the fried tomato mixture, red pepper flakes and vegetable buillion cube into the lentils and let it simmer for another 5 minutes until the lentils are thick. Remove the sliced ginger. Season with salt to taste. Serve garnish with parsley leaves.

Cranberry and Orange Scones

2008-11-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

On most days when I go to the gym, I try to veer attention away from my strenuous plodding by either watching something depressing and funny (MSNBC!) or ridiculous and delicious (Food Network!). My secret is always to head to the gym at about 1.30pm to catch Giada, Barefoot Contessa, then Chris Matthews on Hardball. I like Giada because she is very well-endowed and has really pretty things - like plates. And she doesn't annoy me as much as say... Rachael Ray does. Ina Garten I watch mostly because she whacks a pack of a fat into EVERY single thing she cooks. I like that she doesn't care if she's chubby or that she has a chubby hubby. They're my favourite chubby couple. And Chris Matthews... oh, I watch him because he's mean, mean-spirited and funny.

Well, this morning, being a bank holiday and all, I decided to try out something I saw on 'Barefoot Contessa' a few weeks ago. It involves a shitload of butter and an insane amount of dairy (heavy cream! eggs!) and just seemed like the perfect breakfast to offset what Northwesterners complain most about (the rain) and to satisfy my lust for all things pretty.

I modified Ina Garten's recipe a little - first off by making 6 scones instead of a whopping 16 scones, using less butter, and discarding the frosting and egg wash. So instead of one scone that will set you back by 600+ calories, have fun with one scone that is roughly 220 calories. I know the prissy foodies will pooh-pooh at the idea of "counting calories" but I really want to be able to leave the gym the moment 30-Minute Meals comes on.

Cranberry and Orange Scones
Adapted from Ina Garten's 'Barefoot Contessa'
Makes 6 scones

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated white sugar
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
3/4 stick (6 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup low fat milk (or soy milk)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the milk and cranberries until dough forms.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.

Bake for 15 - 18 minutes until the scones are light brown. The scones will be firm to the touch.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Eggs, Spinach and Roasted Peppers

2008-11-09T13:21:00.001-08:00

The election, school, the dog, dog training, rain, Farmer's Markets... those are the reasons I have been absent from the blogosphere for so long. My nights these days are mostly filled with having lots of quick-fixes like pasta, pasta, more pasta and (horrors!) Sushi-land. Yes, sushi on a conveyor belt for $1.50 a plate. In lieu of the crazy week(s) that was/were and also for my birthday, we went out for a wonderful, romantic (albeit expensive) dinner at a French, fine-dining establishment called Crush. And yes, it is one of those pretentious, one-word restaurants that are patrolled by gay waiters with frou-frou decor and "May I help you wipe down the lobster spill on your shirt?" attitude. I had a good time inspite of that, mostly because the food was good. We started off with the Hudson Valley Seared Foie Gras steak, then I had the Roasted Hawaiian Mero Sea Bass and finished off with the most delectable serving of Chocolate Mousse and Caramelized Bananas. I think the one reason that place was so expensive was because they used truffles in EVERY SINGLE THING. Hello, truffle laces, truffle oil, truffle shavings, truffle soaked meat...

I finally had time this morning to make us a decent sit-down breakfast, spurred on by my craving for Portobello Mushrooms. This is a take on a recipe in Bon Appetit that I've tried to recreate following my pretentious gourmet outing at Crush. And isn't Konosur the ideal name for a my very own pretentious one-word restaurant?

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Eggs, Spinach and Roasted Peppers
Serves 2

2 large portabello mushrooms
4 organic, free-range eggs
2 cups spinach
1/4 chopped Spanish onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup sliced roasted red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Heat the grill. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the mushrooms, sprinkle the thyme over, season with salt and pepper and grill for 15 minutes until the mushrooms are soft, about 15 minutes, turning once.

In a skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil and saute the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes, and add in the spinach. Toss until the spinach are wilted, about 5 minutes. Divide on to two plates.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy and season with salt and pepper and half the parsley. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a skillet (you can use the same one you did for your spinach), pour in the eggs and gently scramble the eggs over medium heat until the eggs are cooked. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over.

On the bed of wilted spinach, arrange one mushroom cap on top with the smooth edge facing down. Spoon the eggs on top of the mushroom, top with roasted peppers and garnish with remaining parsley. Repeat for the other mushroom.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies

2008-11-02T20:08:00.000-08:00

Hello! I hope your Halloween went well - I think Halloween is the one day in the year girls are allowed to dress up skankily and not be called out for me. Luckily for me too, since over the weekend, I dressed up in a failed attempt at being Sarah Palin with a sticker stuck on my chest that said "MAVERICK". I ended up looking like a school girl and a nerd (which I am).

Anyhoo. I think the disasterous, half-arsed attempt at Nailin' Paylin (heh heh heh) was offset by some really good pumpkin spice cookies which I spent so much time decorating that by the time I was done, it was too dark out to even take any good photos. I made cookies in the shape of pumpkins, ghosts, cats and bats. I think the ghosts turned out really cute and I used chocolate frosting to make the cats and bats black.

This recipe is a combination of basic sugar cookies (from Martha Stewart.com) laced with brandy and pumpkin spice. You should save this for next Halloween, or use it with your Thanksgiving cookie cutters.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies
Makes about 15 cookies with a large cookie cutter or 20 with a small one

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and spices in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar; add dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated. With mixer running, add egg, brandy (or milk), and vanilla; mix until incorporated.

Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape into 2 discs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (I skipped this step and it turned out fine).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in between. Leftover dough can be rolled and cut once more. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Easy Mondays: Savoy cabbage, potatoes and spare ribs soup

2008-10-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

There's something about cabbage that just screams "peasant" and "Russia" in the same sentence, mostly because Brian has so ingrained the horrors of Russian borsch in my mind that I've been quite hesitant to combine cabbage and potatoes in a soup. Over the weekend however, we took a stroll with down to the Broadway Farmer's Market and there sat a lonely little savoy cabbage bursting with all colours of green, beckoning to me to chomp on it.

Also, cabbage and soup reminds me of Brer Rabbit and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, both British institutions that demonstrate how highly popular cabbage and potatoes are in European culture. I guess that in the ~~Old World~~Alaska, it must have been a great relieve to be able to dig something out of your garden, stab a pig (or a moose!) and toss it all into a large kettle.

I adapted this recipe from the New York Times, adding in potatoes as the bad-bad-bad carb filler and braising the spare ribs in liquid for the soup instead of doing it separately. Savoy cabbage lends a sweet taste to the soup, and complements the spicy spareribs. The actual recipe states that this will yield 10 - 12 servings. Unless you're a midget or Giada De Laurentiis, I think this whole recipe will yield about 6 servings for a main course with some crusty bread.

Cabbage, Potatoes and Spare Ribs Soup
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons dry mustard (I used mustard seeds)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Salt
Pinch cayenne pepper (I used chili flakes)
1 1/4 pounds pork spareribs (about 8 ribs or 1/2 rack)
1 head garlic, peeled, cloves crushed
Vegetable spray
6 cups rich chicken stock
2 cups diced yellow onions
6 generous cups green cabbage in 1-inch dice
2 cups red potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cube
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped parsley for garnish (Optional)

1. In a spice grinder process caraway seeds, paprika and mustard until fine. Turn into a bowl with brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and the cayenne; fluff with fingertips.

2. Dry ribs well with paper towels, and rub both sides with spices and crushed garlic. Place ribs on a small rack or plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a sheet pan lightly with vegetable spray. Brush garlic cloves from ribs, place ribs in a sheet pan, and roast until a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven.

4. Transfer ribs to a 5-quart Dutch oven; pour rendered fat (about 2 tablespoons) from sheet pan into a large heavy skillet, and set aside. Place sheet pan on 2 burners over high heat, add 1 cup water, and stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge browned bits. Pour deglazing liquid and stock into Dutch oven, cover, and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until ribs are tender, turning occasionally, about 75 minutes (1 hr 15 mins). Add in cubed potatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes until potatoes are soft.

5. While ribs simmer, sauté onions and cabbage in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper; stir to combine. Set aside.

6. Remove spare ribs from the soup. Pull pork off bones, trim off bits of cartilage, and dice meat. Discard bones. Return meat to soup base, add cabbage and onions, and simmer about 15 minutes. Serve, garnished with parsley.

Hello Saturday Morning Breakfast!

2008-10-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking: "Oh noes! Another sweets recipe - is she turning into one of those baking maniacs?"

Well the truth is that baked goods are so photogenic. And let's face it, no one really wants to visit a blog where all the writer moans about is calories, no butter and food that tastes like paste (hey, I rhymed!). Anyhoo, I'm not giving up on healthy meals just yet - the only time I have so far has been used to make recipes that I've wanted to try for a long time now. And those recipes just happen to be made up largely of sugar and flour (*wink!* -- Sarah Palin style).

Once again, a huge thank you to The Omnomicon for being a big inspiration. She set in motion my craving for crepes, something which I've never justified paying close to $7 in a restaurant for. I made a simple pear and vanilla compote to go with the crepes. The other variety was peanut butter, apples and cinnamon. I made a healthier crepe recipe using half all-purpose flour and half whole-wheat flour.

Basic Crepes
Makes 6 crepes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp sugar
Pinch salt
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup low-fat or soy milk
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp melted butter

In a blender, combine all the wet ingredients first then the dry. Refrigerate batter for about 45 minutes.

In a non-stick 8" skillet, brush a little bit of cooking oil on the surface and pour 1/4 cup batter on the heated pan. Swirl the pan around the coat the entire surface of the pan. Heat should be on medium to low. Cook the crepe about 1 minute on the first side, flip and cook the either side for 1 minute. Add in ingredients and fold. Garnish with powdered sugar or honey.

Pear and vanilla compote
4 servings

1 large comiso pear (or soft bartlett pear), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 vanilla bean
4 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Incise the vanilla bean through the middle and remove any seeds.

Bring 1/4 cup water to boil in a saucepan. Add in all the ingredients and simmer for about 20 minutes until the water has evaporated and the pear is soft.

Disconnect the Dots: Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake

2008-10-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering about the dearth of posts recently (apart from stress-relieving sugar fixes), the story is that we got a miniature dachshund. It's the cutest little thing ever. I don't know what it is about dogs, but no matter how much you train them, they still always keep that little bit of genetics with them. Dieter the Dachshund loves burrowing and snorfing around, probably due to the inate hound nature in him. It's so fun watching him spaz out that sometimes I even forget about food!

A couple of days ago, Omnomicon posted a recipe for some Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins, something which I've wanted to try for the longest time now since lemons are supremely easy to come by, and muffins are one of my favourite things in the world. Also, I stare at a jar of Lemon Poppy Seed face wash from Burt's Bees every morning. Some days I get some poppy seed stuck on the sides of my lips and it makes me think about lemony goodness in food form.

I actually prefer the idea of a lemon and poppy seed cake mostly because I want to save on muffin liners and because dumping a whole bowl of batter in a loaf pan is easier than scooping it out bit by bit. So yes, I'm lazy and have no pastry chef skills but have a go at this recipe. Be sure to floss well afterwards though, because you don't want to be walking around and grinning like a loon with poppy seeds in your teeth (speaking from experience here!)

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 stick butter
1/2 cup yogurt
3 tbsp blue poppy seed
2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
2 tbsp lemon peel (from 1 large lemon)
2 tsp pure vanilla essence
Apricot jam for glaze (optional)
Powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat butter for about 20 seconds. Stir until melted. Cool for about 5 minutes. Beat eggs together until fluffy. Gently add in the yogurt, vanilla essence, lemon juice and finally add in the melted butter.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in wet ingredients. Add in lemon peel and poppy seeds. Stir until just combined. Be careful not to over mix! Spoon into prepared pan and smooth the top with a knife.

Bake in preheated oven for about 55 - 60 minutes until a thin knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool completely on wire rack. Glaze with apricot jam and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Note1: Once again, I used soy yogurt and cooking margarine instead to make it dairy-free.
Note2: I always use less sugar in my recipes because I don't like the feeling of being on sugar high all day. If you like things a little bit sweeter, use 3/4 cup light brown sugar.

Comfort Food: Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-10-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

I recently started my PhD program and one of courses I'm taking involves a weekly quiz - which constantly leaves me constantly stressed out, cynical and crummy. I'm usually that way anyway, but I swear this course has multiplied all those negative qualities by a billion.

Of course, when stressed, there's nothing better to turn to than alcohol and food. My comfort food is usually an ENORMOUS bowl of pasta, several bottles of ale and one other kind of bad-for-your-hips munchies. Pasta because it fills me up and it involves tons of CHEEZ, beer because it fills me up and it involves tons of hops... and I suppose chocolate chip cookies because it involves tons of gooey yummy melted chocolate.

This recipe is from David Lebovitz's The Great Book of Chocolate - which Deb of SmittenKitchen swears is her favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. So far I think it's mine too! For some reason, the bottom of the cookie is a little crunchy and the center is just soft enough without being mushy. I don't usually like walnuts, but the addition of it I think helped enhance the flavour of the cookies. Also, instead of using just a teaspoon of vanilla, I used two teaspoons and that made the cookies even more yumtastic (yes, yumtastic is a word in the Konosur vocabulary).

I might just pack this up for our trip out on Sunday to see Joe Biden in Tacoma. Chocolate chip cookies and a stop at Harmon Brewing Co. will offset whatever doldrumminess Monday will bring.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Based on David Lebovitz's The Great Book of Chocolate
Makes about 20 cookies (4" diameter)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick)unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or baking margarine)
1 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (or omit if you use salted butter or margarine)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

Adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat to 300°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop the cookie dough into 2 tablespoon balls onto prepared baking sheet, spacing the balls about 4-in apart. I used two tablespoon scoops and mashed them together and dropped them on to the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

(Sulk) It's Monday, have an Easy Noodley Stir-Fry

2008-10-13T19:09:00.001-07:00

Sulk! Pout! Stomp! I hate Mondays. Actually, I hate Sundays more because it's the day before Monday, and it reminds me that I have to go to school and work and start the miserable trudge through my mundane week again. I also hate Mondays because... who doesn't?

Cynicism and all things pouty aside, Mondays are good for being lazy and also good for getting rid of vegetables and what-nots so that when Wednesday comes and I am attacked by a massive amount of grocery store flyers promoting 10 zucchinis for a buck, I can stock up my fridge with a bucket-load of produce I don't even want to eat.

The quickest and bestest way to get rid of last week's vege is to use it in a stir fry. Here's a secret: The reason why Asians like chow mein is so that nothing goes to waste. Leftover cabbage? Chuck that in. Mushrooms? Celery? Chicken? Greens? Onions? Chuck them all in, add some soy sauce and you've got yourself a tasty dinner with maybe some leftover for lunch tomorrow.

Here's my easy peasy stir-fried noodles with bok choy, mushrooms and chicken - MSG free. By the way, unpeeled straw mushrooms look like little teeny-weenies, so to save yourself the shock, get peeled ones.

Political Speak (P/S): Last debate this Wednesday! I think we're going to do TexMex to support those folks in bell-weather New Mexico. And also, I don't think McCain has got me where he wants, despite whatever new stump speech he's moaning about now. And yes, Obama: we know how to spells JOBS.

Easy Noodle Stir-Fry
Serves 4

1 lb chicken breast, sliced thinly
1/2 lb vegetables (you can use ANY kind of leafy vegetables or even shredded cabbage, carrots, celery, bean sprouts, etc.)
1 can peeled straw mushrooms
1 can sliced water chestnuts
16 oz. wheat or egg noodles (chow mein variety)
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Chicken Marinade
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp Tsiao Shing wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder

Stir-Fry Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp sweet soy sauce
2 tsp corn flour
White pepper

Marinade the chicken for 15 minutes.

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a wok. Add in chopped garlic and chicken. Stir-fry on medium-high heat until chicken is almost cooked through. Toss in mushrooms.

Fry for another 2-3 minutes and add in vegetables. In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for the sauce until corn flour is dissolved. Add in cooked noodles and pour in sauce. Turn off the heat and stir to combine. Serve with chili sauce.

Saturday night blues: Seafood Curry

2008-10-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

I must be getting old, considering the fact that I spent Saturday night holed up in the house, cooking and watching a really bad movie (I have unbearably high standards). I should have known better, it was a movie with Will Smith playing an alcoholic superhero... Hancock indeed.

Most of Saturday morning was spent shopping at Pike Place Market and searching for a French Press because I've decided that I like the taste of pressed coffee more than the brownish piss water from a drip machine. I have a regular Bodum press that I've been using for ages, but the coffee always turns lukewarm after the infusing time. I ended up buying a Frieling stainless steel thermal french press from Bed Bath and Beyond. While the price cost me my left kidney, it works supremely well and I got piping hot, swishy pressed coffee this morning. And the pot looks really swanky too.

So I came home yesterday with french press in hand and lugging bottles of cheapo wine from World Market and felt like having seafood. One of the easiest way to make tasty seafood is by rubbing it with some spices and chucking it on the grill. Another quick way is conjuring up some seafood curry. All you need is some good quality curry powder and garam masala.

I've been using the curry powder blend from Dean and DeLuca for the longest time. After trying a few other brands, I think the the D&D ones give the strongest and freshest flavour. This seafood curry is super quick and easy, with a spicy tomato flavour infused with creamy coconut milk. Peas and fresh cilantro and lime gives it a tangy twist. It's what I call my "fall-back-on" quick meal.

Seafood Curry
Serves 4

10 large prawns (we used tiger prawns)
1 lb solid fish fillet, like halibut, mahi-mahi or snapper cut into 1-inch bite size
4 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 cup peas
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup low fat or soy milk
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Juice from 1/2 lime

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or stainless steel pot. Add in diced onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, chili powder and curry powder and saute until fragrant, about 5 -6 minutes on medium heat.

Pour in coconut milk and milk and bring to a bubble. Let the curry simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened.

Add in the halibut and gently pour in half the chicken broth so that the curry covers the halibut. Simmer for 5 minutes until halibut is almost cooked through, then add in the prawns and remaining chicken broth. Simmer another 5 or 6 minutes until the prawns no longer appear transluscent.

Add in the peas and season the curry with salt to taste. Simmer another 5 minutes, stirring to make sure the seafood is coated with curry. Turn heat off, stir in lime juice. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot with bread or rice.

Oh noes! No-Cheese Easy Faux Lasagna

2008-10-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

Let's establish one thing here. I detest going to the gym. I do so almost every other day because I need to, and because I get a personal TV screen whilst peddling my legs to muscular dystrophy on the elliptical machine. I also get to put on my headphones on full volume and yell at silly Sarah Palin statements or channel silent hate to ~~Wolf~~ ~~Hans~~Wolf Blitzer.

Unfortunately, Direct TV decided to be a pain in the butt today and would not allow me to watch ANY news channel (ok, I didn't even bother trying FOX News). I ended up watching Racheal Ray's 30 Minute Meals because when you're triddling on the treadmill, you need some sort of distraction, even if it's in the form of a chippy who grins like she has had one too many omelettes and sounds like she swallowed a whole bottle of ecstasy pills (who TALKS like that in real life?). I've ranted before about how annoying I find her, but I tuned in today (shamefully) to find that she was making a decent recipe which I could improvise to make it dairy-free (the boyfriend has dairy allergies). She made an easy lasagna recipe using spiral pasta instead of egg noodles. And instead of using the traditional ricotta, she used a bechamel sauce, with milk of course.

For my improvisation, I used soy milk and added sliced canned button mushrooms to create a mushroom bechamel sauce. It turned out to be a wonderfully creamy concoction, not unlike melted cream cheese. Vegans can use portabello mushrooms instead of beef for the tomato sauce and substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth. The baking part is my idea, mostly because it allows the sauces to stick to pasta and dries it up a little bit. I added grated Parmigiano just coz IHRTCHEEZ. I used a bottle of Pugliese Primitiva red wine I picked up from World Market for the recipe, and finished the rest off while cooking. The entire cooking time took less than half and hour, and the end product was pretty good considering the fact that it's really just curly-wurly pasta in tons of meat sauce.

No-cheese Easy Faux Lasagna
Serves 4

2 cups whole-grain short spiral pasta (like fusilli or rotini or spiralli)
1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 Italian sausages links
2 slices pancetta, diced
1 small can tomato paste
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 tsp allspice
2 bay leaves
1/2 can button mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp cooking margarine
2 tbsp flour
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
Handful chopped parsley (fresh) or 1 tbsp dried
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Heat 2 tbsps olive oil in a skillet. Add in the pancetta and ground beef and saute for about 5 minutes. Toss in the onions, 1/2 of the minced garlic, grated carrots, allspice, bay leaf and freshly ground black pepper and saute for another 10 minutes until the beef is cooked through. Add in tomate paste and wine and gently simmer until the beef mixture thickens.

Cook pasta according to directions. You want to make it al dente. Do not overcook. Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a separate saucepan, heat the margarine on medium until melted. Add in remaining minced garlic and sliced mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms turn slightly brown. Whisk in the flour and gently pour in soy milk. Whisk till the sauce thickens. Add in grated nutmeg, some freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Turn the heat down to low. Add in chicken broth until the bechamel sauce reaches the consistency of melted cheese.

In a baking dish, layer half the cooked pasta, add on the bechamel sauce, top with remaining cooked pasta and finish off with the meat sauce. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

It's Town Hall Night! Onion, Garlic and Italian Herbs Beer Bread

2008-10-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

OK. Here's two things you need to do if you're watching the Presidential Debates tonight: 1) Drink... a LOT, if you want to offset the dull ache of "My Friends" ringing in your ear 2) Eat a LOT, if you want to offset the boredom that comes with listening to 90 minutes of earmarks, Fannie and failed economic policies, Fannie and ear~~wax~~marks. You can read the minute to minute outtake of the debate here.

If you're looking to combine the best of both worlds, try out this savoury beer bread recipe with some grapes, sliced cheese and fresh butter on the side along with tons and tons of your favourite Oktoberfest Marzen.

We bought a variety pack of Sam Adams a couple of months ago, and the box came with 4 bottles of Boston Lager (which we never touch, and never ever drink... yelch), so I used that for this recipe. You can use any kind of beer - even shitty cheap ones. An apricot wheat would work perfect with this though.

P/S: McCain just talked about healthcare and hair transplants. Is he poking fun at Joe Biden?!

Onion, Garlic and Italian Herbs Beer Bread

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 bottle (12 fl. oz.) beer
1 large white onion
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons butter or cooking margarine
1 tsp each of:
Dried Oregano
Dried Thyme
Dried Basil
Dried Parsley
Dried Marjoram
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a skillet, heat up the butter and saute the onions and garlic and half the herbs until the onions are slightly browned. Drain the butter from the pan into a bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9X5 loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the all the dry ingredients, including the herbs. Make a well in the center and gently pour in the beer. With a spatula, mix the flour until all the beer is incorporated.

Add in the onions and mix into the dough. The dough will be be super tough and sticky. Use your hands to incorporate all the flour if necessary. Turn the dough out into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 55 - 60 minutes until a skewer or knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set on wire rack to cool completely.

Ready in 3-minutes: Almost Healthy Apple Raisin Coleslaw

2008-10-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

For the past two days I've been going on a beer tasting rampage. I want to draw attention again to the brilliant Pike Street Beer and Spirits shop down on Pike and Harvard in Capitol Hill. They had a Pumpkin Ale tasting session yesterday and I got to try some of Delaware's finest (Say it ain't so, Joe! Doggone it!), Dogfish Head Punkin Ale which was reminiscent of a whole huge amount of pumpkin spice cake dunked in some hoppy mixture. Of course, our favourite is Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale from San Francisco, but the Punkin Ale is definitely one worth trying if you're looking for an interesting albeit weird Seasonal brew.

We also tried a couple of seasonal brews at the Elysian which is a local Seattle brewpub, admittedly Brian's favourite brewpub (mine is Big Time in the U-District). I had a pint of the Awakener Amber Hef yesterday and some White Woods Wit (Germain weissbeir). Both were light wheat beers that reminded me of summer, I'm still in denial about it being Fall so quickly, I'm not ready for any stout, porters or IPAs yet.

After that crazy amount of beer, I felt the ~~not-so-secret~~ need to eat only light, easily digestible food. I love coleslaw because cabbage helps to get rid of water retention and makes me feel less bloaty. Celery seeds also help dispel tummy discomfort and oh well, it just seems healthy to be wolfing down greens and fruits instead of chomping on a gigantic hunk of cow. This recipe which is proudly something I serve at almost every barbecue, uses low-fat yogurt and an eensy bit of light mayo to create a healthy yet creamy texture.

Almost Healthy Apple Raisin Coleslaw
Makes 6 servings
1/2 pack coleslaw mix (no dressing)
1 large gala apple, cored and cubed, skin on
1 cup Thomson raisins
1 tbsp celery seed
2 tbsp poppy seed
2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup low fat yogurt
2 tbsp sherry or dry vermouth
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
Dash of pepper

Wash the slaw mix in ice water. Drain and dry well.

Core and cut the apple into 1/2 inch cubes. Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle over the slaw mix and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow flavours to meld. If the slaw is a little too wet after refrigeration, add in an extra 1/2 cup of slaw mix.

Rainy-day comfort food: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2008-10-03T20:37:00.001-07:00

On some days the weather around here gets so depressing (that coupled with depressing political, economic and personal happenings), that I just want to say sod it, curl up into a ball and not move for a few hours. I don't know about you, but I sometimes wish that the Willy Wonka Magic Food Bubblegum with a 3-course meal variety is real. Either that or a food drip.

A few weeks ago I found a bag of overpriced wild rice at Trader Joes. On the days I have canned soup for lunch, I spend almost 10 minutes trying to figure out what the floating bits and pieces are. Sometimes they appear to be dehydrated chunks of chicken but I can never really tell. Just the other day, I opened a can of Progresso's chicken and wild rice to find mushed up carrots bobbing about with some little black specks. It took me quite a few minutes to realize that those specks were wild rice.

I figured if I could spend $2 on a can of sodium-infused carrot mulch, I could haul my lazy ass up to make a healthier version on soup that won't cause hair loss or severe dehydration half a year from now.

A lot of wild rice recipes online seem to have an insane amount of cream or half and half which I somehow find to be quite unhealthy. That coupled with the fact that my partner can't have dairy makes creamy soup recipes often undesirable. After a prolonged, time consuming, hair-tearing search, I found this really interesting recipe on Kitchen Parade that it uses vegetables to create a creamy base (red creamer potatoes create a starchy texture).

I wanted some protein in the soup so I added some pan-seared chicken marinaded in some Stubbs chicken marinade. I changed the recipe very slightly from the original, but all in all I think it stayed true to the Kitchen Parade vision of a healthy, vegetarian soup. We rounded off dinner with crusty bread and a really great bottle of Mirassou (one of the oldest wineries in Western US) 2007 Chardonnay.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Makes about 6 cups

8oz chicken breast, cubed
2 tbsp Stubbs chicken marinade or any kind of chicken marinade
1/2 cup wild rice, native or cultivated
1 tablespoon butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts only (about 4 leeks)
2 cups chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
1/2 medium white onion, diced
6 cups no-fat, sodium-free chicken broth
2 cups red creamer potatoes, chopped (about five small potatoes)
1 tbsp dried chopped parsley
3 pieces bay leaves
2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the wild rice in water according to package directions.

In a separate skillet, pan-sear the chicken meat until just cooked through.

In a dutch oven or soup pot, saute onions, garlic, leek, celery and carrot in the butter and olive oil until the onions become translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add in the chicken broth and potatoes, bay leaves, thyme and parsley. Bring the soup to a boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Turn the heat off. With an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth, with some chunks left. Add in the chicken and wild rice. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Things that numb your tongue: Mapo Tofu

2008-10-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

I was pleased to find a bottle of Szechuan style spicy bean paste during one of my monthly jaunts to the in the International District in Seattle. The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this jar by Lee Kum Kee was Mapo Tofu. I have been wanting to try this recipe for ages, since finding it on several food blogs like RasaMalaysia and Closet Cooking.

As a Chinese growing up in Malaysia, I've certainly never had Mapo Tofu, which for the longest time I suspected to be a weird American invention of some sort. The first time I tried it in a Szechuan restaurant in New York, the dish struck me as bizzare, with its weird menthol-like flavour. It reminds me ever so uncannily of Orajel, with the numbing sensation and the tingly feeling it leaves on your lips. I found out a little later that this is due to the use of Szechuan peppercorns.

Since I love tofu, pork and all things spicy it only seemed fit to try my hand at making something that combined all these in one eccentric dish: Orajel tofu...

Mapo Tofu
Makes 4 servings

1/2 lb ground pork (or turkey)
1 block medium-firm tofu
1/2 cup Sichuan spicy bean paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 dried chilis, sliced
2 stalks green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ground Sichuan peppercorns (or Chinese white pepper)

Cut 3 inches off the white end of the green onions. Slice the white part into half. Chop the green parts into 1/4 inch slices. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok until wok is smoking. Stir-fry the ground pork until cook through. Set aside.

In the same wok, heat an extra 1 tbsp of oil and bring the heat down to medium. Fry the garlic, dried chilis and the white parts of the green onions until fragrant. Add in the bean paste and fry for a few minutes. Add in the pork. Fry for a few minutes to coat.

Gently slide in the cut tofu, scatter the peppercorns and stir to coat. Pour in the chicken broth and simmer the tofu for about 5 minutes until the tofu is cooked through.

Dish out on a plate and scatter with remaining chopped green onions.

Taste of Home: Char Siew

2008-09-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite foods growing up was a hawker-style dish called "char siew, wonton" noodles. "Char siew" is of course barbecue pork, and wonton is... well, wonton. I would sometimes get another kind of dumpling called "Sui Kao" which is a larger version of a pork and shrimp wonton. I could eat the noodles for breakfast every weekend and still not get bored. Despite the fact that there were tons of wonton noodle stalls scattered around the places I frequented, it was really hard to find a stall that served a good plate of "char siew wonton". Most of them either served egg noodles that had a strong alkaline taste or wonton that were so small it resembled rubber bullets.

I recently found this recipe online, and decided to try making my very own "char siew wonton" noodles. Since I've been so busy lately, I made my own "char siew" but used some store bought dumplings that resembled "Sui Kao".

The perfect kind pork for this recipe will either be pork tenderloins with some marbling. If you like fatty pork (most Chinese people do!), you can use pork belly. Instead of the glaze from the recipe, I added honey to the cooked pork, sliced them and grilled it on my trusty George Foreman until there was a nice caramelized layer on the pork.

The "char siew" was just sweet enough, the marinade was absolutely spot on and the barbecued pork turned out remarkably stunning. I served it with the Trader Joes' pork dumpling in a light chicken broth, some egg noodles tossed with sweet soy sauce and a teensy bit of oil, and some blanched baby bok choy.

Behold it's Fall: Cranberry and Apple Muffins

2008-09-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've just realized that the last time I updated this blog was a week ago. Since starting school again for my PhD program, I haven't been able to do much cooking and have resorted to easy meals (like salmon steaks) that I chuck on the grill. I'm lucky though, to be living with someone who isn't as fussy about food, and who makes good Phad Kee Mao for those days when all I want to do sit in front of the TV and not move.

One of the terrible things (the are uncountably many of them) about having to attend lectures in the morning is that if I have several classes in a row, I get insanely hungry and sleepy. I find that munching on something along with a thermos-full of coffee usually helps. I guess that explains why when I was taking more classes two years ago, I was much chunkier.

Muffins are the best things to bring with you and works for a lunchtime dessert as well. You can leave the muffins at room temperature for 3 days, and freeze the rest for up to two weeks. But I'm pretty sure it will all be gone by then. As fall is now officially on its way, I've decided to use some lovely Washington-grown Gala apples for a batch of muffins.

Cranberry and Apple Muffins
Makes 15 muffins

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp grated orange peel
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp grated nutmeg
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup applesauce
3/4 cup soy milk/skim milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large gala apple, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries

Oat streusel (optional)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
4 tbsp butter or margarine

Cut the butter into the oats and sugar using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup oats for 10 times.

Combine processed oats, flour, sugar and spices together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in beaten egg, applesauce, canola oil, milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract and orange peel. Stir gently for about 6 -7 times with a large spatula.

Add in cranberries and chopped apples. Stir again until all the ingredients are just combined, about 15 stirs. Be careful not to over mix batter. Spoon into lined muffin tins until it almost reaches the top of the mold. Sprinkle the oat-butter-sugar mixture on top.

Bake muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes then turn heat down to 395°F for about 20minutes until a knife or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove muffin tins from oven and set over a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Turn the muffins out and cool completely on wire rack.

Italian Food on a Budget

2008-09-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Italian food is possibly one of the easiest and quickest and possibly cheapest cuisine to make at home. It's usually not worth the price to eat out when all you need usually are some good diced tomatoes, a jar of tomato paste and some herbs and good quality olive oil. Some special store-bought gourmet pasta would also work well when you're trying to have a quick and elegant meal. I usually make enough cacciatore to last for both dinner and packed lunch the next day. It's super easy to make, saves a ton of money and tastes as good today as it does tomorrow.

You can pack leftover cacciatore in a microwave proof container along with some fresh bread and a cold cucumber salad for a satisfying lunch. A Bianco Sicilia complements the meal nicely.

Creamy Chicken Cacciatore with Olives and Basil
Serves 4

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 medium white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans of 16oz. diced plum tomatoes, drained
1 jar 4 oz. tomato paste
1/4 cup dry sherry or vermouth or white wine
1/4 cup ricotta cheese or cream cheese
1/2 cup Gaeta or Kalamata olives, sliced in half
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Butterfly the chicken breast and cut into half to yield eight pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Sear the chicken until cooked through, 4 minutes on each side. Set aside on a baking dish.

Set oven at 375°F.

In the same skillet, add one teaspoon of olive oil and saute onions and garlic until onions turn transluscent. Add in vermouth (or sherry) to deglaze the pan. Toss in the drained tomatoes and turn heat down to medium. Add in tomato paste and stir to combine. Allow the tomato mixture to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and turn heat off.

Add sliced olives to the chicken in the baking dish. Pour in tomato mixture and scatter torn basil leaves on top. Bake the chicken for 15 minutes in the oven. Serve with rotelli pasta and a large side of salad.

Weekly Meal Roundup

2008-09-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd try summarizing my dinner menu for the past week mostly to gauge how healthy I've been eating, and also just for your benefit, if you're looking to plan ahead at some point.

Monday: Fajitas at Azteca Mexican Restaurant
Tuesday: Easy Tandoori Chicken, Sambhar and Rice
Wednesday: Phad Thai
Thursday: Potato and Mustard Greens Soup
Friday: Goat cheese, tomatoes and thyme Tart
Saturday: Chorizo, Chicken and Seafood Paella
Sunday: Leftover paella with Hot German Potato Salad and Mixed Greens

A Panini for Sunday Breakfast

2008-09-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

I love Sundays mostly because it's the only day of the week I don't feel overwhelmed to roll quickly out of bed, storm to the bathroom and sulk while brushing my teeth. Sundays are usually lazy, I lie in bed thinking about the sweet aroma of coffee, deciding whether to have a sweet breakfast (pancakes! waffles! muffins!) or savoury breakfast (eggs! bacon! sandwich!).

Fresh ciabatta bread took over the mind today, and I decided to wake up and whip together some lovely panini. We've contemplated getting a panini press, which we might at some point later in the year, but for now, our trusty, wussy old George Foreman grill works well for getting our paninis hot and crusty.

One of the ingredients I used in the panini was a bottle of hot peppers we picked up from Potbelly sandwich shop in Chicago. It's a combination of pickled jalapenos, bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, celery and cauliflower which lends a subtle spicy taste to kick up the panini.

Honey Smoked Ham Panini with Caramelized Onions and Provolone
Serves 2

1 loaf fresh ciabatta bread, halved and sliced in the middle
8 slices deli honey smoked ham (we used Hormel Natural Choice ham)
4 tbsp caramelized onions (recipe below)
2 tbsp hot peppers (jarred jalapenos would work)
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 slices provolone cheese
Dijon mustard
Mayonnaise
Sliced tomatoes and lettuce leaves

Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of the ciabatta. Layer with 4 slices of ham and top with caramelized onions and hot peppers and provolone. Sprinkle some fresh rosemary on top. On the other side of bread, spread a thin layer of mustard and sandwich the bread together. Grill on a panini press until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes on each side.

Caramelized Onions
1 onion, sliced thinly into rings
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup dry vermouth or sherry

In a stainless steel skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil. When the pan starts to smoke, add in the onions and turn the heat down to low. Gently saute the onions until they turn transluscent and start to brown, about 8 minutes. Add in brown sugar and saute for another 6-7 minutes. Gently add in vermouth and turn up heat, simmering until all the vermouth is absorbed and the onions are soft and brown.

It's Paella Night!

2008-09-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

Ugh, the non-stop rain is already starting. I sometimes really can't stand the sound of constant dripping, it reminds me that I'm getting old and my chubby fingers hurt when I'm slicing tomatoes. The trick to overcoming dreary weather phobia is to imagine that I'm in some sunny country where the air smells of the ocean and the food is reminisce of the warm, salty air. What better place to offset the Seattle gloom than Spain!

I love Mediterranean cuisine, everything from Moroccan chicken to Turkish kebabs to Sardinian pasta. But of course, no list of Mediterranean cuisine is complete without the mention of paella. I've read countless cookbooks on making the perfect paella, and it just seems to me that paella are relatively subjective. You have the Valencian paella which have inland ingredients such as rabbit and duck while the Andalucian paella tend to have seafood. Apparently in Spain, a combination of seafood and meat paella would be faux pas (with the exception of chorizo to add taste and colour).

I've made paella twice in my life, both times in which I have never used a paella pan. I don't think it's particularly necessary if you don't make paella habitually. A large stainless steel frying pan would suffice. I don't remember where this recipe comes from, but it's a tried and tested method that I love although it's not traditionally 'Spanish'. It combines chorizo, chicken and seafood - a faux pas, but a tasty faux pas no less.

We paired this with some wonderful homemade sangria to complete the Spanish experience. Sadly, the night was ruined with some minorly buzzed watching of Sex in the City, The Movie. It was so bloody awful, even a whole bottle of Rioja and extra brandy in the sangria wasn't enough to numb the pain.

Chorizo, chicken and seafood paella
Serves 4

8 oz. chicken thighs
6 mussels, debearded and scrubbed
6 tiger or jumbo prawns, peeled with tails left on
6 oz. red snapper or cod
1 Spanish chorizo link, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 medium white Spanish onion
1 cup Spanish Bomba rice (substitute with Italian Arborio)
2 tsp Spanish roasted paprika
1 tsp Spanish saffron threads (crushed)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
Handful chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Cut the chicken thighs and snapper into bite size pieces.

Season the chicken all over with paprika and set aside. Mix the chicken broth and water in a saucepan and set over medium heat to keep hot.

Heat a large shallow skillet or paella pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute the chicken and chorizo until cook through and the oil in the pan turns red. Set aside on a plate.

In the same pan heat an additional 1 tbsp olive oil and add in the garlic, onions, tomatoes and remaining paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the onions turn brown and fragrant. Add in rice and stir to coat. Add in saffron and gently coat rice again.

Turn up the heat to high and pour in the chicken broth mixture. Make sure the broth is bubbling. Shake the pan slightly to ensure even heat and that the rice is completely immersed in the broth.

Turn heat to medium and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Add in seafood, cooked chicken and chorizo. Give all the ingredients one good stir to tuck in the seafood. Simmer the paella for another 10 minutes until the prawns turn pink and the mussels open up. Turn the heat up to medium-high and scatter the peas on top. At this point, there should be no remaining visible liquid in your pan.

Wait 5 minutes and turn the heat off. Scatter chopped parsley on top and let rest on hot stove for about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Goat Cheese, Thyme and Tomato Tart

2008-09-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

The boyfriend and I have this pact where we try to have alone time every once in a while. My "alone time" usually consists of staying home, watching a movie or reading a book and making an individual meal. I've been meaning to try making a tart for a long time but seeing as I have no tart pan, I thought I'd just try something extremely simple following Delia Smith (I love Delia!)'s recipe for Goat Cheese, Thyme and Tomato Tart. I didn't have any puff pastry on hand so I used some phyllo dough which was leftover from an apple strudel a while back.

It takes only 30 minutes to bake, and you can sit back and enjoy it with a glass of wine and a side of salad.

Goat Cheese, Thyme and Tomato Tart
Make 1 individual serving

4 pieces phyllo dough
2 roma tomatoes, sliced very thinly
3 oz goat cheese, softened at room temperature
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Olive oil spray
Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix together goat cheese, thyme and milled black pepper. Slice the tomatoes thinly and sprinkle with sea salt.

Unroll each phyllo dough layer onto a work surface and spray with the olive oil spray. Fold the layer into half. Repeat for the remaining 3 layers and stack them on top of each other to yield 8 layers of pastry.

Spread the goat cheese mixture onto the prepared pastry, leaving 1-inch strips free on all sides. Layer the cheese on the goat cheese lengthwise on the prepared pastry. Top of with more freshly ground black pepper.

Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes until pastry is golden brown and the tomatoes are roasted.

Orange and Cranberry Banana Bread

2008-09-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

I never understand how people can voluntarily get out of bed at 6.30 in the morning, prepare breakfast and coffee and bounce to work. I have to be practically dragged out of bed and beaten with a stick before I eventually crawl out of bed and sulk at the bathroom mirror. But anyway, my point is that most days I like thinking about breakfast the night before (yes, dreams of cake and muffins and all sweet goodness). In that way, all I have to do in the mornings is brew some coffee and cut a slice of **insert baked good here**.

This recipe is a take on the old fashion banana bread which I've spruced up with some cranberries and orange peel (I feel inclined to preach the message of Microplanes, but I won't). Banana breads in general tend to be a little too sweet for my liking, so for this recipe I used less sugar. If the bread turns out to be a little bland for you, you can always serve it with some honey or maple syrup. Minimal oil was also used in the recipe as both mashed bananas and applesauce gives the bread a soft, moist texture.

Orange and Cranberry Banana Bread
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp orange peel
1.5 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1.5 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 tbsp rum (optional)
2 tbsp milled flaxseed (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, rum and vanilla extract. Mix flour, sugar, orange peel and baking powder in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the egg mixture, applesauce and canola oil.

Add in the mashed bananas and cranberries. Mix all the ingredients until just moist.

Lightly rub a 9x5in loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray. Pour in the mixture, scatter milled flaxseed on top and bake in preheated oven for 45 - 50 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Candied-Ginger Cookies

2008-09-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, more often than not, I run into a recipe that I really want to try, buy all the ingredients, but never end up actually making it. I tend to veer off course in search of something else that takes my fancy (and sometimes not related at all to cooking). I initially bought some candied ginger from Trader Joes for a biscotti recipe but ended up making some ginger cookies instead.

This recipe is from marthastewart.com's Ginger Cookies with Lemon Glaze. I found that the cookie itself was already tremendously sweet, therefore adding the glaze would be sugar overkill. I made some tweaks to the recipe, leaving out the lemon glaze but still having some lemon zest in the recipe and using Nucoa margarine (for dairy-free goodness) in place of butter.

Instead of refrigerating the dough for an hour, I tossed it in the freezer for 20 minutes to achieve a tougher consistency. Finally, one last tweak to the original recipe that I made was that I did the drop cookie method (rolling the dough and flattening with the back of my hand) instead of using a cookie cutter - I thought the dough was rather too soft and sticky to use a cookie cutter. All in all, the cookies were incredible, and I'm not even a big fan of cookies!

Candied-Ginger Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Salt (omit if using salted butter)
6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped candied ginger
1 large egg
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

Sift flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Cream butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add ginger, and beat for 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined. Add flour mixture, and then beat on medium-low speed until dough just comes together.

Shape dough into two 1-inch-thick disks. Wrap tightly in plastic, and place in freezer for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into 1-inch balls. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and flatten with the palm of your hand until it becomes 2-inch disks of 1/4 inch thickness.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are set and edges are light gold, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer parchment with cookies to wire racks. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. (Cookies can be stored for up to 3 days.)

Easy Tandoori Chicken

2008-09-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been quite out of touch with cooking, mostly because I've been getting lazy, soaking in what's left of summer and trying to keep healthy. One person I constantly "unleash" all my cookies and cakes on is Shrad, my Indian colleague at work. He's an excellent cook who opened a whole new realm of Indian cooking possibilities for me, and who makes quite a variety of delicious Indian food, although now he has become rather pretentious and only makes Italian food.

Shrad made me some wonderful sambhar today, which is a South Indian vegetable stew - sort of like the Indian ratatouille. Using fresh green chilis, he made the sambhar both spicy and incredibly delicious served with rice. The boyfriend, however, is one of those carnivores that need meat with every meal. So I rounded off dinner with a quick and easy tandoori chicken - marinating for only 15 minutes, and broiling the chicken. Tandoori in stores are usually red in colour because of food colouring (FC#265 etc.), and I've omitted that to yield a yellowish-tint tandoori.

Easy Tandoori Chicken
Makes 4 servings
4 chicken drumsticks
6 oz chicken breast (sliced into bite size)

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt (you can also use unsweetened plain soy yogurt)
1 tbsp garam masala
4 tbsp ground paprika
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp lemon juice

Marinate chicken in tandoori mix for at least 15 minutes. Bake in a glass dish at 450°F for 20 minutes, turning once until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to broiler pan and broil on high for 15 minutes until juices are almost dried and the outside of the chicken meat is blackened and crispy.

The Barbecue

2008-09-13T01:34:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like relaxing with friends and having some hamburgers on the grill.

The food list included:
Burgers and bun
Potato Salad
Smashed Potatoes
Mixed Salad
Coconut and Pineapple Tart
Brownies
Apple Pie
Lots and lots of alcohol

Dairy-free Chewy Oatmeal Raisin and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2008-09-12T01:45:00.000-07:00

I usually, on most days, try to steer clear of cookies. I recently bought a pack of coconut macaroons to use in a pineapple tart recipe, and found myself munching away on almost half the packet - two cookies = 170 cals, which is just really disasterous if you're on a diet or if you're trying hard (like me) not to look like an inverted mushroom.

Having the macaroons reminded me of how much I really like cookies, and why most cookies are really bad for you. A compromise had to be reached - I would make a cookie that could serve as a meal and to offset the cookie urge.

This oatmeal raisin cookie recipe uses no butter or eggs, and relies solely on applesauce and canola oil to keep it moist and chewy. I added chocolate chunks to give off a sense of "decadence" but really, I think these cookies are almost as good as an energy boost as Clif or Luna bars. I'm not a huge fan of vegan baking, but every once in a while, these things really are yumtastic and healthy! Unfortunately, because the cookies are vegan, they won't keep as well, so it's best eaten on the day you bake them and no more than two days later.

Dairy-free Chewy Oatmeal Raisin and Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes 10 jumbo sized cookies

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup Thomson raisins
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks (dark chocolate bar broken into pieces)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, cutting through with a spatula until the dough is moist.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and ladle 1/4 cup of batter on to parchment sheet. Press down to about 1/2 inch thick, and 5 inches in diameter. Bake cookies for about 20 mins until the edges are browned but the center is still soft. Cool on cookie sheet for about 10 mins before transferring to wire racks to cool thoroughly for about 30mins.

Note: If you make smaller cookies, 10mins in the oven will do

Easy Chorizo, Arugula and Goat Cheese Pizza

2008-09-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

My post yesterday was about the wonderful flatbread recipe found on smittenkitchen which I made over the weekend. The flatbread was so good I knew that at some point during this week, I would have to make it again. Combine that with an uncanny urge for pizza, I had to experiment with making some flatbread pizza.

The result is a super easy, entirely homemade pizza that take about 1/2 an hour to conjure, including cook time! It's wonderful for one of those hectic weekdays. Of course you can use ready-made Greek pita flatbread as the crust but I think this measures up equally well in terms of cooking speed and ease.

I used sliced chorizo (you can sense a theme on this blog: chorizo is my blood vein), some arugula and goat cheese to top off a basil-infused flatbread crust. Served with some sort of cheap Crianza wine makes for a good meal.

Easy Chorizo, Arugula and Goat Cheese Pizza
Serves 1 (about 2 pizza slices)

1/3 recipe for flatbread
Substitute chopped basil for the rosemary

1/2 link of chorizo
2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup baby arugula
Black Pepper

Roll out the flatbread into a rough circular shape. Try not to roll it out too thinly, about 1/2 inch in thickness.

Brush the flatbread liberally with olive oil, layer toppings (chorizo first, then the arugula and top off with goat cheese), and grind fresh black pepper over the pizza. The chorizo will be salty enough, so there is no need to sprinkle salt over the pizza.

Bake at 450°F for about 15 mins until chorizo is cooked through.

Big Bowl Chili and Parsley Flatbread

2008-09-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

The past weekend was the start of football season, well I think. I don't follow the game, I just use it as a random excuse to cook some classic American food and pretend that I'm inhaling the culture. Part of the culture inhalation was to try my hand at making chili (which I've never done before). Anyone who knows me, knows that I dislike beans with a passion. But the thought of making Texas-style chili just seemed overwhelming, what with the meat and complete lack of other kind of vegetables it just felt like I would be merely making... pasta sauce.

I found some really nifty ideas online for a low-fat turkey and black bean chili. Again, anyone who knows me knows I hate beans with a passion. So if a recipe was going to demand beans, it had better be pretty darn good. Turns out, the chili was absolutely yumtastic; I actually had second helpings. The corn and tomato sauce evened out the flavour of the beans and made it so much more bearable (and also because I ~~sekritly~~ picked out the beans from my bowl). I call it the Big Bowl Chili because I used some Big Chili Bowls I bought from Crate and Barrel. It's only fitting.

The best thing that went with the chili was of course some flatbread. Deb of smittenkitchen, where this flatbread recipe came from, has a really uncanny knack of finding easy and super delicious recipes. While she used rosemary, I thought that wouldn't be a good pairing with chili, so I substituted the rosemary with some parsley.

We rounded off the meal with some ice tea infused with vodka and berries for a perfect game season meal. I'm including only the recipe for the chili, you can head over to smittenkitchen for the flatbread recipe.

You can top off the chili with cheese, but I went heart-healthy with this one.

Big Bowl Chili
Serves 4

8 oz. ground turkey
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, no salt
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz)black beans in water
1 cup frozen sweet corn kernels
3 heap tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/4 tbsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Sour Cream (optional)
Shredded cheddar or 4 cheese Mexican mix (optional)

Heat 1 tbsp extra light olive oil or vegetable oil in a soup pot or dutch oven. Saute onions and garlic until fragrant and soft. Add in turkey and saute until turkey is no longer pink. Add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, corn kernels and spices. Simmer for about 20 minutes, uncovered. Add in salt to taste and simmer for 10 minutes covered. Turn off heat and let the chili steep for as long as possible, allowing the chili/tomato compote to steep will help seal in the flavours.

To serve, spoon in bowls and top off with a dollop of sour cream and scatter some shredded cheese.

Marmalade and Raisin Coffee Cake

2008-09-07T00:39:00.000-07:00

The past couple of days have been regretfully hectic, and since the end of my defense two days, I've been eating out and sleeping in, letting my body catch a momentary whiff of calm and peace. I spent most of yesterday traipsing Post Alley in downtown Seattle to look for more nuts and herbs and mugs at World Market and Sur La Table. Yes, people know me there. I've also been particularly unmotivated with my culinary escapades mostly because my true nature has set in - I'm as lazy as a goat.

This coffee cake makes for a wonderful Sunday morning breakfast, paired with some hot coffee or tea infused with orange slices, a pat of butter and some fresh fruits. I want to say it's quite like fruitcake for the lazy, but I won't. I used Seville Orange marmalade which I picked up at Safeway for a sudden want of marmalade goodness. It was surprisingly good, and I am a self-proclaimed marmalade fanatic. Marmalade made from Seville oranges are slightly more bitter than the regular "orange jam", but apparently this is the way real Scottish marmalade tastes and I rather quite like it, thank you sirree. Combining the jam with raisins and icing sugar help even out the bitterness. If you don't like marmalade (I'm sorry we can't be friends!), you can always use regular low sugar orange jam.

Marmalade and Raisin Coffee Cake

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 cup soy or skim milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
3 tbsp margarine
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp marmalade
3/4 cup raisins
1 tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a smaller bowl, combine the beaten egg, vanilla, milk and vegetable oil.

In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients, lemon peel and nutmeg. Make a well in the center and gently pour in the egg mixture. Stir with a spatula until just combined.

Cut in the margarine, and add in the raisin. Stir gently. It doesn't matter if the margarine is still lumpy.

Pour half the batter in a 9in. x 5in. loaf pan. Spread the marmalade on top using your spatula. Top off with the remaining batter.

Bake in oven for about 45 - 50 mins until skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack, sprinkle with sieved powdered sugar and slice with serrated knife.

Chunky Mushroom Soup

2008-09-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

For a couple of weeks now I've been eyeing some mushroom soup recipes. I love mushrooms so much I can probably have them everyday. One of my favourite mushroomy meals of all time is spinach and mushroom frittata which goes wonderfully with a cup of coffee on Saturday mornings.

I bought some fresh foccacia at the grocery store today and immediately wanted to head home, have some soup and bread, a glass of wine and work on my defense. In that vein, the soup had to be easy, quick and filling too. So in came the mushroom soup idea. There are tons of really great recipes out there, so I just fused a few and made my own using the herbs I know best. It turned out that the soup was really light - I used a teensy bit of corn flour and skim milk instead of heavy cream to make the soup thick and I think being able to chew on mushroom bits and biting into a piece of foccacia layered with cream cheese whilst sipping a glass of Chardonnay helped with bringing out the wonderful flavour of this soup. You can make the recipe vegan by using soy milk instead of skim milk.

Chunky Mushroom Soup
Serves 4, about 1 cup each

2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
2 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 cup skim milk
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp skim milk
2 tbsp sherry or dry vermouth (optional)
1 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste

Heat the butter and olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven on medium heat. Heating both the butter and olive oil will keep the butter from browning to quickly. Add the garlic and onions and saute until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add in mushrooms and saute for another 6 - 7mins until mushrooms are brown. Add in chicken or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and add in thyme, parsley, black pepper and vermouth. Cover and simmer for about 15 - 20 mins until mushrooms are soft. Add salt to taste.

Turn heat off and stir in 1/4 cup milk. In a small bowl, mix together corn flour and remaining milk and stir into soup. I find that using a food processor helps to pulse the mushrooms better than an immersion blender, but you can use either one.

You can serve with some grated Parmigiano or just plain.

Chicken Scaloppine and Arugula Salad

2008-09-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

I realize that in recent days I've been posting a lot of arugula recipes, mostly first because I like arugula-flavoured politics (*insert ding-dong cue*) and also because I bought such a huge bag and forgot that I would be home alone for two weeks. Hence the unfortunate near-daily arugula dinners.

Also, I have a practice session for my defense tomorrow and needed a super easy and quick dinner. I found a similar recipe at marthastewart.com for this, but I made one that's a little different and has some tomatoes and capers. A light hefeweizen or Sauvignon Blanc pairs excellent with this meal, and you can round it off with some home made garlic bread.

Chicken Scaloppine and Arugula Salad
Serves 2

1 chicken breast, butterflied two yield pieces
2 cups baby arugula leaves
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 medium lemon, cut into wedges
1 medium roma (plum) tomato, sliced
1 tbsp capers
Salt and pepper
Parmigiano.

Wrap the chicken breasts in cling film and smack them with a meat mallet or a hevay pan until they are flat and thin.

Season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and sear the chicken on medium-high heat until cook through. The meat cooks faster if you prick it a few times with a fork. Fry for about 5 mins on each side.

In a bowl, toss the salad, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and capers. Arrange on plates. When the chicken breast is cooked, lay it on top of the arugula salad, top with tomato slices and shaved Parmigiano.

Victorian Sponge Cake with Vanilla-Pear Jam Filling

2008-09-01T15:26:00.001-07:00

You know one of those days when you get a painful urge to eat something, but you realize that if you made an entire recipe of it, you would have to finish it all by yourself and live regretfully for the next two months or so? Well, I had one of those days today; I craved some crumbly Victorian sponge cake. Now, Victorian sponge cakes usually require two 8-inch cake pans that you bake separate sponge cakes in and then sandwich together with your favourite jam and top off with a some icing sugar. It goes delicious with a cup of warm Earl Grey whilst sitting out on the deck and enjoying the ~~sunny~~ ~~dreary~~ err... "it can't quite make up its mind" Seattle weather.

I used Delia's Smith all-in-one Sponge Cake recipe with some French Vanilla-Pear Jam I picked up at Williams-Sonoma a while back, but instead of using two 8-inch round cake pans, I halved the recipe and used a regular 8-inch square pan. When it cooled down, I cut that into half and sandwiched them together to yield a 4x8 Victorian sponge cake... well, not quite Victorian perhaps, I would dub it the Cubician Sponge. I added a teensy bit of brandy to the pear jam and layered it on, yielding a wonderful light and crumbly cake with a delightfully tipsy filling.

Note: I didn't include the recipe, you can click through the link and support Delia at her online website.

Italian Turkey Meatballs with Pasta and Arugula Pesto

2008-08-31T16:06:00.000-07:00

I've constantly read about arugula pesto, but never got around to trying it out because the fact that arugula is a bitter herb just doesn't seem to translate well into pesto, which I associate with the sweet, green fragrance of basil. Today though, I needed to finish off the remaining arugula I had left from my arugula and beet recipe a few days ago. Combining that with my penchant for pasta and some quick Italian meatballs, it was a satisfying and somewhat healthy lunch which I paired with a half a glass of Moondah Brook chenin blanc from Australia.

Italian Turkey Meatballs with Pasta and Arugula Pesto
Serves 2

Italian Meatballs
6 oz. ground turkey
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice

Arugula Pesto
1.5 cup arugula leaves
1.5 tbsp pine nuts
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp grated Parmigiano

For the pasta
4 oz. pasta
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

To prepare the arugula pesto, process all ingredients in a food processor, adding the oil as you continue processing.

In a bowl, combine all ingredient for the meatball. Shape into 1-inch balls.

Prepare pasta according to directions, drain and keep warm in the pot.

Heat one tablespoon of oil and add in the meatballs. Fry for about 1 minute and add in diced tomatoes. Simmer for 6-7 minutes until the meatballs are cooked. Add in the pasta and toss to combine. Serve on plates topped with the arugula pesto and grated Parmigiano.

Jaffa Cakes

2008-08-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

There are lots of British food that are hard to come by in America. I'm a big Anglophile, having grown up in a country where Tesco and good old Marks and Spencer's were bigger names than the regular Safeway. One of my favourite British food is of course Marmite, which a lot of non-British people find revolting (left-over beer fermentation! like, grosssss). Another one of my favourite British delicacy, and which I have not seen anywhere yet since I've been in Seattle, is Jaffa Cakes.

There have been tons of discussion about what jaffa cakes really are - biscuits or cakes? Should they have butter or not? What's McVities' secret, etc, etc. So I went out in search of the perfect jaffa cake recipe and was surprised to see a dearth of jaffa cake recipes out in the virtual world. I did find this site though, that gave a really scanty baking guideline. I decided to take the recipe given in stride and concoct my own jaffery goodness. While the final product turned out pretty good (I think), I haven't yet mustered the tactic to having crispier edges with a soft middle. Oh well, this will have to do for now.

Jaffa Cakes
Makes 12

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup pure granulated sugar (fine white sugar)
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 cup marmalade
1/2 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate chips

Hand whisk together eggs and sugar until they become fluffy and the whisk leaves a ribbon when it is lifted from the mixture.

Sieve in the flour, add in the orange peel and baking powder and whisk until just combined.

Spoon 1tbsp of batter into an unlined mini-muffin tin. Be sure to grease them with some vegetable based spray if the tin is not non-stick.

Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes until cakes are slightly browned and soft and spring to touch. When baked, remove from baking tin and let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler or using a bowl set in a saucepan of water, gently melt the chocolate chips over very low heat.

Put a dollop of marmalade on each cake and top with melted chocolate. Refrigerate for about 1/2 hour until chocolate sets. At this point, the jaffa cakes can be left at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Banana, Oat and Raisin Wholewheat Muffins

2008-08-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

And once again it's the weekend, which means a heart-healthy (or is that health-hearty?) breakfast. I decided this morning that I wasn't going to be terribly liberal with the pounds, fat and dairy, so I made some rather filling banana muffins (oof!) that will last me through the latter part of morning, and hopefully straight through lunch.

I'm still wondering if I should head down the Seattle Center and catch Bumbershoot, where at least two of my favourite bands are playing today AND they have a show called "Apocalypse in Coney Island: A Bumberlesque Cabaret" (how can one miss that?!). While I ponder, have a heart-healthy, health-hearty muffin recipe.

And in case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to improve on my food photography, because I apparently suck at it; my food looks like it's been thrown together for a bunch of hyenas (bad food composition, wtf), and I suffer from Parkinson's disease (blurry shots, unsteady hands etc). So if you have any suggestions, like: STOP COOKING! or STOP SPAMMING FOODGAWKER! or YOU BLOODY NEED A TRIPOD!, let me know.

Banana, Oat and Raisin Wholewheat Muffins
Makes 4 large muffins

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp milled flaxseed
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 banana, pureed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup raisins
1 tbsp rolled oats for sprinkling
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl with a fork. Set the oven at 425°F. Puree 1 banana in a food processor.

In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg until fluffy. Add in the oil, milk, banana puree and vanilla extract. Mix well.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and gently pour the egg mixture into the well. Using a spatula, fold the ingredients together. Do NOT use a mixer. After folding the batter about 7 times, add in the raisins and nuts. Fold again for another 13 times to make up 20 times that you stir the batter.

Line a regular muffin tin with paper cups. Spoon the batter into each cup until it is almost full, leaving only about 1/8 of an inch from the batter to the top of the muffin paper. This will give the muffin the domed shape. Scatter the remaining rolled oats on the top. If you're using a 6-muffin tin, and making only 4 muffins, fill the empty cups with water.

Bake the muffins at 425°F for 7 minutes. Turn the heat down to 395° for another 20 - 25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.