A Nesting Experience

Poppy is a damn good name for a toaster

2012-01-10T14:00:00.007Z

This Christmas, I got quite a few awesome presents; many of them, kitchen related. What can I say, my family knows me very well. From my mom and dad, I got a food processor. Yes, I finally own my very own Cuisinart. For those of you who have made fun of me over the years for relying on my trusty Magic Bullet, you were right: a Cuisinart is much better. From Alex's mom and dad, I got two awesome cook books Mozza and The Whole Hog Cookbook. Both will be getting lots of use. Finally from Alex, I got the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Ice Cream Maker Attachment.

I think I'm in love. Though it takes like 8 hours to make each batch, homemade ice cream is truly awesome. It's rich, creamy, delicious, and you can make any flavor you want. My favorite, White House Cherry Vanilla.

Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream
Serves 4-6

2/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, stems removed, juice and all

Directions

In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the eggs until pale yellow. Beat in the flour and salt and set aside. Bring the milk to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Slowly beat hot milk into the eggs and sugar mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from heat. Strain the custard into a clean bowl. Cool slightly then refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Stir the custard. Turn on your ice cream machine and freeze according to your machine's instructions. Add the maraschino cherries when the ice cream is semi-frozen and allow the machine to mix the fruit in to the ice cream. The ice cream will be soft and ready to eat. If you like firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer container and freeze for at least 2 hours.

What was your favorite gift this Christmas?

I can't spell Prosciutto

2011-12-29T14:00:00.000Z

I've always been a fan of foods that walk the fine line between savory and sweet. I love pulled pork, salted caramels, chocolate covered pretzels. Totally yum. One of my favorite combinations is fig and prosciutto on a crispy flatbread. Usually billed in a restaurant as an appetizer, this pizza never fails to deliver all the sweet and salty goodness you could ever want.

I decided to try my hand at recreating the goodness at home with Todd English's recipe which includes a healthy quarter pound of tangy Gorgonzola and a sprinkling of minty rosemary. I will definitely be making this recipe again and again.

Fig-and-Prosciutto Flatbread (inspired by Todd English)
Serves 4

Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees)
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil
cornmeal, for sprinkling

Pizza

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fig jam
1/4 pound Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
3 ounces sliced prosciutto
1 scallion, white and green parts thinly sliced

Directions

Place a pizza stone in the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°. Allow at least 45 minutes for the pizza stone to heat thoroughly.

Mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together in a mixing bowl. Add water and olive oil and stir till a ball of dough is formed. With a mixer or on a floured surface, knead dough for 10 minutes. Place dough in a medium mixing bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray or coated in olive oil. Cover with a dish towel and let sit for 30 minutes.

When dough has risen and oven has preheated, roll out one piece of the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Dust a pizza peel with cornmeal and slide the dough onto it. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Slide pizza on to the pizza stone and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Dollop fig jam all over the crust, being sure to leave a 1-inch border of dough all around. Scatter the cheese and prosciutto over the dough. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Transfer the flatbread to a cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with the sliced scallion and serve.

Christmas Catch Up

2011-12-27T14:00:00.004Z

If there is a nice list and a naughty list this holiday season, I'm definitely on the bad one. Call it a break, a temporary hiatus, or just plain abandonment, I have been a very bad blogger. Between winning massive and awesome new projects at work and holiday shopping, I've been busy and absent from my favorite culinary pastime.

So here is a quick catch up on the holidays and a favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and is looking forward to a great New Year.

Early in December, Alex and I got into the Christmas spirit with a quick trip to the National Christmas Tree on our way to dinner at Cava, a delicious Greek mezze restaurant in Capitol Hill. Though it was pretty tiny and unimpressive this year due to a run in with the hurricane in September, it was still fun to see.

I got some practice in taking night time pictures of the U.S. Capitol.

Then on to Cava where we shared a bottle of Assyrtiko, tons of great food, and some Greek Vin Santo dessert wine, or as I like to call it, heaven.

Later in December, we trimmed a tree and hung our stockings with care.

And even hung a few old ornaments this year, that my mom let us take home from including our old ugly angel who sports a horrifyingly tacky light-up face and light up hands

Lastly, we spent the holidays with both our families in New Hampshire and Maryland. Christmas Eve dinner at my mom's consisted of salad, garlic bread, lasagna, meatballs, broccoli and birthday cake, for Jesus. We aren't super religious or anything, it was just a good way to introduce us kids to the real meaning of Christmas.

Dinner at Alex's mom's consisted of roast beef, roasted root vegetables, green beans, baked potatoes, twice baked potatoes, pop-overs, and chocolate peppermint cake. Delicious.

More things to come this week as I get to start using my kitchen Christmas presents, but for now, a perfect sugar cookie recipe, made with love, by mom.

Mom's Sugar Cookies
Makes 4 dozen

1 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Sprinkles in assorted colors

Directions

Mix together all ingredients, except sprinkles, using a stand mixer. Mixture should come together as a dough ball. Roll into 4 equal size balls. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Take one ball of dough out of the fridge and roll to 1/8 of an inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes and transfer to cookie sheet. Sprinkle cookies with sprinkles and bake for 7 minutes. Repeat with remaining balls of dough.

Assalted

2011-11-21T14:00:00.008Z

I find baking desserts like cakes and pies very intimidating.

I'm much more comfortable baking cookies, cupcakes, whoopee pies, and other desserts made in batches. Making things in batches allows the cook to make slight adjustments so that by the end, the dessert is baked to perfection. With cake or pie, you just don't know what you are going to get. In addition to not being able to make adjustments, you also can't taste it ahead of serving. So, say you are bringing dessert to a friend's house, there is a chance it might be terrible, and you won't know till you get there and serve it to your unsuspecting friends. I find it all very intimidating.

Thankfully, this super easy and totally delicious Salted Caramel Cheesecake Pie didn't disappoint at a dinner with our friends, Christianne and Chris.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake Pie (from Joy the Baker)

Makes one 9-inch pie

For the Crust

2 cups ginger snap cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake

1 pound (2 blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

For the Caramel

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Place two rack in the upper and bottom third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need a 9-inch pie plate and a 9×13-inch pan for boiling water.

To make the crust, place cookies in the bowl of a food processor and grind to a fine crumb. If you don’t have a food processor you can crumble cookies in a zip lock bag with a rolling pin. Once you’ve created a fine crumb, add brown sugar, salt, and butter. Toss together, moistening all of the ginger snap crumbs. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate and press with fingers until sides and bottom are evenly coated with crust.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you make the cheesecake filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Place a tea kettle of water on the stove top to boil. We’re going to add hot water to the 9×13-inch pan to place under the baking cheesecake.

To make the cheesecake filling: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese and granulated sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in salt and vanilla extract until well incorporated. Add eggs, beating one at a time between each addition. Once creamy and smooth, slowly beat in the cream, beating on medium high until creamy and luscious. Add lemon zest if using.

Pour cheesecake mixture into the prepared cheesecake crust.

Place 9×13-inch pan in the bottom shelf of the hot oven. Carefully pout in hot water, and fill to 1/2 full. Push into oven.

Place cheesecake on the upper oven shelf. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until cheesecake is browned and puffed. When cheesecake is puffed and doesn’t have loose giggle in the center, turn oven off and use a towel to prop the oven open slightly. Let cheesecake rest for another 45 minutes in the cooling oven. Remove from the oven and cool completely, for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.

While the cheesecake cools, make the caramel so it can cool as well.

To make the caramel, add sugar, water, and corn syrup to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring once or twice. Bring to a boil and allow to brown. Once sugar has browned to a medium amber color, remove from heat and immediately add heavy cream and butter. Mixture will boil and foam. Stir well. Add salt and stir well to incorporate. Caramel may seem thin… that’s ok. Place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours, overnight is best.

Pour the cooled caramel over the cooled cheesecake, return to the refrigerator until ready to serve. Sprinkle with a dash of sea salt then slice and serve.

For a potluck dinner at friends, what do you bring for dessert?

I can tell you once were pretty

2011-11-16T14:00:00.022Z

We all know that cherry is one of my favorite food flavors. Tart, sweet, juicy, cherries just make an incredible addition to any dessert. Ever since I received a copy of Bon Appétit Desserts from my mother-in-law for my birthday, I've been eyeing the Triple Cherry Streusel Bars. Cherries, in triplicate, yes please. I finally got down to making them over the weekend and they are fabulous little bites of sweet, brandied goodness.

Triple Cherry Streusel Bars (From Bon Appétit Desserts)
Makes 2 dozen bars

Filling

1 cup dried Bing cherries
1 cup tart red cherry preserves
1 tablespoon kirsch (cherry brandy)

Dough and Streusel

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2⁄3 cup sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
3⁄4 cup (1 1⁄2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1 3⁄4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1⁄4 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup (packed) sweetened flaked coconut
3⁄4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

Combine cherries, cherry preserves, and kirsch in processor; blend to chunky puree.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 13×9x2-inch metal baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, leaving overhang on both long sides. Spray foil with nonstick spray. Blend flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in processor. Add butter, vanilla, and almond extract. Blend, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and blend, using on/off turns, until mixture comes together in small clumps. Transfer 1 cup (packed) mixture to medium bowl and reserve for streusel.

Blend remaining mixture in processor until large moist clumps form. Gather dough together in large ball. Press dough over bottom of prepared pan; pierce all over with fork. Bake dough until golden, about 22 minutes; cool crust 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Add coconut and almonds to reserved 1 cup dough. Mix with fork, breaking streusel topping into small clumps.

Spread cherry filling over baked crust. Sprinkle streusel topping over. Bake cookie until cherry filling is bubbling and streusel topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool cookie in pan on rack. Using foil as aid, lift cookie from pan. Fold down foil sides. Cut cookie into bars.

No, I mean break-dance fighting

2011-11-15T14:00:00.027Z

Up until about a week ago, canned pumpkin has been no where to be found in DC. Okay, I'm being a little dramatic, I couldn't find it at either the Harris Teeter or the Safeway supermarket near my house. So, craving all things pumpkin, I decided to go to the extreme. I went out, I bought a pumpkin and I made my own puree.

Did you know how easy this was to do? It was super easy. First you go out and buy a "pie" or "sugar" pumpkin. I'll let you in on a secret, I bought mine at Home Depot. Yep. Then you split it down the center, scoop out its guts, and place it face down in a glass baking dish. Stick it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour and you are done. Let it cool, scoop out the soft pumpkin goodness and mash. Nothing to it.

Though not quite as quick and easy as popping open a can, it is less processed, tastes fresher and you get about twice as much. When I was done, I made my favorite pumpkin whoopee pies and pumpkin hummus. Yum. I also roasted the seeds for garnish and to snack on.

Pumpkin Hummus (inspired by Running to the Kitchen)
Makes about 2 cups

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
1 clove of garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Directions

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except olive oil and toasted pumpkin seeds and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Slowly add olive oil in small increments as food processor is running until it reaches desired consistency. You may want to scrape down the sides once or twice while processing.

Have you ever made your own pumpkin puree?

Love is a Crock Pot

2011-11-14T14:00:00.010Z

Lately, I've been super into my Crock Pot. It's not flashy, not exciting, but it cooks at a low heat day in and day out and won’t fade.

We've also been watching a lot of Party Down.

If you've never seen Party Down, you should start tomorrow. Here's what you should do. Step one, wake up, head to your kitchen, and quickly throw all of the following ingredients in your Crock Pot. Step two, go to work then come home. Step three, drop your bags, wash your hands, and toast some tortillas. Step four turn on your TV, start up your Netflix Watch Instantly, and find Party Down. Step five, top your tortillas, grab a fork, and get ready for a long night on the couch. Best grab yourself a beer or two also because you aren't going to want to get up and miss a moment of the hilarity about to ensue.

There is no rule that says you can't have fun on a Tuesday night.

Oh and thank you to Allie and Tyler for helping me fall in love with Adam Scott again and again.

Crock Pot Tostadas (adapted from A Cambridge Story)
Serves 4-6

1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn kernels
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed lean
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 ounces light cheddar cheese
1/4 cup light sour cream
4 tortillas for serving

Directions

Combine onion, beans, tomatoes, corn, taco seasoning, and pork in a crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred pork using a fork and stir gently to combine.

Toast tortillas in a dry skillet until crispy and brown. Top with pork mixture, cilantro, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

I like pizza too, but I'm not gonna marry one.

2011-11-11T14:00:00.001Z

Growing up in New England, the seasons are everything. Spring, summer, fall, and winter dominate everyday from wardrobe to outlook on life. They especially play a role in food choices. Whether it's what produce is in the store or what ingredients you can afford to buy, the seasons really affect how we eat.

As fall turns to winter in November, soups and stews dominate menus everywhere. In the summer, fruits and vegetables need very little help to taste vibrant and fresh. When cooler temps prevail, seasoning, blanching, boiling, and braising become necessary to create the flavors of fall.

With the winter months fast approaching, this potato, leek, and broccoli soup really hit the spot. Creamy, salty, and packed with wintery vegetables. Plus, who doesn't love crunchy bits of pancetta and toasty bread.

Potato, Leek and Broccoli Soup with Pancetta Crumbs (from Food and Wine)
Serves 6

3/4 sticks unsalted butter
3 small leeks (about 2/3 pounds), white and light green parts only, thinly sliced (2 cups)
2 pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bunch broccoli—florets coarsely chopped, stems peeled and sliced
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cups fat free half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
One 6-oz loaf of sourdough bread, crusts removed and bread cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoons chopped sage
1/2 tablespoon chopped rosemary

Directions

In a very large pot, melt 1 stick of the butter. Add the leeks, potatoes and broccoli and cook over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock and 6 cups of water, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until all of the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Working in batches, puree the soup until very smooth. Return the puree to the pot and stir in the half-and-half. Season the soup with salt and white pepper. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, pulse the bread cubes in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. In a large skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in the oil. Add the pancetta, sage, rosemary and bread crumbs and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until the crumbs and pancetta are browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the pancetta crumbs and serve.

What's your favorite winter dish?

Party Down

2011-11-08T14:00:00.044Z

There are quite a few foods that I wish I liked, but I don't. Do you know how much easier breakfast would be if I liked eggs? Or coffee for that matter, which I can't stand at breakfast, or as a pick me up, or to sip during a casual meeting with a friend. I don't like tea either. I don't like mushrooms, or artichokes, or kale. I don't like rosemary, thyme, and nutmeg has always turned me off. Worst of all, I don't like olives.

In theory olives sound great. They are a fruit, usually from the Mediterranean, that has been cured in salty brine. Yep, that sounds pretty good to me. But put them within smelling distance, and my stomach turns. Even some olive oil bothers me, especially the dark extra virgin kind. It's really a pity because olives seem like the perfect snack.

A few months back, okay quite a few months back, Lindsay Olives was nice enough to send me a few samples of their California Green Natural Olives. Now while I don't eat olives, Alex is a huge fan, so I happily accepted their generous offer and told Alex this was his chance to write his own blog post. Well months have gone by, and there are still four cans sitting in my pantry.

This weekend, I hosted a clothing swap at our apartment and decided it was time to break out most people's favorite snack. While I didn't try any of my creation, they got a lot of rave reviews from my party guests. Most notably, guests were surprised that they came from a can instead of a jar. So props to Lindsay Olives and the New York Times. Thanks for making my hostessing job a success. I'm sure they were delicious, you know, to people that like olives.

Marinated Olives (from Lindsay Olives and The New York Times)

2 cups Lindsay Olives California Natural Olives
2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 lemon, cut in half and segmented like a grapefruit

Directions

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Marinate for an hour or longer at room temperature. Refrigerate overnight if not using immediately. (Remove from the refrigerator an hour or two before serving.)

What are some of your least favorite foods that you wish you liked?

Suzanne, you're all that I wanted of a girl

2011-11-07T14:00:00.004Z

I've always preferred white chocolate to dark chocolate.

It started when I was little and my mom used to get my sister and me giant milk chocolate Easter bunnies and put them in our Easter baskets. Okay they weren't giant, but they seemed that way when I was little. She'd always put smaller white chocolate bunnies in our baskets as well. I knew, even at a young age, that it was more socially acceptable to want the milk chocolate bunny, it just wasn't my favorite. The white chocolate bunny was always gobbled up first. The milk chocolate bunny just couldn't compare.

When searching for a dessert to bring to a work cookout, I began leafing through my Bon Appétit Desserts cookbook and found White Chocolate Suzette Brownies. Inspired by famous Crepes Suzette, these brownies are full of sweet citrus and white chocolate goodness.

The recipe calls for a glaze, but I thought it would be too much and just stuck to eating them plain. Plain is exactly the opposite of how I would describe this treat.

White Chocolate Suzette Brownies (inspired by Bon Appétit Desserts)
Makes 12

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 2 pieces
4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Position rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter the sides of a 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Line pan with foil, leaving overhang on 2 sides. Butter foil. Dust pan and foil with flour; tap out access.

Mix apricots, orange liqueur, orange juice concentrate, orange peel, lemon juice, lemon peel, and vanilla in medium bowl. Melt butter and cream cheese in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add finely chopped white chocolate and let stand 5 minutes. Stir gently to combine. Cool.

Sift flour, salt, and ginger into a small bowl. Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl until thickened, about 1 minute. Whisk in cream cheese mixture. Fold in apricot mixture and coarsely chopped white chocolate. Fold in dry ingredients. Spread batter in a prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool.

Turns out, fennel is pretty good

2011-10-31T14:00:00.000Z

For the longest time, people used to tell me that I didn't like sausage because I didn't like fennel. I'd never had straight up fennel before. So when I was told fennel was a main ingredient in sausage, and that I must be the reason I didn't like it; It made sense I guess.

Except, as I got older, I found out that fennel tastes similar to anise or licorice. I love licorice. Always have. I've always been a fan of anise too. I love a good biscotti and the smell always reminds me of a potpourri decoration that my Nana used to have in the hallway between her bedroom in the living room. So, I thought, this can't really be the reason that I don't love sausage.

Turns out that fennel is not the reason that I can't stand sausage. I'm still not sure why I don't like sausage, but it's not the fennel. Fennel is delicious. Cool, crunchy, with a hint of sweet licorice flavoring. Yum.

Paired with sweet gala apples, crisp celery, and tangy lemon juice, this fennel apple slaw a refreshing take on a traditionally heavy side. It perfectly pairs with barbecue and can even be eaten by itself as a salad, which happens to be how I ate it...all of it.

Celery, Apple, Fennel Slaw (From Bon Appétit Test Kitchen)
Serves 6

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced diagonally, plus 1/4 cup loosely packed celery leaves
2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced crosswise, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds
1 firm, crisp apple (such as Pink Lady, Gala, or Granny Smith), julienned
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Whisk first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add celery and celery leaves, thinly sliced fennel and chopped fennel fronds, and apple; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Good Morning Pumpkin

2011-10-27T14:00:00.000+01:00

Well, it's finally fall. The leaves here are starting to change from green to gold, orange, and brown. The air has turned crisp, and even sunny days don't reach warm weather temperatures. And, cans of Libby's pumpkin puree have hit the grocery stores in full force. Yes, fall is finally here.

On days like today, it's nice to start the morning off with something sweet and filling. So over the weekend, baked up an tin of pumpkin bread to get Alex and I through the chilly mornings with a bit of love. The warm weather is gone, but sweet, buttery pumpkin bread should help ease the transition just a tiny bit.

Pumpkin Coconut Bread

Serves 8

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
½ cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup coconut flakes, shredded

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan. Set aside. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the brown sugar and egg on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. On a low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil.. Don't pour the oil in all at once. Add it slowly so it has time to incorporate into the eggs and doesn't deflate the air you have just beaten into the batter. Adding it should take about 1 minute.

Add the pumpkin, coconut milk, and vanilla and continue to mix on low speed just until combined.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture just until thoroughly combined. No flour streaks should be visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Mix together sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon, sugar, pecans, and coconut flakes on top of the batter.

Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until golden brown on top and the center springs back when you press it. If your finger sinks when you poke the bread, it needs to bake a little longer. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, and then pop it out of the pan to finish cooling.

Faker

2011-10-25T14:00:00.000+01:00

Alex and I love hamburgers. We really do. Beefy, meaty, dripping with juicy goodness, hamburgers are one of our favorite meals, by far. I don't make them at home very often, but when I do, I try to go all out with the soft potato hamburger rolls, sour dill pickle chips, sweet barbecue sauce, and melty cheddar cheese.

And this looks like one of my homemade hamburgers, except its not. It's a total faker.

Every once in awhile I forgo the beef and get a veggie burger. I've never thought to make them myself before though. They are actually really easy to make if you've got a good food processor. I do not, so they were a little more challenging, but ultimately worth the struggle because they make one fantastic meal.

Perfect Veggie Burgers (from Food Network Magazine)
Serves 6

1/3 cup quick-cooking barley
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small stalk celery, chopped
Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 medium carrot, finely grated
1 cup canned pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 soft buns, split

Directions

Prepare the barley as the label directs. Let cool completely.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Add the garlic, 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce and the carrot; cook, stirring, until the mixture dries out slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and let cool completely.

Add the barley, beans, breadcrumbs, walnuts, soy sauce, egg whites, parsley and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the food processor. Pulse until finely ground with some chunks. Form into six 4-inch-wide, 1/2-inch-thick patties and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 4 hours.

Preheat the broiler. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the patties until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Meanwhile, place the buns, cut-side up, on a broiler pan and broil until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the patties on the buns; top with the remaining 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce.

Where business gets done

2011-10-21T14:00:00.000+01:00

Believe it or not, I've never had a bowl of chili before. Yea, I know, totally weird, right?

Chili has always been one of those dishes I figured I wouldn't much like. Beans are okay, but the idea of creating a dish where they are the star, always seemed kind of boring to me. Spicy food is not really my thing. And, is chili a meal, or is it soup? I've never really been able to tell. From what I know it's just an ingredient in nachos, one I sometimes opt to have put on the side.

But, boy, have I been missing out...

Smoky Slow Cooker Chili (from Cooking Light)
Serves 8

Cooking spray
1 pound ground pork
1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups chopped onion
1 3/4 cups chopped orange bell pepper
1 chili pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup lager-style beer (such as Budweiser)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tomatillos, quartered
2 bay leaves
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans plum tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, drained
1 (7 3/4-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 smoked ham hock (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar
8 lime wedges

Directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add ground pork to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to slightly crumble. Drain well. Transfer pork to an electric slow cooker.

Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add pork shoulder; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Transfer pork to slow cooker.

Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, bell pepper, and chili pepper; sauté 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beer; cook 1 minute. Transfer onion mixture to slow cooker. Add chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground black pepper, tomatillos, bay leaves, plum tomatoes, pinto beans, tomato sauce, and ham hock to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove bay leaves and ham hock; discard. Stir in sugar. Ladle about 1 1/3 cups chili into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cilantro, 1 tablespoon green onions, and 1 tablespoon cheese. Serve each serving with 1 lime wedge.

Millions of peaches, peaches for me

2011-10-20T14:00:00.000+01:00

This summer was all about peaches, plums, and nectarines. Every week we bought what seemed like bushels of them and ate them fresh. But with the cool weather sweeping in, they've all but disappeared from our local super market. On a quick lunch break at Trader Joes, I spotted a last container of peaches hidden behind the apples, pears, and other fall fruits. I knew I had to have just one last week of summer produce before the season ended.

Like any other produce purchased in the District of Columbia, the peaches were as ripe as ripe could be the day that I bought them. So, I decided to eat one fresh, chop one up in a salad, and make something sweet with the remaining three.

Over the summer I had cut out a recipe for Fresh Peach Cake from my Food Network Magazine. I seized it, prepared my ingredients, and baked a cinnamon-sugar coated treat. Maybe I'll have to rethink my dislike of the Barefoot Contessa. She didn't steer me wrong on this one.

Fresh Peach Cake (by Ina Garten)
Serves 12

1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

More masculine than a macaroon

2011-10-19T14:00:00.000+01:00

Sundays are meant for cooking. No matter how beautiful a day out it happens to be, on Sundays, I just want to stay in and cook, do laundry, clean the house, and catch up on my DVR. We had grand plans this weekend to finally check out the Holocaust Museum, walk across the city to Eastern Market, and have dinner at Cava, the last restaurant in DC on my list of places I'm dying to eat at.

We went out and about on Saturday for a hike down the Rock Creek Parkway and the C&O Canal, even grabbed drinks at the Wonderland Ball Room with a friend; but when Sunday rolled around, I canceled all of our other plans for a day in the the apartment cooking, baking, and watching trashy action movies.

Having the windows open qualifies as being outside, right?

Beef Tenderloin with Tomatoes, Shallots and Maytag Blue (by Marcia Kiesel from Food and Wine Magazine)
Serves 2

1 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 pounds medium shallots, peeled
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 thyme sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 1-pound, center-cut beef tenderloin
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ounces Maytag blue cheese, crumbled into 1/2-inch chunks

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the tomatoes and shallots on separate rimmed baking sheets. Add 1/2 cup of the wine, 2 tablespoons of the oil and 2 thyme sprigs to the tomatoes. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 thyme sprigs to the shallots. Season the tomatoes and shallots with salt and pepper, toss well and spread in even layers. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the tomatoes and shallots are very tender. Discard the thyme.

Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the tenderloin and cook over high heat until browned, 4 minutes. Turn the tenderloin and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Turn the tenderloin and roast for 10 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 125° for medium-rare. Transfer the tenderloin to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.

Pour off the fat in the skillet. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of wine and boil until reduced by half, scraping up the browned bits, 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the tomatoes, shallots and their juices.
Slice the beef 1/3 inch thick and transfer to plates; spoon the tomatoes, shallots and sauce on top. Dot with the cheese and serve.

I shall stay the way I am because I do not give a damn

2011-10-18T14:00:00.005+01:00

I always find that buying fresh herbs to be a little painful. You have to purchase them in large bunches. They inevitably go bad before you have a chance to use them all. You end up feeling frustrated, defeated, and utterly guilty. I also feel this way about purchasing large containers of chicken stock. Yes, I know you can freeze chicken stock, but I never remember to do it. Sunday night roles around and the chicken stock from last week is still sitting in the fridge and I end up pouring and entire container down the drain feeling like a total loser.

I must be stopped.

I've decided my new mission in the kitchen is no man left behind. At the end of the week, this week, I froze my leftover wine in ice cube trays; butchered my own six pound raw pork shoulder into small portions, wrapped them, and stuck them in the freezer; and I made loads of cilantro pesto.

If you've never tried cilantro pesto, I urge you to give it a shot. It's a little different than traditional basil. So super fresh, a little tangy, and it will make you feel like summer never left, especially when paired with pasta and lemony chicken. I wouldn't steer you wrong.

Cilantro Pesto Pasta with Lemon Grilled Chicken
Serves 2

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Lemon, zested and quartered
1/4 lb thin spaghetti
1/2 cup cilantro
2 tablespoon pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an oven-proof skillet, heat olive oil over medium high. Generously sprinkle salt, pepper, and lemon zest on each side of the chicken breasts. Add the chicken to the pan and cook on each side 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remove pan from heat. Juice lemon into the pan. Then, place the pan directly into your hot oven for 20 minutes.

Boil water in a medium saucepan. While the water is boiling and the chicken is cooking. Whiz cilantro, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and kosher salt in a food processor or Magic Bullet until smooth.

Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until preferred doneness. Once cooked, place pasta and cilantro mixture in a medium mixing bowl. Toss pasta to coat and divide in two bowls. When chicken is done, remove pan from the oven, slice and place over pasta.

Chicken or Beef?

2011-10-17T14:00:00.003+01:00

I have owned a slow cooker ever since the Christmas after I moved out of my parents house. It was a gift from my sister, who probably foresaw my eventual spiral into domesticity. Though at the time, I had no use for cooking gadgets, it remained on my counter for many years just waiting for the day that I would appreciate it for the convenient, easy, and generally wonderful cooking appliance that it is.

At work the other day, my coworker mentioned that slow cookers were great for cooking pot roast. I wasn't so sure. Pot roast happens to be one of my favorite foods in the world. So, I decided to see how using a slow cooker compares to the oven for such a classically delicious dish using Martha's recipe.

Though you don't get quite the variation in texture that you do with a traditional oven, the crock pot does a nice job creating a juicy, fork tender roast. Plus, it was wonderful to come home to a fully cooked meal, served only 15 minutes after Alex walked in the door. Our dinner was done by quarter past 7 and the kitchen was clean by 7:30. What a great way to start an evening.

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast (by Martha Stewart)
Serves 4

1 tablespoon cornstarch
8 medium carrots, cut into thirds
2 medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 beef chuck roast (3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

In slow cooker, stir together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Add carrots and onions; season with salt and pepper, and toss. Sprinkle roast with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; place on top of vegetables, and drizzle with Worcestershire. Cover; cook on high, 6 hours (or on low, 10 hours).
Transfer roast to a cutting board; thinly slice against the grain. Place vegetables in a serving dish; pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired. Serve roast with vegetables and pan juices.

A Dish Worth Driving For

2011-10-14T14:00:00.000+01:00

Whenever Alex and I visit Provincetown, Massachusetts, we always head to the very end of Commercial Street at dinner time for a meal at Lorraine's Restaurant. It's my favorite, and has become quite the tradition whenever we make it out to the tip of the Cape.

I've tried a few dishes on their menu, and they are all quite good, but one always stands above the rest. If you ever visit Lorraine's, you must try the Chicken La Paz. Sautéed chicken breast with spinach, tomatoes and topped with feta, then simmered in a citrus broth; it sings.

For some time, I've wanted to try to recreate the dish in my own kitchen, but I've never quite gotten up the nerve. Seeing as Provincetown is now 10 hours away from where I live, I decided it was time. Warning, these flavors may be too delicious for the average foodie. Be prepared, you may want to have a full tank of gas and a map of the Cape on hand after reading the ingredient list.

Chicken La Paz (inspired by Lorraine's Restaurant)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 14oz can chicken broth
1 orange, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced thickly
1 cup of white rice, prepared
2 oz feta, thinly sliced
2 cups spinach

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute till light brown. Add chicken and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add chicken broth and juice from the orange and lemon to the dutch oven, reserve the rinds.

Bring broth to a boil. Reduce broth to a simmer and add chicken and citrus rinds. Cover and bake for 10 minutes in the oven. Remove from the oven, uncover, remove citrus rinds, and add tomatoes. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 10 more minutes.

Remove from the oven again, add rice and top chicken with feta. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from dutch oven and let rest. Add spinach to the broth mixture and swirl until wilted. Spoon broth mixture onto plates and top with chicken.

Blow it out your old wa-zoo!

2011-10-13T14:00:00.051+01:00

I grew up in a very small town in Southern NH. I lived on a street with very few other houses where there were many more trees than other kids to play with. From time to time, my sister and I would play at our next door neighbors house. The kids weren't exactly our age, the youngest was 5 years older than me, but still they were the only other young people we had on our street.

Every once in awhile we'd get invited over to our neighbors house for dinner. I hated it. First, there was a rule that you had to finish everything on your plate, whether you were full or not. Second, everything was cooked in lard. I can still remember the thick, ripe, musty smell, the thought of which makes my stomach turn. I distinctly remember being forced to finish a stuffed pepper that tasted just awful. Green and sickly, coated in fat, and stuffed with ground sausage and rice. It's like a nightmare. I've avoided stuffed peppers since then. The thought of them just made me cringe.

This weekend, Alex and I went to a wedding where vegetarian fare dominated the menu. The buffet looked delicious and the line ended with bright, colorful, delightful looking stuffed peppers. This was it. My chance to try them again without the slimy, artery-clogging lard coating or the heavy, meaty filling.

They were delicious. I knew I had to come home, recreate the dish, and change my feelings about stuffed peppers forever. I served my over a bed of pillowy couscous with sauteed zucchini

Baked Stuff Peppers (from Martha Stewart)

2 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise through stem, seeds and ribs removed
1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
8 basil leaves, torn into pieces
Freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in top third. Place bell pepper halves, cut sides up, in a baking dish. Toss together tomatoes, feta, thyme, and basil in a medium bowl; season with black pepper. Fill each pepper with tomato and feta mixture, dividing evenly. Drizzle each with oil.

Bake stuffed peppers, covered with aluminum foil, until they begin to soften, about 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue to bake until tomatoes begin to burst and cheese turns light brown, 13 to 15 minutes more. Remove stuffed peppers from oven, and serve warm.

Borophyll? More like Chlorophyll.

2011-10-12T14:00:00.003+01:00

When I was in college, I knew this girl who would only eat white food. Every day she would fill her tray up with bread, potatoes, and cheese and sit down to a singularly colored meal. It never failed to completely weird me out. First of all, on her plate, nutrients were no where to be found. There were no vitamins, no minerals, nor nearly anything healthy aside from maybe a little calcium. Second, how boring can you be. I love dairy and carbohydrates as much as the next girl, but really, all white is so bland.

When I saw this recipe for a Green Fruit Bowl with Frozen Grapes in August's Martha Stewart Living, it brought me back to the Emmanuel College cafeteria sophomore year. I had to laugh. My college acquaintance would not dare take a second glance at this dish. But for me, this was one monochromatic meal I could get down with. Not only is green my favorite color on the spectrum, but for sure, when it comes to food, green will never been boring.

Green Fruit Bowl with Frozen Grapes (from Martha Stewart Living)

12 ounces green grapes
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup thyme sprigs coarsely chopped
1 green apple
3 kiwifruits, peeled and sliced
2 honeydew melons, balled

Directions

Freeze grapes on a rimmed baking sheet for 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the syrup by bringing water and sugar to a simmer in a medium sauce pan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and add thyme. Let stand, covered, until cooled completely. Strain syrup through a fine sieve and discard solids. Thinly slice apple. Divide apple, kiwifruits, melon, and grapes among 8 bowls. Pour syrup over tops just before serving.

S'more s'mores please

2011-09-27T15:03:00.000+01:00

Growing up in New Hampshire, my family was no stranger to camping in the summer time. We'd pack up the car, head to Pawtuckaway State Park, and unload our tents, screen house, and a week's worth of chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows. Each night we would carefully toast our marshmallows, trying our best not to set them on fire. Then my mom would help us transfer them from our wooden skewers onto a chocolate top graham cracker sandwich. Such a simple, but perfect, ending to a day reading in a hammock, swimming, and playing cards.

Alex and I have never been camping together, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy s'mores at home with this delicious and super easy recipe for S'mores Cookie Bars.

Hershey's S'mores Cookie Bars (from Hershey's Kitchens)

1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars (1.55 oz. each)
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Beat butter and sugar until well blended in large bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Press half of dough in prepared pan and bake 15 minutes.

Arrange unwrapped chocolate bars over baked layer, breaking as needed to fit. Sprinkle with marshmallows, then scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallows, forming top layer. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

I've made a huge mistake

2011-09-20T14:42:00.000+01:00

I would have to say that my biggest complaint about living in Washington, DC is the high price of substandard produce. Seriously, do other people have this problem? Is it just me? I feel like I have to go over my fruits and veggies with a magnifying glass before picking them up at the grocery store. Then, if I don't use everything the moment I get it home from the store, it's rotten the next day.

Not to mention, it's so hard to find anything above and beyond the usual. In the spring, I had to search stores high and low to find rhubarb. This summer, figs were just no where to be found, until I happened upon one, single carton of them at Trader Joes in Old Town Alexandria on my lunch break.

Now figs have a notoriously short shelf life, but by the time I got these home at the end of the day, half of them were bad and went straight in the garbage. I knew the remaining figs wouldn't last long, so I immediately got them into the fridge, zipped up tight in a plastic bag, and began searching the internet for a good fig jam recipe. I decided to combine them with some golden raspberries I had also purchased that day. The jam turned out slightly sweet, slightly tart, and totally delicious.

Raspberry and Fig Jam

1 pint ripe black mission figs (about 15 figs)
1 pint golden raspberries
1 orange, supremed and finely chopped
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Remove any stems on figs, then cut them into quarters, and place in a medium non-reactive saucepan.

Add the berries, orange, brown sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes, or until the figs have softened and lost their shape and the filling jam-like.

Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool for 1-2 hours, or to room temperature (if the jam is too watery, drain a little excess liquid before using as filling).

The fig jam turned out delicious and made the perfect condiment for this ham and goat cheese sandwich on crusty sour dough bread.

Not For All You Meatarians Out There

2011-09-16T15:51:00.002+01:00

It's the end of the week, and the fridge is almost empty. I have some chicken in the freezer. There are a few random vegetables left over from week night dinners and week day salads in the fridge. I have a box of pasta and a carton of chicken stock in my pantry. It's rainy and 60 degrees out. My throat is sore, and my head is tired. It's officially a good night for soup.

Vegetable Lovers Chicken Noodle Soup (inspired by Eating Well)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, poached and shredded
1 zucchini, finely diced
1 summer squash, finely diced
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 32-ounce box chicken broth
1/2 cup wheat beer, such as Blue Moon
1/4-lb pasta, such as farfalle
1 1/2 cups packed baby spinach

Directions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, squash, shallot, Italian seasoning and salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, broth, beer, and pasta. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the pasta is tender, about 8 minutes, or according to package directions.

Stir in spinach and the cooked chicken. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is heated through and the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. I topped mine with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and garnished with sour dough bread.

Make It Work

2011-09-15T14:43:00.005+01:00

Sometimes, no matter how good a dish comes out, I just can't get a good photo of it. Either I have trouble with the plating process, or the frosting doesn't go as planned, but try as I might, the food just looks bad. It's particularly annoying when the dish comes out super tasty. Do I blog about it sans photo? Do I just own it like a bad ensemble on Project Runway? I'm never really sure what would be best.

Today, I'm going to own it. These brownies were delicious. They were super fudgy, coated with sweet caramel, and topped with a little bit of crunchy sea salt. They were good.

I tried, for days, to get even one out of the pan that didn't look like a train wreck. It didn't happen. So this morning, before the last one was eaten, I took a bad photo. I know it's bad, but that's what you get.

Salted Caramel Brownies (from Cooking Light)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Topping

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons evaporated fat-free milk, divided
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugars, cocoa, and baking powder in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine 6 tablespoons butter, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add butter mixture to flour mixture. Stir to combine. Scrape batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake for 19 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Once the brownies are cool, melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons evaporated milk. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over cooled brownies. Let stand 20 minutes or until set.

Combine 2 tablespoons evaporated milk and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high for 45 seconds or until melted, stirring after 20 seconds. Stir just until smooth. Drizzle over caramel. Sprinkle with sea salt and let stand until set. Cut into squares and enjoy, even if they look like mine did.

They're guaranteed to raise a smile

2011-09-14T13:30:00.001+01:00

As summer comes to an end, and I'm back from vacation and back to cooking, I'm determined to make the most of the last of the summer produce. From tomatoes and plums, to nectarines and zucchini, in my kitchen, it's all about fruits and vegetables.

Sweet bell peppers are especially hot right now. That's why I flipped when I saw this recipe for a sweet pepper caprese salad in this month's Cooking Light. Lightly roasting the peppers brings out the juicy sweetness usually served up by tomatoes. The cool, creamy mozzarella and spicy basil keep classic dish fresh and delicious. Served with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic, and a few pinches of salt and pepper, this salad is quick, easy, and totally tasty.

Sweet Pepper Caprese Salad (inspired by Cooking Light)

8 baby sweet peppers
1 cup baby heirloom tomatoes
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, divided
4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed, divided
3 oz fresh baby mozzarella balls, divided
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chiffonade, divided
1 large pinch crushed red pepper, divided
1 large pinch black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon pinch kosher salt, divided

Directions

Preheat broiler to high. Arrange baby sweet peppers in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil peppers 4 minutes on each side. or until slightly blackened and tender. Cool.

Slice baby tomatoes in half, divide, and arrange on two salad plates. Remove stems from peppers, divide, and add to each plate. Drizzle each plate with 1 teaspoon on olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar. Add 2 smashed garlic cloves and 4-5 baby mozzarella balls to each plate.

Sprinkle each dish with basil, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and salt.

West Coast Road Trip - Day 9: San Diego to Washington, DC

2011-09-13T13:35:00.000+01:00

The next morning we awoke in San Diego to beautiful sunshine, blue skies, and warm weather. It was like California had transformed over night into an Annette Funicello movie. Since the weather was so beautiful, we decided to spend the day outside walking around before we had to check in for our red eye flight.

We started the day on Pacific Beach, my favorite neighborhood in San Diego. Long ago, it is where I got my nosed pierced and spent many a night in the PB Pub, a great alternative to San Diego's upscale nightlife in the Gaslamp Quarter. We spent some time in the sand, did some people watching on the boardwalk, and then decided it was time for lunch.

Before we left for our trip, our friends, Chris and Karen, that used to live in San Diego gave us a list of places to eat and drink while visiting. Since we wanted to check out Balboa Park after lunch, we decided to stop at Mamma Testa an authentic Mexican kitchen tucked away small store front in University Heights.

When we stepped inside, were greeted by bright colors, friendly staff, a basket of warm tortilla chips, and a salsa bar featuring about twenty different varieties. Yum.

We perused our menus and decided to start with some home made guacamole.

Next, we both got an order of the del muñeco, crunchy shredded beef tacos with salsa fresca, queso fresco, and sour cream, served with rice and refried beans.

The tacos were incredibly delicious. So savory, with a little hint of spice from the salsa, topped with cool, creamy cheese. They were melt in your mouth fantastic.

After lunch, we headed to Balboa Park.

Since it was a gorgeous Saturday, there was practically no place to park. We ended up driving around for awhile, but then spotted a lot on the very edge of the park. Thankfully, once out of the car, we found a map. The map had a few hiking trails that would take us to all of the sights. Our first stop, the Balboa Park Rose Garden.

Then headed over the Cascades Fountain toward the visitors center, Alcazar Garden, and Spreckles Organ Pavilion where we got to see an enormous, three-quarter scale replica of Paris's Palais de la Légion d'Honneur.

Next we stopped at the Balboa Park Botanical Gardens. We didn't step inside, too determined to enjoy the nice weather, but we did spend some time at the Lily Pond.

The ponds were teaming with colorful fish and adorable turtles.

We paused to take a few pictures with some of the slightly depressing looking fountains, and then headed on our way to the California Bell Tower.

Last but not least, we checked out the California Bell Tower and the view of San Diego from the Cabrillo Bridge. The 200 foot tower is one of the cities most notable landmarks and houses the San Diego Museum of Man. We skipped going inside this building also, especially when the clerk in the gift shop told us the tower was not accessible.

On our way out, we stopped to check out the views of downtown San Diego from the top of Cabrillo Bridge.

Since we ended up having more time to kill than planned, we decided to take a trip over to Coronado to see the hotel.

The Hotel Del Coronado is one of my favorite spots in southern California. Though we could never afford to stay in this luxury, beach front hotel, it is fun to see the sights and poke around the halls.

When it opened in 1888, it was the largest resort hotel in the world and the first to use electrical lighting. It has hosted presidents, royalty, and celebrities throughout the years, as well as being featured in many films like Some Like It Hot.

After stopping for a drink and some light dinner at The Tavern just down the street, we knew it was time to say goodbye to the West Coast and head back East to Washington, DC. Such a fun trip, it's going to be hard to top it next year.

West Coast Road Trip - Day 8: LA to San Diego

2011-09-12T13:49:00.003+01:00

Though we did a lot of sightseeing on Friday, the one thing that we had yet to see was the Hollywood sign. The tour books said that you could see the sign from just about anywhere in the city. They pretty much lied. Driving around LA all day on Friday, we had yet to spy the sign from anywhere in the city. So we looked up the best vantage points, and we made our way over to Beachwood Drive above Hollywood Boulevard and there it was.

When we stopped to take pictures, a very nice man on the street told us that we could get a better photo from much closer up. However, when we headed toward the Hills, our view got more an more obstructed. So we gave up, turned around, and headed out of the city on to our next stop: Santa Monica.

We parked and took a walk on the pier. Though it was cloudy and gray, Santa Monica Pier was super pretty and full of vibrant colors and energetic people out for their morning jogs. We checked out Pacific Park, but did not ride any of the rides. We also got to see a scary police helicopter. Sarah had told us that they were rampant in LA. Since it was daylight, we didn't get to see it beam blinding light down on any suspected criminals, but it sure was noisy and intimidating.

After checking out the pier it was time to get back on the car and head to San Diego, our last stop on the trip, but we had a lot of places to see before we got there.

The first was Rancho Palos Verdes and the Wayfarers Chapel.

The Wayfarers Chapel has been on my list of places to see for a long time.

The Swedenborgian Church is on the edge of a cliff and boasts some of the most beautiful Pacific views in southern California.

Conceived as a respite for all wayfarers on the journey of life, the Wayfarers Chapel is noted for its unique modern architecture that incorporates the natural landscape into the design. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Our visit was a quick one since there was a wedding scheduled at The Chapel that day, and we didn't want to get in the way. For those of you out there who were fans of The OC, this is where Julie Cooper Nichol Cooper Roberts got married for the second time in season 1. It was also where Caleb was memorialized in season 2. I loved The O.C.

Speaking of The OC, next we were on to Newport Beach, California.

We visited Corona del Mar State Beach and checked out the pier. Both were beautiful and busy with crowds of late summer vacationers.

We only spent a few minutes on the beach before heading down the boardwalk to get some lunch.

Before we spotted a place to stop and get lunch, we found a snack stand selling Newport Beach's famous Balboa Bars. Though I had no idea what a Balboa Bar was, I knew I wanted one.

Ice cream, dipped in chocolate, dipped in your choice of topping. Nothing could be better. Alex chose crushed oreos, and I chose sprinkles. Though they were pretty mess, they were totally perfect and delicious.

After hitting the beach, we decided to stop on Balboa Island.

Balboa Island is famous for many things. First, it has one of the highest population densities in the United States: 17,621 people per square mile. It also has one of the most expensive real estate markets, second to only Lower Manhattan. A two bedroom home goes for about 2 million dollars in Balboa Island. We won't be moving there anytime soon. Lastly, Balboa Island is home to the world famous chocolate covered frozen banana.

Being a huge Arrested Development fan, Alex had to have one. Turns out, they were kinda gross.

After our visit to Balboa Island, we headed off in the sunset toward San Diego. As it started to get dark, we decided to stop at Moonlight State Beach in Encintas.

Though the west coast is famous for its sunsets, with all the fog, we had yet to see one. Today was no exception though. Fog and clouds got in the way, and the sun faded into the background and out of view.

Before reaching San Diego, we decided to stop for some dinner at the Barracuda Grill in Encintas.

We shared a bread basket and a red tomato, fresh mozzarella tower with aged balsamic and olive oil. Then I had to try the grilled pork tenderloin, parsnip purée, in brandy mustard sauce. It was phenomenal.

Even better was Alex's goat cheese and sun dried tomato ravioli, in vegetable broth. Both meals were so flavorful and seemingly fairly healthy. We finished the night off with some some not quite as healthy vanilla crème brûlée for dessert and got back and in the car and headed to San Diego.

West Coast Road Trip - Day 7: Big Sur to LA

2011-09-07T21:14:00.000+01:00

We left Big Sur before dawn for our long trip to Los Angeles. We didn't have any planned stops in mind, but there were plenty of places to pull over and look at the ocean

Another cool, cloudy, rainy day on the West Coast, which was a lovely break from the scorching temperatures of Washington, DC.

When we arrived in the city, we decided to grab lunch at Art's Delicatessen in Studio City and head to Greyston Mansion. Greystone Mansion is gorgeous, but I'll warn you, there are multiple rules to making a visit. First and foremost, no picnics in the park. So we ate our giant, meat-tastic sandwiches in the Impala, our home away from home. Next up, no pictures. So I don't have any of the gorgeous grounds, the lovely fountains, or the pretty flowers.

However, I did whip out my phone for a quick photo of the mansion. I know, I know, it was against the rules. But as a huge, completely nerdy, Gilmore Girls fan, I couldn't leave LA without capturing a quick picture of Chilton and the spot where Rory and Dean got back together, even though I never really liked Dean.

Yes, every place in LA doubles as a filming location.

After lunch, we headed to the Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank for a tour recommended by my friend Sarah Murphy-Katz. The tour started in the gift shop, so of course we had to peruse the merchandise. Alex thought about getting some Smallville paraphernalia, but I was more interested in seeing him in this Chuck Bass t-shirt. Somebody save Alex.

Our tour began in the Warner Brothers Studio lot with the Warner Brother water tower and a street that about 4 billion movies have been made on. It's been New York, Chicago, Boston, you name it and they have used it. Soon it will be featured in a movie called Argo starring Ben Affleck. No, we didn't get to see Ben Affleck. Sadly, they were done filming for the day.

The street was also home to the orphanage used in Annie, one of my all time favorite kids movies. Next up was the set of ER, which I never really watched, but still some how remember the ambulance bay pictured here.

Then our tram took us to Warner Brothers "Any Town USA" where we spotted Simon Baker filming The Mentalist. Another show that I don't watch, but hey, celebrity sightings are cool and this was one of the only ones we had in LA.

Remember when I said I was a huge Gilmore Girls fan. Well this is Sookie's House.

Behind it, Lorelai and Rory's which is now used for Pretty Little Liars. I've never seen that show, but I always thought I might like if I were a teenager.

After getting to see lots of outdoor spots, our trusty tour guide, Lenny, brought us in to a few indoor sets. Here is the set of Friends, perfectly preserved for all the fans out there.

Then it was off to the car museum, where we got to see the silver Mercedes from The Hangover, the Lincoln Continental from The Matrix, and the Bat Mobile from Batman Forever.

Of course they were cool, but no where near as cool as getting an up close view of the Nerd Herder from Chuck.

After the car museum, our tour guide took us over to the Chuck set where we got to hang out in the Buy More. Not only am I a huge, Gilmore Girls geek, but I also happen to be a very big fan of Chuck. It was so totally neat to stand on the set and hear the tour guides gush about how wonderful the Chuck cast is, especially Zachary Levi. Apparently, he is super nice and so appreciative of his fans, in particular the ones that work as tour guides at Warner Brothers Studio.

On the way out we got to see Ellen Degeneres' parking spot and spotted James Lesure, another celebrity that I don't really know and have never seen in anything, but again, kind of neat.

After our studio tour, we checked into our hotel, The Farmers Daughter in Fairfax, and met up with my friend Sarah for some LA BBQ at Baby Blues BBQ and then drinks at The Surly Goat. Both of which are worth a visit on any trip to LA. Yum!

West Coast Road Trip - Day 6: San Francisco to Big Sur

2011-09-07T13:20:00.000+01:00

Then next morning it was time to head back out on the road, but not without making one last San Francisco stop.

My favorite place in the city happens to be a tiny little park in the Presido called Battery Godfrey. It's a bit of a hike in, but the views are spectacular on clear days. The last time we visited San Francisco, we came upon it during a walk from Stairway Walks in San Francisco. We had walked for about an hour and a half, passed a lot of creepy abandoned military barracks, and were about 15 seconds away from turning around when we spotted the lookout. We climbed up on the Endicott-era battery, turned toward the bay, and got the absolute best view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Unfortunately for us, the fog was back that morning. The view was still pretty, just a little cloud covered making us glad we had chosen to drive on our way out that morning.

Next up, San Jose and a stop for some world famous ribs at Henry's Hi-Life.

Every meal at Henry's starts with an order of garlic bread, BBQ dipping sauce, and salad. You'd think dunking hot, buttery garlic bread in a bowl of sweet BBQ sauce would be mildly disgusting. Guess what, it's not at all. It's so delicious, I may never go back to marinara.

I decided to try the BBQ chicken, while Alex got the world famous ribs. Both were delicious and came with a baked potato smothered with seasoned butter.

So bad for you, but also, quite delicious.

Then it was back on the road and off to Santa Cruz, where we stopped at the boardwalk. Games, rides, sweet carnival treats, the Santa Cruz boardwalk is officially one of my new favorite places on the West Coast. We spent a few hours walking around, taking in the sites, and of course, doing quite a bit of people watching.

The people watching was particularly funny with Echo and the Bunnymen's cover of People are Strange running through my head on full volume.

When I was in college, we used to go to the Fenway AMC to watch old movies at midnight on Friday nights. One of my favorites was the time I went to see The Lost Boys with Bobby Molloy. Not only did I find Kiefer Sutherland super creepy, but any movie starring the Coreys before 1990 could never be bad.

So it was fun to see in person.

I'll admit, we were hoping to catch a sighting of the buff sax guy.

But he must have retired in the last 24 years

So we took a lot of photos.

Shared a dip cone.

And headed off to the Big Sur River Inn for a peaceful night in the woods of California.

To be honest, when we chose Big Sur, we did not know what to expect. I thought it was a beautiful coastal town with gorgeous cliff-side ocean views. Alex thought it was a forest. We were both sort of right.

Big Sur is a quiet little coastal village tucked in a valley between the Pacific Ocean and the Saint Lucia Mountains. It is sparsely populated with locals, but a favorite spot for romantic getaways and quiet seekers. I guess choosing where to stop for the night based on a Thrills song can work out some times.

When we pulled up to the Big Sur River Inn, we weren't quite sure we were in the right place. The sign out front said Motel, but also Restaurant, and there was a tiny gas station / ice cream stand in the driveway. We drove a little past, but without cell phone reception or a way to verify that we were in the right place, we decided to just stop in and ask.

Thankfully, we had the right spot and the very nice inn keeper pointed us in the right direction of our cabin across the way. The room was cozy, clean, and perfectly suited for a night in the woods. We were so lucky to find such a sweet stay.

After checking out our digs, we headed over to the main lodge to look around. Behind the restaurant, there was a shallow river, lazily flowing toward the ocean. We took a seat in some porch chairs positioned in the center of the brook and listened to complete silence. Once we were thoroughly relaxed, we hit up the restaurant and a romantic dinner for two.

West Coast Road Trip - Day 5: San Francisco

2011-09-07T02:37:00.000+01:00

By the next day, the fog had cleared and the sun had come out. We were finally in San Francisco, my favorite city in the whole world. Since we had spent the last four days basically in and out of the car, we decided to keep the Impala parked for the day and explore San Francisco the best way possible: on foot.

We started with a walk through Cow Hollow where we visited the Lyon Street Steps nestled between the Presidio woods and the Pacific Heights mansions. Though not a super touristy spot, these steps are home to many ladies who lunch getting in their morning workouts.

After a quick urban hike, we made our way to the edge of the Presidio where we stopped to check out the Palace of Fine Arts. Last time we were in San Francisco, the Palace of Fine Arts was completely under construction. The amphitheatre was covered in scaffolding, and you could barely walk the path around the lagoon. But now, the construction is finished and the place is gorgeous.

Next, we walked through the Marina, past the Golden Gate Bridge, and over to Russian Hill where we climbed Lombard Street to watch the cars weave their way down the steep hill.

At the bottom, we headed toward Washington Square Park to get some lunch at North Beach Pizza.

We started with a simple Caesar salad.

And then shared a half pepperoni, half spinach pizza. So far, the best pizza of the trip.

Alex was a big fan.

After lunch, we climbed the steps to Coit Tower to check out the view before heading down through Telegraph Hill where we saw the wild parrots and a wild parking meter hidden among the trees in a little garden off the beaten path.

We made a quick stop at the Embarcadero for a walk through the various markets, and then headed down Market Street where we made a wrong turn through the Tenderloin. Whoops, not our best move. At least it was day time, and we hurriedly walked up through the Theatre District and over to Japantown.

We had never been to Japantown before, and though we didn't find a lot there to do, we did climb some nice bridges over the main streets into the Western Addition.

You can't visit San Francisco without checking out the famed Painted Ladies, which were on display in all of their colorful glory over in Alamo Square.

Next we headed down Fillmore to the Castro to have a drink at Harvey's. We took a rest and watched a little bit of Silence of the Lambs on close captioning. If you are grabbing drinks in the Castro and don't know where to go, check out Harvey's. I've loved it every time I've been there. The drinks are strong, the staff is sweet, and the clientele are never dull.

Finally we headed over to Hayes Valley to have dinner with my friends Pallavi and Thomas and Alex's friend Marcus. We met Marcus a little early in a small, casual bar called Momi Toby's Cafe and Art Bar before heading over to dinner at Cafe Altano.

Dinner was fantastic and it was so nice to catch up with our West Coast friends. Alex and I shared a Mozzarella Caprese salad.

Then I had the Spinach Ravioli stuffed with creamy ricotta and dressed with marinara and fresh basil.

Alex had the spaghetti which came with New York mill sausage, fresh tomato, garlic and basil. Sadly, I took no pictures of my friends at all. It was awesome to catch up though, and I finally got to meet Thomas's boyfriend Chad who was completely delightful.

West Coast Road Trip - Day 4: Crescent City to San Francisco

2011-09-02T06:47:00.000+01:00

Up and out early again, we headed south toward San Francisco, but not before taking a quick walk on the beach which was cool, gray, and a little bit scummy.

Our first stop of the day came only a few minutes into our drive. But for real, who could pass without taking a photo of this giant, roadside Paul Bunyon and Baby the Blue Ox standing at the entrance to the Trees of Mystery in Klamath, California.

In the famed story, Paul Bunyan was a monstrous 63 ax handles high. Alex is only about 4 ax handles high. You can note the height discrepancy here.

We decided not to hike through Trees of Mystery, even this kind of tourist trap is clearly right up our alley. We did take some time to stop in the gift shop though. We bought a little something for my baby nephew. Oh yea, Dara and Ryan, I’m sure you are reading this and can’t wait to see what we picked up. It’s pretty tacky.

We continued on the 101, heading down through the Redwood Forest, stopping a few times to hike some short trails and see the trees up close.

The Circle Trail had one of the biggest redwood trees in the forest.

At about 202 ax handles high, good old Paul would still have had some difficulty chopping this giant down.

In addition to the giant trees, I wanted to see some real California wild life. Despite radio broadcasts telling us that Roosevelt Elk were spotted between Elk Prairie and Golden Bluffs Beach, there were none to be seen. Alex tried his best to make it up to me, which was nice.

Then, we spotted them. Two pretty Roosevelt Elk, roaming on the prairie. They looked at Alex with confusion and then kept on nibbling at the trees.

We headed down to Golden Bluffs Beach anyways, but there wasn’t much there. So we pretty much turned around and headed back.

After a bit more of a drive, we decided to stop in Eureka for some lunch. I’m sorry to say, that this was the saddest most depressing, little town that I have ever been through. The economy must have hit this little village pretty hard because every store we passed was going out of business, many buildings looked boarded up and vacant, and people just seemed to be milling around without a whole lot to do. Hopefully, Eureka will turn around and return to the bustling town promised in all of our guidebooks.

Back on the road, we headed down the Avenue of Giants to Myers Flat where we stopped briefly to drive through a giant tree.

Oh yea, there she is, the giant, black Impala. Barely fitting through the tree, Alex had me get out to guide the way and of course, snap some pictures.

Apparently, even with a giant hole though the center, redwood trees can continue to grow and thrive. Something to do with the way they get their water through many different roots instead of one many root source. However, this tree was very much not alive.

After the Avenue of Giants came a turn on to US Highway Route 1, which proved to be a very twisty path.

I thought the curves through the wooded forest were a little nerve-wracking, but nothing could compare to the breathtaking drops off the edge of the road once we hit the coast. Beautiful, but completely terrifying in spots.

With many turn-offs, we stopped to take a lot of pictures. Probably why this 6 hour drive, ended up taking us more like 13.

We even got in a little more California wild life.

No, they were not kidding when they put up that sign for the cow crossing.

Before making our way into San Francisco, we stopped in Bodega Bay to check out the sights and sounds of my favorite movie, The Birds.

And I do mean sounds because there were noisy birds everywhere. You could easily shut your eyes and pretend to be Tippi Hendren driving along the coast highway on her way to Bodega Bay.

In addition to stopping at The Tides restaurant, we also stopped in Bodega to see the church and the Potter School House which is now a private residence.

We quickly got back on the road and tried to make it to San Francisco before nightfall. We didn't get far though when a thick fog set in, then dark, then rain. The windy cliff roads became treacherous and the rest of our drive was done at a brisk 15 miles per hour. Sadly, even our drive over the Golden Gate Bridge was only enjoyable because we knew it meant we'd be at our hotel soon. At one point Alex asked, "Are we on the bridge yet?" By that point we were more than half way over. We couldn't see anything till we landed in the Presido and climbed the hills to the Laurel Inn.

After dinner and a stiff few drinks at the Pig and Whistle, we called it a night.

West Coast Road Trip - Day 3: Portland to Crescent City

2011-09-02T05:02:00.003+01:00

We took off from Portland at dawn knowing we had a long day of driving ahead of us. Though we had mostly planned to stay on the coast during our trip, we wanted to venture inland to see one sight, Crater Lake National Park.

A few hours into our trip, we stopped in Eugene, Oregon for a bathroom break at Cheshire Ave Park. We decided to take a little tour of Eugene. I want to move to Eugene, Oregon. Such a cute little town, not far from the mountains, not far from the beach, and only a short drive to Portland. Perfection. Also, we found VooDoo Doughnut Eugene. There was no line at all, so we picked up a few tasty treats and headed back on the road.

About three minutes into our trip, we decided it was doughnut time. We shared a Mango Tango doughnut, which was glazed with frosting sprinkled with Tang and filled with mango jelly.

Next, we shared a Cocoa Puffs doughnut which was devils food cake, glazed with chocolate frosting, and topped with Cocoa Puffs. Kind of sickening sweet, but the best doughnuts are.

In addition to the delicious doughnuts, the drive took us past a lot of great scenery including tall trees, blue skies, and snow capped mountains. Oregon is great!

After a few hours of driving we arrived at Crater Lake National Park and headed in to the caldera.

We drove along Rim Road, and took the first scenic pull off that we could find. Don't adjust your monitor, this is really what it looked like. I promise, I didn't adjust the brightness or color of this photo. It was that gorgeous.

We found that the car made a great tripod, so we even got a few good pictures of the two of us, something that never happens on our vacations.

One more shot of just the water and skies, and we were off to do some hiking.

There are sixteen hiking trails in Crater Lake National Park. They range from easy, thirty-minute strolls to strenuous 5-6 hour climbing adventures. We decided to start with Cleetwood Cove because it is the only way to reach the shore of Crater Lake and we wanted to do a little swimming.

On our way down to Cleetwood Cove, we got a real taste of the intense blueness of Crater Lake. Up until we arrived in Seattle, we didn’t know much about how the crater was formed. Turns out, it was not from a giant asteroid or meteor as we had thought.

Our bartender in Seattle told us that Crater Lake was once a volcano, Mount Mazama to be exact. Then 7,700 years ago it erupted and completely imploded on itself. Rain and snow filled the crater and formed the lake, which has no tributaries making it a closed ecosystem and one of the cleanest lakes in the world.

In addition to being one of the cleanest, it is also one of the coldest lakes, at least in our opinion. With 8-9 months of ice and snow, the water only reaches about 38 degrees at its warmest.

But hey, what are you going to do.

When else do you have the chance to swim in a crater?

The way back up was strenuous, but we made it in one piece and headed back to the car to continue our drive around Rim Road.

On the way out of the park, we stopped to see the Phantom Ship floating in Danger Bay.

After visiting the lake, we headed back out on the road. We stopped for some dinner before crossing the border in to Crescent City California where we set up shop for the night at the Crescent City Beach Motel.

West Coast Road Trip - Day 2: Cannon Beach to Portland

2011-08-31T08:01:00.004+01:00

The drive to Cannon Beach from Astoria was only supposed to take all of 34 minutes. Just one half an hour of gorgeous Oregon coast line in the warm pink glow of a west coast sunset, but that didn't so much happen. We got back in the car, back on the road and ran smack into some pretty horrendous traffic stemming from the 30th annual Hood to Coast relay. A quick check of our phones told us with the fireworks scheduled to start in one hour. We weren't going anywhere fast, so we made a stop for dinner at the Lil' Bayou Restaurant in Seaside Oregon. The moment the fireworks started to thunder and rain sparkling red and gold ash over the beach, we hopped back in the car and took advantage of the empty roadways.

Seven minutes later, we arrived at the Land's End Motel in Cannon Beach. It was breezy and cool out, so we started a fire in our fireplace and settled in for a great night's sleep.

Up with the sun again, we went for a run on the beach, showered and packed, checked out of our hotel, and headed off to a delicious breakfast at the Lazy Susan Cafe.

Since it was a little chilly, I started the morning off with a cup of hot cocoa and a warm blackberry scone.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, I continued to feed my face with some super tasty granola, yogurt, and fruit with brown sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Alex went for the ham and cheese omelet that came with a side of fresh fruit.

He also ordered a side of the most amazing thick cut, pepper spiced bacon that I have ever tried in my life.

After breakfast, we stopped by the Wine Shack and picked up a bottle of Pinot Noir from Oregon on the recommendation of our friend Erica. Apparently it's the best Pinot Noir that there is. Then we headed off to the beach for a few photos of Haystack Rock.

Cannon Beach is an absolutely beautiful beach with grassy dunes, white sands, and of course, the geological monstrosity, Haystack Rock. The coastline is wide and the fog and the cool sea mist give the beach a hauntingly mysterious quality.

We did a little exploring and dipped our toes in the water, but the icy temperatures kept us ashore.

I’d like to come back to Cannon Beach at some point and stay for a week. I’m usually not a huge fan of the beach, but I loved the chilly temperatures and the chance to wrap up in sweats and dig my toes in the sand for warmth. Cannon Beach is my new favorite beach in The States.

Next we headed back into town to check out the local shopping and eating scene. There were lots of cute little stores and cafes. There was a place to take cooking classes and a place to buy homemade rootbeer.

We decided to check out Fultano’s Pizza for a little lunch.

Alex grabbed a slice of pepperoni, and I went with the classic plain cheese. The pizza was okay, but a little heavy and buttery for our liking. The best part was probably the travel size grated parmesan cheese that I picked up on our way out. What a neat invention.

We were sad to leave Cannon Beach, but it was time to press on to Portland.

When we arrived, we got off the highway fully prepared to be thrown into a vibrant little city of ecologically obsessed, well educated, health crazed, hippies. We were pretty badly mistaken. Portland is not all that similar to the way it is portrayed in TV or movies, nor did we find it to be the picturesque little enclave everyone raves about. At first, we were a little miffed, but decided to try harder. We ditched the car and headed off to the world famous VooDoo Doughnut Shop for a sweet treat. As soon as the corner, the two hour line smacked us right in the face. No time for that. So we decided to move on to Powell’s Books a place the bartender at Two Bells had told us about, while I furiously texted my friend and Portland aficionado, Joel, for some suggestions.

Powell’s Books was definitely right up our alley. Over a city block wide, this bookstore is a-dream-come-true for anyone that likes to read. With practically every title known to man in stock, it was hard to know where to start first. We grabbed a map at the door and decided what we needed was a book about visiting Portland. However, I couldn’t help but stop in the pork aisle of the cookbook section.

While we waited for a text back from Joel, we picked up a few ideas from the travel section and headed back out in the city. We started with the Portland Saturday Market, since I like street fairs. It was okay, there were some neat art vendors. However, there were also a lot of junk vendors selling jewelry clearly imported from other countries rather than handmade which was a bummer.

Trying to stem the tide of disappointment, we thought it would be a good point in our day to visit one of Portland’s famous drinking establishments as recommended in a text from Joel. On the way we saw this sign. I thought it was appropriate.

We grabbed a seat in the bar section at Henry’s Tavern on 12th Street and ordered a few beers. Mine was a delicious Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat from Eureka, California.

The menu looked super delicious so we grabbed dinner. Alex had a side salad and pepperoni pizza. I had a giant cob salad with Henry’s homemade honey basil vinaigrette. Both meals were fantastic. My only complaint might be slightly too much bacon. But really, can you have too much bacon?

After dinner we headed off to our hotel. If you ever go to Portland, you must stay at the McMennamin’s Kennedy School Hotel. My boss recommended it to me, and I’m recommending it to you. It is awesome.

This one time elementary school was reconverted into a hotel, brewery, restaurant, and movie theatre. It is truly a sight to see and a destination within itself. Our room was adorable and only a little bit creepy.

It even came with its own mason jar, pint glass, coaster set. Guests can have their jar filled at any of the five onsite bars for only $5.50 and enjoy a McMennamin beer right in their room.

After dropping our stuff, it was time to explore. Right near our room was the movie theatre. We peeked in to see a showing of Bridemaids just beginning as patrons waited in line for pizza and beer.

We grabbed our first drink at the teeny tiny Honors Bar. We had the nicest bartender who served us Ruby and Hammerhead Ales and told us about the history of the school.

The thing I found craziest, is that guests and patrons can move freely throughout the hotel with their drinks. No need to stay put or commit to one bar.

Next we headed to the Boiler Room Bar in the basement

We cozyied up in a booth and grabbed a few more drinks. I tried the Copper Moon, and Alex tried the Terminator Stout. Both were delicious.

Then we headed back out for the Cypress Bar. We had to try all of them of course. After, we checked out the rest of the school: the gymnasium, the library, and the Detention Bar. We somehow missed the soaking pool, but not the spooky murals all over the walls.

When we got back to our room, I decided to try to find out if the hotel was haunted. There were no reports online, however, there was a creepy hand print on our mirror, which may or may not have been there before we headed out for the night. Duh duh dun.

West Coast Road Trip - Day 1: Seattle to Cannon Beach

2011-08-29T15:09:00.001+01:00

Every August, Alex and I try to do a little traveling. Last year it was Greece for our honeymoon. This year, we decided to take a road trip down the west coast from Seattle, Washington to San Diego, California. It’s a trip we’ve been dreaming about for awhile. So, we set out on an adventure across the great United States.

After a long, but relatively smooth flight from Ronald Reagan International to Sea-Tac Airport, we had finely arrived. We headed to the car rental place where we were greeted by a few of the nicest, late-night Hertz workers you could ever imagine. We got fantastic customer service and a pretty sweet discount and upgrade. We were pretty excited, but nothing could compare to our jaw dropping realization that we’d be driving down the coast in a giant Chevy Impala. It’s got chrome, wood inside, and began blaring rap music the moment we turned on the engine. We drove a quick 40 minutes into the city and stopped for our first night at the Homewood Suites by Hilton of Seattle.

Thanks to a little bit of jet lag, we woke up bright and early and decided to go for a run to the Space Needle. After we showered and ate some complimentary hotel continental breakfast, we headed out to Pike Place market.

On our way, we stopped at a neat little sculpture garden and took a few pictures.

When we arrived at Pike Place, it was a zoo of coffee drinkers, flying fish thrill seekers, and handmade craft vendors.

We spent a few hours poking in and out of shops and boutiques, and decided it was time for a snack.

We stopped at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where we bought some salted caramels and chocolate covered cherry cordials.

Totally delish, and oh so salty.

Next we headed back through the market and into Bell Town.

We had a little time to kill before our lunch stop opened, so we decided to do a little neighborhood exploring.

One of the things Alex and I like to do when traveling is climb really tall, really steep hills. I’m not particularly in love with heights or anything; there just isn’t any better way to really see a city. So up we went, into the hills of Seattle where we got some great views of the Space Needle. We were careful to watch out for upside down trucks, as well. There seemed to be an epidemic in the neighborhood.

On our way down, we checked out the Space Needle up close one more time, and then headed to lunch at Two Bells Bar and Grill.

If you happened to come to our wedding, you might have sat at the Two Bars Bell and Grill table. It’s one of our top 10 favorite bars in the country. Not only do they have fantastic local beers on tap, wonderfully nice and informative staff, but they also have the best burgers in the United States. We’ve had some pretty good burgers in our lives, but these ones are tops. Smothered with local Tillamook Cheddar and presented on a buttery, toasty, French baguette, it doesn’t get any better.

After lunch, and a lot of recommendations for stops in Portland, Crater Lake, and Big Sur, we headed off to Washington’s State Capitol, Tacoma to check out their world famous art museum.

The Tacoma Art Museum was really neat, heavily focused on Dale Chihuly a glass blower from Tacoma, who I have always found to be pretty cool.

I really thought this tea cup was kind of neat too.

Before getting back on the road, we took in the view from the top of the museum, and sent a few pictures off to our friend Chris, who happens to be from Tacoma and grew up just down the street from Dale Chihuly. It’s a small world.

Back on the road, we headed to Astoria, Oregon.

If you grew up in the ‘90s, you might have been slightly obsessed with a little Ataris album called “So Long, Astoria.” If you grew up in the ‘80s, you probably know Astoria is where The Goonies was filmed. If you are Alex and I, you know you couldn’t drive through Astoria without making a stop or two.

First stop, the Goondocks. We parked, and headed up to the house on foot, being mindful of the owners request and appreciating their kindness for allowing trespassers at all.

We took a few photos of the house.

Then took a few photos of the bridge.

And then got back on our way. Next stop: Cannon Beach, Oregon.

North Carolina: A Pig Pickin' Good Time

2011-08-16T14:12:00.000+01:00

As most of you know, I am a huge fan of BBQ. I love it. From North Carolina's vinegar based sauces to Texas' dry rubs, I could eat pulled, smoked, barbecued meat by the pound.

A couple of weekends ago, Alex and I spent a few nights in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina visiting his college friends at the beach. Despite the lack of enthusiasm for leaving the sand, I knew I couldn't make the trip without trying some world famous North Carolina pulled pork.

Our quick internet search of Outer Banks BBQ joints led us to Pigman's Bar B Que in Kill Devil Hills just a short drive from Kitty Hawk.

The menu looked delicious, so I decided to start with a Yuengling while I mulled my decision over. Pulled pork or smoked chicken? Beef BBQ or St. Louis Ribs? What is a girl to do?

Since the restaurant is called Pigman's, I decided to go with the pulled pork sandwich. I also ordered a side of baked beans, coleslaw, and Alex and I shared some cornbread.

Let me just say, this was one juicy, delicious, pulled pork sandwich. The texture was out of this world, the sauce vinegary with just the right amount of spice, and the bun soft and spongy to catch all the incredible flavor.

The sides were equally good, the beans were sweet, the corn bread soft and not too crumbly, and coleslaw was cool and creamy, although it probably could have had a bit more flavor.

All and all, this market style North Carolina BBQ joint was pretty fantastic in my book. Getting to eat sweet BBQ with Andy, Kim, and Dave wasn't half bad either.

What's your favorite kind of BBQ? Have you been to Pigman's Bar B Que in Kill Devil Hills?

My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard

2011-08-03T14:11:00.000+01:00

This summer, Alex and I have been lucky enough to have our weekends filled with quite a few visits from friends. This weekend, our friends Joe and Hillary came down from Brooklyn to stay with us and see the sights of DC. Between going on a double date run, visiting the Air and Space Museum, and shopping on U Street, we had quite a few fabulous meals out.

I've been wanting to check out Ted's Bulletin in Eastern Market ever since Emily (from the ever fantastic A Cambridge Story) and I stopped in for a homemade Pop Tart when she came to visit in February. A go to diner is one of the things Alex and I have yet to find in DC, so I thought, maybe Ted's would be it.

First tip to getting a great brunch at Ted's on the weekend? Go early. They take reservations, and I would suggest making them, but, it's also nice to get up early and beat the rush of overworked parents and their tiny tots that fill the restaurant at 9 o'clock in the morning.

When we arrived at Ted's we were seated right away and brought menus and coffee cups by a very nice waitress. We took in the retro chic atmosphere, which looks some where between a 1950s diner and a luncheonette sandwich shop. Then, we settled in with our newspaper like menus, which include classic favorites like Biscuits and Sausage Gravy and Pancakes. What a great way to start the day.

Though it seemed a little early for dessert, the boys ordered milk shakes, Alex: Oreo, Joe: Chocolate. Both of which were huge and intensely delicious. Hillary and Alex also sipped bottomless cups of coffee, and I had an apple juice, which was surprisingly large, not like the tiny juice glasses that you get in regular diners

For breakfast, I had the Pancake Stack with Hashbrowns and Two Eggs which the waitress kindly allowed me to substitute for fruit.

Alex had the The Big Mark Breakfast which included 3 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausage, hash browns, toast and homemade pop tart, he chose strawberry.

Both meals were super delicious, but if I had to make one small criticism it would be the density of my flapjacks. Don't get me wrong, the flavor was on point, but they quickly became a rock in my stomach only allowing me to enjoy about half of my stack. But I'll live. Longer probably.

Alex couldn't quite finish his meal either, so he took his Pop Tart to go, which I asked to have a Brown Sugar Cinnamon one added to. Both were enjoyed immensely later that afternoon.

Over all our meal at Ted's was super delicious and lots of fun. Our waitress was awesome, making us feel like regulars, even on our first visit. I will definitely be back. Next time, maybe for one of their Monday night pasta nights.

I don't care what is written about me so long as it isn't true

2011-07-27T14:00:00.000+01:00

I know, I know, it's been forever since I've posted. No, I wasn't on vacation anywhere exotic, nor do I have a good excuse for my absence. I'll admit it, I've just been plain lazy. Summer has gotten the better of me. Cooking has taken a back seat to fresh fruits and vegetables, cool creamy yogurt, nuts, and cheese. I haven't even so much as looked at a cupcake in almost a month. It's a little sad. Also, you deserve better.

Hopefully I can make it up to you with a chewy, buttery, delicious coconut cookie recipe. I promise it won't happen again. I wish I could send each of you a batch, but hopefully the recipe.

Chewy Coconut Cookies (from The Meaning of Pie)
Makes 4 dozen

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 Tablespoons coconut milk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, lightly stirred
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
Coconut to roll the cookies in

Directions

Combine the butter, sugar, and the coconut milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix them together on low for two minutes, then increase the speed of the mixer to medium for another three minutes. Your butter and sugar mixture should be light and fluffy.

In a small bowl, lightly stir the eggs. Add the eggs to your butter and sugar mixture slowly, allowing them to incorporate as you go. Stop the mixer and thoroughly scrape the bowl. Add the vanilla and beat, again on medium, to combine.

Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Stir it with a whisk to ensure that the salt and baking soda are well incorporated. Add the flour to the batter in three additions, allowing the flour to incorporate after each addition. Add the coconut and mix to just combine. Place the mixing bowl with the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Pour the remaining coconut onto a large plate. Using a spoon or dough scoop, make balls of about 1” diameter. Roll each ball in the coconut and pat the coconut into the ball a little to ensure that it adheres to the dough. Place the dough on a silicone baking sheet set on a cookie sheet. Repeat the process. Bake for approximately 17 minutes or until they are just golden. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to sit for two minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool.

Tutti Frutti

2011-07-15T14:00:00.000+01:00

Lately these days our house is filled with fruit. I mean filled. Not just our fridge, because that is always well stocked with apples, orange, and more berries than you can shake a stick at. And I'm not talking about dried fruit either, because we have plenty of pineapple, apricots, cranberries, and cherries in our pantry too. I mean our counters our over flowing with summer produce. Cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, lemons, and limes; we have fruit everywhere. It really is fantastic.

With all this fresh fruit, it's hard to think about mixing chunks of it with batter and baking it into some kind of baked good. Why mess with something so perfect. So instead, since it's Friday, I think it's a perfect occasion for a pretty drink that is high in both alcohol and vitamin C.

Frozen Nectarine Margarita

Serves 3-4

3 nectarines peeled and sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 cup tequila
1/2 cup limoncello
3 tablespoons agave syrup
3 cups ice

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy.

Volunteering is Good for the Soul

2011-07-14T16:45:00.001+01:00

If you read A Nesting Experience regularly, you might remember, a few weeks ago I took a class at CulinAerie as a part of Eat Write Retreat. The class was wonderful, and I knew it wouldn't be my last. When talking to Chef, and CulinAerie Principle, Susan Holt, I learned that the assistants that help in each class are actually volunteers and that they are always looking for more. I signed up immediately. After my first class, I was hooked.

In addition to great cooking classes such as Knife Know How and Couples: Summer Food & Wine Pairing, CulinAerie also hosts private parties and events. This week, I had the opportunity to volunteer for a private event Iron Chef Competition featuring Chef Carla Hall and Chef Rock Harper.

Chef Carla Hall was a finalist in the fifth and eighth seasons of Top Chef. Chef Rock Harper won the third season of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen. Both are phenomenal chefs, and I was so excited to meet them!

Each chef had a team of ten students and two assistants. Each were charged with making four plates of three dishes incorporating pork and wine into each. Each had a half an hour to brainstorm and gather ingredients from the CulinAerie pantry. Each had an hour and a half to cook, plate, and present their dishes to the panel of celebrity judges.

The celebrity judges included: Rj Cooper head chef of Vidalia, who is in the process of opening Rogue 24, a modern day speakeasy set to open at the end of this month; Mary Beth Albright from Food Network Star;

and Anna Spiegle, food writer for the Washingtonian.

Both teams did a fantastic job whipping up caprese salad, risotto, potato and bacon chowder, pork tenderloin, and bacon bread pudding. I even got to taste a few of the dishes and let me say, Chef Carla's potato bacon chowder and Chef Rock's bread pudding were not to be messed.

At the end of the night, team Black Garlic Microplane, Chef Carla Hall's team, took home the gold.

The event couldn't have been more fun and the perfect example of what a fun night at CulinAerie entails.

If you haven't taken a class there yet, definitely check them out. If you like food, wine, and great people and are looking for a fun place to volunteer, I highly recommend signing up.

Ardeo Bardeo Schmardeo. It's just fun to say.

2011-07-11T16:55:00.001+01:00

Since I moved to DC I've been hearing all sorts of things about a little modern American bistro and wine bar in Cleveland Park called Ardeo + Bardeo. Good or bad, everyone seems to have been there and to have an opinion. Their website even boasts a steady stream of famous clientele, including Madeleine Albright, Jim Lehrer, Alan Greenspan and the former first family, the Clintons. Needless to say, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about for myself.

Of all the neighborhoods I have been getting to know in DC, I have become a big fan of Cleveland Park. Somewhat quieter than other neighborhoods in DC, Cleveland Park has lots of cute shops and eateries interspersed between 19th century homes and large fancy apartment buildings. It seems like it would be a super cute neighborhood to live in, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, but still hip enough to satisfy any shopping or dining whim.

Ardeo+Bardeo sits smack in the middle of Cleveland Park's commercial corridor, making the location easy to get to by Metro or bus.

When we arrived we were greeted by a pleasant host and seated right away in a prime spot by the window. Our waitress was courteous and professional, offering us drinks from their super extensive wine list. Because, at the time, I was on antibiotics, I was unable to partake, but Alex got a delicious gin and tonic.

We decided to start with a Flatbread of sun dried cherries and roasted garlic. It was hot, chewy, and bursting with tart dried cherries which paired well with the goat cheese and olive oil topping.

For dinner, Alex ordered the Steak & Eggs which included a barrel cut ribeye, yukon gold puree, roasted royal trumpets, and a one eyed Susan. He loved every bit of his meal.

For dinner I ordered a side of the Crispy Brussels sprouts with pistachios, apricots, yogurt and the Lamb Ravioli with goat cheese, mushrooms, English peas and radishes. I was not as much as fan of my dinner as Alex was. Both dishes were under cooked and overly oiled.

They both looked so delicious on the menu, but the Brussels sprouts were much more crunchy than crispy, leaving them quite bitter and difficult to chew. My ravioli was overly al dente, and my peas were clearly not given the proper amount of time to rehydrate before being added to the dish.

For dessert we shared a deliciously decadent Chocolate Tart with pistachios, milk chocolate, and salted caramel. It was super rich and creamy and did a good job making up for my under cooked dinner.

All and all, my feelings about Ardeo+Bardeo were mixed. Maybe if I had been able to have a glass or two of wine. Maybe if I ordered something different. Maybe if we had stuck to snacks and drinks or dessert and drinks only. I'm not sure. Although with the myriad of other great restaurants around the city, I'm not sure I'll be back for dinner anytime soon.

Yer darn tootin', I like Fig Newtons

2011-07-07T10:25:00.004+01:00

When I was a little kid, we used to watch Saturday morning cartoons every week. With these cartoons came lots of commercials specifically geared to my young and impressionable consumer sensibilities. One of my favorites was for Fig Newtons: "A cookie is just a cookie, but a Newton is fruit and cake."

Even as a little kid, I thought Fig Newtons were neat. A bit pretentious, yes. But ultimately, the overly exaggerated fancy-pants British kid in knickers made me believe that Fig Newtons were downright pretty awesome.

Until my mom bought me the Flour cookbook, I never thought about making my own Fig Newtons. Sure they've been around since early Egyptians preserved figs by wrapping them in a flour based dough, but could I really make these fancy fruit and cake treats named after a town in Massachusetts? The answer is, yes.

Homemade Fig Newtons (from Flour by Joanne Chang)

Makes 12 Newtons

Fig Jam Filling

2 pints (680 grams) ripe black mission figs (about 30 figs)
1 orange, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 cup (110 grams) packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Shortbread dough

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (140 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (120 grams) cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

To make the filling: Remove any stems on figs, then cut them into quarters, and place in a medium non-reactive saucepan. Add the orange, brown sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce teh heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes, or until the figs have softened and lost their shape and the filling jam-like. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool for 1-2 hours, or to room temperature (if the jam is too watery, drain a little excess liquid before using as filling). This can be made in advance up to three 3 days ahead.

To make the shortbread dough: Using a stand mixer fitted with a the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and confectioners' sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stop the mixer a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bowl and paddle to make sure the egg is thoroughly incorporated.

In a small bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and then mix for about 15 seconds, or until the flour mixture is totally incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl again to make sure all of the flour is thoroughly incorporated.

Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and wrap entirely, pressing down to form a disk about 6-inches in diameter and 1-inch thick. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, or until it has firmed up but is still somewhat pliable.

Position a rack in the center of the oven, heat to 350F.

Place the dough disk on a large sheet of parchment paper. Liberally flour the dough on all surfaces, then roll out into a rectangle about 16 x 9 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Don't let the dough stick to the parchment or the rolling pin by adding a little flour as you gently roll the dough out.

Position the rectangle with a long side facing you. Spoon the cooled filling lengthwise along the center of the rectangle. In a strip of about 2 1/2 inches wide. Lifting the edge of the parchment farthest from you, drape the top of the dough rectangle over the jam, covering the top half of it. Gently peel the parchment away from the dough. Repeat wit the bottom edge of the parchment, draping the bottom of the dough over the jam. The edges of the dough rectangle should meet in the middle. Gently pinch the edges of the dough together, and then turn the rectangle over, so it is facing seam-side-down. Using a pastry brush or your hands to brush any excess flour off the parchment.

Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until the short bread is entirely golden brown. A little fig juice make leak out the sides, but it's fine. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 2 hours, or until completely cool. Using a chef's knife, cut on the diagonal into strips about 5 inches long and 1 inch wide.

You say Tomato. I say Tomato.

2011-07-05T14:43:00.001+01:00

For sure, my favorite thing about summer is the food. I love when the weather is warm and the farmers markets are packed with fresh, ripe, delicious locally grown fruits and vegetables. It is the best. For a few weeks now, Alex and I have been trying to get over to the Columbia Heights Farmers Market. It's held on Saturdays from 9-2 in Tivoli Square. You'd think, with such convenient hours we would have made it over there before this weekend, but some how we've been traveling or too lazy to get over there before this weekend.

When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised to see so many local farms selling their freshly grown produce, flowers, and meat. Vendors featured fruits, vegetables, meats, cheese, bread, and even freshly sheared, spun, and dyed textiles. We picked up some cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, and rainbow chard with a few specific dishes in mind.

The first, was this month's Food Network Magazine cover recipe for Heirloom Tomato Pie. Though it didn't come out quite as pretty with the cover, since we only found red tomatoes and not yellow, orange, and green; I'm quite sure it came out just as fresh and tasty.

Heirloom Tomato Pie (from Food Network Magazine)
Serves 6

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons shredded manchego cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 1/4 pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes
Kosher salt
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Make the crust: Pulse the flour, cornmeal and fine salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and 3 tablespoons manchego; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter. Drizzle in 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough comes together; add 1 more tablespoon ice water if necessary. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.

Put the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll into a 13-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate. Fold the overhang under itself and crimp the edges. Pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line the crust with foil, then fill with dried beans. Bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and continue baking until golden all over, 10 to 15 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Make the filling: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Meanwhile, thinly slice the tomatoes; toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a colander. Let drain, gently tossing occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Combine the remaining 3/4 cup manchego, the mozzarella, mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons each chives and parsley, the thyme, 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper, and the sauteed onion in a bowl. Spread in the crust. Arrange the tomatoes on top. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with pepper. Bake until the tomatoes are browned, about 50 minutes. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon each chives and parsley.

Top Chef, Top Restaurant

2011-07-01T12:00:00.008+01:00

There have been months of anticipation. Ever since Mike Isabella returned to DC after coming in second place in the Top Chef All Stars, foodies living in our nation's capital have been waiting for Graffiato to open. When he announced to his twitterazzi that reservations were now available on Open Table, I jumped at the chance to check it out during it's first few days open.

We arrived a few minutes early and were greeted by three nice, but nervous looking hostesses. Our table wasn't quite ready yet, so we started out by grabbing drinks at the crowded bar. I started with a Brooklyn Summer Ale and Alex had a teeny, tiny Gin and Tonic. The scale is difficult to judge here, because the can in the picture is also teeny tiny, the kind that tomato paste or pineapple juice come in.

We were seated right on time and presented our menus by a very, very nice waiter who looked strangely similar to Peter Sarsgaard. We opened our menus, and were totally not sure what to try first. Should we get the Chicken Thighs and Pepperoni Sauce, didn't we have to get Roasted Potato Gnocchi, why does every pizza look so amazing? We decided to just dive in and try practically everything.

We started with a bread basket filled with focaccia, raisin walnut, and polenta breads accompanied by bowls of ricotta and olive oil jam. Each bread was incredible tasty in its own right, and it was fun to mix and match them with the three cheese plate we ordered.

We got Gorgonzola Dolce, Green Hill Camembert, and Cracked Pepper Piedmont which were accompanied by a hefty dollop of garlic butter. Though we hadn't originally ordered the Gorgonzola, we chose to keep it and were happy we did as soon as we discovered how wonderful it tasted on the raisin walnut bread. It was nice that the waiter noticed the mistake too and offered to fix it, but it's cheese and we aren't that picky.

In addition to the cheese plate, we also ordered 3 hams, Wolftown Ham, Benton’s Smoked Country Ham, and Biellese Culatello prosciutto. Each were salty and delicious, piled on over a healthy drizzling of honey.

Next, we moved on to the Marinated Broccoli with radish, chili, and balsamic. It was tender and well seasoned, but not a favorite of mine. Not that it was bad, I'm just not a fan of cooked, but chilled, broccoli. Alex ate the entire bowl, happy that I wasn't interested in fighting him for half.

However, when the Roasted Potato Gnocchi with braised pork shank, and burrata came out, he was lucky to even get a bite. You must go there and have this heavenly dish. The gnocchi was pillowy, the pork shank braised to perfection, and the burrata was creamy and delicious. It was so good.

Last, Alex and I shared the Classic pizza with melted cherry tomatoes, sicilian oregano, and garlic. The pizza was tasty, and packed a punch of tomato and garlic. However, I was excited to take home leftovers and add a layer of fresh mozzarella, next time, we'll be sure to add that as a topping.

For dessert we shared a slice of Chocolate Tart with a side of sea salt gelato. It was the perfect end to a delicious meal.

Dinner at Graffiato was a wonderful experience. Our waiter was super nice, the food was tremendously good, and the minor kinks we experienced are sure to be worked out as soon as they get through their first week of service. We will definitely be back!

Wherever she went, including here, it was against her better judgment

2011-06-27T12:00:00.039+01:00

Sometimes I wonder how I'm not 300 pounds. I bake a lot, maybe too much. I just really like it. I like following directions. I like knowing that when I follow directions, more often than not, things turn out all right. I like knowing that mixing butter, sugar, and flour together is going to turn into something tasty, the sky is the limit from there. Cookies are particularly a favorite of mine, although you all know how much I love making cupcakes. Cookies are fun because the basic recipe is some what the same, what you throw into them is what makes them unique and special.

The other day I realized that it had been awhile since I had made cookies. I like having them around the house. They make for an easy, satisfying dessert that doesn't quite pack the caloric punch of a frosted cupcake. I decided to see what kind of cookies my Bon Appétit Desserts cookbook had to offer.

I came across these White Chocolate-Granola Cookies. They sounded sort of healthy for a cookie, but the use of dried apricots and pineapple intrigued me. Especially since we bought some super tart, practically inedible dried apricots a few weeks ago, and I had been debating tossing them, or using them in baking. For the record, I'm glad that I saved them.

These cookies came out freakin' awesome. They are thin, buttery, chewy, and totally delicious. The oats make them taste a little bit like a granola bar, but the white chocolate screams back, I'm not healthy, I'm a cookie damn it. I'm always pleased when my food pipes up and speaks for itself, and these cookies have definitely got something to say.

White Chocolate-Granola Cookies (from Bon Appétit Desserts)
Makes about 6 dozen

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
1 cup hot water
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups packed golden brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup granola, crumbled

Directions

Place apricots and pineapple in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup hot water and let soak until fruit is soft, about 15 minutes. Drain.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Using wooden spoon, stir apricot-pineapple mixture, oats, chocolate, and granola.

Using 2 heaping tablespoons dough for each cookie, drop batter onto 3 heavy large rimmed baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake cookies until golden. about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely.

Violet, you're turning violet

2011-06-24T14:29:00.002+01:00

Summer is finally here. The days are long. The weather is hot. The grocery stores and farmers markets are teaming with fresh fruit and veggies. It's totally the best. A few weeks ago, I spotted this blueberry ice cream pie on the Merry Gourmet and thought there could be no better summer dessert. Lucky for us, blueberries were on sale buy one pint, get two free when we went to the grocery store. It was destiny, kismet, and meant to be.

The pie turned out cool, fresh, and totally delicious. I don't know how Alex and I are going to eat it all, but we are sure going to try.

Blueberry Ice Cream Pie (from the Merry Gourmet)
Serves 12

Ingredients for the Crust

1 cup rolled oats
½ cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients for the Blueberry Sauce

3 cups blueberries, rinsed, well-drained, & carefully picked through for damaged berries
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon water

Ingredients for Putting it All Together

1 quart vanilla ice cream (store-bought or homemade)
¾ cup blueberry sauce, chilled
½ cup sour cream
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed, picked-over, and well-dried on paper towel-lined baking sheets
Remaining blueberry sauce, heated

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a food processor, combine oats, almonds, brown sugar, and salt. Pulse until coarsely ground.Transfer to a small bowl and stir in melted butter. Dump into a 9-inch pie plate and press evenly onto the bottom and sides with your fingers.

Bake 8-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool completely, then transfer to freezer until ready to use.

In a large, wide, non-reactive skillet, stir together blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add zest, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and water. Stir to blend. Cook and stir over medium heat until blueberries begin to pop and give off juice. Continue stirring until the berries come to a full simmer. Simmer for 1 additional minute until the sauce is slightly thickened.

Set aside to cool then refrigerate sauce until completely chilled before assembling the pie.

Transfer ice cream to a mixing bowl and let stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until just softened. Spoon half the ice cream into the prepared crust and spread in an even layer. Top with the chilled blueberry sauce. Spoon on the remaining ice cream and spread to edges. Cover surface of ice cream with plastic wrap and freeze for 8 hours or overnight until firmly set.

In chilled mixing bowl, whisk sour cream, heavy cream, and sugar until just thickened to spreading consistency. Do not overbeat. Spread cream mixture over pie and top with blueberries.

Orange You Glad I didn't Say Banana?

2011-06-23T12:00:00.038+01:00

I'm a big fan of beer. I love it. All kinds. Whether it's extra fruity, super hopped up, or a mild frothy wheat, I'm a fan. I love it in the summer when you are cooling down after a hard day at work, or in the winter when you are cozying up with a good movie on a Saturday night. Beer rocks.

A couple of months ago, the girls over at We Are Not Martha inspired me to make some delicious Chocolate Stout Brownies. I was totally hooked. Beer and baking, sounds like a great idea.

Leafing through my Bon Appétit Desserts cookbook this weekend, I spied a recipe for Chocolate Stout Cake. Since I don't have a portable cake carrier yet, and I didn't want a giant cake hanging around my apartment all week, I decided to see if the recipe would work in cupcake form. The chocolate frosting recipe that went with the cake called for more cocoa than I had on hand, so I decided to make up my own boozy orange frosting. The two paired perfectly and created a fantastic cupcake that ended up being super popular with my coworkers.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Boozy Orange Frosting (inspired by Bon Appétit Desserts)
Makes 18

Cupcakes

1 cup stout
1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon crème fraîche

Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons triple sec or other orange liqueur
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon orange zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners. Bring stout and butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and crème fraîche in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin tins. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cupcakes out onto rack and cool completely.

While cupcakes cool, whip butter until smooth and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add orange liqueur, milk, and orange zest and whip until fully combined. When cupcakes are completely cooled, frost cupcakes and enjoy.

Pretty Flowers - It's just that kind of Wednesday

2011-06-22T15:02:00.000+01:00

Lately we've being doing quite a bit of sightseeing in DC. We've been spending a few more weekends in the city. So we have been trying to take advantage of all our nation's capitol has to offer. In the past few weeks we have been to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, the National Aquarium, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, a Washington Nationals Game, the Washington Monument, and The White House. We have really been all over.

We've also been trying to walk every where we go to learn our new city. A few weekends back, on a trip from Columbia Heights to Eastern Market, we decided to spontaneously pop in to the United States Botanic Garden Observatory.

Like most of the other museums and attractions in DC, the US Botanic Garden is free to the public. Visitors can explore colorful gardens representing different ecological habitats from around the world. As interesting as it is to listen to experts talk about the plants, it was equally as fun to just meander among the gorgeous flowers. I was especially enamored with the large and exotic collection of orchids. While not my favorite flower, they are probably the most beautiful, interesting, and fun to photograph.

If you ever have any time to stop and smell the roses while in DC, I would definitely recommend the US Botanic Garden as a beautiful and fun place to spend a few hours. Now, I'll stop babbling and just let you look at the pretty flowers.

Oh and in case anyone is interested in sending me flowers, my favorites are hydrangeas.

Have you ever been to the US Botanic Garden? What's your favorite flower?

Pork, on top of pork, inside of pork

2011-06-20T12:00:00.002+01:00

When I first started cooking, one of the dishes I used to make a lot, was my mom's lasagna. It always turned out good, but not quite as good as her's and I could never figure out why. Turns out, in addition to using ground beef in her lasagna, my mom also used to use ground pork. Trying ground pork for the first time, I was hooked. Definitely my favorite ground meat. I added it to lasagna, meatballs, meatloaf; anything I used to make with just ground beef.

A few weekends ago, while leafing through June's Food Network Magazine, I found an article titled, "Pick a Patty" that discussed the tried and true techniques for perfecting the perfect beef burger, salmon burger, veggie burger, turkey burger, and pork burger. Pork burger? Sign me up.

Apparently, the secret to a great pork burger is ground bacon inside the burger. Sounds like delicious to me.

Perfect Pork Burgers (The Food Network Magazine)
Serves 4

5 slices of bacon, cooked crisp
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground pork
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
4 buns, split
unsalted butter, softened for spreading

Directions

Pulse the bacon and garlic in a food processor until coarsely ground. Combine the ground pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoons pepper, and the sage in a large bowl. Add the bacon mixture and gently mix with your hands. Gently form the meat into 4 balls, then lightly press into 4 inch wide, 1 inch thick patties. Make a 2 inch wide indentation in the center of each with your thumb to prevent to burgers from bulging when grilled. Preheat a grill to medium high. Season the patties with pepper. Grill undisturbed until marked on the bottom, 5-6 minutes. Turn and grill until the other side is marked and the patties feel firm, 4-6 more minutes. Meanwhile spread the cut sides of the buns with butter and toast on the grill. Serve the patties on the buns; top as desired.

Not Famous but Still Tasty

2011-06-16T12:00:00.005+01:00

Mac and cheese is one of my favorite foods in the whole world. There is just something so filling and delicious about a creamy bowl of pasta and cheese. It's good out of the pan, but I especially love it out of the oven with a toasty, crispy, cheesy crust.

A few months ago, my friend Maia introduced me to restaurant just outside of DC called Rustico. One of the best things on their menu, other than the Grilled Romaine Salad, is their appetizer mac and cheese. Inventively, their mac and cheese is made with orzo instead of macaroni. They also top it with a crunchy sprinkling of pretzels instead of breadcrumbs. It is totally delish.

I decided to try to make something similar for myself by shredding a couple of blocks of leftover cheese, smashing some random pretzels sticks from the last trip we made to Boston, and boiling some orzo I ran out and bought the day after Maia took me to Rustico for the first time.

It came out particularly tasty and was the perfect dish for dinner last night between ice packs, post having a root canal redone.

Orzo and Cheese with Crunchy Pretzel Cheez-It Topping
Serves 2-4

1 cup of orzo
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 cup of milk
1 oz Jarlsberg, shredded
1 oz Sharp White Cheddar, shredded
2 oz plus 1/4 cup Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
a small handful of Cheez-Its, smashed
a small handful of pretzels, smashed

Directions

Fill a medium pot with water and boil. Add your orzo and cook to al dente. Mine took about 8 minutes. Once finished, drain and pour into a small baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl mix together butter and flour using a fork. In a small sauce pan over low heat, combine butter and flour mixture with milk. Stir till combined. Once combined continue to stir until the sauce thickens. As soon as it starts to coat the back of your spoon, add the cheeses except 1/4 cup Sharp Cheddar, salt, and pepper. Heat until melted throughout, stirring occasionally. When the sauce is thick and creamy, pour it over your orzo and allow it to seep in between the grains to coat the entire dish. Top with remaining cheddar, Cheez-Its, and pretzels.

Bake for 30 minutes uncovered or until top is browned and bubbly.

Tropical Italian BBQ

2011-06-15T12:00:00.002+01:00

This weekend, Alex and I had a visit from my sister, my brother-in-law, and my two adorable nephews. I knew that we'd be super busy seeing the sights around town, playing at the pool, and hanging out catching up. I wanted to make meals easy, a head of time, and favorites that everyone would love. For Friday, I made lasagna ahead and stuck it in the freezer. For Thursday, I did the same with Mac and Cheese. For Wednesday, where I had to work and wasn't getting home till the moment they got in, I wanted something that would be ready when we got home, so I made Slow Cooked Pulled Pork.

Whenever I've made pulled pork, I always have tons of leftovers. I'm not complaining cause who doesn't want to eat pulled pork for days on end. However, with all leftovers, I try to see if I can morph something that was delicious the night before into something new and equally delicious the next night. I did a little searching for what you could do with pulled pork and came across this recipe for Caramelized Pineapple Pulled Pork Flatbreads on Cake, Batter, and Bowl and thought it sounded just delicious. So I made up my own pizza using similar ingredients.

BBQ Pork and Pineapple Pizza
Makes one 16"-18" pizza

1 yield of 15-minute pizza dough, recipe below
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, sliced
1 cup pineapple, diced
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
6 oz Slow Cooked Pulled Pork
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded

Directions

Heat olive oil in a pan over low to medium heat. Cook shallots until brown and caramelized.

Simultaneous, heat pineapple in a separate pan over medium high heat until juice is reduced and pineapple are lightly browned.

Cover pizza with barbecue sauce, top with pulled pork, pineapple, shallots, and cheeses.

Bake for 8-10 minute or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Serve hot.

15-Minute Pizza Dough (from Little Birdie Secrets)

Makes one 16"-18" pizza shell

2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water (120-130 degrees)
1 tablespoon dry active yeast
2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together. Add hot water and olive oil. Mix for five minutes with your Kitchen Aid mixer and dough hook or knead with your hands. Let rest 10 minutes. Press dough on pizza pan, pizza stone, or jelly-roll pan. Bake at 500 degrees for 3 minutes. Take out of the oven and cover with toppings.

Bananas for Mommy

2011-06-09T14:00:00.032+01:00

One of the most famous and delicious bakeries in Boston is Flour. Though I've never been to the original, the location on Mass Ave. in Cambridge was one of my favorite stops on the way home from work. With sticky buns, cupcakes, pastries, even homemade Oreos behind Flour's big glass pastry case always made it difficult not to stop in for a treat. So sweet.

For my birthday, my mom got me the Flour cookbook. Now, even though I'm not in Boston, I can still treat myself to tasty sweet every once in awhile in my own kitchen.

Banana Bread (by Joanne Chang of Flour)
Makes one 9-inch loaf

1 1/2 cup (210 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (230 grams) sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup (100 grams) canola oil
3 1/2 very ripe, medium bananas, peeled and mashed (1 1/2 cups mashed / about 340 grams)
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (75 grams) walnut halves, toasted and chopped

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan. Set aside. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the sugar and eggs on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. On a low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil.. Don't pour the oil in all at once. Add it slowly so it has time to incorporate into the eggs and doesn't deflate the air you have just beaten into the batter. Adding it should take about 1 minute.

Add the bananas, crème fraîche, and vanilla and continue to mix on low speed just until combined.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture and the nuts just until thoroughly combined. No flour streaks should be visible and the nuts should be evenly distributed.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.

The banana bread can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, it can be well wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 weeks; thaw overnight at room temperature for serving.

Have you stopped by Flour for their banana bread? What did you think?

Beans and Franks

2011-06-08T13:00:00.001+01:00

When I was little, we used to eat beans and franks like every other day in the summer. I figured with the frequency that we ate them, they had to be a pretty easy and quick dish. So, a few months back, I bought a can of baked beans and thought, awesome, easy dinner. Boy was I wrong when I read the directions. Though they are easy to make, baked beans are quite the slow cooked side dish. I put the beans back in the cabinet and thought, this is a better idea for a Sunday dinner.

Last week, when flipping through my Google Reader, I spied a recipe for Beer Baked White Beans from Everyday Food on the The Bitten Word. They looked incredible and got a great review. Though I had a can of baked beans in my cabinet, I knew that for the effort and the time they would both take, the Beer Baked White Beans would be much so better.

These beans came out delicious. All the flavor of mom's dish, but classed up a bit with the beer and the bacon. So good. By the way, if you don't read The Bitten Word, you must start. It's fantastic and one of my favorite DC Food Blogs.

Beer-Baked White Beans

Serves 6

6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 sprig rosemary
1 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini, picked over, soaked overnight, and drained
2 bottles Belgian-style white ale (12 ounces each), such as Blue Moon or Hoegaarden
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, cook bacon over medium, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp and browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Increase heat to medium-high; add onion and garlic to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 4 minutes. Add mustard and honey; cook 1 minute.

Add rosemary, beans, beer, and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil; cover and transfer to oven.

Bake until beans are tender and most of liquid is absorbed, about 2 hours. I checked on mine at about an hour and a half and they had absorbed all of the liquid, but still weren't done. I added more broth and cooked them until 2 hours. In the end they came out perfect.

Season to taste with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir in reserved cooked bacon.

Serve as desired. We had ours with hot dogs.

What's your favorite classed up classic dish? Do you make baked beans from scratch or start with the canned version?

Koolsalade

2011-06-07T12:00:00.002+01:00

To be honest, I've always thought the idea of coleslaw was a little gross. I used to have to make it every once in awhile when I worked at Unos in college. The mayo mixture was kind of runny and weird, and I was never a huge fan of cabbage. Because of this, I never really gave it a shot. I just figured I wouldn't like it.

A few months ago when I made pulled pork for the first time, I decided to try making my own coleslaw. The pulled pork needed something. Something sweet and fresh that gave it a little crunch. So, I went for it. Like most foods that I've developed an imperious attitude toward, coleslaw turned out to be great after all. I don't know why I waited so long to try it.

It was creamy, crunch, fresh, and delicious. This time, I made it again adding some bell pepper and a sweet corn. It was the perfect match for my barbecued chicken and grilled veggies.

Sweet Corn Coleslaw (inspired by All Star Sandwich Bar)
Serves 4

1/2 head purple cabbage, shredded
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 shallot, sliced thin
1 can yellow corn, drained
1 yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup mayonnaise or miracle whip
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon poppyseed

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, shallot, and corn. Set aside. In a small bowl combine sugar, vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Mix together and pour over cabbage. Gently combine until cabbage mixture is fully coated. Sprinkle poppyseed over mixture and toss. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Eating, Writing, Retreating, and Recipes

2011-06-03T12:00:00.012+01:00

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a CulinAerie cooking class as part of Eat Write Retreat, an intensive, learning weekend for food writers, photographers and bloggers. The full schedule for Eat Write Retreat looked fabulous, and I was sad not to participate in the entire thing. However, I had been browsing the classes at CulinAerie for awhile and when Eat Write Retreat offered the class a la cart, I jumped at the chance to meet some fellow bloggers and take my first ever cooking class.

I arrived at CulinAerie a little early, and had a chance to meet the assistants and instructor, Chef Susan Holt, before the class began. Everyone was so nice and helpful. I took a quick spin around the facilities, and it was gorgeous. A large, beautiful, industrial kitchen was set up with everything we would need to create a culinary masterpiece, which I found out was going to be Salad of Endive, Avocado, Tarragon, and Grapefruit; Olive Oil-Braised Endive with Gremolata; and Endive with Scrambled Egg with Chorizo.

I grabbed a seat near the front, but also close to the large flat screen televisions, so I could carefully watch the Chef's technique as she sliced, diced, and chopped her way through the recipes. Once we were given a tutelage, we were set free to create our own meal under the eye of the Chef and assistants.

Salad of Endive, Avocado, Tarragon, and Grapefruit (from CulinAerie)

Serves 4

8 bulbs of red endive
1 large or 2 small grapefruit
1 medium avocados, cut in half, pit removed, removed from shell
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves
Finishing salt and fresh pepper

Directions

I happened to be lucky enough to sit in front of the ingredients for the Salad of Endive, Avocado, Tarragon, and Grapefruit.

I started with the grapefruit. Using a sharp, flexible knife I sliced off both ends. I placed the widest end down on the cutting board and sliced around the grape fruit, removing the rind. Then, holding the grape fruit in my left hand, and my knife in my right, with a bowl underneath, I cut between each segment, freeing them from the pith. I let the segments drop into my bowl as I cut, squeezed the remaining juice on top. Lastly, I tossed the peel and pith.

Surprisingly, this is one technique I already had down, but I didn't know what it was called until the class: to Supreme.

I set my grapefruit aside and went to work on my avocado. I sliced my avocado in half, holding my knife in my left hand, keeping it still, and rotating the avocado around it. I removed my pit by whacking it with the knife and twisting. Then I took a large spoon and removed the avocado from it's shell. I placed each half on a cutting board face down and made tiny, vertical slits almost all the way through the avocado. I left a bit at the end unsliced to hold the avocado together. Then with the heel of my hand, I pressed on the avocado gently and twisted it to create a pretty fan.

Next, I cut my endive on a bias in 1" pieces, discarding the core. I set that aside and placed my avocado on a dinner plate. I added my grapefruit slices, then the endive, and poured my olive oil and grapefruit juice on top. Lastly, I sprinkled on my tarragon and finished my plate with some pepper and finishing salt.

I ended up with a gorgeous, summery salad. You might notice I added a little cheese on their too. Their happened to be some leftover Manchego from the egg dish. I borrowed a little since I don't eat eggs and it was a fantastic addition. I'll definitely be making this salad again and again. It was so great.

Here are some other pictures from the class:

Beth of eat. drink. smile pouring the eggs into the pan of butter and chorizo.

Jessica from Linday Olives preparing the Oil-Braised Endive with Gremolata.

The class was fantastic. In fact, it was so much fun, I signed up to be back as an assistant. I helped with my first class last night and had a great time assisting, learning, and in the end, eating and drinking. Such a blast.

Super Duper Dip

2011-06-01T12:00:00.001+01:00

Chips and dip are one of my favorite things. Salty, cool, and creamy just makes me so happy. Unfortunately, dips you find in the chip aisle are often laden in fat and calories that turn happiness to pudginess. Making dips at home can be a good alternative, but often using low fat ingredients can make your dip soupy and flavorless.

In search of a recipe that would be tasty without all the fat in calories brought me to Martha Stewart's Sweet Onion Dip. Caramelizing the onions gives you the punch of flavor you need. Adding just a bit of cream cheese thickens the dip without too many extra calories or fat.

This dip was perfect on chips, veggies, and even worked as a spread throughout the week on sandwiches and wraps. Spread a little on a tortilla, add some rotisserie chicken, shredded cheese, guacamole and tomatoes and you've got a pretty good sandwich. Yum!

Sweet Onion Dip (from Martha Stewart)
Makes 2 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Vidalia onions (1 pound total), finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup non-fat sour cream
2 ounces fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
Potato chips, for serving

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese, vinegar, and chives; season with salt and pepper.

Chill dip until slightly thickened, about 1 hour; or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve with chips or veggie sticks.

You're a Superstar. That is what you are.

2011-05-26T13:45:00.013+01:00

One of my favorite eateries in the world is All Star Sandwich Bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I was lucky enough to live just down the street for more than a year. Either dine in or take out, All Star Sandwich bar serves a fantastic mix of fresh salads, tasty sides, burgers, and of course, sandwiches.

Now, living in DC, it is one of the places that I miss most. Alex and I always knew a good meal was only a few blocks away. We even been known to eat there twice in one day. That is just how good it is.

The other day, I was particularly homesick and got a huge craving for a sandwich and pile of fries. I decided to check out their rotating menu to see what was on special. Probably not the best idea because that week's Funky sounded incredible: Mojo Braised Pork Shoulder with Spicy Feta Spread, Crispy Fried Onions, Red Leaf Lettuce, Tomatoes and Tsaziki Sauce on Grilled French.

Seriously, how good does that sound? I told Alex to pack, we had to get in the car, we had to get to Cambridge before they closed for the evening and the Funky disappeared forever. Sadly, he kind of just laughed at me. So, I had to devise a plan to make my own.

Funk∙y \funkee\ adj. (inspired by All Star Sandwich Bar)

Serves 1

3 oz of braised pork shoulder
2 tablespoons of spicy feta spread or tyrokafteri, recipe to follow
5 crispy fried onions rings
3 leaves of lettuce
3 tomato slices
2 tablespoons of tzatziki
1 piece of French bread, grilled

Spicy Feta Spread (Tyrokafteri)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons crumbled feta
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 peperoncini, finely chopped

Directions

I started by frying up some shallots because I didn't have any onions on hand. I sliced them into rings, doused them in flour, soaked them in an egg wash, coated them in bread crumbs, and placed them in a pan of hot oil till they were crispy and golden brown.

In a food processor or magic bullet, blend together feta, Greek yogurt, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, cayenne pepper, cider vinegar, and chopped peperoncini.

Blend until smooth and chill until ready to use.

Slice French bread in half. Spread spicy feta spread on one side and tzatziki on the other. On one side, pile braised pork shoulder, crispy fried onion rings, lettuce, and tomatoes. Top with remaining slice of bread.

The sandwich turned out great, although probably not as good as the original. We'll be in Cambridge for a visit soon, I'll cross my fingers the Funky reappears on the menu because we will definitely be heading to All Star Sandwich Bar as soon as we get to Inman Square.

Have you ever tried to recreate a meal from your favorite restaurant? How did it turn out?

Twice. Two Times.

2011-05-25T14:39:00.000+01:00

Last week, I went out for tapas twice. Two nights in a row to be exact. Both restaurants were nestled in the hip neighborhood of U Street. Both restaurants had a swanky, modern feel. Both menus were mouth watering, including fancy items like Mustard Greens and Speck and Wagyu Medallions. One I went to with friends, Chantal, Veronica, and Margaret, while the other I went to with Alex. I was equally super excited to eat at both. Sounds like two fabulous nights, right? Well, only sort of.

One restaurant came out as a shining example of tapas done right, while the other fell far behind, both in taste and in service. The contrast provided me with a true appreciation of perfection at Policy.

Policy had been on my list of restaurants to try for awhile. I walk by it nearly every day. Though the outside looks something like a cafe, the inside is a swanky, modern, industrial mix of a 1950's diner and upscale Manhattan Asian-inspired eatery. The decor is eclectic, illuminated by silver chandeliers, covered in black matte wallpaper featuring parking meters and fire hydrants, and dressed up with black mirrors and colorful paintings by local artists.

When we arrived, we were seated immediately in a shiny scarlet booth and greeted by a friendly waiter who seemed ready to take care of us in anyway. Alex and I chose two meat dishes and three vegetable dishes. Alex ordered a DC Brau, while I ordered a glass of Gewürztraminer, just as I had the day earlier with the girls.

The first dish to come out were the Stir Fried Green Beans, flavored with ginger, garlic, sesame, and soy. Let me just tell you that I have eaten my fair share of green beans, but these were the best I have ever had in my life. Powerfully salty, with the perfect amount of crunch, these green beans were definitely more than a side dish.

While we were serving ourselves green beans, our Madras Curry Lamb Sliders arrived.

Thankfully, at Policy, it is not their policy to leave you eating a plate of vegetables by themselves as I had the night before when 30 minutes after the majority of our meal, I was brought a plate of cold, sad asparagus all by its lonesome.

Though these green beans totally stood up on their own, they paired nicely with the sliders, which were fabulous, by the way.

The meat was well seasoned with curry and mint. The tiny brioche buns added a buttery, savory, touch.

While we munched on sliders and green beans, our Roasted Brussels Sprouts arrived.

I'm a huge fan of Brussels sprouts on their own, pair them with thick chunks of applewood smoked bacon, Danish blue cheese, and slices of blood orange and you just can't go wrong. They were full of flavor, managing to be both savory and sweet with notes of citrus. Simply delicious.

Next came two perfectly square servings of scalloped potatoes, which were crispy on the outside, starchy on the inside, and full of buttery, salty flavor.

Lastly, came our Grilled Hanger Steak. Sitting on a bed of shiitake mushrooms, green beans, and edamame puree, the steak was grilled and seasoned perfectly. The edamame puree was a nice touch, which I practically licked clean from the plate.

Not only was everyone one of the dishes we tried piping hot, cooked to perfection, incredibly flavorful, and totally delicious, but in stark contrast to my previous tapas experience, the serving was orchestrated in a way that brought out the best in each dish. From the green beans to the steak, the meal was truly perfect with no laps in food, drink, or service.

We ended the night on a sweet note with some of the most delicious key lime pie that I have ever had. The pie filling was tangy and sweet, topped with whipped cream and meringue and dotted with marshmallow.

I can't say enough about how fantastic everything was that we ate at Policy. I don't know that I've ever had a meal where everything we were served was incredibly good. The service was awesome too. This meal was truly impressive. We will definitely be back.

Have you been to any restaurants that have totally blown you away? Where should we check out next?

Tart fail #2. The story of a too tart tart.

2011-05-20T12:00:00.027+01:00

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I had a tart fail. I made this pretty, delicious looking tart and it leaked all over my oven. When I tried to transfer it to a different pan, it fell apart mid slide and never recovered. It was a wreck and I was totally disappointed.

I decided to give it a second try. I still had a frozen pie crust left. Still had some strawberries which I decided to supplement with blackberries and raspberries. I was ready to go. I laid out my pie crust. Carefully spread my fruit filling, avoiding as much liquid as possible. I wrapped my edges tighter and pressed down harder on each to seal. Stuck it in the oven and voila! Out came a gorgeous tart.

However, when I went to take a bite, boy was it just that. Tart. Too tart to even eat. Even with a scoop of sugary, vanilla ice cream. Tart fail, again. This isn't the end, tart. I will find a way to make you and eat you. Until next time, at least I scored some pretty pictures. Hope you enjoy them, cause this tart was no treat.

Rhubarb-Berry Tart
Serves 8

1 (8-ounce) sheet frozen pie crust, thawed
1 piece of rhubarb, chopped
1 cup of strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup blackberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Preheat to 375 degrees. Place rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries int a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and stir to coat. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat baking mat. Roll the pastry out. Pierce all over with a fork. Spoon berries into center of the pastry, reserving the liquid as much as possible. Fold sides of the pastry over one side at a time forming corners as you go. Press down each corner to seal. Dot pastry with butter.

Bake for for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Seven hours of pure deliciousness

2011-05-20T12:00:00.010+01:00

I've been thinking about this for awhile now and I have come to a conclusion: Pork is definitely my favorite meat. Beef is good. Chicken is all right. Pork is just fantastic. Any way you slice it, bacon, ham, hot dogs, chops, pulled, it really doesn't matter. Pork is always pretty great.

Probably my favorite way to eat pork is pulled. I've tried it a few times in my crock pot and it is always super satisfying, but never quite as good as what you get in a restaurant. A few weeks ago, I saw a recipe for slow roasted shredded pork on one of my favorite food blogs The Food in My Beard. I had the pleasure of meeting Dan from The Food in My Beard many months ago at East Coast Grill during a Boston Blogger Brunch. The recipes on his blog always look amazing, so I decided, I had to try this one.

Because I'm a chicken when it comes to spice, I wasn't super sure about Dan's Mexican "Mojo" Marinade. I searched a few other places and found Martha Stewart's recipe for braised pork shoulder. With their powers combined, and a few additions of my own, I came up with my own version of Beer Braised Pork that I think will knock your socks off.

I will say, the recipe does take a full day to cook, but it's so worth it, especially on a rainy Sunday when you are not going to leave the house anyway.

Beer Braised Pork (inspired by Food in My Beard and Martha Stewart)
Serves 10-12

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/16 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Shallots
4 Cloves Garlic
4 12-oz bottles Belgian Style Ale
1 5-lb pork shoulder, bone in

Directions

Blend dry ingredients, shallots, garlic, and 1 12-oz bottle of Belgian Style Ale in food processor. Pour over pork, marinade overnight.

Place pork and marinade into oven safe pot uncovered. If needed, add a second Belgian Style Ale so the liquid goes about 1/4 up the side of the pork.

Bake at 275 degrees for about 6-7 hours, braising each hour with pan juices, adding more Belgian Style Ale as necessary to keep the meat moist. When browned on the outside and falling apart, remove from oven and allow to cool.

Shred with fork or hands and remove bone.

What's the longest time you've ever spent on one recipe? Was it worth it in the end?