would you???

i have to admit... i haven't been cooking lately. i wish i was. i find it very relaxing and enjoyable, but i just can't get myself to do it. maybe i've lost inspiration. maybe i need to pick up a couple of new exciting cookbooks. i should get committed to get back in the swing of things... easier said than done though.

especially when you've got a fabulous culinary adventure lined up for next weekend!!!

i stole this from trin. it just seems like fun, and it's slow today at work. shhh! don't tell. :)

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/ linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart -- they're called ghetto dogs, and they're FABULOUS. find the best ones at USC on the way to the football games or 21st & Mission in SF. get on it.
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - alcohol
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - not a whole one though!!!
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar - alcohol
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O - alcohol
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - alcohol
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin - i've been told that i will be highly allergic, otherwise i so would
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini - alcohol
58. Beer above 8% ABV - alcohol
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin - what is this??
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe - alcohol
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu - alcohol
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail - but never again after this summer
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini - alcohol
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox (salmon)
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

if this is supposed to be an indicator of my food curiousity, i feel that i faired pretty well. most of the strike-outs are alcohol-related. since i don't drink, they weren't really an option in the first place. other than that, i feel like i've got a lot of good food waiting for me to try!

finally, pictures...

i made the crisp again this morning... this time, i made it with peaches.


not as good, but still very tasty. this one will need yogurt for sure.

my little trip

recently, i took a lovely trip to france. i can't honestly say that france was in my "queue" having already been to paris and the cote d'azure (once and twice) 2 years ago. however, the generous invitation arose to travel, and 36 hours later, i booked my plane ticket to france.

the queue is generally reserved for things i've never done before. i'd like to make the following exceptions, however, for things i'd like to experience again.

the best goat cheese in france

martignargues

dinner in martignargues... followed by cheese and dessert

tour d'eiffel

dessert in martignargues

out our window at mondable

i'm so thankful for the opportunity to see france this way... but let's be honest, it's in my queue to do again!

apricot crisp - completed

the apricot crisp was amazing. and it was finished by 3 people in about a day. i can see it being enjoyable using a variety of different fruits. i thought about a picture, but it got devoured first.

i think i'll make it again this weekend. then you'll get a picture!

a raisin in the sun - completed

so yes. i did it. i sat through a raisin in the sun starring sean "puff daddy/ p. diddy/ diddy" combs. and yes, it was painful. every time mr. combs didn't know what to do with his eyes, all of the poorly thrown temper tantrum monologues, and the melodramatic extra-deep breaths... it was too much. it just left me wishing someone had told him that this was a dream of his that should have been deferred...

claire huxtable was moderately entertaining. i think she must have been better on stage.

the best part of this remake was the unexpected cameo of john stamos. but once again, the casting let's the viewer down again... it's just hard to imagine someone who looks like a greek immigrant to be an accurate representation of the catholic neighborhoods of chicago.

to sum it up... a raisin in the sun remake was bitterly disappointing. i knew it would be, but some things you just have to see to believe.

a raisin in the sun

i want to see the 2008 made for tv version of a raisin in the sun. you might call me crazy. but i think crazy is casting sean "p. diddy" combs as walter lee younger - the character immortalized by sidney poitier's 1961 performance. it's so crazy that i just have to see it. and let's be real, you want to see clair huxtable just as much as i do...

***photo from LA Times (see link)

apricot crisp

this looks amazing. perfect for apricot season, which is here!!! at least i think it's here since i saw them at the farmer's market. i got this from Smitten Kitchen. hopefully i can get around to making it this weekend. sounds like a great "on your way to work" breakfast.

Apricot Crisp

Fruit Base
1 pound apricots
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon flour
Grated fresh nutmeg, a pinch

Crisp Topping
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons, 2 ounces) butter, melted
6 tablespoons turbinado or regular sugar (turbinado, also sold as Sugar in the Raw, gives an excellent crunch)
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or a mixture of whole wheat and all-purpose flour)
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Prepare fruit: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pull apart apricots at their seam, remove pits, and tear them one more time into quarters, placing them in a small baking dish (one that holds two to three cups is ideal). Stir in sugar, flour and pinch of nutmeg.

Make topping: Melt butter and stir in sugar, then oats, then flour, salt and almonds until large clumps form. Sprinkle mixture over the fruit. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes and serve warm.
Although you could dust this with powdered sugar and serve it warm with vanilla ice cream for dessert, as I noted, it is on the tart side for an after-dinner treat. Truly, this excels cooled in the fridge overnight, and mixed with a scoop of plain yogurt for a weekday breakfast that will cure you of all weekday breakfast doldrums. It sure did for me.

Kolokithokeftethes

yep. it's greek for zucchini cakes. they're so good with tzakiki.

tropic thunder

i can't wait til 08.15.08. tropic thunder.

what do you mean you people???

i'm hoping that this one is good for the politically incorrect soul.

bigger, stronger, faster*

my dear friend worked on this documentary about steroids and other anabolic substances. it's pretty crazy to see these guys. Finally his work with all those manly men is getting released to the big screen! it's in the queue because i have to see it!!! you should see it too!!!

here's the official movie site - bigger, stronger, faster*

the film is in limited release. check here for local listings and dates. anyone interested in seeing it on friday?

can't wait to see it... and take it out of the queue!

banana bread - completed

yes. i did it. i baked. hopefully, this is a small step in the right direction. perhaps one day, i will be able to admit that i know how to bake. not quite yet though. i made banana bread using this recipe from Simply Recipes. i did make some changes, and my how good it turned out!

consider these changes:

1. instead on 1 cup sugar, put 1/2c. brown sugar, 1/2c. sugar
2. use all 4 bananas because mine came out a bit dry
3. bake for only 50 minutes

*** yes. these are finally my photos. :)

roasted spiced sweet potatoes

another recipe i want to make from Smitten Kitchen. i just need a spice grinder... they look amazing!

***picture from Smitten Kitchen

Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from Gourmet, January 2002

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 45 min
Servings: Makes 4 to 6 servings.

1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes (the latter will make them quite spicy, so using according to your preferences)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.

Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.

Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

banana bread

i'm going to try and make this today. i got this recipe from Simply Recipes.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

oatmeal coconut raspberry bars

this is from Gourmet magazine and looks amazing!

***picture from Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Spread 3/4 cup coconut evenly on a baking sheet and toast in middle of oven, stirring once, until golden, about 8 minutes, then cool.

Blend together flour, sugars, and salt in a food processor, then add butter and blend until a dough begins to form. Transfer to a bowl and knead in oats and toasted coconut until combined well.

Reserve 3/4 cup dough, then press remainder evenly into bottom of a buttered 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan and spread jam over it. Crumble reserved dough evenly over jam, then sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup (untoasted) coconut.

Bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack. Loosen from sides of pan with a sharp knife, then lift out in 1 piece and transfer to a cutting board.

Cut into 24 bars.

Cooks'note:
• Bars can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

girl scout cookies

yes it's true. i was kicked out of girl scouts. so i have a hard time paying for a box of those "oh so delicious" samoas, when i know it's funding a society that rejected me. well, now when i get the real urge and decide to bake, i can make these! this recipe comes from the blog Baking Bites. click on the link to find all the other homemade girl scout cookie recipes at the bottom of the page. ***picture from Baking Bites

Homemade Samoas (a.k.a. Caramel de-Lites)
Cookies
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Alternatively, use scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini donut pan to form the rounds.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are light gold.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.

While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

food fests

i think i need to go to one of these 2008 california food fests!

anyone wanna join me?

chicken piccata - completed

this is by far one of my favorite recipes! i would recommend it without even blinking! this is going to be a classic around my house. :) it's so simple! maybe that's because it's from Simply Recipes.

Chicken Piccata
***picture from Simply Recipes

• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pound total)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine
• 1/4 cup brined capers
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 Cut the chicken breast halves in half horizontally, butterflying them open. If you are working with large breast pieces you may want to cut them each into two pieces. If the pieces are pretty thick still, put them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat hammer to an even 1/4-inch thickness.

2 Mix together the flour, salt and pepper, and grated Parmesan. Rinse the chicken pieces in water and dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated.

3 Heat the olive oil and 2 Tbsp of the butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces (you don't want to crowd the pan). Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and reserve to a plate, cook the other breasts in the same manner, remove from pan. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven while preparing the sauce.

4 Add the chicken stock (or white wine), lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Use a metal spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter. Plate the chicken and serve with the sauce poured over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4.

sicilian potato gratin - completed

this recipe came from bon apetite! i've actually made this one... with some help of course! it was amazing. i would recommend this one to anyone.

*Note* this takes an hour and a half to bake.

consider these changes:

1. sautee more onions - about another cup
   
2. use more cheese - about another cup
   
3. use less olive oil - about 1/2
   
4. add mushrooms into the sautee
5. tear pieces of prosciutto
6. substitute mushrooms and prosciutto for capers

i'm sure you can put any kind of filling into this gratin. it sure was yummy!

***picture from Bon Apetite

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, halved
Olive oil for brushing plus
4 tablespoons, divided
2 cups chopped onions
Coarse kosher salt
2 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced
8 tablespoons (packed) grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
3 tablespoons drained capers
2 cups low-salt chicken broth

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with cut side of garlic clove. Brush dish with olive oil. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, sprinkle with coarse salt, and sauté until soft and beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 13 minutes.

Arrange 1/3 of potatoes in even layer in prepared dish. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Scatter half of onions over. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Pecorino Romano and 1 tablespoon capers. Repeat layering with half of remaining potatoes, coarse salt and pepper, remaining onions, 2 tablespoons Pecorino Romano, and 1 tablespoon capers. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Arrange remaining potato slices over. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and remaining 1 tablespoon capers. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pour chicken broth over. Press down firmly on potatoes to compact gratin.

Cover gratin tightly with foil and bake until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 4 tablespoons Pecorino Romano. Bake gratin uncovered until cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let gratin stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

hazelnut brown butter cake

like i actually have time to make cake! haha. but if i did, i'd like to make this one from one of my favorite foodie blogs - Smitten Kitchen...***picture from Smitten Kitchen

hazelnut brown butter cake

Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

Chef Goin served this as her wedding cake. Need I say more? Okay fine, I will: I liked it even better out of the fridge the next day.

5 ounces (about one heaping cup) hazelnuts, blanched to remove dark skins*
1/2 pound unsalted butter (plus 1 tablespoon melted extra for greasing the pan)
1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting the cake
1/3 cups all-purpose flour
5 extra-large egg whites (I used 6 since I was using
large eggs)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and toast 12 to 15 minutes, until they're golden brown and smell nutty. Let them cool.

Cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan. Brush the pan with a little melted butter and line the bottom with the paper.

Place the rest of the butter in a medium saucepan. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center, and using a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp onto the butter. To make sure not to lose any of the seeds, run your vanilla-coated knife through the butter. Add the vanilla pod to the pan, and cook the butter until the butter browns and smells nutty (about 6 to 8 minutes). It helps to frequently scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan in the last couple minutes to ensure even browning. Set aside to cool. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.

Grind the hazelnuts with the confectioners' sugar in a food processor until they're finely ground. Add the flour and pulse to combine. Transfer to a large bowl.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the granulated sugar and mix on high speed 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture forms very stiff peaks. When you turn the whisk upside down, the peaks should hold. Transfer the whites to a large mixing bowl.

Alternate folding the dry ingredients and the brown butter into the egg whites, a third of a time. Remember to scrap the bottom of the brown butter pan with a rubber spatula to get all the little brown bits.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour**. Cool on a rack 30 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan, and invert the cake onto a plate. Peel off the paper, and turn the cake back over onto a serving platter. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar or cover with ganache (below).

* I removed the skins (which are especially tough on the delicious Oregon hazelnuts I found) by toasted them on a baking sheet at 350°F for about 15 minutes then either (I tried both methods) wrapping the warm nuts in a dish towel, letting it steam for five minutes and then vigorously rubbing them together to remove the skins or by plunking them in a colander and using a hard, dry, clean scrub brush to brush their skins off.

** Mine was done at 40 minutes so check yours even earlier, okay?

Draping Ganache for 10-inch Cake

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or finely-chopped chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of the cake. (I usually use the boil cream and then stir in chips until they melt method, but found that this time it ended up too thick and hard to drizzle. Feel free to try either, though!)

soy donuts

someone just came back from japan raving about the soy donuts from kyoto! he didn't know the recipe, but i tracked one down online. i had to do some google translation, but here you go!

SOY DONUTS

Ingredients:
All-purpose flour・・・１５０g
Egg・・・1
Okara・・・１００g
Soy/regular milk・・・１５０g
Sugar・・・８０g
Lemon juice・・・１teaspoon
Salt・・・a pinch
Melted butter・・・２０g
Baking powder・・・１tablespoon

　Beat egg. Whisk in sugar, beating well. Mix in salt, butter, milk, lemon juice.
　Gently fold the flour, baking powder, and okara into wet mixture.
　Very carefully drop spoonfuls into hot oil (sorry, no temperature given), turning the fritters, until deep golden.

Note: You can play with the amount of flour versus okara, as long as the total weight equals 250g.