tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-182949312024-03-07T22:12:02.978-06:00Just My DinnerMarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17419929814607180428noreply@blogger.comBlogger286125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-30210401597947858222020-04-03T10:26:00.000-05:002020-04-03T10:26:05.242-05:00Cocktail Hour: A New Old FashionedWhy is it that lately I either have a photo or something to say, but never both?<br />
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The best place to see what I've been up to is to check out my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/justmydinner/" target="_blank">wonderfully low-quality Instagram feed</a>. Lately, it's being updated nearly daily! One of my friends commented that she likes my photos, but that I don't write what's in them... but I do! Usually...<br />
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Anyway, back to story time:<br />
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In this age of social distancing and #stayhome, my parents have turned to digital happy hours, and on Monday, I thought they asked me if the boyfriend and I would be free on Thursday evening to join them and some friends for one. I'm pretty sure I gave a noncommittal answer, something like "I will be, but he may or may not be around, and if he's around, he may not be able to drink." Fast forward to Thursday. Around 4:45 pm, I realize it's Thursday, and that I still haven't received a Zoom invite from my father. I shoot him a text asking about it and decide I'll use this as an excuse to shower, actually put some makeup on, and wear jewelry, things I haven't done in weeks. Well, I've showered, just not the other stuff.<br />
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I get out of the shower and still haven't heard back, so I text my mom, and then go about making my cocktail.<br />
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It turns out there was never going to be a cocktail party tonight and I just imagined it.<br />
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<b>A New Old Fashioned</b><br />
<i>makes 1</i><br />
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1.5 oz whiskey (I used TX blended whiskey)<br />
3-4 dashes orange bitters<br />
.5 oz rosewater simple syrup<br />
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Place a large ice cube in a glass. Add ingredients and stir.<br />
Stare at wall and consider garnishes, but slip on heels instead, grab a book, and head outside to contemplate being digitally stood up by your parents.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-78845239115195767582018-12-21T11:19:00.000-06:002019-02-03T11:19:42.902-06:00Slow Cooker Try #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just made a recipe in a slow cooker for the second time ever -- I picked it because it was super simple and would make for a nourishing meal that would keep me from eating <a href="http://www.justmydinner.com/2008/06/ap-european-history.html" target="_blank">all</a> <a href="http://www.justmydinner.com/2006/12/pecan-tassies.html" target="_blank">of</a> <a href="https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pistachio-cranberry-icebox-cookies-236664" target="_blank">the</a> cookies I was planning on making for Christmas.<br />
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But when I tried to make it on Thursday, I couldn't get the jar of salsa verde open (Trader Joe's, you've failed me) and resorted to a <a href="https://saffronroad.com/our-products/vegetable-pad-thai/" target="_blank">frozen vegetarian pad thai</a> I'd picked up on sale at HEB. (Review: Not bad, would buy again, especially for $1.91.)<br />
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But what I did learn today from <a href="https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/slow-cooker-green-chicken-chili" target="_blank">this recipe</a> is that if I were to make it again, I'd make a few tweaks to it: half a dozen garlic cloves, a teaspoon or so of dried oregano (or a few fresh sprigs), and maybe even an onion. Or, perhaps, I just need to get a nice dutch oven and forget about slow cookers so I can toast the aromatics first. Or maybe I need to use a different salsa verde, one with more of a punch and not a boring, basic one.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-82895369240358410542018-01-21T17:12:00.000-06:002018-01-21T17:12:13.081-06:00It's been a while. And I'm posting without photos, since I may have forgotten to take any of the cake I made yesterday. I feel like such a letdown to myself. However, I feel like I need to thank my friend, because when I asked her what kind of cake she would like for her birthday, she gave me a specific answer: pink lemonade cake. <br>
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And because of that, I came across <a href="https://www.mycakeschool.com/recipes/cheese-buttercream-recipe/">the most DELICIOUS Lemon Cream Cheese frosting</a>. I didn't believe it until I tried it, and well, now I'm sold and want even more excuses to make it. And also to perfect my ability to slice cake layers.<br><br>
The best part: I didn't need a stand mixer, though my hand mixer was wheezing for a while.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-58632657036330300672016-02-18T17:13:00.000-06:002018-01-21T17:16:23.760-06:00New Home, New Beginnings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_HAqaQuFtSYrBm7W3VHEIj9zDM1RExKIlCoqqWP6bQ4TzDjjHo8rYSrCuQO_3OQ8N-S1ea3dCedX3p-US9tbABc7sIjPvT2P9yodC5hmWUF8iYnF3FzHk6nAzYhLgMHXWl-w_w/s1600/IMG_3054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_HAqaQuFtSYrBm7W3VHEIj9zDM1RExKIlCoqqWP6bQ4TzDjjHo8rYSrCuQO_3OQ8N-S1ea3dCedX3p-US9tbABc7sIjPvT2P9yodC5hmWUF8iYnF3FzHk6nAzYhLgMHXWl-w_w/s320/IMG_3054.JPG" width="320" height="320" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div>
Hey world, it's been a while.<br><br>
I'd like to say I didn't stop cooking and having fun in the kitchen, but that might not be entirely true. I kicked off 2016 by doing a <a href="http://whole30.com/">Whole30</a> and while it didn't help me with what I was hoping it would, it <i>did</i> remind me of my love of cooking. All it took was some gentle nudging, perhaps accidentally, from a new acquaintance that resulted in a late night impulse purchase and HERE I AM!<br><br>
But not only does <i>Just My Dinner</i> have a new home, I do too! I've been pretty unsettled since 2009, but no more! Now that I'm armed with a surprisingly large kitchen in a not-so-nice apartment (hey, we're in our twenties!) I've finally unpacked my boxes and boxes of bakeware. Between that, my roommate's stainless steel cookware set, and my box of mismatched of dishes, I'm ready to tackle the world of the kitchen again! (And dig out my dusty 7D.)<br><br>
Inspiration comes from surprising places. And I'm feeling inspired.<br><br>
That being said, I'm running on a week of very little sleep. Armed with a fridge full of green vegetables, eggs, bacon, hot sauce, and a bizarre array of spices, I tackled breakfast this morning. I fried up some bacon, drained most of the grease, sauteed some thinly sliced brussels sprouts in that with a bit of salt and pepper, threw it on my plate, fried up an egg, and then topped it all with a few slices of avocado. <br><br>Easy, delicious, and I'm not sure if I'll ever get the smell of bacon grease out of my clothing since all the kitchen smells go straight into my room.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-3595359155213386242014-06-25T09:41:00.004-05:002016-02-08T14:05:33.401-06:00"He puts sriracha on everything. ERRYTHING"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My travels around the globe have ended and I'm back to spending my time in Chicago.<br />
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This means a return to normalcy. My time in Tehran was fairly normal, but I never did quite master my way around the kitchen. For starters, I never mastered using a dull paring knife for everything or a lack of scales and measuring spoons.<br />
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Actually, I was just pretty lazy. There really isn't an excuse.<br />
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But now I'm back! I don't have my aunt doting over me anymore, which means my natural instinct to please people through their taste buds has returned! (That, and my belief that sweets are very much the bottom of the food pyramid. Actually, I'm not so sure that ever disappeared - they just weren't homemade for a while.)<br />
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So I've been busy in the kitchen. Not super busy, and not with my camera in hand. I haven't even pulled it out since getting back to Chicago, and that's really not acceptable. But I've made a couple of batches of berry brownies, started to test out a bourbon-bacon ice cream (but never quite made it to the ice cream part), bourbon-bacon-chocolate cupcakes for my birthday, and then, finally, today's recipe: sriracha chocolate chip cookies.<br />
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There are people out there that swear by sriracha. It's their go to condiment. Their hot sauce of choice. I am not one of those people. In fact, I bought my first bottle of sriracha specifically to make this recipe to make these cookies for one of those people.<br />
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If you're looking for a spicy cookie, this one isn't it. I've <a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-school-year-new-post.html" target="_blank">made cookies packing a bit more heat before</a>. These are not those.<br />
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These are classic. Your basic, chewy chocolate chip cookie. They're almost the <a href="https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/Original-NESTLE-TOLL-HOUSE-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/detail.aspx" target="_blank">Toll House Recipe</a>, but not quite. But when you eat them, there's something just the slightest bit different about them. It's a bit difficult to put your finger on what it is.<br />
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Oh, yeah. It's the sriracha.<br />
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<b>Sriracha Chocolate Chip Cookies</b><br />
<i>makes a couple of dozen or something</i><br />
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1 cup butter, softened<br />
3/4 cup light brown sugar<br />
3/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
4 teaspoons sriracha sauce<br />
11 ounces dark chocolate chunks<br />
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Preheat oven to 375F.<br />
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Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.<br />
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In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Beat into butter mixture until combined.<br />
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Stir in sriracha and chocolate chunks.<br />
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Plop spoonfuls of dough on an ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.<br />
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Let cool enough that you won't burn your mouth and enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-86482175036497469682013-09-25T03:10:00.002-05:002013-09-25T03:10:50.245-05:00Citrus Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been using tasty treats as a way to leave an impression on people for 6 or so years now. In high school, I baked when I was stressed or bored or just wanted something productive to do, which lead to my fellow yearbook staff members remembering for my cookies. My freshman year of college, I was known as the floor baker, and even made a Facebook group to notify the people on my floor whenever I made something new that I wanted to share. However, moving off campus and having my own kitchen (well, an apartment three of us shared with a kitchen) somehow meant the end of baking for me, and the oven saw more casseroles and frozen fries than scratch made treats. During my senior toast, I ran into someone I hadn't spoken to since that first year in the dorms, and he asked me if I was still baking delicious treats. I was ashamed to say it'd been a while. <br />
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However, recently, that's changed. In the past two weeks, I've baked more than I had in the previous year. Finding inspiration from Keri, I made a chocolate cake for my aunt's birthday, followed by a <a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-floral-cheesecake_16.html" target="_blank">rosewater cheesecake</a> while visiting my grandparents.<br />
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But then, my aunt and I came back after our visit up north and the reality of kind-of-sort-of moving to Tehran began to set in. I can count the number of people close to my age that I know without raising a single finger. Sure, I've met people the numerous times I've visited, but most of the time I'm terrible with names and only okay with faces. Plus, even if I did remember anyone, it's been seven years since I'd spent any significant amount of time in this city. Of course, the only reasonable solution to this "finding friends" thing was for my aunt to throw me a party, a small get together of sorts. With 20 people. So, while my aunt planned the menu, I asked how I could help, and then realized the only reasonable thing to do would be to make some sort of tasty treats. So I did - citrus bars and rosewater cupcakes. And then I washed up nicely, did my make-up ("You should put some blush on." "I am wearing blush."), pulled on a dress, slipped on some heels, and then did my best to not seem too awkward or shy. <br />
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Which, when bombarded with 15 new names and faces, can be a bit difficult. And, of course, everyone knows my name. And that I'm the American niece. And, by the end of it, that I'm quiet and shy. At least, I hope that's what they thought and not that I was rude and stuck up. But from their comments, what I am sure of is that they think I make awesome citrus bars. So, I'd say I'm back on track for winning people over with sweets.<br />
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Not that I can even take credit for the deliciousness, really, since the recipe for Grape Fruit Bars was delivered to my e-mail from the ever-wonderful Keri with the note "I'm giving you this because the citrus fruit can easily be switched out... my lab says this is their favourite and I got so many e-mails asking for the recipe." So, without further ado (though I suppose that's what scrolling is for), here they are.<br />
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<b>Citrus Bars</b><br />
Recipe from <a href="http://bakewithkeri.tumblr.com/post/57960005411/grapefruit-bars" target="_blank">Keri</a><br />
Makes 36 triangles<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For crust:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2 cup plain flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">1/2 cup confectioner's sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">250 g butter, room temperature</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Filling:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">4 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2 cups granulated sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">1/2 cup fresh citrus fruit of choice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">1/2 teaspoon baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">1/4 cup flour </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Preheat oven to 350F/175C/Gas 4 and line a 9x13 pan with baking paper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Combine flour, icing sugar, and butter and mix with a fork or hands until it becomes a thick, crumbly dough. Press dough into the prepared pan so it's even across the bottom. Bake for 20 minutes, or until just golden around the edges. (If pan is dark, check sooner or bake at lower temperature.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While the base cooks, whisk together eggs, sugar, and juice until smooth. Then whisk in baking powder, making sure no lumps remain. Finally, whisk in flour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Pour the egg mixture onto the base. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes or the filling no longer jiggles and is dry to the touch. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once cooled, remove from pan, use a sharp knife and cut into pieces of desired size. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you're planning on serving them the next day, the paranoid food safety person in me suggests keeping them in the fridge and letting them return to room temperature before eating.</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-16361572571558572372013-09-16T01:48:00.001-05:002013-09-25T03:46:08.294-05:00A Floral Cheesecake<div style="line-height: 24px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSXP-vY0R014D4E7OIaoq_slnIU-vrUCYZEsmrviqgf3KZBI-_i1zEh7Pkwz8kHFsN1TRT07QG8tQCAcDgzcPrLzMRhz9umMcnVYXgWEwehrXeLvViY93Swq6a4otro8iSF_4tw/s1600/IMG_9254edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSXP-vY0R014D4E7OIaoq_slnIU-vrUCYZEsmrviqgf3KZBI-_i1zEh7Pkwz8kHFsN1TRT07QG8tQCAcDgzcPrLzMRhz9umMcnVYXgWEwehrXeLvViY93Swq6a4otro8iSF_4tw/s640/IMG_9254edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">My friend Keri has been chronicling her adventures in baking over at <a href="http://bakewithkeri.tumblr.com/" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors="true">http://bakewithkeri.tumblr.com/</a>. Like most websites, I don't have ready access to it, and after hearing about her rose and coconut cheesecake from her flatmate, and my grandfather teasing me to make something else after making a coconut and chocolate cake for my aunt's birthday (recipe also courtesy of Keri), I figured I'd asked her for the recipe and give it a try. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">And then couldn't find half the things necessary. However, I didn't actually look very hard for them. But I made some substitutions (visible below) and ended up with a tasty cheesecake. It definitely didn't turn out as pretty as Keri's, and may or may not have been as heavenly, but it's definitely simple enough and tasty enough to garner making again. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also used just a bowl, wooden spoon, and whisk to make this and found that to be fine, but I left Keri's directions for beating the cheese in place. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Rose and Coconut Cheese Cake</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Base Ingredients </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">- 220 g biscuits (I used coconut ones)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">- 50 g shredded coconut</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">- 100 g butter, melted</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Directions</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">1) Break up biscuits somehow. Either use the double baggied and rolling pin method, or, my preferred method: a deep bowl and a meat mallet.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">2) Mix coconut and melted butter into biscuit crumbs. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">3) Press into bottom and 3 cm up sides of a greased 23 cm spring pan. Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">to set.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Filling Ingredients </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">- 500 g cream cheese</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">- 200 ml coconut milk (from a can)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">- 2 Tablespoons sugar</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">- 2 eggs</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">- 3 Tablespoons rosewater (adjust to taste)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Directions </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">1) Preheat the oven to 170 C (325 F). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">2) Beat the cream cheese with an electric</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">beater. Add the coconut milk in two lots of 100 ml and beat</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">well to get rid of any lumps. Best in the sugar, followed by the eggs one at a time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Stir in the rosewater. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">3) Pour filling mixture into prepared base. Bake for 45 minutes at 325F, or until it isn't jiggly. After which, turn off the oven and leave cake in for an additional hour.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">4) Let cheesecake cool on the counter for 30</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">minutes or until it's cool enough to place in fridge. Chill 4 hour or overnight.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">5) Run knife around edge before releasing from pan. </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-61390186527324530372013-05-10T13:33:00.001-05:002013-05-10T13:33:58.688-05:00One Week<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/8658979117/" title="Three Piece Dinner by (Mariam), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8110/8658979117_7579e30cae.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Three Piece Dinner"></a><br><br>
<p>I have one week left before embarking on the next phase of my life, whatever that may be. For the first time in my life, I won't be an official student, and that kind of terrifies me.</p><br>
<p>However, one of the things I've discovered is that I sometimes super simple meals are also super delicious. And perhaps this meal wasn't super simple, considering my dad cooked the eggplant for me, froze them, and kindly sent them with me to St. Louis after one of my visits home. But thawed eggplant, some sauteed onions, garlic curry sauce, and rice make for a tasty dinner. And a really easy one, too. </p><br>
<p>Also, as embarrassing as this is to admit, especially considering my ethnic background, I've only successfully cooked rice by myself on a handful of occasions. Usually I find myself consulting someone as I put the rice on, or not managing a nice <i>tadig</i>. When I made rice for this meal, not only was it actually cooked, there was a nice crunchy <i>tadig</i> as well!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-60420528333402335002013-04-16T22:54:00.000-05:002013-05-10T13:24:23.049-05:00ReflectionI'm one month away from being a college graduate. One month. The prospect of being a college graduate is simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. At the moment though, it's mostly just terrifying.<br><br>
I've been receiving a formal education for as long as I can remember, unless you discount daycare and preschool. Starting in a month when someone asks me what I do, the answer will no longer have the simple answer I've been providing since I was old enough to garner the question: I'm a student.<br><br>
AS long as I'm alive, that should be an acceptable response, but that's not how people usually look at it. For the past four years, it's been the expected answer. I've been the simplest, easiest to understand dictionary definition of it. Proof? The second entry in the Oxford English Dictionary applied perfectly to me:<blockquote>Student: A person who is undergoing a course of study and instruction at a university or other place of higher education or technical training.</blockquote>
While it's true I'll no longer be undergoing a formal course of education, I don't think I'll ever stop being a <i>student</i>. Because the first entry in the O.E.D. seems to describe what I aspire to be, well, forever.
<blockquote>Student: A person who is engaged in or addicted to study.<br> Study: To apply the mind to the acquisition of learning, whether by means of books, observation, or experiment</blockquote><br>
I never want to stop learning. Ever. If I'm out there existing and I'm not applying myself to learning new things on a daily basis, then I'm failing myself.<br><br>
When it comes to formal education, on paper, I've been incredibly fortunate. Though I don't think college rankings tell you all that much about the quality of education an individual person receives -- you can go to a "great" school and get a terrible education if you try hard enough, or, more accurately, don't try -- my degree is from a top tier university. If I pick up my diploma, head back to Chicago, and stop learning I'm not going to get anything out of my life. I'm smart enough to know that I'll spend the rest of my life learning new things. And I look forward to that.<br><br>
Now that I've said that, I present to you a list of things I've learned about the kitchen while in school. Many of these things aren't transferable to other people.<br>
<ul><li>I was spoiled with nice, heavy knives as a child. I can't function without a chef's knife that is too light or too dull.</li>
<li>All I need to be satisfied is a skillet, a spatula, oil, and (fresh-ish) eggs. Salt and pepper are nice. Vegetables are even nicer. Salsa is easier.</li>
<li>Drying racks are incredibly useful, as are dishgloves.</li>
<li>Canned (packeted?) tuna is a wonderful thing.</li>
<li>It's really easy to lose things in a fridge shared with someone who doesn't regularly clean their stuff out.</li>
<li>Buying groceries for one can be difficult. The deli counter is a valuable resource.</li>
<li>Condiments do in fact go bad.</li>
</ul>
I feel like most of that is actually pretty obvious, except for maybe the first two, which are really just things I learned about myself. (I don't do conclusions well.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-54942679986983860842013-02-10T02:31:00.000-06:002013-04-15T02:35:52.161-05:00It Feels Like a Perfect Night for Breakfast at MidnightI'm a pretty big Taylor Swift fan. I remember being fascinated by the adorable girl with the curls singing "Our Song" when my friend showed me the video and then hearing off key versions of "Love Story" far too frequently coming from the boy who sat next to me in Number Theory. Then, the first friend I made in college had a penchant for randomly bursting into "You Belong With Me," regardless of if it was a socially acceptable time.<br><br>
So when Taylor Swift released <i>Red</i> last October, it was pretty much perfect timing. About twenty minutes into the record is the wonderfully ridiculous ode to being a "happy, free, confused, and lonely" pop star and, well, being 22.<br><br>
<center><iframe src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:track:6swfmB6db8dIQr4KtNygDG" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br><br></center>
And, well, most of my friends are slowly turning 22. And I now have an excuse to play Taylor Swift songs under the pretense than it's appropriate for the occasion. <br><br>
<span itemprop="summary">And, while this wasn't the inspiration for at all, and definitely not my first time eating breakfast at midnight, when I realized that we were celebrating my friend's birthday with a midnight breakfast, I couldn't help but think of the song.</span><br><br>
<b>Bourbon Pecan Sauce<br /></b>
<a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2007/01/pancakes-with-bourbon-pecan-sauce.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">similar to version I made before adapted from Dec. 2006 Cooking Light, pg 174</span><br></a>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span> makes 1 - 1 1/2 cups<br />
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1/3 cup brown sugar<br />
1/3 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/3 cup water<br />
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted<br />
2 tablespoons milk<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons butter<br />
2 tablespoon bourbon<br />
Combine sugars and water in a small saucepan over medium high-heat, stirring constantly until sugars dissolve and it no longer looks grainy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Lower heat to a medium-low and cook until mixture is bubbly and thickened, about 5 minutes.<br><br>
It's really tasty with fluffy dollar sized pancakes, freshly whipped cream, and bananas.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-72524399547277742782013-02-06T00:15:00.001-06:002013-02-06T00:16:03.539-06:00Travel Thoughts<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/8337977879/" title="Spices at Borough Market by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8224/8337977879_d3a239b34d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Spices at Borough Market"></a></center><br><br>
I've been incredibly quiet lately. 2012 marked my worst year ever (with this blog at least, it definitely was not my worst year of life.) And I know I cooked. And I know I ate food. And I know I did little in the way of creative cooking this past fall, eating a few simple staples, and the occasional "let's see what's in the kitchen that isn't my roommates that I can turn into an edible meal." And by occasional, I mean that's really all I did when it came to making food. For example, dinner tonight was eggs and salsa with toast. And then a few hours later I finally tried that microwaved brownie in a cup I've been seeing all over for years - my sweet tooth needed satisfied, and a clementine just wasn't doing it for me.<br><br>
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/8337976677/" title="Veggie Burger at Borough Market by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8495/8337976677_ce806b3098.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Veggie Burger at Borough Market"></a></center><br>
<br>
But that's not what I wanted to talk about. Travel. Travel is glorious, and a perfect time for trying new foods. Like <a href="http://www.mingalabarestaurant.com/">unassuming Burmese food</a> in Burlingame, California or a delicious quinoa-based <a href="http://boroughmarket.org.uk/veggie-table-2">veggie burger</a> in London, England.<br>
<br>
Meals can be memorable. Or forgettable. And, to be honest, most of them are probably more on the forgettable side. I think I remember the oysters I ate in San Francisco more because it was just a lot of fun to spend the day with my dad than because of the fact I actually ate oysters and they weren't entirely unpleasant.<br>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/8450036136/" title="Clams and Sausage by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8327/8450036136_d50759cd79.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Clams and Sausage"></a></center><br>
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But, I think what I'm trying to say is that I like food. I like cooking. I like eating. I like trying new things. I hope I continue to have opportunities to do these things.<br>
<br>
And I really want to find a Burmese restaurant in this part of the country. And return to London so I can try the Veggie Table's Heavenly Halloumi burger with their onion jam.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-51734497922207110982012-10-19T15:42:00.001-05:002012-10-20T15:22:58.148-05:00Curried Eggs<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/8103314078/" title="Curry Spiced Eggs by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8336/8103314078_bfa4f22b3e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Curry Spiced Eggs"></a></center><br>
I'm not entirely sure when my weird obsession with turmeric started. And I'm not even sure it's a weird obsession. I just think potatoes and onions look funny unless they're stained with its yellow hue.<br><br>
But anyway, it's a Friday and lunchtime and I'm standing in the kitchen with eggs and curry powder and turmeric and nutmeg and a quarter of an old onion and half a package of goat cheese sitting on the counter in front of me while I wait for the oil in my tiny little skillet to heat up. I like my skillet. It's cute and adorable and the perfect size for making eggs just for me, and I smile, and thinly slice the onion and listen to the sizzle as the onion hits the now-hot oil. Turning up the dulcet tones of the Taylor Swift song filling my ear, I sprinkle a bit of salt and turmeric powder over the onions, and they turn a beautiful golden shade as I stir them...<br><br>
I also, clearly, have been craving narratives. Terrible narratives that we both know I can't write, and that definitely have no place here. But regardless, it's Friday (does that mean it's the freakin' weekend yet and I can have me some fun? Nope. Not this weekend) and I made myself some delicious eggs and gluten-free toast for lunch. (As to why the toast was gluten-free, that's a different story, and it'll come later.) And despite the funny looks I get from my roommates for putting curry powder in my eggs, I like to think of it as sophisticated, though surely that isn't actually true. And I'm far from the definition of "sophisticated" with my bright pink melamine plates and heart-covered tumblers. But hey, it works for me. As does listening to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbPED9bisSc">this song</a> on repeat. Yep, that definitely puts a smile on my face.<br><br>
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/8103313580/" title="Spices in my eggs! by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8186/8103313580_b525b28381.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Spices in my eggs!"></a></center><br><br>
As for this recipe, it's not really that specific. There are no proportions here for the spices, because I pretty much just decide by thinking, "Hm, that smells like a good amount." I like spices. I could've been happy dumping even more spices in here. But eggs, onion, and curry powder go together wonderfully. And goat cheese just mellows it out and makes it even creamier.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/8103300125/" title="Curry Spiced Eggs by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8103300125_1db7acb55b_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Curry Spiced Eggs"></a><br>
<b>Curried Scrambled Eggs</b><br>
<i>this feeds 1 person, maybe</i><br>
2 teaspoons oil<br>
1/4 small onion, thinly sliced<br>
2 eggs<br>
3 tablespoons milk<br>
curry powder - or - nutmeg and turmeric (or both)<br>
salt<br>
pepper<br>
goat cheese<br><br>
In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. You can add some salt to taste, and turmeric if desired.<br><br>
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and curry powder. I use a around 1/4 teaspoon of a sweeter curry powder. Sometimes I just use turmeric and nutmeg instead of a curry powder. Season with salt and pepper if desired.<br><br>
Pour eggs over onions, and reduce heat to low. Stir constantly until no longer runny but not completely dry, about 3 minutes. Add goat cheese, stir once more, and then remove from the pan and enjoy!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-12152610185540576962012-10-05T15:02:00.002-05:002012-10-06T01:47:22.726-05:00Oops... I Did It Again<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6954214152/" title="Stereotypical St. Louis by mar___, on Flickr"><img alt="Stereotypical St. Louis" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6954214152_9e779b986f.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
<br />
I'm back in St. Louis again. St. Louis. I don't know what else to say about it. Other than since moving here for school I've been neglecting this thing terribly. And I guess it took my friend <a href="http://verybadblogger.blogspot.com/2012/10/i-had-too-much-time-this-morning.html">mentioning a strategy I taught her</a> to make me realize just how much I miss this. And that maybe I do actually cook more than I think I do, though considering dinner last night was four ingredients - dried pasta, frozen broccoli, mushroom alfredo sauce, crushed red pepper - and definitely not something to write home about, I'm not sure I have much to share. I don't even like alfredo sauce, so why I bought a jar of it is somewhat of a mystery.
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<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/8057518326/" title="Broccoli and Mushroom Alfredo Pasta by mar___, on Flickr"><img alt="Broccoli and Mushroom Alfredo Pasta" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8316/8057518326_141f2b7208.jpg" width="500" /></a>"</center>
<br />
This nonsense needs to stop. I'm not even sure when the last time I baked something was. Though, if I count that disastrous casserole I made myself for dinner following a trip to the second-run cinema in nearby Illinois for a showing of Men In Black 3 a couple of weeks ago, it's only been a few weeks.
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<center>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/8057465239/" title="College Dinner by mar___, on Flickr"><img alt="College Dinner" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/8057465239_53f30a3c0b.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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But I digress. Or not. I'm not sure what all constitutes a digression anymore. I mean, what is the point of this if <i>not</i> to go out on somewhat related tangents and vent about all the food-related things in my life. Which, in all honesty, at this point might be more <i>beverage</i>-related. I may be going a <i>little</i> overboard with the whole being-21 thing. Beer is tasty. Cocktails are magical. Wine is... well, it's just not as new and exciting to me as the previous two. And the fact that <a href="http://cicerosbeerschool.com/CicerosBeerSchool/Podcast/Podcast.html">Cicero's Beer School</a> exists just makes it all even better. That, and well, <a href="http://www.fountainonlocust.com/fountainonlocust.com/Fountain_On_Locust.html">ice cream martinis</a> are a thing, so don't even try to tell me I shouldn't be enamored.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/8057458905/" title="Pasta Salad by mar___, on Flickr"><img alt="Pasta Salad" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8315/8057458905_b848d1ee47.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
So, in reality, life just involves a lot of pasta. And pasta salad. And <a href="https://twitter.com/shahsavarani_lj/status/252192783861964800/photo/1">beer.</a> And maybe one of these days I'll figure out exactly what I'm doing and share it with you. Actually, I sort of know what I'm doing with the pasta salad - it's wonderful, and an idea I stole from something I used to get from dining services all the time my sophomore year. But I never keep track of what I'm doing, so I'm not quite sure how to articulate the making of it.
<br><br>
And that failure of a casserole... well, I'm determined to make it work. And when I do, you'll probably hear more about it. But, in the mean time, just know I'm probably eating embarrassing food. Or drinking out of a metal lens mug.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-71516103302950360012012-04-14T12:15:00.000-05:002012-09-14T12:17:24.756-05:00The Limes are the Key<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6935524746/" title="Key Lime Curd by mar___, on Flickr"><img alt="Key Lime Curd" height="333" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5454/6935524746_08ca082c6f.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div>
Despite my lack of posts this semester, I've been writing about food more than ever. Why, you may ask? That has an easy answer - I'm taking a course on the wonderful world of food writing. But it wasn't until this week that the topic approached something I could use not only as an assignment for class, but an excuse to update this blog as well.<br />
<br />
Sitting in class last Thursday, I was handed two limes of differing sizes. The typical Persian lime and a small, surprisingly green Key lime. And with that, I knew I had to take an approach to the assignment of writing about limes and including a recipe to use the key limes. I sent my boyfriend to the grocery store with the request to pick up a bag of key limes if they were available, and he returned with a bag, but not before calling me to ask how to tell if limes are any good. (In case you're wondering, scald - those tiny brown patches - is okay, but if they're dried up, mushy, or wrinkly, that's bad.)<br />
<br />
It took me three days to finally decide, but when I did, I decided on something that is more of an ingredient than a final product: Key Lime Curd. And since I made that, I needed to make some scones to eat with them. And then, as a wonderfully simple and delicious dessert last night, Key Lime "Mousse," which was nothing more than a half cup of heavy cream whipped to nice soft peaks, 1/4 cup of the lime curd, and then some vigorous whisking until it was an even consistency. Now that's simple <i>and</i> elegant.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6935525044/" title="Key Lime Curd by mar___, on Flickr"><img alt="Key Lime Curd" height="160" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/6935525044_8543011a4d_m.jpg" width="240" /></a>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Key Lime Curd</b></div>
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Yield: ½ cup</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If key limes are not
available, substitute Persian limes in this recipe.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 large eggs</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/2 cup granulated sugar </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/3 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice, from about 9 small
limes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 tablespoon grated key lime zest</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
1. Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Be sure that the mixing
bowl you choose to make the curd in fits in the pan without touching the
bottom.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2.With a hand mixer on medium or wire whisk, whip the eggs
and sugar together into pale yellow and fluffy, about 1 minute with a mixer. Whisk
in lime juice and zest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><br />
3. Rest the bowl over the pot of simmering water. Cook, whisking occasionally,
until the mixture is thick and custard-like, about 10 to 15 minutes, or until a
thermometer reads 160ºF. <br />
<br />
4. Fill a large bowl about halfway with ice and a cup of water to make an ice
bath. Once the curd is thick, remove it from the stove and rest the bowl in ice
bath, stirring occasionally, until cool.</div>
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<br /></div>
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5. Use immediately, or transfer to a container to store in
the refrigerator for 3-5 days.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-15759863053574730652012-02-15T20:12:00.003-06:002012-02-16T16:40:47.445-06:00The 21st Birthday Cake<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6888525169/" title="Guinness and Bailey's Chocolate Layer Cake by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6888525169_6e282e6d97.jpg" width="500" height="357" alt="Guinness and Bailey's Chocolate Layer Cake"></a></center><br />In the United States there's this mystique surrounding the 21st birthday. And by "mystique" I mean the ability to legally purchase your own alcohol and to legally imbibe in alcoholic beverages (responsibly, of course.)<br /><br />With one of my friends slyly mentioned that her 21st birthday fell on a Friday, and that she would be having a party that night, I jumped at the opportunity. "May I make your cake as a present?" I asked her enthusiastically. She looked at me like I was crazy for even thinking the response might be a no. "Of course." Then a few weeks ago I sent her a text asking for some flavor suggestions. Her response? "Chocolate, raspberry, coffee, Bailey's, something with some of those?" <br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6888524399/" title="Beer and Bailey's by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/6888524399_e04c24ffb9.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Beer and Bailey's"></a></center><br /><br />So with it being her 21st birthday and with that list of suggestions, what's more fitting for such an occasion than yet another cake with alcohol in it, not that this cake needs to be reserved for such an event. This one combines the <a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2011/03/another-cake-with-alcohol.html">Guinness ChocolateCake</a> I made last year for my St. Patrick's Day-born aunt's birthday with a take on the awesome stabilized whipped cream from Tish Boyle's <i>The Cake Book</i> that I previously used in a<a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2010/06/parents-out-of-town.html">bourbon chocolate cake</a> with a rich whipped chocolate ganache filling. So maybe she didn't mention beer, but swapping raspberry for beer sounded like a good idea, and decorating the cake with some dark-chocolate covered espresso beans threw in the coffee for good measure. And then there was the Bailey's making it's appearance in both the filling and the frosting.<br /><br />I'd like to think the fact that people ate so little of the cake doesn't mean that it was a failure. From all the compliments, especially from the birthday girl, I'd say it was a success. But after tacos and numerous beers, a cake this rich was just the icing on the cake - a very thin, delicious layer of icing.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6888524957/" title="Guinness and Bailey's Chocolate Layer Cake by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7050/6888524957_8dea5f6987_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Guinness and Bailey's Chocolate Layer Cake"></a><br /><b>Guinness and Bailey's Chocolate Layer Cake</b><br />Makes a 6" round cake<br />Serves 10-20<br /><br />For the Guinness chocolate cake layers:<br /><i>adapted from Vegetarian Times, March 2006</i><br />2/3 cup stout, room temperature (I don't know how to measure beer. It was too frothy at the top, so I ended up using 2/3 cup+ with the froth since I did a bad job pouring)<br />10 Tablespoons butter<br />1/2 cup cocoa powder<br />1 1/3 cups granulated sugar<br />1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 large egg<br />1 large egg yolk<br />2/3 cup strained yogurt or sour cream<br />powdered sugar, for dusting<br /><br />For the whipped chocolate ganache filling:<br />8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped<br />2/3 cup heavy cream<br />2 Tablespoons Bailey’s Irish cream<br /><br />For the whipped cream frosting:<br />1/4 cup (28 g) confectioner's (powdered) sugar<br />1 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch<br />1 1/2 cups heavy cream<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1-2 Tablespoons Bailey's Irish cream<br /><br />Chocolate covered espresso beans (optional, for decoration)<br />Chocolate shavings (optional, for decoration)<br /><br />To make the cake layers:<br />Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a deep 6" round pan and line with buttered parchment and dust with cocoa powder.<br /><br />In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring stout and butter to a simmer. Whisk in cocoa until smooth. Cool slightly.<br /><br />In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.<br /><br />Beat egg, egg yolk, and yogurt with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth and blended. Add beer-chocolate mixture and beat to combine.<br /><br />Beat in flour mixture for 15-30 seconds on lowest speed. Fold batter using rubber spatula until completely combined. Don't fold too much. Pour into prepared pan.<br /><br />Bake about 50-60 minutes, or until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool about 10 minutes on rack. If cake needs loosening from sides of pan, run a small knife around edges. Turn out cake onto rack (if using parchment, peel off) and let cool completely. <br /><br />To make the chocolate ganache filling:<br />Place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a gentle boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for a minute. With a whisk, whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth, followed by the Bailey's. Let cool about 20 minutes or until cool, stirring occasionally. You can cool it off in an ice bath or the refrigerator to speed up the process. Once cooled, beat with a mixer for 30 seconds or until fluffy.<br /><br />To make the whipped cream frosting:<br />In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup of the cream until smooth. Place pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Allow to boil for about 15 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool completely.<br /><br />Once it cools, using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream with the vanilla extract and bourbon at medium-high speed until the cream begins to thicken and the whisk leaves a train in the cream. Add the cooled cream and cornstarch mixture and beat until stiff peaks.<br /><br />To assemble:<br />Slice cake into three even layers.<br /><br />Place the bottom layer on a cake round or a cake plate and affix with a bit of chocolate ganache. Spread the top with half of the chocolate ganache and spread a thin layer on the side to seal in crumbs. Place second layer on top and use remaining chocolate ganache and place final cake layer on top. If needed, refrigerate cake for a while before proceeding to next step if the cake seems like the layers will slide off.<br /><br />Spread 2/3 of the icing on the top and sides of the cake. If using chocolate shavings, pat them on the sides of the cake now. <br /><br />Place remaining icing in a pastry bag with tip or a baggie with a corner snipped off to decorate the cake.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-45628601831643212792012-01-26T17:24:00.009-06:002012-01-29T16:13:07.662-06:00Cooking Carrot Cake Like It's The Seventies<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6785074059/" title="Carrot Cake Cupcake (Unwrapped) by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6785074059_70f8eb696b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Carrot Cake Cupcake (Unwrapped)"></a></center><br /><br />Carrot Cake is delicious and tasty, and my thoughts on this subject clearly mean I was born in the wrong decade. Except, like fashion, food fads come around. And sure, red velvet cake may be the popular one right now, but hey, carrots are way more awesome than chocolate (okay, maybe they aren't) and you still get the cream cheese frosting!<br /><br /><br />But that's beside the point. Or maybe it is the point. I'm not quite sure. What I do know, however, is that I've made this carrot cake three times in the past month. THREE. I didn't even have the recipe with me the third time. That's how easy it is! It also means I have no idea where I originally got these proportions from, since I kind of just looked for a recipe that used the ingredients that I believed went into carrot cake, and went from there.<br /><br />What prompted this carrot cake madness? Gorgeous carrots of course! Except they weren't all that pretty the third time. In case you were wondering, which you probably weren't, the carrots I used in Tehran were way more orange than the ones I picked up at a Schnuck's in St. Louis last week. But regardless of just how orange the carrots are, the cakes were tasty both places. The only time the cake, in my opinion, turned out less than stellar was when I cooked it in the form of a tube cake at my grandparent's garden house. Right before I was about to pour the batter into the pan, I thought it looked off, and realized I'd forgotten the oil. Adding oil at the last step meant overstirring the cake, bringing out the sticky property of gluten - not something you want in a tender cake. But, everybody still loved the cake, or at least they pretended to. All-in-all, I ended up giving four people the recipe for this cake while I was there. It'll be interesting to find out if any of them ever actually make it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6785069755/" title="Carrot Cake Cupcake by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6785069755_a9b24ddfa5_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Carrot Cake Cupcake"></a><br /><b>Simple Carrot Cake</b><br /><i>Note: This cake can make 2 9" cake rounds, or probably somewhere around 24 cupcakes, or a bundt cake, or a sheet cake. The cooking instructions below are for cupcakes.</i><br /><br />2 cups all-purpose flour<br />2 teaspoons baking soda<br />2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />1 teaspoon ground ginger (alternately, you can use 2 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger)<br />1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 cups granulated sugar<br />4 eggs<br />1 cup canola oil<br />4 cups grated carrot (about 5-6 average-sized carrots)<br />1 cup raisins (or chopped, toasted walnuts), optional<br /><br /><br />Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners. If you have 2 pans, line both, otherwise you'll need to bake them in two batches.<br /><br />In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.<br /><br />In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until pale and thick. Whisk in the canola oil.<br /><br />Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and with a spatula or wooden spoon, stir until just almost combined. Add the carrots and raisins or walnuts, if using and stir until all the flour is moistened.<br /><br />Fill the lined muffin cups about 2/3 full of batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.<br /><br />Once cool you can top them with cream cheese frosting, if desired. See recipe below or use your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe.<br /><br /><b>Cream Cheese Frosting</b><br /><br />8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened<br />4 ounces (1 stick) butter, softened<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 cup powder sugar, or to taste<br /><br />Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Beat in salt and vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat to incorporate.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-19971942079351150772011-11-19T12:39:00.003-06:002011-11-19T12:49:34.363-06:00Taco Time!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6337799464/" title="Chorizo Tacos by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6222/6337799464_8b7ee4a721.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Chorizo Tacos"></a><br /><br /><p>The problem with feeding just myself is that I frequently eat the same thing over and over and over again, with tiny variations. (The other problem is that since I share my fridge with three other people, I tend to lose my food to the depths of the fridge as one of them <i>really</i> likes to shop and stock up on things.) But somehow, by the time I ran out of Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo, I still wasn't sick of these. Maybe because they're super quick to make, and incredibly comforting. Maybe I have a strange idea of comfort food, but I'm okay with that. At least I've moved past my fish and chips phase of last month.</p><p>But in case you're wondering how I do it, here you go.</p><p>They key is the chorizo (onions, bell pepper, jalepeno, chorizo, extra chili powder.) Just finely chop the onions, bell pepper (I used orange), and jalepeno and saute them until soft. Add the chorizo and some extra chili powder, and heat through. Tasty and simple. Top with whatever you have on hand. </p><p>In a smaller pan, I heat up corn tortillas over medium-high heat, and then transfer them to a plate where I top them with some of the chorizo filling, and then depending on my mood, some of the following: salsa, cheese, cilantro, sour cream (I never actually choose this one), eggs.</p><p>Maybe it's not the healthiest, but it sure is tasty.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-41424144958354707382011-10-24T22:38:00.007-05:002011-10-28T15:14:57.575-05:00Gooey Butter Cake Cookies<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6278990196/" title="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6228/6278990196_ee61766226.jpg" alt="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies" height="333" width="500" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span></center>It's been over a month since I've last posted, and it's not for a lack of cooking. Or photographing my food. It's just that whole problem of either having a good recipe or having a good photo, but rarely both. And then being pressed for time. Or writing half a post and never posting it because by the time I finish it, I've forgotten what I did if it's something I came up with, or if it's something I adapted, I can't find the original recipe and/or forgot my modifications.<br /><br /><i>But</i> I'm not posting now to tell you all the things I haven't done, but to tell you what I have done. To remind myself of what I've done, I made an <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/sets/72157627793733163/">album on flickr of food I've made at school.</a> Sure, it dates back to stuff from freshman year, but now it's organized! So if you see anything there that looks tasty and lacks a link back to this blog, then pester me and I can try to figure it out and post about it! Most of them say coming soon, but that might be a lie. I may never blog them because I'm forgetful (and, in the case of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6140302138/in/set-72157627793733163/">this cake</a>, I found it underwhelming.)<br /><br />And then, when I'm not cooking or baking (which definitely doesn't happen enough) I'm either in class, watching The OC with my roommate, studying, writing papers, or doing stuff for <a href="http://mycarandmyguitar.com/">My Car And My Guitar</a> or something. I'm not going to provide you with some exhaustive list you don't want, because that's just less time I can spend talking about these cookies. Which are an abomination by the way.<br /><center><a href="http://mycarandmyguitar.com/"> </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20com=" photos="" n00="" 6278462419="" title="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6233/6278462419_8d400f831a.jpg" alt="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies" height="333" width="500" /></a></center><br /><br />Yeah. See those ingredients? I seriously can't believe I made them. Not only that I made them, but that I've made them four times. Or maybe it's five. They're easy, affordable, and comforting. A twist on that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gooey_butter_cake">St. Louis classic, Gooey Butter Cake</a>, in cookie form! And they're not too expensive or anything, especially when cake mix is on sale and you can get it for $1 or less, and then the 75 cent stick of butter, the 20 cent egg, and the $2 cream cheese. I keep forgetting about powdered sugar, but it's like 45 cents of that probable. Five bucks and an hour of my time (including clean up) isn't too bad for around 3-4 dozen cookies!<br /><br />And okay, I forgot some ingredients in the picture above. So here's the correction:<br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6278463247/" title="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6096/6278463247_c9ca451f13.jpg" alt="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies" height="333" width="500" /></a></center><br />But I never use the vanilla anyway.<br /><br />But, like I said: Easy. Simple. Quick. Crowd-pleasing. So what are you waiting for?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6278469681/" title="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6226/6278469681_7e5fc9206e_m.jpg" alt="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies" height="240" width="160" /></a><br /><b>Gooey Butter Cake Cookies</b><br />Makes 3-4 dozen cookies<br /><br />1 box yellow cake mix<br />1 package (8 oz) cream cheese<br />1 stick (4 oz) butter, at room temperature<br />1 large egg<br />1/3 cup powdered sugar<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 2-3 cookie sheets (or just bake in batches!) In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in egg. With a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the cake mix. It will be very thick, and may take a while.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6278466773/" title="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6219/6278466773_7b48a83cc2_m.jpg" alt="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies" height="160" width="240" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6278467931/" title="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6058/6278467931_fba7dbb65b_m.jpg" alt="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies" height="160" width="240" /></a></center><br />Pour powdered sugar into a small bowl. Roll heaping teaspoons of dough into balls and coat one side with powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet face up. Flatten slightly.<br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6278990072/" title="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6239/6278990072_f175a4cf97_m.jpg" alt="Gooey Butter Cake Cookies" height="160" width="240" /></a></center><br />Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes, or until bottoms are browned and tops are crackly and dry. Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-984417709852942672011-10-17T17:42:00.003-05:002012-01-26T17:58:06.584-06:00Omelet for One<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6232724834/" title="Sunday Morning Breakfast by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6232724834_483d040929.jpg" alt="Sunday Morning Breakfast" height="333" width="500"></a></center><br /><br />If there's one thing I love about having a kitchen, it's being able to eat breakfast on my own schedule on the weekends. I don't have to worry about carrying pans and food to a dorm kitchen to cook, eat in a too large room by myself, and then immediately clean up. There's nothing relaxing about that, and that's something breakfast should be on a weekend morning.<br /><br />With two of my roommates out of town, and another not allowed to eat until after her blood work, I took my time and made myself a nice breakfast. While making my dinner the night before, I'd cubed some potatoes and sauteed some half-frozen mushrooms that had stuck to the side of our fridge with garlic. I chopped up some onions, threw them in a pan, and cooked them up with potatoes. Having recently learned how to cook potatoes, I'm still really excited by this. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what I do. I think I just poke them until I think they're done. Meanwhile, I reheated the mushrooms, adding in some spinach with them.<br /><br />In a small bowl I beat together my eggs with some milk, and poured it into a nice small pan, lifting the egg up as it cooked to let the runny egg flow underneath. Once it seemed almost cooked, I added the mushrooms, spinach, and some cheese, put a lid over the pan for about 30 seconds to let it finish cooking. I removed the lid, folded over the omelet, and slid it onto my plate along with some potatoes. Then it was time for <i>Sunday Morning</i>. Bon Appetit!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-90371910416766111332011-09-11T11:47:00.004-05:002011-09-11T12:12:28.537-05:00Eggplant Day<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6131255000/" title="Eggplant by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6192/6131255000_24b1e7d80d.jpg" alt="Eggplant" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br />Do you have those foods that at one point you absolutely detested and would avoid any dish at the mention of their name? Yeah, me too. But the number's gone down drastically in the past ten years. But there was a point in my life when, unless I didn't know it had eggplant in it, or it was nice and creamy like kashk-e bademjan, I wouldn't touch it. Just the thought of it grossed me out. It was gross and bitter with a weird texture.<br /><br />Clearly, my opinion on eggplant has changed. I get super excited whenever my dad roasts eggplant on the grill knowing it means some sort of delicious garlicky eggplant dip is in my future. My mouth waters at the mention of fresh eggplants from my aunt's garden. And at the sight of gorgeous graffiti eggplant from a nearby farm at the grocery store for 99 cents a pound, I can't help but grab a gorgeous globe, just thinking of what I can do with it.<br /><br />And then, I find out, that like me of the past, my roommates all detest eggplant. One will only touch it if it's deliciously fragrant and disguised, which isn't something I've mastered, and another is allergic, which is an acceptable excuse. Leaving me to come up with something easy and simple for one. And with my failure of planning while at the grocery store, I didn't have much to work with. I thought about making a pan-fried eggplant sandwich with carmelized onions, and somehow that turned into a really ugly, but tasty, dish. Layers of thinly sliced eggplant and tomatoes topped with garlicky sauteed onions and fresh mozzarella. Yum!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6130707357/" title="Dinner by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6065/6130707357_54af067760.jpg" alt="Dinner" height="333" width="500" /></a></div>Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17419929814607180428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-15491779882454328362011-08-29T16:01:00.008-05:002011-08-31T22:06:20.081-05:00New School Year, New Post<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6102104246/" title="Spicy Double-Chocolate Mango Cookies by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6088/6102104246_7e782f3bdc_z.jpg" alt="Spicy Double-Chocolate Mango Cookies" height="427" width="640" /></a>
<br /><p>It seems that somehow this gets more neglected over the summer. Summer, when in theory I have abundant free time, easy access to groceries and a kitchen, and willing test subjects in the form of my family. Unfortunately, those three things don't quite add up, and it's difficult to cook and take pictures whilst spending 28 hours a week commuting (and out of that, about 100 minutes a day actually on various trains and buses, the rest of the time was spent standing still at stops or walking. I now have a love/hate relationship with the CTA.) And in addition to that, I'm also one-half of <a href="http://mycarandmyguitar.com/">My Car And My Guitar</a>, a music news/reviews site.</p>
<br /><p>But now that I'm back at school, it seems for the first time since the week I left I have something to post, following in what seems to now be a tradition (the <a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2010/08/friendly-hello.html">mini gluten-free cupcakes</a> from last year, and the <a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2009/08/friday-night-cookies.html">Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies</a> from the first Friday of my freshman year). And these aren't even the first thing I've made since I've been back. My first morning here, I borrowed my roommate's skillet and made a nice big (and bland) spinach omelet for three, and later that evening whipped up a batch of <a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-not-to-do-at-college.html">chocolate crinkles</a>, with delicious smells wafting through our spacious apartment.</p><p>But last night, after being sadly (and predictably) disappointed by the VMAs (and the PDA in the living room), I opted to bake something interesting and bloggable. And with that, I present to you Spicy Double-Chocolate Mango Cookies (if you can come up with a better name, please, let me know.)</p><p>These tasty cookies pretty much require a glass of milk or your preferred equivalent. Rich and chewy, strong and spicy, they pretty much come on as a full-force attack. And didn't lead anyone to question my sanity before biting in as with those <a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2009/09/quick-hide-corn.html">corn brownies</a> I made freshman year.</p><p>So if you find yourself with a tiny bit of time on your hand, a Trader Joe's nearby (or time to put sugar, cayenne, and paprika on your mangoes), a warm oven, and a craving for something a little spicy, give these cookies a try.</p>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/6102104298/" title="Spicy Double-Chocolate Mango Cookies by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6201/6102104298_28f35c119e_m.jpg" alt="Spicy Double-Chocolate Mango Cookies" height="160" width="240" /></a>
<br /><p><b>Spicy Double-Chocolate Mango Cookies</b>
<br />Makes about 3 dozen cookies
<br />
<br />1/2 cup butter, softened
<br />1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
<br />1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda
<br />1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
<br />1 egg
<br />1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
<br />1 cup all-purpose flour
<br />4 ounces chili-spiced dried mango, chopped
<br />3 ounces milk chocolate, chopped or 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips</p>
<br /><p>Preheat he oven to 350ºF. Line 2-3 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
<br />
<br />In a large mixing bowl beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon until well combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs until combined. Beat in melted unsweetened chocolate.
<br />
<br />With a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour, followed by chopped dried mango and milk chocolate.
<br />
<br />Place spoonfuls (I use a 2tsp. scoop) of dough 2 inches apart on prepared pans. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve, or transfer to wire cooling rack and let cool completely before storing.</p>
<br />Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17419929814607180428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-63169111259226927542011-05-17T09:52:00.004-05:002011-05-17T13:41:07.369-05:00Modified Tuna Boats Not The Best Idea<div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/5724146444/" title="Zucchini Boats with Tuna by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/5724146444_62299a2b4a.jpg" alt="Zucchini Boats with Tuna" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br />Coming home, I learned something new about my father. He doesn't really like tuna. After spending the unusually steamy May day job hunting, steaming hot food was the last thing I wanted to eat. So I set my eyes on making a macaroni salad, something I eat far too much of when I'm at school. The one I eat at school is elbow macaroni, roasted red peppers, parsley, and chunks of creamy smoked gouda and salami in a balsamic dressing. But I wanted to do something different, and after a failed brainstorming session with myself and some browsing, I came across something delicious looking on <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/">Simply Recipes A </a><a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/tuna_macaroni_salad/">tuna macaroni salad</a> that looked tasty and for which I had half the ingredients. I quickly texted my parents to make sure they were okay with the idea, and I got a quick, and brief, response from my dad: "No."<br /><br />Since I like to make people happy, the macaroni salad was out of the question. And with that, my mind switched from being set on eating macaroni salad to having canned tuna for dinner. And my favorite recipe using a can (or two) of tuna would have to be <a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2007/05/go-fish-in-zucchini.html">these simple zucchini boats</a> I've made quite a few times over the past four years. But this time, I decided to mix it up. Instead of basic and oven-roasted tomatoes, I decided to go with roasted red pepper and a jalapeno mayonnaise. Gorgeous tiny zucchini was just 69 cents a pound at the store, and I probably did not take advantage of that as I should have. With all my ingredients in my basket, I headed home and started prep on dinner.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/5724144614/" title="Roasted Red Pepper by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5089/5724144614_e5250f71b7.jpg" alt="Roasted Red Pepper" height="333" width="500" /></a><br />After a failed attempt at roasting a red pepper (it kind of worked, my hand cramped up from holding the tongs before it had cooked long enough) and discovering that our mayonnaise had expired a few months ago <i>after</i> pureeing the jalapeno pepper in it, I made some quick swaps (some questionable greek yogurt and a generous dose of ancho chili powder and a dash of cayenne) that probably decreased the tastiness and increased the safety. But it worked, it was just... different. And not as good as usual, which is quite tasty.<br /><br />So I'm not adding this variation to my list of things I've succesfully made. However, when Dad isn't around, I'll still make <a href="http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2007/05/go-fish-in-zucchini.html">these zucchini boats.</a>Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17419929814607180428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-81717507212377564092011-04-03T15:58:00.006-05:002011-04-03T16:14:07.214-05:00There's a pie in my cupcake!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/5586645180/" title="Surprise Cupcakes by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/5586645180_9b9e101e10.jpg" alt="Surprise Cupcakes" height="500" width="365" /></a><br /></div><br />Happy April! I'm a little belated with posting this, given that it's no longer April 1st, but they're fun for a party, and if decorated, I'm sure they'd actually be pretty. My butter just wasn't being nice, and neither was the microwave, so I opted out of frosting these cupcakes.<br /><br />Over the summer, my friend texted me a picture of a chocolate cupcake with white frosting on top and a mini cherry pie in the middle that he saw online. I was intrigued, and told him I was tempted to try to make them. His birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and since it was midterms week, I decided to try to cut down on the weight of my groceries and the amount of time I'd spend on it, even if that meant sacrificing quality, so he could have a cupcake with a tiny pie in the center.<br /><br />They're pretty simple to make, though because of the two steps, a bit more time consuming that just making plain chocolate cupcakes from a box, but only by about 20 minutes or so.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/5586622990/" title="Surprise Cupcakes by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5301/5586622990_5f1b585321_m.jpg" alt="Surprise Cupcakes" height="240" width="160" /></a><br /><b>Surprise Cupcakes</b><br /><i>makes 12 surprise cupcakes, but can easily be stretched to make more</i><br /><br />1 box chocolate cake mix (and the oil, eggs, and water the recipe calls for)<br />1 package refrigerated pie dough for a double crust pie<br />a can of cherry pie filling (you'll need about 2/3 cup or so of filling, maybe less)<br />frosting of choice, optional<br /><br />Preheat oven to 450ºF. Cut pie dough into 12 2" circles, and press into a mini muffin pan. Fill each with a spoonful of cherry pie dough. Cut out 12 1" circles from remaining pie dough, and top each pie with the dough, pressing edges together. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until edges are golden. Remove from oven and let cool until you can remove them from the pan, about 5 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 350F.<br /><br />Meanwhile, prepare chocolate cake mix as directed.* Line a muffin pan with 12 liners, and scoop a heaping tablespoon of batter into each one. Place a mini pie in each muffin cop, and top with another heaping tablespoon of batter so that they are completely covered. Bake in 350ºF oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until tops are dry and spring back when pressed lightly. Remove from oven. Cool slightly in pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Ice or enjoy as is!<br /><br />• Since it should make enough for 24 cupcakes, you'll have extra batter. Alternately, you can buy/make more pie dough, or make more mini pies, and make that number of the cupcakes as described enough (my guess is around 30 total) or just make extra plain cupcakes with the remaining batter. A package of pie dough should have enough crust for about 14-16 mini pies. My guess is that a small can of cherry pie filling will probably make about 20 or so pies.Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17419929814607180428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-25611160257130803782011-03-18T17:39:00.007-05:002011-03-24T16:12:02.999-05:00Another Cake With Alcohol<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/5556353157/" title="Guinness Cake by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5186/5556353157_7cd0341cdb.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Guinness Cake" /></a></center><br />I'm not an alcoholic, I promise. I don't even drink the stuff, and not just because I'm underage. I like water. And tea. And that's about it. But when I saw this recipe in the very first issue of <a href=http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/9728?section=>Vegetarian Times</a> that I ever bought, back in March of 2006, I decided I wanted to try it. I searched through the house, and couldn't find any Guinness, and there was no way I could make a "Guinness Cake" with the random bottles of beer I found in the fridge. So I put it in the back of my mind to try sometime, at a later date. And now, almost exactly five years later, I pulled out the magazine and gave the Guinness Cake a try. And I have a pretty good reason.<br /><br />When I'm at home, I have dinner with my great-aunt and uncle on Friday nights. My great-aunt is Irish. She likes beer (thought not Guinness). And yesterday was her birthday. The first detail was irrelevant, but the last two reminded me of this cake, and provided me with the excuse I've needed to try it out. I sent a frazzled mother to the grocery store before breakfast (which, here, starts selling alcohol at 8 AM, meaning she had to wait a while) for beer, gathered up the rest of the ingredients, and whipped up this fairly simple cake. I couldn't get my cocoa/beer/butter mixture to be nicely mixed and smooth, but that didn't seem to ruin the final product. Not even my aunt's dislike of Guinness kept her from liking it, because the cake does not taste like Guinness. The beer instead seems to add some moisture and depth to the flavor of this nice and simple chocolate cake. <br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/5556351861/" title="Guinness Cake by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5556351861_2b2aa4b25c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Guinness Cake" /></a></center><br /><br />Also, like usual, I didn't follow the recipe exactly. We usually have yogurt in the house, so it didn't make sense to go out and buy sour cream unnecessarily. The recipe below reflects the changes. And, for some reason, the recipe on the VT site has a different name than the printed one, and mentions Guinness nowhere. Instead it suggests Darcy's Dublin Stout or Samuel Smith Imperial Stout as examples of black stouts to bake the cake with.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/5556352645/" title="Guinness Cake by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5292/5556352645_f65944a1fb_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Guinness Cake" /></a><br /><b>Guinness Cake</b><br /><i>adapted from <a href="http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/9728?section=">Vegetarian Times</a>, March 2006</i><br />makes a 9" round cake, serves 8 or so<br /><br />2/3 cup stout, room temperature (I don't know how to measure beer. It was too frothy at the top, so I ended up using 2/3 cup+ with the froth since I did a bad job pouring)<br />10 Tablespoons butter<br />1/2 cup cocoa powder<br />1 1/3 cups granulated sugar<br />1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 large egg<br />1 large egg yolk<br />2/3 cup strained yogurt or sour cream<br />powdered sugar, for dusting<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9" round pan and line with buttered parchment or dusk with cocoa powder. <br /><br />In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring stout and butter to a simmer. Whisk in cocoa until smooth. Cool slightly.<br /><br />In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.<br /><br />Beat egg, egg yolk, and yogurt with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth and blended. Add beer-chocolate mixture and beat to combine.<br /><br />Beat in flour mixture for 15-30 seconds on lowest speed. Fold batter using rubber spatula until completely combined. Don't fold too much. Pour into prepared pan.<br /><br />Bake about 45-50 minutes, or until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool about 10 minutes on rack. If cake needs loosening from sides of pan, run a small knife around edges. Turn out cake onto rack (if using parchment, peel off) and let cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake just before serving.Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17419929814607180428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18294931.post-3770979252257103352011-02-18T19:48:00.006-06:002011-02-19T09:48:28.160-06:00The Gluten-Free Layer Cake<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/5442060129/" title="Peach Schnapps Layer Cake by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5171/5442060129_a8ab77487e.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Peach Schnapps Layer Cake" /></a></center><br />Last semester while talking to one of my roommates, it was discovered that she likes peach schnapps. She really likes peach schnapps, and, it's not something that makes her sick. Well, in moderation. I'm sure if she got a little <i>too</i> excited and drank a bit too much, she wouldn't feel so great. But since schnapps happen to be gluten free, she can imbibe in the candy-sweet alcohol as long as nobody's carding her. <br /><br />It's not a secret that I don't shy away from <a href=http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2010/06/parents-out-of-town.html>baking</a>, <a href=http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2007/01/pancakes-with-bourbon-pecan-sauce.html>cooking</a>, or <a href=http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2007/07/ready-for-sorbetti.html>lowering</a> <a href=http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2007/08/cookies-and-ice-cream-brown-and-purple.html>freezing</a> points with alcohol, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I decided to challenge myself to make a gluten-free cake incorporating the sickeningly sweet smelling schnapps.<br /><br />Unfortunately, she never did get to try the cake that was originally imagined for her birthday, but all the gluten-tolerant tasters thought it was quite tasty. One even remarked, "Is this really gluten-free? It's really good." And, unless my checking all the labels failed me, it really is!<br /><br />Making this cake was not without some slight hitches, mostly because of my lack of sleep and attention. I took all the ingredients out to bake the cake layers at 7pm last Friday night, after sleeping a mere 2 and a half hours in the previous 36. I failed to notice that I was looking at <a href=http://justmydinner.blogspot.com/2010/08/friendly-hello.html>a recipe that made 80 mini cupcakes</a>. A 6" cake does not require 4 pounds of batter, which I think is what I ended up with. I started divying up the batter by weight, hoping to make equal layers, and when the first one came out of the oven, I realized if I used more than just that for the cake, I'd end up with a leaning tower. I baked off a dozen cupcakes and a slightly smaller cake layer that I ended up omitting from the cake, deciding to go with a slightly shorter cake (If you follow the recipe below, yours may end up a bit taller than pictures from this recipe, but no worries! There's just enough frosting to take care of that!) Plus, it never hurts to have an extra 12 ounces of cake lying around. With the addition of some whipped cream and frozen fruit, it can be turned into a tasty (but extremely unphotogenic) mango trifle later in the week! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/70123617@N00/5446715403/" title="Peach Schnapps Layer Cake by mar___, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/5446715403_3a5e9504bc_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Peach Schnapps Layer Cake" /></a><br /><b>Peach Schnapps Layer Cake That Just So Happens To Be Gluten-Free</b><br /><i>makes 1 6" 3 layer cake</i><br /><br />For cake layers:<br />1 cups (200 g) granulated sugar<br />2 large eggs<br />1 1/4 cups gluten-free rice flour all-purpose mix (I used 200 grams of Gluten Free Pantry All Purpose Flour)<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum<br />1/2 cup canola oil<br />1/2 cup milk<br />*add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, especially if you want to skip out on the schnapps<br /><br />2/3 cup peach preserves<br /><br />For peach schnapps syrup:<br />1/4 cup (50 g) sugar<br />1/2 cup water<br />2 Tablespoons peach schnapps<br /><br />For peachy buttercream:<br />1 cup/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened<br />2 1/2 cups powdered sugar<br />pinch salt<br />1/4 cup peach preserves<br /><br /><br />To prepare cake layers:<br />Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 6" round cake pan (mine's 3" deep).<br /><br />Beat sugar and eggs in large bowl of electric mixer at medium speed for one minute. Add flour, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum, oil, milk, and vanilla and beat at medium speed for about a minute, or until batter is smooth.<br /><br />Scoop batter in prepared cake pan. Place pan in center of oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched or a toothpick in the center comes out with only a crumb or two. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, remove from pan and cool completely.<br /><br />To prepare sugar syrup:<br />Heat water and sugar in a small saucepan, stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in schnapps.<br /><br />To prepare frosting:<br />Place butter in a medium bowl and beat until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and salt and beat until smooth. Beat in peach jam. (If planning on piping frosting, you may want to set aside some frosting before adding jam to prevent getting clumps stuck in your bag.)<br /><br /><br />To assemble cake:<br />Level the top of the cake. Slice cake into three layers. Place the base of the cake on a cake plate or large plate, sliced side up. Brush with syrup. Spread 1/3 cup peach preserves over cake layer, and top with another layer of cake. Brush with syrup and spread remaining 1/3 cup preach preserves over the layer. Top with the remaining layer of cake and brush entire cake with remaining syrup.<br /><br />Scoop about 1 cup of frosting on the top of the cake and spread over the top and sides of cake, adding more frosting as necessary. Smooth sides and top, and, if desired, pipe designs with remaining buttercream.<br /><br />Store in refrigerator for up to 2 or 3 days. Take out about 20 minutes before eating or it'll be too cold and not taste as awesome.Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17419929814607180428noreply@blogger.com0