Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity

An early epiphany

2012-01-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

Epiphany. Or Theophany. From the ancient Greek, meaning "vision of god." A Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of Jesus Christ to the biblical Magi as the son of God. Typically celebrated on or around January 6, the twelfth day of Christmas.

While in Tudor England the twelfth night or epiphany marked the end of a winter festival that began with Halloween, the event was a little lower key in my household growing up. My mother proclaimed this the day that the decorations returned to boxes in the back corner of the basement, and my father somewhat gratefully relinquished his post as the fourth wise man, leaning over the nativity each evening to test the light bulb illuminating the northern star for potential fire-producing heat.

As this holiday season draws to a close, my "epiphany" (or revelation) comes a little early and is far more secular than sacred. Oddly appropriate at this point in my spiritual life. But I digress...

January first was a celebration of the wonderful world of Chinese food for John and me. Scintillating conversation with friends over a bite-sized brunch of dim sum provided a sensational transition into 2012. And we chose to have dinner at a new and promising new Chinese restaurant within walking distance from home: Yiping. We're gradually working our way through the menu at Yiping, which focuses on authentic (less-Americanized) Chinese cuisine using fresh, local ingredients. And on Sunday January 1, my epiphany came in the form of Ma Po Tofu.

A popular dish in the Sichuan province of China, I was introduced to this tofu-based dish by a former coworker while working in Fremont, and fell in immediate if confused love. While I've had versions of the dish that incorporated ground pork or beef, Yiping's rendition is vegetarian -- and fiery hot.

My first surprise was that this was John's first exposure to ma po tofu. He was equally surprised when it arrived at the table. Looking at the clearly chili-based sauce, he exclaimed "YOU ordered THAT!?!" Because while I'm far from a "mayonnaise mouth," I tend to be far less tolerant of spicy dishes than he is. I suspect he had concerns that I'd be unable to tolerate the heat and he'd be eating a primarily plant based dinner...

I've never understood my inconsistent response to spicy food -- why some dishes blow my head off, but others work, and work really well. The closest I've come to articulating this is the feeling that in order to enjoy the spiciest foods, they need to provide more than just heat -- a smoke, a sweetness, something to set it off.

But as I moved my chopsticks back and forth between the tofu and Yiping's equally unctuous fried rice, light dawned over marble head. An epiphany. Because while I got all of the mind numbing, nasal cleaning, tear-inducing side effects of the tofu dish, nothing in that experience numbed the sweetness of the snap peas or the nutty rice. Yes, it burned, but it didn't burn my palate. It didn't destroy my ability to taste -- and enjoy -- the other food on the table.

And while I can't honestly claim to have seen God in that moment, my universe did become a little clearer. An excellent way to launch a new calendar year.

Closing the Kitchen on 2011...

2011-12-31T18:48:00.001-08:00

As we close the kitchen door on 2011 -- we're going out to eat this evening -- I want to reassure those of you not following my food photography on Facebook that while I didn't share it here, we didn't exactly spend a year in fasting. The image to the left emerged from the oven for dinner last night, our takeon this Blue Kitchen masterpiece. Bacon and blue cheese... a capital note on which to close the kitchen.

I leave you this evening with a collage of images representing a year's worth of comestibles. As I get back into the groove over the next few weeks, the stories behind some of them will appear on these pages. While 2011 was certainly a year filled with change it was also one of discovery and reaffirmation. Happiness to me is sharing good food with good friends.

A beer and a burger with my "Sick Sigma" buddies from Sunnyvale.
A sensational summer afternoon sipping sparkling wine...
Introducing an old friend to a new trend: pork belly buns off of a food truck...
An amazing "caught this morning" roasted salmon fillet...
Portuguese cheese sold from an outbuilding on a Petaluma farm...
The ultimate farmer's market find: saurkraut "juice" as the ultimate cure for radiation-induced dehydration...
A last minute reunion with some of the people who inspired my early love of food, over dim sum after Thanksgiving...

Here's to a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous 2012!

dusting this thing off...

2011-12-31T10:03:00.000-08:00

Three hundred sixty four days ago, I proclaimed 2011 "a new year, a new decade, a blank slate with infinite possibility."

Almost a year later I can say with the twenty-twenty clarity of hindsight that I had NO idea how true that statement would become.

Three months later I found myself unemployed. Neither a surprise nor a disappointment, but certainly an inconvenience. And in the end, a great blessing. Because it forced me to look without filters at who I am, what I want, and where I'll find happiness.

Six months later I accepted the offer for what's turning out to be my dream job. I'm neither a food writer nor a restaurateur (those are fantasy jobs, not dream jobs). I get to use both my God-given talents and my post-university education to make the world a better place -- at least for some people working in human resources in the healthcare industry. It's been a huge shift from high tech, and I've let go of some fun techie toys in the process. But what I do today has a real impact on real people, not just margins and stock prices. And I sleep much better knowing that.

Nine months later I came face-to-face, eye-to-eye with my mortality... and kicked it summarily to the curb. I'm not done with this world (nor it with me) yet. I'll spare the gory details except to say that if you're reading this and you're a woman over 40, go get the mammogram.

There's 2011 in less than 400 words. Bring on 2012!

Turn the page...

2011-01-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

Two thousand eleven?

Or twenty eleven?

A new year, a new decade, a blank slate with infinite possibility.

Honestly I'm less concerned about what we're going to call it; I'm still trying to figure out how the heck we got here... so quickly. As I flip the calendar forward I find myself reflecting on the moments that in many ways define the lens through which I see the world today. Some represent key ingredients in the recipe that is my life. Others seemed insignificant in the moment, but provide the salt, seasonings and structural elements critical to a balanced dish.

1978 brought us Saturday Night Fever, Space Invaders and the very first cell phone. My parents balked at spending 70c a gallon on gasoline as they sat in blocks-long lines waiting to fill the tank in the Nova. We celebrated my tenth birthday in Lake Tahoe where I learned that for the rest of the world "ethnic" wasn't synonymous with Italian. We dined at a Greek restaurant whose name I've long forgotten, but I can still taste the beautifully balanced complexity of the moussaka and the strange lasagna the waiter called pastizio, the brightness that lemon and a sprinkle of salt brought to the fried potatoes. My horizons expanded 100% in that experience.

1983 gave birth to both the internets and Microsoft Word, while 125 million television viewers watched the 4077 fold up the M*A*S*H tents for the final time. For this high school freshman, the adventure lay in Paris, France with seven other teenage girls and a social studies teacher with a sense of adventure, a touch of insanity or perhaps a bit of both. My parents' goal in providing this opportunity was likely to expand my horizons. Perhaps on some level they succeeded: my strongest memories include a pillow war launched over the Atlantic with a rowdy college soccer team from Spain and my first exposure to French wine and steak tartarre.

Mark Wills reminds us that a space shuttle fell out of the sky in 1986, the year that ushered us one step closer to email and offered me closure on twelve years of Catholic education. I won a scholarship that spring with an essay on a topic I'd have to dig through boxes of memorabilia to remember. I left for college that year with no clear idea of what direction my career path would take, but I knowing that ultimately I would write. For myself, if no one else was interested.

Technologically 1989 introduced us to Microsoft Office, the 486 PC, Nintendo's Game Boy and the first GPS satellites. Personally I embarked on a brand new journey in 1989. While I would have told you I was fat in high school (and alongside some of my size 2-4 friends I certainly felt that way), after three years of dorm and cafeteria food I could no longer ignore the freshman ~~fifteen~~ not-quite-forty and with two of my sorority sisters joined Weight Watchers, beginning a twenty year love/hate relationship with the bathroom scale.

While Windows 95 and the introduction of java script were the hot topics in technology, in the spring of 1995 some combination of chance/fate/circumstance put me at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Concord, across the table from the man I would later love like no other. Half a year later, across from the same man at a different table I glanced at his chicken ceasar salad and quipped 'dude, I can taste that pepper from here.' And thus began fifteen years of food and life adventures.

In 1997 the world bids farewell to two iconic ladies of the 20th century: Princess Diana and Mother Theresa of Calcutta, and we're introduced Dolly the genetically engineered lamb and Harry Potter. Personally, Kyle's birth in June creates another branch on the family tree -- and over time an opportunity to pass on heirloom family recipes to the next generation.

While the rest of the world fretted over the consequences of the Y2K bug, my family came face-to-face with the "C" word for the first time in late 1999 when my father -- a lifetime smoker -- was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. In the six months that followed I saw the healing power of food at a new level as he taught me his holiday recipe secrets, I spent six hours in December looking for fresh cherries for turnovers, we found an excellent source of take-out chiles rellenos and twelve new ways to serve chicken livers to quiet the chemo cravings and bring peace and comfort.

A $415 million, eight-year federal study completed in 2006 finds that a low-fat diet does not decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, or stroke and high fructose corn syrup begins its ascent as the latest ugly red-headed stepchild of the food world. And on February 5, 2006 I tiptoed softly onto the food blog scene. Some 1790-days, 28 daring baker challenges, 33 Tuesdays with Dorie, hundreds of dinners out and a handful of holidays later I'm still here. Sometimes vocal, sometimes more silent, but ready to see where the next five, ten, fifteen years will take us...

Coming out of the dark...

2010-12-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

Yep...starting again is part of the plan.

I didn't write much here in 2010. Okay, okay, I didn't write at ALL here in 2010.

But with a flip of the calendar we're turning the page; starting a new chapter. I'm ready to see what tastes and temptations that new chapter will bring...

Tart? Pudding? What’s in a name?

2009-06-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

When they announced the Bakewell Tart as June's Daring Baker challenge, Jasmine and Annemarie shared some of the old world dessert's history including the controversy behind its name. There's apparently a whole lot of conflict over whether it's a tart or a pudding.

I know my mind works in mysterious ways, but the tart versus pudding debate struck me as Shakespearean in nature. Bill said it best through Juliet: Oh, what's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection to which he owes without that title. Translation: Tart? Pudding? Let's quit arguing and enjoy dessert!

And in retrospect, the Bakewell Tart…er… Pudding is the perfect Shakespearean confection.

Think about it…

The hero: An almost sinful shortcrust pastry base.

The leading lady: An unctuous layer of vine ripened fruit at the peak of perfection.

The comic relief: All topped off with a fluffy frangipane that doesn't feel like it will fit in with the rest of the cast. But it does.

A whole lot of history, a bit of comedy… and the tragedy arrives when the plate is empty. The Bard would have LOVED it. We sure did!

But I digress. The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England. Required elements included the pastry and the frangipane, but our hostesses left us to our own devices when choosing the fruit filling. For me there WAS no question – I'd stashed away a jar of our Blenheim Jam for precisely this purpose. The tart (pudding) came together without much fuss, and the apricots paired beautifully with the almonds in the finished product.

For those of you who want to try your hand at the tart, Jasmine's posted the recipe here and Annemarie has it here. And the ongoing escapades of the Daring Bakers can now be found in the Daring Kitchen.

Before the Apple revolution…

2009-06-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Long before the Steves - Jobs and Wozniak -revolutionized the world of personal computing by reconfiguring the forbidden fruit, produce of a different type dominated the Silicon Valley. At the turn of the twentieth century the hottest commodity in Santa Clara Valley was the apricot, not the apple. And the Royal Blenheim - a probably hybrid of France's Royal and England's Blenheim apricots - was considered the king of pre-Silicon Valley crops from World War II until the tech invasion converted orchards into office parks in the 1970's and 80's.

Despite their regal status, these days the finicky Blenheim is often more of a wall flower than a homecoming queen. By today's standards they're smaller than your average apricot and they often retain a pale green tinge around the edge, even at the peak of flavor. Their delicate flesh bruises easily, making them difficult to market to a consumer who equates blemish-free with beauty and perfection. But if you're willing to peak beneath the surface, the Blenheim packs quite a reward. So when John learned that this summer's harvest from the folks at Peter Wolfe Ranch in Brentwood was available for pick-up we cleared the calendar for the weekend.

We made the trek to Brentwood on Saturday morning, hoping to beat the heat. Vera – the voice of our trusty Verizon-provided GPS navigation system – served us well, only whining a couple of times about "recalculating route…" as she guided us through the rapidly expanding suburban sprawl of strip malls and cookie-cutter houses toward our destination. When we emerged from the car we were pleasantly surprised NOT to be overwhelmed by the heat and we made our way to the shed to pick up our stash. And one taste of the elusive apricot made it clear to us that "progress" is a matter of perspective. I'll take a green-tinged blemished Blenheim over the softball-sized firm-fleshed apricots lining the aisles at the mega mart any day. These little guys are liquid sunshine, and at least in my head they are the taste equivalent of the color apricot.

We spent Sunday deploying 24 pounds of apricots. Sadly I spent most of the day scouring the marts of trade for canning supplies since Amazon's shipping department failed to expedite my order. It frightened me that the guy managing the kitchenware department at Bed Bath and Beyond had no idea what a canning funnel or canning tongs were, and was only vaguely more familiar with ball jars, lids, pectin and paraffin. In the end I found the lids and seals on an abandoned aisle at Andronico's, and we made do with my existing inventory of tongs and funnels. Like his great aunt before him, John held hot jars carefully and "offered it up" when they singed his fingertips.

While I was traipsing around the Tri-Valley in search of supplies, John was making my kitchen smell like summer. He started with two preserve recipes: Blenheim Apricot Jam and Apricot Butter. When I got home we pulled out the ice cream bowl attachment for the Kitchen Aid and made David Lebovitz' Apricot Sorbet. And I pitted the last of a pound of farmer's market cherries and set to work on a custardy Apricot Cherry Clafouti.

All in all, a weekend well spent.

For a little more history on the beautiful Blenheim, see this article from the Chronicle in 2004.

In defense of the doggie bag...

2009-05-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

Pay attention to what your body's telling you.

That's one of the pieces of advice I'm trying to employ in my quest for a healthier lifestyle as I transition into late middle youth. And while I'm willing to drink a little lemonade and not so many beers (I'm not a beer fan anyway) and eat a few more salads in my next ~~thirty~~ forty years, I'm NOT willing to give up my passion for good food. So in an effort at portion control, I'm a judicious proponent of the doggie bag when dining out. And since I've NEVER liked leftovers, that forces me out of my comfort and into my creative zone.

Take a recent dinner; a conglomeration of take out and in house leftovers.

I started with about a cup of chirashi rice leftover from lunch at Koji's. Added some chopped onion and leftover steamed asparagus. And kicked it up a notch with a dash of Thai sweet chili sauce. I paired this dish with an egg scrambled with another container of sauteed mixed mushrooms left over from dinner at Bridges. Seasoned with a bit of oregano, a nice foil for my take on "fried rice."

A nourishing, soul-satisfying, virtually no (addional) cost meal.

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Twenty dollars in tomatoes???

2009-04-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

Juicy little sun-ripened pearls of red, orange, and yellow, cherry tomatoes have always been among my favorite aspects of late summer. As I've matured I've put names to the faces of the Sungold and the Sweet 100, and I've learned that while they're available at the mega-mart virtually year-round, they're just got as tasty trucked up from the southern hemisphere in the dark days of December...

So when I learned that my little Aerogarden offered a kit with cherry tomatoes I thought my md-winter dream of caprese salad might become reality. I'm not exactly a green thumb -- to my mother's great dismay I killed the unkillable palm tree and cactus in college -- but we had some luck with the aerogarden herbs last fall and I was willing to take a risk...

And as you can see from the over-exposed photograph above, I DID get tomatoes. Tasty tomatoes. They were slow growing, but the little buds after 8 weeks and the itty bitty orbs in the 12th week kept my attention.

I think I missed something in the instructions around properly supporting them though -- my plants caved under the weight of the fully ripened fruit, and each plant yielded about 30 tomatoes before completely giving in. So I'll call it a qualified success and try again next year...

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Cheesecake: The Sequel (or a tasty sauce hides a world of sins)

2009-04-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

A year ago we conquered cheesecake for children. With this month's Daring Baker challenge, we showcase a more grown-up cheesecake, in many cases all dressed up and headed to the prom. Or the Oscars. For those with baking skills.

For someone with my (lack of) talent with cheesecake, we're headed for the homeowner's association planning meeting. Whee!

But I digress...

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. But she's given us a LOT of leeway in the execution. She challenged thousands of us to play with it. Make it unique. Make a showstopper of a dessert. Add flavor, sauces, decorations – dress it up and show it off.

Um... sure. You realize you're pushing buttons here Jenny. I thought I'd proved in December that I'm cheesecake impaired? You want me to get CREATIVE?!?!

So I took a couple of deep, cleansing zen-like breaths, rolled up my sleeves, grabbed an apron, said a silent prayer to Martha, Peabody, Shuna, Tartlett and a host of my other baking gods and goddesses... and made some minor modifications to the base recipe.

I went with a meyer lemon theme, paying homage to the fruit I played softball with in the back yard as a kid, never guessing I'd one day be spending $1.25 a piece for them.

I zested the lemon before I juiced it, and tossed the zest in with a combination of graham crackers and almond meal to form the crust.

I added a bit of limoncello to the batter.

And when the cake came out of the oven with a couple of crevasses (see... I TOLD you cheesecake impaired), I took a tip from Alton brown and decorated it with a sauce make of sour cream, lemon marmalade and candied meyer lemons.

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Waste not...

2009-04-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

Letting you all in on a little secret... I'm not much of a breakfast eater.

Don't get me wrong... I love breakfast FOOD (I love almost ALL food), but if I had my way, my ideal day would start at the crack of noon. Until I was in my mid thirties, breakfast typically consisted of a can of Mountain Dew on my way to school/work. Diet if I was feeling particularly virtuous.

But continuing to enjoy good food as I make the transition into what a colleague calls "late middle youth" requires that I get and keep my (_]_) in gear. Unfortunately my schedule dictates that several of these butt-busting sessions happen in the early morning hours. And since the drama associated with passing out on Lizette mid-workout is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I find myself becoming better acquainted with breakfast.

One of my go-to (translated: "you can sleep an extra 15 minutes because this one takes no time to prepare") pre-workout breakfasts is the humble banana, smeared with a tablespoon of peanut butter. Potassium and protein both seem to fuel my workout, and a little natural sugar gives me an additional energy boost.

The problem? I'm picky about bananas. I like them almost green. If they've gone all the way yellow, they're over-ripe for me. And they cross my line very quickly, so if I'm not very careful this produces a lot of waste.

So I'm always on the lookout for good banana bread and muffin recipes -- a nice alternative to tossing a mushy banana into the blender for a smoothie. And I recently found a GREAT recipe over at Sugar Laws for some mighty yummy Banana Saffron Muffins. Easy to assemble and Katy's right: the saffron adds a subtle but distinct flavor and makes these muffins something special. An added bonus: they freeze well, and tossed in the toaster oven for a minute and then smeared with a bit of peanut butter it's every bit as quick and satisfying as the aforementioned standard.

And anything that affords me a few extra minutes of sleep is a VERY good thing. Just ask anyone who's had the misfortune of scheduling a 6:30 AM conference call with me...

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What IS this?

2009-04-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

This mystery vegetable showed up in this morning's CSA box.

Can anyone out there tell me what it is? It's fairly hearty, with a mild bitterness in its raw state.

Is it some odd breed of kale? Dandelion greens? Something altogether different? The only thing on the list that I couldn't easily identify in the box was green garlic, and I'm pretty confident it's NOT that.

And while we're at it, I'll take any ideas you have for what I might do with it...

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Daring Bakers... Passport to Italy

2009-03-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

Step aside Stouffers... this isn't convenience food. This is my GRANDMOTHER's lasagna. Or something damn close.

This month's Daring Baker adventure -- brought to us by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande -- takes us to Italy as it might have been in my great grandmother's era and proves that the simplest of recipes stand the test of time.

Paper thin ribbons of spinach-speckled egg pasta, bathed in alternating layers of a beautiful butter-nutty bechamel, a beefy bolognese courtesy of Tyler Florence and a sprinkling of piquant parmesan cheese.

Real food. Simple ingredients. And a moderate amount of elbow grease. With the exception of the tomatoes in the sauce and the spinach in the pasta, nothing out of a can, a jar, a plastic bag or a cardboard container.

Lynne Rossetto Kasper's Lasagne of Emilia Romagna warms the heart and soothes the soul -- and thanks to the ladies hosting the March challenge it's my new go-to recipe when I've got an afternoon to kill and I'm looking for old world comfort food.

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Under the wire...almost

2009-03-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

We're still in the process of assembling this month's Daring Baker Challenge, but I didn't want to let the posting window go by yet again without documenting our progress. The bolognese turned out beautifully, and we're optimistic about the other components as well. With this month's time commitments, we may well be enjoying the fruits of our labor on Wednesday, so be sure to check out everyone else's lasagna while we wrap things up here.

The March 2009 challenge was hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

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I'm Ba-aaa-ck!

2009-03-25T22:18:00.001-07:00

Another one of those parental prophesies is coming true. Time DOES go faster with every passing year. Didn't we just celebrate the new year...how the heck did it get to be SPRING?!?!

I haven't slept through the last twelve weeks, really. While my diet continues to shift as I try to strike a balance between what's good for me, what's good for the community, what's good for the planet and what *tastes* good, I've still got a healthy dose of the culinary curiosity that prompted me to start this journey three years ago. I've eaten well, and I've got a large stash of archived photographs to prove it. And I'm rearranging my recreational time over the next couple of days to share some of it with you.

Coming soon to a your favorite feed reader:

- The Daring Bakers haven't excommunicated me! I've got tuilles! I've got a chocolate valentino! along with a handful of January Tuesdays with Dorie...

- A couple of fantastic Tyler Florence recipes...

- Several selections sourced from this winter's CSA bounty...

Hang in there; I'll wrap up the rewind as quickly as possible so we can move on and enjoy the spring bounty before summer is upon us.

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Couscous? Or Quinoa?

2009-01-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

Back in the aftermath of battle bug we invested pretty heavily in Tupperware. Modular Mates became THIS girl's best friend. And when year and a half later my "forty flavors of flour" remain flea-free, I'm confident it's been a good investment.

As John has mentioned several times, I should have invested in a label maker at the same time. Because the post it notes I chose to employ have long lost their sticky-ness and several of the plastics in my pantry now contain mystery ingredients.

Rigatoni is pretty obvious. So are raisins, pine nuts and cornmeal. But when I pulled this recipe for Eating Well Magazine's Cauliflower and Couscous Pilaf and perused the pantry for ingredients, I wasn't sure whether what I had on hand was couscous or quinoa. I decided it didn't matter, that except for cooking time they'd play equally well in the recipe.

Turns out what I have is quinoa. It added a nice nuttiness and a bit of a chewy texture to the final product, which I supplemented with a bit of flaked poached halibut for added protein.

Tomorrow I head to Staples for a label maker!

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Reflections...

2009-01-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

If I believe the pundits and their sound bites, 2009 is going to be a year of change, of hope, of growth and renewal. And as I reflect on my personal journey in 2008, I find myself a year ahead of the curve.

I set some lofty goals at this time last year. As is typical for me I met some of them, abandonned others and set a few new ones as circumstances changed along the way.

Professionally I'm now managing the closure of that career-defining project. It's had its ups and its downs, we've navigated an inordinate sea of obstacles along the way, but it's been a tremendous learning experience and we're going to emerge with a set of solutions that truly take us to the next level.

Personally my transition's been even more dramatic. I've rewritten this paragraph a thousand times trying to get the words right, and in the end it comes down to this. Somewhere amid the milestone celebration, I grew up. It's as simple and as complex as that. I'm no longer play-acting at this whole adulthood thing. I don't have all the answers and I probably never will, but I'm starting to GET it. And I understand the differences therein. Who knew.. life DOES begin at 40!?!

And certainly my most significant personal accomplishment in 2008 is a physical one. I've shed a substantial amount of weight in the last twelve months. If you've been paying attention along the way you know it hasn't been about self-deprivation... I've eaten well and indulged on an often-enough basis.

What's different this time? I've shifted focus. While I know what I want, I'm no longer obsessed about numbers and deadlines to the exclusion of all else. And I've changed the way I "keep score." An indulgence (or two or ten) doesn't make me a failure -- it just requires me to rearrange columns A and B a bit to make everything fit, so that I'm taking some step each day toward meeting my goal. And I'm working out. I know myself well enough to realize that despite Lizette's protestations to the contrary I will NEVER enjoy exercise (sweating SUCKS), but the process works and I'm enjoying the end results. After a year of hard work, I'm two sizes smaller. I've got more energy and more stamina. Less of me hurts. I'm sleeping better, my focus is clearer, and I'm getting a lot more out of my day. I call that progress.

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In what's turned out to be a New Years Eve tradition...

2008-12-31T14:07:00.000-08:00

1. 2008.
2. When Nicole paired me with Steph over at the Cupcake Project for Taste & Create VI, it took no time at all to decide which of her recipes I would try.
3. When I was in high school, my mother had a bit of an infatuation with several of the 'personalities' on QVC.
4. Dorie suggests that you serve her Gooey Chocolate Cakes with something to play off of their chocolatey interior.
5. ...to ditch the ATM card in favor of cash.
6. No, I'm not a Barefoot Blogger.
7. I've been invited to blog for Blake over at Blake Bakes.
8. A week or so ago, fellow Dorista and Daring Baker Susan over at She's Becoming DoughMessTic put out a call to action I couldn't ignore.
9. Hello there, long time no see...
10. Um... hello? Is this thing on?
11. We were surprised that we really enjoyed the food served on our Caribbean cruise with Holland America back in 2006; we expected it would be hard to find excellence in mass-produced food.
12. I came really close to bailing on this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.

There you have it. The first sentences of the first posts for each month of 2008. And once again from mudbugs to caramel cake, it's been a wild ride through the magical, mystical world of food. And again this year I want thank each and every one of you for joining me. However you choose to celebrate tonight's turning of the page, please raise a virtual glass with John and me, join our toast to health, happiness, hope, laughter and love in 2009.

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Sa-aaaaaanta!

2008-12-30T08:26:00.000-08:00

We need to talk big guy.

Collin asked you very nicely. I begged, pleaded, cajoled... everything short of offering you my first born.

But no Wii for me underneath the tree.

I got your note. I understand demand's a little high this time of year. And that part of me that responds to guilt trips is GLAD Timothy and Tina in Texas had their best Christmas evah because of my sacrifice.

I also appreciate you putting in a good word with Cupid. But February's a long way off. There are seven Dorie Tuesdays to traverse before Valentine's Day. That's a LOT of butter and sugar buddy...

I give you this week's indulgence: Tall and Creamy Cheesecake chosen by Anne of the eponymous Anne Strawberry. Okay, so mine's not exactly tall or particularly pretty. Despite the water bath AND my tallest springform pan, we had a bit of overflow. And I was able to distribute the caloric love by using this as my contribution to the dessert buffet at a dance we attended in the city. My tasters didn't care that it was short and ugly. It WAS creamy and they had no complaints about the taste.

So that solves this week's "how do I keep this off my hips" dilemma. But have you looked at the list for January? French Pear Tart? Berry Surprise Cake? I'm glad you liked the cookies. Care to join me in one of the January delights? You can bring the elves...

Oh, and Cupid? You're welcome to join us too.

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The Daring Baker 2008 Season Finale: Entremets

2008-12-29T23:02:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a season for the Daring Bakers. Canadian Baker Jen cast the tart and tangy lemon in the January episode: Lemon Meringue Pie. February brought a guest appearance by Julia Child; March was the month of Dorie's Perfect Party Cake. April Popped, and in May we headed for the Opera. Over the summer and into the fall we were allowed to choose our own star for June's Danish Braid, the setting for July's Filbert Gateau and the supporting cast for Eclairs, Lavash and Pizza. In November it was my turn to choose the leading lady, and with Alex and Jenny's able assistance we put sugar in the spotlight.

And now we're down to the season finale, and what a finale it's turned out to be. This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen Entremets, a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.

And...action!

A frozen confection constructed in six acts: a Dacquoise (or nut meringue), a freezer-stable mousse, a creme brulee insert, a ganache insert, a praline feuillete insert (a candy and crushed crunchy cookie layer), and icing. Hilda and Marion gave us a basic plot, some guidance on casting and a script from which to work, but left a lot of latitude for editorial license and creative direction.

I started with a hazelnut dacquoise, a vanilla bean brulee and a coconut and "Special K" feuillete, all of which took up temporary residence in the garage freezer for an overnight rest. So far, smooth sailing.

Things started to falter a bit with the dark chocolate mousse. I'm not sure what went wrong, but when we attempted to whisk the warm sugar syrup into the beaten egg yolks, we got more than a little bit of spun sugar. Not once but twice. We didn't have time for a third attempt, and our mousse didn't seem to suffer in taste or in texture, but if anyone can explain where we erred it would be useful for next time. John took the lead with the dark chocolate ganache and it seemed to go smoothly.

Assembly also went without much of a hitch. Dissolving the cocoa powder in the icing presented a bit of a challenge but again, it didn't seem to have a negative affect on the finished product.

I LOVED this challenge; it epitomizes my Daring Baker experience. I'd never have approached this recipe on my own. And given the amount of effort it required I'd think several times before attempting it again. But before the Daring Bakers I'd have dismissed it as above my head. And there's a fair amount of pride in knowing I'm capable of creating a beautiful and delicious showpiece dessert.

Cut!

That's a wrap.

But stay tuned... the 2009 series premiere airs January 29.

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Mushroom Soup to soothe the soul

2008-12-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

...and cure Christmas cough and congestion.

John's still not feeling well. His cold seems to have settled in his chest and shows no signs of evacuating any time soon. And he's damn tired of Robitussin and orange juice.

So with the leftover mushrooms from Christmas dinner and a quick romp through the internets, I whipped up a soothing mushroom soup. With inspiration from Crabby, Giada, Julia and Ina I knew it would be a winner, and it was. I used half and half rather than whipping cream because that's what I had available, and it was still creamy enough to feel indulgent without completely clogging the arteries. And John declared the warm earthy mushroom flavors exactly what the doctor ordered.

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Remembering Mo...

2008-12-26T22:48:00.000-08:00

My father would have been 81 years old today.

And while I didn't learn nearly as much about cooking and baking as I could have or should have from him, he remains one of my primary inspirations in the kitchen.

Those of you who've been here a while know that John and I host a gala open house the Saturday before Thanksgiving every year. What started as our housewarming party in 2000 has evolved into an annual tradition we're proud to say is a must-attend event on many of our friends' calendars. What most people don't realize is that the whole open house concept wasn't mine but my father's.

Mo hosted his annual open house on December 26 -- though only a handful of his guests knew the significance behind the date. Like we do, he invited friends from all aspects of his life, and did nothing to coordinate introductions. And like our open house, it worked. People mingled, discovered surprise connections with other guests, and often in the process we learned new things about our friends. The only place we stray from Mo's model is that our menu is built on appetizers and finger food -- because growing up that's what *I* wanted to contribute to his menu and he insisted appetizers were a waste of everyone's appetite for the "real food."

So the BIG open house in my childhood home happened at Christmas time. But my father opened his home and his kitchen to his friends on a smaller scale on a weekly basis. Over the years Maude and Dick, Lou and Maria, Carol and Ken, Neal, John and Ruth, Henri, Lorraine, Donna, Julie, Bob and Joanne had standing invitations to dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. And most of them occupied a regular spot at the dining room table.

While John's and my weekend social life tends to be more outwardly focused (with three weekends in four often dedicated to dance events), we're looking at 2009 as an opportunity to entertain on a smaller scale.

And what better date to launch a new tradition than Mo's birthday???

So we put together a simple but satisfying menu and celebrated a belated Christmas with some of our dance friends. We built the menu around a main course I found over at Closet Cooking: Maple and Chipotle Roasted Turkey Breast. Our protein was pork tenderloin because I couldn't find a whole turkey breast at any of my regular marts of trade. On the side we served Warm Leek Salad with bounty from the CSA box, a simple spinach salad sprinkled with dried cranberries and walnuts, and Cooking Light's Colonial Corn Pudding. For dessert we offered a tray of Dorie Christmas Cookies.

We ate. We drank. We enjoyed each other's company.

I like to think Mo would have been proud.

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Buon Natale

2008-12-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

It's a smaller celebration than usual this year.

John's sister and her family came back from vacation in Florida with the stomach flu.

So it was just mom and dad, John and me for dinner. An intimate dinner for four featuring three courses from Fine Cooking magazine's Modern Christmas Menu and a Dorie delight for dessert.

At center stage was a Slow-Roasted Beef Tenderloin Roast with Double-Mushroom Ragout -- a hit around the table. We paired the tenderloin with Cinnabar's Limited Edition Teroldego - a varietal prevalent in northeastern Italy but still a bit of an anomaly in Northern California. Fruit forward and food friendly wines are our favorites, and this one screamed "roast beast."

In supporting roles were Lemon-Thyme Spinach and Individual Savory Horseradish Bread Puddings, both of which received mixed reviews. I personally adored the spinach and already have plans to stir the leftovers into scrambled eggs for breakfast. Others found the dish a bit too lemon-forward for their tastes. The bread pudding suffered from the opposite problem, as the horseradish kind of got lost in the mix.

We wrapped up the meal with Dorie Greenspan's Real Butterscotch Pudding, proving again that there is no kill like overkill. Butter. Whipping cream. Egg yolk. Sugar. And a splash of scotch. What's not to love?

Christmas means something slightly different for everyone. For John and me, a huge part of the joy we get from the season is in sharing good food with the people who matter the most to us. Nothing would please us more than the opportunity to break bread with each of you who spends a few minutes of your day here catching up on our latest food adventure. For now, we hope you enjoy our virtual feast and we wish you the merriest of Christmases, the happiest of Hanukkahs, the most peaceful of Solstices, the most joyous of Kwanzaas, and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009.

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TWD: Real Butterscotch Pudding

2008-12-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it doesn't photograph worth a damn, but Dorie Greenspan's Real Butterscotch Pudding -- made with Dorie's trademark copious amounts of real butter and a dash of real Scotch -- tastes a-MAY-zing if the spoon-licking experiment is any indication at all.

Stay tuned... this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, chosen by Donna of Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases will be the closing act in tomorrow night's Christmas celebration dinner with John's family.

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From the archives...
Dorie's got a bit of a dessert legacy to live up to. In 2007 we served the Daring Bakers' Yule Log challenge for our Christmas Eve finale.

Cookies to cure the common cold

2008-12-20T21:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas is upon us, which historically means Santa brings John a head cold with his Christmas stocking. Sadly this year has not proved an exception to that rule.

So while he reaches for the Robitussen, some Kleenex and a warm blanket, I head to the kitchen not because he's requested chicken soup or oatmeal (MY comfort foods when my nose is running and my chest is tight) but chocolate chip cookies.

I briefly considered last summer's infamous New York Times recipe, but abandoned it quickly when I remembered it required an overnight nap in the refrigerator. So I turned to Dorie... and she delivered these:

(Dorie Greenspan's) Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (with my editorial comments in italics)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (1 1/4 teaspoon if you really like salt) - I added the extra 1/4 teaspoon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips or 2 cups store-bought chocolate chips or chunks
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans - I skipped these because John's a no-nut chocolate chip purist

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. I used one and just waited for it to cool between batches.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer and a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for about one minute, until smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes or so, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated. On low speed or by hand with a rubber spatula, mix in the chocolate chips (and nuts).

At this point the dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen. If you'd like, you can freeze rounded tablespoons of dough ready for baking. Freeze the mounds on a lined baking sheet, then bag them when they're solid. There's no need to defrost the dough before baking -- just add another minute or two to the baking time. FAR superior to anything you find in your freezer case at the grocery store.

Spoon the dough by lightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet(s), leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls. I LOVE my cookie scoop -- makes this task so-ooo much easier. And some advice... leave the space between these guys. They spread like mad.

Bake the cookies -- one sheet at a time and rotating the sheet at the midway point -- for 10-12 minutes or until they are brown at the edges and golden in the center. They may still be a little soft in the middle and that's fine. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for one minute, then carefully transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature. Warning. If your audience likes soft warm cookies as much as John does, shoo them away from the cookies until they cool a bit. Straight out of the oven they smell heavenly but they're molten and will burn your tongue.

Repeat with the remainder of te dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

And in the end? John likes chewy chocolate chip cookies. I prefer mine crisp. Most recipes end up disappointing one of us. Not this one. The best of both worlds.

Thanks Dorie. I think John will agree... MUCH more satisfying than Robitussen!

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From the archives...
In 2006 I engaged in one of my favorite non-baking obsessive compulsive behaviors...
Our Christmas dinner in 2007 combined the best of healthy and heart-warming.

I WON! It's HERE!

2008-12-18T20:23:00.000-08:00

I never EVER win anything.

Not Bingo. Not the lottery.

Ed McMahon's never darkened my doorstep with the Publishers' Clearinghouse grand prize.

Hell, I go to Vegas for the FOOD.

But something prompted me to reply to Anne's post in search of must-have holiday foods. First, I had an answer to her question. And second I LOVED the retro-modern look of the apron prize from Phase Three.

Imagine my surprise when I learned I WON!

It showed up in the mail yesterday and I couldn't wait to show it off. Apologies to Anne for borrowing her image of my beautiful new apron, but I wanted to show it off and I can't find a way to model it AND photograph it.

Now excuse me while I head off to break it in...

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From the archives...
In 2006 we shared a "food first" with friends.

Santa baby...

2008-12-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

Forget the sable. Nix the duplex. I've got PLENTY of checks...

Collin was right. Aunt Dolores NEEDS a Nintendo Wii Fit.

You thought LAST week's Dorie assignment was a caloric nightmare?

Ha!

In this week's installment, Heather from Randomosity and the Girl chose to tempt us with Buttery Jam Cookies. And let me give you a hint big guy... if the word "butter" is in the title the final product's not likely to bode well for the diet. Even if they do taste like butter-coated ecstasy on a plate.

Furthermore, Dorie claims the recipe makes forty-some cookies. I got less than half of that. Twice the butter love.

Knowing full well that left alone on my kitchen counter, these babies *wouldn't* be left alone but would wind up basting my midsection in saturated fat, I've stashed them in the freezer until we need them for next week's cookie tray.

But I'm only human Santa. Sooner or later I'm going to give in to butter-basted temptation. And I've been good. Pleeeeease... bring me a Wii. I'll leave a couple of these guys by the tree...

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From the archives...
Menu for Hope III had raised over $25,000 by December 16 2006... go check out the stash being offered and give generously to Menu for Hope V!
In 2007, a 19th century salty snack replaced the microwave version in my kitchen.

An impromptu breakfast of champions...

2008-12-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

...or an exercise in purging the 'fridge to make room for the onslaught of holiday goodies to come...

Grab the little plastic container with about 3 egg whites in it from the back of the top shelf. Add another little plastic container with a half cup of leftover sauteed mushrooms. And the last handful of the baby spinach leaves that were the base of last night's salad. The little bag of diced red bell pepper down there in the crisper. And the last couple of sprigs of thyme from the aerogarden.

Now let's add a whole egg and a pinch or two of kosher salt so it's not *completely* virtuous.

Toss the empty containers in the dishwasher and the foodstuffs in a saute pan liberally coated with cooking spray, olive oil, butter, or the fat product of your choice. Stir constantly over medium heat until the egg whites are nearly cooked through, or soft scrambled.

Plate and serve with toast and a couple of mandarin oranges.

Yum!

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From the archives...
In 2007 I made a bit of soup for John's bocce buddies.

Overachieving

2008-12-12T01:12:00.000-08:00

Relax, I've got nothing important to announce here.

This isn't about us.

But a couple in our Wednesday dance group is getting married soon. And the club wanted to surprise them with a celebration. And a cake. From Costco.

Costco?!?

John insisted we weren't serving no stinking Coscto cake while he and I stood idly by. So we made a frightening mid-holiday-season trek to Michaels for a twelve-inch cake round, some cake supports and the dancing couple, pulled out the caramel cake recipe, rolled up our sleeves and got to work.

We're not professionals and we have no intention of quitting our day jobs, but I'm hoping our efforts won't make the front page of Cake Wrecks either.

Lessons learned and/or reinforced:

1. All ovens are not created equal. For logistical reasons we did our baking in John's parents' kitchen. Their oven is the same make as ours, an earlier model in a different color. And a completely different animal.

2. When baking in a kitchen not my own, I will make no assumptions about what might/might not be a pantry staple. What's in ready supply in MY kitchen may be an exotic ingredient in yours.

3. We are MUCH better bakers than we are cake decorators.

4. Our friends are either very very kind, blind, or have never seen a professionally decorated wedding cake (or some combination of the above).

In the end, the bride and groom-to-be were suitably surprised, and everyone who tasted it raved about the cake. A qualified success.

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From the archives...
I went digging in the ancestral archives in 2006 an emerged with a 1960s Bavarian Mint for Retro Recipe Challenge #5.
In 2007 Barbara captured a summer dessert prize in the heart of winter.

Fa la la la la...

2008-12-11T23:49:00.000-08:00

I've seen this out on several blogs in the last few days and thought I'd play along...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I'd love to say wrapping paper, but I haven't had the time, energy or inclination to hand wrap gifts in years. I would be lost without gift bags.
2. Real tree or Artificial?
If I'm going through the effort to put up a tree, it's going to be real.
3. When do you put up the tree?
It's been a couple of years since I've indulged in a tree, but when I put one up, it's typically the first weekend in December.
4. When do you take the tree down?
Twelfth Night: January 6.
5. Do you like eggnog?
Apparently when it's expensive or homemade I do.
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
My bike and my baseball mitt got a LOT of use over the years.
8. Easiest person to buy for?
Gianni. He's too young to complain. :)
9. Do You have a nativity scene?
Three.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Underwear and socks.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
It's a Wonderful Life. And several of the made-for-TV Christmas Carol versions.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Whenever I find something that grabs me. But I'm rarely finished before December 24.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Not yet. But I've been tempted.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Ravioli.
6. Lights on the tree?
The more the better.
17. Favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night, Silver Bells and Rudolph.
18. Travel for Christmas or stay home?
Home for the holidays. But one of these years we're going to get out of dodge.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeers?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph and Olive. :)
20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel. Except for the Disney years, when the honor went to Snow White.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Historically Christmas morning. Lately Christmas Eve.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
Traffic and long lines.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
I've got an ornament from every year I've lived (a tradition my mother started). I treasure each and every one of them.
24. Favorite Christmas dinner?
Ravioli. Roast beef. Mashed potatoes. Pistachio fluff.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the holidays. A Nintendo Wii Fit.

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Another addictive holiday goodie...

2008-12-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

Trader Joe's has done it again.

First they tempt me with a dozen flavors of booze-soaked pound cakes.

Then last year they introduced candy cane flavored oreo impostors called Joe Joes.

But that wasn't good enough.

Noooo....

This year they add insult to injury by wrapping the damn things in Belgian chocolate and sprinkling them with candy cane bits.

Unfortunately we tossed the package before I got a chance to peruse the nutritional information, and my TJ's has been out of stock since mid-December. But it can't be good.

Can't WAIT to see what evil they introduce next year...

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From the archives...
Trying my best to post 31 entries in 31 days in 2006 I resorted to that vocabulary Rorschach test that is Unconscious Mutterings.

Dear Santa,

2008-12-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

I find myself in a bit of a quandary.

I'm trying to lose a little weight, to get into better shape, to smooth the transition from thirty-something into my forties. But it's the holiday season, with all of its temptations. And Tuesdays with Dorie. And the Daring Bakers. And a host of other culinary delights I'd just as soon NOT take permanent residence on my hips.

I've got a few tools in my arsenal in the ongoing war against butter and sugar. I spend several weekday lunch breaks working through an extensive exercise video library with coworkers. I hit the gym far more regularly than I used to. And I've got Lizette...

But my six year old nephew thinks I need YOUR help Santa. He suggested that I offer you some of these delicious Dorie cookies in exchange for a FUN way to exercise. Santa, Collin thinks Aunt Dolores needs a Nintendo Wii Fit.

Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies are quite tasty Santa. And with a quarter pound of butter and a cup of sugar, they're not the most dietetically disastrous Dorie offering (stay tuned... some of those are coming later this month). Grandma's goodies come to us this week from Ulrike of Küchenlatein. And if you can't get enough of them at my house, lots of other folks baked them too. Check out their results at the blog roll over at Tuesdays with Dorie.

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From the archives...
In 2006 I shared my introduction to sushi.
In 2007 I learned my readers are edjumacated.

A fridge full of fennel

2008-12-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

It seems that 2008 has been a year of growing up for me. At least culinarily. Perhaps something in the transition from 39 to 40 has awakened my adult palate. I don't know. I just know that first it was rhubarb, and now it's fennel.

I ~~hate~~ hated fennel; vegetables shouldn't taste like black jelly beans. When it shows up in my CSA box, I thoughtfully regift it to my friends and neighbors.

Until this week, when I couldn't find a taker. I couldn't bring myself to just toss it, so I turned to my magazine collection for inspiration. Cooking Light delivered, in the form of a Pizza with Caramelized Fennel, Onions & Olives.

I skipped their pizza dough, choosing instead my new standby: the recipe from the October Pizza Challenge. Other than that, I followed the recipe as published.

The result? Okay, I give... fennel doesn't suck.

But I still hate beets!

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From the archives...
In 2006 I offered my kitchen Christmas wish list.
In 2007 I provided a culinary history of me

A Heartfelt hug for Barbara...

2008-12-07T11:12:00.001-08:00

It's amazing, this internet thing.

The friendships I've developed, the stories I've shared, the things I've learned from people around the world. People I've never met. People with whom I don't share much in common beyond a passion for food.

Barbara is one of those people.

If you've surfed much of the food blog world you've undoubtedly encountered Barbara's warm heart, gentle spirit compelling photography and tasty recipes. A three time cancer survivor, she says she first discovered her fascination with food with an amateur attempt at raclette -- at the tender age of six. She started blogging to retain her sanity and some sense of community during her first round with chemotherapy and went on to lead the food blogging community in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation's LiveStrong events with the colorful Taste of Yellow. She's the baker, the wine lover, the traveler, the brains, heart and soul behind Winos and Foodies.

As she faces yet another round of the brutality that is chemotherapy, Barbara needs a little love. And her food blogging friends are right here to provide it. This weekend we're sending her love and laughter, strength, peace and spirit as we do it best -- through the sharing of food.

When Bron and Ilva put out the call to action on Friday I knew where I was going to find a recipe. It had to be a Donna Hay. Barbara's "Donna Days" event introduced me to Donna Hay -- part Nigella Lawson, part Martha Stewart, with a little bit of Giada di Laurentis thrown in for good measure, Donna's food is simple yet sophisticated, comfort food worthy of company. The perfect fare for a virtual hug.

My first thought was the recipe that started it all, the infamous self-frosting cupcakes, but opted instead for what I'm calling Chicken Soup for the Soul, Donna style:

Chicken in Basil and Coconut Broth

2-14 ounce cans coconut milk
2-14 ounce cans chicken stock
2 tbsp shredded ginger
2 red chiles seeded and chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 sprigs cilantro, chopped
2 organic chicken breasts (boneless & skinless), sliced
1 cup basil, chopped
3.5 oz bean sprouts

Bring the first 6 ingredients (coconut milk through cilantro) to a slow boil over medium heat. Simmer for five minutes. Add the sliced chicken breast and poach until chicken is cooked through (5-7 minutes). Stir in basil.

To serve, distribute bean sprouts in four small bowls. Top with chicken breast and coconut broth.

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From the archives...
In 2006 I reflected on rellenos.
In 2007 I discovered some 19th century kitchen tools.

The last of that leftover turkey breast?

2008-12-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

A child of the late seventies and early eighties, many of my "traditional American" holiday memories revolve around convenience foods.

My not-so-traditional memories involve a heaping tray of meat lasagna next to the turkey platter, but I digress...

Who remembers pistachio fluff, courtesy of the friendly folks at Jello and Cool Whip? Green bean casserole with three different kind of Campbells canned soup? Sweet potatoes smothered in Stay Puff marshmallows?

My favorite of these convenience food concoctions actually never appeared at the Thanksgiving table, but was a regular feature on black Friday. Hot turkey salad topped with crushed potato chips. If my dad had a recipe, he never wrote it down. The base was shredded leftover turkey, often mixed in equal parts with leftover stuffing and/or mashed potatoes. To that he added random handfuls of diced onion and celery and enough mayonnaise to bind the mixture before topping it with the aforementioned crushed potato chips and a random sprinkling of grated cheese.

Since we didn't host the big event this year, I didn't have all the fixings to work with. I started with the turkey breast, added onion, red bell pepper and a bit of leftover mushrooms, used equal parts mayonnaise and ale-based mustard as the binder, and topped the casserole with the end of a bag of Kettle chips and the last hunk of chipotle cheddar.

It's not terribly photogenic, but it tastes good!

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From the archives...
In 2006 I explained my affinity for avocados.
In 2007 I made mini maple pies for Peabody's virtual housewarming party.

Bites from other blogs

2008-12-05T22:59:00.000-08:00

It's time for another confession.

You see I've got a bit of an addiction.

Some of you might be able to relate.

My name is Dolores, and I'm addicted to collecting and categorizing recipes.

My bookcase overfloweth with cookbooks. I can't add another one without a donation or two or ten to freecycle. But Amazon keeps calling my name...

And then there's the Internets.

I was much better off when it was 'manual'. I surfed the 'net for recipes visiting my favorite blogs one-by-one. I managed my "to try" list as a word document. Adding 2-3 recipes per week, I maintained the delightful delusion of self control.

Then came the aggregate feed reader, making it possible to visit 20 40 ~~hundreds~~ thousands of blog posts in a week. And with delicious I could click through and bookmark my favorites -- categorizing on the go to appeal to my inner list geek. And TasteSpotting and FoodGawker upped the obsession ante by providing a daily dose irresistible food porn.

So I've spent the last couple of weeks justifying my obsession by building my menus around some of the recipes I've gathered.

For brunch on turkey day we indulged in what one creative commenter dubbed Piggy Cups with Eggs from Dragon's Kitchen. Grab a couple of ramekins and line them with prosciutto. Add some eggs and some herbage and bake. Yum!

Four blackening bananas required immediate attention, but plain old banana bread didn't appeal. Enter Melanie of My Kitchen Cafe and her phenomenal frosted banana bars. I took a bit of liberty with the frosted part - using the last of Shuna's caramel buttercream goodness in place of the cream cheese - which paired perfectly with the base bars.

I've long categorized Dim Sum with sushi -- yummy but reserved for restaurants as it's way outside of my comfort level in the kitchen. DP at Blazing Hot Wok shattered that paradigm with her Cocktail Shrimp Balls. We doubled the recipe intending to serve them at November's Open House. Then when I allowed a couple of sous chef guests to take the lead mid-party, we forgot about them in the back of the refrigerator. Friends, reheated cocktail shrimp balls drizzled in a bit of sweet chili sauce are a most excellent substitute for popcorn as a late night movie snack.

As we're trying to expand our everyday past the ubiquitous boneless, skinless chicken breast, I've been paying special attention to recipes for the other white meat, and Brooke's Pork Tenderloin Parmesan emerged at the top of the to-try list when it employed a lot of "need to use" ingredients and with Martha's influence, plated pretty enough for company.

Another new favorite that *did* make the open house buffet: Melissa's take on Ina's Classic Pan Fried Onion Dip. Ditch that envelope of soup mix folks -- this one's WELL worth the extra work.

And last but certainly not least, Micha's sensational *and* seasonally appropriate Pomegranate Ginger Pork Tenderloin Medallions will make the regular rotation during pomegranate season for years to come. We've made it three times in three weeks for three different audiences -- all with rave reviews.

Six recipes down. Three thousand eight hundred forty two to go...

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From the archives...
In 2006 I pondered the butterfly effect -- change one thing, change everything.
In 2007 I went for the gold.

TWD: To bake or not to bake

2008-12-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

I came really close to bailing on this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.

After a bit of a baking hiatus over the last couple of months I feel like I'm surrounded by sweet things. There's still a wedge of caramel cake on the counter. And several servings of last week's two-fer pie. I *was* able to offload the banana bars on John's parents... but do I really need yet another sweet temptation in the kitchen so soon?
So I did what I do when I'm trying to resist temptation. I shared the caloric wealth. I took the two-fer pie into work with me where it lasted on the counter next to the water cooler 18 minutes, beating two tins of Girl Scout nuts, a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a bag of home grown meyer lemons to the empty plate club. (and I walked out of the break room with a handful of the aforementioned lemons).

After a taste test and a photo shoot tonight, the majority of my Linzer Cookies will follow in the pie's footsteps tomorrow.

Have I mentioned how much my colleagues love the concept of Tuesdays with Dorie?

I made my cookies with hazelnut flour because I had it on hand. And tossed a bit of whole wheat pastry flour in the mix in a vain attempt at making them nutritious. Rather than a fruit center, I smeared my base cookies with a bit of Nutella to carry on the hazelnut theme. And the irony that I was assembling my cookies and licking Nutella off my fingers on commercial breaks during The Biggest Loser was not lost on me...

Special thanks to the first man to join our fold, "Noskos" of Living the Life who chose Dorie's Linzer Sables for this the first week in December. To see how the other Doristas approached this one, check out the blog roll.

From the archives...
In 2006 I followed the insanity of NaBloPoMo with Holidailies (which starts on the 5th this year).
In 2007 I channeled my inner Popeye.

Sugar High!

2008-11-30T05:16:00.000-08:00

It's confession time folks.

Over the last couple of years, I've baked Shuna's Caramel Cake a handful of times. But until last night, I'd never paired it with the Caramelized Butter Frosting. I've dressed it with chocolate ganache; I've drizzled it a cream-mounted version of the caramel sauce and lemon-infused Caramel Sin. I've even served it nekkid.

Because browning butter? Waiting for it to cool? And all of that powdered sugar? Way too much work for the return.

Goes to show what *I* know.

Oh. My. Gawd.

A sincere mea culpa to the baking gods. Because to quote Nigel Tufnel, this stuff "goes to eleven."

I'm thankful Jenny tried it *with* the prescribed butter cream this summer and insisted we make both components mandatory parts of the challenge. Even if that meant I couldn't use one of the fifty or so pictures of previous cakes in my archives. Because clearly I *needed* to try the butter cream.

Off the beaters.

On the cake.

On Banana Bar cookies.

Off of John's fingers.

Someone's suggested it's great on breakfast cereal, though I confess I haven't gone there.

Yet.

What's 20,000 calories among friends?

For those of you here for the recipe, scroll down a bit. And if you completed the challenge (or even if you didn't), please go over and give my co-hosts Alex and Jenny some love. Shuna too. Go ahead... I'll wait. I couldn't have done it without them.

And when you've got some spare time between online banking, twittering and holiday shopping at Amazon and eBay, go check out the images and stories behind almost a thousand other caramel cakes from all corners of the earth...

One would think...

2008-11-29T00:15:00.000-08:00

...that if she were responsible for hosting the November Daring Baker challenge, your heroine would get her (_]_) in gear and have baked her final to-be- photographed version of the challenge recipe long before the posting deadline.

And one would be wrong.

My Caramelized Buttercream Frosting is in the refrigerator, my cake on the counter cooling. So those of you looking for photos will need to swing by in the morning. Oh, and Peabody? If you've got money on this, you've probably won. :)

I knew two years ago as I stood in the kitchen at Poulet learning to make caramel from Shuna Fish Lydon and watching her work her magic with this cake that when *I* hosted the Daring Baker challenge -- in 2008 when I'd be FORTY -- this was going to be one of my chosen recipes. I saw it as challenging, but with enough room for creativity to appeal to bakers of various skill levels.

Luckily my partners in crime -- Jenny of Foray into Food and Alex of Blondie and Brownie agreed that this was a cake with potential, and Shuna of Eggbeater not only graciously allowed us to use her recipe, but agreed to field Daring Baker questions in the midst of an intercontinental move. And Natalie from Gluten-a-Go-Go was a godsend in helping us guide the alternative bakers among us.

As an optional add-on to the cake in honor of the gift-giving holidays ahead, we offered the Daring-est of bakers the option of making Alice Medrich's Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels in addition to the cake -- a gift to the truly sugar-obsessed among us.

Without further ado, here are the recipes for those two of you who aren't *already* Daring Bakers and might want to try this at home. Stop by in a few hours to see how I fared with the challenge. And be sure to visit the Daring Baker Blog Roll to see the mind-boggling creativity of over a thousand of my BFFs.

CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING
courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon (http://eggbeater.typepad.com/), as published on Bay Area Bites (http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/)

FOR THE CAKE:
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)
2 eggs, at room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt, and cream the mixture until light and fluffy.

Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.

Sift flour and baking powder.

Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}

Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.

Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.

Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.

FOR THE CARAMEL SYRUP:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for "stopping" the caramelization process)

In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.

When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.

Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}

Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.

FOR THE CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.

Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner's sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month. To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light.

GOLDEN VANILLA BEAN CARAMELS
from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich, Artisan Press, Copyright 2007, ISBN: 978-1579652111

Ingredients
1 cup golden syrup
2 cups sugar
3/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure ground vanilla beans, purchased or ground in a coffee or spice grinders, or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, softened

Equipment
A 9-inch square baking pan
Candy thermometer

Procedure

Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil. Combine the golden syrup, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges. Wash the sugar and syrup from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. (Meanwhile, rinse the spatula or spoon before using it again later.) Uncover the pan and wash down the sides once more. Attach the candy thermometer to the pan, without letting it touch the bottom of the pan, and cook, uncovered (without stirring) until the mixture reaches 305°F. Meanwhile, combine the cream and ground vanilla beans (not the extract) in a small saucepan and heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the cream hot.

When the sugar mixture reaches 305°F, turn off the heat and stir in the butter chunks. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically, so be careful. Turn the burner back on and adjust it so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Stir until any thickened syrup at the bottom of the pan is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to about 245°F. Then cook, stirring constantly, to 260°f for soft, chewy caramels or 265°F; for firmer chewy caramels.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, if using it. Pour the caramel into the lined pan. Let set for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight until firm.

Lift the pan liner from the pan and invert the sheet of caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper. Peel off the liner. Cut the caramels with an oiled knife. Wrap each caramel individually in wax paper or cellophane.

Variations

Fleur de Sel Caramels: Extra salt, in the form of fleur de sel or another coarse flaked salt, brings out the flavor of the caramel and offers a little ying to the yang. Add an extra scant 1/4 teaspoon of coarse sea salt to the recipe. Or, to keep the salt crunchy, let the caramel cool and firm. Then sprinkle with two pinches of flaky salt and press it in. Invert, remove the pan liner, sprinkle with more salt. Then cut and wrap the caramels in wax paper or cellophane.

Nutmeg and Vanilla Bean Caramels: Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg to the cream before you heat it.

Cardamom Caramels: Omit the vanilla. Add 1/2 teaspoon slightly crushed cardamom seeds (from about 15 cardamom pods) to the cream before heating it. Strain the cream when you add it to the caramel; discard the seeds.

Caramel Sauce: Stop cooking any caramel recipe or variation when it reaches 225°F or, for a sauce that thickens like hot fudge over ice cream, 228°F. Pour it into a sauceboat to serve or into a heatproof jar for storage. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for ages and reheated gently in the microwave or a saucepan just until hot and flowing before use. You can stir in rum or brandy to taste. If the sauce is too thick or stiff to serve over ice cream, it can always be thinned with a little water or cream. Or, if you like a sauce that thickens more over ice cream, simmer it for a few minutes longer.

Now THAT's more like it...

2008-11-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

I *knew* my success with last summer's Dorie-licious blueberry pie was a fluke!

When I make pie dough, *this* is what it really looks like.

Thankfully John came to the rescue, added another couple drops of water, and as you'll soon see, my TWD Thanksgiving Two-Fer Pie wasn't a complete bust.

But first, the side story. It's sort of fitting that this one emerge during our anniversary month...

Very early in "us", John and I discovered a shared love of cooking and baking. And since I was living with my parents at the time, their oven got quite a workout in our early months. Ironically, I have no idea *what* we were planning on baking in it on the day in question. Just that I set the oven temperature to 350 without opening the oven first to ensure it was empty.

This was NOT a good idea in my father's kitchen. He used everything with a door save the dishwasher as potential storage space. And on this fateful afternoon, he'd stashed a jumbo pecan pie he'd purchased at Costco, one wedge missing. Which we noticed when we smelled the pecans burning. Since it wasn't salvageable, we pitched it in the trash. And when my father returned after the long weekend and wanted to know the whereabouts of his pie, I fibbed "John finished it. He LOVES pecan pie".

Ooops.

John HATES pecan pie. Loves the sweetness. Not fond of the nuts. In pie. He loves them raw. You figure it out.

Lucky for me, my dad never got around to baking him one of his favorite desserts.

So since I really don't want to eat 38,000 calories worth of pie this weekend, I placed a ring of pecans around the outside edge of the pie to stay true to the recipe without making it inedible for John.

The end result? Not my favorite Dorie recipe, but I'm betting some of that was operator error and that true holiday pie fans would adore it. In my case, the crust shrunk in pre-baking, and having nowhere else to go, the pecan sugar filling sort of lined the *outside* of the pie. Not unpleasant, but kind of ugly. And odd.

And it took *forever* to bake. I pulled it out of the oven after the requisite fifty minutes and dashed off to the gym. On my return I had pie soup. So back it went into the oven for five minutes. Fifteen minutes. Another 30 minutes before it was anything resembling slice-able. Not sure where I went wrong there, but it was gratifying to read the "Problems and Questions" on the TWD website and know I wasn't the ONLY one struggling with getting it to set.

Thanks to Vibi of La Casserole Carree for choosing this fitting ending to the traditional American Thanksgiving feast. The recipe can be found (thoughtfully translated to English at the end of the post) on her site. For far more photogenic versions of Dorie's masterpiece, check out the blog roll at Tuesdays with Dorie.

From the archives...
In 2006 I was playing with sugar and calling it "healthy"
In 2007 we made turkey stock that's still occupying a corner of my freezer.

Alton Brown inspires a Frugal Friday

2008-11-21T07:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've contributed to a Frugal Friday. Hell, it's been a busy fall season, and it's been a while since I've contributed to *anything* in the food blog world.

I actually made this Alton Brown inspired entree in early October with every intention of sharing it here. And I am. Just ~~two~~ ~~four~~ almost eight weeks after the fact.

So sue me. Good things are worth waiting for.

The dish? Alton Brown's Tuna Croquette with some fried okra from our CSA on the side. At a little over $2 per serving, less than ten minutes from pantry to table and far more nutritional value than your average happy meal, this is my favorite kind of fast food.

Thirteen Years and Counting...

2008-11-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

I saw this celebration of love over time back in March and bookmarked it for reference on *our* special day. It's also given me the advantage of over 6 months to get some of his answers; it's amazing what you can go over a decade not knowing.

Who am I kidding, I got the majority of his answers about thirty seconds before I pushed the "publish post" button...

I love you honey.

Movie—
His: Casablanca
Hers: The Lion King, Gone with the Wind, Auntie Mame, The Princess Bride, This is Spinal Tap

Season—
His: Summer
Hers: Fall

Music—
His: Classic Country, 80's Pop
Hers: Country, 80's Pop

Radio station—
His: KGO (News Talk), KOIT (easy listening)
Hers: KRTY (Country)

Snack—
His: peanuts
Hers: salted buttered popcorn, marcona almonds

Book—
His: Tom Clancy
Hers: Anything by Jodi Picoult or Christopher Moore

Dessert—
His: chocolate mousse when it's done right
Her: rich and creamy and highly caloric

Candy—
His: dark chocolate
Her: milk chocolate

Fruit—
His: nectarine
Her: mango

Bath or Shower—
His: shower
Her: shower

Type of food—
His: sushi
Her: sushi

TV show—
His: Dancing with the Stars, Good Eats, Top Chef
Her: Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, Good Eats, Biggest Loser, Boston Legal, Buffy

Holiday—
His: Not really fond of most of them.
Her: Thanksgiving

Magazine—
His: Reader's Digest
Her: Fine Cooking, Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, Eating Well

The flavors of Celebrity Infinity

2008-11-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

We were surprised that we really enjoyed the food served on our Caribbean cruise with Holland America back in 2006; we expected it would be hard to find excellence in mass-produced food. So when talking with our more cruise-savvy friends, we were pleased to learn that a cruise with Celebrity would be a couple notches above that, that many of them considered Celebrity's food "phenomenal."

Ten days into our thirteen day adventure, I'm convinced that our friends define phenomenal differently than we do.

There have certainly been some hits over the course of our journey. A chilled apricot soup was worth repeating. The beef tenderloin was excellent. Our dining experience at the SS United States (an adventure worthy of its own post) was a definite home run. And the service was certainly first rate. But the food overall? Meh.

Once we readjusted our expectations in the main dining room (skip the fish; it will be dry. Ditto the pasta; it's rarely more than mediocre) we enjoyed the experience. It was with some amusement that I observed that with two years as a Daring Baker and several months spending Tuesdays with Dorie, I could have made every one of the desserts -- and several of them far better.

On the positive side, while we've indulged we haven't gone nuts calorically. This vacation isn't an excuse to eat our body weights in buffet food. We've done some really wonderful, very active shore excursions and tasted some sensational local foods along the way(again another post). We haven't stepped on an elevator (opting for the stairs instead), and we've actually seen the inside of the gym on this ship. A quick trip to visit the scale in the ship doctor's office indicates no gain, no loss.

From the archives...
In 2006 we were headed home from the Caribbean
In 2007 we made ravioli Aunt Lena style

Pizza. It's Italian for leftovers...

2008-10-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Or at least that's what I thought growing up. I didn't learn until late in high school that for most of America, pizza came out of a cardboard box, ordered over the phone and delivered by a teenager. Or that sadly the box often had more flavor.

In our household, Nona's yeast-based, hand-tossed pizza dough was a receptacle for whatever was leftover from the bounty of garden vegetables in the summer, root vegetables in the winter, sprinkled with anchovies during Lent and a couple of generous handfuls of Papa's homemade sausage, salami "e pro-shoot" the rest of the year.

I never got to toss the pizza dough as a kid, so when Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums chose Peter Reinhart's Pizza Napoletana from the Bread Baker's Apprentice as our Daring Baker challenge for October and made hand-tossing the dough an integral part of the challenge, I knew my grandmother'd be smiling down on me from *somewhere*. And as luck would have it, I had some leftover CSA veggies and a couple of Italian sausages in the fridge needing to be used up before we head out on vacation.

Unfortunately it was a busy week for John, so I don't have any images of the pizza-tossing experience. Rest assured it was every bit as much fun as my grandmother made it look thirty-some years ago. And the end result every bit as tasty.

For thousands of other takes on the pizza challenge, check out the Daring Baker Blogroll.

From the archives...
In 2007 the Daring Baker challenge was all about the Bostini.

Remember me?

2008-10-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

Um... hello? Is this thing on?

Where did September go? And October?

Several of you have sent email inquiring what I've been up to. I wish I had more exciting news to share. I didn't win the lottery and quit my day job. We're not pregnant. We've been busy, but not with anything interesting enough to write about here. And although I *have* been cooking and baking as time allows, the time necessary to draft a post and the muse required to make it readable haven't converged recently. But I've got pictures, and there'll be posts coming soon.

In good-if-not-interesting news, things are beginning to lighten up a bit. My project at work has reached another milestone and there's a light at the end of that tunnel. We're about to embark on my first two week vacation in 23 years -- we'll be sailing through the Panama Canal on Celebrity's Infinity starting Sunday. The food looks promising, and I will certainly share it here.

First up, the Daring Bakers do Italian...

Lists... more lists...

2008-09-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by the friendly folks at SlashFood, today we play The American Omnivore's Hundred

By now you know the drill. Bold means I've tried it. Strike means I'd never try it. Bold italic bright red means nutritional value notwithstanding I could build my diet around it...

1. New York pizza
2. Hoppin' John
3. New Mexico green chile
4. Homemade buttermilk biscuits
5. Tasso
6. Whole Maine lobster
7. Calabash-style shrimp and hushpuppies
8. Kansas City barbecue ribs
9. Hot glazed Krispy Kreme
10. San Diego fish tacos
11. Cheese curds
12. Key lime pie
13. Philly cheese steak
14. Memphis pork barbecue sandwich
15. Lowcountry boil
16. Huckleberry pie
17. New England clam chowder
18. Boiled peanuts
19. Buffalo burger
20. Eggs Benedict
21. Pastrami on rye
22. Corned beef and cabbage
23. Pancakes with maple syrup
24. Everything bagel with cream cheese and tomato
25. Thin Mints (preferably frozen)
26. Frito pie
27. Potato knish with mustard
28. Silver Queen corn on the cob
29. Soft pretzel from a street cart
30. Fresh-picked blueberries
31. Sourwood honey
32. State fair funnel cake
33. Chesapeake crab cakes
34. Candied yams
35. Oyster dressing
36. Snow cone or snowball
37. Wild Alaskan salmon
38. Sautéed morels
39. Persimmon pudding
40. General Tso's Chicken
41. Frozen custard
42. Italian sausage with peppers and onions on a hoagie bun
43. ~~Chili dog~~ - 'lergic to beans
44. Buffalo wings with blue cheese
45. ~~Spam musubi~~
46. Saltwater taffy
47. Fluffernutter sandwich on Wonder Bread
48. Black and white cookie
49. Frybread
50. BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon
51. ~~Baked beans~~ (see #43)
52. Pumpkin pie
53. Collards with vinegar and Tabasco
54. Tex-Mex fajitas with skirt steak and sautéed peppers
55. Fried green tomatoes
56. Succotash
57. Shrimp and grits
58. Hot water cornbread
59. Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions
60. Chicken fried steak
61. Carnitas burrito
62. Apple butter
63. Geoduck
64. Soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate shell (especially Dairy Queen)
65. Pecan pie
66. Catfish supper at a church or fire station
67. Oysters Rockefeller
68. Homemade cranberry sauce
69. Pimiento cheese
70. MoonPie washed down with R.C. Cola - summers in Steger, IL
71. Pickled watermelon rind
72. Cracker Jacks at the ball game
73. Smithfield ham
74. Meatloaf and mashed potato blue plate special at diner
75. Chicken and waffles
76. Po'Boy
77. Green bean casserole with French's fried onions
78. Stuffed sopaipillas
79. Turducken
80. Shad roe on toast
81. Sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows
82. Cioppino
83. New York cheesecake
84. Pan-fried river trout
85. Jambalaya
86. North Carolina pig pickin'
87. California rolls
88. Burgoo
89. Penuche fudge
90. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich (the Elvis)
91. Scrapple or livermush
92. Elk medallions in red wine reduction
93. Muscadine grapes
94. Cheeseburger at backyard barbecue
95. Open-face turkey sandwich
96. Chicago deep dish pizza
97. Cobb salad
98. Peach pie a la mode
99. Macaroni and cheese with Tillamook sharp cheddar
100. Root beer float

and a couple I think are missing from the list:

101. San Francisco sourdough bread
102. a soda fountain chocolate malt
103. a Chicago-style hotdog
104. Hostess Twinkies, Ho Ho's or Ding Dongs

From the archives...
In 2007 I was mesmerized by a link.

And our flag was still there...

2008-09-11T01:05:00.000-07:00

In honor and remembrance, as we continue to rebuild let us never forget.

A different kind of campaign...

2008-09-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Some of you will remember that at some point in the middle of the Reagan administration, a fast food election erupted and if you believe the Burger King paid pundits, the Whopper beat the Big Mac...

Well in early September 2008, Dorie's Whopper Drops -- Rachel of Confessions of a Tangerine Tart's selection of this week's Tuesdays with Dorie -- beats the pants off BOTH of them! (At least according to my tasting panel)

Another week, another candy-inspired confection. I love the way Dorie thinks. And Rachel, I've got about 2 dozen tasters asking for your email address so they can thank you personally for this pick.

With a popular vote of confidence like that, they're the lead candidate for this month's round of Operation Baking GALs.

Omnivore's Hundred

2008-09-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

You've seen it all over the food blog world. You know how it works:

Bold means I've tried it.
Strike means I would never try it.
and I've added a twist. Bold italic bright red means I could live on it.

Special thanks to my parents, John, Koji, Kelly, Kevin and Daniel for continuously expanding my horizons...

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Phở
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. ~~Whole insects~~
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/€80/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. ~~Durian~~
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. ~~Roadkill~~
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. ~~Spam~~
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Spreading the word and sharing the love: Operation Baking GALs Round 2

2008-09-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

I could easily have subtitled this post "be careful what you ask for."

Galvanized by the clear success of Operation Baking GALs round one and the fun I had with my small contribution to it, I decided to enlist some assistance in round two. So I turned to our Wednesday night square dance group, the Rockin' Jokers.

With members in early forties to late eighties, our club has among its members veterans of virtually every branch of United States military service, men and women who served in times of peace and war throughout the 2oth century. I had no problem recruiting many members eager to pitch in and bake a box of goodies for the collection of servicemen selected for Operation Baking GALs round 2.

We baked eleven varieties of cookies and contributed lots of other sweet and savory goodies for six young men serving overseas:

Originally from New York state, Lt. Eric Olson is currently serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and was hosted this month by Stephanie over at Steph Chows.

Colin Price is a graduate of the Naval Academy currently stationed in Afghanistan and was hosted by his childhood friend and one of his biggest fans, Kara of What's Kookin' in Kara's Kitchen.

US Air Force Staff Sergeant Daryl Harper and his merry band of 22 airmen are currently serving in Iraq. Daryl celebrated a birthday in mid-August, and we had fun decorating his box in celebration. Daryl was hosted this month by his mother in law Debbie of At the Table with the Hungry Fox.

After several stints in Iraq, Air Guard member Joe Maker and his buddies are over in Afghanistan. He was hosted by his aunt Jayne of The Barefoot Kitchen Witch.

Army Sergeant John "Russ" Murray hails from Georgia and currently serves in Terwa. He was hosted by his sister in law Mary Ann of Meet me in the Kitchen.

We filled 11 boxes with goodies and treats, and several of our members included personal messages of faith, love and encouragement. We're a diverse group politically and we hold a wide variety of opinions about the war and the upcoming election. But we all know that these men and thousands of others make hundreds of sacrifices every day, and we want them to know we support them and we appreciate their service.

Number 5 just cries...

2008-09-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

This is where I unearth the closet country music fans... How many of you out there remember SheDaisy's late 90's breakup anthem?

You always said that I have multiple personalities
I bounce around somewhere between my dreams and reality
So where'd you dig up the audacity to ask me
How we've all been doing
Since you broke our hearts
(Well, so far)

Number 5 just cries a river a minute
7 wants to tie you up and drown you in it
Yeah, 14 just wants to say so long, bygones
32 wants to do things to you that'll make you blush
10 would key the El Camino that you love so much
And there ain't nobody wants to mess with 23
Oh, lucky 4 you tonight I'm just me

As I assembled the ingredients for Dorie's Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters, this week's Tuesdays with Dorie pick from Stephany over at Proceed with Caution, I couldn't get the ode to the failed relationship out of my head. The ingredient list read like a collection of multiple personalities. And the end result would be the perfect antidote to a wounded heart.

Because I'm not currently a woman with a wounded heart and too many chipsters make way too much me, I shared them with friends at Thursday night's bocce gathering over at St. Francis Cabrini. And because I didn't take pictures before the crowd descended, this is all I have to show for my effort...

Stay tuned, next week we convert a movie theater favorite into a cookie with Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops.

Roll Call: Present!

2008-09-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hello there, long time no see...

Looking for chocolate eclairs?

Tamales?

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters?

My contribution to Taste & Create?

a Chocolate-Banded Ice Cream Torte?

Operation Baking GALS?

Granola Grabbers?

All I can say in my defense is that August's been a busy month. I've been cooking and baking, but not blogging. Hang tight, I've got a lot to share in the next couple of days.

From the archives...
In 2006 I took a nostalgic look at one of my favorite kitchen tools.
In 2007, I got a package of goodies from down under.

Remember the summer reading list?

2008-08-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

Another list of 100 (this time books to read in a lifetime) from Ashley at The HamiHarri Update:

1) Bold those you have read.
2) Put an asterisk next to those you started but didn't finish.
3) Italicize those you intend to read (or have started and intend to finish).
4) Red the books you LOVE
5) Reprint this list in your own blog.

A few words of warning: I minored in classic literature in college.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien *
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling *
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien *
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy *
25 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams *
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky *
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding *
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel *
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (part of the complete works?)
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

It's official. I was wrong...

2008-08-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

After last month's culinary revelation, I had to know. Was it a fluke? Or had I found a new love in rhubarb?

I found my answer in Fine Cooking Magazine's Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins.

Yum.

You were right Mo. And this muffin's for you.

Celebrating summer's sun

2008-08-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm probably revealing my age here, but who remembers Sun In?

In 1970-something, you sprayed it in damp hair, slathered the rest of your body in coconut-scented Coppertone and headed out onto the back porch with your BFFs, knowing you'd emerge an hour later tan and blonde.

Unless you were me and Charity, in which case you emerged pink, with odd orange streaks running through your auburn hair...

The summer sun showed far more kindness to my father's tomato garden than it ever did to me.

Fast forward thirty-0dd years to 2008...

Sun-sweetened early girl tomatoes from John's parents' garden...

A handful of rapidly growing basil from my aerogarden (more on that soon)...

A hunk of leftover puff pastry in the freezer...

And this eye-catching recipe in my blog reader...

I may have outgrown my fascination with daylight savings time, running through the sprinklers and the searing sensation of bare feet on hot pavement and Sun In (which a Google search indicates is still widely available), but tomatoes will *always* remain the hallmark of late summer sunshine in my world.

Others who've experimented with this recipe:
Carmen of Carmen Cooks employed garden tomatoes and made from-scratch puff pastry in her adaptation.

Blueberry Bliss

2008-08-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

After nearly six months of anticipation, it's my turn to "host" this week's episode of Tuesdays with Dorie. Back in June I counted the weeks and figured out I'd be in the hot seat in mid August and I flipped through the book in search of a couple of recipes I might choose from. I liked the sound of Dorie's Corn and Herb Muffins and I knew corn would be plentiful in August (at least in the northern hemisphere). The Brown Sugar Bundt Cake sounded simple and satisfying.

But something kept drawing me back to the Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream. Blueberries are plentiful in our local markets in August and fairly easy to find frozen in other climates. Oh, and they're healty superfoods. And we haven't done an ice cream yet. What better time for what Dorie dubs the "summeriest of summertime ice creams"?

The timing turned out perfect. My nephew's in town this week from Texas and the young man won't eat much that's not white... but he adores blueberries and he was excited about helping me out with the recipe. The result: a creamy tangy bowl of blueberry bliss.

What... you want photographs? As soon as my camera battery's done charging...

For now, here's the recipe for those of you who want to try it. And go check out the blog roll to see what 200-some other Doristas have to say about my choice.

Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream
as published in Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

1 cup blueberries - fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw and drain)
1/3 cup sugar (or more to taste)
pinch of salt
grated zest and juice of 1/4 lemon (or lime as you prefer) or more juice to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream

Put the blueberries, sugar, salt and lemon zest and juice into a medium nonreactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture boils and the berries pop and soften, about 3 minutes.

Turn the berries into a blender and whir until you have a fairly homogeneous puree, about one minute. (It will never be completely smooth, and that's just fine.) Add the heavy cream and sour cream and pulse just to blend. Taste and, if you'd like, add a squirt more lemon juice or a tiny bit more sugar.

Pour the custard into a bowl and refrigerate until it is chilled before churning it into ice cream.

Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

From the archives...
In 2006 we crossed the bay to check out the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market in celebration of farmer's market week.

Natural Highs

2008-08-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

I saw this list of have and have-nots over at Dancing Around the House and it reminded me of a poster of "Natural Highs" that decorated the north facing wall of my bedroom in high school. Funny what triggers memories.

I've boldfaced the things I've experienced, proving that (as Stephanie so eloquently put it) I've lived a pretty amazing forty years and I've still got a fair amount of life left to experience:

If it's bold, I have...

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar (a homeless man handed me a bag of hershey kisses on the breast cancer 3-Day in 2002)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31 hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke - one video tape exists, and it's very heavily guarded. :)
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi - Religiously!
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103 Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Prepared a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz and polka.
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

From the archives...
In 2006 I discovered bitter melon at Bautista Farms.

Lost My Marbles: A TWD tragedy narrowly averted

2008-08-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well it was bound to happen.

To be honest, I expected it weeks ago, with the pie crust.

But no. I wait until the quick bread, one of the (presumably) *easiest* recipes I've encountered in my tenure with TWD to fail with a Dorie recipe.

It's my fault. I took a short cut, and tried to melt the chocolate in the microwave even though I know that method almost always gives me grief. I didn't want to be bothered with the water bath. As happens about 50% of the time, my chocolate started to seize. I *thought* I'd salvaged it.

But when I tried to free my banana bread from the pan it was pretty clear I hadn't. The chocolate sections separated from the pure banana sections so perfectly you'd have thought I *planned* it that way.

Sigh, not a pretty picture, but it made tasty parfaits with a healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Other people fared far better than I did with Dorie's Black and White Banana Bread, this week's pick from Ashlee over at A Year in the Kitchen. Go check them out!

From the archives...
In 2006 I kicked off National Farmers' Market Week announcing a week long field trip to the bay area's best markets.
In 2007 we found comfort in Sicily with Jamie Oliver's Italy.

Operation: Baking GALS

2008-08-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago, fellow Dorista and Daring Baker Susan over at She's Becoming DoughMessTic put out a call to action I couldn't ignore.

A new daddy, her cousin Jason is stationed in Iraq. The problem? In addition to his young family, he's missing the tastes and smells of home. He knows Susan bakes, and he's hoping she'll send a treat or two his way.

Susan did one better. She sent out an email asking a few of her friends to bake up some treats and send them Jason's way. As often happens with brilliant ideas, her email request ballooned quickly into Operation Baking GALS, a growing group of baking bloggers, family and friends hoping to make a small difference in the lives of our service men and women with what we do best: a bit of flour, sugar, butter and eggs.

When I read Susan's request, I knew exactly what I was going to contribute to the cause. These are the cookies I blogged about over on Blake Bakes, my grandmother's icebox cookies. This recipe has a little military history of its own. Several of my uncles served in World War II and later in Korea, and these cookies were a regular feature in the care packages my grandmother sent overseas. I hope Jason and his friends enjoy them as much as my uncles did.

Interested in contributing something of your own to the next shipment? Head on over to Operation Baking GALS... round two is starting soon!

Koji's Back!

2008-07-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading a while, you've heard me mention Koji a couple of times. That with an apartment practically on top of his sushi bar, John was one of Koji's first and most regular customers while he was living in San Mateo. That prior to Koji my sushi experience was limited to wedding buffets lined with limp tempura and soggy California rolls, and that I credit him for teaching me how very transcendent *good* sushi can be. That since he closed up shop in San Mateo, we've followed him faithfully around the bay. That whenever we venture in to a new sushi bar, Koji is THE standard by which we measure the freshness of the ingredients, the skill of the chef and the success of the experience.

A little over a year ago Koji left his stint at Hiro's in Brentwood bound for Japan for a bit. We exchanged email addresses and made him promise he'd let us know when he was back slicing sashimi in the bay area. A couple of months ago he let us know he was back and looking for a location to open a sushi bar in the east bay. Huh-zah!

My smart-assed comment that my kitchen counter was available turned out somewhat prophetic. After four years of restless anticipation, last weekend we perched like Norm and Cliff at Koji's sushi bar in eager anticipation of the feast before us. No longer an interpretation of someone else's vision, we once again experienced *Koji's* tamago. His gomae. His miso soup. His saba nigiri. His spicy tuna. And his signature hot dog roll. It was a transporting experience for both of us. For John it was coming home. Oh... the prophetic piece? Koji's new digs are one easy exit up the freeway.

Welcome back Koji; We've missed you.

Koji's | 480 San Ramon Valley Blvd, #E, Danville, CA 94526

Technorati Tags: Food | Sushi | Restaurant

Maybe Mo was right...

2008-07-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

"Strawberries..." he used to sigh, "what a waste of perfectly good rhubarb."

I'd scrunch up my face in disgust and assert that my father was out of his mind... rhubarb was nothing more than candy colored celery, and bitter celery at that.

He'd roll his eyes and maintain that was just my "immature taste buds" talking, that when I grew up I'd change my mind.

Well I've managed to avoid rhubarb for most of my adult life, focusing instead on the spring and summer fruits I *know* I love. But when I told my tasters from last week's assignment that it was supposed to include rhubarb but I couldn't find any, our hostess went out to her garden and picked me several stalks. So this week's Summer Fruit Galette (chosen for this Tuesday with Dorie by Michelle in Colorado Springs) became a rhubarb galette.

And I learned that somewhere between 15 and 40, "my taste buds have matured." Because combined with Dorie's no-fail pie crust and a sweet succulent custard, this rhubarb R-O-C-K-E-D.

Somewhere, my father is lounging on a cloud, a martini in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and he's laughing that knowing "I told you so" laugh...

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Tuesdays with Dorie | Summer Fruit

In memory of Sher

2008-07-27T05:19:00.000-07:00

I know there are people who don't *get* the community we form as food bloggers. That sure, it's disappointing when someone decides to stop blogging, that we feel for people when they're clearly suffering in their personal lives, and that it's certainly sad when someone dies suddenly. But it's not like we *know* these people.

So I ask, when do you really "know" somebody?

While I occasionally commented on something on her blog (and she on mine), I don't believe Sher of What Did You Eat and I ever exchanged an email. I know we never spoke and we never met. But I faithfully followed along on her adventures with the Daring Baker, Bread Baking Babe and Weekend Herb Blogging communities. I admired the love she shared with all creatures great and small, wild and domestic. And over the months, I felt like I was getting to know her. So when last week's news of her sudden death rocked the Internets, like many of my fellow food bloggers I felt like I'd lost a dear friend.

And when Sher's closest friends in the food blogging community announced a virtual potluck in her honor, I knew just the recipe I wanted to contribute. In celebration of Sher's life, I've chosen to make her Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato-Tarragon Sauce. We picked up two flats of cherry tomatoes at Slow Food Yolo County's recent celebration of heirloom tomatoes, so I have a warm summery sauce of sungolds and sweet 100's I know Sher would have loved. I pulled a couple of eggplant out of my CSA box and used up the last of the Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor we picked up a couple of weeks ago in Napa. The result: warm nourishing, soul soothing summer goodness. When I'm looking for comfort food that won't leave me sluggish, I've found my go-to recipe.

Thank you Sherry. We may never have met, but you've filled many afternoons with laughter and many plates with amazing recipes over the months of our internet acquaintance. I will miss your voice.

Technorati Tags: Food | Key Ingredient: Eggplant

Coming soon...

2008-07-25T01:19:00.000-07:00

The next week promises to be another busy one personally and professionally. Those of you looking for my contributions to Recipes to Rival, Tuesdays with Dorie and the Daring Bakers please hold tight. We're eating *really* well around here lately, but it's going to take me a few days to get the pictures and the stories up...

One Local Breakfast on the go

2008-07-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that I wouldn't trade my experience with the Doristas or the Daring Bakers for the world. I've learned that fruit studded desserts are every bit as satisfying as chocolate. Conquered my fear of pie crust. Together we've made cinnamon rolls and scones, cakes, custard and caramel. And I even won an award along the way. My non-blogging friends laugh and call my baking groups a poor man's pastry school. I'm pretty sure I can't put a price tag on the experience I've had and the lessons I've learned along the way.

But with the increased investment in butter, flour, sugar, eggs and cream, your heroine's in a bit of a bind. Since she's a little... um... mature to be outgrowing her clothes every six months, she opted for a membership at the gym -- and two sessions a week with a personal trainer to keep her honest.

I meet with Lizette at seven on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and I learned very quickly that breakfast beforehand is NOT optional. But anyone who knows me is aware I shouldn't be left alone with sharp objects or fire before the crack of noon, so breakfast's got to be quick, simple and fairly mindless to put together.

My most recent solution: a breakfast burrito constructed largely of leftovers. Tomato and cucumber studded guacamole (veggies chopped and assembled the night before). A generous handful of broccoli sprouts. A soft scrambled egg (ssshhh... I only had the flame going for a couple of minutes). Wrapped in a hearty tortilla. Wrapped in a paper towel and eaten on the drive to the gym. Perfect to fuel twenty minutes on a treadmill and a half hour on the circuit with Lizette.

And since all of the ingredients are products of the farmer's market, my CSA and a generous friend's garden, this grub on the go qualifies as my contribution to One Local Summer this week.

Technorati Tags: Food | One Local Summer | Key Ingredient: Egg

TWD: Life IS a bowl of cherries...

2008-07-22T01:36:00.000-07:00

Subtitled Effective Meeting Management 101: Navigating (Square Dance) Politics.

If you've been around a while and paying attention, you know that John and I square dance, and that we have spent the last several years as officers of our regional dancers association. And if you've ever taken a leadership role in a recreational activity, you know that the "politics" involved rival anything going on in the state, local or international arena.

One of the obligations of serving on our executive board is hosting the occasional meeting. And I learned during our April meeting that this hosting obligation comes with some benefits. My living space is fairly open, so I can hang out in the comfort of my kitchen and still keep tabs on what's happening in the living room/dining room area. I learned when hosting the April meeting that I could multi-task, that assembling the Daring Baker Cheesecake Pops gave me a delightful diversion from the discussion at hand. AND the promise of tasty treats after the meeting kept most people on their best behavior.

So when we hosted the July meeting this Sunday, I was grateful that Amanda from Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake added Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler to this week's Tuesdays with Dorie dessert menu. A chance to take out my stress with a cherry pitter! And the baking smells emanating from the oven might have limited debate as people anticipated the lunch and dessert to come. Score!

I stuck pretty close to the recipe this week (which you can find on Amanda's blog) with the exception of the rhubarb. When I couldn't find any in four market stops I decided to substitute the plums that are overrunning my fruit bowl at the moment. They provided a similar tart texture and their juices were perfect for sopping up with the cobbler topping.

Speaking of the topping, the recipe made a LOT more than I needed to cover my 8x8 pan. So I sugared up several pints of blackberries and made some mini cobblers too.

In the end the executive board didn't even get to taste the fruits of my labor. Not to worry; they didn't go dessertless. In addition to the several (store-bought) desserts that people contributed to the pot luck lunch, they polished off the last of my chocolate pudding cups in no time flat.

The cobbler got consumed at last night's dance group (where the hostess gave me two pounds of rhubarb fresh from her garden that I'll be employing this week). The only suggested improvement: *more* than a pound of cherries next time.

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Tuesdays with Dorie | Summer Fruit

Taste & Create 12 - Plated Summer

2008-07-16T00:23:00.000-07:00

Once again this month I find myself paired with Katie of One Little Corner of the World for Taste & Create XII. (Those of you paying attention will recall Katie's yummy Donut Muffins were my contribution to the April event).

This time I was torn; there were a couple of recipes that caught my eye. In the end I selected her delightful Dill Chicken Salad, to which I added a couple of twists of my own.

I started with two boneless skinless chicken breasts, coating them in the Italian seasoning infused olive oil and baking them off as Katie suggests. Yum... I could have stopped right there. But I didn't, though I took a look around my refrigerator and my pantry and I ad libbed a bit. Chicken's packed with protein, so I left the egg out to save a couple of calories. Not a fan of celery, I substituted half a jicama. I made the salad dressing as directed and substituted scallions for the chives, again because that's what I had on hand.

My thoughts? First of all, Katie's chicken would be excellent all on its own, served with steamed vegetables of sliced over green salad. And you could easily make the chicken salad with leftover bits of roasted chicken. The chicken salad would be sensational sandwiched between two slices of whole wheat bread and grilled panini style. But since I've blogged a bit about panini in the recent past and I've got some luscious tomatoes and avocados from my CSA delivery, I decided to plate it Napoleon-style - a slice of tomato, a slice of avocado, a mound of chicken salad, topped with another slice of tomato. The taste? The crunch of the jicama, the dill-studded salad dressing, a couple of sun-sweetened tomatoes and buttery bits of avocado... this *is* summer on a plate my friends.

Technorati Tags: Food | Taste & Create | Key Ingredient: Chicken

TWD - The Proof is in the Pudding

2008-07-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

I burn about 400 calories in thirty minutes on an elliptical trainer.

Even with a fraction of the butter in a typical recipe, Dorie's Chocolate Pudding contains 312 calories.

Do we see the problem here?

My solution? Half the serving size. Because this stuff's not your grandmother's pudding out of a box. This is luxurious chocolate love.

Chosen by Melissa of the eponymous It's Melissa's Kitchen, Dorie's pudding recipe employs a handful of raw ingredients - staples in any baker's kitchen. And an industrial 11-cup food processor. Since mine holds a scant 8 cups maximum and I didn't want to make my pudding in batches, I let it sit on the sidelines and put the Kitchen Aid to action. It seemed to work fine; the end result was a rich, creamy lump-less pudding.

I chilled the pudding briefly before piping it into 13 dark chocolate dessert cups and refrigerating for the requisite four hours (time I spent cleaning the kitchen, hitting the elliptical machine, and standing in line at the grocery store). And served the pudding cups sprinkled with toffee bits.

Interested in ditching the little brown box and making pudding from scratch? Melissa's got the recipe posted on her blog; go check it out.

Just remember to renew your gym membership...

Technorati Tags: Food | Tuesdays with Dorie | Key Ingredient: Chocolate

One local salad

2008-07-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

THIS is what I love about summers in Northern California. Fresh local ingredients at my fingertips, easily assembled into delicious feasts celebrating the season.

In this case, I took arugula and peaches from my CSA box. Added a delightful hunk of Cypress Grove's "Truffle Tremor" goat cheese that we picked up at a recent visit to Oxbow Public Market in Napa. And took inspiration from this recipe at Adventures in the Kitchen.

Rather than firing up the Weber to serve one, I "grilled" the peaches on the stove while I assembled the spicy peach sauce, which I also heated and drizzled it over the salad like a dressing. The result: simple yet soulfully satisfying.

Technorati Tags: One Local Summer

When it's too HOT to cook...

2008-07-09T23:11:00.000-07:00

What's for dinner when it's 90 degrees in the kitchen and turning on the oven's not an option? Mortadella Panini!

God love George Foreman and his magic little grill on nights like this.

Thankfully John and I swung by Oxbow Market on our winding way back from the weekend in Fort Bragg, so I have a half a pound of Fatted Calf mortadella and some luscious local arugula to play with.

Starting there, I foraged around the fridge. Provalone... yeah, that needs using up. And here's a half an avocado. A couple of slices of red onion and a generous teaspoon of champagne shallot mustard will finish it off. A couple minutes on the grill, a handful of Kettle chips and another handful of sungold tomatoes and I'm in business.

Think I can get a job with Tom at one of the 'wichcrafts?

Technorati Tags: Food

And now, the rest of the story...

2008-07-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

For some Americans, the Fourth of July is about fireworks. For others it's an excuse to pop open a beer or twelve. And it probably comes as no surprise to the two of you reading this that for us the Fourth of July is about food. (Well food and a couple of days away from the office). Summer food. Red meat (or white meat or fish), cooked over fire. A buffet lined with an overwhelming assortment of salads, sides and desserts.

This year, John and I joined dance friends on a trip to Mendocino county's Fort Bragg for the holiday weekend. We spent Friday evening at a pot luck barbecue where the hosts provided the charred protein and the guests supplied the aforementioned buffet assortment.

What would I make that would withstand a three hour car trip with the air conditioning set to eleven? Tuesdays with Dorie to the rescue: Amy from South in your Mouth selected a great contribution to anyone's barbecue dessert buffet: Double-Crusted Blueberry Pie.

There's only one small problem...

My name is Dolores, and I'm afraid of pie crust. One of my deepest, darkest culinary secrets: I don't bake it, I *buy* it. T'heck with diamonds... Pillsbury is this girl's best friend.

I blame my phobia on my mother. She made the most amazing pie crusts I've ever encountered. She didn't use a recipe... she made it by feel. And I never took the time to learn her technique. Because what the heck, there's always *next* Thanksgiving, right? Yeah, well... All I know is that she used a combination of lard and butter.

Since picking up a Pillsbury wasn't an option for a TWD assignment, I took a deep breath, read the recipe four or five times, shoved a cube of chopped butter and a quarter cup of shortening in the freezer and poured myself a nice glass of wine. And then I pulled the moulinex out of hibernation and dove right in.

The result? It's certainly not pastry perfection, but I think this is a recipe I can work with. I wasn't embarrassed by the end result, and if the picture I posted at the beginning of the day is any indication, it certainly didn't suck.

Thanks Dorie. Thanks Amy. I think my clandestine relationship with Pillsbury's over!

And now you know...

the rest of the story!

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Tuesdays with Dorie | Key Ingredient: Blueberry

Another TWD Success

2008-07-08T00:22:00.000-07:00

I've got a huge deadline at work in a few hours, so the extended story will have to wait until the end of the day. But for now please excuse the crapulous cell phone photograph and just consider the story it tells. My full sized Double-Crusted Blueberry Pie disappeared from the barbecue dessert buffet in under ten minutes. Now go check out the 200 or so other blueberry pies debuting on the internets today...

Happy Fourth of July!

2008-07-04T09:46:00.001-07:00

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy Independence Day.

Introducing Frugal Fridays

2008-07-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

The brainchild of Jerry over at Cooking by the Seat of My Pants, Frugal Fridays implores the budget conscious blogger to construct a tasty and (hopefully) nutritious meal for a family of four for $10.00. A timely challenge, given the rising costs of food and fuel.

In week four I'm jumping in with both feet, curious to see if I can be satisfied with a $2.50 lunch. I'm cautiously optimistic, although I typically spend between $4 and $6 on the ultimate cheap meal: fast food and I rarely walk away satisfied with the experience.

Ironically I did no grocery shopping for this week's contribution. We're headed out of town this weekend so I'm all about using up leftovers. My creation: A Chicken Sausage Saute built on a half package of Aidell's I'd picked up on sale last week. I also had about 3/4 pound of red potatoes left from last week's contribution to One Local Summer, a cup of chopped frozen mango, and some zucchini and onion scraps from my recent Rat-Patootie.

I tossed the potatoes in a bit of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt and a couple of shakes of dried basil and roasted them at 450 for about 30 minutes. Another teaspoon or so of olive oil in my saute pan, on top of which I tossed one clove of garlic (minced with a knife) and the onion shrapnel. I never time anything when I work like this, but I'm guessing they cooked about 10 minutes while I sliced the sausage into bite sized chunks, drained the mango (reserving the juice), etc. I added the sausage next, cooking it until it browned slightly around the edges. Next the zucchini, mango and cooked potato. And what the hell, the mango juice too.

So... was I satisfied? Surprisingly so. Protein, carbohydrate, healthy fat, fruit and vegetables in a single bowl. Leftovers frozen for portable lunches at work next week. Score!

But did I blow the budget. I reviewed a handful of grocery receipts to survey the damage:

2 Aidell's Chicken Mango Sausages - $2.00
Organic Red Potatoes - $2.50
Trader Joe's Frozen Mango - $1.66
Zucchini = $0.40
Onion = $0.40

My 'freebies' from the pantry: olive oil, garlic, kosher salt, dried basil.

Total for 4 lunch-sized servings: $6.96

Damn. I can eat a satisfying lunch for a buck seventy four. With no desire to add fries with that. Who knew?

Thanks Jerry! This has been an eye-opening experience over here, one I look forward to repeating in the weeks to come.

From the archives...
In 2007 we discovered Greek hospitality (and some amazing oven roasted potatoes) in Salt Lake City.

Technorati Tags: Food | Frugal Friday

Rat-patootie, which does not sound delicious...

2008-07-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

...but oh my G-A-W-D it IS!

Which is a good thing, since I ended up prepping the damn thing twice.

Yeah, you read that right, twice. That's what I get for multitasking in the kitchen. I was prepping a recipe for next week over at Blake Bakes while I was working on this. And while I sliced and macerated some bananas, I tossed the baking tray with the vegetable medley into the oven to clear some counter space. Then while I put the piperade together here, I preheated the oven for the other recipe. WITHOUT removing my veggie tray. Duh.

'So what's the big deal?' you're thinking, '...it's just sliced vegetables.' Yep. Vegetables sliced a very precise 1/16 of an inch thick. Even with my mandoline, the prep took well over an hour. And while there were a lot of ingredients requiring a ton of preparation, the dish was surprisingly inexpensive. The entire ingredient list cost me a little over $15.00 (partly because the cashier rang my organic zucchinis up as $0.79 pickling cucumbers?!?). Had I not wasted half of the ingredients, that would have come out to about two bucks a serving (assuming you can limit yourself to one serving. Yeah, good luck with that...I couldn't).

So why am I spending two hours slicing vegetables? I've joined Recipes to Rival, the savory answer to the Daring Bakers... a growing group of men and women interested in expanding our skills on the savory side of the kitchen, learning and laughing together along the way. And ratatouille was the inaugural challenge recipe chosen by our founderesses Lori over at Lipsmacking Goodness and Temperance of High on the Hog.

So with my first challenge behind me, what did I learn?

1. Multitasking's not such a good idea, and the oven is not a storage vessel.
2. I'm capable of using my mandoline without losing an appendage.
3. Cooking (and baking) is an exercise in time management.
4. French "vegetable stew" is quite tasty and eminently affordable.

But enough about me... on with the photo-studded recipe:

Remy's Ratatouille or Confit Byaldi
(as published in the New York Times)

For the Piperade:
1/2 red pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 yellow pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1/2 orange pepper, seeds and ribs removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
3 tomatoes (about 12 ounces total weight), peeled, seeded, and finely diced, juices reserved
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
1/2 a bay leaf
Kosher salt to taste

For the Vegetables:
1 zucchini (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch rounds
1 Japanese eggplant, (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
1 yellow squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-inch rounds
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8teaspoon thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oi
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Assorted fresh herbs (thyme flowers, chervil, thyme)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. For piperade, heat oven to 450 degrees. Place pepper halves on a foil-lined sheet, cut side down. Roast until skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.

2. Combine oil, garlic, and onion in medium skillet over low heat until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes, do not brown; add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to taste with salt, and discard herbs. Reserve tablespoon of mixture and spread remainder in bottom of an 8-inch skillet.

3. Heat oven to 275 degrees. Down the center of the piperade coated skillet, arrange a strip of 8 alternating slices of vegetables over piperade, overlapping so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. Around the center strip, overlap vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. Repeat until pan is filled; all vegetables may not be needed.

4. Mix garlic, oil, and thyme leaves in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over vegetables. Cover pan with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.) If there is excess liquid in pan, place over medium heat on stove until reduced. (At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat in 350-degree oven until warm.)

5. For the vinaigrette, combine reserved piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.

6. To serve, heat broiler and place byaldi underneath until lightly browned. Slice in quarters and very carefully lift onto plate with offset spatula. Turn spatula 90 degrees, guiding byaldi into fan shape. Drizzle vinaigrette around plate. Serve hot.

Bon appetit!

Technorati Tags: Food

TWD: This week's melodrama: Savory or Sweet?

2008-07-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, I used the base recipe. One of the many things I've learned in my tenure with the ladies and gentlemen of Tuesdays with Dorie is that I LOVE Dorie's basic biscuit recipe. And if recent history's any indication, I'm pretty good at it. Which I would never have known *without* TWD, as biscuits and their various offspring just weren't projects I attempted in my kitchen.

But this week I didn't have dried apple on hand, so I grabbed a package of apricots. They're a yellowish fruit with a similar dried consistency. And since cheddar really doesn't pair with apricot for me, I grated a hunk of Swiss to take the role of "cheese" in this week's drama. And I tossed in a handful of fresh lavender because it called to me from its countertop vase. I considered rosemary but dismissed it. Next time I think I'll use it... it definitely would have added to the tension I've been building between savory and sweet.

So there you have it, my riff on Dorie's Apple & Cheddar Scones, chosen by Karina of The Floured Apron as this week's assignment. That's where you'll find the recipe this week, should you want to try it for yourself.

From the archives:
In 2007, the Leftover Tuesday Roundup revealed...

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Tuesdays with Dorie

I'm a Blake Baker...

2008-07-01T01:11:00.000-07:00

I've been invited to blog for Blake over at Blake Bakes.

Blake Bakes?

Well you surely know Blake Makes... Blake Bakes is another of *that* Blake's ventures, where he's invited some baking blogging friends to come join him. I'm honored to be keeping some pretty fabulous company over there.

For my debut this morning, I pay tribute to that workhorse in my kitchen: the Kitchen Aid, and share with you my grandmother's tried-and-true recipe for "Icebox Cookies." Go check it out.

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Links

Ratted Out!

2008-06-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

Sadly my first attempt at Ratatouille, the first challenge recipe assigned for Recipes to Rival, wasn't fit for human consumption. Stay tuned... Take two coming soon.

Something Rotten Sensational from the State of Denmark...

2008-06-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

At least if *my* audience reaction is any indication.

I give you the image moments before the gang dove in...

And when they cleared from around the table so that I could take another picture...

But I'm getting ahead of myself here...

It all started early in the month, when Kelly of Sass & Veracity and Ben of What's Cookin' (my most recent T&C partner, for those of you paying attention) tossed down the gauntlet to over a thousand Daring Bakers: in the heat of the summer (at least in most of the northern hemisphere) we'd be testing our skills with a yeast based laminate dough as we baked the Danish Braid.

For the pastry, they chose Sherry Yard's Danish Dough from the Secrets of Baking. For the filling we could use Ms. Yard's apple compote or branch out in any direction we wanted, as long as it was of our own creation.

As is typical for me, I spent the majority of the month contemplating what I might wrap my braid around. Prosciutto and parmesan? Apricot in a lavender and honey pastry cream? Cherries jubilee? Strawberries and vanilla cream? Bacon, eggs and potatoes? Chiorizo and egg? Mushrooms, shallots and goat cheese? An endless stream of ideas, all of which sounded promising.

On last Thursday afternoon I pulled out the ingredients for the pastry, no clearer idea of what I'd fill it with than I'd had at the first of the month. I mixed and kneaded and refrigerated and rolled and refrigerated (and caught three back episodes of Good Eats). I was generally quite pleased with the results of my efforts at the end of the fourth turn as I put my dough into its overnight hibernation. I loved the flecks of color provided by the vanilla bean, cardamom and orange zest, and although I have no previous experience working with laminate dough beyond opening the frozen Dafour package, it just *felt* right as I was working with it. Soft, silky, elastic but not rubbery.

Friday evening arrived quickly (though not as quickly as desired in some aspects). I still had no clear direction on how to fill my braid. But it was to be our contribution to a potluck picnic for which we'd need to leave by 9 AM on Saturday. My window for decision-making was narrowing quickly.

After some discussion, John and I decided on a simple smoked salmon and spiced cream cheese filling. Off to the always-open grocery we went. Sorry folks... at T minus less than 12 hours, I wasn't going to be smoking my own salmon. When we got back, John read the recipe (for the first time) while I pulled the dough out of its cryogenic hibernation. There was some discussion and some shared concern about whether the salmon would work with a sweet dough, but at this point we were committed or should have been.

The recipe said the near refrigerated dough should be left to proof for 3 hours before baking. I decided to throw caution to the wind... I covered it with plastic wrap and left it on the counter as we headed to bed shortly after midnight.

I got up at 7 Saturday morning, preheated the oven and surveyed the damage. Lo and behold, what were logs of twisted dough when we retired on Friday actually looked *sort of* like braids in the early morning light. Hallelujah!

I baked off the braids according to the instructions given in the recipe and left them on the counter to cool as we got around and prepared for the day. We tented them loosely with foil as we headed out the door. When we got to the bocce picnic, I shot a couple of pictures in natural light and quickly sliced one of the braids and set it out by the coffee as people hovered, curious. The second picture above is the remnants of the first braid as I prepared to replace the platter with the second.

Hey Mikey, they LIKE this. I'm clearly going to be making these again. As I repeated the story of my month-long quandary with the recipe and the Daring Bakers, I got at least a dozen requests for several different versions, and some tips for slicing and icing sweet Danish pastry from a sweet senior citizen who'd grown up in a bakery in Canada. Marion's not terribly internet savvy, or I suspect Ivonne & Liz would have another new non-blogging Daring Baker in July...

Thank you Kelly. Thank you Ben. This is probably my best Daring Baker experience to date. I tried something new. I learned a ton. My braid looked gorgeous. AND it tasted great. A four star experience.

To see how over a thousand other Daring Bakers fared with this recipe, check out the blog roll.

From the archives...
In 2006 I collected recipes from around the blog world.

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Daring Bakers

OLS: From the Ocean and the Earth

2008-06-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

A fillet of butterfish caught off of Half Moon Bay. A pint of strawberries, three sun-sweetened peaches and an avocado from my CSA. Some red skinned potatoes, and half onion from a midweek trip to the farmer's market. And a little bit of imagination. There you have the ingredient list for last night's dinner, my second contribution to One Local Summer.

I boned and cut my half pound fillet into four chunks, dredged the pieces in (non-local) seasoned flour, a bit of Strauss cream, and back in the flour mixture to create a coating. While the fish sauteed, I sliced the fruits and tossed them with salt, pepper, and a bit meyer lemon juice.

Including 30 minutes to roast the potato and onion mixture, I had dinner ready in less than an hour, a meal every bit as satisfying as anything I'd seen come out of the Hell's Kitchen I had playing in the background, assembled primarily from ingredients grown less than 100 miles from the kitchen in which I prepared them. It's meals like these that leave me thankful that I live in Northern California with abundant access t to fresh local food.

From the archives...
In 2007 I announced round six of Leftover Tuesdays.

Technorati Tags: Food | Seafood | One Local Summer

Mangia!

2008-06-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

Early in us, John discovered that it takes a minor miracle for me to pick Italian when presented with a list of "out to dinner" options.

The reason: it irks me to spend nearly $20 a plate for a dish that I could throw together at home for less than half of that, with a little of whatever I find in the refrigerator and the pantry.

The problem from his perspective: I rarely do. There's always some new recipe I want to try or technique I want to practice.

But occasionally I surprise him. Like this meal from a couple of weeks ago... made entirely of on hand (and mostly of must use soon) ingredients. I started by browning a couple of Italian sausage, then sauteeing a half an onion and a couple of cloves of garlic in some of the sausage drippings while my rigatoni water came to a boil. I'd found a package of deli-made gorgonzola sauce on a freezer mining expedition, so I warmed that with a little bit of milk. Tossed the sausage onion and garlic in my sauce, deglazed the saute pan with a couple of glugs of an open bottle of pinot grigio and tossed that in my sauce as well. Added a small handful of toasted pine nuts and a healthy handful of raisins. Stirred in the cooked rigatoni and the last of a package of sweet 100 tomatoes. I piled the pasta mixture into a casserole dish, crumbled a bit of blue cheese over the top and stuck it in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.

No recipe, no plan and certainly no measurements... just a series of "this will probably taste good" that usually ultimately does. This may not be *your* grandmother's Italian, but it certainly is very much mine.

And it's my contribution to this week's Presto Pasta Night, hosted by Hillary over at Chew on That and founded by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. To quote grandmas Katherine, Sylvia and Linda... mangia!

Technorati Tags: Food | Italian | Key Ingredient: Pasta

A TWD Two-fer: Cream Puffs & Cobbler

2008-06-24T00:07:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of driving Peabody *nuts* I'm a week late for last week's assignment but on time for today's. How'd I manage that? I spent the hottest Sunday of the summer season in the kitchen with the oven on. What can I say Peabody...? I live to serve!

First last week's Peppermint Cream Puff Ring selected for our enjoyment by Caroline of A Consuming Passion. Like many other Doristas, I elected to make individual cream puffs rather than a ring because they're easier to transport and serve that way. And rather than mint, I infused my whipped cream filling with a vanilla bean and a bit of chai-spiced tea. We went out to dinner with friends on Sunday, and it was easy to pass up the dessert menu when we knew these waited for us at home.

Next on the baking to-do list: a delightful biscuit topped Mixed Berry Cobbler offered by Beth of Our Sweet Life. Frozen fruit, tossed with sugar, lemon and cornstarch, topped with a flakey slightly sweetened biscuit crust. I added a half bag of frozen mangoes to my berry medley because it was time to use them in something. Baked them up in individual ramekins, and I've discovered they make an indulgent but not unhealthy breakfast topped with a generous dollop of yogurt.

These two selections prove my longstanding theory that some of the very best things in life and in food are comprised of a handful of simple ingredients thoughtfully combined.

Oh... and Peabody? Hang tight love... I'm eyeballing the Apple Cheddar Scone recipe now... who knows... I might *really* surprise you and come in *early*!

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Tuesdays with Dorie

Mushroom Madness

2008-06-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

For June's Taste & Create event I've been paired with Ben from What's Cooking. As a result a Mexican meets an Italian in Ireland; I selected his Creamy Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms as the recipe I'd attempt to repeat in my kitchen.

I love it when a recipe inspires me to use what I have on hand... There's a leftover chicken breast and a package of cream cheese in the refrigerator, and there's *always* an open bottle of wine on the counter. This week's CSA delivery included an onion and a handful of summer squash, and a quick trip to the farmers' market produced a couple of hearty looking portabellas and two ears of Brentwood corn.

I started simply, poaching the chicken breast in some lightly seasoned leftover turkey stock. While the chicken cooked I chopped the mushroom stems, onion and the summer squash and cleaned the corn.

From there I followed Ben's lead pretty closely, adding the corn and the corn milk to the butter/cream cheese/wine mixture and tossing the summer squash in with the mushroom stems.

The result: a meal that traverses the seasons, using fresh wholesome ingredients, in not much more time than it would take to dish up a plate of takeout. Thanks Ben... I know I'll be making riffs on this one again!

From the archives...
In 2006 Hannigan's failed to deliver a satisfying salad.

Technorati Tags: Food | Key Ingredient: Mushroom

I'm late... I'm late...

2008-06-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

It's been another crazy week in my world...those of you here in search of cream puffs are going to have to give me another day or two to catch my breath. In the mean time, check out nearly two hundred others over at Tuesdays with Dorie.

Fresh flavors

2008-06-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know how people with kids do it. Most evenings it's just me, and after a long day and a longer commute I have a hard enough time putting together a dinner that is both healthy and inspiring. But since one can not subsist on microwave popcorn alone (and one's food blog would certainly suffer if one did), a well-stocked refrigerator, freezer and pantry has become my best friend.

Tonight's dinner started with some pineapple pork sausage I pulled out of the freezer this morning. A couple of handfuls of arugula and some sliced red onion from the CSA box. Another handful of dried cherries leftover from the great brownie experiment. And the last of a bottle of poppyseed salad dressing we picked up during one of our wine tasting adventures last fall.

Fifteen minutes, refrigerator to table with half a strawberry tart for dessert... AND I wasn't embarrassed to admit it to my personal trainer this morning. Score!

Technorati Tags: Food

TWD: My cheatin' tart

2008-06-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

So this week's Tuesdays with Dorie assignment comes to us from Marie of A Year from Oak Cottage: La Palette's Strawberry Tart.

I participated. But by some standards I cheated.

You see in the name of economizing and in getting a handle on what I have in "inventory" I'm working my way through the freezer. And way down at the bottom, beneath a hunk of tri tip and two bags of edamame, I found a bag of frozen pastry dough. Leftover from my April contribution to A Taste of Yellow. And thus Thomas Keller's pine nut pate sable became the base for Dorie's strawberry tartlettes.

I baked off the tartlette shells, spread the warm pastry with some strawberry chipotle jam, topped it with a generous handful of Swanton Berry Farm strawberries and a dollop of jam studded goat yogurt. In fifteen minutes from freezer to table we have a sweet light dessert that makes the perfect ending to a warm summer weekend.

I know I'm going to make this again and again this summer and well into the fall (with Dorie's tart recipe as well as Thomas'). It's a great way to showcase whatever fruit flavors are abundant throughout the seasons.

Want to try this in your kitchen? Dorie has the recipe posted here.

From the archives...
In 2007 I refused to be conquered by cupcakes.

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Tuesdays with Dorie | Key Ingredient: Strawberry

I've been tagged!

2008-06-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

Another meme makes the rounds, and this time I've been tagged by Jessica over at My Baking Heart. In the spirit of sharing the love, here's a little bit about me, Q&A style...

But first the rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

And now the Q&A:

What was I doing ten years ago?
Adjusting to life at thirty. The first of what would be many gray hairs. People calling me "ma'am". Far more traumatic an experience than I'd expected... Thankfully forty's been *far* more fun!

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?
1. Finishing this post.
2. Laundry.
3. Next week's Tuesdays with Dorie assignment
4. Grocery shopping.
5. A quick stop at the library.

5 Snacks I enjoy:
1. Kettle chips.
2. Frozen grapes.
3. Marcona almonds.
4. Popcorn.
5. Chocolate.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Quit my job and join Gina in culinary school.
2. Pay off the mortgage.
3. Fund my nephews' college education.
4. Buy a Prius.
5. Donate to end hunger and cure cancer.

Places I have lived:
1. Oakland, CA
2. Eugene, OR
3. San Jose, CA
4. San Ramon, CA

Jobs I have had:
1. Public Relations Intern for the circus
2. Mens & Boys Department manager at Target
3. Office Manager for a mail order business specializing in dog books
4. Inventory Planner for a software company serving the biochemical industry.
5. Finance manager for one of the many companies ultimately acquired by Oracle.

Sharing the love... (Tag, you're it)
1. Brownie at Blondie & Brownie
2. Jenny at Foray into Food
3. Dharm at Dad - Baker & Chef
4. KJ at A Cracking Good Egg
5. anyone else who feels like it

From the archives...
2006 saw us touring the summer food festivals.
In 2007 I borrowed a recipe from Bron.

Technorati Tags: Meme

TWD - Fussy French Brownies

2008-06-03T02:38:00.000-07:00

'k people, what I like *best* about brownies is their no-fuss nature. Even from scratch, they typically use one bowl, one spatula, one spoon. Twenty minutes in the oven, and out emerge 16 squares of tasty chocolate goodness...

Not so these fancy French "brownies." Look at the mess they made in my sink! Leave it to the French to add complication where none is necessary...

'k, they're not *really* brownies. According to Dorie's introduction to the recipe, they're a fudgy, fruit filled chocolate cake, a recipe she created for guests while she was in France, and those guests fell in love with her "brownies."

Well the dirty sink be damned, so did I.

I omitted the raisins, opting to flambe cherries for a black forest inspired brownie instead. John wasn't crazy about them... he's a purist when it comes to chocolate: Chocolate. Dark. Lots of it. With nothing to distract from it.

But my coworkers loved them... the entire tray was empty in under seven minutes.

Thanks to Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook for choosing this week's recipe. And check out the blog roll to see what the other Doristas thought.

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Tuesdays with Dorie | Key Ingredient: Chocolate

TerraMar: Deja Vu all over again?

2008-06-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

It's taken us several years to re-cross this particular threshold. For good reason.

Ono Maze was a discovery we made during one of our favorite pastimes. Like many women window shop, John and I menu browse. We pick a neighborhood and stroll the streets studying the menus of its restaurants searching for inspiration.

This was a warm, late summer Friday evening. Sometime in August of 2001. Meandering North Main Street in Walnut Creek we were beginning to see a pattern. Italian... Italian... Italian... Brew Pub... Italian... French Italian... Italian... Wait... What's this? Pan Asian? Hmmm... Lots of seafood. A fair number of shareable appetizer options. With Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese influences. No sign of Italian. We looked at each other... "Let's eat here".

Neither of us could know it at the time, but that evening would ultimately be a tipping point for both of us from a culinary perspective. We walked across the patio and through the door... and Ono Maze drew us in like a magnet. Over the course of four years, we commemorated birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and frantic Fridays. We made friends. First Kelly and then Kevin encouraged us to explore and develop our palates. Their influence has an ongoing impact on how we approach food today, from the way we shop and prepare food at home to the restaurant choices we make and how we evaluate each experience. In many ways although we were well into our thirties when we discovered them, we grew up with Ono Maze. From a food perspective 1616 N. Main Street holds the same mystique as a treasured childhood home.

So when the senior management closed the doors in November 2004 to explore other opportunities we've followed our friends to their new ventures and venues, but we haven't explored the restaurants that occupied the old homestead. Until recently.

I first discovered TerraMar through American Airlines' dining rewards program.

"Terra Mar features casual upscale dining, offering small plates for sharing and a fully stocked bar. They use only the freshest locally grown and harvested California ingredients and strive to provide some uniquely delicious dishes. One of Terra Mar's features is their amazing Oyster and Raw Bar..."

Intrigued, I clicked the link to the menu and started exploring. It was only after I decided this was a must-try that I looked at the address. 1616 North Main. I checked with John and he was agreeable, so off we headed one Friday night. Heck, even if it sucks we'll get some airline miles out of the deal...

Our homecoming experience was a little odd. Three tenants occupied the building between Ono Maze and TerraMar, but very little has changed. The patio and the entrance are identical. So is the bar. The decor. Even the *furniture* is the same. And it was more than a little ironic in an almost squicky kind of way that the hostess -- with no connection whatsoever to us or our long-ago connection with the location -- sat us at *our* table. Where we celebrated the aforementioned milestones. Where we closed the place in November of 2004...

TerraMar, you've got some big shoes to fill...

We decided to make one selection from each section of the TerraMar menu: a raw starter, a garden, a sea and a farm. Because the menu follows a "three ways" theme we selected what would prove to be quite a variety. We started with a "raw trio" that included a tuna tartare John loved, a scallop cerviche I loved, and a beef capaccio we both quite enjoyed. We followed our first course with the house frittes, (served with a cumin-chipotle ketchup we both found intriguing) sliders three ways (barbecued pork, kobe beef, and meatball in marinara), and the duck three ways (confit, duck breast, and foie gras).

I certainly didn't think our experience was this bad. Nor was it without flaw.

The good: The service was friendly and attentive without hovering.

The presentation on *every* dish was stunning. Someone has spent a lot of time, effort and energy picking out the perfect accessories for showcasing the chef's talent. There are no pictures in this particular spotlight because my crappy cell phone camera wouldn't do the presentations justice. Next time I'll take a real camera, I promise!

The menu is very creative, and for the most part well-executed. On a return visit, we wouldn't hesitate to reorder many of the same dishes. The raw trio was excellent. Their ketchup's a far cry from the Heinz or Del Monte of my youth. I'm not a duck lover (well not a *cooked* duck lover... I did spend my college years in Eugene) but I ate my share of the confit and the duck breast.

The not-so-good: For as pretty as the presentations were, most of the dishes were *very* difficult to eat without making a mess. Which is awkward in a white tablecloth, fine dining establishment, even if you're us. (Probably more so if you're the newly dating couple seated next to us, still trying your damndest to impress one another). My inner Len Goodman: "If you want a ten, make the pretty plate easier to eat."

For small plates, the portion's a bit large. John and I are NOT small people. It takes more than a plate of lettuce and a couple of ounces of protein to sustain us. So we were more than a bit surprised when after splitting four "small plates" we weren't sure we'd saved room for dessert. Perhaps our focus on the trios did us a disservice in that regard, but especially with the sliders, if there are three 'burgers' on a plate, they don't need to be fast food sized.

The foie gras. I don't touch the stuff (because the texture and the taste of liver squicks me, not for political or religious reasons). But John loves it. And his assessment is it came to the table unpleasantly cold. More the texture of lard than butter.

Would we go back? Absolutely. There's a lot of the menu that intrigued us that we'd like to explore. And TerraMar's only been open for a couple of months and still finding its footing. If you ever find yourself hungry in Walnut Creek without reservations at Va di Vi, I'd highly recommend you check out TerraMar. Start small and ask for an extra napkin... you'll enjoy the experience.

TerraMar | 1616 North Main Street, Walnut Creek | 925.472.0400

Others who've enjoyed TerraMar...
Julie and Loyd of Artisan Adventures called it "Christmas morning in my mouth"

From the archives...
In 2007 I twisted my pretzels into hangman's nooses.

Technorati Tags: Food | Restaurants | SF Bay Area | Small Plates

Jumping on the bandwagon

2008-06-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not a Barefoot Blogger. Not that the idea doesn't appeal, but a girl's got to know her limitations. I'm already chronically late for Tuesdays with Dorie and the Daring Bakers. Between the two, I'm going a long way to keeping the butter and egg industries afloat in the bay area. Ina does some amazing things, but she's no stranger to saturated fat... and if I add two or three of her recipes to my queue each month my trainer and my doctor will have my head. So I'm content to sit on the sidelines and watch. Until images of Herbed Baked Eggs start appearing all over my blog reader.

Reading through the recipe, it occurs to me that I can do this one "locally," making it my first contribution to One Local Summer. Eggs from my brother's chickens. Herbs from my CSA. Cream and butter from the friendly folks at Strauss Family Creamery. And it doesn't take two days to construct.

And so Ina's eggs became the base for a couple of lazy weekend breakfasts, served simply with a couple of Boccalone's Easton Breakfast Sausage links and a wedge of organic bread toasted to sop up the eggy goodness.

From the archives...
In 2006 I went a little local with Halibut Olympia.
In 2007 I channeled my inner Shakespeare.

Technorati Tags: Food | One Local Summer | Key Ingredient: Egg

In sleep you sang to me...

2008-05-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

...in dreams you came
that voice which calls to me and speaks my name...

and do I dream again, for now I find
the Phantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind...

In response to the challenge laid down by Ivonne (Cream Puffs in Venice), Lis (La Mia Cucina), Fran (Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie) and Shea (Whiskful), some of you emerged from your kitchens with operatic masterpieces. Divas. Prima Donnas. Leading ladies (and a couple of men). galore.

My experience was a bit different. I went through the same motions. The joconde. The simple syrup, flavored with lavender and honey. A French buttercream laced with calvados. A lavender-infused white chocolate glaze. But what emerged from *my* kitchen at the end of the ordeal was less patisserie and more... rural... rustic. Okay... ugly. More likely to dwell in the depths beneath the opera house than to star on its stage.

But like Larousse's tragic hero, my little cakes are far more than they appear on the surface. There's depth. There's character. There's flavor. My gawd, there's flavor.

A year ago I never would have tried such an elaborate endeavor. And I certainly wouldn't have posted *pictures* of less-than-stellar results. But part of the daring baker code is that participation helps us all learn and grow.

May's Daring Baker Challenge -- a little Light Opera -- is brought to us in honor and celebration of Barbara at Winos & Foodies, whose brave and graceful battle against cancer is an inspiration to all of us. My contribution reminds us to look for the light in even the darkest of days -- it's there.

Want to try this masterpiece on your own? Ivonne has the recipe posted here.
Check out almost a thousand other opera and operetta at the Daring Baker Blog Roll.
And the new Daring Baker Forum.

From the archives...
In 2006 I combed the intranets for recipes to add to my to-try list.
In 2007 I turned a sheet of leftover puff pastry into a satisfying dinner.

Technorati Tags: Food | Daring Bakers

The fat lady's napping

2008-05-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

She's had a rough couple of weeks. But here are some images of the dress rehearsal to keep you amused until the final curtain...

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Daring Bakers

Serving Crazy with Curry...

2008-05-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

Devi's decided life's no longer worth living. Her sister Shobha is bored in her arranged marriage and considering an affair. Each of her parents and her brother-in-law harbor their own set of secrets. The Veturi family puts the "fun" in dysfunctional.

Who are these people and what does this have to do with food? There IS a connection...

Meena over at Hooked on Heat claims she was born with a pen in one hand and a book in the other. In my case, I'd modify that to a pen in one hand, a fork in the other, and a book open across my lap. So when she announced a Cook's Book Club where food-focused bibliophiles are encouraged to read a monthly book selection and prepare a meal inspired by its plot or its characters, I knew this was going to be the event for me. The first book club selection: Serving Crazy with Curry.

After her intrusive but well-meaning mother foils her attempt at suicide, Devi goes mute, moves in with her parents and channels her emotions into some wildly creative and elaborate meals as she winds her way through healing toward happiness. A Blueberry Curry. Cajun Prawn Biriyani. Not exactly her grandmother's Indian cuisine.

In Devi's honor, I stared with a published recipe for Tandoori Tilapia with Hearts of Palm Salad. Substituted rock cod for the tilapia because it's seasonally appropriate and on sale this week. Used goat cheese yogurt because that's what I had on hand. And unleashed my creativity in the salad, adding avocado and arugula tossed in a couple tablespoons of the marinade mixture. The end result was a little Indian, a little American... and quite tasty. I think Devi would be proud...

Technorati Tags: Food | Indian Food | Food Blogging Event | Cooks Book Club

A shoe-in for a reservation...

2008-05-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

Saw this over at Eater SF and it amused me... perhaps because picture-less reviews of our experiences at several local eateries are coming soon to a blog near you. I like to think I'm an exception to their critique of food blog reviewers... my pictures probably suck but I'm a fair judge of what works and what doesn't... and willing to admit that my experience is just that... *my* experience, which may not be indicative of reality.

From the archives...
In 2006 I indulged in some food blog silliness.

TWD: An exercise in economic stimulus?

2008-05-20T04:51:00.000-07:00

Or just an excuse to wander around Sur la Table like the proverbial kid in a candy store?

One of the best parts of the baking groups I belong to is the occasional opportunity to supplement my supply of kitchen equipment. A crepe pan. Six four-inch heart-shaped springforms. A jellyroll pan. And now, thanks to Tara over at Smells Like Home, a Madeleine tin joins my kitchen collection.

Hey... I consider it doing my part to stimulate the economy...

I'd never made Madeleines before and assumed since they were French they had to be ingredient rich, fussy and time consuming to make. I was somewhat surprised when I consulted the recipe and realized that they're none of the above. Ten minutes to mix a handful of ingredients together, a couple of hours in the refrigerator and another ten minutes in the oven and presto: French pastry. I can DO this! (with a step stool, my five year old nephew can do this).

I stayed pretty true to the published recipe for Dorie's Traditional Madeleines, substituting orange for lemon zest rather than running to the grocery store for a single ingredient. Like many of my fellow Doristas, I got a little overzealous in filling my Madeleine forms so the end results are more rustic than patisserie… but I'm proud of them. We're having a heat wave out here in Northern California, so I'm serving them with Ben & Jerry's (Fair Trade) Coffee Ice Cream. Yum!

Curious how other Doristas fared with this one? Check out the blogroll. Got a new Madeleine pan and want to try them out for yourself? Tara's posted the recipe.

From the archives...
In 2006 we enjoyed local food with an Italian flair.

Technorati Tags: Tuesdays with Dorie

Love is in the air...

2008-05-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

Pasta enrobed morels. Another batch lightly battered and fried. Caramelized pineapple & blue cheese tartlettes. Roasted grapes. Her mom's simple but sensational taco dip. A yummy sounding salmon puff. Fifteen minutes browsing her blog for ideas and it was pretty clear to me that my partner for May's Taste & Create event was a young woman after my own heart *and* adventurous taste buds.

The hardest part of being paired with Kelly of Sounding my Barbaric Gulp was going to be settling on a single recipe... I want to try almost every link I followed. After much deliberation I selected a celebration of love that's easily adapted to a one person meal. I changed her Lobster Stuffed Avocado into a scrumptious crab and avocado salad.

I started with a half of a buttery smooth Haas avocado. Scooped out a bit of the center as the recipe instructed, carefully removed the peel and and pared off a bit of the bottom to create a stable and edible bowl. Chopped up the avocado 'scraps' with the other half and tossed them in a bit of meyer lemon juice to prevent browning. I browned a bit of Boccalone Guanciale in place of the bacon; wiped out the pan and toasted my pine nuts in the last bits of tasty salted pig part essence. Whisked together the garlic, lemon juice, mustard and olive oil, tossed it with the avocado, guanciale, pine nuts and other residents of the ingredient list, piled the salad high in the avocado cup, poured a glass of Viognier and grabbed a fork.

Oh. My. Gawd. Yum. With Belgian chocolate dipped strawberries and whipped cream for dessert this is going on a menu a deux in the *very* near future. Use caution people... this salad will hijack your tastebuds and steal your heart.

Thank you Kelly. I'm glad we've met. I'm sure I'll be making more from your menu. And if you ever find yourself in Northern California, you have a standing invitation to join me in the kitchen.

Technorati Tags: Food | Taste & Create | Key Ingredient: Crab | Key Ingredient: Avocado

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

Happy (somewhat belated) Mother's Day! Stay tuned for John's dad's recipe for Belgian Waffles... and some fun stories related to it.

One (more) local summer

2008-05-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

Lemonade stands. Swim lessons. Backyard barbecue. Catching fireflies. Warm evenings out on the porch with grandpa listening to Harry Caray's seventh inning ode to America's game. These are the sense memories from the summers of my youth. Memories flavored with the sweet tang of my grandmother's bread and butter pickles atop a barbecued brat, the tart taste of my great-aunt's strawberry rhubarb pie smothered in sweet cream from Harry's dairy cow, a creamy potato salad studded with bright yolked hard boiled eggs from Julie's chickens. Several decades before I heard the word locavore I savored favorite summer flavors from local purveyors.

Fast forward to 2008. I'm not half the gardener my grandmothers were, but I'm fortunate to live in a land of year-round farmer's markets and CSA deliveries so a farm fresh local meal is never far away. For the last couple of summers I've been inspired by One Local Summer, and I was rather disappointed to learn that Liz had closed up shop; her Pocket Farm blog and the event I enjoyed so much were a part of the past. So I was delighted when Nicole over at Farm to Philly chose to take up the torch and host One Local Summer 2008. Beginning June 1, she's asking participants to make one meal per week using locally sourced ingredients, and she'll post a weekly roundup of the results.

In anticipation of good things to come I compiled this morning's pre-workout breakfast from a handful of local ingredients: 1/2 cup (give or take) of Redwood Hill Farm Plain Goat Yogurt, a handful of Capay Organic strawberries, a teaspoon of honey and a sprinkling of blueberries, the last of the bounty from last weekend's field trip to the farmer's market. Sweet, tangy, simple, nutrition-packed and satisfying. Move aside Mary Lou... *this* is a breakfast of champions!

Technorati Tags: Food | One Local Summer

TWD: Two great tastes...

2008-05-08T21:56:00.000-07:00

Okay so perhaps I'm showing my age, but Dorie's taken one of my favorite kid candies and turned it into a grown up treat. And then Elizabeth at Ugg Smell Food chose it as this week's TWD assignment. A creamy, dreamy, chocolate and peanut buttery Peanut Butter Torte.

I could have subtitled this post "How to Torment your Personal Trainer." Because I didn't want the cream, cream cheese, peanut butter and chocolate in this one taking up permanent residence on my waistline, I chose to make it in "mini" heart shaped torte-letts. "Mini" torte-letts that would easily serve 3 people each. And I wasted NO time shuttling them out of my refrigerator and onto the dessert menus of friends and family everywhere.

The morning after I made them, John had a standing appointment with our trainer Lisette. Lisette is our personal antidote to all of the caloric wonderment you see on this blog; she is in our lives so that our mutual love of food doesn't turn us into middle aged diabetic heart attack candidates in the making. She provides both the trade-off to a weekend of indulgence and the voice of conscience that keeps us from sliding into OVERindulgence. And she apparently has a weakness for peanut butter. A weakness John chose to exploit...by taking her a torte all her own.

Like a lot of my friends and acquaintances at the other end of Generation X, Lisette's favorite form of communication is the cryptic text message. So I came out of my Wednesday morning staff meeting with my cell phone alerting me of a new message:

OMG! U R Fired! So good!

I guess she liked it. And I'll probably pay for that on Friday...

A peanut butter & chocolate care package to the first reader who identifies the actors in my classic commercial. No fair Googling it!

From the archives...
In 2006 I found a food blogging meme and shared some linky love.

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Tuesdays with Dorie | Key Ingredient: Peanut Butter

Dorie's going to be a few days late...

2008-05-06T22:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry to disappoint you folks, but there's just not any room on my counter (or on my thighs) for another dessert just yet. So my homage to peanut butter and chocolate will wait until the weekend, when I can share it with friends. Until then, go check out the hundreds of others available at Tuesdays with Dorie. Or try it yourself... Elizabeth's posted the recipe at Ugg Smell Food.

From the archives...
In 2006 I followed the yellow brick road to Barbara's first annual Taste of Yellow.

Technorati Tags: Food | Baking | Tuesdays with Dorie

I picked the right month...

2008-05-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

...to ditch the ATM card in favor of cash.

I shop at the Danville Lunardi's not Los Gatos, the culprits only tapped a single register's ATM, and the store and its owners have been wonderful with the affected customers, but it's good to know no one's wandering around Southern California partying with access to MY checking account...

From the archives...
In 2006 I went through the first of what's now four blog remodels. If you like my new look, go check out Shauna's other amazing work.