just add dill

garlic rosemary french fry dip - thanksgiving for yo' fries

2011-08-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

1/2 c mayonnaise

1 Tbsp roasted garlic

1 tsp minced rosemary

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

wrap garlic cloves in aluminum foil. pop in the oven and turn to 400 degrees fahrenheit. roast for 30 minutes. in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, rosemary, and salt and pepper. when garlic cloves have cooled, smash with a knife and run a knife through. dip french fries and enjoy!

So there is a fantastic french fry place in New York, Pommes Frites. Michael took me there and I was so confused at the french fry dipping sauces that were not ketchup. Prior to walking through the entrance to this joint, I had never put anything other than ketchup on my fries... Full disclosure, I guess I had used ranch dipping sauce at Chick-fil-a. But holy everything, their garlic rosemary dipping sauce is Thanksgiving in your mouth, which is to say fantastic. It really tastes like Thanksgiving because of the rosemary and garlic. (In fact, I'll go so far as to say that if this does not remind you of Thanksgiving you are doing something wrong on that holiday.) I've wanted to make it for quite some time now. Well I've gone and done it. And boy did it deliver!

french fries

2011-08-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

2 yukon gold potatoes
1/4 c milk
1/4 flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
canola for frying

cut the potatoes into quarter inch slices. then cut the slices into eighth to quarter inch french fries. pour milk in a bowl. mix flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in another bowl. dunk potatoes in milk and toss in the flour mixture. pour two inches of canola oil in a pan and bring to 375 degrees fahrenheit. drop the potatoes in one at a time in small batches. fry for 2-3 minutes. take out and let cool on a wire rack. make sure the fries are on a single layer.

ready to be fried

single layer after cooling on the wire rack
and before wrapping in newspaper to serve

Fries are not fries unless they are matchstick french fries... thin and crunchy. These are, and these are tasty!

I am so excited about my new kitchen toys! While in Russia, I made fried chicken for the first time and realized that frying without a thermometer equals not a good idea. And... I got a spider whisk. Ohhh have I been wanting that fine friend.

baby turtles

2011-08-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

pecans
8 oz salted pecan halves (trader joes)

caramel

1/3 c sugar

1/3 c brown sugar
1 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk

½ c cream

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla

chocolate

12 oz Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips

begin the baby turtles by separating the pecan halves from the pieces. you will only need the pecan halves or the very large pieces.

for the caramel, warm the cream and butter in a small sauce pan. in another pot with high sides, combine sugars, corn syrup, water, and sweetened condensed milk. bring to a boil. remove from the heat, slowly and carefully pour in warm cream and butter mixture. return to the heat and bring up to at least 240 degrees fahrenheit but not more than 245 degrees. take off the heat and add vanilla. give a good swirl or stir. let the caramel cool to at least 200 degrees.

to make the baby turtles, pull out two long sheets of parchment paper. with a soup spoon, spoon up caramel with one hand. with your other hand hold a pecan and use it to get the right amount of caramel from the spoon onto it. place the pecan on the parchment paper. repeat and repeat and repeat. if the caramel becomes difficult to work with, warm it back up on the stove. let these sit for 2-3 hours. just prior to dipping in chocolate, manipulate the caramel around the pecan.

for the melted chocolate, pour about a third of the chocolate chips in a microwave save bowl. microwave for 20 seconds. take out and stir. continue this process of melting and stirring until smooth.

to finish the baby turtles, place each caramel pecan in the chocolate. with a fork, roll around in the chocolate. when completely covered, take out and place on the parchment paper. as the chocolate begins to diminish, add more chocolate chips. go through the previous step of melting and stirring prior to dipping the remaining caramel pecans. let these sit over night. when the chocolate has set, use a knife to take off the parchment paper and place on a wire rack until chocolate has solidified.

topped with caramel

rolled in chocolate

If chocolate carmel turtles could have babies, this is about the size they would be. I love regular turtles but for my 30th birthday my aunt-in-law Mary gave me a giant martini glass filled with chocolate goodies. I ate a few chocolate covered pecans, and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. But then I bit into a pecan dipped in caramel and then dipped in chocolate. Holy everything! I knew I was going to figure out how to make them asap! All I have to say is get ready for tasty yum yums!

rolled lasagna: i can only imagine that's not the italian name but i'm not italian

2011-08-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

1/2 c milk

3/4 c grated parmesan cheese (separated)

1 c frozen spinach

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 eggs (separated)

1/2 c ricotta cheese
all purpose flour for rolling the dough
salt for the boiling water
butter for the pie dish

marinara for topping/dipping*

2/3 pasta from the pasta recipe*

begin boiling a large pot of water to cook the pasta roll. in a small saute pan, melt butter and brown flour. add milk. continue stirring until the milk simmers and the béchamel sauce becomes thick. take the saute pan off of the burner and stir in 1/2 c parmesan cheese until it melts. put frozen spinach on three paper towels on top of a plate. place in the microwave for 1 minute. let the spinach cool completely. fold the paper towel over the spinach and wring out all excess liquid over the sink. the cup of frozen spinach will now only be about half a cup. stir the spinach, salt, pepper, 1 egg, and ricotta cheese into the béchamel sauce.

roll 2/3 of the pasta recipe on a floured surface. roll into a large rectangle about 10 x 15. spread the spinach and cheese mixture, leaving a 1 inch perimeter. whisk the other egg. use a brush to cover the edges with the egg. slowly start rolling the rectangle like a jelly roll. as you want this to fit this into the pot of water, roll it up so the width (10 inch side) becomes the length of the roll. press the edges together on both side. using a fork seal the roll. carefully pick up the roll and place on a clean tea towel or cheese cloth. wrap with twine.

when the pot of water comes to a boil, add salt to the boiling water. with tongs place the wrapped pasta roll into the boiling water. boil for 15 minutes. put a clean dry tea towel on a cutting board. when the pasta roll has finished boiling, use a wooden spoon and tongs to get the roll out of the boiling water. place it on the clean dry tea towel. let rest and cool for 10 minutes. untie and slice into half inch rings.

turn on the broiler. butter a glass pie dish. lay the half inch rings into the pie dish slightly overlapping each other. sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 c of parmesan cheese. place under the broiler and turn often. keep a close eye on the pasta rolls.

serve with marinara sauce. seriously yum!

1 cup of frozen spinach (after microwaved)

1/2 c spinach (after being wrung out)

the tasty filling

roll the pasta dough 10x15

fill and roll the pasta treat up

seal the roll with a fork

place in a tea towel

wrap with twine

slice into half inch disks

place in a buttered pie dish

Okay so I watched one of Giada's shows. She made something like this. I got really excited about trying it as I had been wanting to make some sort of take on lasagna. Lasagna seemed too involved and just too much. But I had already been thinking of making a white lasagna starting with a béchamel sauce and not just the traditional ricotta and egg filling. Her filling was closer to a traditional lasagna filling so I came up with my own and yum! yes yum!

*the recipes are below

pasta pasta and more pasta!!!

2011-08-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

2 c semolina flour
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp water
all purpose for dusting

make a well with the flour. in the well add the olive oil, eggs, and salt. you will most likely start incorporating and kneading the pasta dough before all the eggs are cracked and mixed in. wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minutes in the fridge if you are rolling it out. lightly dust the counter top and the rolling pin with flour. cut the dough in half or thirds prior to rolling it out. roll to the desired thickness, cut into the desired shape, let air dry on a wire rack or tea towel just prior to boiling. boil in salted water until al dente.

make a well in the flour to add all the wet ingredients

shape the dough and then wrap in saran wrap

roll the dough and slice away
(a pizza cutter works very well)

roasted marinara sauce

2011-07-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

12 roma tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
1 tsp salt
6 garlic cloves
2/3 c grated carrots
1 c diced onions
1/3 c diced red pepper
4 basil leaves julienned
1 tsp dry oregano
1/4 c white wine
1/4 c red wine

preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. wrap garlic cloves in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes. while the garlic is roasting, quarter, seed, and dice all roma tomatoes. place tomatoes, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and salt in an oven safe dish and in the oven for 15 minutes. take the tomatoes out and stir. add carrots, onions, red pepper, and remaining olive oil for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. take the the roasting vegetables out of the oven and stir. make a valley down the middle of the pan. add basil, oregano, and garlic in the valley, and cover with the vegetables. put back in the oven for 30 more minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. let the mixture cool for 10-20 minutes.

place all the roasted vegetables in a blender. add white and red wine. then puree until smooth. place in a saucepan over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often.

12 roma tomatoes

quartered tomatoes

seeded and diced tomatoes

grate 2 medium carrots

the valley down the middle for basil, oregano, and garlic

cover the herbs and garlic so they do not burn

before in the food processor

after

While living in Moscow, Michael and I really learned to loved roasted veggies. I made them for/with dinner very often with tasty dips or dressings to be served on the side. When I thought of making a marinara sauce, the idea of all the stirring that would be necessary if I made it on the stove was not appealing. So I opted for roasting the veggies in the oven. All the veggies take on the sweet roasted veggie flavor that I love. This sauce is a fantastic marinara sauce.

garlic bruschetta with garlic bread chips

2011-07-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

garlic bruschetta
4 roma tomatoes
1 medium garlic clove grated
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 large basil leaves

garlic bread chips
1/2 french baguette
2 garlic cloves grated
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter

for the bruschetta, cut roma tomatoes in quarters lengthwise. remove the seeds. petite dice the tomatoes. in a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. toss the tomatoes in the dressing. add basil. let marinate for 15-20 minute while you prepare the garlic bread chips.

for the garlic bread chips, cut a baguette in half. slice it lengthwise. then thinly slice. in a small pan, grate the garlic. add in oil and butter. melt butter and slightly saute the garlic. the garlic should remain white and not brown. brush the buttery mixture on one side of the bread. place the bread under the broiler. rotate the pan often and keep an eye on the garlic bread chips. as soon as one is done, place take it out and place it on another cookie sheet close and waiting. plate up pretty and enjoy!

quartered, seeded, and petite diced

have a second cookie sheet ready to place each
garlic bread chip as soon as it is toasted and done

I feel awful cutting out the seeds of the tomatoes and trashing them but it is really necessary in this recipe. I used to do this for salsa and my garlic basil tomato sauce as well; however, I realized that it was an unnecessary step. With bruschetta though, the seeds significantly more liquid than is optimal.

So I had bruschetta at The Cheesecake Factory with my parents. It was good... but they served it with pita/flat bread. Interesting but not quite right. Then I have been to other restaurants that serve huge pieces of bread or garlic bread with their bruschetta. The focus should be the bruschetta. Similar to salsa and chips, I think bruschetta needs a thin foundation to be piled up on... So I came up with really thin garlic bread. The bread is about a quarter inch thick. It toasts up so nicely! This makes a great amount for hors dourves (but I ate it as dinner). Yummy!

fried not too green tomatoes

2011-07-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

6 saltines (about 1/4 c crumbs)
10 full tostito corn chips (about 1/3 c crumbs)
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt + more for a final sprinkle
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg
1 small vidalia onion grated
1/2 tsp pepper sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce
enough canola oil to be 1/4 in. deep in a saute pan
6 roma tomatoes that are as hard as green tomatoes but have just begun to turn

in a small food processor, pulse saltines and corn chips. on a plate, mix together the cracker and chip crumbs along with flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. in a bowl, whisk the egg, grated onion, pepper sauce, and hot sauce. cut the tomatoes into nice slices. dip the tomato slices into the egg wash. place the dipped tomatoes on the crumbs. cover tomatoes with crumbs and transfer to a sheet of wax paper. heat oil and fry the tomatoes 40 seconds to 1 minute per side. when fully cooked, transfer to a wire rack (that is on top of newspaper). sprinkle with salt. serve with ketchup, blue cheese dip, ranch, or pepper sauce.

the beginning of yum!

the breading station:
sliced tomatoes beside egg wash beside breading on top of wax paper

frying set up:
wax paper with tomatoes beside frying pan close to wire rack
(but news paper is well away from the flame)

frying the first side!

tomatoes cooling

ready to be eaten!

So I have two problems with fried green tomatoes. First, the corn meal is slightly grainy in some recipes... And second, green tomatoes are not super tasty. So I combat these with two problems with using corn chips and in place of corn meal. The way I get around green tomatoes is using slightly ripened tomatoes. These tomatoes are as hard as green tomatoes but are beginning to sweeten with the slight reddening. I once tried fully ripe tomatoes, and they disintegrated in the oil. Oh I love these! Enjoy!!!

zucchini bread - if you wait to pick zucchini from your garden as long as nicole, you'll make quite a few loaves from one zucchini

2011-07-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

3 eggs
1 c vegetable oil
1 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 heaping c of grated zucchini
4 tsp vanilla extract
3 c flour
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c chopped walnuts

preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. whisk eggs. mix in vegetable oil, sugars, zucchini, and vanilla. in another bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. fold egg mixture into dry ingredients until just incorporated. fold in walnuts. split batter between two loaf pans. place in the oven until a toothpick can be inserted and pulled out clean or with little bread crumbs, about 45-60 minutes. it will slice more easily if you wait to cool the loaves completely before cutting.

When my friend Nicole posted a picture of her adorable daughter holding a zucchini from their garden (and the zucchini is the size of her itty bitty's leg), I thought she was ready for this recipe. Enjoy! It is super tasty and moist!

chewy oatmeal kiss cookies

2011-07-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

3/4 c butter (at room temp.)

1/2 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 c oats

1/2 c walnuts chopped

hershey kisses

preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. with a wooden spoon, blend butter and sugars together. when fully incorporated, add eggs and vanilla. combine cinnamon, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, oats, and nuts. mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. using two cereal spoons, make cookie balls. place the them in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. pull cookie balls out of the fridge and place on a cookie sheet. bake for 12-13 minutes. unwrap enough hershey kisses for the cookies.

when the cookies come out of the oven, transfer to a cookie rack or wax paper. place a hershey kiss on each cookie. wait for the cookie to warm and melt the bottom of each kiss. then give it a little twist to seal the kiss to the cookie.

make sure the hershey kisses re-solidify completely before transferring the cookies to a ziplock bag or storage container.

While living in Moscow, I could not talk Michael into getting a hand held mixer (let alone a stand mixer). So I had to make due mixing cookie dough by hand. It turns out that "made with love" means mixed by hand. Plus, I learned that when recipes call for ingredients at room temperature they really should be at room temperature. These cookies mix like a dream if the butter is at room temperature. Tasty, yummy, awesome little treats.

peanut butter cookies

2011-07-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

1/2 c butter (at room temp.)

1 c peanut butter

3/4 c sugar + extra for rolling cookies

2/3 c brown sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

3 Tbsp sour cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 c flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 c chopped peanut butter chips

20 hershey kisses chopped (1/2 c milk chocolate)

preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. with a wooden spoon, cream butter and peanut butter. add 3/4 c sugar and brown sugar. mix in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture. stir in peanut butter chips and milk chocolate. using two spoons create cookie dough balls. roll dough in sugar and then place on a cookie sheet. bake for 10-12 minutes.

roll cookie dough in sugar

lightly browned - perfectly baked

cooling cookies on wax paper - yum!

When we found out that we would be living in Russia for 10 months, my cousin-in-law Mona had a list of foods that we should take with us. She had developed this list over a few years when she lived in Switzerland and knew what it was like to miss foods you were used to eating. Peanut butter was at the top of the list. Luckily, we could get peanut butter at Ashan in Moscow so I did not have to take it with me. However, there was a problem: brown sugar. When we came home for Christmas, I took a two pound bag of brown sugar back with me. By the time the it was used up and gone, we could find brown sugar at Ashan too! So exciting!

carrot cake yum yums

2011-07-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

carrot cake

1/2 c canola oil

1 c applesauce

1 1/2 c sugar

1/4 c brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs + 1 egg white

8 oz drained crushed pineapple

2 1/2 c grated carrots

2 c flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

butter and flour for dusting pans

spiced cream cheese frosting

4 Tbsp butter (at room temp.)

8 oz cream cheese (at room temp.)

4 c powder sugar, divided

1/8 tsp all spice

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

food coloring (optional)

toasted walnuts (optional)

to make the carrot cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. in a large mixing bowl, whisk canola oil and applesauce together. continue whisking while adding sugars, vanilla, and eggs. when thoroughly combined, add pineapple and grated carrots. stir in flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice. line the bottom of two 9x9 pans with parchment paper. butter and flour both pans. split the batter between the two pans evenly. bake for 23-27 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or with itty bitty carrot cake crumbs and is just pulling away from the pan. let the cakes cool complete before frosting them.

just beginning to pull away from the pan

no real crumbs - but a clean toothpick means they're done

golden brown tasty cakes

to make the spiced cream cheese frosting, mix butter and cream cheese together. if they are truly at room temperature through and through, they blend together with just a wooden spoon. stir in 2 cups of powder sugar. add the remaining powdered sugar, all spice, cinnamon, and vanilla. use a mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until the proper creamy texture is reached. if you want a color other than creamy white, add food coloring.

if making a cake, top with spiced cream cheese frosting and serve; however, if also using toasted walnuts, drop the desired amount of toasted and chopped walnuts on top.

on the other hand, if you are making carrot cake yum yums (that's what i want to call them), there is more work to be done. take a cake and cut it in thirds (three long rectangles 3x9). split the three long rectangles of carrot cake into 2 layers. put a generous layer of spiced cream cheese frosting on the inside. drop a handful of toasted walnuts on the frosting side. on the other layer, spread a thin layer of frosting so the walnuts will stick to the top layer. put that layer back on top. cut the long rectangle into 6-8 smaller portioned size rectangles. use the remaining frosting to decoratively top each carrot cake yum yum. place them into muffin wrappers. truly beautiful and tasty. enjoy!

Happy Birthday Daddy! I came up with this recipe for my daddy's birthday. He has loved carrot cake for years, and I have made him a carrot cake once or twice over some of those years. But I wanted to make two changes. One, carrot cakes are notorious for having lots and lots of oil in them. That is why the cake is so moist but I wanted to substitute some applesauce in place of some oil which can provide the same moisture but less fat. Two, I wanted to add pineapple to the cake (just a little, like a hummingbird cake). Pineapple also adds moisture. The benefit of adding pineapple also helps with taking out some of the oil. Yum!

A few years ago my sister Aimee' happened to say something to the effect of, "What are you going to do dad?" All he heard was doodad. So we have manufactured lots of sentences that not only end in "...do dad" but have substantial emphasis on "...do dad." I thought it was about time he saw this on a birthday cake too.

brownies: so many stories because they're so good

2011-07-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

75 grams bitter sweet chocolate - chopped

70 grams dark chocolate - chopped

8 Tbsp grams butter

195 grams sugar

2 tsp instant coffee granules

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

15 grams cocoa powder

95 grams flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

100 grams milk chocolate chunks

(butter and flour for dusting the pan)

preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. in a microwave safe bowl, place the bitter sweet, dark chocolate, and butter. microwave for 30 seconds. take bowl out and stir mixture. continue 2-3 more times until butter and chocolate are a smooth melted mixture. be sure to melt chocolate and butter in rotations of melting and stirring to make sure it does not burn.

after 30 seconds

after 30 more seconds

smooth after 30 more seconds

whisk in sugar, coffee granules, and vanilla. add eggs and vegetable oil. in a separate bowl combine cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. combine dry ingredients in chocolate mixture until just combined. stir in the chocolate chunks until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

good milk chocolate cut into chunks

cut a piece of aluminum foil long enough to cover the bottom and spill over the edges of the pan. fold the sides under so the foil is only as wide as the bottom of the pan (eight inches for 8x8 or nine inches for 9x9). put a pat of butter in the pan. with your finger completely cover the aluminum foil covering the bottom and two sides. also make sure to put butter on the sides with no aluminum foil. place about a spoonful of flour in the bottom of the pan and shake it to cover the sides too. pour out any extra flour. pour batter in an 8x8 and bake for 35-40 minutes or 9x9 and bake for 30-35 minutes. a toothpick should come out either clean or with little brownie crumbs (just not gooey brownie batter). also you should notice the brownie has pulled away from the side just slightly. let the brownie cool completely before cutting into it – it’s difficult to wait but totally worth it.

little crumbs after 30 minutes let me know it's done

the brownie has just pulled away from the pan another tell tell sign

This is one of the first recipes I realized that no recipe I find is set in stone. The more I have altered recipes and had success the more I am eager to be adventurous and make changes I think are necessary. While living in Moscow, I also started using a kitchen scale. I partly did this out of necessity because butter is not delineated in tablespoons, chocolate only comes in bar form weighed in grams, and I have always heard that baking by weight is more accurate than by cups. All in all it was fun to have a new way of cooking and baking.

To make this recipe, I looked at lots and lots of brownie recipes. I found a great fudgey brownie added a tad more chocolate and subtracted a little sugar. Then mixed in complementary flavors to chocolate in order to boost the overall brownie flavor. Finally, I changed the fudgey consistency to a slightly more cakey texture. The reality is I do not like fudgey brownies because they always taste undercooked. I start thinking of uncooked eggs, salmonella, and the enjoyment factor decreases as I inevitably drop the brownie in the trash. Because this brownie has a thick chocolatey cakey texture (but still totally a brownie), it is easier to tell when it is done. Important to note with this recipe, if it is overbaked the brownie loses the fantastic texture and becomes dry. Bake until done and no more.

I tutored one of my favorite students in Moscow once a week at his grandparent's flat. His grandmother served me a special treat and a cup of tea in the fanciest teacup I have ever seen. The edge of the cup looked like lace. Even after months of tutoring him, I was still fearful that I might break the delicate little teacup when ever I picked it up. Because they took such great care of me, I took little treats to them whenever I baked something tasty. While they liked the cookies and little cakes I brought, his grandmother only asked for this recipe. She spoke English but when we began going through the recipe (and not going over the math and grammar lessons of her grandson) I realized that her English didn't cover brownie ingredients. Somehow we managed to get through dark, bitter sweet, and milk chocolate but flour was where the understanding ended. Now my Russian is about as extensive as "я не говорю по России." Translation "I don't speak Russian." But some how I remembered that the word for flour was close to the word for both fly and torture. No matter where I put the stress or how I changed the word to be what Michael told me it was, I could not communicate it to her until I made a call to a bilingual friend. That's how good this recipe is... She did not want me to leave until she understood what flour was.

I believe that the Russians have fantastic desserts but they do not have brownies. My sweet friend Alina was blown away by by them when she tried one at a party. She immediately requested the recipe. She made it successfully the first time. While there are quite a few ingredients, you will be successful if you go step by step and do not overbake just like Alina was successful her first time ever making brownies!

brownie sundae

2011-07-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

brownie
vanilla ice cream
chocolate sauce
sprinkles

place a brownie on a plate. put a scoop of ice cream on top. squeeze chocolate sauce over the ice cream. sprinkle sprinkles on top. serve and enjoy!

brownie ice cream sammie!

2011-07-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

brownie and mint chocolate chip ice cream sammie

brownie
wax paper
your favorite ice cream

slice the brownie in half. spoon ice cream on the bottom half. place the top half on the ice cream. wrap in wax paper. enjoy!

potato corn chowder

2011-07-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

1 Tbsp butter
4 pieces of bacon diced
1 c diced onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp garlic
2 Tbsp flour
5 c chicken stock
1/4 tsp thyme
4 c petite diced potatoes
1 c petite diced carrots
3 c fresh corn
1 c heavy cream

on low heat, melt butter and cook bacon to render the fat. this should take 5-8 minutes. when the bacon is crispy, remove from the drippings and place on top of a paper towel. to the drippings, add the onion and salt and pepper. saute for 5 minutes. add the garlic and saute another 2 minutes. sprinkle in the flour. make sure it is absorbed by all the liquid. add chicken stock, thyme, potatoes, and carrots to the pot. bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. using a metal potato masher, break up the potatoes and carrots to a chowder consistency. there should be whole and mashed pieces. add in the corn. simmer for another 5 minutes. turn the heat off. stir in the cream. serve with bacon bits on top! (makes 6-8 servings)

While living in Moscow, Michael and I had to deal with a colder winter than we had ever had to deal with before. We definitely learned to layer and still look fashionable (maybe decent is a better adjective). But in the house, I coped with the harsh winter by baking lots of desserts and making lots of soups. This is by far my favorite of them!

When making this soup in the winter, I had to use frozen corn but I have always wanted to use fresh. Seeing all the fresh corn in the grocery store, I knew this would be the perfect time to make this tasty dish. Frozen corn is fine but fresh is better!

key lime mini pies

2011-07-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

set of 6 Keebler mini graham cracker crusts

2 egg yolks

2 regular limes juiced and zested

1 Tbsp sour cream at room temp.
3 oz cream cheese at room temp.
2/3 c sweetened and condensed milk
top with cool whip

preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. separate the egg yolks. to the egg yolks, add zest and juice from 2 limes. mix in sour cream, cream cheese, and sweetened and condensed milk until smooth. let sit for 30 minutes. the lime mixture should thicken slightly. place mini graham cracker crusts (unfilled) on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 4 minutes until fragrant. pour pie filling into warm crusts. return to the oven for 15 minutes. the filling should be set but not too firm. let cool on the counter for 30 minutes. place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. top with cool whip. serve and enjoy (but probably not as much as me)!

I made a pretty tasty mini key lime pie but it was slightly more tart than expected and did not set as well as I had hoped. I peeked around for other recipes to find one that had some ingredient that would help the pie firm up a tad more. Some recipes called for sour cream, and others called for cream cheese. Being a fan of both, I thought they would both do nicely in the pie. I changed the quantities of the original ingredients, added the new ingredients, and loved the changes. Including these helped the pie become a tad more firm: something in between a key lime pie and key lime cheesecake. I really liked the new consistency and texture. The other bonus was that now tartness was at the level I considered to be much more appropriate.

My family sort of has a history with taking unexpected treats on picnics. My personal favorite was the picnic we surprised my dad with root beer floats. While these little key lime pies are not the ice cream in a root beer float, that might I add was still as hard as ice cream pulled out of a freezer due to my mom's packing it in and around ice and ice packs, these little pies were intact and perfectly topped with whip cream when served. I would have to call them a complete success for one of our picnics!

Now choosing the picture of the key lime pie to post was rather difficult. My mother-in-law, Mona, and I had quite a fun time getting the pie ready for its debut, and we really couldn't decide just 1 from our three favorites. So we decided to post them all - enjoy!

tacos - my secret!

2011-07-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

corn tortillas
olive oil
pork carnitas
shredded cheese
guacamole
pico de gallo
sour cream

drizzle 1/2 tsp olive oil in a hot skillet for each tortilla. pan fry both sides of each corn tortilla. fill with tasty pork carnitas, shredded cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream. super delicious!

Happy Fourth of July! I spent the fourth in Ellijay, Georgia with my parents and my aunt Judi. While this may not seem like a traditional fourth food choice, it sure is a totally tasty one. We had a great time eating up this little treat and it will probably grace another fourth for us.

My sister's boyfriend Matt has had a pig roast in upstate New York over the fourth of July weekend for the past 4 years... so maybe eating pork has a little tradition to it after all.

ps Happy Birthday Matt!

pico de gallo - the only good salsa

2011-07-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

8 roma diced tomatoes
3/4 c petite diced onion
2 Tbsp minced jalepeno
1/3-1/2 c chopped cilantro

1 juiced lime

1 Tbsp distilled vinegar
1/8 tsp salt

dice, mince, chop, juice, and measure. then mix. it's really that easy. you might need to tweak the quantities of these ingredients to your taste and based on ripeness.

This is unbelievably tasty and easy. Perfect with nachos, black beans, quesadillas, or tacos. The only trick is to make sure everything is diced, chopped, or minced to the appropriate size. The tomatoes should be a small dice. Obviously, the onion should be diced smaller followed by
the jalepeno. If diced and minced to the appropriate size
the flavors blend well and "marinate" properly. Super yummy!

guacamole - simple and perfect

2011-07-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

4 very ripe avocados

1 lime juiced

2/3 c petite diced red or yellow onion

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp minced jalepeno

1/2 tsp salt
1 grated garlic clove

use a fork to smash the avocados. use a spatula to mix lime juice, onion, jalepeno, and salt into the smashed avocados. just like the pico de gallo, you might need to tweak the quantities of the above ingredients.

Now truth be told this is only one of the two types of guacamole I like. This one is very simple because I served it right beside the pico de gallo and flavorful pork carnitas. If I were making guacamole by itself, I would jazz it up slightly (recipe to come - I promise).

pork carnitas: are you ready for a taste sensation?

2011-07-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

pork carnitas
1 head garlic
1 lime (juice and zest)

1/4 c grated sweet onion

2 Tbsp grated shallot

2 Tbsp grated jalepeno (1 very large jalepeno)

1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 c fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
about 3 pounds pork shoulder
3 c chicken stock
3 c beef stock
water to cover the pork

pork carnitas sauce
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
3 c of the liquid the pork was cooking in

wrap 1 head of garlic in aluminum foil. place in a 350 fahrenheit degree oven for 30-45 minutes. take each clove of garlic and squeeze the garlic out of its papery skin into a bowl. to the garlic add all the ingredients from salt all the way down to cilantro. to that add 1/4 c olive oil. mix everything together.

roasted garlic, lime juice, and lime zest (1)

(1) + onion, shallot, and jalepeno (2)

(1) + (2) + salt, pepper, onion and chili powder, oregano, and cumin (3)

(1) + (2) + (3) + cilantro and olive oil (4)

pull out two strips of plastic wrap. overlap them to look like a plus sign (+). place a spoonful of the mixture on the middle and spread out to the size of the bottom of the pork shoulder. place the pork shoulder on top of the spread out mixture. use about two-thirds of the mixture to cover the pork shoulder on all sides. wrap the pork shoulder up in the plastic wrap and place in a gallon size zip lock bag. let marinate 24 hours: 23 hours in the refrigerator and 1 hour on the counter prior to cooking. save the remaining mixture for cooking.

two-thirds of the mixture covering the pork shoulder

heat a skillet with 2 Tbsp olive oil plus the butter. sear each side of the shoulder for 3 minutes.

place the pork in the slow cooker. in the pan with all the drippings add the chicken stock, beef stock, and remaining roasted garlic mixture. bring to a low simmer. pour over the pork. depending on the size of slow cooker, you may need more liquid to cover the pork. if so, cover the pork with water.

place the lid on and cook for 1 hour on high. then reduce to low for 4-5 more hours. at the 4 hour mark, use a pair of tongs to test the pork. try to pick a chunk off. if the pork breaks or comes apart easily (sort of breaks with the pressure of the tongs). pull the pork out. when it is cool enough, go through twice pulling the fat out and shredding the pork.

yum! yum!! yum!!!

to make the sauce, melt the butter in a saute pan. brown the butter for 3-5 minutes. slowly add the liquid. bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. simmer for 15-20 minutes until the liquid thickens to the consistency of a tasty gravy (until it coats the back of a spoon). toss the pork in the gravy and serve.

My sister-in-law Mary Louise asked me out to dinner to a little tapas restaurant with a Mexican flair. I noticed the pork tacos and the pork carnitas. Based on the waiter's recommendation, I ordered the pork carnitas. Thank goodness the waiter and I share similar tastebuds. So moist, so succulent, so tasty. I went home and immediately searched for a recipe. The only thing the recipes really had in common was slow cooking. After comparing them, I came up with this gem.

Searching "pork carnitas" in google helped me find recipes calling for many different names of what turned out to be the same cut of meat: boneless pork shoulder roast, pork butt roast, pork shoulder, and pork butt. Not knowing if these were the same or different cuts I looked up and thankfully found http://www.foodsubs.com/MeatPorkShoulder.html. Lucky for me because, all I could find at the grocery store was a Boston butt which I knew I could buy because I had read this website that gave all the names of pork shoulder cuts.

collard greens: is there anything more southern

2011-07-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

about 1 1/2 lb ham hocks
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp grated garlic
1/4 c grated sweet yellow onion
64 oz chicken stock
3/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp pepper vinegar
1 Tbsp hot sauce
1 large bunch of collard greens
up to 2 c water

combine ham hocks, sugars, salt and pepper, garlic, onion, and chicken stock. cover, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for an hour. add the collar greens, vinegars, and hot sauce to the slow cooker. pour boiled liquid into the slow cooker. if there is room for the ham hocks, add them. if there is not room, you can either discard them, add them when there is room, or pull the meat off and add it in with the collards. add water if needed. cook on high for 30 minutes to an hour turning and stirring the collard greens every 15 minutes until covered by liquid. reduce to low and cook for 6 hours

A quick lesson in getting a bunch of collards down to bite size collard greens. First, hold the stem with one hand. With your other hand grip the stem at the end of the huge leaf. Pull up. Two things should happen: the leaf will rip away from the stem and the stem will break at a point that can be cooked to be edible. Much of the stem is too hard and impossible to cook down to be edible but a little bit at the top will cook just fine.

Next, rip the leaf into pieces that will be bite size when they cook down, not what would immediately be bite size as that will be too small when cooked down.

Last, wash the collard greens. Completely clean the sides and bottom of the sink. Fill with cold water. Drop collard greens in and push them down to wash. The bunch I bought had been rinsed but there was dirt on them. They should be washed even if they come rinsed or washed because you don't want to bite down on grit after you have spent all the time slow cooking them.

They cook down. They cook way down. You gotta know this when you are making collard greens because otherwise you'll wonder who ate 'em before you could.

Cooked 15 minutes on high.

Cooked 30 minutes on high and 6 hours on low.

I knew that I really wanted to make some collard greens while I was home in the south but wasn't 100% sure how to make them. I had made them once before by standing over a huge stock pot stirring constantly for hours. I knew I was not going to do that. So using a slow cooker was an absolute must.

Next I went searching for a really good recipe. I looked on line and was surprised that many of the recipes didn't call for vinegar, and those that did only called for a tablespoon. Vinegar is such an important flavor I just could not understand why finding a recipe that called for more vinegar was so impossible to find. My cousin-in-law David makes damn good collard greens so I inevitably turned to him. He reminded me of a little secret I use when making cucumber tomato salad: add sugar. I immediately knew that I could put in a substantial amount of vinegar (which David also does). The sugar cuts the harsh vinegar flavor leaving behind what you expect and (and this is a big and) the sugar does not add sweetness to the collards.

Important rule #1: You can use sugar for more than sweetness!

Of course, collard greens should still be served with pepper sauce (spicy peppers in vinegar) but now you will need less. When something is cooked with a flavor (collards with vinegar), that something takes on the flavor and needs less added just before you eat it.

Important rule #2: If you want something to have a certain flavor when eating, you should cook that something with that flavor. (Another good examples of this is pasta with salt.)

ps Feel free to use fewer ham hocks. The smallest package I could find had all three ham hocks and weighed 1.5 pounds so I got it and used it all!

banana cake is what the russians call banana bread

2011-07-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

3-4 ripe bananas
8 Tbsp butter
1/2 c brown sugar
2/3 c sugar + 2 tsp to sprinkle on top
1/2 c sour cream
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 c flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
6 oz chopped walnuts

preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. chop 3 large or 4 medium bananas in chunks and place in a microwave safe bowl. cover the bowl with plastic wrap before placing in the microwave for 2 minutes. take the bowl out and stir the bananas. continue this cycle of microwaving and stirring 2 more times. mash the bananas. then pour the banana mixture into a pot with the butter and sugars. bring to a simmer and continue stirring 5-7 minutes while the banana mixture continues to simmer. mix sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl. combine these mixtures by tempering the the hot banana mixture slowly and little by little into the egg mixture. combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. if adding walnuts, toss in the flour mixture and then stir everything together until just combined. this recipe makes 4 mini 3x5 loaves or one bread pan loaf. if making the mini loaves, sprinkle the top of each mini loaf with a 1/2 tsp of sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes. if making one loaf, sprinkle the top of the loaf with 2 tsp of sugar and bake for 60-75 minutes. check for doneness with a toothpick. as the toothpick is inserted, the banana cake should feel done and slightly spongey and should come out either clean or with little banana cake crumbs. when the banana cake comes out of the oven, let it cool until it is easy to handle. immediately wrap in plastic wrap as this helps to keep the moisture in the cake. if freezing, wrap the plastic wrap layer in aluminum foil. really yummy!

Prior to making a tasty treat, I look at quite a few recipes and pull together what I like from each, altering the quantities based on reviews and comparing the recipes to each other. I do want to give credit where credit is due especially with this one. My favorite cooking magazine ever Cook's Illustrated came up with the idea of concentrating the banana flavor by microwaving and simmering. I really like the flavor it builds, and it was the only recipe to call for this unique idea. Another recipe called for adding sour cream. The Russians love their sour cream almost as much as they love dill in all their food. I loved the idea of incorporating sour cream in this to make it a tad more Russian (if you can say that), and I swear that is what makes this such a moist little cake.

mini loaves!

slices of a large loaf ready to be a gift!

fourth of july hot dogs without a grill

2011-07-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

hot dogs
a pat of butter
buns
a moist paper towel

in a saute pan, place a pat of butter. let the butter melt and begin to brown. place your hot dog(s) in the pan and turn often until desired brown-ness has been reached. put bun(s) in the microwave with a moist paper towel over them for 15-20 seconds. put hot dogs in buns and have hot dogs as good as those done on a grill.

I am not eating boiled hot dogs. As far as I am concerned, the only good hot dog is a grilled hot dog or so I thought. My friend Alice told me that she too loves grilled hot dogs but when she needs a hot dog fix, she pops one in a saute pan. They are pretty good this way but the reality is that hot dogs brown better with butter. I realize saying butter is needed may put me in the same category as Paula Deen but I swear the butter is necessary and delicious. So not having a grill is no longer an excuse to not eating a hot dog on the fourth of July.

ps My favorite Paula Deen quote: "Oops I dropped it in the butter y'all..."

biscuits: are you kidding me - so tasty

2011-06-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt (plus a sprinkle on top)
8 Tbsp cold butter (6 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp)
3/4 c buttermilk

preheat oven to 450 degree fahrenheit. in a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir to mix. cut 6 Tbsp of butter into chunks. combine butter with dry ingredients with a fork. when butter is evenly distributed, pour in buttermilk and stir until just combined. portion into 12 balls. place balls close together. melt remaining 2 Tbsp of butter. brush half of melted butter on top of the biscuits and lightly sprinkle the top of each biscuit with a small pinch of salt. pop in the oven for 10-12 minutes. as soon as the biscuits are golden brown on top, take them out of the oven brush the tops with the remaining butter. enjoy!

While living in Russia, Michael and I decided to throw a sort of southern dinner for a group of friends. Instead of fried chicken, I made chicken nuggets (recipe to come), french fries, biscuits, and cucumber and tomato salad. Taryn, an American friend who we met in Moscow, brought cole slaw to make it an all the more southern affair. Everything worked out really well except the biscuits. We later had the full blown southern dinner with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cucumber and tomato salad because Annie sent me a youtube video of chefs making fried chicken that I couldn't get out of my mind - so I had to make it. And there was no way I would serve a mediocre biscuit with this dinner. So I kept searching for a better recipe and found one close to this and tweaked it to be perfect. This is a great dense, southern biscuit, that I kept slightly fluffy by using a fork to mix in the butter rather than putting everything in a food processor. The first few times I did use a food processor but the biscuits turned out more dense and heavy than desired. I made it even tastier by adding the butter and salt to the top.

crispy lemony chicken for 3 (or a couple + third wheel)

2011-06-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

buttermilk bath

thinly sliced chicken breast

1/3 c buttermilk

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

crispy crust

6 saltine crackers

1/2 c corn flakes

1/4 c flour

pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

not wanting to pound an entire chicken breast thin, i purchased thinly sliced chicken breast and pounded it to an even thin-ness between two sheets of plastic wrap. in a plastic zip lock bag, combine buttermilk, lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper. zip, mix, and then add chicken breast. let sit in the refrigerator for 3 hours. in a food processor, pulse crackers and corn flakes until fine. pour crumbs into a dish suitable for breading. mix in the flour and salt and pepper. pull chicken out of its buttermilk bath. let the buttermilk drip off. lightly salt one side of each piece of chicken and evenly cover in crumbs. melt butter in oil over medium heat. pan fry for 3 minutes on each side. yum yum yum!

Okay so here's where this recipe came from. I had the best lemon pepper chicken in El Paso, Texas years ago when my sister Aimee' and I were traveling on a massive triangular road trip all over the country (Atlanta,GA to Los Angeles,CA to Pierre,SD and back home with lots of stops in between). I have never had anything like it (and I've tried for well over 12 years). It was grilled but I can't grill. So I decided to tie in another favorite type of chicken, crispy, with this lemony and peppery one. The lemon is complimentary and not overpowering. It pairs perfectly with the lemon, butter, white wine, and caper sauce over penne.

(it's been a long time coming...) lemon, butter, white wine, and caper sauce

2011-06-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

1 large garlic clove - smashed and minced
1/4 c shallot - diced
2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp flour

1/3 c chicken stock

1/2 c white wine (i used chardonnay)

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp capers

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

over medium-low heat melt butter. saute garlic and shallot for 2 minutes. add flour and brown for 1 minute. raise heat to medium and bring chicken stock and white wine to a boil. reduce to a simmer and stir continuously for 5 minutes. stir in lemon juice and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes. in the last minute, stir in lemon zest and capers. pull off heat and add salt and pepper. when served over pasta, toss past in the sauce with a handful of parmesan cheese. yum and enjoy!

I have dreamed about making a lemon, butter, and white wine sauce for quite some time. I tried to make a simple sauce with only butter, lemon juice, and white wine. But truth be told, it was very wine-y. My sweet husband, Michael, choked it down and said it was good but I knew better. So in this recipe, I cut the overpowering wine flavor by adding chicken stock. In addition, I tossed the sauce with a more substantial noodle, penne, and not angel hair like I did the first time.

And there's more to this tasty gem of a recipe. The desire to make this simple sauce was complicated when my sister-in-law made a caper sauce for Christmas dinner (her blog - pimentocheeseplease.wordpress.com). Delicious was the only way to describe that sauce (especially when beef tenderloin was placed under it). So the desire to make a lemon, butter, and white sauce now had to incorporate capers. With so many dominant flavors, I wondered how it would all come together. It did and very nicely. Sadly Michael wasn't here to taste the finished product but my father-in-law was which might have gotten me even more in the family (if that's possible)!

how this blog came to be...

2011-06-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

As baking my own sweets when growing up was the only way to get desserts in the house, I have loved baking since I was little. The desire of cooking new treats by following recipes to a T comes from my dad. The ability to mix random leftovers until a tasty new dish appears comes from my mom. But the love of being in the kitchen (for cooking not cleaning) I inherited straight from my Gram.

I married the boy of my dreams (maybe I should say man), and we almost immediately moved to Moscow. While living overseas, we managed to recreate many of our favorite dishes from back home; however, inevitably we would not be able to find many of the necessary ingredients. While in Russia, I learned an important lesson about recipes and their amazing flexibility. As I found substitutions for certain ingredients, I wrote down the new recipe so I could make it again. This quickly turned into looking at lots of different recipes and making up my own based on what I could find and what looked tastiest. So proud of how delicious the food was (and a fair amount of free time) I took tons of photos of the finished dishes and made a cookbook for our parents as a Christmas present.

That was supposed to be the end of my obsession of taking pictures of food but it wasn’t. Just ask Annie. So instead of just showing pictures of mouthwatering food, I’ll include the recipes too because once you see the picture you’ll want to make it!

yum and enjoy!