January 2005 Archives

I'm turning 30 today. A big milestone, but a small day in comparison. I'm hanging out with my baby all day, then Todd and I will eat a nice dinner here at home, ordered from Fresh Direct (a cassoulet). It feels kind of pathetic after all the fabulous places I've eaten and all the options available to me. I just have no one to leave my 2-month-old with, and wouldn't feel that good about leaving him anyway. My parents are visiting in three weeks and I think I'll make them babysit while we go out one night. I've got some places in mind.

I am making Todd bring home a cake from Cupcake Cafe, which is just a couple doors down from his office. Considering the proximity he should bring me treats all the time. Their sweet potato doughnuts are my favorite.

Maybe the cassoulet will be fabulous, the cake decadent. It doesn't matter much to me as I sit here with my new baby sighing, cooing and smiling in his sleep. But I'll let you know.

Update: The cake in question;

How excited would you be if this box arrived just days before your birthday? I persuaded Todd that it had to be opened immediately because of the perishables sticker on it. Of course, Todd knew what was in it, and that most of it wasn't perishable, but he let me open it anyway.

One of the few perishables in the box was a big loaf of Zingerman's paesano bread, with a thick, crusty crust and soft interior with huge holes. Zingerman's is a collection of foodie shops (bakery, creamery, deli, etc.) in Ann Arbor; I have the book Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating, which is broken into chapters on things like olive oil, honey, cheese, etc. and explains how they're made and what makes them great. It's the perfect book for someone who doesn't like to cook. It's good for cooks, too, but it teaches how to buy such great ingredients that you hardly have to do any cooking at all to make an impressive spread. Zingerman's also does a lot of mail-order from their web site.

How excited would you be if this box arrived just days before your birthday? I persuaded Todd that it had to be opened immediately because of the perishables sticker on it. Of course, Todd knew what was in it, and that most of it wasn't perishable, but he let me open it anyway.

One of the few perishables in the box was a big loaf of Zingerman's paesano bread, with a thick, crusty crust and soft interior with huge holes. Zingerman's is a collection of foodie shops (bakery, creamery, deli, etc.) in Ann Arbor; I have the book Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating, which is broken into chapters on things like olive oil, honey, cheese, etc. and explains how they're made and what makes them great. It's the perfect book for someone who doesn't like to cook. It's good for cooks, too, but it teaches how to buy such great ingredients that you hardly have to do any cooking at all to make an impressive spread. Zingerman's also does a lot of mail-order from their web site.

The best thing about these fudgey cookies is that there's nothing you can't eat raw, so the batter's fair game.

First you mix 1 cup flour, a pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a bowl, then you melt 5 tablespoons butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add 7 tablespoons cocoa and a cup of sugar, 1/3 brown and 2/3 white. Whisk together, then add 1/3 cup plain yogurt and 1 teaspoon vanilla then mix in the flour mixture.

Drop by the tablespoon 2 inches apart and bake in a 350 degree oven 8 to 10 minutes. They come out of the oven really soft, so you have to leave them on the sheet for a couple minutes to firm up. They're chewy and a good fix for a chocolate craving.

The best thing about these fudgey cookies is that there's nothing you can't eat raw, so the batter's fair game.

First you mix 1 cup flour, a pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a bowl, then you melt 5 tablespoons butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add 7 tablespoons cocoa and a cup of sugar, 1/3 brown and 2/3 white. Whisk together, then add 1/3 cup plain yogurt and 1 teaspoon vanilla then mix in the flour mixture.

Drop by the tablespoon 2 inches apart and bake in a 350 degree oven 8 to 10 minutes. They come out of the oven really soft, so you have to leave them on the sheet for a couple minutes to firm up. They're chewy and a good fix for a chocolate craving.

I'm not a big fan of most fish, probably because it's so good for you. But pair it with some smoked sausage to cancel that out and I'm in. I was looking for a way to use up this chorizo and decided such a bland fish could use a flavor boost.

I sauteed diced onion and chorizo then added salt, pepper and paprika and a can of diced tomatoes. Put two cod fillets on top and spooned some of the tomato mixture over them, then cooked it for 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven until the fish was opaque at the center.

I did the menu equivalent of buying an outfit to match a pair of earrings tonight. I had turkey gravy left over from the open-face turkey sandwiches of the other night, so I decided to make pot pies with it (I also had a box of ready-to-bake pie crusts).

To make the filling I mixed cubed chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken with the gravy, frozen peas and cooked, quartered baby carrots. Piled it into two ramekins and topped it with pastry circles cut about 1/2 an inch bigger all around. Baked in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes to cook the pastry. I'm becoming a regular Sandra Lee (horrors!).

We did not get to the grocery store yesterday afternoon (although I did go to the drugstore for diapers last night and have to say I really like being out in the snow). But because I've been staying home with the baby I've been stocking up on food and we were in good shape. In fact, last night I had multiple options for Todd. He chose pasta with broccoli and chickpeas, a recipe from Gourmet (there were tons of recipes in the Jan issue I found I wanted to try).

Saute 2 minced garlic cloves and some crushed red pepper flakes in a couple tablespoons of oil for just a minute, then add a box of frozen chopped broccoli. Once the broccoli's thawed and heated through, add half a 15-ounce can of chickpeas. Toss in 2 servings of long pasta (we used linguine because it was what we had, but the recipe called for whole-wheat spaghetti).

We both really like it, with its touch of heat from the pepper flakes. It makes 2 very generous servings.

The best part about cooking at home is you get to alter dishes to include all your favorites while leaving out what you don't like. This recipe is a combination of two different sources, Todd's mom and the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, and a couple ideas of my own.

I diced an onion and 1 1/2 links of smoked chorizo in the afternoon while the baby slept. When Todd got home (early last night, around 6:30!) he sauteed them in a big skillet. He also sprayed corn tortillas with cooking spray and toasted them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven (it took about 15 minutes, and I turned the heat up to 400 for the last five because they weren't toasting fast enough). I added cumin and ancho chile powder to the onions and chorizo, then half a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes. Brought that up to a boil then dropped it to a simmer. Broke an egg into a custard cup, then slid it from the cup into the tomato mixture to poach, and then repeated with another egg. Covered for five minutes, then took the cover off for five more to boil off some of the moisture on low heat (the tortillas weren't done yet).

I also heated some fat-free "refried" black beans in the microwave. Spread that over the toasted tortillas, then spooned the egg and the tomato mixture on top. This was an incredibly hearty dish, but I've reached that stage in nursing where I'm ravenously hungry all the time. Todd has to eat fast to finish before I do or I start attacking his plate.

The best part about cooking at home is you get to alter dishes to include all your favorites while leaving out what you don't like. This recipe is a combination of two different sources, Todd's mom and the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, and a couple ideas of my own.

I diced an onion and 1 1/2 links of smoked chorizo in the afternoon while the baby slept. When Todd got home (early last night, around 6:30!) he sauteed them in a big skillet. He also sprayed corn tortillas with cooking spray and toasted them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven (it took about 15 minutes, and I turned the heat up to 400 for the last five because they weren't toasting fast enough). I added cumin and ancho chile powder to the onions and chorizo, then half a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes. Brought that up to a boil then dropped it to a simmer. Broke an egg into a custard cup, then slid it from the cup into the tomato mixture to poach, and then repeated with another egg. Covered for five minutes, then took the cover off for five more to boil off some of the moisture on low heat (the tortillas weren't done yet).

I also heated some fat-free "refried" black beans in the microwave. Spread that over the toasted tortillas, then spooned the egg and the tomato mixture on top. This was an incredibly hearty dish, but I've reached that stage in nursing where I'm ravenously hungry all the time. Todd has to eat fast to finish before I do or I start attacking his plate.

Rastall is the dining hall at Colorado College. I met my husband my freshman year of college, and we spent loads of time that first year, when we were just friends, in the dining hall with a loud, leisurely group of people (some with whom we still keep in touch).

So you can imagine the mixture of nostalgia and offense I felt when Todd burst out at dinner last night, "Rastall. That's what this reminds me of."

Granted, I had made a dining hall classic: hot open-face turkey sandwiches. But I certainly didn't want my version reminding my husband fondly of his college days. I have to explain, though. Todd did not consider Rastall a negative experience: The choices were relatively plentiful, the vast array of salad accoutrements is impossible to match in a home kitchen, and there was always cereal when things got really dire. One cook, Charles, was famous for his omelettes.

And it's not like I put a lot of work into dinner. I had purchased some Fresh Direct turkey gravy, which Todd liked but I found kind of salty, and simmered some sliced deli turkey in it, then piled it on squishy sandwich bread (the only kind to use for open-face, gravy-based sandwiches). Easy. And, for Todd, it fits into a little-known genre of college-nostalgia comfort food.

I mentioned this in a past entry and said I would post the recipe but never did. Yesterday some coworkers came over to see the baby and I couldn't decide whether to make something for them. I finally decided not to, but then they were running late and Todd was all over the baby, and this cake is so easy to make I couldn't resist. It comes from a one-bowl recipe story in Cooking Light from a while back (I haven't gotten Cooking Light for at least three years) that I love; there's a coffee cake and a chocolate cake I also still make from it.

You start by melting 5 tablespoons butter in a large bowl, then add 1/3 cup brown sugar and whisk together. Whisk in 2/3 cup molasses and 2 eggs, then 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda and dry mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Then add 1/2 cup milk and stir in 1 1/2 cup flour just until moistened. Pour into 8-inch square baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

The flavors meld and get better the second day, but it's good even on the first with some freshly whipped and slightly sweetened cream.

I mentioned this in a past entry and said I would post the recipe but never did. Yesterday some coworkers came over to see the baby and I couldn't decide whether to make something for them. I finally decided not to, but then they were running late and Todd was all over the baby, and this cake is so easy to make I couldn't resist. It comes from a one-bowl recipe story in Cooking Light from a while back (I haven't gotten Cooking Light for at least three years) that I love; there's a coffee cake and a chocolate cake I also still make from it.

You start by melting 5 tablespoons butter in a large bowl, then add 1/3 cup brown sugar and whisk together. Whisk in 2/3 cup molasses and 2 eggs, then 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda and dry mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Then add 1/2 cup milk and stir in 1 1/2 cup flour just until moistened. Pour into 8-inch square baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

The flavors meld and get better the second day, but it's good even on the first with some freshly whipped and slightly sweetened cream.

Friends with older babies tell me that I have oodles of free time now and that I'll learn what it really means to be busy when August starts walking and stops sleeping so much. I guess it's nature's way of curtailing a new parent's freedom slowly, edging me into it so I'm not too overhwelemed. Because I have to say that even though I'm home all the time I cannot always find the time to prepare the food that I had planned.

So I've been looking for dishes with make-ahead elements so there are things I can do whenever August decides to take a nap. Baked pastas and casseroles work well. A slow-cooker meal fits in, too, because he sleeps later than me in the morning and I can just throw everything in.

Another option is meals so quick I can wait until Todd comes home to throw them together. That's the category this soup falls into. In fact, the prep of this soup fell into a third category, things so simple that Todd can start the work while I instruct him from the sofa where I'm nursing.

He cut 3 all-purpose potatoes into relatively small pieces (but not quite a dice) and then I chopped an onion and two links of smoked chorizo. Sauteed that in a pot for a few minutes to soften the onion and get some color on the meat and potatoes, then added a couple cups each water and chicken broth. Simmered that until the potatoes were done, then I added half a box of chopped, frozen spinach. Seasoned with salt and pepper and served.

Friends with older babies tell me that I have oodles of free time now and that I'll learn what it really means to be busy when August starts walking and stops sleeping so much. I guess it's nature's way of curtailing a new parent's freedom slowly, edging me into it so I'm not too overhwelemed. Because I have to say that even though I'm home all the time I cannot always find the time to prepare the food that I had planned.

So I've been looking for dishes with make-ahead elements so there are things I can do whenever August decides to take a nap. Baked pastas and casseroles work well. A slow-cooker meal fits in, too, because he sleeps later than me in the morning and I can just throw everything in.

Another option is meals so quick I can wait until Todd comes home to throw them together. That's the category this soup falls into. In fact, the prep of this soup fell into a third category, things so simple that Todd can start the work while I instruct him from the sofa where I'm nursing.

He cut 3 all-purpose potatoes into relatively small pieces (but not quite a dice) and then I chopped an onion and two links of smoked chorizo. Sauteed that in a pot for a few minutes to soften the onion and get some color on the meat and potatoes, then added a couple cups each water and chicken broth. Simmered that until the potatoes were done, then I added half a box of chopped, frozen spinach. Seasoned with salt and pepper and served.

I went to a meeting last night, leaving August at home with his dad. It was a return to normalcy that I really needed, especially since the baby was fussy and hungry all day yesterday. I went on bed rest late in October, so it had been more than two months.

On the way to the meeting I stopped by an empanada shop on Austin street and got a spinach and cheese empanada to eat on the way. The joy of walking down the street eating dinner out-of-hand on a relatively warm, damp night!

I love that New York is such a walking city, and there are so many great street and take-along foods here (Chicago-style dogs from Madison Square Park, the vertical fold that makes a slice of pizza take-along food, empanadas, jerk pockets, kati rolls, that fake soft-serve from the trucks, etc).

I went to a meeting last night, leaving August at home with his dad. It was a return to normalcy that I really needed, especially since the baby was fussy and hungry all day yesterday. I went on bed rest late in October, so it had been more than two months.

On the way to the meeting I stopped by an empanada shop on Austin street and got a spinach and cheese empanada to eat on the way. The joy of walking down the street eating dinner out-of-hand on a relatively warm, damp night!

I love that New York is such a walking city, and there are so many great street and take-along foods here (Chicago-style dogs from Madison Square Park, the vertical fold that makes a slice of pizza take-along food, empanadas, jerk pockets, kati rolls, that fake soft-serve from the trucks, etc).

When I started this blog one of my goals was to catalog what I've prepared and use it as a cookbook, developing a collection of well-tested recipes. I've found that lately I refer to old posts a lot to find out how to make something I've written about. The other night it was baked potato soup. This time I had all-purpose potatoes instead of baking potatoes, so I cut them up and boiled them, then mashed them. I also had some thyme, so I put that in with the milk and flour at the beginning.

I made salmon wrapped in phyllo for my in-laws for their anniversary. And the polenta with Italian sausage and some kind of vegetable has become kind of a staple for me. I refer to my fudgey brownies all the time.

When I started this blog one of my goals was to catalog what I've prepared and use it as a cookbook, developing a collection of well-tested recipes. I've found that lately I refer to old posts a lot to find out how to make something I've written about. The other night it was baked potato soup. This time I had all-purpose potatoes instead of baking potatoes, so I cut them up and boiled them, then mashed them. I also had some thyme, so I put that in with the milk and flour at the beginning.

I made salmon wrapped in phyllo for my in-laws for their anniversary. And the polenta with Italian sausage and some kind of vegetable has become kind of a staple for me. I refer to my fudgey brownies all the time.

Poor Todd. He's been working really hard, late the last two nights and then full days this weekend, and I'M the one who feels put-upon about it. Being left alone with a 6-week-old baby all day and then also during those evening witching hours when all babies turn from pumpkins to wailing terrors made me as hysterical as our son. (I think we just get kind of sick of each other.) Anyway, this is on my food blog instead of the baby blog because Todd brought me a present to make up for it. Two presents.

Ninth Avenue near his office has become quite the culinary mecca, and there's a branch of the Little Pie Company nearby. So I got not one little pie, but two: a sour-cream apple pie (sorry there's no picture, but we ate it fast) and a cherry. A thirty-second nuke gets the underlayer of the brown sugar and walnut topping on the former a little gooey and warms the paper-thin apples coated in sour cream. I'm glad Todd chose the apple because it's one I've wanted to taste for a while. It's so rich that a quarter of the (maybe 6-inch?) pie was plenty.

Haven't dug into the cherry yet, so I'll have to report back when we do.

Poor Todd. He's been working really hard, late the last two nights and then full days this weekend, and I'M the one who feels put-upon about it. Being left alone with a 6-week-old baby all day and then also during those evening witching hours when all babies turn from pumpkins to wailing terrors made me as hysterical as our son. (I think we just get kind of sick of each other.) Anyway, this is on my food blog instead of the baby blog because Todd brought me a present to make up for it. Two presents.

Ninth Avenue near his office has become quite the culinary mecca, and there's a branch of the Little Pie Company nearby. So I got not one little pie, but two: a sour-cream apple pie (sorry there's no picture, but we ate it fast) and a cherry. A thirty-second nuke gets the underlayer of the brown sugar and walnut topping on the former a little gooey and warms the paper-thin apples coated in sour cream. I'm glad Todd chose the apple because it's one I've wanted to taste for a while. It's so rich that a quarter of the (maybe 6-inch?) pie was plenty.

Haven't dug into the cherry yet, so I'll have to report back when we do.

Whenever I order from fresh direct I get a couple types of deli meat, figuring sandwiches are always an easy meal. Last time I ordered sliced ham and roast pork loin. I didn't realize until I received my order that I had the makings of a cuban - just added some pickles, Swiss cheese and a long roll with a medium-crusty crust and a coarse, holey interior (that way when you press it you end up with a crisp crust and a compacted interior).

I don't have a sandwich press, so I heat a cast-iron skillet while I assemble the sandwiches, then put them in another pan over medium heat and squash them down by placing the hot cast-iron on top and pressing down with my oven-mitted hand. The insides steam and get all melty and hot.

On a whim I ordered some prosciutto with my last Fresh Direct order, then realized that I don't really like uncooked prosciutto. (Horrors! Did I really admit to that?) So I had to find a recipe to use up the offending meat. And in the process I found a dish I'd make again.

I pounded some chicken cutlets, seasoned them with salt and pepper, then topped them with prosciutto. Mixed one box of thawed frozen spinach with grated Parmesan, salt and pepper, then spread that over the prosciutto. Rolled it up from the narrow end then fastened with a toothpick. Browned in a skillet, then added 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and simmered until the chicken was cooked through.

On a whim I ordered some prosciutto with my last Fresh Direct order, then realized that I don't really like uncooked prosciutto. (Horrors! Did I really admit to that?) So I had to find a recipe to use up the offending meat. And in the process I found a dish I'd make again.

I pounded some chicken cutlets, seasoned them with salt and pepper, then topped them with prosciutto. Mixed one box of thawed frozen spinach with grated Parmesan, salt and pepper, then spread that over the prosciutto. Rolled it up from the narrow end then fastened with a toothpick. Browned in a skillet, then added 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and simmered until the chicken was cooked through.

But only if no one in the family is dieting. I call it that because while I was pregnant I never felt OK getting mousse in a restaurant because sometimes they're made with uncooked egg whites. This recipe, from Alton Brown, doesn't use any eggs at all, so even little kids can have it. (Oops, well I guess you'd have to omit the rum, maybe, but I think it'd still work.)

This is not his recipe to the letter, so for fail-safe results look his up on www.foodtv.com.

First I put a shot of dark coffee in the top of a double boiler with 1 cup chocolate chips (which is all I had; anyone looking for a good BD present for me might buy me some nice bittersweet chocolate for baking), a splash of dark rum and 2 tablespoons butter. Melted it above simmering water until there were just a few chunks left, then pulled it off the simmering water and stirred it until the carryover heat finished the job. Set it aside to cool.

Then I sprinkled 1/2 teaspoon gelatin over some (less than 1/4 cup) heavy cream in a metal 1 cup measure. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then stirred it over low heat until the gelatin had melted. Added that to the chocolate.

Whipped the rest of the cream (a little more than 3/4 cup) in a chilled metal bowl with chilled beaters until medium peaks would form, then stirred a dollop into the chocolate. Folded in the rest, then divided between 4 ramekins and chilled in the fridge for 1 hour. Really, really rich stuff.

But only if no one in the family is dieting. I call it that because while I was pregnant I never felt OK getting mousse in a restaurant because sometimes they're made with uncooked egg whites. This recipe, from Alton Brown, doesn't use any eggs at all, so even little kids can have it. (Oops, well I guess you'd have to omit the rum, maybe, but I think it'd still work.)

This is not his recipe to the letter, so for fail-safe results look his up on www.foodtv.com.

First I put a shot of dark coffee in the top of a double boiler with 1 cup chocolate chips (which is all I had; anyone looking for a good BD present for me might buy me some nice bittersweet chocolate for baking), a splash of dark rum and 2 tablespoons butter. Melted it above simmering water until there were just a few chunks left, then pulled it off the simmering water and stirred it until the carryover heat finished the job. Set it aside to cool.

Then I sprinkled 1/2 teaspoon gelatin over some (less than 1/4 cup) heavy cream in a metal 1 cup measure. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then stirred it over low heat until the gelatin had melted. Added that to the chocolate.

Whipped the rest of the cream (a little more than 3/4 cup) in a chilled metal bowl with chilled beaters until medium peaks would form, then stirred a dollop into the chocolate. Folded in the rest, then divided between 4 ramekins and chilled in the fridge for 1 hour. Really, really rich stuff.

Before last night, I'd never used Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chiles, but last night I made a beef stew based on an Epicurious recipe that uses a can of diced tomatoes and a can of diced green chiles. I figured the Ro-Tel tomatoes would count as both, but I think they are far spicier than a can of diced green chiles would have been.

Todd really liked the stew, but there are two things I would have done differently: There was no thickener, so it was really watery; I would coat the beef in flour next time. And the spiciness of the tomatoes overwhelmed the subtler flavor of the cilantro; maybe if I had followed the recipe exactly it wouldn't have been a problem.

I started by seasoning then browning a pound of cubed stew meat, then added a chopped onion, some carrot and a couple diced stalks of celery. Cooked that a bit, then added the tomatoes, 1 cup chicken broth and some dried oregano. Simmered it for an hour, then added some chopped fresh cilantro. Served over rice.

Before last night, I'd never used Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chiles, but last night I made a beef stew based on an Epicurious recipe that uses a can of diced tomatoes and a can of diced green chiles. I figured the Ro-Tel tomatoes would count as both, but I think they are far spicier than a can of diced green chiles would have been.

Todd really liked the stew, but there are two things I would have done differently: There was no thickener, so it was really watery; I would coat the beef in flour next time. And the spiciness of the tomatoes overwhelmed the subtler flavor of the cilantro; maybe if I had followed the recipe exactly it wouldn't have been a problem.

I started by seasoning then browning a pound of cubed stew meat, then added a chopped onion, some carrot and a couple diced stalks of celery. Cooked that a bit, then added the tomatoes, 1 cup chicken broth and some dried oregano. Simmered it for an hour, then added some chopped fresh cilantro. Served over rice.