May 2005 Archives

It seems to me banana flavor was created to be part of a sundae, maybe even in a banana split, which Eddie's makes in a messy, gooey glory of overspilling hot fudge, real whipped cream and lots of napkins. But I think it stand best alone, or adorned with some fresh whipped cream and, the best complement to banana, some chocolate sauce.

I cheated today. I had banana, skipped right over butter pecan (which I'll come back to next time) and added a scoop of chocolate. It's just a flavor combination I can't pass up. I'm trying to decide if it counts, or if I need to make another trip for the chocolate. (I think it does count, though. Is the point that I walk over there 18 times or is it the Herculean task of bringing spoon to mouth through 18 scoops?)

I noticed today, as I ate my Eddie's banana ice cream, that the first bites tasted more banana-y than the later ones. I think as my mouth got cold I was less able to taste the flavor of the ice cream (fortunately ice cream has a luscious texture or there would be no point in taking more than a couple bites at any sitting).

Eddie's chocolate is more of a milk chocolate than a dark chocolate, but it's not insipidly bland. There's a little bit of alkaline cocoa flavor that keeps it from just being sweet. It's a mild chocolate, though, good for a big scoop or as a base for a whole hoarde of Eddie's toppings.

The Met has revamped their dining options and we ate in their new cafeteria this weekend: What a relief to finally have someplace to eat when we go to there! The immediate vicinity is kind of a wasteland, so even though the cafeteria has "we know we have a captive audience" prices ($30 for two, including drinks and desserts), the thoughtful food selections make it a good choice. (We're determined to try Cafe Sabarsky at the Neue Museum sometime, but we nervous about taking August today--he hadn't napped all day.)

They have fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies, a grill that today was serving reubens (which Todd had), entrees like salmon with mango salsa, an antipasto bar and a salad bar, a sandwich bar with pressed sandwiches and interesting choices (the turkey, pear and St. Andre caught my eye). I went for a selection from the two bars, which cost 60 cents an ounce (which translates to $9.60 a pound, which is why they describe it in ounces). Good choices though. I had mixed greens with cold salmon, roasted yellow peppers, marinated mixed mushrooms with pearl onions, a blue potato salad with calamari and curried couscous with golden raisins, figs and dried apricots. Only the potato salad was bad, with rubbery calamari and mushy potatoes. The couscous was actually really good. And Todd liked his fries, too.

Good drink selection, with fancy-pants beverages like imported lemonade, Izze fruit drinks and Boyle's sodas. The desserts, though, are what had me running around the place like a puppy whose family all arrived home at once: mini coconut and chocolate cakes, berry and apricot-frangipane tarts, gorgeous cupcakes from Crumbs, giant cookies from another local baker, Krispie Kreme doughnuts for the tourists. We had an almond-macaroon sandwich made in their bakery, which was two almond paste-dense macaroons sandwiching chocolate ganache. So good. So good.

Then at the cashier they have all these impulse buys: Cote d'Or chocolates, mints in fancy silver credit-card shaped packages, Joseph Schmidt chocolate bars. I grabbed one with dark chocolate and lemom, but the biscotti ones sounded good, too. Am I a sucker? Perhaps. But I had fun and it tasted good. Plus my low expectations resulted in a pleasurable surprise.

The Met has revamped their dining options and we ate in their new cafeteria this weekend: What a relief to finally have someplace to eat when we go to there! The immediate vicinity is kind of a wasteland, so even though the cafeteria has "we know we have a captive audience" prices ($30 for two, including drinks and desserts), the thoughtful food selections make it a good choice. (We're determined to try Cafe Sabarsky at the Neue Museum sometime, but we nervous about taking August today--he hadn't napped all day.)

They have fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies, a grill that today was serving reubens (which Todd had), entrees like salmon with mango salsa, an antipasto bar and a salad bar, a sandwich bar with pressed sandwiches and interesting choices (the turkey, pear and St. Andre caught my eye). I went for a selection from the two bars, which cost 60 cents an ounce (which translates to $9.60 a pound, which is why they describe it in ounces). Good choices though. I had mixed greens with cold salmon, roasted yellow peppers, marinated mixed mushrooms with pearl onions, a blue potato salad with calamari and curried couscous with golden raisins, figs and dried apricots. Only the potato salad was bad, with rubbery calamari and mushy potatoes. The couscous was actually really good. And Todd liked his fries, too.

Good drink selection, with fancy-pants beverages like imported lemonade, Izze fruit drinks and Boyle's sodas. The desserts, though, are what had me running around the place like a puppy whose family all arrived home at once: mini coconut and chocolate cakes, berry and apricot-frangipane tarts, gorgeous cupcakes from Crumbs, giant cookies from another local baker, Krispie Kreme doughnuts for the tourists. We had an almond-macaroon sandwich made in their bakery, which was two almond paste-dense macaroons sandwiching chocolate ganache. So good. So good.

Then at the cashier they have all these impulse buys: Cote d'Or chocolates, mints in fancy silver credit-card shaped packages, Joseph Schmidt chocolate bars. I grabbed one with dark chocolate and lemom, but the biscotti ones sounded good, too. Am I a sucker? Perhaps. But I had fun and it tasted good. Plus my low expectations resulted in a pleasurable surprise.

Don't make the mistake I did. The rose flavored chocolate chip cookie sounded so enticing I had to go overboard and get the rose ice cream sandwich: rose petal ice cream from Il Laboratorio gelato between two of Ruby et Violette's rose cookies. The problem was that it had to be cold, which my companions and I decided dulled the rose taste. It certainly was more pronounced by time I reached the end of the sandwich, and what an odd and ethereal taste it was.

The cookies themselves are medium circumference, thick, soft and chewy (too soft in Todd's opinion) with big, soft chunks of chocolate. We tried three other chocolate-chip cookie flavors: Todd got Champagne and strawberries, which contained big, chewy dried strawberries, and espresso, which was flatter than all the rest and had chips of espresso bean and the most overpowering, wake-me-up aroma. The one I liked the best was dulce du leche; each bite melts into caramel in your mouth. I'd haul August in the stroller all the way over to (almost) 10th Avenue again to get another one of those.

Don't make the mistake I did. The rose flavored chocolate chip cookie sounded so enticing I had to go overboard and get the rose ice cream sandwich: rose petal ice cream from Il Laboratorio gelato between two of Ruby et Violette's rose cookies. The problem was that it had to be cold, which my companions and I decided dulled the rose taste. It certainly was more pronounced by time I reached the end of the sandwich, and what an odd and ethereal taste it was.

The cookies themselves are medium circumference, thick, soft and chewy (too soft in Todd's opinion) with big, soft chunks of chocolate. We tried three other chocolate-chip cookie flavors: Todd got Champagne and strawberries, which contained big, chewy dried strawberries, and espresso, which was flatter than all the rest and had chips of espresso bean and the most overpowering, wake-me-up aroma. The one I liked the best was dulce du leche; each bite melts into caramel in your mouth. I'd haul August in the stroller all the way over to (almost) 10th Avenue again to get another one of those.

When I told my mother-in-law that rhubarb costs $5.99 a pound on Fresh Direct, she was shocked. Apparently rhubarb grows like a weed. Todd and I hate the idea of having to tend a yard (we're apartment-dwellers) but then the idea of all these wonderful foods and herbs growing like weeds in my yard makes me want one so badly. My parents used to grow tomatoes and zucchini (or else a neighbor did) and I have fond memories.

By the time I came around to ordering some rhubarb it was down to $2.99 a pound (better). I wanted to really get a taste for what rhubarb is like, so I chopped it and cooked about a pound with 1/2 cup sugar stovetop in a saucepan. Stirred it until the rhubarb had given off enough liquid to keep the sugar from burning, then let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Last night we layered it with crushed graham crackers and barely sweetened whipped cream. (The new mixer's great. I put the chilled cream in the chilled bowl with the whisk attachment, put it on 6, then went to dress the baby. When I came back, whipped cream!) Todd really liked it; it's nice and tart even through all that sugar, and some of the bigger bits kept a little texture to them.

When I told my mother-in-law that rhubarb costs $5.99 a pound on Fresh Direct, she was shocked. Apparently rhubarb grows like a weed. Todd and I hate the idea of having to tend a yard (we're apartment-dwellers) but then the idea of all these wonderful foods and herbs growing like weeds in my yard makes me want one so badly. My parents used to grow tomatoes and zucchini (or else a neighbor did) and I have fond memories.

By the time I came around to ordering some rhubarb it was down to $2.99 a pound (better). I wanted to really get a taste for what rhubarb is like, so I chopped it and cooked about a pound with 1/2 cup sugar stovetop in a saucepan. Stirred it until the rhubarb had given off enough liquid to keep the sugar from burning, then let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Last night we layered it with crushed graham crackers and barely sweetened whipped cream. (The new mixer's great. I put the chilled cream in the chilled bowl with the whisk attachment, put it on 6, then went to dress the baby. When I came back, whipped cream!) Todd really liked it; it's nice and tart even through all that sugar, and some of the bigger bits kept a little texture to them.

I had a success in the kitchen yesterday. I made myself an omelet for lunch and it turned out beautiful! I think they key really was the nonstick pan and the butter; I usually skimp on the fat I cook my omelets in. Filled it with some of the mushrooms I roasted on Wednesday with salt, pepper, olive oil and a few sprigs of the neverending suppy of rosemary. (400 degrees, about 30 minutes.)

I made a 2-egg omelet in my 10-inch skillet, and I liked the thinner results. Whisked the eggs with salt and pepper, then heated about a tablespoon of butter in the pan until it just stopped foaming. Poured in the eggs and stirred them around a bit then let them get mostly set, then topped them with the mushrooms. I fudged the method Julia Child used to fold it, jerking the pan toward me to get the omelet together on the far side of the skillet, then using a fork to guide it into submission. Tilted the pan over the plate to roll the omelet seamless-side up out of the skillet.

I had a success in the kitchen yesterday. I made myself an omelet for lunch and it turned out beautiful! I think they key really was the nonstick pan and the butter; I usually skimp on the fat I cook my omelets in. Filled it with some of the mushrooms I roasted on Wednesday with salt, pepper, olive oil and a few sprigs of the neverending suppy of rosemary. (400 degrees, about 30 minutes.)

I made a 2-egg omelet in my 10-inch skillet, and I liked the thinner results. Whisked the eggs with salt and pepper, then heated about a tablespoon of butter in the pan until it just stopped foaming. Poured in the eggs and stirred them around a bit then let them get mostly set, then topped them with the mushrooms. I fudged the method Julia Child used to fold it, jerking the pan toward me to get the omelet together on the far side of the skillet, then using a fork to guide it into submission. Tilted the pan over the plate to roll the omelet seamless-side up out of the skillet.

I had buttermilk left over from making panna cotta, so naturally it was time for pancakes for dinner. This recipe got four forks from the reviewers on Epicurious, and I can see why. The textures alone are fantastic: tender pancakes, melting banana pieces that would be too much were it not for the rich, toothy crunch of the nuts. I ate them simply adorned with butter, but I think the orange butter that was part of the recipe (but I didn't make) would be even better.

Whisk together 3/4 cup flour, 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and a pinch of salt. Then melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and whisk in 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1 egg and a dash of vanilla. Mix the wet into the dry, then add 1/4 cup chopped macadamias and 1 small diced banana. Cook like regular pancakes.

I bet the basic recipe would be good with lots of different variations, but why do I insist on messing with a good thing?

I had buttermilk left over from making panna cotta, so naturally it was time for pancakes for dinner. This recipe got four forks from the reviewers on Epicurious, and I can see why. The textures alone are fantastic: tender pancakes, melting banana pieces that would be too much were it not for the rich, toothy crunch of the nuts. I ate them simply adorned with butter, but I think the orange butter that was part of the recipe (but I didn't make) would be even better.

Whisk together 3/4 cup flour, 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and a pinch of salt. Then melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and whisk in 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1 egg and a dash of vanilla. Mix the wet into the dry, then add 1/4 cup chopped macadamias and 1 small diced banana. Cook like regular pancakes.

I bet the basic recipe would be good with lots of different variations, but why do I insist on messing with a good thing?

So here's the second use I found for all that rosemary: crisp breadsticks for a snack for the moms in our playgroup (I'm hosting tomorrow, which means I need to vacuum the floor!).

I used the dough hook on my new mixer for the first time and wasn't 100 percent happy with the results (a lot of the flour just didn't get incorporated until I dumped everything out and kneaded it by hand). But OK. 2 cups of bread flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 3/4 teaspoon salt. Mix that together, then add 2 tablespoons minced rosemary, a teaspoon of olive oil and warm water to bring it all together (about 3/4 cup). Knead a couple of minutes, then form into a ball, oil it and place it in a warm spot for an hour, to double in size (mine needed an hour and a half to double in size; I never add hot enough water to the yeast, I think). Cut into 16 pieces and roll the pieces out into thin, foot-long strands. Let rise on oiled baking sheets for 30 minutes, then bake in 325 degree oven about 40 minutes. The breadsticks that I baked on my dark-colored pan got a little too brown on the bottom so some adjustment might be necessary.

I ordered a 99 cent bunch of rosemary from Fresh Direct this weekend and this is what I got. So now I'm on the hunt for lots of rosemary recipes. Last night I marinated a pork tenderloin with balsamic and cider vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, mustard and maple syrup. Today I'm going to try to make crisp rosemary breadsticks. I also want to make a rosemary dessert: maybe a cornmeal cake with rosemary syrup or a custard-type dish like pot de creme. What I feel like I should do is slaughter a lamb and dig a roasting pit out in the middle of Yellowstone Blvd.

I ordered a 99 cent bunch of rosemary from Fresh Direct this weekend and this is what I got. So now I'm on the hunt for lots of rosemary recipes. Last night I marinated a pork tenderloin with balsamic and cider vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, garlic, mustard and maple syrup. Today I'm going to try to make crisp rosemary breadsticks. I also want to make a rosemary dessert: maybe a cornmeal cake with rosemary syrup or a custard-type dish like pot de creme. What I feel like I should do is slaughter a lamb and dig a roasting pit out in the middle of Yellowstone Blvd.

The new IMBB theme, hosted by Elise at Simply Recipes, was gelatin, and since I'm not a big fan of Jell-O there was really one option for me: panna cotta. (Actually, Alton Brown makes a mousse using gelatin, but I wanted to go back to the panna cotta recipe because I liked it so much.) I tried a couple variations on the recipe I used before, to mixed effect. First, I used half a vanilla bean instead of extract, which gave it almost a subtler flavor and those beautiful black speckles. I also thought if I put something, strawberries and cherries, in the bottom of the molds they'd be there on top when I unmolded the dish. That didn't really work, as you can see, because the berries just floated to the top. Which made me think I could make the panna cottas in wine or dessert glasses and not unmold them, and have berries, candied citrus peel, edible flowers, whatever, on top. Pretty.

I also made mini panna cottas in my mini muffin pan, which are cute and would be a nice cocktail party dessert if you could figure out an easy way to serve them (they aren't finger food; I placed one on a puddle of Sarabeth's strawberry-raspberry preserves for this photo).

Here's the recipe. Sprinkle one packet of gelatin over 2 tablespoons water and let it sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile heat 1 cup heavy cream and half a split and scraped vanilla bean in a medium saucepan and dissolve 7 tablespoons of sugar in it. Then whisk in the gelatin until the lumps are gone. Let that cool for a while, then add 2 cups buttermilk. Strain from saucepan into a bowl or measuring cup with a pour spout, then pour into molds and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Unmold by dipping in hot water and then running a thin spatula or knife around the edges. I served it with strawberries macerated in sugar and balsamic.

Once again, I found out about the citrus-themed Sugar High Friday on the due date, so I had to scramble for something to make. Todd brought me some marmalade from London last time he was there, so I decided that counted as citrus and set to work. I made something simple, crostini with Cointreau-sweetened ricotta and marmalade, and then since it's raining I decided to bake some bar cookies.

I toasted little bread rounds brushed with olive oil, slathered on ricotta, then sprinkled with salt and Cointreau. Then spread on a tawny, bitter marmalade. The cheese took some, but not all, of the bite out of that topping.

The bar cookies came out totally crumbly and dry, but I liked the combination of the orange peel in the marmalade with all the warm spices in the cake, so I thought I'd still mention it. Also think the dry, crumbly portion could be vastly improved by using butter instead of shortening. Like a cakey spiced shortbread topped with a marmalade glaze. And the dryness can easily be remedied with a cup of tea. I like Whittards Afternoon blend.

The recipe sandwiches the marmalade between two layers of dough, but one reviewer on AllRecipes mentioned he had to double the dough part to get that to work and I was using a 9-inch pan instead of an 8-inch pan so I decided to use the whole recipe for a bottom layer and just put the marmalade on top. Cream 1/2 cup shortening with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon each almond and vanilla extract. Add one egg, then 1 1/2 cups flour sifted with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt. Press into bottom of pan, spread with a cup of marmalade, then bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Mine burnt a bit around the edges so you could probably decrease the baking time or temp, too.

This summer I have one goal. If I achieve this one thing, I will be satisfied that the summer was not wasted. I am going to try every flavor of ice cream Eddie's Sweet Shop, which is about a 30 minute walk from my home in Forest Hills, makes. I will push my borrowed Graco tank-stroller to Metropolitan Avenue 18 times this summer, come blazing heat, summer thunderstorms, biting insects.

I know, 18? That's hardly a challenge. But it'll be fun. I started at the top of the list and will work my way down so all I have to keep track of is what I had last (plus the store's hours; I've already trekked there twice only to find they're closed on Mondays and before 1).

This visit I had mint chip, mint ice cream with chocolate chips, a good classic flavor combo. The ice cream was bright neon green (none of that classy white mint ice cream at Eddie's) and had brittle (from being frozen) mini chips. Good mint flavor but not Altoids-painful, and not at odds with the creaminess of Eddie's ice cream. They serve their scoops, which are $2.25 for a single, in those metal ice cream cups that make the ice cream seem even colder, especially since I'm usually melting from the walk there.

I've been doing a lot of cooking in the last couple of days (more than usual, anyway). Friday jambalaya, yesterday tomato, cucumber and feta salad, and last night asparagus and bacon with pasta.

I kind of made up my own jambalaya recipe using what I had on hand: the last of the fresh kielbasa, chicken cubes, wilty celery, jasmine rice. Browned slices of the kielbasa, then removed it from the pan and sauteed the necessary trinity of diced green pepper, onion and celery (I should've used more; I think I had about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of each). Pushed that to the side of the pan and browned the chicken. Then I added 2 cups of water, 1 1/2 cup rice and a 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes. Salt, pepper and some ancho chile powder. Stirred, then brought to a boil and dropped to a simmer for 20 minutes. Served with parsley, green onion and hot sauce on top. Next time it definitely needs smoked sausage, but Todd was pretty happy with these results, anyway.

I ordered some Father Sam's mini wheat pitas, and they're good. I heated one in the oven to eat with a salad I made from chunks of peeled cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta, vinaigrette, oregano, salt and pepper. Todd doesn't like feta so it was good for lunch and good made in advance while August took his morning nap.

Dinner last night was good, too. While I cooked some short, twisted pasta I also sauteed about 1 1/2 slices thick-cut bacon, then took that from the skillet and drained some of the fat. I discovered that I didn't have an onion, so I sliced up four pearl onions and sauteed those in the bacon fat. Then added asparagus cut in 1/2-inch pieces and sauteed to what I considered done (Todd likes his cooked a little more than me and I knew it would get more cooking at the next stage). Then added some pasta water (quite a bit, like 1/2 cup) and the almost-done pasta and boiled a bit to get the flavors off the bottom of the pan into the pasta, then added the bacon back in with a huge pile of grated pecorino-romano. This was pretty, too. I should've taken a picture.

The 9th Avenue International Food Fair sounded a lot more interesting than it turned out to be, but there was some good stuff there. Sullivan Street Bakery has a new location on 47th Street, and they were giving out free bread. (We also tried their rosemary-potato pizza.) Mitchel London was selling mini burgers, quiches, etc. Todd had chicken fingers with spicy honey-mustard sauce and I went for a mini tart with olive tapenade, carmelized onions, zucchini and tomato.

We also popped into Little Pie Company to buy a small apple, sour cream and walnut pie. There were seafood stands, sweet potato and key lime pie, pierogies, piles of turkey drumsticks, Colombian barbecue, desserts from Amy's Bread and all the usual suspects (fruit shakes, zeppoles, gyros, etc.). And Saturday was beautiful.

Then we stopped in Bryant Park on the way home. That park is in desperate need of an ice cream stand!

I feel like one of those housewives in the frilly aprons who would moan that the roast had dried out because hubby was late from work, because that's what happened to me last night. It wasn't a roast, it was fresh sausage with carmelized onions and pierogies, but it was a whole lot better when I ate it at 8 than when Todd ate it at 9. At least I didn't wait for him, because I ended up burning the bottom of the pan the sausage and onions were in, which didn't actually burn the food but gave it a burned taste.

I'll have to try this recipe again for him, though, because it really was good. I cut the sausage (fresh kielbasa -- is that an oxymoron?) in 3-inch lengths, then browned it in a deep skillet. Threw in a small sliced onion and browned that, then added some water and braised the whole thing for an hour. Then I added 3 frozen pierogies to the skillet and put the lid back on. Eight minutes later they were done, and I ate them topped with onion. When I cut the sausage in half, though, it was still pink, so I left that in to cook longer (I actually think, now, that something in the sausage made it stay pink and that it was cooked through). Would've been good all together, I think.

Have you ever been in the middle of a recipe and find yourself with a growing sense of rage because things aren't working out? (I have to think of Julie/Julia at these moments.) I was making Lora Brody's Little Guy Cheesecake on Monday and suddenly wanted Ms. Brody to reimburse me the money I spent for the ingredients. The ironic thing is I've been on the other side of this equation, when I worked at the magazine. We actually did get a letter from a reader demanding reimbursement when a recipe didn't work out. I don't think she got it.

My problem started after the cheesecake was almost through baking and it was time to put the sour cream topping on it. My gut told me, when I took the cheesecake out, that it was still too wet. But the recipe just said "Bake 25 minutes." (It's a very small cheesecake.) Nothing about the state of the cheesecake after 25 minutes. And that's what irritated me. When I ignored my gut (which can't usually be trusted when it comes to cheesecakes -- mine always crack) and put the topping on, it broke through the thin baked part on top of the cake and down into the center of the cake. So I stopped topping it and put it back in for 5 more minutes (not wanting to overbake the thing). Topped the cheesecake, baked it for the additional 5 minutes, then left it in the oven as the oven cooled (because it still didn't look baked). The resulting cheesecake was a mess but edible, I think (no food poisoning yet). After cooling further in the fridge it seemed to set up. But argh! All she had to say was, "until the sides have set but the cake still jiggles a bit in the middle." (Only in a more polished way.)

Must not have been too much of a disaster because I haven't had dinner yet and all I'm thinking is, "Must have cheesecake now!"

Have you ever been in the middle of a recipe and find yourself with a growing sense of rage because things aren't working out? (I have to think of Julie/Julia at these moments.) I was making Lora Brody's Little Guy Cheesecake on Monday and suddenly wanted Ms. Brody to reimburse me the money I spent for the ingredients. The ironic thing is I've been on the other side of this equation, when I worked at the magazine. We actually did get a letter from a reader demanding reimbursement when a recipe didn't work out. I don't think she got it.

My problem started after the cheesecake was almost through baking and it was time to put the sour cream topping on it. My gut told me, when I took the cheesecake out, that it was still too wet. But the recipe just said "Bake 25 minutes." (It's a very small cheesecake.) Nothing about the state of the cheesecake after 25 minutes. And that's what irritated me. When I ignored my gut (which can't usually be trusted when it comes to cheesecakes -- mine always crack) and put the topping on, it broke through the thin baked part on top of the cake and down into the center of the cake. So I stopped topping it and put it back in for 5 more minutes (not wanting to overbake the thing). Topped the cheesecake, baked it for the additional 5 minutes, then left it in the oven as the oven cooled (because it still didn't look baked). The resulting cheesecake was a mess but edible, I think (no food poisoning yet). After cooling further in the fridge it seemed to set up. But argh! All she had to say was, "until the sides have set but the cake still jiggles a bit in the middle." (Only in a more polished way.)

Must not have been too much of a disaster because I haven't had dinner yet and all I'm thinking is, "Must have cheesecake now!"

Fresh Direct gets apples from Red Jacket Orchard, but since all the orchard has are mushy old apples from last year (I presume), they're offering good apple butter. I'm on my second jar. It's great with almond butter on a sandwich, but I also had it with ham and Cheddar.

Last night I wanted to finish up some brie we had and figured, Why not? What's better with brie than a nice, crisp Granny Smith?

Turns out it's a thick coat of apple butter. This took the form of a baguette sandwich with a generous wad of brie, apple butter and Boston lettuce. The classic pairing of apples and brie was really nice with the crunchy bread and buttery lettuce.

Another fast, fast, fast one. Todd wasn't too thrilled, but I liked it. And it made three tons so I better like it because I'll be eating it for a while.

I realized too late that the pasta in the leftovers would swell if I left the soup as it was, so I drained it and stored the solids and the liquid in the fridge separately. It works fine, but now I'm out of liquid and still have about 1 1/2 tons of beans, pasta and vegetables left.

I sauteed a chopped onion in oil until soft, then added a big can of Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes, 2 cups chicken stock, half a box of frozen peas and carrots and half a box of frozen string beans. Heated that through, then just before Todd got home I added a cup of ditalini and a 15-ounce can of rinsed kidney beans, seasoned liberally, then cooked until the pasta was done.

Today is Kim's first Mother's Day and there simply was no way she wasn't going to get breakfast in bed. Now, with a flaky husband like me, that's going to take some planning - on her part. Closely examine the picture to the left. See those little orange squares on the left-side place setting? Those are Kim's instructions to me on how to put it together. Orange juice in the glass. A croissant or roll on the plate ("ask in the morning"). A certain yogurt in the ramekin. Notice no notes on my side of the tray.

Now, before anyone start thinking this reflects a certain mania in Kim, let me set the record straight that it's actually a reflection of a certain mania, or short attention span, in me. After almost nine years of marriage we understand what makes each other tick. And that I need all the help I can get to put breakfast on the bedspread.

Happy mother's day, Kim. August and I love you a bunch!

I've been harping on Todd about Mother's Day (I'm doing him a favor; it really is very important to me this first time, and Todd can sometimes drop the ball on birthdays, anniversaries and holidays). So when a gigantic box arrived from Cooking.com, I knew it could only be one thing. The much coveted KitchenAid mixer. So I starting a subtle campaign of hints, "I want to make muffins, but it's so hard with the baby," etc., until he caved and let me open it early, with the understanding that it means nothing on Sunday. You can see from the photo what my focus here really is. The mixer is a revelation, like when I got my new stove. It's like having another set of hands. (Even though we don't have room for it, which was always my way of talking myself out of getting one.) Woohoo for motherhood.

So August and I took it on its maiden voyage to make some lemon poppyseed muffins for Todd's return from London, which for some reason I have this idea Todd likes.

First we sifted dry ingredients (1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt) onto a sheet of wax paper. Then we got to fire up the mixer, to beat an egg with 1/2 cup sugar. Added to that a 6-ounce container vanilla yogurt and a spoonful of plain (it was supposed to be 8 ounces of lemon, but the convenience store didn't have that), a few drips of lemon extract, 1/4 cup lemon juice and the zest of one lemon and mixed that together, then put the mixer on stir to add 1/4 cup poppyseeds and the dry ingredients. Baked at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, the brushed liberally (like 5 times) with a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar dissolved into 1/4 cup lemon juice and the zest of one lemon (I heated it in the microwave to dissolve).

I think the next time (if there is one) I make bananas and chocolate wrapped in phyllo I'll use firmer bananas. Last night I cut a banana crosswise in four pieces, the wrapped each piece in a sheet of buttered phyllo with a few chocolate chips. Baked for 10 minutes in a 425 degree oven. The banana didn't hold its shape at all (I haven't decided if that's bad or not, but it reminds me a bit of the baby's bananas). I like the flavor combo, though, and this was a really easy recipe for a quick chocolate-banana fix. Of course, I could just dip a banana in melted chocolate, but I like the flakey crunch of the phyllo, too. Or make a napoleon with baked phyllo sheets, sliced bananas and melted chocolate. That sounds promising.

I think the next time (if there is one) I make bananas and chocolate wrapped in phyllo I'll use firmer bananas. Last night I cut a banana crosswise in four pieces, the wrapped each piece in a sheet of buttered phyllo with a few chocolate chips. Baked for 10 minutes in a 425 degree oven. The banana didn't hold its shape at all (I haven't decided if that's bad or not, but it reminds me a bit of the baby's bananas). I like the flavor combo, though, and this was a really easy recipe for a quick chocolate-banana fix. Of course, I could just dip a banana in melted chocolate, but I like the flakey crunch of the phyllo, too. Or make a napoleon with baked phyllo sheets, sliced bananas and melted chocolate. That sounds promising.