April 2007 Archives
We're 10 minutes away from the arrival of some friends, and August says, "Want pumpkin muffins." These were so easy to make a few days ago, and August and I had such a nice time making them, that I almost said, "OK, let's go make more." But then I pictured our friends arriving to find us covered in flour, egg all over the counter, the boy's mouth rimmed with the sugar he sneaked, and I said no. But during his nap I found 10 minutes to mix this up, so now we'll have an out-of-season snack this afternoon.
I think I decided to make pumpkin muffins in the middle of spring because I had a tub of cream cheese in the fridge and these muffins are an awesome cream-cheese-carrier. For 12 muffins, you mix 2/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons each water and oil, and 1/2 cup pumpkin. In another bowl, 1 cup flour (I do 2/3 white and 1/3 wheat), 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon each baking soda, cinnamon and salt, 1/8 teaspoon each ground cloves and nutmeg. Once I have them in the paper baking cups I top them with some walnuts (chopped or halves). Bake in 400 degree oven about 13 minutes.
We're 10 minutes away from the arrival of some friends, and August says, "Want pumpkin muffins." These were so easy to make a few days ago, and August and I had such a nice time making them, that I almost said, "OK, let's go make more." But then I pictured our friends arriving to find us covered in flour, egg all over the counter, the boy's mouth rimmed with the sugar he sneaked, and I said no. But during his nap I found 10 minutes to mix this up, so now we'll have an out-of-season snack this afternoon.
I think I decided to make pumpkin muffins in the middle of spring because I had a tub of cream cheese in the fridge and these muffins are an awesome cream-cheese-carrier. For 12 muffins, you mix 2/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons each water and oil, and 1/2 cup pumpkin. In another bowl, 1 cup flour (I do 2/3 white and 1/3 wheat), 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon each baking soda, cinnamon and salt, 1/8 teaspoon each ground cloves and nutmeg. Once I have them in the paper baking cups I top them with some walnuts (chopped or halves). Bake in 400 degree oven about 13 minutes.
I'm always just on the verge of not ordering from Fresh Direct any more (the packaging alone could get me kicked out of the food co-op), then I try something I really like that I can't get anywhere else.
Unless I go to Rosa Mexicano, in this instance. FD has just introduced a line of heat-and-eat and ready-to-cook dishes, and I signed up for the chicken thighs with Yucatan spices. I broiled the heck out of these (because I'm paranoid about undercooked poultry and 2-year-olds) and they were still moist. Not spicy-hot, but richly spiced with that hint of (is it sweetness?) cinnamon (cloves? allspice?). We ate them with rice last night, then I shredded the remainder for tacos tonight. I broiled some halved grape tomatoes that I had tossed with oil, salt and pepper, shredded some cheese and lettuce, and warmed some flour tortillas. Not authentic, but very much the kind of meal that makes all three of us happy.
I really didn't think this would coalesce into anything: a good balsamic from O & Co, yogurt cheese made from a grocery-brand yogurt, cracked black pepper and OK, big, red strawberries. I cut up the strawberries, tossed them with some sugar and let them sit, then I topped it with a dollop of yogurt that I had strained overnight so that it thickened, drizzled the vinegar over that and added some black pepper.
Now I'm not entirely sure the pepper added anything, but this was much better than the sum of its parts. The juice from those so-so berries, the sugar and that sweet, thick balsamic would be good on anything. Imagine if I had some good fruit. And the yogurt cheese, which was my contribution to a Bittman recipe, added its creamy, mellow tanginess and enough substance to make it a substantial snack or a light, light meal. Except for the sugar, this was pretty healthy, too.
It feeds my soul. It's my favorite part of the day. August and I are morning people (and Todd indulges us), so we sit around the table, eating, chatting. August stands on his chair and tells us stories, and so he paces all of us. It's the only time consistently we are all together as a family, and it's the fantasy I have when I think about what my perfect life would be.
Usually breakfast is cereal or oatmeal, or sometimes toasted bread or English muffins. This morning, because Todd's been complaining about the usual routine, I made scrambled eggs. I'm in the fluffy curds camp, not the flat, one-piece omelet-type camp, so I add a little water to the mixed-up eggs, maybe with some grated cheese or fresh herbs and definitely salt and pepper. Then I stir them in the skillet until they're almost cooked, and I turn off the heat toward the end so the carry-over heat can finish them off.
I guess the fact that breakfast such a brief moment in our daily lives is what makes the time we spend together at holidays, vacations, even weekends feel special. All of August's grandparents live a plane-ride away, and every once in a while I can be philosophical about it. August appreciates the time he has with them so much because they're not around all the time. I can't say whether it's more than if they were here every day, since that arrangement is just a dream for me, but I do think that every day grandma and grandpa are around is a holiday.
I wish I had had a chance to sit down and have something to eat here, although I suspect the desserts are a bit too precious for my taste. I did pick up one of their award-winning chocolate cupcakes and the best reason to pop by for a quick chocolate fix: the mini miso choko cake. The size of a mini muffin, these little cakes have sunken centers and a moist, fudgy texture. At $2 it's a perfect sweet bite.
The cupcake was good, too, with a crunchy outside and a moist, tender crumb.
I wish I had had a chance to sit down and have something to eat here, although I suspect the desserts are a bit too precious for my taste. I did pick up one of their award-winning chocolate cupcakes and the best reason to pop by for a quick chocolate fix: the mini miso choko cake. The size of a mini muffin, these little cakes have sunken centers and a moist, fudgy texture. At $2 it's a perfect sweet bite.
The cupcake was good, too, with a crunchy outside and a moist, tender crumb.
Today I used my two best go-to books to prepare a traditional Walker family Easter dinner, which is remarkably like the family dinner of my own childhood, only without the scallop potatoes from the box. My scalloped potatoes came from Julia Childs' Julia's Kitchen Wisdom, and they were the most successful scalloped potatoes I have ever made. It shocked the heck out of me since all that's in them is 1 percent milk, salt, pepper, butter, a bit of thyme, a bit of smeared garlic clove and some potatoes (I think it's key to use "boiling" potatoes). So easy, crisp on top and creamy underneath. Good flavor, too.
I smashed the garlic clove and then rubbed the bottom and sides of my casserole dish with it. Julia calls for peeled potatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick, but I was having a hard time peeling them because they had pretty thin skins, so I skipped the peeling part. I made two layers of overlapping slices in the dish, then sprinkled fresh thyme leaves on top (my own touch). Heated a cup of milk, then stirred in a lot of salt and pepper (maybe a couple teaspoons of salt and one of pepper?). Poured that over the potatoes, then put the casserole over a high flame on my stovetop and brought the milk to a boil. Dotted the top with cut-up butter, then baked it for 25 minutes in a 425 degree oven, until the potatoes were pretty tender and the top was brown and bubbly.
We also had ham; my other go-to cookbook is Bittman's How to Cook Everything and he recommends a glaze of heated apricot jam and mustard and a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes per pound of ham. (Since my potatoes baked at 425, that's the temp at which I finished up my ham, to fine results.) I also steamed asparagus in the microwave, and discovered through Bittman the revelation of peeling thick stalks before cooking. These were wonderfully sweet and tender, and I'll never eat thick, bitter, tough asparagus skins again (the thin ones, however, can keep their skins).
I just opened up a can of olive oil that Todd's parents brought from Spain and this is the first thing I made with it. This cake is super-easy, not too sweet and kind of sophisticated. I almost threw a little fresh thyme in the batter; I think some kind of herb would make it even more of a grown-up dessert (not to say that my kid didn't like it). I found the recipe on Simply Recipes (she got it from Everyday Food). I did not add the sugar topping. August helped me make it and we had a really good time cracking eggs and stirring it up. No yelling this time.
First you whisk 1/2 cup olive oil with 2 eggs, 1/2 cup orange juice and a cup of sugar. Mix in 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the zest of 1 orange. I baked it in a greased 8-inch springform pan (just because that's the only pan of that size I have) in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. I had checked it after 40, and it sunk in the middle at that point (I think because I took it out of the oven to test it). I actually liked the sunk-in part the best, because it was a little more dense, but the whole cake was good, crunchy but moist, subtly flavored with the oil and orange.
