Americana Kitchen: Food and American Culture

Cake Pops - They're Big on the Internet

2009-05-03T08:59:00.002-04:00

My musically-inclined friend has been having a big couple of weeks, what with her thesis defense last week and her senior recital yesterday. Because she didn't need to worry about all sorts of refreshments (and because we've already established that I'm a stress baker, and this is the last hurrah of the semester), I volunteered to make a treat.

At first I didn't quite know what to make. Then, walking either in or out of the library on Wednesday morning, I thought "Cake Pops!" I called my mom that night and explained what I was talking about. I got a rather tepid response even after explaining them, but rest assured. For quite some time now, they've been all the rage on the internet.

Since even stress bakers realize that time allowances must be made for things like final papers in your major seminar, I made these babies in the do a step - homework - do a step fashion. Turns out, cake pops lend themselves to process baking, as you need to let cakes cool, let cake balls chill, let chocolate solidify... They are perfectly conducive to the last week and a half of classes.

My musically-inclined friend's recital went really well. She played a handful of really great pieces, including one written specifically for her by her former horn teacher. That piece, which concluded the concert, ended rather spectacularly. Let's just say someone left the church doors open and, turns out, squirrels are curious about French horn sounds.

Several people at the after-recital reception, upon having a cake pop or two, told me I should skip library school and think about something culinary, maybe have a bakery. Flattering, yes, but as you all know, I am all too happy to give away my secrets (or not-so-secrets) that no sort of cooking career would be viable for me. And besides, with library school under my belt, I can be that girl who can answer the really random questions who will always bring something to a dinner party. Not a bad type of girl to be.

Cake Pops
inspired by the Pioneer Woman, Bakerella, and Confections of a Foodie Bride

a 13" x 9" cake of your choice
a can of frosting, your choice (or an equivalent amount of homemade frosting)
melting chocolate
wax paper
sucker sticks

Bake the cake and let it cool completely, preferably overnight. Crumble the cake into a large bowl and stir in almost the entire can of frosting. This process might take a little while, but make sure the cake and frosting are completely mixed. Take spoonfuls of the cake mixture and roll them into balls, placing them on a wax-papered baking sheet when you're finished. Place the cake balls in the refrigerator for a few hours until they are sufficiently chilled and firm.
Melt your melting chocolate carefully. Sticking each cake ball with a sucker stick, dip them into the chocolate, being careful to let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl before sticking the cake pops top-end-up to dry. (A block of styrofoam would, I'm sure, be great for this. If you have any.)
Note: If the sticks fall out, use a spoon to coat the cake ball in chocolate anyway. Ta da! Now you have a cake truffle!

A Celebration Dinner

2009-04-26T09:21:00.002-04:00

On Friday, my musically-inclined friend defended her honors thesis. The two of us have stuck together throughout the year-long research-and-writing process, and we've established a regular weekly work night -- a time when we know we'll get things accomplished in good company. It seemed only natural, then, to celebrate the completion of her thesis as well as mine. Lending a nice bit of symmetry to everything thesis-related, I chose the recipe for our celebratory dinner from my thesis community cookbook.

The recipe, poppyseed chicken, is from a very good friend of mine who actually works within our honors program here at my school. She had touted it to me as a "great (EASY) dish to serve when your boss is coming to dinner"; having no real boss, at least one that I would be inviting to dinner, I figured our Friday dinner could be reason enough to try out the yummy-sounding recipe.

Now, I for one am not usually a "cream of" cook; I don't normally cook from recipes that include cans of "cream of" soup. This proclivity is for two reasons: 1) recipes including "cream of" soup often result in relatively large yields, and leftovers, not matter how good, aren't really my thing; and 2) many of the "cream of" soups available are not particularly healthy. If this second concern is one of yours also, I'm sure you can find a recipe online to replace canned soup with homemade. You really should consider it.

I cannot tell you how simple this recipe was, and with what great results. My four dinner companions all said they heartily enjoyed it, and that was even before the wine kicked in. Once the wine kicked in... well, that's another story.

Poppyseed Chicken
from Amy Welch

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and torn/cut into pieces
1 c sour cream (choose your preferred level of fat)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 tbsp poppyseeds
1 c Ritz crackers, crumbled
4 tbsp butter

Mix the chicken pieces, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and poppyseeds and dump the mixture into a 9"x13" casserole. Sprinkle the top of the mixture with the Ritz crumbs, and slice the butter evenly over the top. Cover the casserole with foil, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve over rice.

The Fiftieth Post: Breakfast for Dinner

2009-04-20T20:24:00.004-04:00

Welcome, all, to my fiftieth post here at Americana Kitchen! I've enjoyed what's been the beginning of this food blog, and I hope you have, too. Seems like I've been chatting about food for quite some time already. And goodness! It's just dawned on me that I should start thinking about a blogiversary post. After all, May 25 is really just around the corner. Yikes.

I've decided to share with you this evening what I've been eating for dinner a lot over the past few weeks. Actually, what I've been eating up until tonight is the meat-free version of this dish, as I started cooking it as a Lenten dinner. Breakfast for dinner is wonderful for that; you really can adjust it to whatever dining situation you have in front of you. And I must say, I was rather happy this evening to have the slight addition of bacon to the mix. Thanks, Kroger, for the coupon for a free package of bacon. =)

I'll admit that, in writing, this recipe doesn't seem like much of anything. When you're eating it, though, it's quite tasty and so comforting. (Or maybe the comfort just comes from me remembering my dad making a weekend breakfast on occasion while I was growing up? Whatever.) Try it!

Potatoes, Eggs, Bacon, and Cheese

Potatoes
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
Eggs
Bacon
Cheddar Cheese

Peel your potatoes, cube them, and boil them until tender but not falling apart. While the potatoes are boiling, cook the bacon according to your favorite method. When the bacon is done, set it on a paper towel to drain.
Drain the boiled potatoes. In a large nonstick skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add the potatoes to the hot oil, sprinkling them with sea salt and pepper. The point here is to get the potatoes browned and starting to get crispy. Keep turning the potatoes every once in a while until they reach your desired degree of crispiness and color.
When the potatoes are perfect, crack your eggs into the skillet. Scramble them around in the pan with the potatoes until they are fully cooked. Crumble in the cooked bacon, and top the whole thing with cheddar cheese.
Note: I haven't provided precise amounts for ingredients. The beauty of this dish is that you can suit it to your specific tastes. Be free!

My Very Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2009-04-12T14:01:00.003-04:00

I know what it looks like. After a few weeks of mediocre posting, during which I only gave you one (one!) recipe, I am trying to make it up to you with another cookie recipe. The audacity that is me and my food blogging self!

I don't mean to offend, really. And the only reason I'm not sharing a cute and pastel Easter feast with you is that, frankly, I'm not having one this year. But let me assure you of two things before you decide to be mad at me for my food blogging failings: 1) this is the last cookie recipe I'll give you for a while; and 2) this really is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever made. And that's coming from someone who in general doesn't like chocolate chip cookies.

Last summer, finding the consummate chocolate chip cookie was all the rage. After an article in the New York Times, which supposedly had found the chocolate chip cookie recipe to end the decades-old ccc quest, the food blogging community tested the recipe. Yummy noises ensued from practically ever corner of cyberspace. Who even knew that could happen?

So I tried the cookies. My mom took them to a block party. She said people ate them and enjoyed them. I, however, didn't like them.

I prefer to stick with the recipe I adapted from Leah Eskin in her pre-Trib Mag food writer days back in the eighth grade. After all, it's this chocolate chip cookie that I made every week for marching band trips so as to quell my section's frustration with my mellophone anal-retentiveness. It's this chocolate chip cookie that, in all actuality, got me to take cooking seriously.

I'm not promising it'll work such wonders for you, but if, at the very least, you enjoy chocolate chip cookies, you should try this one. My secret is melting the butter. The residual heat from the butter causes the chocolate chips to start to melt in the batter, making the cookies a blend of brown-sugary goodness and chocolate instead of smooth cookie with chunks of hard chocolate. I think this balance makes all the difference.

Amy's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick butter
3/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove the pan from heat once the butter is melted. Add the sugar and eggs to the saucepan and blend well. Mix in the flour, salt, baking soda, and vanilla. Pour in the chocolate chips, then mix the batter well. Scoop the still-warm dough onto a parchment-papered or Silpat-ed cookie sheet. Bake each sheet at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for fifteen minutes. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet.
Note: This recipe can be easily doubled. I usually get 16-20 cookies from this single recipe depending upon how much dough I can keep myself from eating.

What I've Been Up To

2009-04-05T17:46:00.003-04:00

Due to a variety of circumstances including returning from spring break, attending an Easter egg hunt, and turning in my thesis (!), I have not been cooking anything new lately. Oh, I've been cooking, all right, because I can only buy meals to a certain point before I feel badly about myself. But everything I've been cooking I've already posted.

But things are looking up. My thesis defense is Thursday, and then I'm done done done with that baby. Which means, at the absolute least, you should have a tasty chocolate chip cookie recipe come next Sunday. For now, however, all I can do is leave you with a new concept in cooking:

stress baker (n.) - a person who engages in baking activities as a means of lowering stress associated with attention-demanding tasks of all sorts
i.e. How did Amy find time to bake and decorate Easter-themed cookies while finishing her thesis? She must be a stress baker!

I suppose I can leave you with some pictures as well.

Who Frosts the Watchmen?

2009-03-22T08:45:00.003-04:00

I may not document the cooking process for my recipes as well as Ree over at The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

And I may not bake such cutesy delectables as Bakerella.

But by golly, I can make a cookie to go with pretty much any literature discussion, Alan Moore's Watchmen included.

Sugar Cookies

1/2 c shortening
1/4 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

In a medium bowl, mix the shortening, butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend the flour mixture into the shortening/sugar mixture. Put the dough into a plastic bag and chill at least one hour.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide the dough into thirds. Roll one third to 1/8"-thickness on a lightly floured surface (make sure to use enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and surface). Cut the rolled dough with a cookie cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until cookies are just starting to brown on the edges. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Frost the cookies with Butter Frosting. Let the frosting set overnight before putting the cookies in a container, with layers separated by waxed paper.

Butter Frosting

2 1/2 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp milk or cream
3/4 tsp vanilla

With an electric mixer, blend all the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Add a tsp or two of milk if the frosting is too thick, and a tbsp or two of powdered sugar if it is too thin. Color the frosting as desired to decorate the cookies.

Grazing Food and a Recommended Read

2009-03-15T19:22:00.003-04:00

Today, amidst all the thesis work -- and perhaps even because of it -- I had my first catering gig. About a week ago I got the request for a "grazing" menu from a favorite lit professor of mine; and after some initial wondering about how I could possibly be qualified for such a task, I accepted.

So, happily, I spent today cooking. I made my favorite onion tart, ever-popular pesto rolls, and an ale and cheese spread with toasted French bread for savoury options, and I rounded out the menu with fruit kabobs and a taffy apple dip and my mother's aunt's cherry cheesecake tarts. Everything smelled delicious, let me tell you. I hope all the party guests enjoy.

Before I leave you with the cherry cheesecake tart recipe -- one you'll surely want to try, especially as it gets warmer and more toward picnic season -- I want to recommend Molly at Orangette's fantastic new book. I've loved her blog since I started reading food blogs about a year ago, and I've tried a few of her recipes from Bon Appetit, so it's really no wonder I essentially devoured her food memoir. I cannot wait to try some of the recipes, all of which sound fabulous. Read it, I know you'll love it.

Cherry Cheesecake Tarts
from my mom's Auntie Emagene

crust:
vanilla wafers

cheesecake filling:
2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 c sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

topping:
cherry pie filling

Put one vanilla wafer, flat side down, in the bottom of a paper liner in each cupcake pan section.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla, mixing with an electric mixer until well blended. Blend in the eggs. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the vanilla wafers, filling each cup 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
Let the tarts cool completely before dalloping pie filling on the top of each. Chill until ready to serve.

Potluck on Paper

2009-03-08T09:49:00.003-04:00

Back when this blog was only weeks old, I posted about random cookbooks. Two of the cookbooks I listed as part of my random cookbook collection are, in fact, community cookbooks, a genre I am exploring in one of the chapters of my thesis. I collected several community cookbooks, did a bit of research on their history... but still I was curious about the genre. So, being the industrious person I tend to be (maybe it's more like "biting off more than I can chew"), I decided to make my own.

And thus was born the idea for Beyond Alphabet Soup, the Honor Scholar community cookbook companion to my Honor Scholar thesis. The process was drawn-out and time-consuming, but I must say I am so proud of my final product. It's fun to flip through -- lots of good, creative recipes, as well as some fantastic illustrations by my aspiring cartoonist friend. And I had 150 copies printed so anyone in the Honor Scholar community can have one to cook from, as a memento of being at this university, etc.

And guess what? Now you can make a community cookbook, too!

Community Cookbook

recipes submitted by community members
editing skills
a working knowledge of recipe basics (e.g. soups require at least one liquid ingredient)
a computer with word processing and document formatting capabilities
food images and/or illustrations
funds to pay a printing service (unless you're going the self-publishing route)
patience (as needed throughout)

Collect your community members' submitted recipes and order them according to your liking. Read through each of the recipes for spelling, grammar, and logical errors. Once the recipes have been checked for accuracy, begin laying out the cookbook on the computer.
Assemble your images and/or illustrations and decide where they will be included in the cookbook; insert them into the cookbook layout file. Make sure your final layout file meets the specifications of your printing service, as each service may be different.
With your printing service, discuss your preferences for the cookbook's final appearance (types of paper, binding, etc.), agree on a payment plan, and submit your layout file for actual printing. Make sure the first copy comes out correctly.
Have the batch of cookbooks delivered, or pick them up on your own. Dive in.
Note: Leftovers will never go bad, so share with the community!

Auntie Fran's Cheese Log

2009-03-03T22:25:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the delay, folks; I realize it's Tuesday night and I usually post Sundays. I have a good excuse, though: I was cat sitting with a friend for some professors. It was splendid. I broke past the minimum page requirement for my thesis (80 pages!!), read a lot, finished watching Arrested Development, and I wasn't even allergic to the cat! It was a weekend simultaneously busy and relaxing, and since I know you must have a lot going on weekends too, I'm sure you can excuse my tardiness concerning this week's post.

Especially since the recipe I'm offering you is a tried-and-true tasty hors d'oeuvre that's so so easy. It's my Auntie Fran's cheese log. Yes, cheese log, that quintessential American appetizer of cheese spread rolled in chopped nuts. I say it's quintessentially American for two reasons: 1) it's my Auntie Fran's recipe, and she was a Memphis cook through and through even after moving to Florida, which means she excelled at foods for potlucks and picnics; and 2) I made it for an event at which I knew an Australian woman would be present because I thought it a quirky food-based welcome to the US.

Why am I suddenly feeding random Australians, you ask? Well, first of all, let me sure you that this was no random Australian whom I shared hors d'oeuvre and conversation with this evening. The Australian woman is Anne Orford, Australian Professorial Fellow and Director of the Institute for International Law and the Humanities at the University of Melbourne and panelist at this weekend's Humanitarian Intervention Symposium at my university's ethics center. I read her book on humanitarian intervention in a class last semester, and several of my classmates got together this evening with Professor Orford, our class professor, and the former president of the university to discuss some of the issues in her book. And what's a little heavy conversation without snacks?

The event went well, and I'm greatly looking forward to this weekend's symposium. Professor Orford also enjoyed the cheese log (as well as the pesto crescents I made). I'm sure you will, too, as an Auntie Fran recipe simply cannot steer you wrong.

Auntie Fran's Cheese Log
from Fran Hunt

1 lb cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 tsp garlic, grated
1/4 tsp season salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 c chopped nuts
paprika

Cream together the cream cheese, garlic, season salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Beat in the cheddar cheese until the mixture is uniform. On a sheet of plastic wrap, form the cheese spread into a log shape; refrigerate 4-24 hours.
Before serving, remove the cheese log from the plastic wrap. Mix the chopped nuts with a bit of paprika, just enough to add a bit of flavor. Press the nut mixture into the cheese log. Serve the cheese log with a knife for slicing and an assortment of crackers (water crackers are my favorite).

Jamie Oliver's English Onion Soup with Cheddar

2009-02-22T09:43:00.003-05:00

Go ahead, accuse me of cookbook monotony. I know what you're thinking: Another Jamie Oliver recipe? After you just gave us one last week? Goodness gracious, woman, you haven't been blogging long enough to start so blatantly cooking from a single cookbook. What's the deal?

The deal, I tell you, is twofold:
1) There's only so much time a girl can spare for sifting for new recipes when the big thesis is due in T-minus 6 weeks.
2) Jamie at Home is that fantastic of a cookbook.

Plus, this recipe is all about slow cooking a variety of onions until they are soft and flavorful. I can't resist onions like this -- and, in my opinion, you should love slow-cooked caramelized onions, too -- so really, you have no legitimate reason to fault me for blogging this particular treat of a soup recipe today. None at all.

It's snowing here again. Silly Punxsatawney Phil and his ability to accurately predict more winter. Oh well; at least I've given you a hearty, tasty onion soup to brave the coming weeks.

English Onion Soup with Cheddar
adapted from Jamie at Home

butter
olive oil
3 cloves garlic
herbs
2 red onions, sliced
2 large white onions, sliced
6 oz leeks, sliced
sea salt and ground pepper
1 qt beef stock
bread for croquettes
fresh grated Cheddar
Worcestershire sauce

Sweat the onion in a heavy-bottomed French oven in the butter and olive oil, with the herbs, salt and pepper, for 50 minutes with the lid barely ajar, then an additional 20 minutes uncovered. When the onions are right (soft and getting translucent but not really coloring too much), add the beef stock to the pot and bring it to a boil. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
Toast the bread, then use it as a lid for the bowled soup. Top the bread with a bit of Worcestershire and some grated Cheddar, then broil it (only if your soup bowls are broiler safe) until bubbling and golden.
Note: Jamie's recipe calls for shallots as well, but try as I might I can't find them at my Kroger. And I refuse to shop at WalMart. I'm sure the wonderful flavor of this soup would be even more complex with the shallots, so let me know if you use them!

Jamie Oliver's Pasta with Broccoli and Oozy Cheese Sauce

2009-02-15T09:31:00.003-05:00

Happily, this week did not explode with sudden things to do like last week. In fact, I've been able to have a rather pleasant weekend after finishing more of my writing work on Friday than I had planned. I was even able to start reading a magazine over breakfast this morning. Can you believe it?

This past week has been utterly lovely -- my friend with red hair and I have been going on walks through some of the older neighborhoods in town, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather before it all turns to winter again this week. Nothing like a week's dose of sunshine to brighten early February.

Also, I made a really tasty meal on Monday. So tasty, in fact, that I knew right then and there, as it was sitting on the table, that I had happened upon this week's blog entry. I love when that happens on a Monday! It makes cooking the entire rest of the week seem so much more relaxed and enjoyable.

Like I said last week, I've been leafing through a tremendous Jamie Oliver cookbook. The recipes and their accompanying pictures are mouth-watering, and in particular one recipe has given me a hankering for some Pimm's. (I miss Scotland.)

But anyways, yes, this recipe. It's creamy. It's warm. It's got veg. It's wonderful. Enjoy.

Pasta with Broccoli and Oozy Cheese Sauce
adapted from Jamie at Home

1 c whole milk
8 oz grated/chopped fontina
2 oz grated Parmesan
sea salt and ground pepper
1 lb broccoli
2 large organic egg yolks
pasta to serve about 4 (I used about 1/2 lb)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Put the milk and cheeses, along with salt and pepper, in a double boiler to melt together.
When the cheese sauce is oozy, remove it from the double boiler. Dump the pasta and broccoli into the boiling water and cook until done, 2-3 minutes (longer depending upon your choice of pasta).
Whip the egg yolks into the cheese sauce. Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving a bit of the cooking water in case the sauce is too thin. Mix the pasta and broccoli into the sauce and stir. Top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if you like, then serve.
Note: The original recipe calls for creme fraiche, not whole milk, and purple sprouting broccoli, no regular green broccoli, but I've never been able to find either of those ingredients in the US, let alone here in Greencastle. Also, Oliver suggests 5 oz fontina and 5 oz Parmesan; I just used what I had on hand to make up the 10 oz of cheese.

Don't Start Preheating Your Oven...

2009-02-08T18:09:00.003-05:00

...because I have nothing tasty to offer you today. The insanity that is the beginning of a semester has kept me from any significant kitchen escapades this past week. Sure, I made things to eat. But all of those meals, unfortunately for you readers, were either straight-from-the-refrigerator salami-and-string-cheese plates or heat-and-microwave V8 soup with a pita-style grilled cheese. Satisfies the hunger, sure, but nothin' special.

I promise to try my darnedest to make something tasty to share with you next Sunday. It shouldn't be too hard, considering I've been perusing an absolutely lovely Jamie Oliver cookbook. But who knows if this week will explode like the last. Oh, senior year deadlines.

I will leave you with a picture, though. I saw this truck with a message written in the wintry dirt on the back of its trailer. It made me smile, because I happen to believe that the message is true.

Beef Stew for a Snowstorm

2009-02-01T11:42:00.003-05:00

I've had an interesting relationship with beef stew. I only remember my mom making it for family dinners starting in high school, so in a way it's a relatively new food for me. Make it she did, though, and I got burned out on it after a while to the point where I never requested it as one of my home-from-college meals. As far as I was concerned, my family could indulge their beef stew tastes while I was away at school. And for a while they did.

Then, camp. Have I told you yet that I spent two of my summers in college working at my childhood summer camp? It was wonderful. And there was campfire food. Somehow, everything tastes better cooked over a campfire. Everything like beef stew from an industrial-sized food services can.

Once a week for ten weeks each summer I went on a campout with my cabin, and we cooked pudgie pies and beef stew over the fire for dinner. I think the combination of wood smoke and little burned bits from the bottom of the pan made this particular beef stew out of this world. I loved it. I hope I didn't hurt my mom's feelings too much when I said I loved camp's beef stew and she pointed out that I wouldn't eat hers anymore.

I didn't work at camp last summer, and let me tell you, I've sorely missed my beef stew. I decided that, in conjunction with my thesis (which is currently killing my spirit, if you were interested in an update), I would give myself the task of finding a recipe for homemade beef stew that I liked as much (or almost as much) as I liked camp beef stew. I like to give myself projects, especially ones that reap tasty rewards.

So last semester I tried out the New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book recipe for beef stew in a crock pot. It was mediocre, especially when compared to my standard of perfection. Unimpressed, I froze the other half of my beef stew meat and stored away the rest of my vegetable juice to await a more inspiring recipe.

Then came the snow.

My car is still under a foot of snow, and surrounded by a foot of snow on all sides for at least a four foot perimeter, so needless to say I haven't gone anywhere for a while, let along the grocery store. So, one day last week, my plans to await a better beef stew recipe were cast aside. I was cold and hungry and living off my reserves (of which I have plenty, but right now a lot of them are cold foods). Beef stew it would be.

I e-mailed my mom for her beef stew recipe, which I doctored a bit based on my preferences and pantry contents. I left out carrots because I don't like them; I substituted her tomato juice for my vegetable juice; I added a few spices. Turns out, that made all the difference. While this beef stew wasn't the same as the one I remember from camp, it was just as good and hit the spot wonderfully. I will most definitely be making it again. Thanks, Mom.

Beef Stew
adapted from Mary Koester

beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, cut into wedges
potatoes, peeled and chunked
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
3 5.5-oz V8 Low Sodium Vegetable Juice
spices to suit your tastes (I used The Spice House's Old World Central Street)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour enough of the vegetable juice to coat the bottom of a heavy-bottomed French oven, like a Le Creuset. Put the meat in next, followed by the onion wedges and potato chunks. Sprinkle the salt and sugar over the top, then cover with the rest of the vegetable juice, trying to wet all of the ingredients. Sprinkle as much of your preferred spices as you'd like. Cover the pot tightly and cook in the oven for 4 hours.

Anything-But-Bland Birthday Cake

2009-01-25T11:48:00.004-05:00

I'm starting to realize that, unintentionally, a lot of the foods I cook and then choose to blog on this site are rather bland in color (like this and this and this, for starters). And it doesn't help that the plates on which I serve and photograph the food aren't remarkably colorful themselves. As far as the plates go, I'll try to work something out. But where the appearance of the food is concerned, don't let a limited color palate influence your perceptions of tastiness; they simply are not related.

Case in point: this cake I made for my dad's birthday. Yes, color-wise it doesn't look that interesting. But I've tasted all the constituent parts (various shades of white to taupe), and they are yummy. The color does not make the cake, the flavors do. And this one is a winner.

Banana Cake with Praline Filling and White Chocolate Ganache
adapted from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes

for 3 9"-cakes:
3 c cake flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c milk
1/2 c mashed ripe bananas
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
2 c sugar
7 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9" round cake pans, lining the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper and buttering that as well.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
Blend the milk and mashed bananas in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. On medium-high speed, beat in the egg whites 2 or 3 at a time until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and banana puree alternately in 2 or 3 additions, beating until just blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Divide the batter among the cake pans.
Bake 20 -25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the layers cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.

for white chocolate ganache:
8 oz white chocolate, chopped
2 1/2 c heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Put the white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 c cream to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, letting it stand for 1 minute before whisking to a smooth consistency. Let the white chocolate cream stand until cooled to room temperature.
In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, beat the remaining 2 c cream and the vanilla until softly whipped. Stir in the white chocolate cream and beat until fairly stiff, taking care not to overbeat the mixtures, which would cause the ganache to separate.

for praline filling:
1 c pralines
1 1/2 c white chocolate ganache

Chop the pecans with a food processor or large chef's knife. Set aside about 1 tbsp of the chopped pralines, adding the rest to the white chocolate ganache and stir to mix well.

to assemble the cake:
Put a dallop of white chocolate ganache in the center of the cake stand or serving plate to keep the cake in place. Place one layer, flat side down, on the cake stand or serving plate. Cover the top evenly with half of the praline filling, leaving a 1/4" margin around the edges. Place the second layer on top, flat side up, and cover it with the remaining filling. Place the third layer on top, flat side up, and frost the top and sides of the cake with the white chocolate ganache. Sprinkle with the reserved tbsp of chopped pralines.

Movie Night Pizza

2009-01-18T09:01:00.003-05:00

My friend with red hair and I have been rather into hockey as of late. We went to an Indiana Ice game on Friday night at the Pepsi Coliseum (that's right, the three-time home of the World Pork Expo!), where we found some pretty decent hockey, lots of children clapping along to the music, and great snow cones, all for half-price admission. It was a terrific outing.

So, naturally, we were in the mood for some more hockey come Saturday evening. In the spirit of movie nights all over the country (and probably the world, for that matter, if my time in Scotland was any indication), we picked our movie and decided to have pizza for dinner.

Our movie: Miracle
Our pizza: Chicken Alfredo on a Cornmeal Crust

I must confess I've watched this movie a few times in the last week and a half, but it's fun to watch again with a hockey-loving friend anyways. And mmm, that pizza was good. So good, in fact, I'm rather glad that I have leftover toppings and that the crust is so easy to make. I love this KitchenAid.

At the very least, I think everyone should add this pizza to their repertoire of homemade pizzas; really, it's deceptively simple. And if you want a little something more? Share it with friends and watch a movie. Satisfying evening complete.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza on a Cornmeal Crust

for the crust:
1/2 c warm water
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 c flour
3/4 c cornmeal

Combine the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl. Melt the butter and pour it into the dry ingredients along with the water and lemon juice. Mix using the dough hook attachment of your mixer, or knead by hand, until the dough forms a ball. If the dough isn't forming a ball, add a bit more cornmeal to reach the desired consistency. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Wrap the finished dough in plastic, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

for the alfredo sauce:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 c heavy cream
1 c shredded Parmesan

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, whisking until the sauce becomes smooth. Continue cooking until sauce is reduced and thickened so it will coat the back of a spoon. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

for the chicken:
boneless skinless chicken breasts

Cook the chicken breasts in a 350-degree-Fahrenheit oven until done and juices run clear; the time will depend on the thickness of your chicken breasts. Use two forks to shred all the cooked chicken.

assembling the pizza:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out your cornmeal crust on a pizza stone or baking sheet; it does not have to be a perfect circle. Once the oven has reached temperature, bake the crust until the edges no longer look raw, 5-7 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and set on a cooling rack while you assemble the toppings.
Spread about 1/2-2/3 c of the alfredo sauce on the pizza. Place the shredded chicken on top of the sauce. Top the entire pizza with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan. Return the pizza to the oven and cook until the edges are browning and the pizza toppings are bubbly, about 13-18 minutes. Slice the pizza and enjoy.

The Indian Food Experiment

2009-01-11T13:12:00.003-05:00

I love Indian food.

I've loved it since I did a group project in high school and another group member and I went to our local Indian restaurant to immerse ourselves in the cuisine. So what if the project was on Hinduism? Background information is important.

I only slightly burnt out on Indian food after I was in India for two and a half weeks my sophomore year of college. After eating nothing but Indian food for days and days, I thought it would be a long time before I craved it again. Wrong.

As I contemplated aspects of my own food life during the initial stages of my thesis preparation, I considered making a few changes to the ways in which I eat the foods I want. One of these considerations was making at home foods that used to be homemade -- crackers, cookies, cereals -- but are now uber-processed. A noble and doable idea, indeed, but for a college student working on a year-long thesis in addition to regular class commitments, the cost-benefit analysis turned out in favor of going to the boxed cracker aisle of my Kroger on the rare occasion I wanted these treats. While I know I can make my own crackers (I pretty much always make my own cookies anyway), it's just not practical for my life right now.

But then I got to thinking about the cost-benefit analysis of restaurant food, ethnic food in particular. I love going out for some good Italian or Indian food. Luckily there's a good Italian place in town, but in order for me to get a tasty Indian meal I'd need to drive to Indianapolis or Bloomington and then pay for food on top of everything else. Not practical, even though I love Indian food a lot. Making the Indian food, though? I could do that.

By the time I got around to buying an Indian cookbook, it was after Thanksgiving, which means I violated my family's no-buying-things-for-yourself-before-the-holidays rule. (Sorry, Mom.) By the time I actually tried out some recipes, though, it was already after Christmas, so I'm going to go ahead and say the rule-breaking was inconsequential. At any rate, the result was tasty indeed.

Makhani Murgh, or Velvet Butter Chicken
adapted from Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni

1 1/4 lb Tandoori chicken, cooked (recipe below)
3 c canned tomatoes in puree, measured with puree
1/2 tsp red pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
8 tbsp butter
4 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 1/2 c whole milk
2 tsp garam masala

Cut the cooked chicken into 1"x1" cubes. Put the tomatoes, red pepper, and ginger in a blender and blend to a fine puree (an immersion blender would work, too).
Place 6 tsbp butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. As the butter melts, tilt the pan in all directions to coat the bottom. When the foam begins to subside, add the chicken pieces and brown them. Remove the chicken when all pieces are browned.
Add the cumin and paprika to the butter in the skillet and cook, stirring rapidly, for 10-15 seconds. Add the tomato puree mixture and cook, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking and burning.
Add the salt, milk, and chicken pieces (with any juices that may have accumulated). Gently stir the chicken to coat the pieces evenly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Check and stir the dish often, but only 1 or 2 stirs at a time, to ensure the sauce does not burn.
Sir in the remaining 2 tbsp butter and garam masala. Turn off the heat and let the dish stand, covered, for half an hour before serving. The dish should still be hot enough to serve, but you can reheat just before serving if you want.
Serve with rice.
Tandoori Murghi, or Tandoori Chicken
adapted from Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/3 c plain yogurt

Prick the chicken all over with a form and make diagonal slashes on the meat without cutting through it. Place the chicken in a bowl with the lemon juice, rubbing the juice into the slashes. Cover the chicken and marinate 30 minutes.
Put the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until reduced to a smooth sauce. Pour this marinade over the chicken pieces and mix to coat all the pieces well. Cover the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator overnight (you may want to transfer the chicken to a plastic bag to marinate).
Take the chicken from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. If you are roasting the chicken indoors, roast for 25-30 minutes in a very hot oven, at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are using an outdoor grill, make sure the grill is very hot. Let the chicken cook about 10 minutes per side, longer if needed to fully cook the chicken. Serve the chicken immediately.

The Thesis Namesake

2009-01-04T10:39:00.006-05:00

The way I see things, what better way to begin 2009 -- the year in which I will (happily) finish my thesis and shortly afterward graduate -- than with a food that I love and that is integral to at least the idea of my food thesis (which was the impetus for this blog)? I really cannot think of a better food for a first post of 2009 right now. Mmm, pierogi.

That's right, the Polish dumpling dish that seems readily available where I live (thank you Eastern European immigrants to the Chicagoland area) but that I've heard is a mere myth in other regions of the United States. Trust me, you don't know what you're missing if you're from one of these pierogi-free regions. Especially if you love all things noodle-y.

The concept is simple, really: pierogi are dumplings stuffed with fillings, traditionally things like potatoes, sauerkraut, or sweet cheese. The beauty of making pierogi yourself is that you can choose WHATEVER FILLINGS YOU LIKE. In my house, when I'm the pierogi-filler, that means some sweet cheese and some mashed potato with a little piece of Velveeta mixed in. I'm rather sure the possibilities are near endless; you have only your personal tastes to limit you.

Yesterday my mother and I took my Christmas-new Kitchen Aid mixer out of the box and gave it its inaugural task. The pierogi dough is so easy with that thing! So easy, in fact, that with two people working to mix dough, cut shapes, fill pierogi, and boil them, we made two modestly-sized batches in an hour. Beautiful.

When you've made your pierogi, you can cook them any number of ways: reboil; microwave; fry in a little bit of butter; fry in butter and onions. And you can serve them in a number of ways, too. Some people like potato pierogi with some sour cream; some people like sweet cheese pierogi with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Honestly, go to town. Really make the pierogi yours. They're so easy to make and so tasty to eat that you'd be remiss not to.

Pierogi

2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 c warm water

Beat the egg into the water, then add the wet mixture to the flour and salt to make a soft dough. (A dough hook works well.) Remove the dough to some plastic wrap (so it won't dry out) and let it stand for ten minutes.
Roll the rested dough thin on a floured pastry cloth or clean surface. Use the open end of a cup to cut your pierogi shapes. Put a small amount of filling in the center of each dough circle, wet the edge of the dough with warm water, and fold the pierogi into a half circle and seal. Make sure your seal is tight, otherwise the pierogi can split and leak in the cooking water.
Drop the sealed pierogi into salted boiling water in small batches. Cook until the pierogi have come to the water's surface, which shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Drain them in a collander, and then remove the boiled pierogi to a cooling rack to completely dry and cool. Keep them from touching, as they can stick.
Choose your preferred method for cooking the pierogi when you're ready to eat them. The last about five days in the refrigerator, or up to three months in the freezer. As if you have that much patience.
Note: Boil a few batches of your dough scraps for some tasty, plump homemade noodles. Hey, you could even use them to make this tasty dish!

Fillings

Potato and cheese: Make a small batch of mashed potatoes according to your preferred method, then spoon a bit of the potatoes into each pierogi along with a small slice of Velveeta.
Sweet cheese: Mix 1 c dry cottage cheese (farmer's cheese), a dash of salt, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1-2 tbsp sugar, and 1 egg yolk.
Sauerkraut
Pie cherries
Sweet cabbage and cheese: Saute shredded cabbage in butter until cooked, then spoon a bit of the cabbage into each pierogi along with a small slice of Velveeta.

The New Christmas Potatoes

2008-12-28T18:13:00.005-05:00

The thing about holiday meals, it seems to me, is that it is so easy to fall into a food rut. In the name of tradition, we decide not to venture from the dishes we're used to making for any given holiday. Case in point: my first Thanksgiving as cook. Everyone has come to expect certain foods when eating Thanksgiving dinner at my house, regardless of who's (wo)manning the kitchen. Thus I felt I could make no substitutions to previous years' menus. Additions, yes, but serious revisions, no. Does that happen to you?

The same thing seems to happen with Christmas. (Though I must admit that I can easily fit into the character of enabler of food tradition/repetition. I never make potatoes savoyard, for example, so I look forward to eating them every Christmas Eve at my aunt and uncle's house.) We usually have Christmas Day at my house. We usually have a ham. We usually have the candied sweet potatoes that my grandma likes; the seemingly holiday-ubiquitous mashed potatoes; the 7-Up Jell-O salad my mom remembers from nearly every Christmas in her life; some steamed vegetable, with or without lemon butter or Hollandaise; and the egg bread that essentially serves as my cousin's entire Christmas meal, as well as his stocking stuffer the night before.

Well, most of that happened this year. When I got home following fall semester finals, my mom was planning her Christmas Day buffet, a task that should be easy when the entire menu is essentially set. But then she started thinking about the potatoes: we'd just had a ton of regular mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, let's not be too repetitive; we couldn't make potatoes savoyard because we always have them Christmas Eve; we needed to be careful not to repeat the potatoes my mom's sister would serve at her dinner on Christmas Eve; so what to do? I consulted Nigella, of course.

The end result, I must say, was fantastic. Not too much of a change from mashed potatoes to wreak holiday havoc, but different enough in execution, taste, and texture to keep things interesting. I wholeheartedly encourage little holiday tradition rebellions like this one. Although, if they all turn out as tasty as these potatoes did, you might be marking the end of one tradition with the beginning of another.

Smashed Potato Gratin
from Feast by Nigella Lawson

5 lb all-purpose potatoes, + 1 potato for insurance
6 c whole milk
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 stick celery
8 scallions
pepper
2 sticks butter
4 tbsp semolina

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter two shallow roasting pans (we used a 9"x13" and a smaller casserole).
Peel and chop the potatoes and cut them into approximately 1/2"x1 1/4" chunks. Put them into a saucepan with the milk, salt, celery, whole scallions, pepper, and 1 1/2 sticks butter. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Fish out the celery and scallions. If you cooked your potatoes in a large pot, it's easiest to lightly mash them in the pot before pouring them into the perpared roasting pans. Otherwise transfer the potatoes to the pans than then mash. You can leave the pans made up to this point to sit for a while.
When you are ready to put the potatoes into the oven, sprinkle over the semolina and dot with the remainging butter. Cook the smashed potato gratin for 30 minutes or until hot through and beginning to catch and scorch in parts on the top.
Serves at least 12.

Christmas Kiss Cookie Bonanza

2008-12-21T22:57:00.003-05:00

In a departure from our traditional household Christmas baking menu, my mom and I opted to bake on a theme this year as opposed to making any and every Christmas cookie requested by various members of the family. The result, fresh from this evening, is what I'm calling the Kiss Cookie Bonanza. Hershey's, eat your heart out.

Our dessert trays contain seven variations on the kiss cookie:

Peanut butter cookie with a milk chocolate kiss
Butter pecan cookie with a caramel kiss and a sprinkling of sea salt
Chocolate cookie coated in powdered sugar with a mint truffle kiss
Chocolate cookie coated in granulated sugar with a candy cane kiss
Chocolate cookie with marshmallow fluff and a cocoa kiss
Cherry cookie with a dark chocolate kiss
Pistachio cookie with a white and milk chocolate hug

Happy Christmas!

The Literary Cookie Season

2008-12-14T15:16:00.003-05:00

Later this week I'll be whipping up a batch or two of shortbread for a tea party in celebration of Jane Austen's birthday. It may seem an unnecessary occasion to celebrate, but really, when it comes to excuses for baking cookies of all varieties, what better excuse than something literary? Books and bite-size treats seem to go hand in hand, especially when little cookies allow the reader to indulge without huge threat of pages sticking together as a result of jam hands. At least in theory.

Also in favor of a literary cookie is the fact that so many cookies exist that one can generally appropriately match a treat to the text in question. A prime example: Russian tea cakes to celebrate the final discussion of Tolstoy's War and Peace in my friend's lit class. That's what we made last Tuesday, and I heard they were a hit. There's something remarkable about having a satisfied mind and satisfied palate.

What cookie/book pairings can you think of?

Russian Tea Cakes

1 c butter
2 c powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1 c pecans, finely ground

Beat the butter (at room temperature) until it is fluffy. Add 1/2 c of the powdered sugar and the vanilla to the butter and beat the mixture until well-blended. Beat in the flour, then beat in the nuts.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll the dough into medium uniform balls and place on a parchment-papered cookie sheet. Bake each batch 18 minutes, then allow the cakes to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet.
Toss the still-warm cookies in the remaining powdered sugar and set on a cooling rack until fully cool. Store in an air-tight container.

Sunday in December

2008-12-07T22:15:00.003-05:00

How does a good student spend the Sunday before the last week of college classes for the semester? I would guess not by cooking all day, like I did. But alas, the holiday season means holiday treats as gifts. And I'll be darned if the girl doing her thesis on food doesn't turn out some tasty morsels for her friends to enjoy.

I started off today with some wonderful shortbread bites, quite reminiscent of Scotland if I do say so myself. Try them. They're worth making a bit of a mess first thing Sunday morning.

Elfin Shortbread Bites
from the New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book

1 1/4 c flour
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 c butter
2 tbsp colored sprinkles

Whisk together the flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender (or, lacking one as I was, your hands) until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Stir in the sprinkles, and form the mixture into a ball and knead until smooth.
Roll or pat the dough onto a parchment-papered cookie sheet until about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 1/2-inch squares and separate the squares over the cookie sheet.
Bake in a 325 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15-19 minutes, or until the bottoms start to brown and/or the smell of butter starts to emanate from the oven. Transfer the cookies, on the parchment paper, to a wire rack to cool.

Thanksgiving: Success

2008-11-30T14:15:00.005-05:00

Here's the run-down of Thanksgiving at my house:

Guests: 14
Estimated dinner time: 3 p.m.
Actual dinner time: 3:03 p.m.
Turkey weight: 17.7 lbs
Turkey cooking method: Brining overnight a la Nigella, then cooked by combining the Nigella and Joy of Cooking methods
Most successful appetizer: onion tart with mustard and fennel

The first dish to run out: slider stuffing (much to my brother's delight and my mother's dismay)
Best leftovers: green bean casserole
Hours I napped, having fallen asleep on the couch after everyone left: 2
My first Thanksgiving as head cook: a success

Slider Stuffing

10 White Castle sliders, no pickles
1 1/2 c celery, diced
1 1/4 tsp ground thyme
1 1/2 tsp ground sage
3/4 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1/4 c chicken broth

Cut each of the sliders into about 9 pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the diced celery, thyme, sage, and black pepper, stirring to combine. Add the chicken broth and stir until everything is moistened. Transfer the stuffing into a buttered casserole dish and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Green Bean Casserole

20 oz. frozen french cut green beans
1/3 c chopped onions
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c sour cream
1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cook the green beans according to package directions and drain. Saute the onion in butter until translucent. Add the flour, salt, and pepper, stirring to blend. Add the sour cream, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until sauce is smooth and thickened. Add the cooked beans and pour into a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the top with shredded cheddar.
Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.

Note: You can make this dish a day ahead and refrigerate it until you're about ready to heat it. It works best if you wait to top the casserole with the shredded cheese until just before it goes in the oven.

Thanksgiving Prep

2008-11-23T13:35:00.002-05:00

I exist in a land of lists right now. Lists of books left to read this semester (3), various writing projects due before finals (5, totaling about 50 pages), and preparations for Thanksgiving, just to name a few. All that craziness, combined with an attempt to not have a hugely stocked fridge over the holiday when I'll be back home, means I haven't been cooking the most exciting dishes. But I can attest to the general yummy-ness of Amy's Pesto Tortellini Bowl. If you care.

In my grand attempt at my first Thanksgiving, nearly all of my food energies are going toward planning and pre-planning for the rapidly-approaching Turkey Day. What does that mean for you, dear reader? You get to see my menu. Photos and recipes will come next week. Unless something disastrous happens and we end up eating pizza at my house for Thanksgiving. We'll see.

Appetizers:
Onion Tart with Mustard and Fennel
Veggies and Dip
Mixed Nuts

Dinner:
Roast Turkey
Classic Stuffing
Slider Stuff (yes, the kind that involves White Castle)
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Green Bean Casserole (not of the cream-of variety)
Jell-O
Egg Bread

Wine
Hot Apple Cider

Dessert:
Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream
Cranberry Apple Tart

10 Reasons to Own a Slow Cooker

2008-11-17T18:54:00.004-05:00

Slow cookers are the easiest way to a hot meal on a cold day.
You can make a huge variety of soups and stews with little to no work on your own part. That's right, no slaving over a stove until your arm is sore from stirring.
The flavors of your ingredients meld and mellow in a way only slow cooking allows.
It's economical. The longer cooking time means you can use the cheaper cuts and still get perfect, pull-apart tender meat.
When you come home after a long day of work, school, etc., your house will smell wonderful.
Dinner is ready when you get home. Since you threw everything in the slow cooker in the morning, you've maximized your relaxation time as well as the tastiness of your supper.
Slow cooker recipes usually make things in larger quantities. Which means leftovers. Which means less cooking throughout the week with the guarantee of yummy meals.
You can invite people over for dinner on a whim without stressing (hey, it's already cooking!) and hugely impress them with your tasty fare.
Slow cookers (at least all the new models) are extremely easy to clean.
It's remarkably easy to adapt all sorts of recipes for the slow cooker.

Chicken and Noodles for Chilly and Busy Days

2008-11-16T00:23:00.003-05:00

The seasonal weather has finally arrived…which means, happily (for someone with a busy schedule, at least), crockery cooking. This past week I broke out my slow cooker for the first time since last winter. And my, was the fare delicious. After deciding to make good on my self-promise to use my New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book more often, I started off the chilly season with their beef stew recipe. I had a few friends over for dinner that night, and the stew was so good it was gone before I could snap a single photo.

This week I’ll be cooking a variation on a family recipe: my Aunt Kathy’s slow cooker adaptation of my Grandma Ethel’s chicken and noodles. Tonight I’m eating at the Elms, DePauw’s presidential mansion, so there’s no need for me to make a dinner; that means I won’t be posting pictures of the chicken and noodles until Monday after supper.

But for those of you too anxious to wait and see what the dish looks like before cooking it up for yourselves, here’s the recipe. Like any good family recipe, measurements are imprecise and depend entirely upon your taste and texture preferences. Have fun with it. And enjoy.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles
from Ethel Koester via Kathy Connor

boneless, skinless chicken breasts
parsley
water and/or chicken broth
onion, chopped
carrots, grated or chopped
chicken soup base
salt
pepper
noodles (egg or Amish tastes best, unless of course you have homemade…)
corn starch (optional)

Place the raw chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle them with parsley, then cover pour over the water and/or chicken broth until the chicken is covered. Place the chopped onion and grated carrot in the slow cooker as well. Add some of the chicken soup base for a stronger chicken flavor. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
Add the noodles to the slow cooker with 30 minutes left in your cook time. If the broth is still particularly thin after the noodles have been added and cooked, add a bit of watered-down corn starch to thicken it.
Note: If you refrigerate leftovers, be aware that the noodles will continue absorbing some of the liquid. While this doesn’t affect the taste any, the texture will be noticeably thicker upon reheating.

When You Repeat a New Dish for the First Time

2008-11-09T11:26:00.003-05:00

What with my seemingly infinite amount of homework and the fact that I haven't done a real shop since sometime in October, I haven't been able to try any new dishes lately. I did, however, have time to repeat a dish I tried for the first time in September; a dish which, luckily for your blog reading, I have not yet written about and which is particularly tasty. Just a hint of spicy; easy to make; pasta; cheese; how can you go wrong?

For my birthday this summer, my parents got me two cooking-related items: Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes and a recipe card collection from America's Test Kitchen. While Sky High is by far the more fanciful of the two, for a college student with my life, the recipe card collections has proved most useful. It's got a slew of simple meat, pasta, poultry, and fish recipes, all of which photograph beautifully and just call out to me to try them. Too bad cooking for one means more days of leftovers than opportunities to try something new! (This last dish lasted me four days, I think; all of them were delicious.)

The combination of a little bit of heat and the pasta in this dish make it particularly suited for this time of year -- at least, this time of year when November in Indiana realizes it should be crisp and chilly as opposed to 75 degrees and begging for me to walk around barefoot. So take my advice: find out where they keep the chorizo in your grocery store, find a good book to cozy up with while this simmers, and get cooking!

Spicy Pasta Bake with Chorizo
from America's Test Kitchen Fast & Fresh Recipe Card Collection: 64 Suppers, 30 Minutes or Less

1 lb chorizo sausage
1 onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1/2 c heavy cream
12 oz penne
salt and pepper
2 c shredded Jack cheese

Cook chorizo and onion in a large heatproof skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat the broiler.
Taking the pan off the heat, uncover the pan and stir in 1/2 c cheese. Top with the remaining cheese and broil until the cheese is melted and spotty brown, about 3 minutes.

Election Night (and into the wee morning hours) Snacking Menu

2008-11-04T08:35:00.003-05:00

I've been doing a significant amount of research for my thesis; and while I'm generally saving making broader connections and larger conclusions about this research for this winter when I have no other course commitments, occasionally I'll find little pieces of information or recipes that I can't help but link to one another. One such amusing category, and the reason for this special edition Election Day blog, I'm calling election food.

It all started last winter when I was perusing my mom's cookbooks for a good coffee cake recipe to serve on New Years Day. Both because it sounded delicious and because I found its connection with a presidential candidate entertaining, I selected Lenore's Coffee Cake; Lenore Romney is Mitt Romney's mother. The coffee cake was good, and I mentally filed it away as a recipe worth repeating before I went on with my life.

Fast forward to September. Soliciting for recipes for the Honor Scholar Community Cookbook I'm creating as a part of my thesis, I got an e-mail from one of my professors claiming she had a cookbook I might find helpful for my research. As an interesting side note, she added that it is authored by Rose B. and Nathra Nader. Also known as Ralph Nader's mother and sister. Ta-da, the election food category was born.

To these recipes from presidential candidates' family members I've added recipes from other candidates that have been published online. What I give you is a suggested menu for an Election Night party that goes until the wee hours of the morning, when (hopefully for real this time) the results are official. I hope you enjoy.

(Oh, and I don't want you to think that by not providing a recipe from Sarah Palin I am purposely under-representing the Republican ticket. I don't have a recipe from her simply because I couldn't find a genuine Palin recipe online. And I didn't want to pull a Cindy McCain and plagiarize.)

Election Night (and into the wee morning hours) Snacking Menu

Appetizer:
Naders' Chicken Spread
(from Ralph Nader's mother and sister in It Happened in the Kitchen: Recipes for Food and Thought by Rose B. and Nathra Nader)

3 1/2 lb chicken
2 medium onions
3 celery stalks with leaves
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp thyme
1 cinnamon stick

Boil chicken in cold water, barely covering, for a few minutes. Throw water out and rinse the fowl, removing the skin. Return the fowl to the pot, cover with cold water, add the cinnamon stick, salt, and pepper, and cook until done. Grind the meat finely with the celery stalks including the leaves, parsley with stems, and onions. Season with salt, poultry seasoning, and thyme. Sever on crackers or whole wheat or other dark bread.

Entrees:
Senator Barack Obama's Chili
(from Good Morning America)

1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
several cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey or beef
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground basil
1 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped
1 can red kidney beans

Saute onions, green pepper, and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add ground meat and brown. Combine spices, then add to the ground meat. Add red wine vinegar. Add tomatoes and let simmer until tomatoes cook down. Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes. Serve over white or brown rice. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, onions, and sour cream.

Senator John McCain's Ribs
(from Good Morning America)

Dry Rub:
1/3 part Garlic Powder
1/3 part Salt
1/3 part Pepper
3 lemons

Turn the grill down to low temperature. Mix together garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then cover both sides of the ribs with the rub. Grill ribs, bone side down, for 90 percent of the time. It will take about an hour to an hour and a half. Squeeze the lemon on it frequently, because that makes it taste a lot better.

Dessert:
Senator Joe Biden's Favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
(from the kitchen of Mary Ann Kelley 2007, as printed for Yankee Magazine)

1 c shortening or butter
1 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 c old fashioned oats
1 c raisins
nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Beat together the shortenings and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture, oats, and raisins and mix well. Use portion scoop and drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes (should be golden brown in color).

Breakfast:
Lenore's Coffee Cake
(from Lenore Romney, mother of Mitt Romney, in Get Smakelijk)

1/2 c butter
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 2/3 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c pecans, chopped
1/2 c raisins, optional
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a greased 9"x9" baking dish. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Stir in vanilla. Pour half into baking dish. Combine brown sugar, pecans, raisins, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter in baking dish and cover with the rest of the batter. Bake 35 minutes.

Please make sure you vote today!

Halloween Weekend

2008-11-02T15:57:00.004-05:00

Today, like the entire weekend, is dreadfully busy, so this will be a short post. Never fear, however; check back Tuesday for a special election-themed post. I don't like to disappoint.

Melt your chocolate chips slowly to prevent any extra trips to your local baking aisle.

The Betty Crocker costume was a hit at the two Halloween parties I attended this weekend, as were the white chocolate corn puffs I took along and which I so briefly mentioned before. While my intention had been to tint the white chocolate a bright Halloween orange with food coloring, my lack of orange (or red and yellow) food coloring precluded me from doing so. I don't think any party-goers wanted to complain.

So simple; so strange; yet so good.

White Chocolate Corn Puffs (or A Very Easy Party Treat)

1 pkg. white chocolate chips
1 pkg. generic brand baked corn puffs (the kind found in the chips aisle, not the cereal)

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler over medium-low heat, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until smooth. Remove from heat.
Pour the corn puffs in a receptacle of some sort, be it a large bowl or casserole dish. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the corn puffs. Use the spatula to turn the mixture, making sure that the corn puffs get an even coating of white chocolate. Let cool, stirring periodically to prevent the puffs from forming one giant lump.
Note: If you don't pay close enough attention to the chocolate chips in the double boiler, they will go straight past the melted stage and seize up into an unusable chalky mass that is not fun to scrape out of your double boiler. And then you have to go buy more chocolate chips, so please, be vigilant.

The Betty Crocker-font nametag did wonders for costume recognition.

A Taste of Austen

2008-10-26T09:25:00.003-04:00

Five months ago I was in Bath, England. During the tail end of my semester in Scotland, I took a week for a little British holiday, during which I toured up to the Isle of Skye and made short stops in Bath and London, where I saw some old friends. Let me tell you, I never thought I'd be old enough to have "old friends," let alone to see them in far-off places like London, but that seems to be the direction in which things are heading.

But anyways, Bath. As in the sometime setting for Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, and the place where Austen herself spent five years of her life. For a Jane Austen fan (like me), going to Bath is a pretty big deal. Not only is Somerset gorgeous, but the city itself is still pretty much as it was during its Georgian heyday. Which means I got to walk the path that Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth walked after they finally admitted they still loved one another, dreamily ambling down the foliage-covered path eating some tasty strawberries and Cheshire cheddar I picked up at the morning market.

Savoury Cheddar scones fresh out of the oven

While I went through the Jane Austen Centre's museum portion once, I had lunch at the upstairs tea room twice. There's just something fun about sitting in an old Regency tea room and making your food selections from a menu of dainties named after Jane Austen characters. My favorite savoury was Mr. Elton's Cheese Scone, which was good enough to momentarily excuse the fact that Mr. Elton is a heel. My favorite sweet? Darcy's Millionaire Shortbread, of course.

I've been wanting to recreate the warm cheese scone served with chive cream cheese for quite some time, and yesterday I finally got around to it. And while there's a little something extra to a scone served in a magical literary place, the homemade version was well tasty, too.

Scones served properly, split with a bit of cream cheese

Savoury Cheese Scones with Chive Cream Cheese
inspired by the Regency Tea Room, adapted from Nigella's How to Be a Domestic Goddess

for the scones:
3 1/3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3 oz grated sharp Cheddar
1/4 c cold unsalted butter, diced
2 tsbp shortening, in small lumps
1 1/3 c milk
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar into a large bowl. Stir in cheese. Rub in the fats. Add the milk all at once and mix briefly. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead, lightly, to form a dough.
Roll or pat to about 1 inch thickness, then use a cutter or slicer to make 10 to 12 scones. Place on a baking sheet, then brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until risen and golden.

for the chive cream cheese:
8 oz cream cheese
fresh chopped chives

Beat together the slightly softened cream cheese and chives. Try to make sure the mixture is pretty even, then dish it up into a pretty little bowl and serve with the warm scones.

Perfection.

Weekend Getaway

2008-10-19T21:59:00.002-04:00

My cousins picked me up on Friday evening on their way up to Michigan. Although they both now live and work in Chicago, they call Big Rapids home; my aunt and uncle have a fantastic house on gorgeous property up there, and it's a treat whenever I get to visit. I simply love getting to spend time with family. And not only were the fall colors fantastic this weekend, but simply everything about the weekend was cozy. Now I also have a handful of new additions to my "to cook" list, inspired by the tasty variety in which we partook over the course of the past 48 hours.

Saturday:
-French onion soup
-homemade salsa and chips
-Skyline chili bonanza (3-ways and chili cheese fries)
-homemade apple crisp

Sunday:
-eggs, potatoes, and homemade breakfast sausage
-homemade sauerkraut
-chicken and noodles (my Grandma's recipe, updated... oh, the thesis implications!)
-white chocolate corn puffs

How do these dishes translate in terms of my "to cook" list, you ask?

I'll be making a Cooks Illustrated French onion soup in my Le Creuset as soon as the afternoons in Greencastle have a serious chill. I'll be experimenting with enchilada casserole 2.0, using the homemade salsa in place of enchilada sauce. I'll be recreating the chicken and noodles with the assistance of my crock pot. And I'll be tweaking the white chocolate corn puffs to make them Halloween party-appropriate.

Because if you're going to a party as Betty Crocker, dessert is the perfect accessory.

Inauguration Weekend

2008-10-12T11:07:00.004-04:00

Friday afternoon, DePauw officially got a new president. After all the week's pomp and circumstance leading up to the inauguration ceremony, Friday was itself quite relaxing. I attended the ceremony with friends; we went to the lawn reception that followed and tasted desserts I can only describe as quaint because of their littleness; we stared in disbelief at the several open bars available to whomever could produce proof of age, student or otherwise; we sat on my lawn watching a rather impressive 30 minute fireworks display; we went to the Third Eye Blind concert and wondered at just how into the spirit of the day our fellow students felt.

Fireworks over Julian

Yesterday I sat on my porch and watched the Old Gold (equivalent of DePauw's homecoming) parade pass down my street, and after that it was a complete return to regular college life on campus. Translation: lots of work to do.

I think the gold firework looks like a weeping willow or falling stars. A friend things it looks like spears. I'll let you decide.

But I know I can manage because I have a few fun study breaks planned for today. In addition to going to church for the student mass and chili supper (free homemade dinner!), I plan to peruse this Sunday's special food issue of the New York Times Magazine. Oh, and I'll be taking a dessert break to have the leftover piece of marshmallow pie I whipped together Friday evening.

Marshmallow pie in 90 minutes flat

Because who invites people over to watch fireworks and doesn't offer them pie?

Doesn't it look marshmallow-y and wonderful?

Marshmallow Pie

1 ready graham cracker pie crust
2 c whipping cream
8 oz large marshmallows (about 30)
1 oz white chocolate, grated
rainbow mini marshmallows
rainbow sprinkles
8 maraschino cherries
4 squares white chocolate, cut in half diagonally

Pour 1/2 c whipping cream into a medium saucepan. Over low heat, melt the large marshmallows into the cream, stirring constantly. When the marshmallow cream is liquid, remove from heat. Allow to cool back to room temperature.
Whip the remaining 1 1/2 c whipping cream with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Using a spatula, fold the marshmallow cream and grated white chocolate into the whipped cream. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.
Place rainbow mini marshmallows along the edges of the pie, and sprinkle a liberal amount of rainbow sprinkles on top. Refrigerate for one hour.
Decorate the pie with the maraschino cherries and white chocolate triangles, one for each of 8 pie slices. Refrigerate again until ready to serve, at least one hour.
Note: If you decide you want a pie more than three hours before you plan on serving it, feel free to make your own graham cracker crust. I'm sure it will taste better and make you feel better, too.
Note: If you're like me and don't really give yourself time to run by the grocery store, make and assemble the pie, and chill it properly, go ahead and stick it in the freezer instead of the refrigerator. Worked for me.

An Ethnic Treat for the Masses

2008-10-05T15:58:00.005-04:00

This past week has been somewhat of a doozy. To supplement my regular schedule of classes, homework, and work, it seemed all sorts of meetings sprouted up throughout the week. Not to mention the fact that I spent the better part of two days creating, editing, and formatting my poster for this Tuesday's Honor Scholar Senior Thesis Poster Presentation. That's right, everything thesis has been thrust to the forefront of my life.

What goes into a simple dough

For those of you who can't stop by this Tuesday evening (although you should if you can, 6 p.m. in the Julian atrium), let me give you a run down and an update on the status of my project. Right now my tentative title is Pierogi Make Me Polish: Food and Constructions of Identity. Not to pat myself on the back too much, but I'm quite proud of the main title. Alliteration, reference to a fabulous dumpling... what else could make my project more enticing to the (hopefully) hoards of people meandering through the poster presentation?

Oh, that's right. Cookies.

Cherry pastry filling adds sweetness

By pure providence, when my mom brought my grandma's recipe box down here last weekend, I found her recipe card for Kolocky, a Polish version of what seems to be a pretty ubiquitous Eastern European treat of buttery cookie folded around sweet fruit filling. I made a test batch last week, and boy were they good, and especially so for someone who generally frowns upon using fruit as the main sweetener in a dessert.

Did I mention it really is a simple dough?

I'll be making about twelve dozen of these babies over the next few days leading up to Tuesday evening, and I'll have them available alongside my poster. I'm considering the Kolocky the edible embodiment of the three parts of my thesis:

1) Food and Ethnic Identity -- Kolocky are a Polish cookie;
2) Food and Personal Identity -- these particular Kolocky come from a recipe handed down to me via combination of my grandma's recipe card of ingredients and my mom's verbal instructions for making them;
3) Food and Community Identity -- I'll be serving these Kolocky to the Honor Scholar community at large.

This should help you visualize the assembly process.

Okay, so that last one is a bit of a stretch. But I'll have a whole stack of blank recipe cards and informational flyers for interested parties to actually submit their own family or favorite recipes to the Honor Scholar Community Cookbook I'll be creating as a part of my thesis. So really it all balances out.

Ta-da! Tasty Polish perfection.

Before I relay this incredibly simple and incredibly tasty cookie recipe, let me leave you with a few questions to get you thinking about the different parts of my thesis:

How does food help construct your identity?
How did immigrant women respond to new culinary limitations in the US?
How did they create the foods of home in this new land?
How did food serve as both momento and ethnic marker?
At what point do the foods people eat cease to describe what, ethnically, they are and instead describe who they are?
What foods do you cook and eat?
What do they say about you?
What community cookbooks are on your shelves?
Are you a member of these communities?
What are your favorite recipes?

I'd love to hear any and all thoughts on these questions, and again, stop by the poster presentation Tuesday if you're able. Otherwise just enjoy the cookies.

Straight from the recipe box

Kolocky
from the combined knowledge of my grandma and mom

1 lb oleo or butter
8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp powdered sugar
3 c flour
fruit pastry filling of your choice (I'll be serving up cherry, raspberry, and apricot)

Bring the oleo and cream cheese to room temperature. Cream them together, then mix in the powdered sugar and flour. Move the resulting dough into a zipperlock pastic bag and let it chill for at least two hours (this makes it much easier to work with).
On an extremely well-floured board or pastry cloth, use an extremely well-floured rolling pin to roll the dough quite thin. My grandma's official suggestion is rolling it "almost as thin as paper." Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into squares about 2"x2".
Transfer the dough squares to a parchment papered cookie sheet. Using teaspoons or a small spatula, place pastry filling on each square from corner to corner diagonally. Fold the filling-less corners into the cookie's center, creating what looks like a flattened canoli (if you visualize food like other food).
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Try not to burn yourself as you anxiously nibble an oven-hot cookie.

Porch Sitting and Picnicking

2008-09-28T13:00:00.005-04:00

I must say that I got lucky, living in a cozy house/apartment with such a fantastic front porch. Not only does it allow me to sit in the fresh air and read, but it's also perfectly inviting for friends. Why, just this past week the porch was host to several impromptu chats and discussions and one planned toast in celebration of the birthday of F. Scott Fitzgerald. It's a multi-purpose porch.

Caesar salad tastes quite wonderful despite being so simple to make.

Then, yesterday, my parents game down to visit. My dad grilled burgers on his portable grill on the porch while my mom and I set up all the picnic-y foods I'd made for our comfortable September afternoon lunch. You know, the kind of lunch that you eat before walking over to the football game where your nose gets just a bit sun-burnt?

The food was good, our team won, and my nose is already less red today than it was yesterday, so I'm going to call the entire experience a success. And, now, I'm going to forgo any more chit chat and just give you these tasty recipes. My porch is beckoning.

Pesto ingredients, pre-processing.

Caesar Salad

romaine lettuce, chopped
shredded Parmesan cheese
croutons, preferably garlic, preferably homemade
Caesar salad dressing (recipe below)

Toss all the ingredients in a bowl and serve.

Caesar Salad Dressing
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (pronounced WER-ster-sher, for those curious)
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

Pulse ingredients in a food processor until combined and no large chunks of garlic remain. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, shaking to recombine before tossing with the salad.

It may look dull in color, but trust me, it's not dull in flavor.

Pesto Pasta Salad

3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 c lightly packed fresh basil
1/4 c fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/3 c grated Parmesan
1/2 c olive oil
8 oz cooked pasta, preferably fusilli

Pulse all but pasta in a food processor. Add to the pasta and toss. Refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature to serve, or don't. Whichever you choose.

GCB (Garlic Cheeseburger)
inspired by Marvin's in Greencastle, IN

hamburger patty
slice American cheese
GCB hamburger roll (recipe below)

Grill the hamburger patty to your desired done-ness, adding cheese for the last few minutes so it gets melty. Serve the cooked cheeseburger on the GCB bun, adding your preferred condiments as necessary.

My first experience working with dry active yeast was a tasty success.

GCB Hamburger Rolls
adapted from Coconut & Lime

2 3/4 c flour
1/2 c milk
1/2 c water
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 oz active dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water
Italian herbs
garlic salt

Bring the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm, between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whisk together the flour and yeast in a large bowl. Pour in the milk mixture and stir until the dough starts to come together. Knead the dough on a well-floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, covering with a towel until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and divide into 6 roll-shaped balls, making sure the tops are smooth. Place the rolls on a parchment papered-baking sheet, then cover with the towel until the rolls double in size, about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together the egg yolk and water to make an egg wash, brushing in on the tops and sides of the rolls. Sprinkle each roll with some Italian herbs and garlic salt.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the rolls to cool, then slice.

Baked Pasta for Fresh Tomato Season

2008-09-21T11:08:00.003-04:00

After scoring some fantastic tomatoes at the Lafayette Farmers' Market last weekend, I knew it was time to try the recipe from one of my favorite blog posts of the summer. Molly over at Orangette used her tantalizingly minimalist photos to secure this recipe a spot on my to-cook list back in June--before I'd even officially typed up the list. So I was quite happy when the perfect storm descended last weekend.

Thankfully, the food processor makes short work of saucing those tomatoes.

And no, I'm not talking about the 10 inches of rapid rainfall in my home county that caused floods meriting canoeing down my street. I'm talking about the purchase of the aforementioned tomatoes, the aforeblogged cool-ish weather, and the happy coincidence of tomato sauce recipes appearing on the Bitten blog.

My very own simple yet sensational homemade tomato sauce.

I quite happily made a total mess out of my kitchen sink and counter, using far more kitchen equipment than I usually allow a meal to require; keep in mind I don't have a dish washer. I even got to break out the 2-quart Le Creuset bestowed upon me by my aunt, the perfect prep for breaking in the gorgeous birthday gift 5-quart later this autumn.

Simple and pretty; how much better can it get?

I'm generally quite happy to try new recipes that require a big chunk of my time for two reasons: one, I find time spent on a dish is usually proportional to its overall taste and flavor; and two, I'm a college student and have plenty (and I mean plenty) to read in the downtime that is stirring, simmering, and baking. But if you're not usually a cooking-all-afternoon person, at least consider giving this dish a try. The gorgeous smell wafting through your house alone will make it worth the effort. And that's before you even take a bite.

This photo makes me wish I still had leftovers.

Baked Pasta with Homemade Fresh Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
inspired by Orangette and Kerri Conan

2.5 lbs fresh tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
salt
1/2 lb small pasta, such as shells
1/4 lb Parmesan, freshly grated
8 oz. mozzarella, sliced
fresh basil

For the sauce: Core the fresh tomatoes and pulse until relatively smooth in a food processor. In a 2-quart saucepan (or preheated round oven), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute until it becomes aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes to the pot and dust with salt. Cook the tomatoes on relatively high heat; the sauce should bubble, as you're carmelizing the tomatoes as opposed to stewing them. Cook until the sauce is reduced by at least half, about 30 minutes, or to your desired thickness.

For the pasta bake: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, tossing it with half the tomato sauce and grated Parmesan. In an 8''-by-8'' casserole, layer half the pasta mixture, half the remaining sauce, half the Parmesan, half the mozzarella, and half the basil. Repeat using the remaining ingredients. Cook for 15 minutes or until bubbling, then broil the top for an additional 2 or 3 minutes if your casserole dish is broiler safe. Briefly let cool, then dig in.

Note: Amazingly enough, this really does seem to get better as leftovers the next day. It's the one time I'm glad my dad isn't here to take over leftover disposal duty.

Welcome to Soup Season

2008-09-14T15:14:00.003-04:00

While it's true that the weather generally stays warmer here in Greencastle than in my hometown, we've been having a pleasant bit of a cool streak. This past week the temperature has been almost entirely in the lower 70s, which, while not the perfection that was 55-degree Scotland, has been pretty comfortable. Reading on the porch is all the more tolerable in the 70s than in the high 80s, as it was when I first got here. And it's a whole lot easier to rationalize starting to work through my list of five soups to try this semester when the evenings are particularly cool.

Nothing warms an evening like hot, broth-y soup!

I broke out that list this week, cracking open The Deen Bros. Y'All Come Eat again this semester. And since I'm only cooking for myself, which means I can be particularly picky about my choices of ingredients, my soup was a bit of an improvisation anyways. I know it's not exactly the most photogenic soup, especially with my changeable photography skills, but it was tasty. I wouldn't automatically accompany it with grilled cheese sandwich dunkers as suggested in the cookbook; tomato soup is still by far the best for that. But it did its job to warm me up after I sat out on the porch reading just a bit too long.

Vegetable Beef Soup
inspired by The Deen Bros. Y'All Come Eat

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground chuck
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 beef bouillon cube
1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 16-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 c uncooked small pasta

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks for even cooking. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned meat to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the celery and onions to the pot, cooking them in the residual fat until they are softened.
Add 2 quarts water, the tomatoes, the bouillon cube, herbs, garlic salt, pepper, and bay leaf to the pot. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Return the meat to the pot and add in the frozen veggies and uncooked pasta. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and serve.

Chicken for Company

2008-09-07T17:26:00.003-04:00

When my once and future roommate, who is studying in Washington, D.C. this semester, said she'd be at school to visit on Labor Day, she was expecting to get fast food or stop by the cafeteria. Being the friend that I am, I just couldn't let her do that. Instead, my current roommate and I threw an informal little dinner party. Great conversation, and I finally got to use all my place mats and set the table with all of my new dishes. It was such a pretty little set-up in our cozy little kitchen.

The finished product

Oh, and the food tasted wonderfully, too. In case you're into the actual food component of a dinner party.

Look at the marvelous pinwheeling!

Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pesto
4 balls fresh mozzarella, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a meat pounder or rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts to a thickness of about 1/4''. Place the pounded chicken breasts on a greased or parchment papered baking sheet. Spread 2 tbsp pesto onto each chicken breast, then top with the sliced mozzarella. Roll the "stuffed" chicken breasts and secure with toothpicks. Spread the remaining pesto on top of the rolled chicken breasts, 1 tbsp on each. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes, or until the juices run clear.
Note: Technically this is a recipe for rolled chicken, as you roll the pounded chicken breasts as opposed to actually stuffing un-pounded chicken breasts. But rolled chicken makes me think of chicken rolled into a wrap, and chicken wraps make me think of cold chicken which makes me think of lunch, not a dainty little Labor Day dinner. So you can see why I'm sticking with "stuffed."

Possibly the Very Best Thing I've Ever Made

2008-09-06T18:33:00.004-04:00

What I made myself for dinner tonight was so good that I simply could not contain myself; I had to blog it tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow. Which actually works out well for you, because I still have another recipe for tomorrow. But right now the focus is all on the gnocchi.

Making the gnocchi dough calls for a potato volcano of sorts.

I've been a fan of the video podcast Crash Test Kitchen for quite some time now, but only recently did I go back and watch the episodes filmed before I subscribed on iTunes. Lo and behold, after watching quite a bit of idiosyncratic cooking, this masterpiece came to my attention. And since I got a bunch of fresh basil and some potatoes at the farmers' market this morning, I figured there was no better day to begin my foray into making pasta.

Just look at how cute they are!

That's right, for this recipe, you make your own pasta. It's actually surprisingly simple, albeit sticky, if you're making gnocchi. There's no rolling the dough impossibly thin to form noodles; instead you roll the dough into little logs, not dissimilar from a child with Play-Doh, then cut them. Really, it's a cinch. And the pesto was pretty much a snap, too, especially when I decided it would be silly to dirty the cheese grater on top of everything else and I just threw the Parmesan in the food processor with the basil, nuts, and garlic.

Heaven on a plate

Biting into my dinner was like eating a little bit of heaven; the gnocchi were like little pillows of air, and the pesto was light enough to match while still supplying terrific flavor. Upon further reflection, although only because I don't want to have started off my pasta-making endeavors with a difficult-to-repeat perfect 10, I came up with two ways this dish could possibly have been better. One, if I used my potato ricer, which is at home, instead of just a fork to mash the potatoes; this would have gotten rid of the very occasional lump in the pasta. And two, if my grocery store hadn't been out of pine nuts. But I must say, everything tasted better than fine with only a fork and some walnuts.

When all the gnocchi rise to the top, they're done cooking.

Potato Gnocchi with Pesto
adapted from Crash Test Kitchen

for the gnocchi:
4 large baking potatoes
1 egg
1/4 + 3/4 cups flour, plus some to coat the pasta

Bake the potatoes in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for one hour or until done. Scoop out the potatoes from their skins and mash together, making sure not to leave any lumps. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour on your flat working surface and place the mashed potatoes on top. Mold the potatoes in a volcano shape and crack the egg in the middle crater. Using your hands, work the egg evenly into the potatoes. Sprinkle 3/4 cups flour over the potato mixture and work it into the dough the same way. When the dough has the same consistency throughout, you're done. If it seems too sticky, add a bit more flour.
Cut the dough into 8 portions and, one at a time, roll each portion with your hands to create a log about the width of your finger and about a foot long. Cut each log into about 3/4-inch bits, then lightly coat them in flour to prevent sticking before placing them on a plate. Once you've cut all your gnocchi, place the plate in a refrigerator for 90 to 120 minutes.
Bring a pot of salted water to a full boil. Carefully dump the gnocchi into the water to cook; they will sink to the bottom of the pot. When all the gnocchi have risen to the surface, use a slotted spoon to remove the gnocchi from the water onto the serving plate. Don't worry about getting some pasta water on the plate; it will help to loosen the pesto.
Top with pesto and serve.
Note: You can make any sauce you want to go with these gnocchi.

A food processor makes fresh pesto easy.

for the pesto:
1 cup fresh basil
1/3 cup pine nuts (you can substitute walnuts if necessary)
1 clove garlic, peeled
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup olive oil

Place the basil, pine nuts, garlic clove, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Secure the lid and turn the food processor on until the mixture is uniformly sized. Add the grated Parmesan to the mixture, and pour the olive oil through the open slot in the top of the food processor. Pulse until everything is just combined. Serve on top of your pasta.
Note: You can skip grating the Parmesan and allow the food processor to chop it along with the basil and pine nut mixture.

Cooking in College, Year Two

2008-08-31T09:44:00.004-04:00

It may have something to do with working on a food-themed thesis, but I've been cooking a lot since I got back to school. Well, let's call it making pretty, tasty meals, some of which involve cooking. Forgive me, it's hot, and the kitchen isn't air-conditioned. But I've been quite happy with what I've turned out so far: a steak salad with Parmesan peppercorn dressing and a spicy pasta bake with chorizo, for example. I distinctly remember the first few meals I cooked for myself last year, in my first kitchen during my first semester without a meal plan. They mostly failed, or were mediocre at best. Not this time around.

I'm making a concerted effort to use the myriad of food resources at my fingertips, and so yesterday I made a list of all the dishes I've read or heard about that I want to make this semester. It's a long list of hopefully blog-worthy food. And I can officially check this one off, quite tasty enough to be a keeper.

Tandoori chicken with red potato and green bean saute

Every once in a while I have a taste for Indian food, so when I was shopping around the Spice House website at the recommendation of my best friend's brother-in-law, I decided to try the Tandoori Seasoning. And I must say, with such a great flavor from such a simple marinade, I was happy and my hankering for Indian food was satisfied. The potato and green bean side, easy as well, rounded the meal out beautifully. Week one of cooking in college, year two: success.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

1 chicken breast (I prefer boneless skinless, and since I'm only cooking for myself, I get to choose)
6 oz. plain yogurt (or a similarly small container; I use non-fat)
1 tbsp Tandoori seasoning

Mix the yogurt and Tandoori seasoning to create the marinade. Put the marinade and chicken breast into a zip-top bag, making sure the chicken gets coated in the marinade. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Remove the marinated chicken from the bag and place on a grill (George Foreman is my pick, but that's all I have). Cook as long as you would a regular chicken breast, or 9 minutes on a George Foreman grill. Remove from the grill and serve.
Note: If you're not cooking for one, you can easily increase the recipe to serve as many as you want.

With such pretty, fresh ingredients, how can a girl go wrong?

Red Potato and Green Bean Saute
adapted from The Deen Bros. Y'all Come Eat

salt
small red potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
fresh green beans, trimmed
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes depending on their size. Add the beans and cook until they are tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, being careful not to let it burn. Add the potatoes, beans, salt, and pepper to taste and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes, stirring to coat evenly. Remove from the skillet and serve.
Note: Again, if you're not cooking for one, you can easily increase the recipe to serve as many as you want. I just don't want to be eating leftovers forever.

Summer's End

2008-08-24T17:03:00.003-04:00

How does the end of summer always manage to sneak up on people? Tomorrow I move back down to school for what promises to be something of a culinary semester, at least if we're judging by the pile of cooking utensils waiting to be loaded into my car. It's been an eventful summer, full of swimming in lakes and a wedding. All kinds of good stuff. Nothing, however, compares to the family reunion of last weekend.

It's the Hungarian side of my family, and because neither you nor I have the time for me to recount all the craziness that has taken place at these reunions over the years, I'll give you two examples for your own consideration:
1) Every year at our stuffed-cabbage-featuring picnic, "the elders" (my grandmother and her brother) announce the winner of the Fetla Award. It goes to the person in the family who has done the stupidest or funniest thing in the course of the long weekend. The competition is fierce.
2) At our 2002 reunion in Indianapolis, the women all went to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding. We laughed doubly hard because, with a simple substitution of stuffed cabbage for stuffed grape leaves, that's our family.

I kid you not.

Look at the lovely colors of the Hungarian flag, all in a tasty summer salad!

Over the years we've all attributed the zaniness to our common ancestry for no better reason than we tend to end up surrounded by the colors of the Hungarian flag (also, most of the people who married into the family are normal). What better way to feature the red, white, and green than by commandeering the Italian Caprese salad? That's what I did, and let me tell you, it was a hit at the first (and last) annual birthday gala.

Magyar Salad
(formerly Caprese Salad)

fresh ripe red tomatoes
fresh mozzarella
fresh basil leaves
herb-infused olive oil

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella in even-sized slices. To assemble the salad, repeat a pattern of sliced tomato, sliced mozzarella, and basil leaf until you run out of an ingredient. Drizzle the assembled salad with the olive oil and serve.
Note: Depending on your preferences, you can drizzle the salad with plain olive oil, olive oil and vinegar, Italian dressing, plain balsamic vinegar... please, just don't make it too complicated.

Mom's Chili

2008-08-17T20:54:00.005-04:00

As I get ready to go back to school next week, I'm filling up on all of my favorite foods from home. Tonight's dinner was my mom's homemade spaghetti, and later this week I'll have some fantastic grilled pork chops and my brother's homemade hamburgers. With all the chaos of getting my brother ready to go to college for the first time, though, it turns out there aren't enough dinnertimes remaining for all our favorites. Luckily for me, my mom will be making a huge batch of her chili, freezing it, and sending me back to school with a supply. Yum.

Once the meat is browned and the chili powder is mixed in, you can easily finish off this recipe in a slow cooker.

This recipe is an original; my mom created it by combining all the best aspects of her sister's recipe with the recipes from church chili suppers. It's been a family staple for years, even surviving my vegetarian phase (substitute the meat with BOCA ground crumbles or a similar product; my brother never even noticed). I like it with ditalini noodles and shredded cheddar on top. My brother likes it plain with saltines. It's tasty on a baked potato, and I'm planning to try some on a cornmeal-crust pizza sometime this fall. Go crazy.

Ditalini. Chili. Shredded cheddar. Mmm.

Mom's Chili

2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef or turkey
4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 beef bullion cube
2 6-ounce cans tomato juice
1 drop Tabasco
1 1-lb can red beans
1 1-lb can tomatoes

Brown the beef, onion, and garlic in the oil in a large stock pot. Drain excess fat. Stir in the chili powder and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Add all of the remaining ingredients, stirring to blend. Cover and simmer the chili slowly for 2 to 3 hours, stirring often.
Note: You can also make this chili in a slow cooker. Brown the meat and add the chili powder on the stove, then transfer and add everything else to the slow cooker. Cook it on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

Wisconsin Eating, Part Two

2008-08-10T09:50:00.004-04:00

I'm back from my week-long vacation in Wisconsin, and what a fun and relaxing week it was. What with all the swimming, floating, pontooning, tubing, and attempted water skiing, it was a rather eventful week. And, thanks to the personalities who like cooking as much as I do, not devoid of good food.

Lake Kaubashine as the morning mist lifts

My Italian chicken sticks went off without a hitch, as did my grilled pizza (which required some degree of improvisation due to the time limits of the charcoal grill and the stickiness of Jiffy pizza dough without the hope of flour as a thickener). Really fantastic, though, were some of the other meals. Here's a rundown:

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
Herb and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken
Vegetarian Four Bean Chili
Chilaquiles
Gorgonzola, Fig, and Pecan Salad
Fajita Explosion Salad (chicken with all the fajita fixings)
Fried Wisconsin Cheese Curds

Yes, I know fried cheese curds do not a meal make. But it was Wisconsin. And the cheese shop with the best cheese curds was only two miles away from our cabin.

Unfortunately for this blog, the only food I took pictures of the week was s'mores, and not even s'mores in their melt-y, messy glory, just the marshmallows. Let me tell you, though, they were delicious. And the marshmallows (look for yourself!) were toasted to perfection.

Behold: The perfectly toasted marshmallow

Since it seems somewhat silly to give a recipe for a classic s'more (graham + chocolate + toasted marshmallow), I'll use my camp counselor knowledge to give you a recipe for a perfect marshmallow-toasting fire.

How to Build a Fire to Toast the Perfect Marshmallows

an even number of firewood logs (at least 4)
kindling (such as dried pine needles or strips of newspaper)
medium-sized sticks (no green anywhere on them)
matches or a lighter

In your fire pit (and you should have one if you want to be Smokey the Bear safe) use the firewood logs to assemble a log cabin structure, two logs to a level. On the bottom of the log cabin, spread the kindling so that when it catches fire it exposes the flames to both air and the logs. Place the sticks above the kindling and between layers of your log cabin. When you've finished building this structure, it should look as though the kindling will set the sticks, then the logs, aflame.
Carefully light the kindling on two sides of the log cabin using matches or a lighter. Depending on your fire-building skills and experience, you may need to provide some encouragement to the fire in the form of air. If the flames look weak at the beginning, blow downwards into the kindling (e.g. fanning the flames).
Now comes the part that separates the burnt marshmallows from the perfectly-toasted: let the flames die down, just like you would with a charcoal grill. Once the flames stop trying to kiss your marshmallows, the residual heat within the log cabin will be optimal for quick-toasting as many marshmallows as you, or the 12 others on vacation with you, can eat.

Wisconsin Eating

2008-07-31T16:31:00.004-04:00

As of tomorrow morning, I'll be vacationing in Wisconsin with my best friend and her family. This trip has been a tradition in her family for years, spanning multiple generations, and since sometime in middle school I've been lucky enough to join them when my schedule fit.

Not wanting to be a rude guest (and being a guest who likes to cook), I've always contributed to making lunches and treats, and I always cook one family dinner during the week. The only one I can remember making (it's been a while since I've gone) is my mom's spaghetti, but I don't do repeats. Not with people I only see a few times a year.

My meal this week will be Italian Chicken Sticks, Paula Deen's herb-y baked take on kid-friendly chicken fingers (did I mention there will be four children aged seven and under in Wisconsin?). I made them for New Years Eve and they were a hit, so I figure repeating them with whatever veggies look delightful and some sort of potatoes will keep everyone happy on my night for dinner. That is, if they haven't all filled up on the wonderful local cheeses during afternoon snacks.

I'll be back August 10 with another post and, hopefully, photos. In the meantime, if you've got a hankering for some tasty chicken, try these out. I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Italian Chicken Sticks
from Paula Deen

1 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch ground red pepper
8 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 cup melted butter
marinara sauce or honey mustard, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Dip the chicken strips in the melted butter with one hand, then dredge them in the crumb mixture using your dry hand to cover. Place the chicken strips on a lightly greased baking sheet, taking care not to overlap them. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with the sauce of your choice.

If You Use More Sprinkles Than Spices

2008-07-27T15:27:00.004-04:00

This post may seem like a total backward step in baking after all that hullabaloo about cake decorating. I mean, two posts about the fancifulness and effort that is baking the cake, making the icing, filling and icing the cake, making the decorating icing, tinting the decorating icing, filling pastry bags with the appropriate decorating tips with the appropriate tinted icing, decorating the cake...

...only to be followed up with a post on sprinkles?!? I know, I know, any five-year-old can decorate a cake with sprinkles, right? Maybe so. But if you're like I was before I started cooking for myself in college (i.e. if you bake more than you cook), sprinkles are good. They're cheery. They're fast. They make any baked good look homemade and yummy.

And boy are they handy and impressive-looking when you've got a sprinkle rack.

Presenting... the Sprinkle Rack!

It's so simple, yet so ingenious. It's just a spice rack, spice containers emptied, washed, and then filled with all your favorite sprinkles. I got mine as a birthday gift several summers ago, and I've been storing all of my necessary sprinkles there since. Right now the contents include four colors of sugar, several varieties of rainbow sprinkles, two different chocolate sprinkles, toffee bits, and your average assortment of holiday sprinkles (hearts, Christmas lights, Christmas trees, stars). They're always right there, whenever I need them.

Like I told you, it's ingenious. Plus it looks pretty sitting on the kitchen counter. Doesn't it just make you want to bake and be happy?

Just think of the wonderful creations you can bake with sixteen varieties of sprinkles!

Cake Decorating: The Birthday Cake

2008-07-20T11:02:00.005-04:00

Here you go, folks: my birthday cake, my first real try at cake decorating.

The cake: Spice Cake
The icing: Browned Butter Icing
The decorating icing: Wilton Buttercream in a floral theme

Looks good, right? I'm pretty sure it'll taste fantastic, too.

The cakes cooling. Look how perfectly symmetrical!

Spice Cake
from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

1/4 c. butter
2 eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c. buttermilk

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour (or use a parchment paper base) two 9-inch round cake pans and set them aside. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger; set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for ten minutes, then remove them from the pan to cool completely. Once cool, frost as desired.

For being an icing novice, not too bad!

Browned Butter Frosting
from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

3/4 c. butter
6 c. sifted powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a small saucepan heat butter over low heat until melted. Continue heating until butter turns a delicate brown. Remove from heat. In a large bowl combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add browned butter. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on medium to high speed, adding additional milk if necessary. Makes enough to fill and frost a two-layer cake.
Note: For those of you who don't know (ahem, that was me), browning butter takes a long time. And you need to clarify the butter, too, which means skimming off the creamy solids after the butter has completely melted. If you neglect to do this (ahem, that was me again), just make sure not to let the solids burn. Then pour the whole thing through a coffee filter and you'll end up with the browned butter.

Pretty, right? At least I think so. And it's my cake, after all...

Wilton Buttercream (for decorating)
from The Wilton Way of Cake Decorating

1/6 c. butter
1/6 c. shortening
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
1/2 lb. sifted powdered sugar
2 1/2 tbsp cool milk

Cream butter and shortening together with an electric mixer. Beat in sugar, 1 cup at a time, blending well after each addition and scraping sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula frequently. Add milk and beat at high speed until it becomes light and fluffy. Keep icing covered with lid or damp cloth and store in refrigerator if not using immediately. Bring to room temperature and rebeat to use again. Tint the icing the colors you need and decorate to your heart's content.

Cake Decorating: The Beginning

2008-07-13T13:53:00.005-04:00

What does the average semi-employed college student on summer vacation do with free time? Probably watch a lot of television. What do I do with my time when my circumstances fit the above description? (Hint: You're reading a food blog).

Cook.

Some of my decorating tips, lined up all pretty.

Lately I've done quite a bit of cooking experimentation, trying new dishes and reading cookbooks. My latest project, however, is a bit more involved. You see, I want to learn how to decorate cakes.

Due to a variety of circumstances (including not being able to get into a cake decorating class and the fact that my library has a Wilton cake decorating book) I am teaching myself this skill. Not too hard, right? I mean, I've baked cakes before, although I have to admit that in the past it was all about doctoring up boxed cake mixes and a multitude of sprinkles. But it's not like my first project is anything of major importance. The first real cake I'm going to decorate is my birthday cake, next weekend. If it looks odd, I really don't care all that much. And I'm pretty sure my friends will still dig in.

The full practice sheet definitely showed signs of my cake decorating inexperience, but I saved the extra icing for another practice round.

The major element of cake decorating, it seems, is making the intricate icing designs. Start with a well-iced cake (I'm confident I can accomplish this, although it might take more patience than I normally put into frosting a cake). Then, with your general design in mind, use the decorating tips and tinted icing to create your masterpiece. Viola!

Right?

Although I've had years of experience in decorating cookies of all sorts with many of these same decorating tips, I knew I needed practice. So I picked up a can of generic pre-made icing at the store and sat down at the kitchen table today to try my hand. I think I got better as I tried each tip more, and I'm sure better quality icing will improve the decorations for the real cake.

Flowers made with tip 107. I accidentally bought the left-handed tip. Does it make a difference to someone who doesn't know what she's doing? I don't think so...

Here's where I need input. Despite having a general idea of how I want to decorate the cake, the actual flavors aren't chosen yet. What do you think?

Cake: Chocolate? Red velvet? Butterscotch?
Filling: Chocolate ganache? Buttercream? Caramel icing? Whipped cream?
Outer icing: Chocolate buttercream? Vanilla buttercream? Stabilized whipped cream? Same as the filling?

As the icing got warmer, my script improved. Also, check out the leaf! I patted myself on the back for that one.

Let me know what you think, or if you have any other suggestions. Then come back next week to check out the final product.

The Cooking Class

2008-07-08T22:20:00.004-04:00

I know, I'm late. I was supposed to update with a new post on Sunday, but in all honesty I got distracted. And now I cannot remember by what.

There is good news, however! Instead of making up for my tardiness with a hastily scraped-together post on Monday, I decided to wait until after my Tuesday evening cooking class. It's a legitimate class, so I figured it would be good, right? Correct. Be glad I somehow got so wrapped up in something or other on Sunday that you now get to find out about grilling pizza.

Roll your dough as flat as you possibly can. That's a bit of cornmeal you see on the dough, to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin and the grill.

Yes, I know, two out of my first seven blog posts will now be about pizza. But grilled pizza is good. Very good. So good, in fact, that I am happily imagining so many deviations from my usual plain-cheese pizza preference. Taco pizza? Sounds terrific. Chili pizza? Yum. Chicken alfredo pizza? Sign me up.

Cook the bottom of the pizza before flipping and adding sauce and toppings.

But I'll get to the actual pizza part in a moment. A main point of this post, you see, is the cooking class itself. Now, my interest in taking cooking classes this summer stems both from my interests in everything culinary and the fact that I am getting practically no hours at my part-time summer job. On a larger scale, though, it seems I'm not even close to being the only person interested in learning about cooking in a hands-on social setting. Case in point: I couldn't sign up for the July Wilton cake decorating classes at my local Jo-Ann because it's completely booked. Also, my local newspaper includes a weekly rundown of places all over the Chicago-land area that offer cooking classes. The supermarket where my grandmother shops offers twice-weekly stand-alone classes. People want to attend these classes. People want to learn how to cook new and interesting things. Doesn't that make you feel good about the world?

I hope, for part of my research, to get more information on the number and types of cooking classes being offered in the country, as well as information about the people who attend them. But that will be later. Now comes the pizza.

What do you like on your pizza?

Like any pizza, grilled pizza is comprised of three parts. And like any really good pizza, you get to pick all the details of those three parts. So I'm just providing loose guidelines and suggestions as far as ingredients go.

Pizza crust:
Use your favorite! Stick with a white pizza crust, try a wheat one, or you can Google something new and exciting, like a cornmeal- or polenta-based crust. The class instructor suggested seasoning your crust; most pizzerias don't, so this is your opportunity to really improve.

This is a picture of the pizzas before they go on the grill after topping them...

Sauce:
Use your favorite! Stick with a tomato-based pizza sauce, use olive oil (as in an Italian "pizza bianca," or white pizza), or try a pasta sauce. We had a great alfredo sauce. Try salsa. Chili. Pesto. Barbeque sauce. If it's even remotely sauce-y, try it!

Toppings:
Use your favorite! My only suggestion is to make your toppings match your sauce. Tonight I tried tomato, onions, and mixed cheeses over olive oil, and my mom tried chicken, spinach, and Parmesan over alfredo sauce. Both were terrifically yummy.

...and this is a picture of the finished product, melt-y and delicious. Have I mentioned I love pizza?

Cooking instructions:
Make sure all of your toppings are cooked through; this means that meats should be fully cooked and veggies should be cooked to your liking. Heat the grill to high heat. Roll your pizza dough into the size and shape you prefer, and roll it as thin as possible (it will puff up a bit as it grills). Place the dough on the grill using a turner or your hand. Cook, covered, for about two minutes or until the bottom side is done.
Take the dough off the grill with a turner. Flip it over so the cooked side is facing up. Cover the pizza with the sauce and toppings of your choice. Reduce the heat of the grill to about medium and place the pizza back over the heat. Cook, covered, until the cheese is melted (or, if you didn't add cheese, until the toppings are hot). Carefully remove pizza from the grill using a turner and let cool for a few minutes. Slice and serve!

The Joy of Random Cookbooks

2008-06-29T20:36:00.003-04:00

I mentioned in my post on homemade pizza that I've started a collection of rather random and kitschy cookbooks. I think they fit in perfectly with some of the ideas within this research project that is Americana Kitchen. Think about it: sociologists and historians love every sort of written record of a person or group of people because it speaks to the culture of that time and place. The same is true for cookbooks. They say something about the person who owns them and the time in which they were published or were popular.

Take, for example, a shelf full of cookbooks like Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Meals and Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade. What do those books say about the cook? Probably that he or she wants to put full, tasty meals on the table without a ton of prep work and kitchen time. What do they say about the times? Well, for one, it shows just how popular food media has become. And two, if these cookbooks are popular (and the cookbook section at my local Borders suggests they are), that means people are probably steering away from ready-made meals and fast food and instead are trying some recommended shortcuts to apply the whole DIY thing in the kitchen. That's quite a bit of information from a few cookbooks on a shelf.

I've always been a bit more attracted to the idiosyncratic, and that's why my little collection is more random than perhaps your everyday cook's resource shelf. These books include:

Alcatraz Women's Club Cook Book
Dewey or Don't We? Librarians Cook
How to Gorge George Without Fattening Fanny

From the Alcatraz women's enjoyment of using molds (to present rice in a ring around cooked meat) to the diet-type recipes from a 1970s model, these cookbooks (and the others I procure over time) will probably say some interesting things about the nature of food culture in America and how it's changed over time.

And then we can ask... what does the fact that they're all on my cookbook shelf say about me?

I Scream, You Scream...

2008-06-22T21:56:00.004-04:00

It's no secret that I love ice cream. Coming from the family I do, not loving ice cream was pretty much a genetic impossibility. Every family vacation I remember involved ice cream, and the best were vacations with a variety of local ice cream shops. Not only could I try a new flavor every night, but I could try a new flavor at a new shop. In my book, such a great ice cream set-up equals a fantastic vacation, no questions asked.

My mixture wasn't entirely well-blended when it went into the ice cream maker. But that didn't affect the taste in the least.

Even though I happily eat (and crave) ice cream throughout the year, summer is the nostalgic season for the creamy, frozen treat. We all remember the ice cream man; he seemed like the purveyor of deliciousness when I was little. Over time I've refined my ice cream palate, so to speak, although I still prefer classic flavors to the new, candy-filled concoctions the major ice cream companies seem to have been inventing lately.

Watching the ice cream thicken is basically the physical manifestation of anticipation.

When I decided to try cooking lots of new foods this summer, I added something of an ice cream clause to my personal goals. I remember ice cream as being a real treat, terrificly tasty and comforting, and I wanted that feeling again. Thus, for this entire summer, I'm not buying ice cream at the grocery. Instead, I'm making it. Because nothing recalls the childish joyousness of ice cream like a batch fresh from the ice cream maker.

Mmm, so chocolaty! Mike and I decided it would taste great with some marshmallows mixed in.

I received an ice cream maker for my birthday a few years back, and thus far I've stuck to the flavors detailed in the instruction and recipe booklet that came included. So far this summer I've made three great flavors: orange sherbet; fresh strawberry ice cream; and tonight's dessert, chocolate fudgesicle ice cream. It was thick, fudge-y, and oh-so-simple. Mike (the cupcake guy, who's always up for a culinary experiment) said it was great. I hope you like it as much as he did.

All gone!

Chocolate Fudgesicle Ice Cream
from the Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker instruction and recipe booklet

2 packages (3.4 - 3.9 ounce) instant chocolate pudding
3 cups reduced fat or lowfat milk, chilled

Mix ingredients until well blended. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and let it thicken for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately, or freeze in an airtight container.
Note: I haven't tried it yet, but theoretically you could use any flavor/s of instant pudding in this recipe. Chocolate banana? White chocolate pistachio? Get creative, and do let me know if you stumble on anything genius.

Pizza, Wiseguy Style

2008-06-15T21:55:00.005-04:00

I don't start working for the summer until tomorrow, so I've had quite a bit of free time these last few days. That translates into lots of cooking for me, and it has been a rather productive week in that department: homemade hamburger rolls to go with my brother's homemade burgers, a pot of chili of my mom's own recipe, and homemade marshmallows (from the most recent issue of Bon Appetit) made into wonderful backyard s'mores. I also ventured into a new cookbook to change up my family's weekly pizza routine. More on that tradition later.

Last week, while making an Amazon purchase, my brother suggested I order The Wiseguy Cookbook in order to get free shipping on the order (does your family, too, band together in order to reach the $25 minimum to qualify for super saver shipping?). He's been talking about Goodfellas since before I left for college, so I was a little skeptical at first. He assured me, however, that based on all the delicious-looking food in the movie, the cookbook would be a hit. I reasoned it would fit in with my odd assortment of society and kitsch cookbooks (a post on this growing collection will follow in the near future). Turns out we were both right.

One of the pizzas before going into the oven, plus some of the components: yummy, sweet-garlicky sauce and packages of shredded cheese.

This week on pizza night I made homemade dough based on Fat Larry's Pizza Dough recipe. I say "based on" because I neglected to read the instructions carefully, but luckily my impatience resulted in a tasty crust anyway. The sauce was based on the Basic Tomato Sauce recipe, taking author Henry Hill's advice as to what type of tomatoes to use. Toppings were to suit my, my brother's, and my parents' tastes. Here's what I did:

Pizza Dough
based on Fat Larry's Pizza Dough from The Wiseguy Cookbook

2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley

Put water and olive oil in the bottom of a breadmaker. Add flour, salt, and herbs on top. Make a shallow well in the center of the dry ingredients and carefully spoon in the yeast, making sure it does not get wet (you don't want to activate it too soon if you're setting the timer for later). Set the breadmaker to make a white dough. Once the dough is finished, punch down a bit and roll out on a floured surface. Makes two approximately 12-inch round doughs. Work quickly, because the dough wants to shrink once it's shaped. Once you've assembled the pizzas, you'll want to cook them in an oven preheated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (hotter if you can; Hill says the hotter the better when it comes to baking pizza). Watch for your preferred state of crispiness, 10-20 minutes.

The cheese pizza upon coming out of the oven. Look at the cheese on the edges starting to brown...

Pizza Sauce
based on Basic Tomato Sauce from The Wiseguy Cookbook

7 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced to your liking
1/4 cup olive oil
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sugar

In a saucepan, briefly cook the garlic over medium heat. Before the garlic browns, add the canned tomatoes, basil, parsley, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook at a simmer, uncovered, for an hour (sauce will thicken during this time). Let the sauce cool a little before you spread it on the pizza dough.

Pizza Toppings

For two 12-inch pizzas, I used a total of 3/4 lb. shredded mozzarella and 1/2 lb. shredded Italian cheeses mix. Part of one pizza also had sliced red peppers, sliced onions, and sliced mushrooms cooked in a pan just before being added to the pizza. But you should use whatever ingredients you want. Otherwise, where's the pleasure in the pizza?

The second pizza, 1/4 cheese and 3/4 red pepper, onion, and mushroom. The cheese on the veggie side is less brown because the mushrooms let out a bit of liquid as they continued cooking in the oven. Probably should have pre-cooked them longer to avoid making the toppings soggy.

Before I go, here are the details on the weekly pizza tradition in my family. My dad has been refereeing high school football since before he and my mom got married. Once my brother and I were old enough to be picky eaters, my mom figured it would be easier to just take us out for pizza on Friday football nights since my dad wasn't eating at home. Thus a tradition was born. We started out at Pizza Hut every week, then progressed to the terrific Italian family restaurants that Chicagoland is blessed with. My dad loves pizza, too, so we just kept up the weekly routine once his ball season was over. We've been eating pizza, either out or in, pretty much once a week year-round ever since, usually on Fridays. I don't even want to think about what that means for my lifetime pizza consumption. Although it has been rather tasty.

Asiago Potatoes - The Easy Tasty "Fancy" Potato Side Dish

2008-06-05T16:16:00.015-04:00

While I've always enjoyed sharing and swapping recipes with people, I didn't make the jump to sharing my favorites with a wider public until last fall. I'd been a writer and editor for my college newspaper for two semesters when I decided to add a food column to my list of writing commitments. The original intent of the column was to provide recipes students could make using only ingredients from the convenience store on campus. Choice was limited, however, and so I decided to leave that idea behind and instead just focus on the "ease factor," always so important for college students. One of my later columns included these potatoes (with the student-friendly name "Easy Cheesy Potatoes"), a personal and family favorite.

Shaking a bag full of potatoes and seasonings is almost as fun as crushing ice in a bag with a mallet.

We've been eating these potatoes at my house for about as long as I can remember, although until recently my mom only made them for special occasions. Last year, though, as I shadowed the cooking process, I saw just how easy they are to make. The most labor-intensive task is cubing the potatoes, everything else is either shaking or flipping. Now this dish has become almost a weekly staple side starch at my house. They're that easy, and they're that good.

Make sure to turn the potatoes twice while cooking to allow them to cook evenly.

I've heard some people say that no matter how large a closet they have, they will always fill it with clothes; content somehow manages to always meet capacity. In my family, these potatoes follow the same line of logic: no matter how much we make, we'll eat the entire dish. The formula has held up over time as we've served the potatoes to all manner of guests, family members and camp friends alike. Everyone finds them yummy.

The finished product should have golden, crispy edges.

They look quite tasty and impressive when you set them out on the dinner table in a nice casserole dish, and my mom says that makes them an ideal first dinner party potato.

Ease, taste, and a pretty finish. What more can you ask of a side dish?

Asiago Potatoes

6 potatoes peeled and cubed
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup grated Asiago cheese
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Combine the flour, cheese, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Shake the cubed potatoes in the bagged mixture. In an oven-safe casserole dish, melt the oil and butter, then pour the seasoned potatoes into the dish. Bake for 60 minutes, turning the potatoes every 20 minutes for even cooking. Makes 4 large servings.
Notes: Depending on how thin-skinned your potatoes are, you may not want to peel them. It all depends on the consistency and fiber-content you're looking for. Also, you can substitute pretty much any cheese you like, although harder cheeses like Asiago and Parmigiano-Reggiano work best. If you really want to give your taste buds a treat, mix a few together.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

2008-06-01T12:19:00.010-04:00

My mom has always asked my brother, my dad, and me what type of cake we want for our birthdays. My brother always requests a banana cake, and my dad tends to vary his answer year to year. For as long as I can remember, my cake of choice has been a delicious chocolate cake, a Hershey's classic.

Mix the batter until smooth.

It's still a few months until my birthday, but luckily an opportunity for making and savoring this cake has presented itself today. I just returned from a semester in Scotland, and this afternoon my family is going to visit with my grandparents. My grandpa mentioned in passing to my mom that he's had a taste for chocolate cake, and tonight we'll all benefit.

More batter in the pan = More yummy cake!

This cake really is fantastic, and the beauty is that you can make it simple or fancy to fit your taste or schedule. For birthdays and other special occasions, it's pretty easy to make an impressive two-layer cake. For impromptu occasions like today, or picnics where you'll want to serve more people, you can bake the cake in a 9-by-13 inch pan and frost in situ. The recipe is barely any more work than a boxed chocolate cake mix, if that's the way you tend to go, and the results taste infinitely better. And while the homemade frosting really is, well, the icing on the cake, a canned frosting tastes pretty darn good, too.

Frosting should have a creamy, spreadable consistency.

No matter what you do, it seems, this cake tastes wonderful. And, if your family is anything like mine, you'll be able to rationalize eating a piece for breakfast. What a way to start the day.

The finished product. Decorate to your heart's content!

These recipes are also available on the package for Hershey's Cocoa.
Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake
from Hershey's Kitchens

2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or other light oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in the boiling water (using the whisk works best). Pour into two greased 9-inch round pans or a greased 9-by-13 inch pan. Cook two 9-inch pans 30 to 35 minutes, or a single 9-by-13 inch pan for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven when a toothpick comes out clean, then cool completely before frosting.
Note: If you use the two 9-inch pans to make a layer cake, you'll want to remove the cakes from their pans after 10 minutes and let them finish cooling on a wire rack.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
from Hershey's Kitchens

1/2 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the butter, then stir in the cocoa. Alternately beat in the powdered sugar and milk on medium speed. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk. Add the vanilla last. Frost the cake and enjoy.
Note: If you're making the layer cake, make sure to leave enough frosting to cover the entire cake; don't use it all on the center layer.

**Sunshine cupcakes update will follow in the next week or two. I arrived home to a plethora of cupcakes and various other planned goodies (like today's cake), so I had to temporarily put off the bake test in the interest of my friends' and family's waistlines and dental health.

The First Post, and Sunshine Cupcakes

2008-05-25T11:31:00.006-04:00

Sometime last fall, when I was still in the formulating stages of creating a thesis around food and American culture, I had two potential cookbook ideas.

The first was rather involved, and it necessitated me receiving some sort of grant money. I didn't want to get too specific about the type of grant, because who am I to say who can give me money to do what I want? I wouldn't refuse an opportunity that comes my way. With this money, I'd buy an Airstream trailer with a kitchen and travel all over the United States talking to people about their traditional family recipes. The Airstream, in case you were wondering, is necessary to this plan because as the cookbook author I'd need to make each of these recipes. My friend Katie said she'd help me photograph and taste-test everything. After the terms of the grant ran out, I'd have compiled all the favorite family recipes in the nation. What better cookbook can you want? Everything was bound to be delicious.

That idea, minus the grant and road trip aspects, has given way to one facet of my research: talking to people about what food has to do with their family heritage. Luckily it seems people are willing to talk on this point. I've already received promises of stories about three different types of stuffed cabbage.

My second idea, which luckily is small enough for me to pursue on the side, has to do with cupcakes. There are lots of cupcake cookbooks, I know, but this one is meant to be pleasing to two types of cooks: those who read recipes in the traditional cookbook format, and those who would rather read a diagram and bake from there. Each cupcake, invented by me, would have two pages in the book. The first would show a photograph of the cupcake with your regular list of ingredients followed by a paragraph of instructions. The second page, however, would show an artist's rendering of the cupcake (in my head, this is done in watercolor) with schematic-like lists of the contents of both cake and frosting, with short instructions to the side.

I shared this idea with my friend Mike, who happens to be quite a cupcake enthusiast, and he was willing to put up with my discussions about watercolors in order to taste my creations. I made my first last fall after tasting a particularly good key lime hard candy: Key Lime Cupcakes. Unfortunately I can't share that recipe right now as it's at home in Indiana and I'm finishing my semester in Scotland. I have, however, brainstormed another new cupcake, though it has yet to be tested. Details on that to follow upon my return home. Here it is:

Sunshine Cupcakes
cupcake:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
orange zest

Cream butter, then add sugar until well mixed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then alternate adding the flour and liquid ingredients until smooth. Scoop the batter into the lined cupcake tin and cook for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. Makes 24 cupcakes.

frosting:
2 tbsp butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tbsp milk

Beat ingredients together until mixed. Frost cooled cupcakes, then serve and add some sunshine to your day!