CAVEAT: Baker, I am not

I've never been a proficient baker-- and at the grand old age of 35, I think I can pretty much write that skill off. The fact is-- I don't like baking for a number of reasons:

1. I don't have a sweet tooth. I attribute this to my healthy parents and their somewhat hippy-ish ways where we were much more likely to eat wheat germ and keefir than eat anything with refined sugar. Not that they were beasts. My mom made the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. They just weren't a daily thing and we only got to have them as the most special treat (sometimes made with whole wheat flour).
2. Baking and dessert making is fussy. There's lots of weird ingredients (cream of tartar??) that you don't use often or frequently. There's measuring-- exact measuring, which I do not do. And there's little room for improvisation. If you don't have a specific ingredient it's not as easy to find a substitute. And things have to be done in order. Blah.

That said, I do like to serve a full meal-- including dessert. But my lack of baking talent and sweet tooth pushes me towards things like tarts or crisps (or clafoutis, which I've recently discovered. Not only delicious but achingly simple-- it's basically pancake batter poured over fruit and baked). No-- I very rarely make my own crust.

We're headed to a bbq tonight and I wanted to bring something sweet. And since I'm an annoying perfectionist and a wannnabe foodie, I decided I'd have to make it. I've been tossing an idea around in my head based on a frozen yogurt concoction I used to love in high school. In case you didn't know, Los Angeles is the land of frozen yogurt. In the 90s, we kids would go to the movies on Saturday night and then head to Humphrey's or Pagliachi's for blended yogurts. Blended, you say? Indeed. You start with a base (nonfat vanilla or chocolate frozen yogurt-- yes, so LA) and then add mix-ins. It could be candy, chocolate chips, fruit-- you name it, they mixed it. But it wasn't hand mixing-- they had these special machines that would blend it to perfection while still maintaining the frozen yogurt-ness. I had two favorite combos: 1) vanilla with oreo and cream cheese (sounds gross, but if given the opportunity, you must try it); and 2) chocolate with espresso and cinnamon.

It's the latter that I've been musing about and pondering whether it could be made into a cupcake. I was thinking a cinnamon cupcake with chocolate espresso buttercream frosting. Only I couldn't find a recipe for cinnamon cupcakes (or even cake, for that matter). And I absolutely hate making buttercream (it has ingredients like cream of tartar), and I have no patience for it. So, improvisation, here I come. I had a recipe for vanilla buttermilk cupcakes stored away but I hadn't ever made them. Perfect-- I'd do this and add cinnamon. Err-- except I live in England and couldn't find buttermilk. A little sleuthing (and thanks to my friend Nicole's blog which introduced me to Joy the Baker), I found that you can actually simulate buttermilk. In this case I chose Joy's first method: a tbsp of lemon and a cup of milk (ironically method #3 used cream of tartar. I may have to buy this stuff). It worked! So, I made the batter and added 2 tbsp of cinnamon. Di-vine (if I do say so myself). But if I can ever find buttermilk, I may try the real-deal. I think it would make it a tad more sour / savory which would contrast nicely against the sweet...

Now for the espresso buttercream. *Sigh* after the buttermilk experiment and the whole making cupcakes from scratch, I just couldn't be bothered. A quick dig through my pantry unearthed good old Betty Crocker chocolate frosting. So I scooped it into a bowl and proceeded to add espresso. I started measuring, but then gave up and started dumping (and tasting). Chocolate overwhelms every flavor (although, take my comments with a grain of salt because I actually don't like chocolate), so I just kept adding until I could taste the espresso more than I could taste the chocolate.

The result? Yummmm. It brought me right back to being 16 and at Pagliachi's on a date with my high school sweetie. I wanted to garnish it with coffee beans, but since I don't drink coffee, they were not on hand. Thanks to my sister-in-law, I did have espresso, so in addition to using that to add to the frosting, I also dusted the top with espresso powder.

Cinnamon Buttermilk Cupcakes with Chocolate Espresso Frosting

Cupcakes (makes about 12 cupcakes-- barely)

• 1 c all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 c buttermilk
• 4 tsbp butter
• 2 lg eggs
• 3/4 c plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350
• Soft flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt
• Melt btter and combine with buttermilk
• In bowl of a stand mixer* fitted with paddle attachment, cream sugar and eggs until a thick batter forms, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture until just combined and then do same with butter and milk mixture.
• Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 fill and bake 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 min then transfer to wire rack. Cool completely before icing.

Frosting:

• 1/2 container of chocolate frosting (if you're following recipe above for 12 cupcakes)--okay; if you're more talented than me, you can also make buttercream. A great recipe is here.
  
• 4 tbsp of espresso (although, taste it as you're adding / mixing-- you may want more / less)

Frost to your heart's content. (If you're feeling especially inspired, you can using a piping bag. Or in my case, a ziplock bag with the corner cut off. Hey--cooking is all about improvisation, right?

Wannabe foodie

I'm much more of a wannabe foodie on Facebook than I am here on this blog; mostly because I love to cook and post photos of finished dishes, but not so much to blog about them. But I figured that since I spend much of my spare time cooking these days (so wonder I am not gaining weight) that I may as well combine both pastimes into one so as to 1) get some more mileage out of my painfully neglected blog and 2) well, I only really had one reason.

I have a standard repertoire of food that I pull from but will mix up once in a while (Thanksgiving in a meatball was one such mix-up that was also one big mistake), but for the most part I pull from my bible: The Barefoot Contessa. I love Ina and have all of her cookbooks (thanks to my wonderful Daves) and she's my go-to woman when planning a dinner party or when I have an itch to cook something new. But I also have some other cookbooks, one being William and Sonoma's Wine and Food book which doubled as a wedding guest book (thanks to my genius sister-- married in Napa=wine; bride who is a wannabe foodie=cookbook). This is a pretty genius cookbook, esp for those who don't know anything about wine (me) or what to serve at a party with specific food (me). Plus the recipes are delicious and relatively easy (that's one of my main caveats as a wannabe foodie / chef-- if it has loads of ingredients, takes a ton of time or requires gadgets and gizmos, it's a big skip.

I always say I'll try anything once, so I dabble in all sorts of meats and ingredients. I'll also throw in some vegetarian options (much to MRN's chagrin) just to keep it healthy and heart-conscious. This is a recipe compliments of Ina but I've changed slightly-- the big things are adding heat (I love spicy food; I actually use A LOT more cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper than I've indicated below, but so as not to burn everyone off this recipe I've toned it down) and swapping tahini for tomato paste (I'm not particularly fond of tomatoes and tahini has lots of good qualities that are good for you). This is a great alternative to salsa if you're not a tomato fan too (plus the pita is healthier than those yummy corn chips because you can control the salt).

Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Spread (w/ homemade pita chips)

You'll need:

• 2 cookie sheets (with rims)
• Food processor (or potato masher)
• Large mixing bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 med eggplant (peeled & chopped)
• 2 red peppers (chopped)
• 2-3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 small red onion (chopped)
• 3 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for brushing on pita bread)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Whole grain, wheat or seeded pita bread (cut into narrow triangles)
• Flat leaf parsley for serving (rough chopped)
  

Directions:

Eggplant spread:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 F
• Chop eggplant, peppers and onion into 1-in cubes (don't worry about being precise; it's all going to get mushed in the food processor-- that's the technical term) and add to bowl
• Toss with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper
• Spread on roasting pan (cookie sheet) and cook for 40 minutes, tossing half-way through (the veggies should get brown, but careful not to burn)
• Remove from oven and cool slightly
• Add contents to food processor fitted with steel blade
• Add tahini and pulse 3-4 times until incorporated
• Taste for salt and pepper
  

Pita Chips:

• While veggies are in oven, prepare pita bread by cutting into narrow triangles, brushing with olive oil and sprinkling with salt; arrange on second cookie sheet
• Place in oven for 7-8 minutes
• Remove and serve with eggplant
  

Herbed lamb chops

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**
This recipe totally ISN'T an Ina recipe-- haha! Go figure! I immediately thought it was because, well, most everything I cook does come from one of her cookbooks. But this one is actually from William-Sonoma's "Wine & Food" cookbook that we used as a guest book at our wedding (you know, since I love cooking and we got married in Napa). Whoops!

Another Ina recipe, this dish is the absolute EASIEST thing to make-- and perfect dinner party fare because it's 1) super-fast and 2) super impressive (because really, who makes lamb at home?). From fridge to table we're talking about maybe 30 minutes so it's also host/hostess-friendly because you won't be spending the whole night in the kitchen rather than enjoying your guests.

Herbed Lamb Chops

You'll need:
Broiler or grill pan (or i use a cookie sheet lined with alum foil for easy clean up with a grill rack on top)

Ingredients:

• 4-6 lamb chops (budget 2 per person)
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs, minced (whatever you have on hand is fine-- I usually only have thyme and flat leaf parsley and it's great; but for the picture you see here I happened to not have killed the rosemary and mint growing in the garden yet, so included that in addition to the thyme and parsley and it was AWESOME-- so get some of this is if it's convenient)
• 1 tsp salt and pepper

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 450F (230C)
• Mix together all ingredients
• Spread mixture on both sides of the lamb chops
• Place on grilling rack
• Pop in the oven for 15-17 minutes for med (check with meat thermometer-- should be 135F)
• Remove from oven and tent with alum foil for 5 minutes
• Serve warm

Seriously. That's IT. And it's delicious. I served the lamb with a cauliflower gratin (cauliflower cheese for you Brits) using gruyere (my favorite cheese) and parmesan, and a spinach and pepper salad with onion crisps. YUMMMM.

Hollandaise is a heart attack waiting to happen

Seriously. But it's oh-so-good.

No, I'm not pulling a Julie and cooking my way through Julia Child's ever famous bible of cooking. Mostly because the book itself is freaking intimidating. I mean, there are seven pages-- SEVEN-- dedicated to hollandaise. If a sauce that literally has three ingredients in it takes 7 pages, there's no freakin' way that I can make anything more complicated.

I cheated, though. Julia says that if you're making hollandaise for the first time, you should really whip it by hand. But then the very next page there's a recipe for making it in the blender that "even a child could make." So, even though it was my first time, I used the blender. Intimidated by the prospect of the eggs curdling or the butter separating, I copped out-- and out came the blender.

It was easy enough for a child to make. I over-salted it... and it was probably a bit more thick than it should have been (product of over-whipping of the yolks). And the sheer amount of butter in it-- astounding. An entire stick... relative to the 3 egg yolks and tbsp of lemon juice... this is definitely not something that should be on the daily menu. But as a treat? Yes please.

Julia Child's Hollandaise

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 4 oz of butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pinch of pepper

Cut butter into tabs and melt on med-low heat until foaming. Place egg yolks, lemon, salt and pepper in blender and blend on high for 2 seconds. Drizzle melted butter slowly into blender while blending on high (be careful of splashing-- I solved this by putting a funnel in the top of the blender and pouring the butter into the blender). Be careful not to pour too much in because the eggs will curdle). Once incorporated, serve immediately. If not serving right away, place in tepid water bath (eg put in glass measuring cup and place measuring cup in water bath) to keep it warm, but not so it cooks). You can also stir in additional salt / pepper to taste.

I thought this could use a little bit more lemon-- so I may try that the next time. Super easy (despite the multiple page description)... and deliciously delectable. And easy thing to add to the menu (for eggs Benedict, as a sauce of veggies like asparagus, or a number of other things, I can imagine!). After all as Julia says, you can never have too much butter.

Happy Birthday to uuusssss...

It was our birthday last week-- our, not in the royal sense, but in the "Mikie and Aloha" sense. Despite having spent the last 18 birthdays apart, being a twin means that a birthday is always shared.

Being a twin gives you a sense of belonging. There's a collective, shared being that never really leaves you-- even if you live across the world from each other (like we do-- Hawaii to England does not an easy commute make). While we don't share "twin power"-- I don't feel it when she's in pain (thank goodness-- her child birth would not have been a pleasant thing for me); I can't read her thoughts. But I do know when she's hurting; we have the same taste in clothes, music, food, books, movies; and, we share some of the best friends we'll ever have. She's my best friend. Simple but true. We're closer than close. And while I don't get to see her everyday, I certainly feel her everyday. She's part of my DNA-- literally and spiritually.

My parents were always great with birthdays and holidays. While many twins become "one," my parents were always encouraging of our being individuals-- exploring our own interests, doing our own activities-- even though we'd eventually come back together. They even got us our own birthday cakes-- until we decided we liked the same thing and wanted to share. See-- that was the great thing about my parents. They let us choose when we wanted to be the same. I think it's made us stronger for it.

I made my grandmother's pineapple coconut cake for my birthday this year. MRN was going to buy, and then make, a cake, but I like to do it (and as I told him-- my being anal pretty much gets him off the hook every time). The funny thing? My sis was going to make the same cake until her husband told her he'd already ordered one. Without previous communication on the subject, we had unknowingly chosen the same birthday cake. Freaky.

So I made the cake, and MRN and I sang happy birthday to me and Aloha-- as is my custom. Once a shared birthday, always a shared birthday. And I'm okay with that.

Postscript: A couple of people have asked me for the recipe, so I've posted it below. It's reeeaaaallly complicated. Not really. It's the best recipes that are the easiest.

Grandma's Pineapple Coconut Cake
> 1-Box yellow cake mix
> 1 (or 2)-8 oz cans of crushed pineapple (do not drain)
> 1-tub of cool whip
> 1-7 oz package of shredded coconut

No joke. This recipe was my grandmothers-- and she got it from a container of cool whip! I've actually made this cake from scratch (I can't get any of the above items in the grocery store in England, so I made the cake and whipped cream from scratch, got some weird thing called desiccated coconut, which is basically minced coconut, from what i can tell, and got a real pineapple and cut it up and tried to mash it. It tasted okay, but it wasn't nearly as good as the cool whip recipe. i was able to order all of the above from a website that imports american food to here, except the cool whip-- so i settled for store-bought whip cream which I have to say isn't AS good, but the unsweetened whip does balance the slight sourness of the pineapple and the sweetness of the coconut!).

In any case-- the original recipe tells you to bake it in a greased 13 x 9 inch pan, which is just as good. Just follow the instructions on the cake mix and when you take the cake out of the oven, while it's still hot, use the handle-end of a wooden spoon and carefully poke holes all over the surface of the cake (about half-way down-- not all the way through; I don't do this with any sort of precision or planning...). then pour 1 can of crushed pineapple on top of the cake (or more if you like it-- juice and all) and spread evenly over the entire surface with a spatula. the pineapple will soak into the cake while it's cooling and make it really yummy. If you're using more than one can, I'd reserve some of the liquid because it could make it too soggy and cause it to fall apart when you serve it. Once cool, spread cool whip on top and sprinkle with coconut.

For special occasions i've adapted the recipe to make a layer cake (because it's oh-so-pretty). So, same as above, bake cake per instructions on box. When you take the rounds out, flip them onto cooling racks (usually I'll put one on the platter I'm serving on, and one on a cooling rack). as with the sheet cake, poke holes into the rounds and spread the pineapple over both rounds and allow to cool (I usually use about 1.5 cans of pineapple for both). when cool, spread whipped cream on top of your bottom layer on the cake platter; Carefully transfer top layer to cake platter; frost the top and sides with whip cream. Sprinkle top with coconut and carefully press sides with more coconut.

You have to work fast if you make the layer cake version when it's warm because the whip becomes a soggy mess. but even if it starts to melt, if you throw it in the fridge, it will firm back up again. also, don't worry about the holes in either version because the crushed pineapple will fill them in and you never even see them when you slice into it! :)

The Art of Disguise

I'm not the first person to "hide" food within food. There's been many a cookbook written about how to get your kids to eat healthy food (perhaps the most recent by Jerry's wife Jessica Seinfeld).

Now, I don't have kids, but I do have a husband. No, he's not particularly finicky, and in his defense, he will try absolutely anything that I put in front of him. But there are certain things that he doesn't prefer, and veggies rank up at the top. Now, I love vegetables-- I have no problem eating them. But even I need a little inspiration once in a while.

It's no secret that I love my crock pot. I have two cookbooks (compliments of my friend M) that are all about slow cooking (remember the Italian Pot Roast recipe). But I also make stuff up when I'm in a hurry and need to whip something together fast. Beef stew is my go-to "hurry up" recipe. I don't follow a specific recipe-- I just dump in a little of this and a little of that-- basically anything that I have in my fridge or cupboard. It's a great cold weather comfort food and the perfect one pot / one dish meal. I made it for the first time this year (since it's so freaking cold here), but I decided I was tired of the same-old root veggies that I always use. Plus, I wanted to make it truly hearty without having to serve it with a carb-heavy side like rice or bread. A root through my fridge and pantry revealed kale and quinoa. Hmmm... I wonder if I could make it work? I prepped the stew as I usually do (well, at least I think it's how I usually do... it probably changes slightly every time). About an hour before serving I finely chopped the kale and added it to the stew. Then I stirred in about 3 cups of quinoa that I had prepared while the stew was cooking. Result? The kale gives you the all-important green leafy veggie not typically served with stew that is really good for you (powerful antioxidant, high in beta carotene, vitamin K, C and calcium. Not to mention it contains sulforaphane- a natural chemical thought to have anti-cancer properties). Plus, mixed into the stew, you can't really tell it's there, so MRN ate it without notice. And the quinoa made the stew really thick and hearty, plus gave it a slightly nutty taste which was delicious. Bonus? Also super good for you, high in protein and a good source of fiber and iron. And for those with gluten allergies-- entirely gluten-free (the quinoa, not the stew).

Two thumbs up from me (and the none-the-wiser guinea pig).

MB's Beef Stew

• 1.5 - 2 lbs lean diced beef (fat removed-- I buy the beef already diced at the butcher or grocery store, I'll usually cut the pieces a little smaller if they're too big)
• 2 8 oz cans of soup (your choice-- I usually use a tomato-based like beef broth w/ veggies, oxtail or plain veggie)
• 2 oz cans of chopped tomatoes
• 6-8 new potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 medium sized carrots, peeled and rough chopped
• 2-3 medium parsnips
• 2 small onions, cut into 1/8 chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 leek, sliced
• fresh chopped parsley for serving
  
• 1/2 bunch of kale, finely chopped (you can chop in a food processor-- I didn't really measure the amount-- I just kept adding until I was happy with the amount)
• 2-3 cups of quinoa
  
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• olive oil
• flour
  

Instructions

• Add all fresh vegetables except kale into the crock pot
• Spread diced beef across a layer of paper towels and dab dry with another set of paper towels
• Sprinkle kosher salt and fresh ground pepper on both sides of the beef
• Sprinkle flour over the beef
• Brown beef in hot pan with olive oil in batches (do not cook thoroughly-- brown all sides, about 30 seconds each side)-- You don't have to do this step; you can just add the beef to the pot without browning; but I find that the beef gets more tender if you brown the meat first)
  
• Add beef to crock pot
• Pour canned soup and tomatoes over veggies and beef
• Set crock put to high and cook for 7 hours
• About an hour before serving, prepare quinoa
• Stir in quinoa and chopped kale
• Taste for salt and pepper (I'll usually add more pepper at this point because I love pepper; I'll also usually stir in some sort of Hawaiian salt mixture that contains additional herbs like ginger and thyme and oregano, maybe some chili powder; basically this is pretty fool-proof, anything goes recipe)
• Spoon into bowls and sprinkle fresh chopped parsley

This will last a couple of days (for 2)-- or serve probably 6. If you do have left-overs, on day two I'll usually add another can of chopped tomatoes and about 1/2 c water because the quinoa will soak up a lot of the liquid.

P.S. Happy Halloween

The egg poaching had a decidedly ghostly appearance... perfect for a Halloween breakfast, don't you think?

I love a good roast

The funny kind and the food kind. This post happens to be about the food kind. Because seriously? When you live in the middle of nowhere in a country where the sun rarely shines, there's not much more to do than cook and think about food, and plan menus and eat. This means that daily walks are now not so much of a pleasure but more of a necessity. But as the saying goes, you say po-tay-toe and I say-- well, po-tay-toe.

Speaking of which, I'm on a great roasted vegetable kick. Ever since C told me her perfect roasted veggie secret (you have to heat the roasting pan with olive oil in it BEFORE adding the veggies) I've been roasting more and experimenting with different preparations. Potatoes. carrots. parsnips, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, zucchini, eggplant-- you name it, I'll roast it.

Tonight, courtesy of Martha, I tried a new twist on the roasted veg: apples. Specifically roasted apples, butternut squash and cippolini onions on a bed of watercress. And yes-- it was as yummy as it sounds. I guess technically butternut squash is a fruit because of the seeds, though...

Riiiiiight. So this post is uninspired. Onto the recipe (you won't be disappointed):

Ingredients

• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 2 golden delicious apples, sliced
• 6 cippolini onions, thinly sliced
• 4 c watercress (or a package)
• 2 tsp good olive oil
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
• Mix squash, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper (1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper if you measure); spread on rimmed baking sheet
• In separate bowl, mix apples, onions, 1/2 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper; spread on separate rimmed baking sheet
• Put both baking sheets in the oven; apples for 30 minutes; squash for 40-45 minutes tossing each about midway through their roasting times
• While the veggies are roasting, toss watercress with 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange on platter.
• Once veggies are finished, allow to cool for 5 minutes; Arrange on top of watercress; Serve warm or room temp.

Easy, huh?

Bonus-- not only does it taste good, it's super pretty (of course) and perfect for the Autumnal weather.

Beans Glorious Beans

We eat a lot of veggies in this house (much to MRN's chagrin although he's a good sport about it). Most of the time I'll include some sort of potato to appease my English husband's soul, but mash is seriously getting boring. I've made it a million different ways-- plain, chive and cheddar, sour cream and bacon, sour cream and parsley, cream and butter, parmesan and thyme... times that by about 5,000, you get my point. B-O-R-I-N-G.

Since we've been back from the US, I haven't had a chance to do a "proper shop" (as the English would say). So I've been digging through the pantry and refrigerator, trying to be creative with the bits and bobs (another Englishism) that I have left over. One night I found an onion, half of a yellow pepper (that wasn't moldy-- score!) and some chesnut mushrooms (we keep our fridge at a ridiculously low temp, so veggies tend to last a bit longer...). Saute that up with some fresh garlic, tomato sauce and toss in some brown rice penne and voila! Instant meal. The next night came roasted brussel sprouts and some diced turkey bacon that I found in the freezer (MRN clearly didn't eat this-- he was working late that night and would have probably rather gone hungry than eat it even if he were home). The frozen turkey bacon discovery also yielded another gold mine-- ground lamb (organic, low fat) which I turned into mediterranean meatballs the next night by adding in some garlic, red onion and chopped sundried tomatoes that I found in the pantry. But what to serve as a vegetable with the meatballs? Another scavenger hunt through the pantry uncovered one small new potato. Hmmm... whatever possessed me to leave one teeny potato I'll never know. That certainly wouldn't work. I then spied a can of cannellini beans and thought, "hmmm-- wonder if I can make this work?" I peeled and quartered the potato and tossed it into a pot with the beans, a couple of cloves of smashed garlic and some extra water and brought the whole shebang to a simmer until the potato was soft. Then I drained it, returned it to the pot, added a dab of butter, salt and pepper and mashed as you would mashed potatoes. It was looking pretty dry so in went some plain yogurt (Greek 2% of course!) to make it a bit creamier, along with a slip of low fat milk. I finished by adding in some dried tarragon (my go to spice after garlic). And guess what? My experiment worked! I thought it was quite tasty.

But the true test came when I put it in front of MRN. He ate the meatballs and beans with gusto and when I asked if he liked it, he answered, "It's gorgeous!" (Of course he's so sweet, he would say that even if it were horrible.) When I asked specifically about the "potatoes" he answered in much the same. And when I pointed out that they weren't potatoes he responded:

'They're not?"

Maikib: 1; MRN: 0

I'm in training for when I have children.

Holy Yogurt Batman

I'm a big fan of Greek yogurt. It's creamy and lacks the sometimes tart flavor found in a typical plain yogurt. I used to eat it for breakfast only-- the way you would any yogurt: with honey stirred in or sliced berries and grapenuts sprinkled on top. Then I started stirring it into eggs which made them super fluffy and light. And I had an "ah-ha" moment. Yogurt is just as good in savory foods as sweet.

I love sour cream in mashed potatoes, but obviously high in fat and cholesterol, it's not ideal for an every occasion potato. So I started substituting 2% greek yogurt (or 0%, but you lose some of the texture) instead of sour cream, butter and cream or milk. You still get the creaminess without the high fat content. I tried the same with salsa-- mixing yogurt with my favorite spicy salsa for a dip and it was delicious. I've also added it to make a creamy tomato sauce (last night's experiment was sauteed onions, peppers, cremini mushrooms and garlic with plain jarred spaghetti sauce and two spoonfuls of yogurt stirred in), which makes the sauce rich and thick (and gives you the creamy goodness without any of the guilt-- and for the record, I hate creamy, cheesy sauces, so the fact that I liked this is a big deal in itself). I also added it to mashed beans which helped give it more of a creamy mashed potato consistency-- and MRN ate it without a second glance, thinking it WAS potatoes! Whoop-whoop.

A super versatile ingredient that can be used for sweet or savory? It's not just for breakfast anymore!

What's the point...

... of making anything from scratch when you can just buy this? Seriously-- it's the best brownie ever. Especially if you make them just a tad underdone. But the best-best part? The chocolate chips that are already in the mix. I buy this from Costco. Yes, everything is better in bulk.

It's what's for dinner

*****UPDATED*****
The brown butter tarragon sauce turned out to be my favorite part; the monkfish was delish, but MRN was suspicious of the artichoke hearts. Leftover polenta from last night's dinner. Broccoli was uninspired, but still yummy... esp to mop up the brown butter sauce...

*********************
Trying to keep the menu varied and still good can be a challenge-- especially when you work for the man and want to pull your hair out 10 times a day, leaving very little time or energy for creativity. Not to mention, I am a creature of habit-- I can eat the same thing everyday for months and months and be perfectly happy (case in point: in Chicago I ate Chipotle every single day for lunch... the exact same order. It got to the point that the staff would have my lunch ready for me by the time I made it through the crazy long line-- complete with my preferred idiosyncrasies... light on the rice and meat, heavy on the veggies, a bit of pico and a bit of hot sauce. Once in a while I'd break it up with a veggie sandwich from potbelly's, but pretty much for the 2 years before I moved, it was all Chipotle, all the time).

Now with someone else to feed (and I demonstrate my love through doing things for the ones I love!), I can't eat the same thing every day (although we eat a lot of the same thing a lot...)-- so I'm constantly on the look out for new recipes or ways to change something old to something new. But equally important (because of the aforementioned working for the man), the recipes can't be too complicated or time consuming or else we'd eat at 10 p.m. every night (which unfortunately for MRN is a lot of nights because of HIS crazy working for the man job). With my job becoming more and more uncreative, I have to look elsewhere... and with artistic inspiration fewer and further away, I'm turning to food (although trying to keep it healthy because I don't want to weigh a million pounds!). On the menu this week:

1. Turkey chili with herbed polenta and roasted vegetables
2. Prosciutto wrapped monkfish stuffed with sundried tomatoes, spinach and artichoke hearts with a brown butter tarragon sauce and a side of broccoli
3. Pasta fagioli (hoping to stretch it last at least two days-- thanks, AB!)
4. Mediterranean meatballs (ground lamb, garlic, red onions, sundried tomatoes) with a spinach, roasted pepper and goat cheese salad
5. Polenta pizzas (pepperoni and sundried tomato, anchovy and olives, artichoke heart and roasted garlic)

To be fair, the turkey chili was actually last night, but since it was done (and super easy) I thought I'd include it. Either MRN is lucky, or cursed... he keeps complaining about his growing belly... time will tell!

Not Your Grandmother's Pot Roast

My friend Heather asked me to guest post on her cooking blog, "Pestle Mortar." So exciting! She's a kindred foodie spirit, an amazing chef (trained in pastry at the Cordon Bleu!), you can always find great recipes on her blog (not to mention, she always brings a tasty treat to a party!).

Check out her blog to get the yummy recipe.

Preeee-teeee

I like pretty food. Yes, it must taste good-- that's a given; but I also like to serve a pretty plate and that usually means a variety of colorful vegetables to brighten up whatever meat or starch is being served (much to MRN's chagrin). Even if I've made a classic meat and potatoes dish, I'll chop up some fresh parsley and toss it on top so I'm not serving some bland, grey-ish something. It's amazing what a little parsley will do.

Despite the absolutely abysmal weather that we've had this summer (have I complained about it enough?), I think we've managed to BBQ at least three times. This past weekend we had a rare day of partial sunshine, so out the BBQ came from the shed and MRN fired it up. I'd marinated pork tenderloin overnight (throwing caution to the wind that the weather report would hold...) and had mandolined my potatoes and chopped my fennel and onions for the potato fennel gratin and made homemade guacamole. But my favorite? The pretty plate you see here, all ready for grilling. Admittedly I was the only one excited for this puppy. But as I argued, everything tastes better BBQ-ed, right? And this looked even better once it came off of the grill. My carnivorous guests humored me and tried a little of everything (my favorites? The asparagus-- of course, the eggplant and the red onion, which gets deliciously sweet when charcoal grilled), but I pretty much ate the entirety on my own. I have to say though, I'm okay with that.

When life gives you (brown) bananas...

Make banana bread! But this isn't your mama's banana bread. Well, it's my mama's banana bread-- although technically, it's my grandmother's recipe. But when I copied it out of my mom's dog-eared, thumbed-through, browned-page recipe book that contained a combination of her handwriting and what I assume is my grandmother's, it was simply titled, "Mom's Banana Bread."

I'm all for fancy food but I've found that the simplest recipes more often than not, make for the best food. I don't have patience for measuring or complicated recipes that have a million ingredients (although if it tickles my fancy, I'll try anything). I'm drawn to things that are simple, unexpected and totally delicious. This recipe certainly ticks many of those boxes.

For someone who doesn't like baking, I make banana bread a lot. Mostly because we buy bananas and if there's one thing that I can stand is a soft banana. I'll only eat them when they're just past being green. I can smell the difference-- I know, it's weird. But hey; I know my bananas. In any case, I hate wasting food-- and as it turns out, this recipe works better with soft bananas (brown spots and all). Deliciously simple, imprecisely measured, brown bananas. What better makings for a great recipe?

Mom's Banana Bread

• 3-4 soft bananas, mashed
• 3 eggs
• 1 c butter (more or less)
• 1 c sugar
• 2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon (heaping tsp if you like cinnamon)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp cold water (I don't know what this is for, but it seems to not work without it, so go with it)

Cooking directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and banana mixture
• Sift dry ingredients and combine with wet ingredients
• Add vanilla and water
• Grease and flour bread pan
• Bake for 45-60 minutes, until knife comes out clean-- careful not to test near bananas; if edges look done, pull it out. This is best when it's just cooked so it's really moist

The bread really needs no accoutrements; it's delicious on its own as an afternoon snack with a cuppa (that's tea for all you Yanks)-- or really, at any time of day. If you're serving it for dessert, you can always pair it with cream cheese frosting or a caramel sauce would be delicious (or a peanut butter marshmallow sauce-- yummeee). You can always add walnuts too, which I do every so often when I have them handy. If it's for company, I'll usually add some sliced bananas to the plate as garnish. Just past green, of course.

Come Dine With Me!

I'm thinking about changing the name of my blog to Warblings of a Wannabe Foodie. I've always loved cooking and fancied myself a foodie. But lately I think I've crossed the line to obsessed. I spend all my spare time watching cooking shows (my favorites are the contest-ones like Top Chef, Iron Chef America, Come Dine With Me) and pouring over cookbooks. I've even finally dusted off the really fancy food processor MRN got me for Christmas and am using it 3-4 times a week! I like very colorful plates (meaning lots of veggies, much to MRN's dismay), and I also like experimenting with flavors that you don't immediately think go together (also to MRN's dismay...). I hate to measure anything, which means I'm less suited for baking. I also never think anything is spiced enough, so I tend to add more (especially garlic). It may be because I've killed my taste buds due to my proclivity for red pepper flakes (I like it spicy!). But I try to tone it down when there are guests (and because sometimes I destroy the dish by adding too much... thinking of the lemon disaster with my first attempt at sole meuniére. MRN is now in charge of that dish).

Sometimes recipes aren't worth repeating, but I'm always happy to have tried it. I'm trying to infuse new dishes into the repertoire because I'm a creature of habit and am mostly happy with eating the same thing over and over. But now having a guinea pig--err, husband, it makes it more fun to try out new things. Last night it was:

Grilled Lamb with Curried Rice and Cherries*

• 4 lamb steaks (about 1-inch thick) or 9-12 small chops
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1/2 c fresh lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons)
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 c Long grain rice
• 1 c cherries, halved and pitted
• Fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

For the lamb:
Whisk 1/2 cup of olive oil and 1/2 c. fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons), onions, garlic, fresh rosemary*, salt, pepper and paprika and pour over lamb steaks (or chops... really, whatever you like) in nonreactive bowl (translation: glass or ceramic). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. (*rosemary is my addition because I always think it goes nicely with lamb; but if you don't like it, you don't have to add it...)

To cook: Grill on the bbq or broil in oven, 6 minutes on each side (for a steak about 1 in thick) for a pink center; a minute more for well-done. When you turn it the first time, spoon some of your marinade over it. Easy enough?

For the rice:
Any long-grain rice will do-- cook according to instructions but add 1 tsp of curry powder to the water. Pit and slice cherries in half (about 1 cup). Once cooked, gently fold cherries and basil into the rice. (if you don't have fresh herbs, you can use dried-- but cut measurement in half and rub in fingers / hands to release the flavor before adding to your food)

Serve and enjoy!

(For a bit of color, you can add roasted veggies or a spinach salad... here I served it with roasted brussel sprouts with garlic and lemon pepper)

*Curried rice and cherries recipe from Real Simple

All [Hawaiian] American Girl

I wonder if I didn't live in another country if I would be so ra-ra everything American. I'm guessing not, since it would be just the same as everyday. But you've gotta think something's a bit off when your day is made by finding Grape Nuts at the grocery store (as mine was on Friday). Well, I guess it's the small things...

I think that if I had to pick one thing that I missed (aside from my family and friends), it would have to be food. And I'm not talking gourmet, foodie-food; I'm talking run of the mill, fast food (Yoshinoya, Chipotle, In & Out) and stuff of my childhood (vienna sausages, spam musubi, tofu). Yes-- gross (well, maybe not the tofu; although for some, maybe so). So when driving through Manchester on Saturday on a random detour to avoid traffic (which we didn't-- but that's another story altogether), I realized that we were on the street where I had discovered a Japanese market a few years ago and I excitedly requested a quick stop.

On my wish list: REAL rice, noodles, chili oil, nori and sake... and anything else of interest I could grab with my greedy little hands (oh, okay-- my hands aren't that little). To my great disappointment, the store was CLOSING and there was hardly any inventory left... I was able to get a few really small bags of rice and the last packet of nori (my sis kindly sent tobasco spam and I'm making spam musubi!) and a teeny bottle of sake. Well, it is better than nothing.

But thankfully, all is not lost... I discovered the Japan Centre in London which has an online store and they ship! Whoohoo! So while I'll have to wait a few days, at least I can get some creature comforts from home. No luck on the vienna sausages though. Even Selfridges vast array of American junk food-- Fluff, Lucky Charms, Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix... all for around $10 a pop, doesn't stoop so low for spam and vienna sausages. Ah well.