I'm thankful for...

... THE BEST cupcakes I've ever made/eaten. Fluffy cake batter, strong coffee, a dash of liquor and a lot of cream. What more can one ask for? I made a slight modification to the existing recipe, so ask me what it is, if you're interested.

Tiramisu Cupcakes
recipe from marthastewart.com

Ingredients

Makes 18

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
• 3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• Coffee-Marsala Syrup
• Mascarpone Frosting
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk and vanilla-bean pod and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted, and let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard vanilla-bean pod.
2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and sugar. Set mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk by hand until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted.
3. Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir 1/2 cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until centers are completely set and edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
5. To finish, brush tops of cupcakes evenly with coffee-marsala syrup; repeat until all syrup has been used. Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid 30 minutes. Dollop frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.

I heart fruit tart

Iolo's Halloween birthday cupcakes

Bourbon Steak-a real San Francisco treat

Fries

18oz Bone-in Rib Eye

chocolate cake- chocolate brittle- chocolate malt

chocolate bourbon balls

Paris, for me

Roasted Chicken with salad and pommes frites

Ile Flottante: "Floating Island"- a meringue floating on creme anglaise

beignet au chocolat

macarons

hotel breakfast

weird pig thing (filled with some sort of chocolate-like stuff)

munching on some pain in front of the Arc de Triomphe ready to take on Champs Elysees

cafe au lait

fried marinated sardines

puff pastry with escargot and mushrooms

steak with cream sauce

chocolate torte with vanilla cream sauce and chocolate crunch balls

steak and pommes frites

plums (prunes)

pain au chocolat (x 10)

croissant, pain, brie, jambon et cafe au lait

Making do with what I got

I had a family dinner scheduled, just a little over 1 cup of flour, and no desire to go grocery shopping. Here's what I was able to make with what I had in my baking cabinet.

Pecan Squares

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
4 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Pecan Filling
2 large eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup (I used light instead)
2 Tbs all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the center of the oven. Butter or grease a 9x9 in square baking pan. Set aside.

Crust
In a small bowl, whisk or sift the flour and baking powder, set aside.

With a mixer of food processor, beat the butter and brown sugar until soft and fluffy (~2-3 min). Beat in the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal (do not over beat). Stir in the finely chopped pecans. Mixture will be crumbly, not a cohesive dough. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 10 min or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while making the filling.

Pecan Filling
In a large bowl, whisk or beat the eggs until foamy. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined. Pour over the baked crust and then sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Bake for about 25-30 min or until firm and nicely browned. Let cool in the pan and then cut into squares. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Makes about 36 1 1/2 inch squares.

Puff puff

Cream Puffs filled with Vanilla Cream

recipes from Cook's Illustrated January 2002 and May & June 2001

Cookie cake

Mona didn't think a cake would survive the heat in Chino Hills, so Jam got a giant chocolate chip cookie instead. The recipe? Nestle Tollhouse, of course!

Pretty please with cherries on top

Cherry-Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

recipe from epicurious.com

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
• 1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 cups whole pitted fresh Bing cherries or other dark sweet cherries (about 21 ounces whole unpitted cherries)
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground medium grind)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

PREPARATION

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Combine 1/4 cup butter with brown sugar and vinegar in 10- to 11-inch ovenproof skillet with 2-inch-high sides. Stir over medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high; add cherries and bring to boil. Remove from heat.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter in large bowl. Add sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with milk in 2 additions each, beating just until blended and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Using rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of whites into batter to lighten slightly. Fold in remaining whites in 3 additions (batter will be thick). Spoon batter over cherries in skillet, then spread evenly with offset spatula to cover cherries.

Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in skillet on rack 5 minutes. Run spatula around edges of cake to loosen. Place large serving platter upside down atop skillet. Using pot holders or oven mitts, firmly hold platter and skillet together and invert. Leave skillet atop cake 5 minutes. Remove skillet. If necessary, rearrange any cherries that may have become dislodged. Let cake cool at least 45 minutes. Cut cake into wedges and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

An inside look

Lemon Meringue Pie

A blonde moment

Blondies have become the Get Well Soon treat for the Jacobsen Lab.

Short stacked

Extra buttermilk + last of my all purpose flour = 1/2 stack of buttermilk pancakes.

recipe: Martha Stewart's Best Buttermilk Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle

PREPARATION

1. Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.
2. Heat oven to 175 degrees. Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
3. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
4. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.

Red velvet rejects

These cupcakes came out a little burnt from yesterday's baking spree. At first I was just going to eat them all myself- not wanting to subject anyone to my baking-gone-wrong, but then I got an idea. Since it was just the bottoms that were a bit toasty, I trimmed them, cut the remaining cupcake in half and filled the slices with left over cream cheese frosting. The result: Red Velvet Reject Sandwiches...I even made sandwiches with the toasty ends, for those who don't mind a bit of burnt flavor.

My cupcakes runeth over

To celebrate Jam's HS graduation, I made mini cupcakes (Chocolate and Red Velvet, both with cream cheese frosting). I thought they would be cute, bite-sized, easy to serve and fun to eat. What I didn't think about was how many each recipe would make or how to transport ~200 baby cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes

recipe adapted from bon appetit's June 2010 Chocolate-Raspberry Layer Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs

PREPARATION

Position racks in top and bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line baking pans with cupcake cups. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into large bowl; whisk to blend and form well in center. Whisk 1 cup water, buttermilk, oil, and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Pour wet ingredients into well in dry ingredients; whisk just to blend. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool completely in pans on cooling racks. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover cakes in pans and let stand at room temperature.

*note: I found this recipe very easy, with great results. Next time, I might try making the original cake recipe.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

From Paula Deen's Grandmother Paul's Red Velvet Cake recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups sugar
  
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 ounces red food coloring
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into lined cupcake pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb (16 oz) cream cheese
• 2 sticks (1cup) unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

PREPARATION

In a medium bowl, cream cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla extract, blend well. Slowly add powdered sugar at low speed. Blend well. Frost cupcakes.

Waste not, want not

This is what happened to the egg whites left over from the lemon curd.

Meringue Stars

recipe from Epicurious.com

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature 30 minutes, divided
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 pinches of cream of tartar, divided
• 3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 (3 1/2-ounce) bar 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• Equipment: 3 (12-inch) disposable pastry bags; a 1/2-inch star tip

PREPARATION

Make vanilla and coffee meringues:
Preheat oven to 200°F with racks in upper, middle, and lower thirds of oven (or use 2 racks and bake in batches). Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat 1 egg white with vanilla (for vanilla meringues) and a pinch each of cream of tartar and salt with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until it just holds soft peaks. Add 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in 2 tablespoons superfine sugar gently but thoroughly.

Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with tip, then dab some meringue under corners of parchment on all baking sheets to secure to sheets. Pipe 1-inch-wide stars (1 inch high) about 1/2 inch apart.

Make coffee meringues using same amounts and procedure as above but using espresso powder (1 1/2 teaspoons) in place of vanilla.

Make chocolate meringues:
Sift cocoa through a fine-mesh sieve and whisk together with 2 tablespoons superfine sugar.

Beat remaining egg white with a pinch each of cream of tartar and salt with mixer at medium-high speed until it just holds soft peaks. Add remaining 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in cocoa mixture gently but thoroughly.

Transfer meringue to a pastry bag and pipe more stars.

Bake meringues:
Bake, switching position of upper and lower sheets halfway through baking, until dry, crisp, and firm, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Meringues are done when they release from parchment.)

Turn off oven and cool meringues in oven with door propped open about 1/2 inch using handle of a wooden spoon 1 hour, then slide parchment with meringues onto racks to cool completely.

Dip meringues in chocolate:
Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Stir together chocolate and vegetable oil until completely smooth. Peel meringues off parchment, then dip bottom of each into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer meringues to lined baking sheet, arranging as close together as possible, and when baking sheet is full, freeze meringues just until chocolate is set, about 3 minutes. Remove meringues from freezer.

* I decided not to dip them in chocolate...and the tips I thought would make stars didn't make stars.

Bon ap-petit(e) lemon curd cookies

Petite Lemon Curd Cookies

a continuation of "When life gives me lemons..."

When life gives me lemons...

Lemon Meringue Pie with Pecan Crust

recipe from Epicurious.com

INGREDIENTS

For crust

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup cake flour
• 3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons (about) ice water

For filling and topping

• 1 3/4 cups plus 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  

PREPARATION

Make crust:

Mix first 5 ingredients in large bowl; add butter and shortening. Using electric mixer, beat at low speed until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water. Beat until dough holds together, adding more water by 1/2 tablespoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap disk in waxed paper and chill until firm enough to roll, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to 12-inch round. Peel off top sheet of paper. Invert dough into 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish; peel off paper. Press dough gently into dish. Trim overhang to 3/4 inch; turn under and crimp edge decoratively. Freeze crust until firm, about 30 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until golden at edge, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans; continue to bake until crust is pale golden, piercing with fork if crust bubbles, about 12 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Make filling and topping:
Whisk 1 3/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups water and lemon juice, whisking until cornstarch dissolves and mixture is smooth. Add yolks and peel; whisk to blend. Cook over medium-high heat until filling thickens and boils, whisking constantly, about 8 minutes. Pour into prepared crust.

Using electric mixer, beat whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff and shiny. Mound meringue atop warm lemon filling, spreading to seal to crust at edges.

Bake pie until meringue is golden, about 20 minutes. Cool pie 1 hour. Refrigerate up to 6 hours; serve cold.

Dinner with the Colindreses

Chicken Parmesan

recipe adapted from Tyler Florence/Food Network:

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted (I substituted with 1 Tbs capers)
  
• 1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
• Pinch sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoonwater
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 (8-ounce) ball fresh buffalo mozzarella, water drained
• Freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pound spaghetti pasta, cooked al dente

DIRECTIONS

Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil gets hazy, add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the olives and some hand-torn basil. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes), cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Get the ingredients together for the chicken so you have a little assembly line. Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick. Put the flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy. Put the bread crumbs on a plate, season with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high flame in a large oven-proof skillet. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

Ladle the tomato-olive sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil.* Bake the Chicken Parmesan for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve hot with spaghetti.

* I omitted the sauce from this step, just adding sliced mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top of the cooked chicken, baking until bubbly, then placing the chicken atop a bed of spaghetti and topping it with sauce.

Tamales with Tracy

Vegetarian tamales

Two Asian girls take on tamales...and vegetarian to boot.

Vegetarian masa dough from fabulousfoods.com

INGREDIENTS
2 3 cups masa harina mixed with 2 cups warm water
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

PREPARATION

Makes enough for about 24 medium tamales.

If you’re using masa harina, pour it into a bowl and add the 2 cups warm water. Work the mixture into a dough with your hands, then set it aside to rest for about 15 minutes.

Add the palm oil or vegetable shortening to the work bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a regular hand mixer in a large bowl) and beat it together with the salt and baking powder until light and fluffy.

If you’re using a standing mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. While beating, add the reconstituted or fresh masa by handfuls into the work bowl. Add the stock and beat until combined. Taste the mixture and add salt if necessary.

Continue beating until the masa is light and fluffy, about 15 or 20 minutes. The masa is ready when a grape sized ball of dough floats in a glass of cold water. If the dough sinks, continue beating 5 minutes longer, then test it again.

Filling: pretty much anything you want + cheese.

Breakfast of champions

There's nothing like cake and coffee in the morning.

Strawberry Buckle and coffee

I used the recipe for the Blueberry Buckle, substituting the following:
orange zest for lemon zest and strawberries for blueberries (because that's what I had on hand).

Happy Birthday, Maggie!

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake (it looks weird because my cutting skills were a little off)

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated November & December 2009

Buckle up

Blueberry Buckle

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated July & August 2005

INGREDIENTS
Streusel
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool

Cake
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
2/3 cup (about 4 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups (about 20 ounces) fresh blueberries, picked over

PREPARATION

1. FOR THE STREUSEL: Mix flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain. Add butter and mix until until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain. Set aside.

2. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9" round cake pan with 2" sides with non-stick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment paper round, and spray parchment; dust pan with flour and knock out excess.

3. Whisk flour and baking powder in a small bowl; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with a flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost incorporated, about 20 seconds. Stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze portion of streusel in hand to form large clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15-20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).

5. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place upside-down plate (not serving platter) on top of cake pan; invert cake to remove from pan, lift off cake pan, then peel off and discard parchment. Invert cake onto serving platter. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve.

Pizza pizza

Homemade pizza dough with tomatoes, marinated artichoke and Italian sausage.

Strata-fied

Ryan decided to cut back on meats and desserts. This is what he got for his birthday.

Spinach and Cheese Strata

Recipe from SmittenKitchen.

INGREDIENTS

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeeze of all excess liquid, and chopped
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed French or Italian bread in 1-inch cubes (1/2 lb)
6 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups)
2 ounces finely grated parmesan (1 cup)
2 3/4 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

PREPARATION

Sauté onion in butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg and continue cooking for one minute. Stir in spinach, remove from heat and set aside.

Spread one third of the bread cubes in a well-buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other ceramic baking dish. Top with one-third of bread cubes,one-third of spinach mixture and one-third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice with remaining bread, spinach and cheese.

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Cover with plastic wrap and chill strata for eat least 8 hours or up to a day.

The next day, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8

Going green

Green Beans with Shiitake Mushrooms

recipe from epicurious.com: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Beans-with-Shiitake-Mushrooms-105815

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds slender green beans, trimmed
• 2/3 cup canned low-salt chicken broth

PREPARATION

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add shiitake mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

Transfer mushrooms to medium bowl. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in same skillet.

Add shallots and garlic and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes.

Add green beans and toss to coat with butter.

Pour broth over green bean mixture.

Cover and simmer until liquid evaporates and green beans are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in shiitake mushrooms.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer to platter and serve.

Flan-ting it

Leche Flan

INGREDIENTS

3/4-1 cup sugar

10 egg yolks
1 (14 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

PREPARATION

-melt sugar in sauce pan. Pour to coat bottom of flan pans in a thin layer. (work quickly to spread the sugar, it solidifies fast. WARNING: sugar and pan will be very HOT)

-whisk yolks, milks and vanilla in a medium bowl. For smoother flan, filter through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.

-divide mixture evenly into flan pans to desired thickness (usually 1/2"-1" thick-depending on size of dish)

-cover pan with plastic wrap and secure with rubber band.

-steam flan for ~45 minutes

- allow flan to cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

-serving: cut flan around edges to loosen from pan. Flip over onto serving dish/plate.

--this recipe makes about 3 x 6" oval flans.

Oldie but goodie

Chicken Marsala- I'm always surprised by how easy this recipe is, and how tasty the mushrooms are.

recipe from Food Network/Emeril Lagassi: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicken-marsala-recipe/index.html

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows [you can also buy it at the store]
  
• 2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin [I just cut in half and don't do the pounding]
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 4 tablespoons butter
  
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake) [I use shiitake]
  
• 3/4 cup Marsala [I use sweet marsala]
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper [I don't usually add any seasoning]
  
• Chopped chives, for garnish

PREPARATION

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings. [I like to eat this over farfalle (bow-tie pasta)]

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning)

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

My roots are showing

I'm not entirely sure why, but for some reason, I feel the need to learn how to make all my favorite Filipino desserts...and then maybe tackling some of the main dishes. Since I already know how to make turon (banana eggrolls), flan and halo-halo (shaved ice with a bunch of beans and stuff), it's time to move on down the list.

Suman: Filipino style sticky/sweet rice cooked with coconut milk and wrapped in banana leaves- traditionally eaten dipped in sugar.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups sweet rice (aka, sticky or glutinous rice)
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
2 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar, plus extra for dipping (this wasn't part of the recipe I found online-I accidentally added it instead of salt- but it came out good anyway)

banana leaves (usually found frozen in filipino/asian markets)

PREPARATION

1. Soak the rice in water until the grains are swollen, about 1 hour. (I couldn't really tell if the rice was swollen or not, and I was a little pressed for time, so I soaked it for an hour and hoped for the best)

2. Drain rice.

3. Heat coconut milk, salt and sugar in a saucepan until just boiling. (The original recipe didn't call for this either, but my mom suggested it and I feel like it helps to incorporate the salt and sugar-who knows, this is the first time I've done this)

4. Wipe down banana leaves with a clean moist cloth and cut into rectangles approximately 10"x 6-8"-with the ribs of the leaves going lengthwise (the size of the leaves will vary by how big you want to make the suman). Cut some leaves into thin strips to use as ties.

5. Place ~2 Tbs rice mixture on the banana leaf, centered lengthwise. Roll into a tube and fold in edges. Tie strip around the center to hold the leaf closed. (Ideally, the edges will overlap, if not, use two ties)-continue until you use up all the rice, or leaves...whichever comes first.

6. Place uncooked suman into a pot of boiling water. Boil for about 1 hour. The suman should feel plump when they are done.

7. Remove from water and cool for a little while before eating. (I like eating them warm either dipped or drizzled with sugar. You can also make a coconut milk and brown sugar sauce (just boil one can of coconut milk with 1/4 -1/2 cup sugar until thick)--yumm.

Bye bye Bombshelter, HELLO street food trucks

Ever since the great adventure that was the 1st Annual LA Street Food Fest, I've been craving grilled steak banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich)...and after missing my chance with Phamish last week, I was determined to get one from the Nom Nom Truck. While they didn't have grilled steak, their grilled pork banh mi was an amazing alternative. $5 for a 12" sandwich filled with tasty grilled pork, pickled veggies, cilantro and some sauce (mayonnaise, perhaps?)--definitely an experience worth repeating. This was Monday...



...today, I revisited The Grilled Cheese Truck set on trying something a little more adventurous than the last time. So what did I order? The Cheesy Mac and Rib, aka Fully Loaded. $7.50 gets you macaroni and cheese with sharp cheddar, bbq pork and caramelized onions all in between two toasty slices of french bread. Maybe it was because I was so hungry, or maybe it was because it was that good, but regardless, this delicious melt was gone in less than 5 minutes, leaving one content me.

So where can one find these meals on wheels? For myself and those I work with, right on UCLA's south campus (lucky us!). Two trucks are parked at the Court of Sciences every weekday. Got to warn you though, the lines can get pretty long...luckily I have a fairly flexible schedule.