Nila Rosa

My Newest Venture

2011-04-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Introducing! My newest venture. Work has been slowly picking back up and I have had a project in the works for awhile. It's something that I have done unofficially, but finally decided to just go for it. My newest venture is called...

A Sweet Intention

I will be providing custom cakes and baked goods for those located near Clinton Township,MI (Metro Detroit area) I am so excited to finally go for it and put my name out there.With all the exciting events going on at work, my new business will provide some extra excitement for myself as well.

So heres to eating dessert first!

A year and some change.....

2011-03-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

Nope. Not going to deny it. I am the worst blogger in the history of blogging. How long has it been? A whole year and a few months? Let's do an update..

The beginning of last year, I had to cut ties with the company I was working for. It was an unhealthy relationship and I came home feeling down everyday. Plus, payroll wasn't getting paid.
I am now going on almost a year as an assistant pastry chef for a four star,four diamond hotel and I LOVE my job.
I fell in love and moved into an apartment with my beau. Hopefully he will let me post about him on here.

In addition to my full time job, I am slowly doing cakes as a side business and here are a few things I have done.

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

2010-01-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

*comes up for air*

Hello?

Anyone out there?

What month is it?

What year is it?

Oh, January? 2010?

I don't know about anyone else, but 2009 was a doozy.Not sure how many life lessons one can fit in a year, but I heard from quite a few of them. Things have been changing and life has been rearranging. I think things have finally calmed down by now. Maybe.

The new year always presents an opportunity to start fresh and new. We have a chance to look back at what happened in the year and pay attention to what lessons we learned and bring them along with a clear mind in the new year.

So to bring in the first entry of 2010, a simple and fresh tomato and cucumber salad.It goes well on top of a bed of greens or works by itself as an appetizer.

Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Printable Recipe

Makes 4 servings

4 tomatoes,medium
1 cucumber,medium
1/2 white onion,medium
1 lemon,juiced
Salt and Pepper

1. Slice the white onion into julienned strips, or thin strips and place into a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pour lemon juice over the onion.Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. While the onion is marinating, slice tomatoes and cucumber into desired cut. I prefer the half moon shape.
3. When the onion is finished marinating, add the tomatoes and cucumber. Toss until evenly combined. Season with salt & pepper and enjoy.

Pumpkin Doughnuts

2009-11-20T18:02:00.000-08:00

I've never been big on fashion trends. Actually, I've always secretly enjoyed fashion trends, but I was always a good two or three weeks behind. When I finally bought a tattoo choker, people had moved on to mood rings.Wait, was it choker first then mood rings? Or the other way around? Don't jelly rings come between those two? Why were tattoo chokers popular anyways? I feel like i'm being strangled and if you move your neck just the right way, you can feel a not so pleasant pinch on your neck. Discomfort aside, you were the shiz.

Fashion goes in and out so fast, but everything eventually comes back around in some form or another. SO my plan to finally become the trendy one is to wear a choker, jelly rings, clog sandals,and a poncho until it comes back around. That way, I will be TEH SHIZ....or not.

Now back to food....

It seems like every fall, more and more pumpkin recipes show up. Of course, me being the late trend person, I am just now posting my first and last pumpkin recipe for this year. When does the pumpkin trend end exactly? What are we on now? Christmas cookies? Thanksgiving ideas? Ahh forget it. I'll never be on time with the trends.

Pumpkin Doughnuts and Spiced Sugar
Makes about 24 doughnuts and doughnut holes

Adapted from epicurious.com

Spiced sugar

1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Doughnuts

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
1 cup pure pumpkin,canned or fresh
Canola oil (for deep-frying)

1. In a small bowl, combine the spiced sugar ingredients and set aside.In a medium bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients and set aside. With an electric mixer or spoon, beat the sugar and butter until blended. Beat in the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla. Gradually beat in the milk. Beat in the pumpkin in 2 additions.With a spoon, fold in the dry ingredients in 4 additions.After all the dry ingredients are combined evenly,the mixture will be sticky and be similar to drop biscuit batter or dumplings. Cover and set in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

2.Pour your oil into a deep skillet or fryer to a 1 1/2 inch depth. If using a skillet, attach a deep fry thermometer and heat the oil to 365°F to 370°F.If using an electric fryer, just set the temp to 365°F.

3. While the oil is heating, sprinkle counter or a cutting board with flour and press out 1/3 of the dough onto the floured surface to 1/2-2/3 inch thickness. You may have to sprinkle the top with flour to relieve some of the stickiness. Cut out doughnuts using a 2 1/2 inch circle cutter, then cut out 1 inch holes using a large pastry tip or small circle cutter. Arrange circles and holes on a floured surface. Continue to re roll scraps until all dough is used up.

4. When the oil is properly heated, fry doughnuts a few at a time about one minute per side until golden brown.Fry doughnut holes in 2 batches,turning occasionally, about 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip using a slotted spoon or chopstick.With the slotted spoon,move to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.Let cool and roll in spiced sugar.Enjoy when warm.

Other Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Next: Miss Anna's Chip Cookies

Pork,Sweet Potato,and Mung Bean Soup

2009-10-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

Coughing..sneezing...sore throat..headache..

This post is starting to sound like the beginning of a Pepto or Nyquil commercial.

I hate being sick. I hate being sick so much that I've avoided being sick for years. (seriously) The most I've ever had was an irritation in my throat for like 5 minutes. I actually started to believe that I had some sort of ancient blood that allowed me to stay immune to the common cold and flu.

Whenever someone is sick, what are the top suggestions we give? Drink lots of water! Get plenty of fluids! Eat Soup! I hear eat soup all the time, but we forget that when we're sick, we really can't taste anything. So the soup that we're eating has a pretty interesting texture with barely a hint of flavor.

But alas, there is a cure. If you're going to eat soup, then go for a soup with different textures and different flavors. This soup has flavors from ginger and garlic and different textures from spinach, sweet potatoes and mung beans.

Pork,Sweet Potato, and Mung Bean Soup
Makes 6-8 servings

2 lbs. country style pork ribs
4 cups chicken stock*
6 cups water
1 leek ( washed and split in half)**
1 inch piece fresh ginger (peeled)
2 cloves garlic(peeled)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup mung beans
2 cups sweet potato ( Peeled and diced into bite size pieces)
5 cups fresh spinach (Washed)
juice of 1 lemon
To taste-salt and pepper

Rinse the pork ribs in water until the water runs clear. This rinses away the blood taste in the meat. In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, place the pork ribs, stock, water, leek, garlic, ginger, fish sauce,and soy sauce. Let it come up to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Let simmer for an hour or until the meat is tender.

Halfway through simmering the pork meat, place the mung beans in a bowl of water to wash off tiny pebbles or dirt. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, place the mung beans and 7 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 30-45 minutes, or until beans are soft. Add the diced sweet potato and boil until soft. Drain mung beans and sweet potato in a colander. I prefer to cook the mung beans separate because the water gets cloudy when boiling them.

Add the mung beans and sweet potato to the pork. Add the juice of the lemon. Add the rinsed fresh spinach to the pot and cover until it is wilted.

Adjust with salt and pepper to taste and serve alone or with steamed rice.

* I prefer the taste of the chicken stock compared to pork stock. It balances well with the taste of the pork.
**I prefer to use only the white and light green part of the leek. The green part can be used to make stock.

Awhile back, Foodbuzz offered Tastemakers an opportunity to sign up for a gift certificate to use at the Asian Food Grocer site. I knew I had to opt in because I love this site. If you have not heard of this site, then you really need to check it out. They have a great range of asian foods for really great prices.

Postless day + Saucy Mama Winners

2009-09-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

These are a few things that I've done this week or the weeks before and won't get around to posting individually. I think i'll call these postless days.

A baby in a peapod. Made for someone's baby shower.

Cake done for a lady's 70th birthday. Very basic cake.

Batman symbol cupcakes. Bakeries aren't allowed to make an exact replica of a trademarked symbol, so we have to change it up a bit.

Display cake for bakery. We made this exact cake for a client's wife who was on a diet. Her husband thought it would be funny to have a vegetable tray cake. This was before I brushed it with oil.

Dutch apple pie that took me weeks to make. Those following me on twitter will know what I'm talking about.

Now to announce the winners of my first giveaway.

I chose winners at random.org. The number sequence chosen was 3...5...4.

The grand prize winner of an assortment of Saucy Mama condiments as well as a few other surprises goes to # 3....robin_titan. Woo hoo!

The second and third place winners of a bottle of Chipotle Lime goes to Cindy and Mrs.L.

Congratulations and thank you for entering my first giveaway. I will be contacting you shortly for mailing addresses.

Escabeche

2009-09-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Check it out! I'm guest posting this delicious number over at the beautiful Michelle Judd's Blog, Taste As You Go.

Saucy Mama + Nila Rosa's First Giveaway

2009-08-31T21:29:00.000-07:00

A heavenly piece of salmon transformed into my favorite sandwich.

Salmon is a pretty amazing fish to me. The flavors are bold on their own and unlike most white fishes, you don't have to add alot of seasoning to make it taste amazing.Usually the rule is to cook salmon with something acidic such as lemons to cut through the fattiness, but when paired with bold items such as bacon and avocado, it can turn into quite an amazing meal.

There was a call for foodbloggers awhile ago to try out Saucy Mama's products and come up with a recipe to be entered into a contest. I was very interested in her sauces, so I decided to enter my name and give it a shot.One day, I was pleasantly surprised to find a package on my doorstep. Thank you, Saucy Mama! She has a line of several marinades and vinaigrettes that are seriously amazing. For the salmon, I paired it with the parmesan-garlic marinade. The marinade was the perfect addition to the fish. When I have the sandwich next time around, I will be sure to have bottles of Saucy Mama parmesan-garlic in stock.

Salmon,Avocado,and Bacon Sandwich
Makes 1 sandwich

4-6 oz. salmon fillet
1/4 of avocado,sliced
3 strips bacon,cooked
3 slices tomato
1 ciabatta roll
Saucy Mama parmesan-garlic marinade
salt and pepper

1. Season salmon with salt and pepper. On a preheated grill, place the salmon. While cooking, baste salmon with parmesan garlic marinade. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side.*

2. On the ciabatta roll, place the salmon fillet. Flake the salmon, so it covers most of the bread. Layer on the bacon, avocado, and tomato and enjoy.

*Tip: Cook salmon 10 minutes per inch

Now on to fun stuff. Where I get to give away stuff. This is my very first giveaway and I am quite excited about this one. With the amazing sauces, I was sent extra to giveaway to my blog readers,so this is what I'm giving away. I will have three winners. The grand prize winner will receive an assortment of Saucy Mama's products as well as a few extra surprises(woohoo!). The other 2 winners will receive a bottle of Saucy Mama's lime chipotle marinade which is a seriously amazing sauce for chicken fajitas.

Here's what you have to do to enter.

1. Leave a comment on this entry telling me what you would do with the Saucy Mama sauces and a way to reach you (e-mail or blog).
2. You get an extra entry if you tweet or stumble or whatever. Just come back to this post to let me know.

Contest ends Monday, September 7th.

Happy Cooking! : )

Potato Dominoes ala Jaden

2009-08-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

Being a huge fan of different foods and global flavors, it's funny for me to say that my family does not feel quite the same about food. Basically food is food to them. Of course, it killsme when they say that, but we move on. When I cook dinner, I make things that are pretty familiar and quite boring really. Take my brother for example.He absolutely hates the sweet savory mix. No peanut dressings, sweet bbq sauces, and no pork tenderloin with cherry-apricot chutney.B-O-R-I-N-G. He likes pizza, potatoes, pizza, calzones,pizza and most fruits. (Hey at least he likes fruit)

When I saw well-known blogger Jaden Hair of Steamykitchen make Potato Dominoes, I knew I had to make them. They sounded amazing and provided a chance to break away from the monotony that is spaghetti and chicken stir fry. How did they turn out? They were a big hit. My brother is a big fan of these style of potatoes now. Paired with a braised beef stew, they made the perfect dinner.

Recipe from Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way by Francis Mallmann

4 Idaho (baking) potatoes
4 tablespoons chilled clarified butter( or regular butter)
Kosher or Sea Salt

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Cut off the ends of a potato and trim to make 4 equal sides to form a brick. With a mandoline, Slice the potatoes to 1/8 inch thick. Taking a stack of potatoes like you would a stack of cards, lay it on its side in a medium baking dish. Use the reserved potato ends to keep the stack up.As you lay them in, angle the slices to look like dominoes that have fallen over. Dot the sides and top with the clarified butter and season with salt. Continue stacking all the potatoes, but be sure to keep them at least 2 inches apart. When all the potaoes are lined up and seasoned, take out the reserved potato ends.

Bake for 40 minutes,or until the potatoes are browned on the edges and is tender in the middle when poked with a skewer. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato,Crab, and Corn Soup

2009-08-10T16:53:00.000-07:00

Every year, I come across different flavor combinations that I’ve never heard of. When you hear the name, you think “wow”, that is going to taste very..interesting. But you try it and it’s all you crave.I wonder if any famous food combinations were considered “interesting” at first.

Peanut butter and jelly?

Sweet and sour chicken?

Cheddar cheese and apple pie? (ok, I admit. I have yet to try this combination)

The combination of sweet potatoes and crab is one that I heard while in school. A classmate told us he was planning on making this soup and we all were skeptical on the outcome, but were amazed once we had our first taste.

Now that I think back to this day, I wonder how many flavor combinations I’ve missed out on.

Do you have any favorite flavor combinations that are considered “interesting”?

Sweet Potato, Crab, and Corn Soup

2 tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup diced white onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups medium diced sweet potatoes

2 quarts chicken stock

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

1 lb. crab meat

1/2 cup minced parsley

Salt and pepper

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add sweet potatoes and chicken stock. Let simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Blend soup using an immersion blender or blender. Add corn, crab meat, and parsley. Heat thoroughly. Season to taste.

Creating,photographing,but not writing...

2009-07-20T09:40:00.001-07:00

Sometimes life just gets in the way...

2009-04-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

WoW! It's been awhile. I guess i've been here....just not here. What have I been up to? Well, working and taking care of life's little obstacles. I left school on a thursday, interviewed for a job on a friday, hired that same day & on the spot, and started working the following friday. I picked up a job wearing this little number. Yep, that would be a pink chef hat. I really don't want to give out specifics on my workplace, but I am the morning baker for a place that specializes in cupcakes baked from scratch. My hours start at 3 a.m., so all I've been doing with my time is throwing some quick meal together ( read: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) and passing out. I was finally getting used to the schedule and started planning some blog posts, but my vehicle decided it needed a new transmission. Now we are back to peanut butter and jelly and whatever is in the fridge. Booooo. Sometimes life gives you lemons, so you make lemonade...or lemon buerre blanc. It's not all bad. I have a few things planned such as enchiladas, a tigger & pooh birthday cake, and a giveaway that I am just waiting to find the right (write) time to post.

Braised Oxtail

2009-03-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

I may be weird, but my favorite thing about food is the story that it tells. Whenever I cook something special, I like the food to have a meaning and story behind it. Be it an inside joke or have a symbolic meaning, I like the meal to say something. So how does one sum the end of culinary school with a dish? The past few years have certainly been a journey of many ups and downs. A journey that looks simple from far away, but when you're actually involved with that process, you realize that there is so much going on. What's the perfect dish? It's different for everyone, but my story is braised oxtail.

Oxtails really don't get much play. In my grocery store, I find oxtails placed together with all the other forgotten delicacies such as tripe and tongue. It's a product that is looked over in favor of the more popular parts of the animal. Just like culinary school, it's not favored by everyone. Sure everyone enjoys it, but are they willing to put in the time and effort to make it?

In their simple form, oxtails can't really be used. They must be cleaned up; trimmed of the large chunks of fat. When you're done, there really isn't much meat to it. We must continue to transform it into something great. Next, we gather our aromatics; the basic ingredients that develop the flavor in the dish. In this case, it's mirepoix and bouquet garni. In culinary school, it's basic knife skills and culinary math. We don't stop there, we have to have a liquid that will bring all the ingredients together. Red wine and beef stock. Beef stock to echo and enhance the flavors of the oxtail and red wine for those term paper all nighters. Once we gather all our items, we start the process. Seasoning and browning the oxtails then caramelizing the mirepoix. Once it seems like the mirepoix is on the edge of burning (or giving up), we deglaze with red wine and beef stock. Everything quiets down and we place the oxtails back in the pot. Add the bouquet garni and place in the oven to be alone and work on itself. The process feels like forever. Every now and then, you feel like giving up and ordering out, but you don't. You continue to let all the ingredients work together and transform. Towards the end, you start notice and smell the change and finally it is time. You spoon it onto a plate and take a bite. It was all worth it.

So as I sit here drinking red wine, I wonder, what will be my next dish?

Awhile ago, I had seen a post on A2eatwrite's blog about an organization called bloggeraid and this organization is made up of foodbloggers trying to help the hunger issue all over the world. I've never been one for charities. Mostly because most of the money donated does not go straight to the cause but to administration and what not. The great thing about this project is that foodbloggers submit their recipes and photos and all the proceeds will be going towards the the World Food Programme(WFP). I had a few other recipes I was thinking of submitting, but I decided to submit the recipe for red wine braised oxtails. The book is set to come out around the end of this year, so I will be sure to purchase it.

If you would like to submit a recipe, the deadline is March 31st. (So close. I know)

Puto

2009-03-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

One night, I told two of my ex-roommates that I was craving puto really bad. They stood there and stared me with a shocked look. What? I know it's not the healthiest thing to eat, but it's so good. They informed me that puto is a rather unsavory word in the spanish language. Oh? It's funny that such a word is used for a great dessert.

I can't remember the last time I had puto. It's probably been 7 years or so.It's one of my favorite filipino desserts. Puto is a steamed rice cake that can be flavored with a number of ingredients.The addition of ube or pandan gives the puto a different flavor as well as give it color.Even the addition of cheese makes it a very special treat.

The type of container used to make the puto does not matter. They do make special puto cups, but they are not necessary.

Putong Puti

1 cup rice flour
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup coconut milk
1 Tbs. water

Combine the rice flour,sugar,baking powder, and salt. Mix in coconut milk and water until well combined.Fill your desired containers 2/3 full. Steam for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

New camera + morels giveaway

2009-03-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Eeep! I'm so geeked. For years now, I have always wanted a DSLR camera. I enjoy photography, but there's only so much one can do with an HP point and shoot. The other day, my close-friend, John, sent me a graduation gift.(Thank you,John! Mwah!) It was a Canon rebel Xsi. I am so stoked. I love it. For the past few days, I haven't been more than 3 feet away from it. Tommorow,(weather permitting) I will be taking this baby out to Lake Michigan to see the lighthouse.

From letsgodigital.org

Giveaways!

MarxFoods hosts many giveaways and they are usually ones I want to get in on. This giveaway is for morel mushrooms. The winner will receive 2 lbs. of the first morels of the season. I don't know much about morels,but i've had them once in a "risotto" and it had great flavor. I will definitely be entering and trying them once again. The ends as soon as the morel season starts, so get in on it now!

Tamarind Glazed Shrimp

2009-03-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone has a favorite product that they use in their kitchens. My favorite product is a jar of tamarind concentrate. Tamarind is a pod-like legume that is used in Asian, Latin, and Caribbean cuisines. It can be used in a number of applications from desserts to savory entrees. It has a tartness to it and it will give a curry or a soup another depth of flavor. You can buy tamarind in different forms. You can buy it whole and separate the pulp yourself, you can buy it in bricks with the fibers and seeds still inside, or you can buy it in a concentrated form. For ease, I use the concentrate. One teaspoon will stretch pretty far. You can buy a jar online for $6-$8 dollars if you don't live near any stores that carry it.

Tamarind glazed shrimp

1 tsp. tamarind concentrate
1/4 cup. hot water
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tbs. honey
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 lb. shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 C. + 2 tsp. Cornstarch
Oil for frying (vegetable or olive)

In a small bowl, fully dissolve the tamarind concentrate in the hot water. Mix in the soy sauce, honey,pepper, sesame oil, and 2 tsp. cornstarch. Set aside.
Heat a medium saute pan over high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Dredge the shrimp in the cornstarch.I used a bowl with a cover and shook the shrimp in the cornstarch. It's much easier and kinda fun that way.
Once the pan is hot, shake off excess cornstarch and lay the shrimp one by one in the pan. Shrimp doesn't take long to cook. It will take about 1 minute for each side. Basically, once it turns pink, it's done. Take the shrimp out of the pan and drain on a paper towel.
In a medium saucepan, heat the tamarind sauce*. As soon as it starts to boil and get thick, add the shrimp,toss, and enjoy.

*If you prefer a lighter sauce, then don't heat up all of it. You can cover it and put it in the fridge for later use. It's great for other proteins such as chicken or fish as well.

What is your favorite product to use in the kitchen?

Recollection: On starting culinary school

2009-03-06T19:37:00.000-08:00

I sometimes wish that I had started my food blog when I started culinary school. I've always been a big fan of journals or diaries. Mostly because it allows one to look back at their old lives and see how they have grown and changed. I would have loved to see how my cooking improved through school and to log all my experiences. I've had quite a few interesting things happen.

I remember during the culinary orientation,a very nice gentleman sat next to me and he talked about his love for food and cooking. He told me what his specialty was (sauces) and asked me what mine was. (note: I hate that question. My usual answer is 'everything'. The convo gets over faster that way) This guy really had a passion for food or at least he could talk it up really well. When the Dean spoke, he said that not everyone would make it through the program. He said that maybe only 30 in the room would graduate. Of course I thought it was crazy at the time, but now I see that he was right. The guy turned to me and said," I'm really nervous now. I hope I make it." To which I said, "ehh,don't worry about it. You obviously have a passion for food. As long as you work hard, you'll make it." He quit after the first lab.

My first culinary lab was quite interesting. It was called 'professional cooking techniques I.' It was a class of about 8 students,give or take a few. That class was a blast. We had two instructors on different days. A woman and a man. The woman sported a very cool, blonde pixie cut and laid back attitude. She was a great cook, a great teacher, and she remains to be my favorite chef. She also happened to be a vegetarian who cared about animal rights, but loved a bloody ribeye every now and then. I love that lady. The man was a fairly young and fairly attractive classically trained chef. He was a very cool guy and very laid back. Needless to say, my basic class was enjoyable. I'd go into the personalities of my classmates, but it would make this post much longer than it would need to be.

I will talk about Slash tho. Slash is just a nickname that we gave him within the first 3 days of class. I'm sure you can pick up on why he was named that. The first week of basic consists of knife skill drills. We basically go through the classical cuts; julienne,fine brunoise, tourne,etc. We also learn how to make ten different kinds of potato soup and mashed potatoes. ;) Anyways,back to slash. It was sometime in the middle of class when we heard someone gasp and a knife clang down on a cutting board. This particular gentleman cut himself. He bandaged it up and finished on with the class. The next lab, he was absent because he had to go to the hospital to get it stitched up. I guess he cut really deep. On Wednesday, he was back and bandaged. We were doing knife skill drills again when we heard a gasp and a laugh. Oh no, who cut themselves now? Oh,same guy. This time, he didn't cut so deep. He will now and forever be known as Slash. In fact, I've forgotten his real name now.

Matcha-Apple Loaf

2009-03-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

I always wanted to have a home where everything was freshly made;where I knew exactly what went into my ingredients. Where I would wake up and start a batch of dough to rise while I went out to the garden to pick what I would use for the day. Yeah, I'm a little delusional, I guess. I'd still like to make this happen even if I only grow a small herb garden. Due to financial and availability reasons,fresh ingredients aren't as readily available. During college, I went through various stages of "culinary whiplash". Every other quarter, I would have a lab classes and I would stop buying groceries because I was eating in class and bringing food home. It's weird going from tasting foie gras, truffles, and lobster bisque to ramen noodles and the occasional takeout. During my last two years, I've tried to introduce more of my culinary techniques at home, but it's a bit challenging when you have limited space and limited pots and pans. It was quite restraining being in my own kitchen. Every now and then, i'll pick up a shark steak or whole duck to play with,but i've mostly stuck with the basics. Canned stock and frozen vegetables have become part of my repertoire, but I manage to sneak in the occasional loaf of bread.

Matcha-Apple Loaf

1 C.warm water (110° to 115° F)
1 Tbs. matcha powder
1 packet (0.25 oz) instant yeast
2-3 C. all purpose flour + extra for dusting*
1/2 C. powdered milk
4 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 small apple,peeled and chopped

In a medium mixing bowl, mix water and matcha.
Add yeast and 1 cup of flour and throughly combine. Set aside in a warm place for 15-20 minutes.
Add powdered milk,3 Tbs.sugar, salt, nutmeg, 1 tsp. cinnamon and last cup of flour to the matcha mixture. Mix until it comes together in a ball.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth(about 5 minutes). Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours.
Mix chopped apples,1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
Punch down dough and mix in apple mixture.(It's easier to mix in a small amount of apples at a time)
Shape into your desired shape and let proof in a warm area for 30 minutes.
Bake in a 400° F oven for 25-30 minutes.(Bread is done when you knock on the bottom and it sounds hollow)

My Baby Sister is 18...

2009-03-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

Today, my baby sister turned 18. The whole situation blows my mind.I remember the day my mom told me that I would be getting a sibling. I hoped and prayed and begged for a baby sister. Sometimes, I think I made the wrong choice... ;)

How to Make Altoids (or How to Make a Peculiarly Strong Mint)

2009-02-25T17:28:00.000-08:00

The other day , I was trying to purge my drawers of junk, so I could get started on packing up my apartment. While sorting through my makeup and jewelry containers, I noticed that I had quite a few Altoids tins holding bobby pins and change. Where did all these tins come from? I didn’t think I consumed that many Altoids in my lifetime. They are pretty addicting, but not by that much. I then started thinking about all the money I put into purchasing the tins. I guess it was well worth the investment because I found a new use for them. I hear people say that something isn’t as good as homemade. Sometimes, it could be done cheaper at home. Can Altoids be made at home?

Yes. Yes, they can.

First of all, you need a portion of gum paste. I'm not going to write in specific amounts because it's all based on taste.

Second, you will need a dram of your preferred flavoring. Wintergreen is my favorite,so that is what I chose.

Now, when you work with gum paste, it's a good idea to have powdered sugar available to dust with, so it is easier to work with. It's like working with a pie dough. You don't want the gum paste to stick to your surface or you will have an interesting time scraping it off the table. If that is your thing, then ignore this step.

Important! The next step is to add the flavoring. When you're working with these highly concentrated flavorings, less is more. I had about 3 ounces of gum paste leftover from a cake I was working on and I decided to go for it and add 1/4 of the dram. Bad idea! If you're looking for a great way to numb your throat and tongue, then add more wintergreen flavoring. Make you sure you add a few drops at a time, then taste. You can add as little or as much flavoring as you would like.

Roll out the gum paste to a little thicker than 1/8 of an inch. I prefer this size, but if you like a bigger mint, go for it.

Next, locate a cutter of preferred size.I don't have special cutters that are that small...yet. I found a large bubble tea straw and used it to punch holes. It turns out that the straw is the exact size as Altoids. Yay, I win!

All the labor that goes into this recipe is pretty much done after you cut out the circles. You'll have to leave the mints out for a few days to dry. They are thick for drying, so it will take awhile. It's a lot of fun when people come over and they notice you have a large pile of round white pills in a bowl. It makes for ~~awkward~~ great table conversation.

Will I get in trouble for using "altoids" in this post?

I was invited to enter Sugar High Friday by Marija of Palachinka. (Check out her blog. It is gorgeous) SHF is a monthly blogging event that was created by Jennifer, The Domestic Goddess and I am so excited that I was invited to enter this post. This month's theme is copycat recipes.

Shrimp Stir Fry (Saving Time)

2009-02-21T23:18:00.000-08:00

The beautiful thing about stir fry is how easy it is to throw together. Vegetables, a protein,and the spicy sauce. I made this for lunch/dinner using the spicy sauce. It took maybe 15 minutes for me to get the vegetables chopped up and everything cooked. Quick to throw together and I was able to quickly go back to procrastinating.

Quick,Easy,and Done (Busy Week Meal)

2009-02-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Perfect recipe for a busy week.

Spicy sauce for stir fry

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water

Mix all the ingredients together. This can be made ahead of time and kept in the refridgerator to use when needed. Add this sauce to a stir fry at the end. Quick, easy, and done.

Take a Mental Vacation!

2009-02-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

Barcelona! Tuscany! London!

What do all these place have in common?

Well, they are places that I doubt I will be able to see in my lifetime. You see, there's the whole actually having to pay money to get on the plane rule. What's that about? They're going anyways. I'll give up my snacks. Ooo or better yet, I'll pass out the snacks and drinks. Please?

Yeah, I doubt that would work, so I have to go with the next(next) best thing. Bringing it to my home. The thing that I love about food is that it allows you to enjoy the culture and flavors of a different country without leaving your town or even your home. You can tell a lot about a country by the way they cook and what they cook. I should have just gotten a degree in food history. Is there even such a degree?

...anyways, lets take a mental vacation to Spain. To make this work, we need to appeal to all the senses or at least a few key senses.

Sound: Throw on some flamenco and dance around your living room. The internet has so many free music sources that you would be able to find hours of music.
Sight: The travel channel always has a show showcasing a certain country or travel story. If you have cable, then you're able to immerse yourself this way or search for it on the internet.I'm sure everyone knows or has heard of Samantha Brown. Btw, if her job is ever open, will someone let me know? I'd like to sign up for that gig.
Taste: Oo Oo. This is my favorite sense. (obviously) The food of Spain is so diverse, but always good. They basically have something for everybody. The country is placed in the perfect spot. They have access to so many different bodies of water and borders France (a country also known for it's culinary wonders).

I could go into touch, but I think we're good at this point. Put it all together and you have your mental vacation.

Let's go back to the taste thing. What are my favorite dishes from Spain? I could go with paella or the spanish tortilla, but I like dessert. Crema catalana is one of my favorite dishes to eat. It's much like crème brûlée that you find in France, but this is not baked in the oven. It's a mixture of egg yolks, milk, cornstarch, sugar, orange zest,and lemon zest. The mixture is cooked until slightly thickened, poured into ramekins, and placed into the cooler for a few hours until set. After that, the fun part starts. Just a sprinkle of sugar and a blow torch and you have yourself a delicious dessert.

Crema Catalana

1 cup Sugar
4 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1/2 orange
Sugar, for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together until creamy and light in color. Whisk in cornstarch, milk, vanilla extract, and zest of the lemon and orange until well blended. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and heat slowly over medium heat. Make sure you constantly stir until it is just thickened. Once you are able to coat the back of a spoon, pour into your chosen servings dishes. Place into the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours, or until set. Sprinkle sugar on top and brown with a blow torch.

Valentines 2009

2009-02-08T16:09:00.002-08:00

So I was finally tagged by the 25 things fwd going around facebook. Normally, I ignore these requests and people eventually stop tagging me. This time, I decided to do it. Mostly out of boredom. One of my answers was I hate cooking for myself, but love cooking for others. This is especially true around the holidays. I love making different baked goods, wrapping it up all pretty, and sending them to my friends and family. This habit started in high school when I would bring my friends baguettes (made the right way) and birthday cakes. That habit has only gotten stronger through culinary school. I've learned so many different cooking techniques, so of course the quality of the products have risen.

Valentines day is on saturday, so it's time to start sending out treats to those who live more than a few miles away. This year, I decided to stick with shortbread cookies and brownies. A shortbread cookie recipe can be found here. Instead of covering them with fondant, I iced the cookies with royal icing.The first step to making these cookies is to take royal icing that is stiff enough to pipe with and let it dry for an hour.Second step is to use a thinner royal icing for flooding. This can be achieved by simply adding a few drops of water.After flooding, it's best to let it sit for several hours to set.

I let these sit for 2 hours, then decorated them by piping on colored royal icing and painting with gel colors.
I let these set overnight, then packaged them up.

The other treats I have included are heart-shaped brownies that are drizzled with hazelnut chocolate. Half of the brownie is definitely the perfect serving. It's dense,but soft and very...very chocolately.

Cocoa Brownies

10 Tbsp. butter, unsalted
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter baking pan of desired size and set aside. For thicker brownies, use a smaller pan.
Place butter,sugar,cocoa powder,and salt in a medium microwaveable container.Place into microwave until butter melts. Throughly mix ingredients together.
Add vanilla extract and eggs. Mix until combined.
Add flour and mix until you cannot see it anymore. Do not overmix.
To the prepared pan, add the batter.
Place in the oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out slightly moist.
Let it cool completely on a rack and cut into desired shape and size.

Ownage! Kitchen Experiments Gone Awry

2009-01-24T19:22:00.000-08:00

Ownage (n.) The act of being disgraced or generally dominated by an unholy force. Often results in ego deflation and sometimes emotional scarring.

As I scroll through people's blogs and drool at their gastronomic creations, I find myself questioning my abilities to cook. How is it that all of these bloggers are able to create such beautiful, tasty dishes every time? Trying out new recipes does not end well for me sometimes. Take tonight for example. I was looking through my cabinets and I found my Mickey waffle iron. I purchased it right before my Disney internship. (Yes, I'm a dork) I hadn't used it in about a year, so I definitely had to try it out. I tried a recipe for cornmeal waffles. I've never made cornmeal waffles before, so I was excited to try them out. I heat up the waffle iron and greased it. I poured in the batter and closed the lid. I walked back and forth from my living room to kitchen waiting for it to be done. I was too excited. I needed those waffles. After some time, I was finally able to lift up the lid. It was so beautiful. Perfectly browned and steaming. Oh boy, come to mama! I lifted it out......and it started to crumble. Doh!

Tried it a second time and left it longer. Doh!
*sigh* I guess this recipe was a no go. Perhaps I'll try it again in the future, but for now, I feel shamed. A culinary degree and I can't make something as simple as a cormeal waffle. Bah. *hangs up her chef coat* I hath been shamed.

I still enjoyed the crumbs tho. A sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of eucalyptus honey and things were okay.....for a moment.

Shrimp and Mussels with Coconut Broth

2009-01-23T17:49:00.000-08:00

For our internship, a friend and I decided to apply to Walt Disney World. We finally got through the first round of interviews and had to speak with the chef who did the hiring of all the culinary interns. My friend went through her interview first, so we discussed it and the questions that were asked. One of the questions that took me by surprise was “What is your favorite spice or herb and tell me about it” Ummm. I’m not sure. All of them? What do you say at that point? It IS an interview, so what do you say. Do you show off your knowledge of exotic spices and say saffron or do you keep it safe and say dill? There are many awkward interview questions out there, but they always have some sort of reason or answer at the end. So what spice did I come up with? Turmeric. It’s a spice that I used once before, but I enjoyed how the color it made my food. That day, I searched online and found out anything I could tell him. I finally came up with a speech and was ready for my interview the next day. Well, he never asked me the question. Doh! Nowadays, I use it a lot in my foods. Word of advice, don’t touch your clothes afterwords unless your hands are clean. Staining is not your friend.

It's not often that I get someone to cook for. Whenever I hear that someone is coming over, I get excited and dive into my cookbooks and notes looking for the perfect dish to cook. It has to be perfect. It has to be beautiful. I want them to enjoy it. My best friend Christina came over last friday for the evening. We planned to have dinner, then go to a concert. Anberlin was playing for those that are curious. What does someone have as dinner before a concert? I could go simple with a burger and fries or chinese takeout, but I needed to cook something. I walked around the store for half an hour checking out the fresh proteins. They had some really good shrimp, but the guy in front of me bought all the shrimp. Bastahd! There went that idea. I searched the seafood area again and noticed bags of mussels. The february issue of bon appetit wrote on a dinner and it included mussels, so of course, I was craving them for weeks. I like to call it a sign from above. You can't test it. One must go with the flow and buy the mussels or suffer dire consequences.

Shrimp and Mussels with Coconut Broth

2 ½ lbs. Prince Edward Mussels, scrubbed and beards removed

1 lb. raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cups chicken broth (I prefer this flavor)

1 cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp. onion (minced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. Parsley (minced)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt & Pepper

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Saute’ onions and garlic.

2. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, turmeric, lemon juice, and parsley. Bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add mussels and shrimp to broth and cover. Steam for 3 minutes or until mussels open and shrimp turn pink.

4. Make sure to discard unopened shells and serve as desired.

5. Pouring the broth over steamed rice makes for a very delicious dish.

How to roast a chicken

2009-01-13T21:24:00.000-08:00

Actually, I should change the title to "How I roast a chicken". Every cook has their own unique way of roasting and rules that they go by. Some would argue in seasoning the chicken, rubbing in an herbed butter and throwing it into the oven. Not to quote late night infomercials, but they believe in the phrase "set it and forget it."Others like to stay involved with the chicken every step of the way. They start off by seasoning the chicken and drizzling on some olive oil or spreading on butter. They cook the chicken at a low temp for half an hour, then jack up the temperature and baste it throughout. While the techniques are quite different, they have always produced a succulent roasted chicken for that cook. The technique really depends on your style of cooking. Do you like to stay involved at every step or do you like to get it all together at the beginning and leave it alone to finish on it's own. My style ranges. While I enjoy being involved in the food, I like throwing something together, letting it cook, and working on something else. When it comes to chicken, being involved is great for me.

Steps to roasting a chicken
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 : Rinse the fresh chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
Step 3: Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Throw in one lemon. (Cut into quarters)
Step 4: Fold the chicken wings behind the body and tie the legs together using butcher's twine
or string.
Step 5: Rub the chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning.
Step 6: Place chicken breast-side down in a roasting pan and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
Step 7: Flip the bird over and roast for another 30 minutes.
Step 8: Turn the oven temperature up to 425 degrees F and roast for another 30 minutes* or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 170 degrees F.
Step 9: Place roasted chicken on a platter or cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. (Try to not pick at the chicken. I always fail at this step)
Step 10: Carve and enjoy!

* I used a 5 pound chicken and it took roughly 30 minutes for the last step.

Winding Down With Juliet's Kiss

2009-01-10T18:56:00.000-08:00

I suck at this whole keeping up with my blog thing. These past few weeks, I've been staying at my parent's for the winter break. The internet there is not very reliable and I haven't really cooked anything worth talking about. Well unless you want me to talk about chicken nuggets and spaghetti. I'm talking frozen chicken nuggets and jarred sauce. Yeah, I know. B-O-R-I-N-G. Now I am back at school for my last quarter. Excited? Somewhat.

but anyways....

So I'm from Michigan. At least this is the state I've lived the longest in, so I guess I'm a Michigander. I've driven in the snow for a few years now and have learned how to properly drive in this weather. I always assume that other people know how to drive just as well, but I guess that's where I go wrong. It was snowing pretty hard on the highway, so I reduce my speed and turn on my headlights. It was snowing so hard that you wouldn't see a car until you were at a two cars length away from them. If they have their lights on, then it's a three car length. Just enough to reduce your speed enough not to crash into them. Of course some people don't believe in headlights, but do believe in braking every 3 seconds. Cmon people! It was a 4 hour drive and I needed to unwind when I got home. After finishing up and turning in homework assignments,I took a long, hot shower until it ran cold. Afterwords, I put on a kettle of water and decided on a glass of tea. Blooming tea has always fascinated me. It's definitely something you enjoy once in awhile. Blooming teas are basically tea leaves wrapped in a bundle. When added to hot water, the bundle blooms and displays a beautiful flower. This evening's selection was Juliet's Kiss from Primula Teas. The smell from the tea was very therapeutic. It smelled flowery, but did not taste flowery (Bonus!). I found a 3 pack at Target. If you ever come across these products in a store and you're a fan of tea, I'd definitely pick one up. If only just for the fun of watching it bloom.

Best Christmas Cake Recipe

2008-12-21T22:20:00.000-08:00

Tequila Christmas Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
Nuts
1 bottle tequila
2 cups of dried fruit

Method:
Sample the tequila to check quality.
Take a large bowl
Check the tequila again.
To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.
Repeat.
Turn on the electric mixer.
Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add one teaspoon of sugar.
Beat again.
At this point it's best to make sure the tequila is still OK.
Try another cup... just in case.
Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Pick the fruit up off floor.
Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the lequita to check for tonsisticity.
Next, sift two cups of salt.
Or something.
Check the tequila.
Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink.
Whatever you can find.
Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window.
Finish the tequila and wipe counter with the cat.
CHERRY MISTMAS!

Peanut Butter Gianduja

2008-12-18T21:51:00.000-08:00

Found this box at the local hobby shop.Perfect for chocolates.

I've been putting off this post for a few days now.Finals came up,so I was concerned with that and now I'm at my parent's with a slow connection and can barely upload pictures. Crapola! This is my third and final post on my christmas chocolates this year. I fared quite well for my first time of actually getting something out and look forward to next year. This year's box includes 4 different confections.

1. Matcha Bonbons
2. Gingerbread latte Bonbons
3. Caramel Squares
4. Peanut Butter Squares

Peanut Butter "Gianduja" (seriously my new favorite word)

1 part peanut butter, smooth
1 part white chocolate chips

1. Melt white chocolate in microwave using a microwave safe container.
2. Melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe container as well.
3. Mix the peanut butter and white chocolate together until thoroughly combined.
4. Line a small baking sheet with foil or plastic wrap and pour mixture into sheet.
5. Level it out and put in the freezer to harden. (It's much easier to cut while cold)
6. Take out of foil or plastic wrap and cut into 1 inch sqaures using a heated chef knife.
7. Place back into freezer until ready to dip into melted chocolate.

Happy Holidays!

Caramella...Caramello. Christmas gift # 2

2008-12-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

"Would anyone like a caramel?", I asked my dinner guests.

"A what?", a guest said.

"Caramel"

"Don't you mean 'Kar-mul'?"

"No, 'kar-a-mel'."

Potato and tomatoes. Everyone has their way of saying things. I quite enjoy my pronunciation of the word,mmk?

Caramel Squares
Adapted from this recipe

2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon kosher salt

1. Prepare a 10x10 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Combine the cream,condensed milk,and salt in a small saucepan, and place the saucepan on a burner set to the lowest heat setting. You want the milk and cream to be warm, but do not allow it to boil.

3. In a medium-large saucepan combine the corn syrup, water, and granulated sugar over medium-high heat. Stir the candy until the sugar dissolves, then use a wet pastry brush to wash down the sides of the pan to prevent sugar crystals from forming and making the candy grainy.

4. Insert a candy thermometer and reduce the heat to medium. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and cook until the thermometer reads 250 degrees F.

5. Add the softened butter chunks and the warm milk-cream mixture. The temperature should go down about 30 degrees .

6. Continue to cook the caramel, stirring constantly so that the bottom does not scorch. Cook it until the thermometer reads 248 degrees F, and the caramel is a beautiful dark golden brown.

7. Remove the caramel from the heat and immediately pour it into the prepared pan. Do not scrape candy from the bottom of the saucepan. Allow the candy to sit overnight to set up and develop a smooth, silky texture.

8. When you are ready to cut the caramel, place a piece of waxed paper on the counter and lift the caramel from the pan using the foil as handles. Flip the top of the caramel onto the waxed paper and peel the foil layer from the bottom of the caramel.

9. Spray a large knife with nonstick cooking spray. Firmly cut into the caramels, creating 1” squares. Wipe the blade and re-spray as necessary.

10. Wrap the squares in waxed paper. The caramels will gradually spread and lose their square shape if not wrapped soon after cutting. Alternately, you can dip them in chocolate once they are cut.

11. Store the caramels at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Matcha!

2008-12-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

Wow,It has been awhile since I have posted an entry. I've been cooking plenty,but that's pretty much all I have been doing. Just cooking. I haven't thought about taking pictures or writing about it. I have just been cooking.It's too bad because I've come up with some pretty delicious dishes.

One of the culinary projects that I have been experimenting in is chocolates.I have always wanted to send chocolates or some sort of confection as a holiday greeting to friends and family. I tried last year, but I was too busy to focus on them. This year I did it.

Matcha is a fine powdered green tea.It is most commonly used in japanese tea ceremonies, but is used to flavor foods such as mochi or soba noodles. I was given a bag of it, so I decided to make green tea bonbons.

Matcha has an acquired taste.It does have a bit of a bitter taste,so some people like it and some people don't. Personally, I love green tea. I was very happy with the ganache.

Matcha Ganache

7 ounces White chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons Matcha Powder

1. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.I usually get it to a boil.
2. Whisk the matcha powder into the heavy cream and immediately pour over the white chocolate.
3. Whisk the chocolate and heavy cream together until the chocolate has fully melted.
4. Enjoy!

Edit:

I received a comment from an anonymous poster asking for more details on how I made these chocolates. These were molded. One day, I will talk about the process in my own words, but here is a video from the Today show that featured Norman Love who used to be the chocolatier for Godiva. In this segment, he goes through the process of molding chocolates. Very informative,imo. The way I achieved this color was to first spray the molds with plain cocoa butter. I let that dry and flicked black cocoa butter into the mold. After letting that dry, I sprayed the mold with a green color. At first, I was going to coat with white chocolate, but I decided that milk chocolate would be really great with the color.

Chicken and Tofu Curry

2008-11-17T21:49:00.001-08:00

I don't know what's been up with my lately, but I've been on a serious tofu kick lately. I rarely to never buy tofu, but I broke down and bought a couple packages. Now, what am I going to do with 2 packages of tofu? I rarely eat tofu. In fact, I used to hate tofu. I still bought them anyways. I ended up using one package to make chicken and tofu wontons, but the second package is slooowly disappearing. I'm out of wonton wrappers and I don't want to deep fry anything. I did have some thawed out chicken that I needed to take care of in the fridge tho.

Soooo.....

Chicken and Tofu Curry

1 chicken breast , cubed
1 block very firm tofu, cubed
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1/3 cup diced onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups Spinach (fresh)
1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Turmeric
1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

Salt and pepper the chicken cubes. Heat up a medium sauté pan over high heat and drizzle in the cooking oil. Sauté the chicken until done. Remove chicken, but leave the oil in the pan.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion and garlic to the pan. Sauté for 1 minute.
Add the tofu cubes and spinach leaves.(Try not to stir the cubes too much or they'll just break apart)
Add the soy sauce and coconut milk. Lower flame to medium heat.
Add the turmeric, lemon juice(or vinegar), and cooked chicken cubes. Stir to combine.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over rice or couscous.

Kobe or kobe not.....

2008-11-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

To be honest, I haven't thought too much about writing or taking pictures. All I have been doing is cooking. During the week, I've been working with sugar and chocolate confections. On the weekends, I deal with international cuisine labs. I have just been cooking.

I did visit grand rapids with a few friends for a night out on the town. Good times had all around. I have a list/novel of things I want to do before I pass. One of the things on my list is to have kobe beef. I hear the hype about it, but I never had it, so I really couldn't talk it up either. This restaurant was offering mini kobe beef burgers and oh my were they delicious. Normally, I eat burgers just for the texture of the meat. The chewiness really satisfies me. I was fully expecting that with kobe, but oh boy was I wrong. The meat practically melted in my mouth. It was so smooth and buttery. We wanted to savor every bite.

I guess I should mention that the term used for kobe beef in the United States is Wagyu. The restaurant was thorough enough to list that they received their beef from snake river farms. Our table was a little curious if it was certified or not, so someone took out their phone and searched the internet for the farm. It was definitely certified.

So on November 8th, I had my first taste of kobe.....and it was good.

Fall Shenanigans

2008-11-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

The other morning I had looked out my kitchen window and observed the courtyard. It was pretty early in the morning. Squirrels and turkeys were out doing their thing and you could still see the green grass with a few scattered leaves. I left the kitchen to do whatever I was doing that morning and I came back a couple hours later and looked out the window once again. The ground was covered in leaves. Not just a few more leaves, but covered. I looked up at the trees and they were still pretty full and slightly green. Where did these leaves come from? Where have the seasons gone? I want that season between summer and fall back. The one where it’s still pretty warm, but not too warm. It’s Michigan and I have to put up with it for now. I’m not powerful enough to change the seasons yet. Hopefully, this will be my last winter, so I’ll try to cherish it..or something.

To celebrate the season, I made these cute little Fall leaf cookies.

These cookies are made with a shortbread cookie and fondant. The combination of those two components makes for a very good cookie. The shortbread is not too sweet and has salt in it, so it goes well with the fondant that is mainly sugar. I recommend using a fondant that is actually tasty. I actually don’t remember what brand of fondant I used for this because I forgot to write down the name before I threw away the packaging. I’ll try to remember to next time.

I didn’t take pictures for the process of making these cookies, but one of my absolute favorite sites, Cake Journal , has a great tutorial on covering cookies with fondant.

Shortbread Cookies
Makes about 20 2-inch cookies

1 cup butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees F

1. Cream butter, sugar, and salt together until well combined.
2. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time to butter mixture and combine.If the dough is too
dry, then add ice cold water. If it is too wet, then add more flour.
3. Once the dough has been thoroughly combined,cover with plastic wrap and let it
chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out onto a floured surface. Roll out to
your desired thickness. I like cookies that are 1/4 inch thick. You can attempt
to cut out your cookies now, but I prefer to put the "sheeted" dough back in the
fridge for 15-30 minutes.It's much easier to work with colder shortbread dough.
5. Cut out your desired shapes and bake for 10 minutes.I only bake these cookies to
where it's just barely golden brown around the edges. The recipe calls for no
eggs and you are basically cooking the flour.

*This recipe can be doubled.

Chocolate Dreams

2008-11-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

I’m starting to really get into chocolates. On the first day of my advanced pastry class, the chef set out all the different types of chocolate he had and told us everything he knew about it. The history of chocolate is quite interesting. Over one of my breaks, I’ll have to pick up a few books at the library on chocolate and read more about it. The last week or so of my class, we focused mainly on chocolate. We covered rolled, dipped, and molded techniques. We also taste tested our creations. (Which prompted my new membership to the local YMCA) I love how chocolate is such an involved process, yet so simple. It’s a creation that takes years to perfect and lots of time and science only to be consumed within seconds. I’ve developed myself to become some sort of a chocolate snob now. If milk chocolate does not taste caramely, then I don’t want it.

I stopped by the local cake supply store to pick up a few molds. Every Christmas, I've wanted to give bon bons away as part of my greeting cards. I was very close to making that happen last year, but several things happened and I was not able to make that happen. Since christmas is right around the corner, it's time for me to start working on them. I'm excited to share the flavors that I can come up with. :)

Polvoron : Childhood Callback

2008-10-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

Many of my childhood memories involve food of some sort. I guess it’s fitting that I decided to pursue a career in the food industry. Now that I’m older, I find myself thinking about the old dishes I used to eat and more specifically, the candies. Now that white rabbit is slowly making it’s comeback, I find myself craving it so bad. It’ll be awhile until it gets back to the states, so I move to my second favorite candy; polvoron. The only problem is that I live 45 minutes from the nearest Asian market. I suppose I could suck it up and go, but that’s way too much for some candy. So, what’s the next best thing? Making polvoron.

We normally bought the Goldilocks brand. This recipe tastes pretty close to that brand ,but isn’t all pretty like they do it. There are polvoron molds to purchase, but they are not necessary.

Polvoron

4 cups flour

¾ cup powdered milk

1 ½ cups sugar

1 1/3 cups unsalted butter

1. In a nonstick skillet, toast the flour until light brown. (About 8 minutes) Remove and cool.

2. Sift together the flour,powdered milk,and sugar. Mix Well.

3. Add melted butter and mix throughly to form a ball of dough.

4. Pinch off enough dough to form 3/4 inch balls, place onto a cookie sheet and flatten.

5. Let rest for 30 minutes and wrap in waxed paper.

* If the dough is a little dry, then add more butter or water. Just enough to bring it together tho. If too wet, then add more powdered milk. This recipe is very forgiving, so mishaps can be fixed easily.

Pumpkin Bread

2008-10-14T16:14:00.001-07:00

I need to stay away from the store when it comes to kitchen stuff. I’m not one to go crazy over shoes or clothes, but show me a Sur la table and I’m in heaven. I usually bust out with the” if I had a million dollars” line every time I’m in a kitchen needs store. I love kitchen stuff. The other day when I was in Jo-Ann fabrics, they had a ton of fall themed dishes on sale. Around the corner, they had sets of 4 mini baking dishes for less than 8 bucks. That is seriously a bargain for me. Did I get them? Yes.

I totally have more kitchen equipment and tools than any average college student living on their own should have; Even more than most culinary students. I purchased a moveable glass as well. I thought about using it on a final exam, but we shall see what happens with that.

Moving on…

A really good friend of mine, J, sent me a copy of 500 cupcakes by Fergal Connolly. He bought it because I went through a time where all I wanted was cupcakes; lots and lots of cupcakes. I know the cupcake trend is just about over now, but I wanted to try one last recipe. Of course, this is another pumpkin recipe, but I’m sure a lot of people are pumpkined out, but I’m not! (yes, I made up my own word)500 cupcakes had a great sounding recipe for pumpkin muffins, so I decided to try it out. Instead of keeping most of it in cupcake form, I took my new baking dishes out for a test drive. It is against everything good and foodie to not use new kitchen equipment or plates within 48 hours. Coming into the last few hours before time expired, I poured some of the batter into these dishes. For the rest of the batter, I poured them into a mini cupcake tin with the intent of frosting them and bringing them to a party this Thursday. Several minutes later, I ended up making the mini cupcake a little darker than I wanted them to be. (I was vacuuming.) The pumpkin loaves rose quite nicely. I wish I would have put in more batter, so they would fully cover the whole dish. After doing some quality control, I found the loaves to be much better. Again, if I didn’t leave the mini cupcakes too long, then they probably would have been great too. The flavor of the pumpkin is very subtle and you don’t get the straight sweetness that you get with a lot of American desserts.

A-for this recipe.

I’m not sure if I’m allowed to post the recipe, so I’ll see if I can get permission to do so and I will edit this one.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

2008-10-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

For the October issue, Gourmet magazine is featuring restaurants that have been going strong since before the magazine's debut. Along with the stories, they included old photographs of the restaurants and customers. As someone who appreciates photography and art, I can say that the photos are amazing. They made me think of an old time where the classics were being made. Whether they be classic tunes or classic dishes. One dish that I can think of that has stayed relatively the same is macaroni and cheese. It is a staple that children live on and come to appreciate when they are older. Here's an autumn twist on a classic dish....

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

2 cups pumpkin puree

½ cup milk

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan

1 cup cheddar cheese

½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

¼ tsp ground mustard

½ tsp. worchestire sauce

¼ tsp ground red pepper (Optional: Just for a little kick)

To taste Salt and pepper

10 oz. choice of small pasta (I used ruffles )

1/3 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil pasta according to package directions to al dente.
Mix breadcrumbs with 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese. Add enough to water to keep it crumbly but able to clump together. (about 1 ½ tsp.)
Heat pumpkin puree in a medium saucepan over medium to high heat.
Add milk and thoroughly combine.
Turn heat down to low. Add ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup cheddar cheese, and the mozzarella cheese. Stir until melted into pumpkin mixture.
Add mustard, worchestire sauce, red pepper(if using),and salt & pepper.
Mix pumpkin sauce with drained pasta until thoroughly combined. Mix in rest of cheddar cheese. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
Separate pasta among 4 ramekins.
Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture on top and place in oven.
Bake for 10 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Take out of oven, let cool, and enjoy.

Note: You can play with the different cheeses, just make sure they are easy melting cheeses.

Food History: Pumpkin

2008-10-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

One of the things that attract me to cooking is the history and stories behind each dish and ingredient. We have festivals and books dedicated to single products like garlic and songs about food. It’s just so amazing. One product’s history that I find really interesting is story of jack o’lanterns and how they became a tradition every year.

Many sources have different accounts on how the story of the jack o’lantern came to be. One of the most interesting stories that I have found is from the History Channel.

In their account, it originated from an Irish myth. In the story, a man named Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. Keeping true to his nickname, stingy jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin to buy their drinks. When the devil did so, jack decided to keep the coin and put it in his pocket next to a silver cross. This prevented the devil from changing back into his original form. He freed the devil with the condition that he would not bother jack for one year and if jack were to die, then he could not claim his soul. When a year passed, Jack convinced the devil to climb a tree and pick a piece of fruit. When he was in the tree, jack carved a cross into the tree’s bark, so he could not come down until the devil promised to not bother him for ten years. Stingy jack died soon after and god would not allow him into heaven. The devil, being upset with all the tricks being played on him, did not allow jack into hell. He sent jack into the night with a burning coal. Jack placed it into a carved out turnip and has roamed the earth ever since. The Irish refer to the ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern” or “Jack o’lantern.”

In Ireland and Scotland, people started carving faces into turnips and potatoes and placing them in windows are near doors to scare away Stingy Jack or evil spirits.

Halloween is based on an ancient Celtic holiday. This holiday is called Samhain (sow-in) ,which means “summer’s end.” Sundown on October 31^st to sundown on November 1^st dated the end of the Celtic year. During this time, it was believed that the veil between the afterworld and ours was at its thinnest. Because spirits were able to walk the earth easily, people kept the tradition of carving turnips and gourds. When European settlers came to America, they discovered pumpkins and found them to be larger and easier to carve. This started the tradition of carving pumpkins.

Since there is such an abundance of pumpkins this time of the year, I decided to pick up a few small ones for pumpkin puree. The process is quite simple and the Pioneer Woman breaks down each step with pretty pictures and great commentary. I made two pumpkins worth today and I am so excited for all the dishes I plan on making. Mmm I can taste them now.

Limoncello for the win

2008-10-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or does it seem like Christmas decorations are being put out earlier and earlier every year? Pretty soon I’ll be able to purchase my décor for Independence Day and pick up a pack of garland and mistletoe. On a side note, did you know that mistletoe is a parasitic plant? Not very romantic when you think about it, but I digress. I admit that I love the holidays and I will admit that I was listening to Gary Hoey’s Carol of the Bells in the gym the other day. I love everything about the holidays. Well, aside from all the “diamonds are forever” commercials, but that’s another story. One of my favorite things about the holidays is not just the receiving of presents, but the giving of gifts. The most special gift I can think of is giving a homemade gift. Since my life is all about food, most of the gifts I give are food related. I haven’t decided on exactly what I will be giving this year, but I had an idea to give pretty bottles full of limoncello. Limoncello is a lemon liqueur commonly made in Italy. It is made with grain alcohol, lemon rinds, sugar, and water. The process takes at least two weeks for an ok bottle and 2 months for the best resulted flavor. In the end, you get a sweet yellowish liquid. I’ve seen some vary from just barely yellow to bright yellow. How bright your limoncello turns out depends on how much lemons you used, how yellow they were, and how long you left it. When leaving it for 2 months and with bright yellow rinds, then you can produce a really bright liquid that is extremely delicious. I’ve bought a bottle of limoncello from a certain company and it just didn’t taste right. I’m not sure what it was, but the homemade version always turns out awesome.

Homemade limoncello

8 Lemons,zested*

1 (750 ml) bottle 80 proof vodka**

1-2 cups sugar

2-3 cups water

1. Pour vodka into a sealable jar or container. Drop lemon rinds into the container.

2. Seal the container and let it sit in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks. Two months is ideal for the best flavor.

3. After letting your rinds sit, it’s time to make the syrup. Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan until the liquid turns clear. Take it off the heat and let it cool.

4. Pour the syrup into the container and let sit again for 2 weeks.

5. After 2 weeks, take the peels out and strain the liquid with cheesecloth.

6. Store the limoncello in fun bottles and enjoy.

*It's important to try not to get the white part of the lemon with the rinds. They are pretty bitter and that flavor will release into your limoncello.

** Grain alcohol is ideal, but isn't available everywhere, so vodka will do. Hardcore limoncello enthusiasts will cringe, but ah well.

If lemons aren’t your thing, then you can look into using other fruits. Some variations include mandarin oranges, ginger, limes, and raspberries. The possibilities are endless and they make great holiday gifts. You can even make great desserts with this liqueur. I don’t think my limoncello will make it to being bottled and given away. I’m thinking limoncello cheesecake or tarts...or cake! Mmmm…

Chocolate Overload

2008-10-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

All I have to say is that I Love chocolate. LOVE chocolate. It’s pretty bad. This is a coffee- chocolate cake I made in class. Around the edge is ribbon sponge. It has layers of chocolate cake, coffee-chocolate ganache, and chocolate bettercreme®. Mmm chocolate overload. I currently have a stomachache from my consumption of this dessert…or overconsumption I should say. *holds stomach* So worth it.

Sensual Seduction: Garlic Edition

2008-09-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

There’s something about garlic. It’s so...sensual.
Holding the firm bulb in your hand and running your fingers over the smooth bumps. Taking a knife and shaving off the top and exposing its little secret. You bring the bulb up to your nose and take in its sweet scent. Only you can truly fall in love with it. You close your eyes as you lightly taste it with your tongue, but not too much. You don't want to spoil the fun. You drizzle a bit of your favorite olive oil and seal it up tight and place it in the oven. Two minutes go by and you start to drive yourself mad because you just cannot wait. Another minute and it’s calling for you. It tickles your nose with its sweet scent. The scent has changed from before. It makes you eager to get a taste, but not yet. It’s not ready. You are not ready yet. Finally, after a long wait, it’s done. You grab the package. Using protection of course. You can hear it sizzling and calling to you. Oh yeah, it’s ready. You allow it to cool down. You ponder how you are going to do it; Coming up with your game plan. You decide to go with something simple, yet oh so satisfying. You take slices of fresh bread and lightly toast them. You arrange them on the plate as you prepare to uncover what you have longed for. Oh the smell. It gets you excited. It’s even better than before and you are glad that you had waited. You squeeze slightly as a small clove is exposed. Taking it and spreading it on one of the slices. It goes so smooth and without any effort. The wait was worth it. After drizzling it with olive oil, it’s ready. It is finally time to get what you have worked yourself up over the whole time. The scent becomes stronger as you bring it up to your nose. A little lick, then a bite. Your senses go crazy while experiencing something that seems so familiar, yet even better than before. Sight is seeing it glisten on the bread begging you to take another bite. Your sense of smell picks up the sweet scent mixing with the toasted bread and a faint smell of olives. Hearing the crunching noise of the bread as it gives way to you taking a bite to the muffled sound as you devour it. Touch is the firm, crisp bread now housing the soft morsel. Your mouth is excited. Your tongue rolls over the firm chunk tasting something wonderful every now and then. That was just the first bite. Every bite brings you over the edge until the last. Leaving you disappointed that it is over, but even more eager for next time.

Did I ever mention how much I love garlic?

Mango Pudding

2008-09-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

When I was in kindergarten, my teacher used to videotape everything going on in the class. When the year was over, she put together this montage for the parents. Considering how much of a backstage person I am now, I was surprised to see that I always tried to be the center of attention. Always doing something to show off to the camera or just standing there smiling. There was one particular scene with us sitting there eating juice and cookies and music was playing around in the background. I was pretty easy to spot. I’m the little kid staring at the cookie in her hand and dancing. Mostly some head bobbing and swaying. Now that I’m an adult, I realize that I still do that; Just not so excessive. Whenever I eat something good, I always hum to myself and sway a little. This happens completely involuntary. I guess I watch myself when I’m in public. (At least I think I do. Oh geez.)

Today I made a mango pudding. It came out so good. I would have taken pictures of the mango pudding, but it didn’t quite make it to being photographed. To feed the masses, mostly made up of my family, I made a vanilla pudding, which is the base for the mango. I was able to snag a picture of that. I miss my dishes at home. I had to dig to find something okay to put the pudding in.

Vanilla pudding

1 cup milk or heavy cream

¼ cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 egg yolks

4 tbs flour

1 tbs butter

1. Pour milk into a saucepan and place over medium heat. You are trying to just heat up the milk right now, so watch your saucepan.

2. In a mixing bowl, add egg yolks and sugar. Combine with a whisk. Add flour and vanilla extract and whisk once again.

3. Once the milk has heated up, pour about ¼ cup worth into bowl of egg mixture and whisk. This is called tempering the eggs. This ensures you won’t end up with scrambled eggs.

4. Add the egg mixture into the saucepan and turn up the heat. Make sure you keep whisking. Once the mixture starts boiling, give it about 8 seconds while whisking.

5. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. If your pudding was cooked for too long and it looks clumpy and almost separated, just add some cold milk and whisk together. The mixture should come together just fine.

6. Pour into a separate bowl and chill.

7. For the mango pudding: Just add in ½ cup or more, depending on taste, mango puree or mango compote after whisking in the butter.

Pantry Raider: Tuna

2008-07-18T22:58:00.001-07:00

I am…a pantry raider. Sometimes. Ok, a lot of the time. I get lazy when it comes to cooking for myself, but I still want hot meals. I try not to turn to lean pockets or frozen pizza, but I give in. After searching the fridge and cabinets, I find a couple short round cans. Tuna packed in water. One of the college staples. Tuna, ramen noodles, and a can of spaghetti sauce seem to be the common trend among cupboards these days. I take my can and stare at it. Wondering what I should make. Tuna noodle casserole? Bleck. Tuna cooked with onion and garlic and mixed with pasta? Ehh no. Tuna cake? Hmmm.

Tuna cake it is. The tuna cakes I usually make are super simple. I rarely have fresh vegetables sitting around to mix into the cakes, so it’s the typical condiment and cupboard items. My recipe….

Tuna Cakes

1 can tuna packed with water

1 tsp yellow mustard or 1 tbs. of whatever dressing you like

1 egg white

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Drain the water from the can and spoon it into a bowl.

2. Add mustard or dressing, egg white, and salt & pepper. Mix until combined.

3. Add breadcrumbs. You may need to add more if the mixture does not pack well.

4. Form into patties trying to make both sides as even as possible.

5. Cook in a pan with light oil until browned on both sides. About 3-4 minutes per side.

I usually eat my tuna cakes on a bed of mixed greens or in a wrap. I haven’t tried to use them in any other dishes yet. They probably won’t be too bad with rice. Hmm. Maybe next time.

Lucky Duck

2008-07-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Duck definitely has to be my favorite type of meat. It’s just sooo good. My roommate was able to get a hold of duck breasts. Now, I haven’t had duck in oh about a year and a half. I was really excited. For my meal, I decided to season the duck breast with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. I seared it in a pan to get the skin nice and crisp then finished it off in the oven. To accompany the duck, I made a blackberry sauce and some goat cheese ravioli. I will include the recipe for the basic pasta dough and the ingredients I used for the goat cheese filling. I was very happy with this meal.

Basic Pasta Dough

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water

Procedure:

In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the flour, add the slightly beaten egg, and mix. Mixture should form a stiff dough. If needed, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Place the dough into a plastic bag and let sit for 15 minutes.
Roll out dough using a rolling pin or pasta roller.
Shape as desired and cook.

In the spirit of the season....

2008-07-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

...I thought I should honor the grilling season with an entry. Every weekend in this town, there are more than a few families out grilling and having a good time. It's the summer tradition. When I was younger and living in florida, my family would always have bonfires and at times we would grill. All of my parents friends and the neighbors would come over and we would all have a good time. The smell of coals burning has always brought back good memories as it does for a lot of people. I have since moved away from home to pursue a degree in culinary arts. Surprisingly, being at culinary school hasn't left much time or motivation to cook for myself at home. Luckily tho, I met someone who was interested in trying different types of food and practicing cooking techniques outside of school. One day, we headed to the fish market to pick up something interesting. There we found shark. We both have never eaten shark before, so it was definetly a culinary venture for both of us. We picked up two shark steaks and fresh corn. My friend put the seasonings on the shark. I'm really not sure what seasonings she put on it. With the shark, we grilled ears of corn as a side. I was a bit taken back by the flavor and texture of the shark. The texture was light, yet very muscular. You are definetly getting your money's worth in the amount of meat. The flavor of the meat was a bit sour for my tastes. I'm not sure if that was because of the seasonings used or if it really was the meat. i will definitely have to try it again and make sure I know what seasonings are going on it. Here are a few pictures of our cookout.

Not sure what the next project, but i have a feeling it may have something to do with gumpaste.

Attempt # 1- Macarons

2008-05-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been awhile since my last post. No worries. Back on track. The other day I was looking around online and found that quite a few bloggers wrote about making french macaroons or eating them in restaurants. I have never had them, but they look oh so good. I decided to get back in the kitchen and experiment again. I found two different recipes online. One clearly worked out better than the other. I had decided upon Cherry Macaroons and Pistachio Macaroons. Just a little FYI for everyone,pistachios are a pain in the butt to deshell. Plus with eating them along the way, you have to deshell more and more.

Yummy pistachios chillin on the scale

I followed the recipe and for the most part it came out good. When I piped the mixture onto the paper, it was fine.I waited a few minutes,like the recipe said, before putting them in the oven. What came out was definetly not what I was expecting.

Rejected! They look like lava rocks.

After that disaster, I started on the Cherry Macaroons. This recipe actually worked out quite nicely. They piped out nicely like the pistachio recipe and baked up beautifully.

Beautifully piped-out macaroons

While they were cooling down, I made a Cherry Buttercream for the filling. Just the basic buttercream recipe of butter and sugar. I added some of the cherry flavoring and red food coloring. I sandwiched them together and enjoyed.

Finished product. Nom Nom.

Here is the recipe I used for the cherry macaroons:

Cherry Macaroons

Supposedly makes 40-54 cookies. I got about 20.

1 ¼ Cups Confectioners' Sugar

1 ¼ Cups Almond Flour

3 large Egg Whites

1/8 tsp Salt

¼ Cup Granulated Sugar

2 tsp Cherry Flavoring

2-4 drops Red food coloring

Basic Buttercream recipe with cherry flavoring added

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

1. Sift confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Blend in almond flour.

2. In a large bowl, mix egg whites at high speed until foamy, add salt. Slowly add sugar, blend until soft peaks form.

3. Add vanilla extract and food coloring; take care not to over mix.

4. Gently fold the almond flour mixture into egg whites to incorporate, take care not to over mix.

5. Gently fill a pastry bag (no tip required) with mixture and pipe into 1 - 1 1/2 inch rounds onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

6. Bake until bottoms of cookies are just set and tops are firm, approx. 20 mins.

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool on parchment sheets.

8. When completely cool, spread a decent amount of cherry buttercream filling on the flat bottom of a cookie. Sandwich with a second cookie and repeat with remaining cookies.

Famous India

2007-04-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

There is a certain building in a strip mall on Apple Ave. that always holds some sort of a restaurant. The unfortunate thing is that the restaurant only stays open for a month, then closes down. At one point, It was Filipino cuisine (which i was excited about), then became an Indian restaurant.They opened up a much bigger restaurant by the golf club and mall. My friend and I decided to venture out there for dinner.I've always been turned off to the cuisine. Some of their typical flavorings and spices are cumin, curry, anise, yogurt, and coconut. Sure all of those flavorings sound great separate, but together they they has always tasted odd to me. Maybe I've just had bad Indian food in the past.
After we had ordered,we were give a basket of papadum. These are thin crackers or flat bread that are made with lentil, black gram, chickpea , or rice flour. Salt and peanut oil are added to the flour and flavored with seasonings such as cumin, garlic, black pepper and anise. For my entree, I decided to order samundari khorma,while my friend indulged in lamb vindaloo. Samundari khorma is a mix of shrimp,scallops, fish and crab meat cooking in a creamy coconut sauce enriched with ground cashews and almonds. It had a very yellow look and smelled of coconuts, fish, and almonds. Very delicious smelling compared to what I've had in the past.The lamb vindaloo was lamb pieces marinated in crushed red chilies, kokkum, onions and cooked with potatoes. The sauce was spicy and tangy and held a deep red color.For dessert, I ordered pista kulfi (pistachio ice cream) and my friend ordered mango kulfi ( mango ice cream). They were very rich, creamy and all over delicious. I have to say, I was very pleased with the restaurant. They had a lunch buffet served 7 days a week. I think we'll be hitting that sometime soon. ;)