Tomato Sugar

Judd is 30.

2011-07-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend turned 30!

I don't know how it happened. One day he was 28, then he was 29, and then he was 30. So, I guess I do know how it happened.

He is a rather private person by nature, and he doesn't like to be the center of attention unless he has control over how he got there, like by saying something loud and inappropriate. But my girlfriends and I decided that he deserved to be celebrated, and to throw a party for several of his absolutely closest friends.

I wanted this to feel special, intimate, and so I decided to hand make paper invitations for our guests:

There was a sale on stamps and stamp pads, so I went a little nuts. Each color was assigned a letter, and then I began.

Such an exciting declaration:

Date, Place, Time, Bring, all to be filled in later with a black pen:

It is:

After doing this for a few hours, I started losing some control of the letters and the colors, and this started happening:

And then this tie-dye started happening:

What a beautiful mess:

And I thought to myself, this is maybe the most beautiful thing I've ever made.

So much so that I had to make one for us:

but ours was not very informative:

I recently came upon a handmade garland on the internet, and set to work on one for our party:

I wrapped the yarn a billion times around this cardboard, and then it formed little bundles that needed to be snipped at each end:

And then they burst apart to become these spiny little creatures. Then they get strung together.

This one went on for miles.

Chloe agreed to host the party. Finally, the date was upon us! We bought a small grill for the occasion, and got corn at the farmer's market that very day:

We set up a little beverage bar. Chloe made a ginger basil simple syrup in sparkling water, and spa water with lemon and cucumber, and I made a lavender lemonade. Our guests who drink alcohol could then mix their favorites into their own cups, and our guests who do not drink alcohol had some truly delicious choices to make:

(poem in the background by justin runge)

The music was playing, the water was sparkling (ginger-basil water!) and the air conditioner was on, thankfully. I thought to myself, this may be the most beautiful thing I've ever made, this beverage bar.

Judd requested a key lime pie for his birthday. It is here , in vintage pyrex, next to Chloe's vintage pyrex cucumber (from her mother's garden!) and feta salad. The pie was one of the most delicious things I've ever made, and beautiful:

Not that long ago was Chloe's birthday. In honor of her family's long tradition with horses, I gave her what any good cowgirl needs: a cake pan in the shape of a horse's head.

She returned the favor by making a horse cake that looked like Judd (surrounded by banana cupcakes):

We had a small section of the table with things honoring Judd's obsessions. Peanut butter and chocolate was not in short supply, and I ordered these small notebooks with a portrait of David Foster Wallace on the front, and HAPPY 30TH, JUDD on the back:

The seeds were, of course, RED BEARD onion, because Judd has a red beard.

(also: homemade curried chickpeas and jordan almonds because they're delicious, and in the dark blue bowl is candied ginger, because he's a ginger). This little corner of the table was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever made, maybe:

In this photo I had just delivered some news. Something along the lines of the camera's battery is dying....

And the garland! Though it was dimly lit in the house, I thought it looked so beautiful, and our friends with cats were able to take a pom-pom or two at the end of the night for their critters to play with:

Outside we had strung tiny white lights all along the porch, and lined the porch and stair with candles in mason jars. It was one of the most beautiful, breathtaking things I'd seen:

But at some point during the night, I looked at Judd, and I thought of our years together as friends and our years together as something more here in Kansas. I thought of the community we've built of these wonderful friends, the home we've made from second-hand furniture and family photos, the fun that we are having, and the way that we love each other, and I thought, no, this is definitely the most beautiful thing I've ever made.

Day to Day

2011-02-01T11:00:00.001-08:00

Though I like to post special-occasion cakes or recently-invented recipes, I haven't had much time for any of that lately. My coursework this semester is rigorous, to say the least, and it's already time for AWP (if this snowstorm would just let up and I could get out of here). So while I love to take intricate step-by-step photos as I cook, and to experiment with new food or techniques, I haven't really been able to do both at the same time lately.

Instead, for the last couple of weeks, I've been photographing some of the food we eat. What makes this worth sharing, I suppose, is how un-special it is: this is a pretty good example of meals we eat day-to-day.

While our usual addiction is Sweet Potato Enchiladas, we decided to switch things up with some Spinach Enchiladas. One of the more frustrating aspects of avoiding meat is that it usually involves substituting with a lot of cheese. But, oh well I guess, these were delicious.

Where the ricotta/spinach mixture once was (we added some spices too):

Canned enchilada sauce, because I don't make my own at this point in my life:

Set the timer:

Don't burn yourself!

My teaching schedule has me on campus much much more than I used to be. While I used to teach for a solid block and then rush home to do something more fun, now I have an hour break between classes which forces me to do homework and study, or get some grading in. Judd is gone from home all day too, hard at work. These facts mean we need some good, cheap, portable lunch options.

Here is a simple sandwich consisting of some staples of our winter fridge:

* homemade pesto

* roasted red peppers

* sliced cheese

* fake meat (smart deli)

It is simply delicious.

And what would you, ideally, pair with this sandwich?

Me? It'd have to be sweet potato chips.

I LOVE SWEET POTATO CHIPS!

While there are some delicious store-bought brands (terra, for one), they are pretty expensive. Seriously, Christmas hint though: bags and bags of Terra Vegetable Chips!

If I had the money and space to invest in just one ridiculous kitchen gadget, it would probably be the mandolin.

Not this:

But this:

It would make thinly slicing vegetables for chips incredibly easy. Because without it, it seems impossible.

But with our brand new knives I tried!

Still, though uneven and lumpy.

But still delicious.

Another thing that I LOVE to make is granola:

So easy, affordable, and good, and the staples are almost always on hand:

And now, something we eat several times a month:

Doesn't it look delicious?

Well, especially when marinated in and baked with peanut sauce + sriracha, tofu can transform into something spicy, salty, sweet, and crispy.

We usually serve it over brown rice cooked in coconut milk with some stir fried vegetables:

I have to warn you: for some reason soy sauce + coconut rice is the most delicious combination in the world.

And, to close, a frittata made with left-over roasted vegetables (which we almost always have!) and some corn grits:

bruma domesticus

2011-01-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

My winter break was over one month long. I have two days left even! Sure, I spent time on my own work, but probably not enough. I should have at least started writing a novel or something. Instead I wrote around 2 short stories, about 6 short shorts, and a handful of poems.

This coming semester I will be in 3 very challenging classes with the famous Joshua Cohen, among them a Fiction Workshop. Am I worried? A little. Do I have time to crank out a genius story before next week? Probably. But I don't want to right now. I am taking this vacation thing incredibly seriously.

For example, here is an enormous scarf I made for Judd:

Not to brag, but I love this detail:

There has been many a snow day here in Lawrence, Kansas, and I spent one of them learning a new stitch ("puff stitch") for this pink cowl:

I have several new years resolutions for 2011. Among them is to help keep our house a bit cleaner. For example, did you know that a kitchen floor should probably be mopped more than a couple of times a year?

Ugh. I know.

Well, upon returning to Lawrence from a couple of weeks in Utah I went a little crazy on our house. This was mostly due to watching Hoarders with my mother and sister-- it wound me up and set me loose. We got rid of pounds and pounds of clothes (and made over $60 reselling them!). Every surface on our house was washed or vacuumed. Pictures were hung on a wall. Books were organized.

I'd show you pictures but it's a little messy right now.

(Ha!)

One of my favorite additions is this, purchased for me by Judd's mother during our marathon antiquing trip. It's a very old cupcake tin that I turned into a votive candle holder (we saw this done in one of the shops), and it is surprisingly beautiful when lit:

(that little girl in the red coat is my mother, by the way)

(if I ever have a dinner party where the food I've prepared doesn't cover the ENTIRE table, this will be at the center.... but we'll need a bigger table)

Another resolution for 2011 is that I am going to keep some houseplants alive.

We had a bromeliad for about a week and a half before it turned an accusatory brown.

We went to a local nursery here in Lawrence and found plants that were good for cleaning and filtering the air, as well as pretty death-resistant. The guy who runs the nursery is obviously so passionate and knowledgeable about gardening that he has an air of impatience about him when dealing with people like us. We got out quickly.

This is my heartleaf philodendron:

I am hoping that it climbs this chop stick from our favorite thai place, but I'm not sure how to encourage that beyond sticking it in and waiting:

This beautiful peace lily is in the bedroom, looking serene (and maybe a little droopy?):

It's a little moody. I'll water it and the leaves will perk up for about an hour before they relax again...

But I have to be doing something right, because we're getting a new flower:

And whatever is happening with this leaf is beautiful, though it could be a sign I am doing something wrong:

This is one of my favorites, the snake plant... I want it to get sooooo tall:

But it hasn't been all cleaning, crocheting, and watering. That wouldn't belong on a food blog. There has also been some cooking going on.

Oh my goodness, what on earth is happening here:

Why, an 11-layer cake of course!

I made this in preparation for a dinner party. For some reason I was on a serious "don't want it to be too sweet" kick. I really wanted to make a rich chocolate cake with layers of almond cake...

but one of the guests is DEATHLY allergic to nuts.

I went back and forth for awhile (not on killing him, on some other ideas). I thought about green tea (matcha), but Judd pointed out it might get overwhelmed by the dark chocolate. So, I contacted my sister immediately for her advice, and she recommended ginger.

The chocolate layer was a friend's recipe involving buttermilk and oil, and the ginger layer was basically the quintessential ginger cake online (sometimes called DAVID'S GINGER CAKE) made with fresh ginger and molasses.

It was very heavy (like, the physical weight), and a total statement piece.

And beautiful inside:

Let's look at that again:

I would definitely make more dramatic layer cakes for celebrations. It's really not that hard.

I like the idea of a red (strawberry) white (almond or vanilla) and blue (blueberry or blackberry) 11-14 layer cake for the 4th (or 24th, depending on where we are) of July.

Yeah, I think about that sometimes. Like if it were a 4th of July party maybe on some craggy coast in the north east and we were all in vintage party dresses. And we'd gone fishing all morning and were grilling fish and waiting for fireworks. Could there be lemonade? Yes. A bonfire? Of course. Here's a sparkler, honey, write your name in the air.

Thxgvng.

2010-11-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.

There's a lot to be thankful for out here in Lawrence, Kansas.

... But I'm not going to bother to list it all here. One thing I am grateful for is that not too long ago I had the chance to see my first wild turkey ever. I actually thought it was a dinosaur at first.

Am I right?

Strangely, the real thing is not as gross as some of our hilarious cartoon depictions:

Our Thanksgiving here was... lavish.

We knew we had an elaborate meal on its way, so we decided not to eat-eat until then. Instead I made a fruit and cheese plate (apples, grapes, oranges, blackberries, and bananas with brie, havarti, and blue cheese).

After seeing a few friends, we took a walk. It didn't take very long because it was incredibly cold out. In our hunger we were easily distracted.

What am I wearing on my head, you may be asking? Likely one of your Christmas presents, so stop peeking.

As soon as we got home, we commenced cooking! Judd did the turkey this year. Here he is working on it after it was spatchcocked:

Here it is, right before it went in the oven. Judd rolled thinly sliced pads of butter in herbs and then pushed them under the skin. He brushed it with olive oil, and put it in the oven. I think it was done in about an hour and a half-- spatchcocking is amazing.

Here it is, fresh from the oven:

Every year for Thanksgiving my mother made Waldorff salad, consisting of cut up apples, walnuts, and celery dressed with sweetened mayonnaise. As a young child, however, I picked out the celery and the walnuts, so my mom just started making what came to be known as "apple salad" for me, and Waldorff for the grown-ups. Well, now it's my house, and there is only apple salad:

Judd pointed out, perhaps a little late, how strange it was to have cole slaw at Thanksgiving. But I love my Grandmother's coleslaw! So, okay, I won't make it again until the Fourth of July, but it's always nice to have something familiar at Thanksgiving (and this recipe is amazing-- basically just white vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder...)

The one dish for me at Thanksgiving that is non-negotiable is cranberry sauce. Without it, it might as well just be any other dinner party. And this is my favorite recipe (I doubled it... turkey-cranberry-mashed-potato sandwiches all week!):

Thanks so much to Carolyn Nielsen for this recipe. I don't remember if we had these often at my family's Thanksgiving, and I was reticent to try them, but they are one of Judd's favorites. As soon as I tried one I got a delicious and warming sugar rush. Candied Yams!

This is a variation on a recipe my sister introduced me to: miso sweet potatoes. Instead of roasting them and serving them whole in-skin, I mashed them like any potato and then added the miso-butter.

I just love these balsamic-glazed carrots. I do not follow this recipe exactly, I totally eye-ball it, but it is so delicious.

Ok... this one is a little embarrassing. We basically had all of this stuff (zucchini, eggplant, grape tomatoes, onion, etc) in our vegetable drawer, so I loosely based this dish on something in my favorite cookbook. And it was so awful. Judd swears that it was really good when it was hot (I didn't get to it in time), but we ended up throwing it out. Do NOT tell the starving children in Africa or wherever.

And now we return to the potato portion of the evening.

These are my favorite mashed potatoes! Pretty basic, but not for the faint of heart (or those who are particularly careful with their hearts and arteries). It contains salt, pepper, a dash of cream, sour cream to taste, and fresh chives. Served with turkey gravy!

Oh my...
My plate... I could only make it through round one:

But for dessert, we had a Pumpkin Chiffon Pie.

Served with homemade whipped cream (which for me was the best part: I whipped the cream with a pinch of cinnamon and cardamom, and it was soooo goood)

Things I have cooked this summer (August Edition)

2010-08-20T05:54:00.001-07:00

Summer is over officially. My first days of classes began yesterday. Thus ends the reign of the non-wife housewife. It was good while it lasted, and I must confess, I am excited to cook with autumn and winter ingredients soon! (I know, I should be punished for saying that with the Kansas winter lurking a few months away).

I learned a lot by doing this. Strange patterns emerged! For example: each month begins with squash or sweet potato! Who knew? Well, here's our final month. Keep in mind, the list is shorter than the others because of vacations, and because school has interrupted the month. Thus:

August Edition

Butternut Squash Baked in Tomato Sauce

Sautéed Vegetables (kale, mushrooms, onion, garlic, green pepper) with Brown Rice and Tofu

Honey Roasted Eggplant with Chilis, coconut rice

Baba Ganoush

Cherry Tomato Tomato Tart

Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Hummus

Beet Hummus

Pasta with Mushroom and Tomato Marinara

Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart

2010-08-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Ellijay, Georgia, and then Salt Lake City, Utah... just in time for the Farmer's Market!

Last time we were in town, the market consisted of some root vegetables and aromatics, and canned jams (oh, and locally made frozen tamales, our favorite). But now--almost a month later!-- we had access to tomatoes and eggplant and flowers, oh my!

So, I bought some very cheap, very local, rather small eggplant with which to make baba ganoush (it is delicious). And, of course, this:

Roasted Cherry Tomato Tart

We are exhausted from all of the family + friends time (bless their hearts), and we are back to the grind. My spare time consists of whipping together lesson plans and syllabi, not so much dough from scratch... well, with some exceptions.

So, no meticulous photo taking lately. I used this recipe for the crust, but I also used a few tablespoons of vodka, which adds moistness without adding gluten. I then layered caramelized onions, which I do like to have on hand (they keep well for about one week), and then sliced tomatoes. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes, and ENJOY!

They say it's your birthday.

2010-07-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

If I had to choose one cake to give up for the rest of my life, I would probably choose peanut butter + chocolate. It isn't that I don't like it, just that I would not miss it much.

If Judd had to choose one cake to eat for the rest of his life, it would probably be peanut butter + chocolate.

But it was his 29th birthday! Hence the bonfire in my hands.

I followed this recipe, except I made it a layer cake, and added a tablespoon of freshly ground coffee. And I cut up Resee's and smashed them into the sides.

Judd cut it expertly for all of our guests.

(My my, look how many holes 29 ish candles make...)

Things I have cooked this summer (June Edition)

2010-07-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Things I have cooked this summer, June edition

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Mexican Rice

Chocolate Mousse

Water + Cucumber + Basil + Thinly Sliced Citrus

Baked Tofu + Peanut Sauce

Coconut Rice + Vegetable Stir Fry

Raisin Bread

Feta + Date Grilled Cheese

Iced Green Tea + Iced Lemon Ginger Tea

Lemon Orzo + Asparagus

Baked Falafel + Tzaziki Sauce + Spanish Rice

Classic Rice Krispie Treats

Zucchini + Sun-dried Tomato + Basil + Caramalized Onion + Goat Cheese Frittata

Baked Lemon Spaghetti

Banana Soufflés

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tofu Tacos with Spicy Mango Salsa

Coconut Flan

Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

Mexican Rice (to go with tamales purchased from the Farmer’s Market)

Pasta Salad with Tortellini

Vegetarian Red Beans + Rice

Baguettes

Free Form Artisan Loaf (whole wheat)

Olive + Garlic Butter

Lemon Curd (for Hallie’s Birthday present)

Tofu Tacos with Hot Mango Salsa + Coconut Flan

2010-06-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

What to do on a hot summer day when Mexican is desired but heavy and heat is not? And when there's tofu in the fridge and mangoes are on sale?

Oh, that's easy:

Tofu Tacos with Hot Mango Salsa (+ Coconut Flan)

This is a great way to use up produce-- oh, and also get vitamins into your body. It can also be a good way to get sour cream into your body. Even typing this is making my mouth water. I want it again...

And you will too. Here is what you will need (stage by stage):

* Soft and Hard Taco shells (we had both on hand, you can just choose one)

* Tofu (drained, dried with paper towels)

* Not pictured: tons of napkins, cuz this is messy. Not a first date food.

For the marinade:

* A tomato

* A blend of: cumin, cayenne, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and a pinch of cinnamon. Feel free to add dashes of basil + parsley. You can adjust these based on your taste for spiciness.

Now: Cube the tomato and smash it with your herb blend. Keep it juicy.

Cut the drained and dried tofu into cubes, and put it into a tupperware container. Put in the fridge, and periodically flip upside down and right side up to coat every bit. Let it sit for several hours or even overnight.

(flipped):

Meanwhile, let's make the salsa. This is one of my all-time favorite salsas. It is beautiful to look at, great with chips, great on anything. What you will need:

* about 1/4 of a red onion

* one jalepeno

* one mango

* one lime

* cilantro

Chop and combine everything. You can adjust the ratios to fit your taste, but the above seems to work well for me. Caution: jalepenos are not messing around. I have been pretty painfully injured by one twice by forgetting it was on my hands (picture me making indian food for a dinner party and greeting guests leaning over the sink with a leaking milk compress under my nose...) To cut jalepenos now I ALWAYS use old produce bags for makeshift gloves... or you can use surgical gloves. Do the jalapeno last for this reason to avoid cross-contamination, and wash everything immediately after.

Confession: I doubled it. And we ate it all.

Once the tofu is sufficiently marinated, take it out and put it on a lightly oiled baking tray. Bake at 350 for about half an hour, flipping halfway through. When you're done it will look like this:

We served ours with the following:

* chopped lettuce, avocado and tomato

* hot mango salsa

* regular salsa

* tzatziki sauce left over from baked falafel night (coming soon) (this sauce is sort of almost close to a white sauce you can find on fish tacos)

* sour cream + cheese

* chips (Xochil are the best!)

Those tacos with the squared bottoms are perfect little homes for tofu:

This is what it looks like, fully loaded:

Did you think we were done at a taco (or 5?)

No no.

Coconut flan time.

I actually followed Paula Deen's recipe, which is something that I never thought I would be able to say. But I was able to use up a can of condensed milk that had been haunting the back of the fridge for awhile... Here's what you will need:

* 3 eggs

* 1/3 cup sugar

* dash of lemon juice

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 1 can condensed milk

* 1 1/2 cup coconut milk (which is about a can)

* 1/4 cup coconut flakes

* ramekins or a pie dish.

Melt the 1/3 cup of sugar with a splash of water + lemon juice until it caramelizes. It will turn golden and beautiful, but be really careful not to burn it (that can happen). This is going to take awhile, but once it's bubbling it will darken quickly.

Also: be sure not to spill any. It can be hard to clean up once it hardens.

Pour the caramelized sugar into the base of whatever dish you are serving from.

Beat the eggs until foamy. Beat in the condensed milk, coconut milk, and vanilla. Fold in the shredded coconut. Pour mixture into ramekins (or pie plate).

Transfer the filled dishes to a baking sheet with sides. Fill it as high as you can with water. Bake at 325 for about an hour (ours took closer to 45 mns)

Once set, remove from oven + water bath so they don't continue to cook in the hot water.

Allow to cool. Once ready to serve, cut the sides of the ramekin to free the flan, and flip it.

Serve, and be well.

MMM.

Homemade Pumpkin + Ricotta Ravioli with Tomato Marinara

2010-06-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

There are certain staples of a winter pantry: molasses, pumpkin, canned tomatoes, sage, cinnamon, dark chocolate, oatmeal... it's almost enough to make me wish the snow had never melted and the air had never thawed.

Almost.

Here's a flashback that I simply didn't have time to post (but somehow did have time to make?) during those cold dark days of winter + school.

Homemade Pumpkin + Ricotta Ravioli with Tomato Marinara

Imagine, if you will, a Christmas tree in the corner of a living room bedazzled with ornaments from two lives. Packages are wrapped delicately waiting for our first Christmas morning together, and I am just as excited to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. Which, actually, we may have done the very night we ate this...

But it's quite a different world right now. Right now it is so lush and green outside that it's practically Amazonian-- and we have the mosquitos to prove it. The humidity, for some scientific reason, is affecting our ability to turn on our kitchen light-- there's a delay of a few hours after we flip the switch. But, once upon a time, we ate like hibernating bears. And here's what we needed:

For the ravioli dough:

3+ cups flour (I ended up needing to thicken it with a little more flour than three cups)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

almost 1/2 cup boiling water

For the ravioli filling:

2 cups ricotta

1 cup pumpkin puree (there was still some in this enormous can, so we made pumpkin scones the next morning!)

1 egg

1 teaspoon + salt

Nutmeg, cardamom, cayenne

The filling is beautiful, and fragrant. The only reason to bother making ravioli (because it is kind of a pain, to be honest) is because you can put anything in it-- I don't know why one would make meat or cheese ravioli, unless you were going to put into it something special that you couldn't buy at the store. So: mix enthusiastically and set aside. You will continually recombine as you fill the ravioli.

Mix and knead the dough, but do not overknead. Let rest for at least 30 minutes in a ball shape. Turn out on a lightly floured surface, and with a greased rolling pin, roll out to about 1/4 an inch thick. Or, maybe you have a pasta roller, which would make this actually pretty possible.

Maybe you have a pasta-cutter. If you don't, there's a saying about the genealogy of invention, on it's matrilineal side.

There are many shapes your ravioli can take. I chose this little half-moon pocket. I put a dollop of the filling onto one edge of the circle, folded gently, pressed, sealed with a little water, and sealed again with a fork (and, if necessary, more water).

Once I had completed the ravioli pockets, I started the marinara.

I gotta say: this ravioli would be great with a simple sage + butter sauce, or light glaze. But, I didn't want that. It was SO COLD out, and we're a sauce-y family. So.

What you will need:

one onion

a couple of garlic cloves

two large cans of dices tomatoes

large dashes of crushed red pepper

handful of basil

dashes of parsley

dashes of sage

my personal favorite addition to marinara, esp for vegetarian lasagna: a couple pinches of cinnamon

swirl of wine (or balsamic)

swirl of cream or half and half

Cook the onions and garlic together until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, cook for 3-4 tomatoes. Add herbs, let simmer. Add wine + cream. Simmer together for 20 or so minutes, and let rest.

While simmering the sauce, boil a large pot of salted water (just enough to immerse the pasta). They only need to boil for about 10 minutes.

Serve.

Enjoy.

Things I have cooked this summer (May Edition)

2010-05-31T17:10:00.000-07:00

Since it's the last day of May I figured now might be a good time to post this. I don't always have a camera, and it's not always fancy or beautiful-looking, but here is a list of things that I have made this summer, so far.

Things I have cooked this summer (May Edition)

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Sweet Potato Zucchini Frittata

Cinnamon Coffee Ice Cream

Blueberry Mango Frozen Ice

Caramelized Onions

Toast with Harissa, Avocado, Caramelized Onion, and a Fried Egg

Spicy French Toast with Sautéed Tomatoes

Curried Chicken Salad with Red Grapes and Celery Sandwiches

Curried Tuna Salad with Red Grapes and Apples Sandwiches

Tasty Fake—cupcakes that look like cheeseburgers!

Egg Salad with Cayenne

Hummus

Beet Hummus

Spaghetti with Three Tomato Sauce

Lots of—baguettes with olive butter

Edamame and Corn with Miso Butter

Red Bean Ice Cream

Shredded Zucchini Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Peach yogurtà peach frozen yogurtà peach frozen yogurt popsicles

Chocolate fudge pudding popsicles

Chickpeas with Roasted Tomatoes and Red Peppers

Layered Carrot Cake

Iced Tea—Lemon Ginger and Green

Iced Coffee + Iced Coffee Ice Cubes (so as not to dilute the iced coffee)

Pasta with Vodka Sauce

Orange-miso-glazed tilapia + lemon orzo with asparagus

Butternut squash + (orange miso marinated) tofu fries + sricha dipping sauce + sweet avocado dipping sauce

Rice Krispy Treats with Chocolate + Peanut Butter chips

Sweet Potato Hummus

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Tip of the Month: Hardboiled Confusion

2010-05-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

I keep a small bowl of hardboiled eggs in the fridge for salad or breakfast or... well, whatever one might need an egg for. Sometimes I have one for a snack as I get ready to cook. Sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle, if only for a moment. So:

How can we tell which eggs are hardboiled?

Spin the egg in question.

If the egg spins freely, it's hard-boiled.

If it wobbles and stops spinning, it's not hard-boiled.

Of course, if you drop it, you'll find out soon enough.

Curried Butternut Squash + Apple Soup

2010-05-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

Graduate school is hard.

Especially the way I do it. If all goes according to planned my third year will just be writing time and workshops if I want them (and maybe auditing great classes). I just finished my first year as a Master's student at the University of Kansas, which in and of itself involves teaching Freshman Composition MWF, which involves grading papers, which of course involves reading papers. And of, course, teaching, which involves making lesson plans. Which involves reading, understanding, and forming strong ideas about what they're expected to read (and most likely will skim). My first year also entailed taking 2 classes Tuesday and Thursday, and an extra class on Thursday. One of my classes involved reading a novel every 1.5 or 2 weeks. The other class involved writing a lot-- and reading what my fellow students had written. When I wasn't in class, Tues and Thurs mornings, I wrote from about 9 or 10 am until 12:30 or so. Oh and for most of the first semester I was also auditing French.

But now I have nothing but time.

I don't have a job this summer. To help earn my keep around here, I am the Non-Wife Housewife. I will do most of the cleaning, almost all of the food prep, laundry, and as it turns out, light gardening. It should look a lot like this:

If I'm being honest, however it looks a lot more like this:

And, of course, this:

And sometimes, especially because it's been incessantly rainy or too hot, I do a little of this:

And a WHOLE LOTTA this:

That right there is King Pigeon Pose. It's my goal pose. I haven't made much progress, on accounta all the MFA work. But I have a good feeling about this summer.

But this is not a yoga blog, or a blog about how my day consists of reading and going to the grocery store and then organizing the fridge. This is about food. Good food. Homemade.

And today's feature includes some asthma power foods:*

[*note: recipe not featured in this book]

Curried Butternut Squash + Apple Soup

If I've ever cooked for you, unless specifically told otherwise, odds are you've found something on the table that's been either curried or miso-ed. You call it weird, I call it heaven.

And here is what you'll need:

1 butternut squash

1 white onion

1 green apple

1 cup unsweetened apple juice

3 (or so) cups vegetable stock

2-3 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon cumin (or coriander)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

parsley

salt and pepper to taste

You might be asking, wait, is that it?

Of course not. Too easy.

My sister gave me this book for Christmas, and I love it:

From this book I found a recipe for Cayenne Shortbread. And I love that too. To find it, you'll have to check the book out from the library, or buy it. Here is what you'll need, and a festive Christmas centerpiece with pine and cinnamon scented candles from Weston, Missouri.

shredded gruyere cheese

2 sticks of butter (seriously)

lots of cayenne

flour

salt and pepper

Blend the cayenne with the flour, and follow the recipe from there. This recipe is close to what I used. So beautiful:

You'll want to put that in the oven while you make the soup. It'll come out soft and harden a bit over time. So, the soup:

Chop the squash:

Peel and slice the green apple.

Cook the onion in a saucepan in olive oil until translucent. Add the chopped apple and squash. Add spices. Add the stock and cook until the apple and squash are soft (about 30 minutes).

Allow to cool a bit. Blend (in batches) until smooth. Add the brown sugar, and apple juice. Thin to desired consistency with apple juice.

Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley.

Oh, and don't forget the shortbread.

Mushroom Risotto

2010-03-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

I am making an effort. I want to learn to do homework earlier than I do. I want to read more, even after a really long day of reading at school. I'm trying to learn to knit and crochet-- I am working on Amigurumi, and am struggling through experiments with cowls. I want to know the classics in film, art, literature, and music. I want to be able to locate places on a map, play chess, and clean my house. I want to have a viable savings account and resist the urge to blow it all on international travel as soon as it starts to flex some muscle. I want to turn my taxes in on time, and correctly. And I want to love mushrooms and olives.

I am getting there. Well, my house is dusty, but this mushroom risotto wasn't half bad. This was a direct result of the dried mushrooms gifted to me by my godmother. While making the mushroom pasta, I soaked the mushrooms in hot water, which made a sort of mushroom stock, which the pasta didn't call for. I saved it for a later use. Enter: later use.

Mushroom Risotto

Just as with the mushroom pasta, I wanted to highlight these mushrooms that were given to me by my godmother. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of an over-spicer/over-ingredienter. If a banana bread recipe calls for nutmeg, it's gonna see nutmeg + cardamom + a dash of cinnamon from me. You call it overkill, I call it complexity. And learning. But I really resisted that for this risotto, and I am proud of myself.

Since I was making this up as I went along, I didn't really photograph the process, so I'll keep it brief. Here is what you'll need:

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

6 cups stock (I was able to get almost 5 cups mushroom stock, and used water for the rest)

3 Tb butter

1.5-2lb lb mixed mushrooms (portobello and white perhaps?) thinly sliced

1/4 cup dry white wine

generous 1/2 handful of sage

1/3 cup parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Alright, here we go.

(If your mushrooms are dried, as mine were, soak them in boiling water for about 20 minutes. Otherwise, slice thinly).

In a small saucepan, begin warming the stock. Eventually you'll want to have it to a low boil.

In a larger saucepan, melt the butter. Once melted, add the rice and coat it. Add the sage, pepper, salt, and stir until the rice is coated. Add the wine gradually until it is mostly absorbed.

Now the broth should be at a low boil. Gradually add the broth, about 1/2 cup to 1 cup at a time, and stir until each addition is absorbed. Once all the broth is added and absorbed, remove from heat. Add all the mushrooms. Stir in cheese, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Grow as a person.

The New Yorker Asks

2010-03-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

a valid question.

Eating Saint Louis

2010-03-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

Judd and I recently spent two days in St. Louis, Missouri. Most of our photographs are of penguins (St. Louis Zoo) and tombstones (Bellefontaine Cemetery), but I thought I would be remiss not to mention how we ate our way through the city--since food is such a high priority for both of us.

We had very limited time in St. Louis; we arrived there not sure if it would be one day and one night, or if we would get an extra day and night (depending on work schedules). Because of this, our first day felt an urgency in getting some sight-seeing done. Food took a backseat as we sped through Missouri drivers (no turn signals, going around each other in the turn lane if the person in front wasn't going fast enough...) to get through it all.

I hadn't been to St. Louis Missouri since I flew out of the airport after a death in the family. Before that, it had been as a member of the Utah Slam Team. But before that, St. Louis held muggy memories of trips out of southern Illinois and into enormous shopping malls and busy streets. Naturally, I had family on the brain, and bought my father's favorite candy bar for the road:

Our first order of business: the St Louis zoo. But hey, everybody's got to eat...

So we just rustled up a few pretzels and an order of nachos, and tried to figure out why so many preteens were scurrying around (answer: spring break + free zoo).

That night we decided to do some research on the town, and consulted their alt-weekly for the most recent best-of list. We scanned through for our usual interests: Best Coffee, Best Bagels, Best Indian, Best Thai, Best Sushi, Best Cupcakes, Best Ice Cream.... St. Louis had crowned several promising winners.

We decided to hit the Best Thai in St. Louis, Basil Spice Thai, for our first official Saint Louis dinner. Judd ordered the Panang Seafood: Stir fired combination of scallops, calamari, shrimp, fish fillet, bell peppers, carrots and fresh sweet basil with Panang curry paste topped with coconut milk and shredded kaffir lime leaves. Served with steamed rice. The sweetness was really nice-- I threatened Judd that I was going to find out what kind of coconut milk they used. I didn't. It was late and night and they were tired. So were we.

I ordered: PLA RAHD PRIK Fillet of whole Trout deep-fried until outside is crispy. Topped with bell peppers, Thai sweet basil, carrots, onion and shredded kaffir lime leaves in red curry sauce. Served with steamed rice. It was a much less-restrained version of the fried-fish-curry we'd had in brooklyn, and it was something I would order again.

It was lovely, and the staff didn't mind that we came in half an hour before closing-- more people even came in after we did and were met with warm welcomes. I did mention to Judd that we were becoming predictable: no better than those people who travel to France and seek out McDonald's for comfort, we've now eaten Thai in 4 states together, usually ordering Gang Dang or as close to it as we can get. He, oddly enough, didn't seem to care.

The next morning we hit one of the most recommended breakfast places: City Diner. This place was a nice little not-too-greasy-spoon; quick on the coffee refills and the staff wasn't too perky or interested in us, which is nice early in the morning. I ordered the biscuits and gravy, and definitely should have gotten it as a side order-- I could only eat about half of it. Judd got the blueberry pancakes, and they were lovely.

From the City Diner to the City Museum, we ran off some of what we ate. From there I decided it was time for something I kept reading about again and again-- The Fountain on Locust.

This place is a hip little yuppified cafe in a fairly gentrified area-- I say "fairly" because it seems that no matter where you are in St. Louis, the best most wealthy neighborhood is surrounded by boarded up abandoned buildings. I could digress here-- on how nearly every corner of St. Louis has the potential of Williamsburg in terms of commercial space and livability, with beautiful architecture and a real sense of character to the place--but I won't.

The Fountain is most famous for their ice cream-- no corn syrup, no preservatives, no additives. Their chocolate sauce is made from chocolate, their raspberry sauce from raspberries. Their ice cream is shipped in from Wisconsin-- because this dairy ages their ice cream. Naturally, they take it pretty seriously.

We took a small booth by a window. I ordered the Grilled Golden Cadillac-- a spinach salad with grilled chicken, zucchini grilled with balsamic, roasted red peppers and caramelized onions in a house citrus dressing. Judd ordered half of the Mixed Salad Sandwich (Fresh baked baguette with melted parmesan and mozzarella cheese, artichoke, lettuce, tomato, roasted red pepper, red onion and housemade pesto dressing.)

But let's get down to business.

One scoop Irish Coffee, One Scoop Butter Pecan. House-made hot fudge and whipped cream. That orange stick at the top takes 3 weeks to make (and, by the way, it was worth the time).

After this (truly amazing) experience we took about a 3 hour regret-nap before shaking it off and walking to a bookstore, where I found the bizarre literary magazine Alimentum: the literature of food. Of course, I bought it.

The bookstore was right next to The Pi, a pizzeria personally endorsed by Mr. President Barak Obama. Not just, say, casually mentioned in a speech to win over St. Louis voters-- Mr. President flew out the chef to the White House. Major. After giving Judd a rousing speech about patriotic duty, turns out neither of us could try it-- we were still so full of sugar and dairy. The Fountain on Locust was a total filibuster. But maybe next time.

The next day we went down to the Riverfront to look at the Arch and the Mississippi River. Last time I was in St. Louis I spent some time under a bridge by the river, so it was a bit nostalgic for me-- this was Judd's first time.

We decided to get in on a lunch special at the Best Sushi in St Louis, the Drunken Fish.

The lunch special was pretty great. We were finally hungry at this point, and each ordered three rolls to split + an appetizer. Ok, we overdid it.

This appetizer, the Agedashi tofu, made it entirely worth it: tempura fried tofu with a mushroom sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds.

The Saint Louis Roll: tuna, avocado, pickled radish, and masago.

Ok, yeah, we overdid it. It was a little hard to walk to the arch later.

So. That's how we ate St. Louis in 2 days. In that brief period we found more beautiful neighborhoods, historic sites, and restaurants that we want to explore next time. Look out St. Louis, we'll be back.

Tip of the Month: Unripe Avocado

2010-03-01T05:48:00.000-08:00

I am a western girl temporarily living in the midwest. There are a lot of differences I've found so far: colder winters, an abundance of anti-abortion signs in cornfields, an abundance of cornfields. The most difficult consequence so far of this relocation: the seasonal unavailability of the perfectly ripe avocado.

I started talking myself into it through the end of November. I really pulled it off through December: eating locally, and with the seasons. Fine, avocado, I don't need you either. I left you, remember? I'm doing something with my life, and what are you doing? Nothing. You're not even maturing, not even ripe yet.

And then January came.

Come on, avocado, I didn't mean it. I need you in my life. Really. Come back to me. I'm nothing without you. You want me to come back? What about my degree...?... Fine, I don't need it, I just need you. We'll be so happy together. It'll be just like it was.

Thankfully, I discovered a little secret. I tried it after a recent trip to the grocery store and a disappointing foray through the produce aisle. I invite you to try it for yourselves, especially if you're in my position:

Put unripe avocados in a bag with some apples. The apple’s ethylene gas will help them to ripen.

There are a lot of tips out there in regards to ripening avocados with microwaves... let's just avoid those (plus I don't have a microwave).

Pasta with Tomato and Dried Mushroom Sauce

2010-01-21T07:23:00.001-08:00

Whenever someone can't think of anything to get me for a birthday or holiday, a good bet is to get me ingredients. Anything rather weird or unique will always be appreciated, or something with a backstory, or, hell, even a bag of flour.

My godmother Carole spends a great deal of time in Italy, and this holiday season she returned with a tin of dried wild Italian mushrooms for me. I have only recently fallen in love with mushrooms--my new conquest is olives-- and I started imagining what I could do with them the second I opened it. I wanted, I knew, to showcase the mushroom. There is a mushroom risotto I have been wanting to make for years, but it keeps getting bumped. I could have figured out a way to bake them into something.

But these were mushrooms Italiano! And, for that matter, a little bit wild. As I had just been home for Christmas, I was overcome with the urge to return these creatures to a sense of familiarity. And thus:

Pasta with Tomato and Dried Mushroom Sauce

I wanted this to me mushroom-y, but I was also set on showcasing Carole's mushrooms, and not adding in any strangers. I wanted to know what these were like-- they were so large and twisted and strange. I did a little day-dreaming, and came up with how I wanted to do it. A simple list of what you will need:

1 lb your choice of pasta (I went with Rigatoni, but Penne would be nice too)

28 oz whole (later cut by you) or diced tomatoes

1 large yellow or white onion, finely diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

(optional: one whole tomato)

1.5 cups of dried mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon or so Rosemary

2 teaspoons Thyme

small handful Basil

dash Parsley

salt + pepper

Romano Cheese and an excellent baguette to serve

(not pictured: dash of red wine)

The first step is begin boiling the water for the pasta. This could take awhile.

Meanwhile: start a small saucepan of about 2 cups of water to boil. Sort about one cup of whole large mushrooms into a tupperware container, and pour boiling water over them. Let them sit for 20-30 minutes, until tender.

Separate about half a cup of broken mushrooms/mushroom dust and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add diced onions until translucent and tender. Then add the garlic. Meanwhile: in a blender, pour liquid from the canned tomatoes, and about half or more of the tomato contents. Add the broken mushrooms, and liquify.

Once the garlic and onions are fragrant, add the mushroom-tomato combination. Stir until combined. Add what remains of the tomatoes in the can. (At this point I chose to add a fresh tomato). Allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, drain the mushrooms (and reserve the liquid for a later use! Such as mushroom risotto!) Honestly, these sort of smell like a wet cat at this point. I took that as a good sign. Maybe mushrooms should stink, like cheese.

Add the now-tender mushrooms to the sauce.

Add the herbs, + salt and pepper.

When it begins to gently bubble, simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring often.

Once the pasta is done (al dente) get ready to serve! If you wish, at this point, to thin out the sauce, I suggest using the mushroom liquid.

Serve with grated cheese and excellent bread.

Buon Apetito!

(and I still have enough leftover to try them in something else!)

Have yourself a merry little Christmas (cookies, gifts, dinner + brunch)

2010-01-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

A Christmas tradition in my house growing up was traditional (and basic) sugar cookies with traditional (and basic) icing. It has also been a tradition to spend more time decorating them than baking them.

Thanks to Ikea, I had plenty of woodland creature cookie cutters on hand. Thanks to my job, I had plenty of free hours on hand due to Christmas Break at the University of Kansas. I spent this time baking and decorating (all the creatures needed scarves--it's freezing here!) and making gifts for friends.

(red squirrel, blue whale):

(bumble bee and bunnies):

(Judd's favorite moose):

The menagerie of bunnies, bumble bees, birds, bears, a moose, and a stegosaurus. I also used my beehive cutter to be an electric christmas tree:

These cookies were taken to a cookie-exchange party, though some were left at home for us. The sugar cookies are pretty basic--flour, sugar, vanilla + almond extract, etc-- and the icing is powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream + water till it's right.

And now onto the gifts:

Our dear friends each got a box of spiced caramels, coffee toffee, peppermint stirring sticks (for coffee and hot chocolate), orange sticks, and peppermint bark.

For a first-time confectioner, I was a little worried things wouldn't turn out so good. But, for the most part, everything went well, and they were fun to give... and eat the leftovers of...

Onto Christmas Eve Dinner!

Labor intensive, tag-teaming effort, and we were left with delicious Eggplant Parmesan. Half-way through making it we realized neither of us had even eaten it before, so we weren't sure what it should taste like. Or look like. But we loved it, and would make it again... about once a year...

Christmas Morning = traditional Christmas Casserole. We lined the dish with wheat bread, topped with cheese and browned sausage, beat eggs and poured over the bread. When we baked it we put on a little diluted cream of mushroom soup, cheese (on one-half), and paper-thin tomatoes.

I have never much cared for this casserole, and I think the result for each year will be an experimentation. In the years to come: onions, mushrooms, more tomatoes, chard... and muffins on the side.

But Christmas break persists, and I know where I'll spend much of my time:

Thanksgiving 2009

2010-01-02T08:18:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday for most of my life. Once you get past the reminder it brings of the extermination of native peoples and stripping natural resources in the name of God and Country, it ain't half bad.

For our first Thanksgiving in Kansas we decided we wanted to air on the side of tradition. We spent the morning going on a long walk through the deserted streets of Lawrence (most were cooking or, more likely, going elsewhere to be with family), and then came home to fire up the ovens. Two friends from Salt Lake joined us, making it four, with enough food for at least twice that.

In the chaos of cooking an enormous meal, we devoted most of our time to singing (and, yes, cooking) and neglected to take all the photos we should have.

The menu consisted of ginger spiked cranberry sauce, miso sweet potatoes (served mashed with the miso butter mixed in), traditional sugar-bomb sweet potatoes (brown sugar and marshmallows!), balsamic carrots, mashed potatoes (made with cream, sour cream, and chives) and gravy, and.... turkey.

When I told people we were going to spatchcock our turkey, the typical response was something along the lines of "well, I hope it buys you dinner first." It sounds dirty, but I would definitely do it again:

Spatchcocking consists (basically) of: cutting out the spine, pressing the bird flat (usually snapping the breastbone), and putting it in the oven.

Cutting out the spine (use heavy kitchen shears and/or a great and brutal knife):

Oh my.
Press the bird flat, and place on a roasting pan.

Though we had brined our turkey for well-over 8 hours by this point (our brine consisted of: ginger, allspice berries, and stock) we also slipped bits of herbed butter beneath the skin. Then we put it in the oven at around 425 degrees.

(Note: to brine our turkey we dumped everything in an enormous garbage bag, and flipped it halfway. this proved much easier than finding a pot big enough to soak it in).

Herbed butter:

In the flurry of Thanksgiving preparation, we did miss the shot of the golden turkey coming out of the oven. But here is an idea:

While the turkey was cooking, we prepared everything else.

We weren't prepared for how quickly the turkey would cook. It took about 45 minutes, and as a result, we had to warm it up right before dinner. It did, however, yield about half a cup of drippings for the gravy (made with cream and pepper).

It was, nonetheless, fabulous. Stuffing, asparagus, vegetable crudites, and pumpkin cheesecake (and apple pie!) were brought by our friends.

We overdid it, just a little, and then overdid it again and again with leftovers for almost a week.

I can't believe I have to wait almost a year to do it again....

Baked Eggs + Tomato Herb Bread

2009-11-12T21:46:00.000-08:00

Breakfast for lunch, breakfast for dinner, or, depending on how you look at it, lunch for breakfast. This was a very quick and very easy thing to rush through making before taking a long country drive. It was one of those recipes where I sat up in bed around 11pm (yes, I go to bed early for my age) and said "of course, BAKE the eggs! BAKE the tomatoes into the bread! Eureka!"

Baked Eggs + Tomato Herb Bread

This is something that I have made about a hundred variations on since that fateful night when I got the idea to start baking eggs and putting them on bread (about a month or so ago). This is the original version, and probably the simplest. In some of my other versions it isn't open-faced, and I include most of the same ingredients. The main variation (and most popular around here): I skip the herbs, and put harissa on at least one half of the bread. That way it is definitely a lunch thing. I would strongly recommend having harissa on hand, especially for egg dishes.

Now, what you will need:

Good bread

Some sort of nice butter or spread (I used leftover butter with miso, but apple butter or chutney could work nicely)

two eggs

One tomato

about half a white or yellow onion

two cloves of garlic

a small handful of herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, whatever you like)

salt and pepper

parmesan, or a favorite cheese

First, preheat the oven to about 350.

Place two slices of bread on a baking sheet or dish. Spread the butter generously over the bread.

Sauté the onions and garlic together until everything is sweating and sweat.

While the onions and garlic are working, sprinkle the herbs and cheese over the bread liberally.

Drizzle the onions and garlic over the bread evenly.

Place the tomatoes on the bread. Put it in the oven and let it bake for about 20 minutes. The tomatoes will come out golden and sunken into the bread. It sometimes works best, depending on your bread, and if you want the tomatoes to really settle into the bread, to layer the tomatoes on the bread first, and then onions and garlic over the tomatoes.

Crack two eggs into a separate baking dish and bake at about 350 to 400 for between 5 or 10 minutes, till set.
Place egg on bread.

Enjoy!

Orange Cake with Brown Sugar Topping

2009-11-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

Here is an excuse for dessert for breakfast. It also makes a great traditional dessert.

After coming home from a tiring day, with the promise of more work to do, sometimes there is nothing better than just getting wrist deep in ingredients-- there's something meditative about measuring, mixing, and making something beautiful from a mess of ingredients.

One of the more recent results of such a day?...

Orange Cake With Brown Sugar Topping

Now, because I was so distracted baking + dancing, I didn't take photos chronicling the experience. This was very much an experiment-- I based it on an old muffin recipe, but since I didn't want muffins (cake!) I started improvising.

What you'll need:

Cake:

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

zest of one orange

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup melted butter

hearty dollop of sour cream

2/3 cups + orange juice

Topping:

a little less than 1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (+nutmeg optional)

2 tablespoons (or so) butter

1. Whisk together dry ingredients + zest

2. Stir in orange juice, butter, sour cream, eggs. (Usually I separate eggs, beat whites and yolks separately, and add them separately, but I didn't this time). Beat until smooth.

3. Pour into greased cake-pan.

4. Melt 2 tablespoons or so butter in saucepan, add brown sugar + cinnamon + nutmeg.

5. Once globs start forming, sprinkle over the batter.

6. Put in the oven @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or so.

7. Enjoy!

Seriously... light, fluffy, not too sweet, and very delicious.

End of Summer Peach Cobbler

2009-09-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Would you care for dessert?

Say yes. In fact, skip the dinner part.

It's nearing the end of summer. Well, we've now reached the official cross-over date into fall. Peaches are just dropping from the trees from ripeness, and the noise is keeping us all awake... well, not really, but wouldn't that be a lovely Like Water for Chocolate moment?

Well, how about we make some delicious, fresh...

End of Summer Peach Cobbler

I have never ever made this before. Truth be told, when I hear "cobbler" I think of a shoe-maker. I read through several recipes, and then sort of smashed them all together. It turned out very very well.

First, of course, gather what you will need:

Peach filling:

1/4 cup of sugar + 2(+) tablespoons of brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1.5 pounds of peaches--halved, pitted, and cross sectioned.

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping:

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar + 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

half teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup buttermilk (lowfat)

It's very hard to divert from a classic. My primary variation on all the recipes: blend the brown and white sugars together.

For the topping:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually blend in butter (by hand or electric mixer). It should start resembling coarse meal. Add buttermilk, and stir just until a dough forms.

First, pit the peach, (optional: peel... I sure did!) and then slice to size.

For the filling:

In a big bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the peaches, and the lemon juice, and mix gently.

Spread the peach filling evenly at the base of a baking dish.

Evenly top peaches with the cornstarch mixture.

Place beside vintage hand-towel, and reflect on Americana.

Bake @ 350 for about 35 or 45 minutes, just until topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy summer while it lasts.

made from scratch, but not altered.

2009-09-22T16:12:00.000-07:00

Tomato Sugar spends a lot of time documenting the straying from the confines of the recipe. While living in Lawrence, I have still been cooking a great deal, and have actually found a few recipes that I enjoy, quite a bit, as is. Sure, maybe a tweak here or there, but nothing much to write home about.

Here is a list of recipes actually worth following:

Mexican Rice

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Pasta w/ Vodka Sauce

Stuffed Tomatoes (rice, onion, garlic, spinach, feta)

I have big plans for risottos, curries, my mother's chicken cacciatore, eggplant parmesan, and of course, desserts-- but I can't share those yet. (I have to make them first).

Stay tuned to Tomato Sugar for concoctions straight from the farmer's market in Kansas, and a special kind of bachelor food I have come to love (and name), Nacho Mamas.

It's what's on the outside.

2009-09-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for beautiful packaging. Sure, it helps if the product itself is fantastic, but if it isn't, you can still have something absolutely lovely around your house. Here are some of my favorites:

Frank Hi Wines has come up with some of the most charming bottles, and the wine itself is on the affordable side of things. My favorite bottle is the Chardonnay (far right), but I have actually yet to try this wine, as it is unavailable where I live. I think it's a New York thing. I've been dreaming of having a couple bottles kicking around my apartment since before I drank, or had an apartment. Now that's marketing.

You can't mention beverage packaging without bringing up Jones Soda, the Canadian company who accepts amateur (beautiful, hopeful, funny, inspiring) B&W photos to publish on their bottles of bright colored soda:

And may I present my favorite curry powder. I'm not sure it's top-of-the-line, in fact, for the price it couldn't possibly be, but it has to be the most beautiful little tin-box curry on the market today. Plus, it's what my mother always kept in her pantry. Sold.

Ah, harissa. It's not the most popular condiment, but it should be used way more than it is. It's excellent for fish, and my favorite post-Easter sandwich. And if you're going to buy harissa, I don't think you'll find a prettier bottle than this.

There hasn't been a better-lookin' olive oil since Pop-Eye's girlfriend. From the south of Spain, beautiful, delicious, and smooth, I love this olive oil. One of these is pale and simple, and one took on the peach-notes of the soil around the trees. It reminds me of my time living in Granada, Spain with olive farmers. The "bottles" are gorgeous too.

Perhaps no food on the (American) market today is more misunderstood than Balsamic Vinegar. If it doesn't cost more than $100, it isn't "authentico." The bottle pictured is around $239, and is beautiful, and is tiny, as all good balsamics should be. Balsamic vinegar goes through an extensive aging process, 12, 18 or 25 years, and then undergoes an inspection by a panel. If the vinegar does not pass, it can then be "lengthened" with other means and sold on the market as what we in America know as Balsamic Vinegar. If, however, it passes, something wonderful happens.
If you're going to make a sweet, old fashioned, french dessert, shouldn't what you begin with look sweet, old fashioned and french?

And, not quite "packaging," but the box from Magnolia Bakery in New York City certainly deserves some recognition. There isn't enough style anymore, or beauty, and I salute those who maintain it.

And if you can't afford a $200+ bottle of Balsamic, or a trip to NYC, you can certainly drive to Target. Their line of chocolates, Choxie, certainly overwhelmed the market with not only beautiful and hip packaging, but commercials as well.

Open (carefully), and dig in.

In Memoriam

2009-08-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

Before leaving for Kansas, Judd and I tried to eat at one of my favorite restaurants one last time, to say goodbye. We had been trying to make the rounds during the last month or so to some of our favorite Salt Lake City restaurants: Chanon Thai (best burn-your-face-off authentic Thai), Stoneground (Italian-American fusion, best caprese sandwich), Bombay House (best chicken tikka masala that I have since appropriated), Gourmandise (chicken curry salad sandwich and french onion soup, and pastries, of course), Mi La Cai (tofu with eggplant, or lemongrass tofu, and the shrimp springrolls with peanut sauce), Takashi (everything, but for me the Strawberry Fields roll and Sunshine roll)...

And this was the final stop: La Izalquena.

Never heard of it? Well, maybe that's why it was closed by the time we got there.

La Izalquena has been a staple in my life ever since my 8th grade Spanish class, where we took a field trip there to experience: 1. a menu written only in Spanish. 2. a restaurant staff that could speak only Spanish. 3. exotic cuisine. 4. our teacher so happy she was salsa-ing and cha-cha-ing between tables and 5. the west side of town. I was hooked, and a regular ever since.

The restaurant was situated, as all great restaurants are, in a strip mall, and near a check-cashing place, an army recruiting center, and a planned parenthood. If you want fantastic and authentic, these are the first, literal, signs.

Over the years, English found its way onto the menu. The counter staff was, for the most part, bilingual... or, at least, able to perform the job in 1.5 languages, even if part of that was gesture-based. And, even though I am a very adventurous eater, I confess with pride that I ordered the exact same thing every time:

(note: La Izalquena shut its doors before I could take a camera in-- these photos are simply suggestions of what once was).

The best horchata in town, served only slightly blended.

And Pabellon Venezolano:

Now, if this were La Izalquena's, the only difference would be there would be an over-hard egg fried on top. This dish traditionally consists of black beans, fried plantains/bananas, rice, and shredded/pulled beef, Carne Mechada, which is cooked in various spices. Fortunately for me, this is the national dish of Venezuela, so I know I will eat it again, in some semblance. But I loved it here, and I haven't seen the egg anywhere else...

So if you're in the neighborhood, lay some flowers or light a candle near the door marked D4 at 2194 West and 3500 South.

La Izalquena, you will be missed.

julie and julia

2009-08-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

for my 6th month anniversary i saw this:

starring meryl streep as julia child:

based on this book, about julie powell's year of cooking julia child's recipes:

i absolutely loved the movie, for so many reasons. obviously, the food, and love of food, was a huge factor in my love of the film, but as i left the theatre feeling inspired, hopeful, and lightened, i still couldn't put my finger on what had caused this.

finally, having broke-down and read several reviews, including the new york times, i was able to articulate it: here is a movie starring women, for women, about women, and somehow also not about men. nothing against men, some of my best friends are men, but it is a rare thing indeed to see an entire movie, especially a big-budg-mainstream movie, about women and the ambitions of women where men and relationships are simply a decorative tool. sure, there are relationships in this, but only to hint that their lives are impacted by love. and is it significant that we are allowed this level of freedom when the ambition is, ahem, in the kitchen? probably. but hey, elevate cooking to an art and i'll forgive it.

[note: the devil wears prada, girl gets into publishing/fashion industry, and her live is torn asunder by two men. legally blonde, girl goes to law school because of a man, and her life continues to orbit around marital engagements and the possibility of].

so.

read this:

and, of course, this:

and cook for your friends:

have some fun with it:

make something lovely (julia child's b oeuf bourguignon):

and french onion soup, of course:

and, a clafouti:

and above all, have courage, serve it anyway, and never apologize:

“Noncooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet.” -- Julia Child

banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

2009-07-24T11:12:00.001-07:00

ah, dessert. something i haven't explored much since the series eating in overdraft took over, on account of the common belief that poor people shouldn't do anything "extra." but i have very good news: 1. dessert shouldn't be considered extra, at least every once and awhile, so i hereby give you my permission. 2. if you're really poor, and you live far enough away from your parents, you can eat dessert and nothing else, and no one will ever know! 3. banana cupcakes can be made from bananas that have turned brown, and will be thrown away anyway, so really, you're actually SAVING money.

by the way, i ate these for dessert and breakfast (don't tell mom), so that makes them even more practical if you think about it.

you kind of have to really think about it though.

banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

these banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting turned out more moist than i expected (thank you, banana fruit), and the recipe yielded more than twice what i was expecting. what isn't pictured or featured on the blog was that i made a separate banana cake from the extra batter and frosting for a friend who has been on unemployment for awhile. i read a story in vogue (no, i don't read vogue, silly, i read books), and heard a story on NPR about how trendy it has become to talk about the economy and saving money during this crisis, and how some people resent that, and others are like "what's the big deal, we should have been riding our bikes all along?" either way, i never really thought i'd be someone who talked about the economy. but, when it comes to food, and eating well, it's hard to convince the very very poor that it is possible. so, what i'm saying is... i'm hip now?

anyway, this recipe wasn't changed too much from a very nice food blog, but i have included here some baking tips that i use. so, first, gather what you will need.

for the banana batter

3 cups flour (i don't yet have a favorite baking flour, if you do, go for it)

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1.5 teaspoons salt

2.5 cups sugar (i think i ended up using closer to 2 cups or less because of the sugar of the fruit and the frosting... when baking with natural sugars in fruit or when i know i'm gonna major-ly frost something, i always round down on the sugar content)

3 eggs

about 1 and 1/8 cups oil (for this i often choose to use half oil, half butter to fulfill the requirement... this can be at your discretion, i've done it both ways, but i love butter)

1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.5 cups milk (aim for a fuller-fat milk, like whole)

4 overripe bananas

2 cupcake tins (will yields 24-36 cupcakes)

1 small bread or cake tin

bring the eggs, butter (if you're using it), and milk to room temperature.

for the cream cheese frosting:

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature.

bananas don't last long in my house. they get cut up into cereal every day, packed off to work, and other such things. there is no way a banana will ever get the chance to overripen in my home, so, i had to set some aside for these purposes:

finally, weeks later, i was ready to begin.

i preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and lined my muffin tins with as many pale yellow papers as i could find (when i ran out, i settled for other colors). then i beat the eggs. i always beat the egg yolk and whites separately: i was once told by a chef that it made the cake, or whatever, lighter, fluffier, and airier, and i believe it. maybe it's a high-altitude thing, or maybe it's a lie, but i'm not taking any chances.

i let the egg-parts rest, and combined all the dry ingredients in the largest bowl, sifting lightly together.

next, i mashed the banana thoroughly, removing any large lumps.

the next part was easy. i gradually added the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients: first the milk, then the butter/oil, then the egg yolk, then the whites, then the vanilla, and finally, i put in the banana. i beat thoroughly for about 3 minutes (i rarely use an electric mixer).

next: pour the batter into the lined tins (or, below, these adorable heart cupcake shaper things, available at target and other such places... this has been greased ahead of time.)

pop in the oven. now, start the frosting! combine all the frosting ingredients, and beat until fluffy.

i lied about the electric mixer... but you beat cream cheese and butter by hand for 5 minutes, and then talk to me! (note: this is more than 8oz cream cheese. that's because i was surprised @ the amount of batter i had, and chose to frost an extra cake for that aforementioned friend... you may choose to either not frost it, or be more conservative with the frosting...)

feel free, as i did, to set aside some frosting and add just a drop or two of yellow food coloring for the purposes of decorating. i chose yellow because bananas are yellow, but you can choose any color you would like.

oh man, they smell delicious. but don't let their sweet innocence fool you... they will burn your little fingers off, first chance they get. but, once they cool, they are defenseless.

do you have a sweetheart? if not, bake one.

my favorite part, other than eating, was decorating.

what you will need for decorating:

professional pastry bags OR (what i did).... take saran wrap, put a big gob of frosting in it, and poke a tiny hole in it with a toothpick. squeeze lightly.

(you may choose to poke several holes for larger swirly options, or use a pattern of holes, etc).

now, if you're not tuckered out, eat them. all.

tuna stuffed tomatoes

2009-07-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

well, folks, we did it. we made it to the end of our series eating in overdraft. there are now 7 suggestions for really cheap and really easy ways to feed yourself during these dire economic conditions. remember to keep checking back, because the deliciousness will keep on coming, it just may be more impractical and expensive every once and awhile. and desserts! well, anyway, this one is really really easy, and really really practical.

tuna stuffed tomatoes

stuffing tomatoes is the perfect solution for leftover meat or rice, and produce that you aren't sure what to do with. i adapted this from a meatless meals blog (not quite meatless for this meal) because i love tuna and tomatoes, it's light for summer time, and we had an abundance of tomatoes on top of our hutch. the rest was just a sort of guessing game. so, what you will need:

tomatoes

2-3 cans of tuna

1/2 can of white beans

1/4 roughly chopped red onion (till the texture is right)

1/2 avocado

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1-2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper

salt

pepper

(optional: parsley)

first thing's first, take a gently serrated knife and cut a hole where the stem would go in. scoop the guts out with a spoon (and hey, if you're gonna make spaghetti sauce that night or the next day, feel free to save the guts of the tomatoes for the sauce). salt the insides of the tomatoes, turn upside down to drain, and let rest for 30 minutes.

the rest is easy. strain the tuna well. chop the onion, mince the garlic, and slice the avocado. in a bowl or tupperware combine the tuna and onion until you feel it's enough onion (i like a lot) and add the garlic. mix in the crushed red pepper. strain and rinse the beans, and stir them in. gently stir in the avocado.

with a spoon, stuff the tomatoes as full as they can get.

i served mine with bread + olive oil and balsamic. i did love it, but to be honest, my favorite stuffed tomato recipe thus far is this:

stuffed tomatoes with brown rice + feta + etc

thanks for bearing with me, guys.

the eating in overdraft series has thus concluded, take a bow!

ratatouille

2009-07-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

ratatouille is a traditional peasant dish from southern france. there is much debate on how to make the perfect ratatouille, and you can find all sorts of fancied-up recipes online that are absolutely beautiful. many cooks, like julia child, believe that the vegetables should be layered delicately, alternating the flavors, and doing careful things like peeling and blanching tomatoes, and sautéing different vegetables at different temperatures with different things before putting them in one roasting pan and popping it in the oven. this makes ratatouille more than a one-pot meal, and someday, i will try this. but, to me, if ratatouille is a peasant-meal, it should be made like you're a peasant: everything from the vegetable garden thrown into a pot at once, and left on the heat while you go to attend to the laundry line or the little french children in the little french garden. or drink wine on the porch. or whatever. this recipe works well if you grow your own vegetables, or are near a farmers market. it is quick to make, delicious, vegan-friendly, and perfect if you're eating in overdraft.

ratatouille

(peasant style)

this is one of my favorite cheap, easy, healthy dinners. it's also one of the first things that i cooked on my own having never tasted before. i had a vague knowledge of what ratatouille was, but i, like many others, didn't fall in love until the film RATATOUILLE came out. i walked out of the theatre, around 11pm, and thought: god, i want to cook something. the next day i made this. if you're pulling from your own garden, or have your own preferences, what you will need may vary, but grab your favorite vegetables and consider how they will work in concert with each other.

1 large eggplant

1 large red onion

1 large can of peeled plum tomatoes

1 large red bell pepper

1 large yellow bell pepper

1-2 zucchini

(vegetables should just be equal portions)

3-4 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons fresh or dried basil

2 teaspoons thyme

2 teaspoons marjoram

1 jar prepared marinara sauce

1 teaspoon oregano

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

swirl of olive oil

salt and pepper for seasoning

large pot + spoon

chopping knives

(you may choose to serve over rice, pasta, a white fish, or with bread)

get out your knives and get to work. finely chop the garlic.

chop the eggplant, getting it to bite-size. i like these little triangles.

chop all the vegetables to equal portions and equal size, and reserve in a large bowl (larger than this!)

toss the onion, garlic, and oil in the large pot over medium heat until fragrant and the onions are sweating and softening.

toss the vegetables in the thyme in the large bowl. add black pepper if you'd like.

add the vegetables to the pot and stir in with the onions and garlic. add canned tomatoes and stir. simmer.

add the marinara sauce and herbs and bring to a simmer. allow to simmer over medium heat for about 30-45 minutes, just until your vegetables are tender.

add the balsamic vinegar about halfway through. we chose to serve ours over pasta, though usually i don't eat it with anything but a piece of bread. the bowl was heavy, which was nice. i had a glass of red wine and pounded some water from sweating over such a hot stove. the good news: leftovers for about 2 days.

bonus for summer: it's wonderful cold.

fancy pants grilled cheese

2009-06-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

we have a tradition in my household (whether that's with my mom or my boyfriend): i don't cook the grilled cheese. when it comes to the household with my boyfriend it started out because this was the one thing he could cook perfectly on his own without help, a recipe book, or asking me questions (example: "how many times do I have to rinse the brown rice?") the real reason i don't cook it: i burn it every time. but grilled cheese, tomato soup, and a cup of tea is the perfect meal, AND it is really cheap. thus, the perfect 5th parter to the series eating in overdraft. of course, we fancied it up (you'll see). so, imagine if you will, while this meal was being made, i was on the couch looking for bed bath and beyond coupons out of the paper, watching the simpsons on DVD, and drifting in and out of sleep, and judd was slaving over a hot stove/camera. lovely.

fancy pants grilled cheese

(+ tomato soup)

i believe it was abe simpson that said the perfect meal was tomato soup, grilled cheese, and a weak cup of tea, and i couldn't agree more. that's a meal you can set your watch to. it's timeless: fit to eat in front of lawrence welk or venture brothers, take your pick. we won't judge. this grilled cheese, however, has a little more zip/be-bop/hollaback to it than something abe simpson would be eating. this isn't your cartoon grandpa's grilled cheese, this is fancy pants grilled cheese. so, little darlings, gather what you will need:

loaf of good bread

butter

havarti cheese

a crisp green (i wanted endive, and went to 2+ different stores, and every one was out of it so we just used romaine lettuce hearts)

your favorite jam/chutney (i would recommend something not so sweet, such as a fig jam)

and: tomato soup

i am not making tomato soup from scratch today, not in this entry, though judd and i came up with a great really creamy (death to anyone with lactose intolerance) tomato soup for our book club. i always use this soup (and, in fact, we used this as a base for our creamy recipe): here is a tomatosugar official endorsement of MUIR GLEN ORGANIC HEARTY TOMATO SOUP.

the chutney that we used was purchased in Fruita, Utah, as talked about on fromtherushes. it is the only place you can buy it, in a mormon handicraft store, and it is delicious. it is a tomato-peach chutney, and also contains raisins and brown sugar. pictured behind it is an original (fairly restored) barn, and a lovely utah mountain range.

alright, let's begin. butter your bread thoroughly.

while the bread is warming in the skillet, slice the havarti.

place the havarti on the bread and let time, cheese, and magic combine. chop the lettuce or endive.
after the cheese has begun to melt, generously apply the chutney...

... and close the hatch. allow the bread to get nice and golden, flipping when necessary.

you can feel free to put the lettuce <3 in the bread before you close it together, but we wanted the lettuce to remain cold in comparison with the sandwich. once the sandwich was ready, reopen and stuff with the lettuce <3s.

serve, and enjoy.

the tomato soup was warm, with chunks of real tomato, and the sandwich was absolutely perfect. and my weak mint tea really hit the spot. come to think of it, i think i was actually wearing a shawl while eating this...

spiced grilled hot dogs

2009-06-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

summer was here in SLC for about a day and a half. i think seattle and portland are taking revenge on those of us in utah-- something like 20% of portland is originally from salt lake city now, so to get even they sent their weather to us. it has rained, hard, every day since @ least memorial day. i didn't sign up for this, being born in a desert. but when the weather was nice, and it felt like summer was about to bloom forth, all were in agreement that grillin' time wasn't far behind. judd and i got home from a show @ urban around midnight or so, and were starving, and again, still broke, and we still had all these ingredients from camping. thus begins the 4th in the series eating in overdraft. if you're wondering why these photos lack the summer noon-time sun that usually accompanies a bbq, it's because this bbq happened around 1 am.... so... anyway...

spiced grilled hot dogs

now, i should mention that though this is the 4th in a 7 part series, it is the 1st in what promises to be a 100+ series called: trying to perfect the spiced hot dog. this gentleman i know has done just that, and he ruined the plain hot dog for me (you mean it's hard for you to eat recycled rat parts now? you might be thinking... well, shut up, i <3 hot dogs). this gentleman perfected some secret blend of spices, which included a combination of average american seasonings and some strange japanese blends... he is saving the recipe in his heart to pass on to his kids some day, so it's up to me to try to figure it out. today, this post, is not me trying to figure it out (no japanese powders in my cabinet today), just trying to have some fun. i encourage anyone with a grill to try to invent their own secrets to perfect, and hand down, and haunt your friends with. so, here's what you will need to begin your odyssey.

hot dogs

buns

and then whatever you like to put on your average accepted american hot dog. for me:

ketchup

mustard

onion

pickles

and oh no, we are not done there. of course not.

i left the spices up to judd, mainly, because it was midnight and it was going to take me about 30 minutes to chop 3 tablespoons of onion because i kept sitting down and forgetting what we were doing.

so he used:

cayenne pepper

crushed red pepper

sage

a chili powder blend

magic seasoning (chili, onion, brown sugar, garlic, green pepper, red pepper, paprika, vinegar)

and garlic powder

it actually turned out quite good. it wasn't a "___" dog, the hot dogs named for said gentleman who invented the perfect spice blend, but at least it wasn't a plain hot dog. there is no excuse for eating a plain hot dog if you're over 10. i'm sure i'll find my own perfect balance someday...

so, pour out about equal parts of each spice, dashes of each, onto a plate.

vigorously roll the hot dogs.

make sure they are thoroughly coated.

and pop them on the grill.

notice how the grill is fired up, even this late?

always insist on perfection.

and don't mind a little char, at least when it's this late... i think they darkened up in the hours it took me to track down the camera.

the perfect side dishes... kettle chips in salt and fresh ground pepper!

and the never-ending watermelon! try as we might it took weeks to finish.

served with cantaloupe.

and.... there's no finale picture. the finale photo is actually the first photo, so... refer back there.

as you can see, this post isn't the usual format, mainly because the hot dogs were made while i was still figuring that out. but, this blog will be a learning experience for everyone involved, especially me. the photos will get better over time, and anyway, the whole idea behind this is to document how i cook-- a slow, uphill battle of trial and error. but i'm going to show you how things go, every step, every burn, every wrong turn, and every breakthrough.

i didn't start cooking with cookies and scrambled eggs. the first meal i ever made on my own was halibut with a from-scratch ginger sauce. i was 16. it took about 4 hours. i have no idea how it turned out, i was just relieved it was over and no one died. my next meal was moussaka. it weighed probably 10 pounds. i don't know if i even have the basics down yet, but i think someday i'll figure this stuff out.

watch me...

french toast with fried tomatoes

2009-06-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

sometimes there is nothing better than breakfast for dinner... especially when you're going to bed @ 4 in the morning... or waking up at 2 pm... (not that i make a habit of either of these practices, but sometimes they cannot be helped). one of my absolute favorite breakfasts-for-dinners or lunches-for-breakfasts, almost stolen from the pages of my favorite cookbooks EAT DRINK LIVE, is this non-sweet version of french toast. it works for any and all times of day or night, and any occasion, and is affordable enough to be a part of the continuing series eating in overdraft. besides, that series can't just include lunch and dinner-- poor people wake up too.

french toast with fried tomatoes

this is a definite peasant meal. if society as we know it ends tomorrow, it is likely you will have what you need to make this already in your cupboard, and therefore, you will be fine, and remain popular for the duration of the apocalypse. it is good to have a few of these recipes under your belt. i would also recommend having a good zombie plan in place, but that is really neither here nor there. so go ahead, open your cupboards and refrigerators, consider how many people you will be cooking for, and pull out what you will need:

several slices of bread (3-4), your choice

2-3 eggs

5 small-medium tomatoes

1/4 cup milk

black pepper (dash or so)

butter and/or olive oil

2 skillets; ideally one medium, one small.

recommended reading: eat drink live cookbook

this is a pretty basic french toast recipe, except we are not sweetening anything. the sugars you would usually add to french toast will be compensated for by the sweetness of the tomato.

begin by whisking the eggs until well blended. add the milk and dash of pepper. mix thoroughly.

pour mixture onto a relatively flat surface: may i recommend a plate. slice the bread to desired thickness....

and lay down into mixture. allow to soak for about 3 minutes, per side. this time will depend on the thickness of the bread. allow the bread to be fully saturated through, or else it will be tough (and boring) in the center.

the only difficult thing about this meal is timing. getting it so that the bread has been toasted to perfection and is just coming out of one skillet while the tomatoes are finishing in their skillet usually does not happen for me. the closest thing i can recommend is this: as soon as you flip the bread over to do the second side, you should be throwing the tomatoes into their skillet, like this:

generously throw some butter (olive oil if you prefer) into a skillet and allow to heat. once it's hot (not smoking) set the tomato slices in.

they get really upset and sweaty, and they are supposed to. feel free to toss them around.

grease the other skillet with some butter, lightly, and, once warm, set the toast in on one side. depending on the heat of the skillet, it will likely be about 3 minutes until it's time to turn. feel free to peek to make sure you're getting your ideal level of brown-ness.

especially if this is breakfast (hint: this was a very late breakfast for me), make sure to serve with plenty of coffee.

once golden on both sides, plate the toast and pour the fried tomatoes over the bread. it is tempting to ask and now what? expecting maybe syrup or sugar or ketchup or some kind of something. but it really won't be necessary. you have tomatoes and tomato sweat, what more do you need?

the egg mixture, likely, won't have all soaked in to the bread (mine never does). that, ladies and gentlemen, becomes a side of scrambled eggs.

good morning, my dears.

best ever mac and cheese.

2009-06-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

allow me to present the second in the series, eating in overdraft: so i usually insist on making everything from scratch, especially when it comes to a lovely dinner for two, but when time and finances come into play, sometimes you make compromises (and improvisations). i had my doubts about this one, folks, as it was basically a fancy version of boxed mac and cheese, but it was absolutely incredible. i mean, the whole rest of the night we kept saying to each other "that was amazing... i mean, wow..." and "seriously, that was the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had." so, without further ado....

best ever mac and cheese

(think inside the box)

the only downside to this meal was that, since it wasn't prepared from scratch using tons of ingredients in a huge casserole dish, there weren't tons of leftovers. this recipe makes enough for two. if those two people exhibit a tremendous amount of self control. what you will need:

a box of Annie's Naturals macaroni and cheese (i used shells and white cheddar)

follow the ingredients list on the box, which includes:

milk and butter.

then:

one large tomato (or more, if you want)

an equal amount of roughly chopped green onion

a dash + of cayenne pepper

seasoned with crushed red pepper

SECRET WEAPON: a packet of cheese from kraft blue-box mac and cheese.

mainly, this is a question of adequately following the box directions. boil the water, and add the pasta from the box. stir occasionally for the allotted amount of time.

meanwhile, roughly chop the tomato.

and green onion.

make the cheese sauce according to directions. add the 1/4 milk; we used skim, but it may be in your best interest to use a higher-fat content, and/or yogurt. we had trouble getting the sauce to thicken, but skim ended up working just fine because of our additions-- we fancied it up, which always helps.

add the dash+ of cayenne pepper directly to the sauce, and stir.

once the pasta is done, strain it properly, shaking of excess water, and return to the pot. here is what happened to us:

we poured the cheese sauce over it, and stirred gently but well. the sauce was very liquid-y. i swear, i followed directions impeccably, but i don't do well with box-directions. we added the vegetables, and kept stirring. we paused and stared @ each other: this was not exactly ideal. was it the hippie sauce? the choice of skim? who knows. but this was when i asked if he had any blue-box, and he did. i said "honey... get me a cheese packet." we slowly and steadily added the blue-box cheese, and it thickened up beautifully.

we divided and served.

(now that i've done the experimentation for you, you may choose to add the blue-box cheese directly to the sauce-cayenne mix... your choice).

seriously. the best mac and cheese i've ever had. here's why it works:

besides the addition of spice and vegetables, using more than one cheese is something that is done as a general rule for making mac and cheese from scratch. i can't believe boxed varieties don't provide smaller packets of different kinds of cheeses! can i copyright this idea right now?? well, you heard it here first.

enjoy, tomato sugars.

tomato chicken curry

2009-05-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

my boyfriend and i recently booked our tickets to lawrence, kansas, to go apartment and house hunting for our impending move. much to my dismay, this resulted in an overdraft of my checking account. much to my delight, this resulted in this tomato sugar series: eating in overdraft. about twice a week i will feature a dinner-on-a-budget that we've been eating in an attempt to save money for our mortgage and eventual housing needs (antique glass collections, gardening, maybe a chicken coop...)

today's featured meal:

tomato chicken curry.

now, we eat @ a local thai house in SLC called Chanon Thai a lot, and order off-the-charts spicy. the staff looks at us with concern, and we do usually end up sweating and crying through the meal. the way i made this literally drew a tear from judd's eye, so proceed with caution. you may choose to lighten the cayenne. but if you want it to hurt so good, here's what you will need:

a swirl of olive oil

a heavy cast iron skillet

2 cans of diced tomatoes; one drained of at least half its juice

2-3 chicken breasts

salt and pepper (for chick chick and to taste)

2 medium to large white or yellow onions (anything you like the sweetness of)

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons of curry powder

rice or naan. we chose to use calrose sushi rice, because we had it in the cupboard already.

((the wine? oh, that's just for me. may i also recommend a blonde-ish beer or IPA.))

let us pause and appreciate that these are ingredients many of us just have kicking around our pantry at this very moment, and at all times. and the organic, free-range, hormone-free chicken breasts were on major sale @ my local grocer.

it's also a plus that this is a dairy-free + very healthy curry. most curries are calorie and fat bombs. i mean, totally worth it, but this is a great go-to when you want indian but don't want to have 3 heart attacks by the age of 35... unless it's out of surprise at how delicious this is.

chop the onion in what I like to think is the shape that onions are the happiest-- their natural O-ness.

lightly salt and pepper each side of the chicken breast. cut the chicken into cubes.

in a heavy skillet, take a moment to brown the chicken in a swirl of olive oil, or at least allow it to turn white all around. remove to a plate lined with a paper towel. in the same skillet add the onion Os (adding more oil if need be), and sauté until rather soft, sweet, and fragrant (3 minutes-ish).

add an entire can of diced tomatoes, and then a drained can of tomatoes. this is really your discretion here, depending on how much liquid you would like (how thick do you want it?)

add 1 teaspoon of cayenne, and 2 teaspoons of curry powder, and pepper. salt if desired.

add chicken, turn up heat, and bring to a steady simmer for about 45 minutes.

serve.

((note: for dessert i would recommend

very ripe cantaloupe or mango, with or without

non-dairy ice cream, for a calming/cooling effect. it worked

wonders for us))

[adapted from teczcape]

lilac + lavender cupcakes

2009-05-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

there are several smells that indicate summer has arrived: chlorine, meat on a grill, and, maybe most of all, lilac.

i recently found out that lilac makes the list of edible flowers, and was thrilled, as they seemed to be in abundance in my neighborhood and backyard. what to do with them was another issue. i scoured the internet for recipes for lilac, especially for cupcakes, as that was what i most wanted-- something that would capture the innocence of lilac. i found two recipes, one of which was vegan. i knew i could adapt it to fit my needs, so i mainly took advice from that blog, and improvised.

what you will need:

cupcake tin

cupcake liners

4+ tablespoons lilac

3-4 teaspoons organic dried lavender

everything for your favorite white cake recipe

friends to impress them with

i began by finding a light, handheld pair of gardening shears, and a bandana in case my allergies acted up or their were bees. i'm not going to lie. bees were a major concern.

(((there was a really cool dead bird in my driveway, and i took pictures of it, but that will most likely be covered in my poetry/travel/bird blog fromtherushes.)))

i chose a mix of pale and dark lilac, and i wanted the ones warmest from the sun, because i assumed they would be the most... something. right?

i took them inside and instantly my kitchen brightened with the smell. here came the most labor- intensive step: trimming. i took each lilac bloom and trimmed it of any green or discoloration, and put it into a bowl.

here i rinsed rinsed rinsed with cool water. (notice my pale lilac-colored nails? i didn't even plan that-- i guess i just really had lilac on the brain...)

again, i'm not going to lie to you. a lot of bugs came out. i rinsed a lot, and strained, until all the bugs were gone. the blooms did start to wilt and lose a little color, and my heart sort of fell, but i tasted them, and they still tasted lilac-y, though a bit paler. i made a total of about 4 tablespoons of lilac. i also reserved about 1 tablespoon for decorating.

at this point i began making a favorite classic white cake recipe. you may use whichever you choose. i used some from this book, and lined my cupcake tins with lilac-colored paper cups from the pastel paper cups i had in the cupboard. not kidding. i picked through all the colors to find them. sometimes i scare myself.

here's the trick. here's what makes it not a classic white cupcake, but a lilac and lavender cupcake: in your recipe it will call for milk. before mixing anything together, add an extra 1/3 cup more milk to the total amount called for, and put it in a sauce pan on a burner. (i was low on milk, and had to improvise with some half and half and water, and it wasn't the end of the world). throw in the 4 tablespoons of rinsed, roughly chopped lilac blossoms to the pan. add 2-3 teaspoons of dried, organic lavender (i used culinary lavender that i bought from amazon.com, but you can find it @ whole foods i have been told) and stir. put on a low heat, and warm, allowing it to get fragrant. don't boil or bubble.

make your white cake recipe as called for, keeping an eye on the warming milk. when fragrant, remove from heat and bring down to room temperature, as close as you can get it. strain. use this floral milk in place of the milk called for in your cake, but reserve about 1/4 cup of the floral milk for the frosting. bake as called for, and allow to cool before frosting.

now, i'm not going to lie, this frosting is still very much a work in progress. i used about:

4 oz of cream cheese

a little less than 1/2 cup of butter

2 + cups of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

and added in the floral milk (all together, but that was an accident....)

it came out a little more runny than i wanted, so i would suggest adding in the milk gradually and seeing if it sets up better... this will be an experiment over years, i think. maybe it's an altitude thing. i wanted more peaks, but oh well. it hardened nicely once on the cupcakes after about 20 minutes. you may choose to use a frosting that you like, but i insist it call for milkor a comparable liquid that you can replace with the floral milk.

i took some of the leftover rinsed, trimmed blooms to decorate. during this process i got a text inviting me to the TWILITE LOUNGE for a goodbye party for john lamonica, who is moving to lawrence, kansas. i sort of pretended that i made them for that occasion, and they seemed to be a pretty big hit, with or without frosting peaks.

[adapted from veganese@: the conscious kitchen]

hey sugar.

2009-05-26T18:28:00.001-07:00

welcome to tomato sugar, and enjoy.

growing up in my home, our sugar was always kept in this vintage sugar bowl shaped like a tomato. the other day, while cooking breakfast and making coffee, my sister hallie was asking what kind of sugar we needed: powdered sugar, brown sugar, or just tomato sugar. i replied that the tomato sugar would work just fine, and our friend sort of raised an eyebrow. we hadn't realized that tomato sugar had worked its way into our vernacular to mean sugar, the sugar that is set out on the counter for coffee, tea, cereal, etc.

when it came time to launch this, a food blog chronicling my adventures in eating and cooking, it seemed a natural name. it is something warm, something to remind me of home, and something that was almost a mistake, but came out beautifully.

here's hoping.