So the winter blues aren't really common in Denver, this one is for my friends in Chicago and Detroit and anyplace where the sun doesn't shine.
Put your textbooks down, take a few minutes and enjoy! (I recommend dancing-it's fun!)
It's been a Gordon Ramsay-filled weekend- I just can't help myself.
Last week I went to the library to pick up a few books on Budapest and I just happened to walk by the cookbooks. And sitting on the shelf was none other than Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite!
Perhaps I'm just too picky of an eater, but I probably wouldn't eat half of the things in this book. There are a lot of fish recipes- and I don't want to hate on fish, but I never cook it and rarely eat it. Maybe I should try?
That's not to say I would never buy this book, because I probably will some day. There were a lot of things I liked, but it's not at the top of my list to own. This book makes me hungry- my favorite cookbooks have pictures for each and every recipe, this book does not disappoint. And there are several recipes I'm eager to try:
- Spinach and Goat Cheese Souffle
- Sweet Potato Frittata with Tomato Salsa
- Stuffed Chicken Breasts wrapped in Sage and Prosciutto
And today I attempted the Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins...
Whole Wheat Blueberry MuffinsMakes 12
2 large overripe bananas
scant 2 cups (300ml) flour
1 1/2 tsp (7ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5ml) baking soda
pinch of fine sea salt
1/2 cup (100ml) light brown sugar
scant 1 1/4 cups (284ml) buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup (75ml) light olive oil
1 cup (200g) blueberries, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp (15ml) raw brown sugar (I just used a packet of raw sugar from a coffee shop, that way I didn't have to buy more than I needed)
Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a muffin pan or use paper liners. Peel the bananas and mash in a bowl, using a fork.
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk, egg, olive oil and mashed bananas. Quickly fold the ingredients together until just incorporated, taking care not to over-mix. Tip in the blueberries and give the batter one or two stirs.
Spoon the batter into the liners and sprinkle with the raw brown sugar. They will be quite full. Bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and golden brown on top; a skewer inserted into the center of the muffin should emerge clean.
Let cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
My thoughts...These muffins are quite tasty. I've never baked with olive oil before, I was skeptical at first (I'm a huge fan of butter), but I was pleasantly surprised. They're very moist and flavorful- although not overly sweet. The banana flavor is quite strong, not a bad thing, but I might try it with apple sauce next time. Definitely worth a try! Plus, they're (somewhat) good for you; you really cannot go wrong. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Recommended listening: A Fine Frenzy - Blow Away
In my world there are two groups of food: Group A) Nutella and things containing Nutella and Group B) Everything Else. These crepes belong to the former.
(Nutella) Crepes
Makes 12-16 thin crepes
125g plain flour
2 good pinches salt
1 or 2 medium free-range eggs (I used 2)
1 tablespoon melted butter (British tablespoon...)
300ml milk
sunflower oil, to grease the pan (or non-stick cooking spray)
To turn these plain crepes into Nutella crepes...add Nutella! Gordon recommends 2 (British) tablespoons. I think I added about 1/3 cup. Like I said, I love Nutella.
Place the flour and salt in a food processor (I don't have one- sad, I know- so I just used a hand mixer) and add the egg(s), butter and half of the milk. Whizz (good word choice, Gordon) until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides once or twice to dislodge any lumps or stray pockets of flour. With the motor running, mix in the remaining milk.
Leave the batter to rest for 30 minutes if you like, although this is not necessary.
Cook your crepes (see below), stirring the batter occasionally. You should get about 12-16 if you make thin ones, approximately 20 cm in diameter (I didn't). Add your choice of filling and cream, ice cream, or sauce and serve!
So British measurements aren't very convenient for the average American, luckily I have a kitchen scale. If you don't have one and cook a lot of international recipes, I recommend investing in one. They're fairly inexpensive and well worth the time you'll save not having to convert your measurements. I'm just glad I didn't have to deal with gas marks on this one.
Cooking Crepes (modified)
For those of us who don't have crepe pans or fancy kitchen gadgets, or even decent pots and pans this is your guide.
Find the best pan you have, the sturdier the better, round is preferred, although if all you have is a griddle you should be okay (I hope!). Non-stick is a plus. Place the empty/un-greased pan on a medium-low heat and let the pan heat up for about 10 minutes- you should be able to feel a strong heat rising from it/see a heat haze. Lightly grease your pan and you're ready to cook your first crepe.
Pour in a little batter (Gordon recommends 30-45ml- as if I know how much that is...). Immediately swirl the pan so the batter cots the entire base thinly. Any excess runny batter should be tipped back into the bowl. Quickly return the pan to the heat and cook until the batter is set and little holes appear in the surface, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Slip a palette knife/spatula/whatever you have under the crepe, then flip it over. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds.
Slide the cooked crepe out onto a cooling rack lined with paper towel, a tea towel or parchment paper. Stack the crepes on top of each other as they are cooked, to retain heat cover them with a tea towel. Serve immediately or wrap up and eat at a later date.
Bon appetit!
Recommended listening: Carla Bruni - Quelqu'un M'a Dit
Yes. I do. I don't know why, it's probably the Scottish Vacuum of Charm. (Click the link, watch the video, you'll understand everything)
I've compiled what I consider the trifecta of Scottish male perfection.
Craig Ferguson
-He's funny
-He likes spandex
Gordon Ramsay
-He can cook (for me, this is enough)
James McAvoy
-Do I really need to explain?
Last night I went to the PBR art show. One word- fantastic. I haven't really been to many art shows, but if they are at all like last night, I'm going to start going more often.
Illiterate is a small gallery in South Denver, and Indyink is a small shop that sells local graphic art (i think?). They were packed full of PBR lovers, like myself. The walls were full of Pabst related art, too bad nothing was for sale, otherwise my walls would be fully decorated in red, white and blue.
Free PBR, PBR chapstick (I know, right?), PBR buttons and beer koozies!! My life is complete.
There are other Pabst Art shows across the country, so go see for yourself. Or, if you're artistically inclined submit your own artwork! You could win $1893 and a year's worth of PBR.
I'm so excited! I had an internship interview today at a research NGO and I was offered the position; I'll be spending the summer working in Budapest, Hungary. I went there two years ago and fell in love with the city. The internship sounds perfect- exactly what I want to study and probably what I want to do after graduation. I'm nervous about going out into the big, bad world alone, but I can handle it! (I hope).
Feel free to come visit me! Please do! I don't leave until June...I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, but I'm excited!
In the past I have made New Year's resolutions, but I never keep them. This year I am making just one: to bring back the art of correspondence.
I am verbally challenged so I don't always say what I want to say, or say it in the right way. I think handwritten notes will allow me to express myself a bit more eloquently.
People have written letters to me, and vice versa,before, but I did not appreciate them as much as I should have. Letters take time and effort, albeit not too much, but I think they are far more meaningful than a text or an e-mail. Because of this I am going to try and write more letters and cards to the people I care about most. Sometimes these notes will be accompanied by tasty baked goods...
I also love stationery/cards/paper/wax seals/etc. Here's a list of a few my favorite stationery/paper suppliers:
- Hollander's - located in Ann Arbor, MI
- Pink Loves Brown - I'm a big fan of their paper suitcases
- 16 Sparrows - very cheeky
- Snow & Graham - my favorite colors and patterns
- Waste Not Paper - you can't order directly from this website, but plenty of stores carry this line- including Hollander's!
Procrastination tastes delicious...
I have a four day weekend and I started it off on the right foot. I opened up a textbook read one sentence and closed it. Then I got busy in the kitchen. Some people have hot dates with other people, I have hot dates with my oven- literally.This was my first attempt at biscotti and I think it was a success! It took me almost a week to choose a recipe- there are a ridiculous number of them out there. Does anyone have a favorite flavor that I should try next?
Makes about 30 biscotti
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (I only used 3/4 cup because I'm not crazy about things are too walnutty...)
- 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour a large baking sheet.
In a bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until combined well. Stir in flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips.
On prepared baking sheet with floured hands form dough into two slightly flattened logs, each 12 inches long and 2 inches wide, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Bake logs 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool biscotti on baking sheet 5 minutes.
On a cutting board cut biscotti diagonally into 3/4-inch slices. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool biscotti on a rack. Biscotti keep in airtight containers 1 week and frozen, 1 month.
Recommended listening for biscotti baking:
I made the most delicious cheesecake in the world for Christmas. I'm not exaggerating. Perfection. Absolute creamy perfection. Sorry for the delay, but this one is worth waiting for.
Creamy Waterbath Cheesecake - from The Joy of Cooking12 to 16 servings (I favor the 12 serving option)
Baking in a water bath yields an ultra creamy cheesecake with the texture that is consistent from the edges to the center. You can bake any crust less cheesecake this way. -- This is by far the most delicious cheesecake ever. I cannot tell a lie, not about cheesecake!
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
I prefer a thicker bottom crust so I use more graham crackers, but it's up to you!
In a large bowl, beat just until smooth, 30 to 60
seconds:
2 pounds cream cheese
Scrape the sides of the bowl and the beaters well. Gradually add and beat until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes:
1 1/3 cups sugar
Beat in 1 at a time, just until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl and the beaters after each addition:
4 large eggs
Add and beat on low speed just until mixed:
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla
Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Set the pan on a length of wide heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Fold the foil carefully up the sides of the pan without tearing it.
Set the pan in a large baking dish or roasting pan.
Set the baking dish in the oven and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
Bake until the edges of the cheesecake look set but the center jiggles slightly when the pan is tapped, 55 to 60 minutes.
Turn off the oven, prop the door ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon, and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour.
Remove to a rack and let cool completely in the pan before unmolding.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably 24 hours, before serving
I led two very different lives over break - amateur baker and day laborer. My aunt recently bought a house- very exciting/fun! Unfortunately, when they removed the hideous beams from the ceiling in the family room they discovered a serious mold problem. End result...the room was completely gutted. On the bright side when everything is fixed up it will be a brand new room! And this is where I enter the story...
Unemployed and at home for six weeks what better to do than become my father's apprentice. Slave labor! Well, not really. I've never been to Home Depot so many times before. One week I went four days in a row. Another time I went two times in one day. They should hire me, I know where everything is in that store! 
We installed strapping on the ceiling, drywall, recessed lighting, patched the tile floor in the bathroom across the hall, and so on...
I'm an expert spackler (not a real word?). I spackled all of the screw holes and some of the joints...three times each! If you ever need someone to do drywall work, I'm your girl. I will work for free but I require numerous Law & Order breaks and Dove Peanut Butter candies.
Manual labor is my backup plan if I don't get a job after graduation. I really enjoyed working with my dad and my aunts and uncles. And how could I forget my favorite canine companion- Stanley!
2009 was an eventful year. The first half was definitely better than the second...but all in all it was quite enjoyable! 2009 started with lots of snow in Chicago....
And then some gray, cold weather. Oh life by the lake.
The best part of 2009 was getting to spend time with all of my wonderful friends. I miss everyone so much!
In May I graduated from college. Weird!
I spent the summer making just above minimum wage and waking up way to early to serve cranky people coffee. I also did a lot of gardening, always fun, even if my vegetables were a disaster. I spent a lot of time with friends and family and just enjoyed life. And then I moved to Denver for grad school...
And that's where I am now!
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