Paris Je t'aime! Day 3 & 4 Highlights (Or, my attempt at Ginger Pumpkin Macarons)

*With Mere away at work, I hang out at the flat waiting for our friend Christa to arrive. I find myself caught up watching (1) the Fiji v. Samoa Rugby World Cup game and (2) Le Destin de Lisa, which is like Ugly Betty, except it's German and I'm engrossed in French-dubbed version for close to 2 hours. (Seriously, it's riveting stuff.)

*The apartment manager arrives to fix the washing machine and mentions passing a blonde girl with a suitcase on the stairs. Turns out Christa's here!

(Christa's shoes, which she insists smell like puppies. I think the jetlag got to her.)

*Christa and I engage in lunch eating and people-watching. She teaches me how to ask for the check in French. Which it seems I have been doing really, really, really wrong.

*My goal for the day is to check out one of the big flea markets in the City, Les Puces in Clignancourt. Thanks to extensive directions courtesy of Jordan at Oh Happy Day, we manage to make it past the UBER-sketch vendor vans and find ourselves exploring one of the largest open-air markets I've ever seen. This place is MASSIVE. It takes several hours to explore all of it, and I'm still not convinced that we did. Both Christa and I manage to score some unique buys for home, friends, and family.

*We head back to the apartment to wait for Mere. No dice. Homegirl texts to say she's been kidnapped by her co-workers for dinner and drinks after work. (She's eventually able to escape around 2:30am.)

*Since Christa and I are on our own we decide to walk around Montmarte for dinner and drinks. Thank God Parisians like to eat late, because it's after 10pm before we manage to sit down.

*The next day we all wake up to the sound of screaming teenagers and rolling garbage bins. What the hell?

*It's apparently some kind of protest taking place at a nearby school, the Lycée Turgo. Despite Christa's investigations, we never do figure out what was going on that morning, except that the bins were stacked up against the protesters' target building. (We later discover that it has something to do with pension reform.) Christa does, however, return with a pain au chocolate for me, earning my most sincere admiration for all eternity.

*Mere is back at work with a hangover, so Christa and I are once again the Dynamic Duo for the day. Armed with the book Parisian Chic (recommended by fellow blogger Shannon over at The Simply Luxurious Life), we decide to do some shopping. Unfortunately, there's a typo in the book and as a result we walk for friggin MILES with no luck.

*We eventually stumble upon the Hôtel de Ville...

*More importantly, we stumble upon one of the shops mentioned in my book: BHV or Bazaar de l'Hôtel de Ville, one of Paris' most iconic department stores. What is it with the French and their super-sized shopping centers? This place is at least 7 floors of merchandise. By the time we make it through 3 floors' worth of shopping, we're about to crash from low blood sugar. Time to eat!

*Lunch is followed by the one museum I'm actually geeked to check out: the Musée Rodin. It turns out that the musée costs 10€ to check out, but the jardin costs 0€. No brainer there. Besides, the jardin is home to some of Rodin's most famous pieces: 

*Part of our view of the jardin is blocked by a massive white tent. Christa and I ponder just how much you have to shell out to have your wedding amongst Rodin's artwork. We check out the museum giftshop, where I buy a pen that comes with a moving figure of  the Thinker on one end. Classy.

*The kids are still protesting, albeit more silently, in front of the Turgot.

*We, of course, couldn't care less, as Christa has a sudden hankering for macarons. We find some at a local boulangerie - a 6-pack of mini-rainbow-colored delights. Christa is semi-elated, since she's not convinced these were made in-house. Not that this stops her from generously sharing.

*It's a bust. Christa explains how a proper macaron will melt in your mouth, both crispy and creamy at the same time. The search will have to continue. But first: a nap! Followed by dinner at a lovely vegetarian bistro called Soya. I mistakenly order a carafe of rosé instead of a glass. Or did I?

And now, for your recipe......

*****************************************************

This fuss over macarons piqued my interest. I mean, how good could they really be?

Pretty f'ing amazing, as it turns out. (But more about that later.) After returning home, I decided to give making macarons a try.

Unfortunately, an online search for macarons will turn up cooking instructions that put baking these crispy treats on par with neurosurgery. Turns out macarons are temperamental little f*ckers: one misstep and you end up with cracked shells, hollow meringues and broken dreams.

Tasty broken dreams, of course, but fractured nonetheless.

I scoped out a few different bloggers and came up with an amended recipe for Pumpkin Ginger Macarons.

How did they turn out?

Meh.

They were DELICIOUS, granted, but I think I fudged the macronage stage (when you mix the dry ingredients into the whipped egg whites). There's a test you can use to see if you've under-mixed the batter, which I've included in the recipe.

Godspeed to you, fellow bakers. And as per usual, enjoy!

***************************************
Ginger-Pumpkin Macarons

(Adapted from Bravetart.com)

(NOTE: I STRONGLY suggest you check out Bravetart.com's macaron Myths and Commandments postings. They'll make you a stronger baker, promise.)

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz (115g) almond flour (Red Mill makes a decent one)

8 oz (230g) powdered sugar

5 oz egg whites (144g)

2 1/2 oz (72g) granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp (2g) salt

1/4 tsp (2g) pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp (2g) ground ginger (powdered form, please!)

a few drops of orange food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper (or with a silicone baking mat). Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 300°F/148°C. Sift the flour with the powdered sugar and set that mess aside. (You can go ahead and toss any clump or lumps that wouldn't sift.)

Place the egg whites into the bowl of your standing mixer (you can use a hand mixer here, but be prepared to do some work). Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes, until the egg whites start to look frothy. Add the granulated sugar, the scraped vanilla bean or vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on medium-high speed for another 3-4 minutes. Your egg whites should begin to form soft peaks. Add the pumpkin pie spice and the powdered ginger. Mix at high speed for another 3-4 minutes. Add the food coloring (if using) and whip for another minute. Your egg whites should form nice, shiny white peaks. Go ahead and pick up the bowl. Turn it upside down. If the egg whites stay in place, well done! If not, shower and try again.

Now here's the part where I miffed up a bit. You need to incorporate the dry ingredients into your egg whites. Sounds easy right?

Not so much. This stage, the macronage as it's been called, is where you can make or break your macarons. (Kitchen Musings has some great explanations for this.) Using a rubber spatula, fold in your dry ingredients into the egg whites (break the contents of the bowl into 2 halves to make mixing the dry ingredients a bit easier). Your goal here is to completely incorporate the flour/sugar combo. That means you need to SCRAPE THE SIDES while you're working the batter.

There's no need to sweat with panic, as there's an easy test to check if your batter is done. Every 5 - 10 stirs, spoon a little bit of the mixture onto a plate, making a small puddle of batter. If the puddle has a peak that won't dissolve, you need to keep stirring. If the peak does dissolve quickly (i.e., your batter flows like lava) then you're good to go! Check out Dulce Delight's clip on YouTube for a visual reference.

Spoon your batter into a piping bag. (No bag? No biggie! Just clip the corner off of a quart-sized ziplock bag and be sure to watch your pressure.) Pipe the batter into 1 1/2in discs on the baking sheets, keeping them approx 1-in apart. (Seriously, the batter spreads while cooking, and no one wants a double-macaron. Or DO they???) Rap the pans against the counter a few times to work out any air bubbles and them let them rest for 15 minutes or so (feel free to go longer if you like).

Place the baking sheet in the oven for 12 - 18 minutes. Why the huge time range? Well, basically ovens are like finger prints - no two are the same. (That is to say, some have hot spots while others can maintain a consistent temperature.) To accommodate for this , you'll want to check in on your macarons at the 12 minute mark. Try to pop off a meringue. It should stick a bit to the pan without separating entirely. You can also go ahead and tap one sucker in the middle. If it's super gooey, you need to cook them a bit longer. Close the oven door and check on them every 2 minutes until done. Completely cools the cookies in the pan.

The filling is considerably easier to assemble: Simply blend together 1/4 cup pumpkin puree (aka, canned pumpkin), 4 oz (or half a box) of cream cheese, 2 tbsp powdered sugar (or more to taste), and 1/4 tsp ground cloves.

Pipe or spoon a quarter-sized dollop onto a cooled macaron shell and sandwich together with an unfrosted half.

Now for the hard part: HANDS OFF. No, seriously - macarons need time to "ripen." So stick those suckers in an air-tight container and sit on your hands for a night before snacking.

Even if your first attempt is a bit of a fiasco, I promise that they'll be the best tasting mistake you've ever made. Paula Deen suggested turning failed macarons into a trifle, and that sounds like a better plan than crying over cracked cookies anyday.

Let me know if you need a tissue. Good luck!

Risotto Mexicana (Or, What to Do When MarxFoods Sends Mystery Samples)

Sometimes I'm lucky enough to enjoy little perks of being a blogger who likes food. I've had a chance to review grass-raised beef from Hearst Ranch and to try out Palm Leaf Plates on a picnic date with BHE.

So you can imagine how big my eyes grew when MarxFoods announced that it would send a box of mystery ingredients to a set of volunteer bloggers, with the challenge of coming up with a recipe based on the contents of mystery package.

Gauntlet thrown, MarxFoods!

My mystery box arrived while I was on my girl-cation. Thankfully, BHE kept it out of Donald's reach. I opened it as soon as I came home and here's what I found:
*Dried Pasilla Negro Chilies
*Dried Lobster Mushrooms
*Diced New Mexico Chilies
*Smoke Sea Salt
*Whole Wheat Couscous

My original idea was to make a dish that consisted of a couscous crust with sauteed lobster mushrooms seasoned with the sea salt and maybe a hint of the diced chilies. But, I decided I wanted something a little heartier.

Soup?
Nah.

Pasta?
Nope.

And then it hit me: Rice! Or, risotto, rather. It's quickly becoming that time of year when my racing needs (i.e., carbs and lots of them) converge with cooler temperatures. I start craving things both warm AND filling.

So risotto it was! But then I began to wonder: what kind of risotto? Most of the dishes I've had tend to be cheesy/creamy with spring veggies in them (think parmesean and asparagus). This dish would clearly need a spicier finish. Maybe something with mushrooms?

I began thumbing through past recipes looking for inspiration. How could I incorporate the pasilla chile without overwhelming the dish? Spice is one thing - but mind-numbing heat is quite another.

Help came in the form of a soup recipe from Rick Bayless, who likes to blend chilies with tomatoes in some of his recipes.

Eur-friggin-reeka!

And so combining this little trick with some risotto-making basics, I came up with my Risotto Mexicana. Hearty and smokey, with a little heat to help you through the increasingly cooler nights.

Now, I am aware that the peeps over at Serious Eats just did a big piece on making the perfect risotto. It involves rinsing the rise with the stock and then preserving the stock for later use...all of which I did not do here. (In my defense, the article came out like 2 days after I had finalized my dish.)

That said, if you want to take the longer route, I'll provide directions for that, too. As for me, well, my evenings can get a little hectic, so I use the quick n' easy routine when necessary.

The dish was a hit and BHE went back for thirds, which is always a good review in our house. Let me know how it works out for you!

And, as always, ENJOY!

******************************************

Risotto Mexicana

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium to large dried pasilla negro chile (stem and seeds removed)
1 15oz can diced tomatoes with juice
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2oz dried lobster mushrooms
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups arborio rice
1 medium onion (or 3 shallots), diced
1/4 tsp Diced New Mexico chilies
1/4 tsp smoked sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup mild cheddar cheese or queso fresco (optional)
fresh cilantro to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Reconstitute the mushrooms by placing them in a bowl (preferably glass) and covering them with boiling water. Set aside for 20 minutes or so, until the mushrooms are tender. Strain and dice the mushrooms, but reserve 1 cup of the water for the risotto.

**EASY RISOTTO COOKING METHOD PRESTEP** Preheat the oven to 400F

Pour the tomatoes and its juice into a blender. Break up the pasilla chile into small pieces and then add it to tomatoes.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over med-high heat in a large pan or skillet. Add the garlic, diced chilies and HALF of the diced onion. Stir frequently, sauteing for about 5 -7 minutes or until the onion is translucent and the garlic golden. (Do NOT burn the garlic.) Add this mixture to the tomato blend and process until smooth.

Place a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and remaining tbsp of olive oil. Once the foam has subsided, add the diced mushrooms and saute them for 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms (keeping the butter and olive oil in the pan) and set aside. Add the remaining dice onion and continue sauteing for another 3-4 minutes. (Add an extra tsp of olive oil if the pan is a little dry after removing the mushrooms.)

**ADVANCED RISOTTO PREP 101 (via Serious Eats)* "Place the rice into a bowl and pouring the chicken or veggie broth directly on top. Agitated the rice to release all of the starch, then poured it through a fine mesh strainer, reserving the starchy, cloudy broth on the side."**
Add the rice to the onion mixture and cook for 1 more minute, stirring frequently until the grains are a nice golden brown.

**EASY RISOTTO COOKING METHOD** Add the blended tomato mixture to the pan with the rice. Add the sea salt, reserved liquid (from the mushrooms) and broth. Stir to combine. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Take out the dish, add the mushrooms and (if you're using it) the cheese. Stir to combine. Recover and bake the dish another 10 - 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Season with additional New Mexico chilies if desired. Serve with a cilantro garnish.

**NOT-SO-EASY RISOTTO COOKING METHOD (again, via Serious Eats)* Add the blended tomato mixture to the pan with the rice. Add the sea salt, reserved liquid, and 2 cups of the reserved broth (mix the broth before adding to distribute the starch). Increase the heat to high and cook until simmering. Stir the rice once, cover, and reduce the heat to low.

Cook rice for 10 minutes. Stir once, shake pan gently to redistribute rice, cover, and continue cooking until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender with just a faint bite, about 10 minutes longer.

Remove lid and add final cup of broth and the mushrooms. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring and shaking rice constantly until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and add the cheese (if using) and season with additional New Mexico chilies (if desired) and a cilantro garnish.**

It's a damn tasty dish, if I do say so myself! Enjoy!

Puppy Tough Love and Our First Vegan BBQ

Donald is fitting in pretty well at the apartment. Familiarizing himself with our routines and sussing out just how much he can bother the cats before they'll swipe at him. He's also taken the time to figure out where we put our garbage and recycling.

Yeah, I was less than thrilled to come home to the above-pictured destruction. We had to scramble to clean and disinfect the place in time for our first party of the season.

Donald, for his part, quickly recognized that I was displeased with his behavior and made a beeline for his kennel, where he stayed until I was done cleaning. He was the picture of good doggy manners during the BBQ and later on worked his A-game to get back on my good side.

It totally worked. Damn him and his doggy powers...

He's been in the recycling at least once since then and we've consequently moved the bins to the front of the house.

The BBQ was the first fete of the season (thank the good lord for spring!) and after compiling the guest list BHE and I realized that we'd invited mostly vegetarians and vegans. So we decided to try our hand at an all veg-friendly menu:

To Eat:
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Tofurky Beer Brats
Tofurky Kielbasa
Seasoned Grilled "Meatballs" and Potatoes
Arugula Pasta Salad with Roasted Veggies
Apple Crisp

To Drink:
Beer (which, thank god, is always veg-friendly)
Wine
Sage Blackberry Bramble (just muddle some sage before adding the gin)

We also took a crack at black-bean burgers, but they were pretty unforgettable (read: They were that dish the Sugarhill Gang spoke of in "Rapper's Delight").

The Mac and Cheese was a tweaked version of a recipe generously shared by our buddy, Matt (I added several dashes of hot sauce and a tsp or so of mustard powder). Another pal, Mere, lent me her apple crisp recipe:

*************************************************

Vegan Apple Crisp

4 c apples, sliced and peeled
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c water
Mix together and put in a greased 9" square pan

Mix:
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1/4 c oats

Cut 1/3 c vegan butter (I'm a big fan of Earth Balance) into sugar mixture and sprinkle on top of apples. Bake at 350 for 40 mins.

****************************************************

The Arugula & Pasta Salad recipe came by way of Ali over at Gimme Some Oven. (Whom you really ought to check out if you haven't already.) Since BHE has a slight nut allergy, I messed around with the pesto a bit and substituted pistachio nuts, which worked out well for us.

Overall, the food was a hit! Particularly the meatballs and potatoes, which I adapted from an old recipe from Food & Wine magazine:

*******************************************************
Grilled "Meatballs" & Potatoes

1 - 2 packages Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage (ground sausage style), rolled into 1-in meatballs
2 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tbsp pure chile powder, such as ancho
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs small red and white potatoes, cleaned and quartered

1. Bring a large pot/stock pot of water to a full boil. Add the potatoes to the large stock pot boil for 9 - 11 minutes, until you can pierce a piece of potato with a knife while still meeting some resistance. (You want to parboil the potatoes, not completely cook them.) Drain the potatoes and then rinse them with cold water. Let them cool for several minutes and then set them aside in a large bowl.

Alternatively, you can place the potatoes in a covered dish with a few tbsp of water and microwave it for about 5 minutes.

2. On a cutting board, using the flat side of a chef's knife, mash the garlic and salt to a coarse paste. Add the caraway seeds and finely chop them. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the chile powder and olive oil. Add the meatballs and potatoes and toss to coat. (You may find this easier to do in 2 separate bowls.)

3. Place a grill pan or a bowl fashioned out of heavy duty aluminum foil (that's how we roll) on a heated grill and grill for 10 - 12 minutes, until the potatoes and meatballs begin to char. Serve and wait for people to lavish praise on the chef.

*********************************************************************

All told, the vegan theme proved successful. So much so that I'm sending this post over to Chez Cayenne to include in its House Favorites: Vegan collection :)

This weekend BHE and I will be in Philadelphia helping man the Ex-boyfriend Collection tent at the Art Star Craft Bazaar along the waterfront at Penn's Landing Great Plaza.

Seriously, stop by and say hello! We'll go grab a beer and you can say "howdy" to myself, Donald and BHE in person.

Looking forward to seeing you there. Until then, as always - Enjoy!

Recipe Quickie: Peruvian Chicken

BHE is out of town this week so I have been alternating between hanging out with friends and attempting to sleep solo. The latter hasn't been too successful. That said, I still have time (aka, caffeine coursing through my veins for the next 15 minutes) to quickly post a recipe recap for some kick ass Peruvian Roasted Chicken.

PRC is hands down my favorite take out meal option. If you haven't had it yet, go. NOW. There's a place called Crisp n' Juicy or Pollo Loco or something similar selling this delectable, fall-off-the-bone charbroiled poultry near you, I'm sure. (FYI: If you're in Baltimore, just hit up Chicken Rico in Highlandtown. Wear loose-fitting pants. Bring a friend.)

The recipe I used came courtesy of Cooks Illustrated, a great site that unfortunately requires users to pay a fee to access videos and such. Which is kind of bullshizz in my opinion, but whatevs.

That said, these guys know what they're doing. The recipe is actually quite easy to throw together. You just need a good 24hrs for the dry rub to do its thing before you put anything in the oven.

Easy-to-use ingredients. Rubber gloves are a must have prior to handling the habaneros, especially if you wear contact lenses. (Just trust me on this one.)

The key seems to be low-temperature cooking and a vertical roaster or, barring that, a hall-full can of beer or soda crammed up the bird's special place. Ultimately, you end up with this AMAZING dinner that comes together in about 80 minutes, complete with spicy aioli and (assuming you remember to make it) chimichurri sauce.

SOOOOO Good!

If you're willing to pay, you can find the recipe (official title: Peruvian Roast Chicken with Garlic and Lime) here.

Or, if you ask nicely, I'll be happy to share it with you. Probably. :)

Enjoy!

When Things Aren't What Quite What They Seem

Happy post-Superbowl (with condolences to my fellow Steeler fans out there). BHE is still sulking after the loss, but I find I can't even muster up the anger. Green Bay just plain played better.

Which sucks as I am now responsible for a bet that I made with my BFF, who - in addition to being a very excited Green Bay fan - welcomed the birth of her first child this weekend. Loser has to buy Baby Button (as in "cute as a") the winning team's gear, to be worn next season. Assuming that takes place. Looks I've got some online shopping to take care of...

Funny story: Baby Button came out with a little something extra from the womb. Namely, a penis.

Yup! My goddaughter is actually my godson, which is totally cool by me. Even if this means that I have to take back a few pink items or that his baby blanket is currently embroidered with the name "Mia Grace." I've already promised to teach him about rugby and take him out for his first tattoo, which I'm sure thrilled his mother to no end.

Baby Button, in the (tiniest) flesh.

I can already tell he's a future heart breaker. The kid has dimples for DAYS.

And now, for your recipes..................

For this post I figured I'd throw in some items that, like Baby Button, are not quite what they seem. Little tweaks and such just to change things up a bit.

Except for the creme brulee. That's just a basic. The only thing that may seem different is my thumb, which went numb from trying to work the friggin brulee torch. It was a good hour before I could manage the fine motor skills required to write a text message. Note to readers: When the recipe calls for turbinado sugar, USE TURBINADO SUGAR. I used Cook's Illustrated's recipe for this bad boy, but Alton Brown's version is equally delightful.

The brulees were part of the menu at an annual post-holiday party thrown by a group of grad school friends in the DC area. Last year I was in charge of the entrées, but this year I was put in charge of dessert. In addition to the creme brulee, I also tweaked Paula Deen's recipe to come up with a White Velvet Cake.

(Sorry - I forgot to take a photo before the starving crowds attacked it.)

How do you make a White Velvet Cake you ask? Simply head to the grocery store and promptly forget to pick up red food coloring. Piece of cake! (pun intended)

I usually shy away from Paula's recipes. (I mean how many ways can/should a person incorporate Velveeta into their dish?) But this one was serious winner. The key (I think) is the baking soda and vinegar - the resulting fizz makes the cake extra-light and fluffy.

And finally, the surprise hit of the winter: my Quinoa and Black Bean Burritos!

Potential Vegan Yum!

Simply toast 1 cup quinoa in a mid-sized pot over medium high heat for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, and then cover the pot with a lid. Turn down the head to med-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, go ahead and saute some onions/shallots and green peppers (1 each) with 1/2 tsp canola oil. Add one can of black beans (RINSED, please!) and stir to combine. Add the mixture to the finished quinoa.

Add one packet of your fav taco seasoning (or you can make some of your own) and mix to combine. You can add a bit of water, 1 tbsp at a time, if necessary.

Spoon a few tablespoons of the mixture on a flour or corn tortilla. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Attack taco-flavored goodness like a starved wolf or pleasure delay a bit by placing the burrito in a panini press or Foreman grill for 3-5 minutes for some added texture.

As always, Enjoy!

新年快乐!!

Happy Chinese New Year! Especially to all you Rabbits out there - which means you were born between...

• 29 January 1903 – 15 February 1904: Water Rabbit
• 14 February 1915 – 2 February 1916: Wood Rabbit
• 2 February 1927 – 22 January 1928: Fire Rabbit
• 19 February 1939 – 7 February 1940: Earth Rabbit
• 6 February 1951 – 26 January 1952: Metal Rabbit
• 25 January 1963 – 12 February 1964: Water Rabbit
• 11 February 1975 – 30 January 1976: Wood Rabbit
• 29 January 1987 – 16 February 1988: Fire Rabbit
• 16 February 1999 – 4 February 2000 Earth Rabbit
• 3 February 2011 – 22 January 2012: Metal Rabbit

According to Wikipedia anyway!

To celebrate the New Year, I decided to take my younger sister's advice and clean my house. At least I meant to. I mostly cleaned my kitchen, put out the recycling, and then took a much needed bath. Tonight I plan to pack for my weekend trip to Pittsburgh (HERE WE GO STEELERS! HERE WE GO! *clap* *clap*), finish up some gifts for my goddaughter, and paint my nails red for the holiday.

Yesterday in honor of the New Year I took a crack at recipe (also suggested by my younger sister - go, Jo!) featured on NPR's Kitchen Window, which explored Chinese cooking in the Caribbean. Apparently, Chinese culture is pretty well entrenched in the island of Trinidad. Chinese cuisine, however, had to be adapted to accommodate local agriculture, though some dishes remained fully intact.

One such dish is pow, otherwise known as bao - those addictive little pork-filled steamed buns you can usually pick up at any Chinese food stand. We normally have a few bags of frozen bao in our house, but I thought I'd try to make my own for once. You know, for kicks.

...Which is how I ended up spending a good bit of my evening cleaning just my kitchen. Don't misunderstand - the pow were great! But I lack access to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, so I ended up over-mixing my first batch of dough (note to self: dough hooks are a waste of time), and the next batch took a while to mix by hand.

Still, this stuff makes for a tasty treat! Next time I'll be a little more generous with the filling. (I tend to be conservative when I first attempt a recipe.) I'll also make BHE take care of the clean up.

美味对待

You can find the recipe, courtesy of NPR and Ramin Gainshram's book Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago, here.

For dinner tonight, I'm thinking lo mein or some other type of noodle, which symbolizes longevity and can (more importantly) be delivered directly to my apartment.

And remember: The Chinese New Year tradition is to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone. Including that jerk you cut you off on the highway this week.

Peace & love in 2011, people. Enjoy!

Mondays are Fundays

Courtesy of xkcd

As I mentioned last week we had our first major snow storm of the season, which meant that I had a whole lotta time to kill during the day. So after dodging laundry and enjoying my morning cup of tea, I set up shop in the kitchen while BHE assumed his preferred napping position on the couch.

Lina also in her preferred napping position.,

Meanwhile, I decided to entertain my inner baker and whipped up some homemade Tagalongs using a recipe posted by the lovely ladies over at We Are Not Martha.

For my friends outside the U.S.: We have an equivalent to your Girl Guides, but we call them Girl Scouts. (Well, you start out as a Daisy, and then move up the ranks to Brownie, and then you become a Girl Scout, but you get the idea.) Anywho, much like your GG Biscuits, we sell a nice selection of cookies. Girls join, earn badges, go on camping trips and the like. I made it to Brownie level before losing interest, but I still support the organization during their annual cookie drive. Unfortunately, since the GS HQ decided that sending little girls off to peddle their wares by themselves was perhaps not the best idea, I often miss the cookie sale season. Which makes for a sad Adrienne.

Which is why the Martha posting that made me downright giddy. And while Samoas (aka Caramel deLites) are my favorite, Tagalongs run an extremely close second. The cookies from this recipe are AMAZING!

The recipe actually makes, like, 35 cookies. This is just what's left at my house 4 days later.

Quick notes: Be sure to use a fork or tongs when dipping, otherwise you'll burn your finger pads (lesson learned on my end). Also, like the Sues note, the recipe makes enough batter for some 60 cookies - waaaay more than the amount of peanut butter filling and chocolate dip. Unless you're catering some kind of event or just lack any concept of portion control, go ahead and halve the recipe or simply freeze half of the batter for later use.

You can find the recipe here: http://www.wearenotmartha.com/2011/01/homemade-tagalong-cookies/

We're due for another ice storm tonight, so there's a chance I'll get another day off tomorrow. Which will give me time to come up with a recipe in honor of my soon-to-arrive goddaughter. Any ideas for a starting point would be very much welcome!!

As always, ENJOY!

Snow down South: Veganized Eggplant Parmigiana

Happy holidays from sunny South Carolina, where 2 1/2 inches of snow managed to overtake my parents' neighborhood in a single night and throw off our travel plans by an entire day. Who says there's no such thing as climate change?

Anyway, our holiday traveling has finally, FINALLY come to an end, and now Tony (aka Best Husband Ever, aka BHE) and I can chill out at home for a bit and play with our respective Christmas presents. (Him: new power tools; Me: a Nook)

Prior to taking off for locations up and down the East Coast, BHE and I managed to visit M&M of ex-boyfriend collection fame for some good eats. Well, the Lady M and I had some good eats; the boys had a man date to go and see Tron Legacy. (They both liked it.)

Lady M is a whiz at veganizing recipes, so we took the time this evening to prepare some Panzanella (already a vegan recipe) and a tweaked version of Mario Batali's Eggplant Parmigiana.

The eggplant was SIGNIFICANTLY less involved than the panzanella, the steps to which included roasting tomatoes and reducing the rendered juices with wine for the dressing. It was amazing, as ever - and the eggplant dish pretty much puts itself together. (Daiya makes an tasty vegan mozzarella cheese you can use in the recipe.) BHE thought the slices were too thick to really enjoy, but I thought their size gave them more of a steak-like texture that added to the dish.

Monster Cat kept an eye on things while we were in the kitchen. He later went on to eat a whole mouse, proving veganism is not in fact for everybody.

Check out Mario's recipe and try it for yourself. While I'm afraid I don't have the exact recipe the panzanella we used, I've had good luck in the past with Ina Garten's take on the dish.

We're nearly a week into the new year already. Break any of those resolutions yet? :)

Happy Christmas: The Spiked Edition

Our absolutely fabulous friends and drinking buddies M&M gave Tony and I one of our best holiday presents to date: A homemade spike-your-own-cocoa kit, complete with chocolate and a variety of mixers.

Spiked cocoa is one of my absolute favorite holiday treats and honestly is one of the few things to get me through major winter storm season (aside from Dr. Who and Top Gear marathons on BBC America.)

The bloggers over at Serious Eats have come up with a variety of ways to help you make your hot chocolate a little more "festive." Personally, I like the idea of the Candied Orange recipe, but that's just me.

Check it out here and then experiment on your own. And share the recipes already - it's the season to be giving, afterall.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Much wintery love,
Adj @ Tattoos & Champagne

Shortest Blog Post Ever

I'm writing this in between pre-holiday trip errands, so rather than recap recent events, I'm just going to summary and provide recipe links where I can.

A quick visit from my younger sister prompted a breakfast run at Miss Shirley's Cafe here in Hampden. If you're a breakfast food purist, I'd suggest hitting up another establishment for your brunch. But, if you're a fan of delicious flavor - specifically in the chicken and waffles vein - then make a beeline for Miss Shirley's as soon as you have pants on.

Tony had the Benne Seed Chicken & Waffles (boneless fried chicken with honey mustard on white chedder & green onion waffles with jalapeno butter).
While I had the What Came First, The Chicken or the Egg? (which consists of a poached egg on a buttermilk buscuit with a pepper sausage and beef gravy).

Jo had eggs and hash browns. And the Savory Grits, which are made with applewood-smoked bacon and marscapone cheese. They'll put you in a food coma approximately 15minutes after ingesting.

This past weekend has been dedicated to one single-minded venture: baking. LOADS of baking. Mostly for parties but also for a few holiday gifts. Friday I managed to turn out several dozen of the Shortbread Bakery's Earl Grey Tea Chocolate Truffles. Note to would-be bakers: Do yourself a favor and invest in some non-latex gloves before rolling the truffles. You'll save a lot of time and water wasted washing your hands repeatedly.

Next, Alton Brown's Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. The key to this recipe is melting the butter before mixing in the sugar and using bread (instead of all-purose) flour. If you don't have a #20 ice cream scoop (I know I sure the hell don't) then simply use a 1/4 measuring cup instead.

Finally, to cap off the weekend, I turned to the good folks at Cooks Illustrated for a coconut-free, not too sweet Carrot Cake/Cupcake recipe. Unfortunately, you need a subscription to log into the site, but for $4 a month, the how-to videos alone are worth the expense.

Whew! Ok, I need to motor. I've got at least 13 hours of driving ahead of me and I need to make sure all my playlists are in order prior to my departure. I hope each of you have an AMAZING holiday and an equally kick-ass New Year!

Happy Eating!

The Happiest Place on Earth (if you like kimchi)

It's no secret that I grew up munching on a variety of Asian dishes. (Still do, in fact.) However, it can be difficult to find a decent Asian foods store. I mean, come on now- any corner store can carry soy sauce and long grain rice. I'm looking for something more substantial. I want some Bao, damn it!

So you can imagine my near-giddy delight when my friends Margi and Jared offered to take me to the mecca of Asian grocery chains: H Mart.

It's a little slice of heaven.
(Or Nirvana.)

H Mart is only located in a few cities in the US, so I was ecstatic when I found out that there's one located just outside of the city. The only kicker is that because it's the only one in a 50-mile radius, the place is PACKED. And for good reason: H Mart has one of the most extensive produce sections I've ever come across. Exotic fruits and veggies for days, man! There was a kimchi counter and a woman making the stuff right there in the store. I hate kimchi (I think it tastes like feet), but couldn't help but be impressed by it all.

The store carries durian fruit. I almost bought it, but I really like not throwing up at the smell of my food.

Margi handling some extra-impressive zucchini.
At least I think that's what they are.

We spent a good amount of time trolling around the aisles, looking at this and that when I came across a box of something I'd never seen before:

A bit weird, right? Turns out these tribble-looking beauties are a type of friut called rambutan. I have never encountered these before (I thought they might be lychee at first), but a woman behind us went all kinds of nostalgic at the sight of them and described how you pick, prepare, and eat them when you want a sweet snack. (Apparently, you cut off the spikey husk and eat the flesh inside.)

I picked up two to try later.

This photo makes my husband giggle every time.

Unfortunately, the rambutan got lost in the shuffle of holiday leftovers, and I wasn't able to get to them in time.

After I spent a good 10minutes making a selection from a wall of soy sauce options, my ride and I picked up some frozen odds and ends and then made it back to the city. I was in Hello Panda heaven the entire trip home.

And now, for your recipe.......

A while ago I decided to use up the last of some farmer's market apples with a recipe I had come across on the Darjeeling Dreams site: Skillet Apple Cake.

It's very easy to make, though I feel the cake part could be a little more moist. However, the dryness in my attempt may be due to the size of my skillet. I suspect the portions in the DD's recipe are intended for an 8-in skillet. Mine is 12in. Next time, I think I'll double the batter.

You can check out the recipe by checking out Darjeeling's site here.

Winter has officially come to Baltimore after sneaking in the back door, so this week it's all about warm foods, spiked cocoa, and stockinged feet. Possibly some crochet projects. In the meantime, I suggest you buckle down, catch up on past episodes of The Walking Dead if you've haven't yet, and then enjoy the musical stylings of Adele's latest single, Rolling in the Deep.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving: The Revenge

Hey, peeps!

Sorry I suck at staying on top of these postings. (Looks like I've got something to add to my resolution '11 list already.) I promise I've been busy,trying to keep up with a year that is flying by at speeds that would rattle Einstein's grey matter.

Anywho - holiday recap! This year saw Tony and I spending yet another Thanksgiving in separate parts of the country (our families live far apart and work commitments usually restrict our travel time). So we decided to be proactive and host a pre-Thanksgiving for ourselves. Then my need to feed others kicked in and we started inviting people. Lots of people.

About a dozen confirmed invitations later and I found myself lugging home a 14lb turkey with numerous yet-to-be-prepared side dishes. After some unexpectedly intense debate about bird preparation (to brine or not to brine?), I decided to brine the damn thing and be done with it. The bird and brine solution went into a 35 gallon Rubbermaid (kept in the fridge, of course) and from roughly 9pm Saturday night until 4:30pm Sunday afternoon, I was cooking.

Tony - bless him - helped clean the house and made no fewer than 5 trips to the supermarket to pick up various ingredients during the day.

Thankfully, all went well, and everyone was eating by 4:30pm.

The spread.
Also, the striped rugby shirt I will no longer be wearing.
(Seriously, why didn't anyone tell me it looked so wide on me?!?)

The final menu looked something like this:

*Brined Roasted Turkey (using Alex Guarnaschelli's recipe, but Cooks Illustrated's cooking method)

*Carrots with Shallots, Sage & Thyme (Courtesy of Two Cooks, One Kitchen)

*Roasted Sweet Potatoes (using the par-boiling method recommended by Serious Eats)

*Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Gorgonzola, Shallots & Tomatoes (Courtesy of Mango & Tomato)

*The Famous/Infamous Wiley Corn Pudding

*Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cherries & Cloves (shout out to Matt from ex-boyfriend collection for the recipe)

*Stuffing (Stove Top. I was too tired to make it from scratch.)

*Mashed Potatoes & Gravy (Thank you, McCormick!)

*Trader Joe's brand Corn Bread (really, really freaking delicious)

*Italian Bread (via Pillsbury)

*Various pies for dessert

I also need to thank Emily for making a green bean casserole, Suzanne for making that butternut squash & goat cheese tart, and Patti for the sweet potato pie mash. Oh - and props to Paul and Brad for bringing booze. (Bless ya!)

Tony and I are ALMOST done with the leftovers, which have taken the form of a turkey noodle casserole, turkey & rice soup, and - coming for the Ravens v. Steelers game Sunday - Thanksgiving pizza.

And now, we wait for Christmas. Which I can easily countdown to with my handy-dandy, best big sis-to-lil-sis present ever: the pop up Advent calendar.

Each day I get a new ornament to hang on the tree.

Try not to be jealous. :)

I've got a trip to H-Mart (aka, Hanah Reum) (aka, the Asian food mega mart) to recap and possibily some housing news to share in the near future. But for now, enjoy some tunes by my buddy Gary's outstand band, The Outdoors.