BOOM: KATE MIDDLETON DOLLYCAKE

Waking up at 6 am to make a Kate Middleton dollycake for my mom's Royal Wedding Brunch may sound a little much, but it was totally worth it to see all of her girlfriends' reactions: SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DEVILED EGGS

I didn't grow up eating Americana classics; those folkloric, butt of the joke dishes, that become crystalized in a person's history. Those "this is my childhood" dishes. Chex mix, casserole, ambrosia, meatloaf, jell-o molds; none of these entered my culinary landscape as a kid. Which means, I've never had a bad one. I have no prejudices or ideas about what they should or shouldn't taste like, so I take a lot of liberties when I make them myself.

Devilled Eggs seem like the perfect hors d'oeuvres to me. Self-contained, eaten in two bites, and not too heavy. Plus, it's essentially four steps to make, top to bottom: cook the eggs, peel them, mix the yolks with the ingredients, and pop them back in. Voila! Love that. So for my take on them, I went traditional, tapas, and shoyu. All super different, all super delicious.








Devilled Eggs

For traditional, it's all about the yolk with a tiny bit of kick. I love the bright kick of chives mixed with sweet and tangy flavor of whole grain mustard.

Ingredients

1 dozen eggs

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Salt and pepper

Paprika

Chives

Olive Oil

Place the eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boilturn off the heat, cover, and let is sit for 14 minutes. Drain the hot water from pan and put the eggs in an ice bath. Peel the eggs. Using a sharp knife, slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Remove the yolk halves and place them in a small mixing bowl, and using a fork, mash up the yolks and add the mustard, mayonnaise, hot sauce and a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste to see if you need more seasoning. Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika and chives. Drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy!

Huevos del Diablo (Tapas style Deviled Eggs)

Whenever I see simple hors d'oeuvres, my mind immediately goes to Spain, specifically Barcelona. The olives, boquerones (marinated anchovies), and other little bites to go with their Iberian wine are the perfect manifestation of the culture, entrenched in history and pride of their ingredients, but at the same time relaxed and rocking espadrilles. To balance the yolk's natural richness, I added some chopped olives and boquerones for a briny counterpoint, with lemon and parsley keeping the whole thing bright and snappy. Ole!

Ingredients

1 dozen eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped Spanish olives (or whatever blend you like), plus more for sprinkling

6 boquerones (marinated anchovies, if they're hard to track down just high quality anchovies are fine) sliced in half

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon pimenton (smoked paprika)

2 tablespoons parlsey, chopped

Place the eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boilturn off the heat, cover, and let is sit for 14 minutes. Drain the hot water from pan and put the eggs in an ice bath. Peel the eggs. Using a sharp knife, slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Remove the yolk halves and place them in a small mixing bowl, and using a fork, mash up the yolks and add the olive oil, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest, paprika and olives. Taste to see if you need more seasoning. Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Place half a boquerone on each egg. Sprinkle with chopped olives and parsley. Drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy!

Akuma Tamago (Nasu Miso Eggs in Bacon Ramen Broth)

First off, I totally just internet translated that title, so anyone who actually speaks Japanese, feel free to send me the actual Japanese wording for "Deviled Eggs."

Now that we got that cleared up...

I love ramen. Oh God, do I love ramen. And when I think of hard boiled eggs, my mind immediately goes there. But instead of doing a full blown noodle dish, the egg is the star here, lightly sweetened with nasu miso (eggplant broiled with a miso/mirin/sake/sugar mixture) and served in a bit of ramen broth. You can just find ready made ramen broth at an Asian grocery store, but if you want to do it yourself (it's super easy, and ready in under an hour) the recipe is below. The combination of savory bacon broth with the delicately sweet miso accented yolks makes the perfect appetizer to any meal. It looks complicated, but trust, it's worth it, and not as scary as it looks. Plus, you'll haven ramen broth and nasu miso left over to make a kick-ass Japanese dinner! Everyone wins!

Ingredients

(For the eggs)

1 dozen eggs

1 japanese eggplant (or half a normal one)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon dry sake

2 tablespoons yellow miso

2 tablespoons sugar

(For the Broth and Plating)

2 quarts chicken stock

1 piece kombu (a Japanese dried kelp available at any Asian market)

1/2 oz dried shitake mushrooms (it's about a 1/2 cup)

1/2 yellow onion

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

4 slices bacon

2 green onions, finely sliced (plus more for plating)

Soy Sauce

Mirin

First make the broth. Add the kombu to the chicken stock and bring it up to a boil. Turn the water to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and add the mushrooms. Bring those to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are plump and rehydrated. Remove the mushrooms and add the bacon, onion, and carrots. Simmer for 30 minutes, skimming the fat off the top. In the last 10 minutes add the chopped green onions. Strain the whole thing, return the broth to the pot, and season with soy sauce and mirin.

Meanwhile, place the eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boilturn off the heat, cover, and let is sit for 14 minutes. Drain the hot water from pan and pop the eggs in an ice bath. Peel the eggs. Using a sharp knife, slice each egg in half, lengthwise.

To make the eggplant/yolk combo, combine the mirin and sake over high heat and cook for a minute or two, until it's boiling and the alcohol has cooked off. Add the miso and sugar and over low heat stir to combine. Halve the eggplants, drizzle them in sesame oil, and broil in the oven for about 3 minutes per side (if the eggplant is larger, it'll take a minute or two longer). Don't let them burn, you just want them soft and toasty. When the eggplant is done, cover each open faced side with the miso mixture and broil until the eggplant is bubbly and just golden brown. Congratulations! You've made nasu miso. Just stop cooking now and eat the eggplant. Guests can deal with one less appetizer. But if you do want to make the eggs, scoop out the inside of the eggplant into a food processor and pulse together with the egg yolks. Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves.

Place each egg half in a little bowl and spoon over a few ounces of the hot broth. Sprinkle with chopped sesame seeds and green onion. Enjoy!

GREASY SPOON TOAST

So, here's the deal. A million years ago my video for Avocado Toast popped up on Huffpo and the comments were overwhelmingly good. Well, mostly:



I actually laughed at this comment, because it's so awesomely snarky. It's perfect, because why do I need an entire video and recipe explaining how to make avocado toast? Avocado + toast kind of sums it up. Which basically proves the point of the video: It's pretty! It's about pretty avocados while Kenny Dorham plays in the background. It's about small, easy pleasures, that you can whip up with minimal effort for maximum deliciousness. So to that end...

BOOM! Toast. I just took that snark and turned it into snarkle-ade. Delicious, sweet and sour snarkle-ade.

Obviously the comment wasn't meant to be mean-spirited, but I just couldn't pass up the chance to make a video dedicated to toast. And what delicious toast it is! Inspired by the bread seared on the same griddle as pancakes and bacon at Downtown LA institution The Pantry, it's everything toast is supposed to be: crunchy, buttery, and just slightly savory. Can toast be a "best thing ever"? Obviously it can, when it's made in the greasy spoon diner fashion. Bacon fat, butter, and a golden sear make this toast the most delicious thing on the breakfast table.











1 sourdough loaf, sliced 1 inch thick
butter, softened
bacon

Cut the slices in half and butter them. Meanwhile, cook up some pieces of bacon over medium heat (save them to make the best fried egg sandwich ever) and drain off the fat. Place the bread on the griddle (or pan if you don't have a griddle) and press down to sear. Flip when golden brown (this usually takes a minute or two) and sear on this side as well. Serve with butter if you really want to go to town.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM

Do you have 20 minutes? Good. Here's how you play this out:

You and your loved one are on the couch, catching up on Archer before the finale this week. You've gotten to the bottom of your takeout, and you turn to them while fast forwarding, "Want any dessert?" They sort of shrug, paying more attention to the TV than the offer, assuming that means you're grabbing an ice cream sandwich or something from the freezer. You sneak off for 5 minutes, whisking together the ingredients and popping it in the oven. You join in until the next commercial break and then BAM! Hit them with a molten chocolate cake.

Where did this come from? How did you make it so quickly? Why the fancy dessert? Are you hiding something? Yes, busting out a molten chocolate cake might be suspicious the first time, but it'll quickly become an ongoing phenomenon in your house if any of you like chocolate. Or cake. Or happiness. And if you don't like these things, why are you on a cooking blog anyway?

One little cake is perfect for two to split, as its molten deliciousness is very rich. I love the chocolate paired with a maple tinted whipping cream, but feel free to just pop a scoop of your favorite ice cream on that sucker if its easier. The batter can be made ahead of time, poured in the ramekins, and kept in the fridge until it's time for dessert; but make sure to bake it for an extra minute or two, since it'll be cold.

There's something innately impressive in preparing a hot, relatively composed dessert for someone. Once that spoon breaks into the cake, letting it burst open with warm, gooey chocolate, well, who isn't going to gobble that right up? Enjoy!

Makes four 8oz ramekins

12 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup white sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 large pinch cayenne (about 1/4 teaspoon)

1 cup heavy cream
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Pre heat the oven to 400 F. Melt the chocolate, butter, and sugar over a double boiler. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a minute. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and salt, and add it to the melted mixture. Whisk it together quickly so the eggs don't cook. Add the vanilla, cayenne, and flour. Mix until just incorporated. Grease the ramekins and fill until almost full with batter. Bake for 11 minutes, 12 if you don't want if super gooey. Meanwhile whip together the cream, maple syrup, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Flip the cakes onto plates and serve with a dollop of cream. Enjoy!

CHANA MASALA AND GARLIC NAAN WITH KIRTHI

Kirthi is the nicest guy in the world. It's a fact. I've literally never met someone so friendly, open, and just generally enthusiastic about life. We're both CMC alum, sort of criss crossing in a few classes, and I kept tabs on him after graduation when he started traveling the world. Bouncing from country to country, experiencing different cultures, he was basically enjoying everyone's fantasy of being in their early 20s and going all carpe diem.

He was in LA for a bit, and we caught up over coffee. He told me all about his fabulous new blog, Adventures in Decision Making, covering all of his travels. Before you know it, I had wrangled him into making his favorite "taste of home" Indian dish: Chana Masasla with Garlic Naan. This basic chickpea stew is ridiculously simple to make and absolutely delicious. I gobbled it all up right after we wrapped. Enjoy!

Chana Masala

Ingredients

8 oz Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas)

3 Teaspoons Cumin Seeds

2 Large Onions

3 Teaspoons Shredded Ginger

2 cloves Garlic

2 Large Tomatoes

1-2 Fresh Green Chilis (Depending on how spicy you want to make it)

2-3 Teaspoons of MTR Chana Masala Powder

3 Teaspoons of Cilantro

1 Lemon

Olive Oil

Soak chana (garbanzo/chickpeas) in bowl of 2 cups of water for 4 hours. Boil chickpeas so they have a soft and squishable consistency. Leave aside for the time being. Put olive oil in a pot at medium heat and add cumin seeds. When cumins seeds start to crack, add finely dice onions to the pot with olive oil. Add a teaspoon of salt and the garlic to the onion mixture. After onions become soft add tomatoes to the mix and cook until a uniform consistency. Stir occasionally so that the base of the masala doesn't get burned. Add the chopped green chiles and cook for 2 minutes, or until they're a little soft. Add the chana masala powder and ginger, and cook for another few minutes. Add Chana that has been soaking in 2 Cups of water (please include the water in the mix). Cook for 6 mins at low-medium heat. Using a half cut lemon, squeeze juice into the mix. Serve on a plate. Add freshly diced cilantro to the portion served on a plate and a few slices of fresh cut onion. Enjoy!

Garlic Naan

Ingredients
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2/3 cup warm buttermilk
1 teaspoon dry active yeast
1 tspn of baking soda
1 tspn of baking powder
1 tspn of salt
1/4 cup of yogurt
1 tspn of lemon juice
3 tspns of grated garlic
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro (maybe unnecessary depending on your preference)

Sift all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Combine the yeast and warm buttermilk until it foams up a bit. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, and buttermilk/yeast combination to the mix. Knead dough until it becomes soft and elastic, about 6 minutes. If you're not sure, pull off a golf ball sized ball of the dough and pull it thin. If you can pull it thin and it doesn't tear, it's ready. If not, beat for another minute or two. Put a wet paper towel over the bowl and leave for 2 hours in a warm location (preferably 100 degree oven). After 2 hours, the dough would have risen. Now take dough and make small balls. Create oval shaped dough with a slight thickness. Sprinkle garlic and cilantro on one side of dough. Use rolling pin to press garlic and cilantro firmly into dough. Preheat pan to medium high. Slightly oil the pan and add the dough. Cook until one side is slightly brown then flip and cook to other side until that side is slightly brown. Brush with melted butter over garlic and cilantro side and serve with chana masala. Enjoy!