The Kitchy Kitchen

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

2012-01-31T12:10:00.000-08:00

These are the ultimate make-ahead dessert. Bake some cookies, stick a little ice cream between them, and leave them in the freezer until you want to eat them. You can get extra credit for making your own ice cream, but in a pinch, I just buy my favorite flavors from the local ice cream shop. My favorite part are the toppings, and I went a little crazy.

Pistachio is one of my "litmus test" flavors when it comes to ice cream and gelato. If they get that right (not too sweet, not too almond-y, and just a touch savory), I'm sold for life. Especially with bittersweet dark chocolate? MWAH! Heaven! And with all of the dark, rich flavors in the cookies, which aren't too sweet because they're meant to be paired with ice cream, pistachio was a must try. Also, cayenne pepper and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations that I go back to again and again. Sprinkle a little around the edge and you have a surprising kick on an icy treat. Enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

Dark Chocolate Cookies

For 24 cookies (12 sandwiches)

8 oz butter, room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup grated or finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

For Ice cream sandwiches
1 quart of your favorite flavor (I chose vanilla and chocolate
Toppings (I did vanilla + sprinkles, vanilla + grated chocolate, chocolate + salted pistachios, chocolate + cayenne pepper)

Preheat oven to 350F. With a mixer, blend together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the mixer on low speed. Add the vanilla and chocolate and blend until the dough becomes a rich, dark brown. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness and using a cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and top with sugar crystals is you like. Bake for 15 minutes and cool completely on a rack.

You can make the ice cream sandwiches ahead and refreeze them, or make them to order. Just pick your favorite flavor, scoop out about a 1/2 cup, and press onto the cookie (softened ice cream works best). Top it with another cookie, and roll the sides in your favorite topping (nuts, sprinkles, chocolate, whatever!). Enjoy!

IN THE KITCHEN WITH CHEF KRIS FROM NIGHT+MARKET

2012-01-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

If you follow me on twitter, you know NIGHT+MARKET, a pop up resto on the Sunset strip that specializes in authentic regional Thai street food and general awesomeness, is one of my favorite places to eat. And no, it's not just because they play Kanye and project episodes of The Wire or the Godfather on the wall (well, maybe a little bit?), it's because Kris is a badass in the kitchen. After the rush of glowing praise from LA food god Jonathan Gold, Kris's next big moment is LA's biggest food week: DineLA. Despite his hectic schedule and new it-boy status, he took the time to invite me into his kitchen and get a sneak peek at his DineLA menu: Chili Relish with Pork Rinds and Head on Prawns with Chili Jam. So delicious and easy to prepare, I'm definitely adding these to the menu the next time I rev up the grill. Enjoy!

OYSTERS, TWO WAYS

2012-01-19T16:09:00.000-08:00

My love of this delicious bivalve is pretty well documented, and I couldn't help but return to it. I've been digging through cookbooks from the 30s and 40s, and let me just say, the oyster was a VERY popular bite then. And way not? It was cheap and wonderful to eat every which way. Fried, stewed, baked, grilled, raw, FRIED. I linger on the fried because that's what I tried today: Fried Oysters. Plump, juicy, just crisp and golden brown. YUM yum yum yum yum yummmmmmm.

But enough about fried for a moment. As lovely as they are, raw is really my favorite. That first burst of flavor and shot of icy cold ocean is as exhilarating as it is delicious. With a little lime, cilantro, and serrano chili? Well, it's practically a feast.

Both of these recipes take practically no time to make, and if you're not into the idea of oysters, you can try the fried recipe with shrimp. Enjoy!

Pan Fried Oysters with Salsa Verde

1 dozen oysters, shucked (reserve the bottom shells for presentation)
1 cub french bread, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 egg yolks, lightly whisked
2 cups olive oil

For Salsa Verde
5 tomatillos
1 poblano chili
4 garlic cloves
Hot Sauce
A handful of cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse together the bread, salt, pepper, and cayenne until fine breadcrumbs. Dredge the oysters in the yolk and coat in the bread crumbs. Heat the olive oil over medium heat until just simmering (test it by sprinkling some crumbs into it. It should sizzle and come to the top.) and toss the coated oysters in. Let them fry until golden brown, flip, and fry some more. They should cook for about 1 minute total. Set aside on a paper towel.

Meanwhile, peel and broil the tomatillos for about 5-10 minutes, or until charred and juicy. Char the poblano over an open flame, then scrape off the skin and deseed it. Chop it roughly and pop it, the tomatillos, the garlic, cilantro, and hot sauce in a food processor. Pulse it and taste for season.

Put the each oyster into a shell. Drizzle the oysters with salsa verde and garnish with cilantro.

Oysters with Lime, Serrano, and Cilantro

1 dozen oysters, shucked and on the half-shell
2 limes, juiced
1 serrano chili (or jalapeno), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Combine the lime juice, chili, cilantro, and olive oil with a little salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the oysters and enjoy!

OUR PIZZA TRADITION

2012-01-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

Henry and I have officially started a tradition. Well, we've done it twice, so that counts, right?

It's called Pizza Night, and though I make pizza for the fam at least a couple of times a year (or at least whenever Henry badgers me about it), its big moment is on Christmas day.

After presents and breakfast Henry and I make the dough, and while the family is out to the movies, it rises. Everyone picks out their toppings and we stand around the kitchen eating our piping hot pizza. This time around (for the inaugural Christmas Day pizza, click here) I took the leftovers from my Christmas Eve pasta and some inspiration from my favorite Italian Classics. The results were delicious:

1. Cherry Tomato Margherita with Lemon Zest and Truffle Salt
2. Broccoli Rabe with Hot Sausage
3. Pasta Pizza (Roasted Butternut Squash, Sunchokes, and Fennel with Walnut Pesto, finished with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage)
4. Roasted Radicchio with Balsamic vinegar and Chevre

Enjoy!

NOTE: All of the pizzas use the same dough recipe.

Pizza Dough
For 4 10-12 inch pizzas

3 cups high gluten flour (I use King Arthur's Bread Flour), though All Purpose is fine too.
1 teaspoon yeast (half a pack)
1 3/4 cups warm water (about 70-80 degrees, not too hot or you'll kill the yeast)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil

In a the bowl of your electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Stir gently to combine. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and on the second highest speed (8 on a Kitchen Aid) knead the dough for 15 minutes, or until it has formed a ball on the hook and has completely pulled away from the sides of the bowl. The best test to see if it's elastic enough is to pull off a tablespoon of dough and stretch it into a square. You should be able to pull it thin enough to see light through it without it tearing. It is tears knead it for another minute. When it's ready, knead on the highest level for an extra two or three minutes. Lightly oil a container with olive oil, add the dough, and cover with a lid (or plastic wrap if using a bowl). Mark or mentally note where the dough is, and note where it should be for it to triple in size. Set aside in a warm spot (on top of the fridge is great) and let it ferment for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until tripled in size.

An hour before making the pizzas set your pizza stone in the center of the oven and crank it up as high it can go for at least an hour.

When the dough is ready, scoop it onto a floured counter (it'll puddle out) and cut into four equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 10 minutes. When ready, pick up a piece of dough and stretch at the edges, moving the dough through your hands in a circle. It doesn't have to be perfect, just get it as thin as you can and put it on a flour baking peel or rimless cookie sheet. Add your toppings and bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Cherry Tomato Margherita with Lemon Zest and Truffle Salt

For 4

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tsp lemon zest
2 balls bufala mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
4 pinches truffle salt, or a few drops truffle oil, or you can buy cheese with truffle in it.
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons basil, chiffonade (thinly sliced into ribbons)

On one stretched pizza dough on the floured pizza peel (or a floured baking sheet if you don't have one)smooth 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce onto the pizza, covering the whole thing, save a 1/2 inch around the edge. Top with a quarter of the cheese (there should be a lot of space around each slice) and dot with the halved tomatoes. Sprinkle with lemon zest and truffle salt and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 8 minutes and top with a little basil. Slice and enjoy!

Broccoli Rabe with Hot Sausage

For 4

1 lb broccoli rabe (rapini)or a head of broccoli if you can't find it
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chili flake
1 pinch lemon zest
8 oz taleggio grated (or mozzarella)
4-5 fresh hot Italian sausages
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Grated Parm, optional

Break the broccoli rabe into 1 inch chunks. In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the broccoli rabe for 1 minute and the stick in an ice bath. Blanching the rabe makes it sweeter and turns is a gorgeous bright green. You can skip the step if you prefer a more bitter flavor, just saute it for a little longer.

Strain the broccoli rabe and dry completely on a towel. In a saucepan, heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and chili flake and cook until the garlic just starts to toast (careful that it doesn't brown). Add the broccoli rabe and saute for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, push the sausage out of its casings and in a pan over medium heat with a little bit of olive oil, saute it until the bits are completely brown and cooked through.

On one stretched pizza dough on the floured pizza peel (or a floured baking sheet if you don't have one)smooth 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce onto the pizza, covering the whole thing, save a 1/2 inch around the edge. Top with a quarter of the cheese and sprinkle a quarter of the sausage and broccoli rabe. Top with some parm and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 8 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Pasta Pizza (Roasted Butternut Squash, Sunchokes, and Fennel with Walnut Pesto, finished with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage)

For how to prepare the vegetables and walnut pesto, check out this recipe.

For 4
8 oz roasted butternut squash
8 oz roasted sunchokes
4 oz roasted fennel
1/2 cup walnut pesto
8 oz grated mozzarella
Grated Parm, optional
4 tblsp unsalted butter
12 sage leaves

On one stretched pizza dough on the floured pizza peel (or a floured baking sheet if you don't have one)smooth 2 tablespoons of walnut pesto onto the pizza, covering the whole thing, save a 1/2 inch around the edge. Top with a quarter of the cheese and sprinkle a quarter of the roasted vegetables. Top with some parm and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 8 minutes. In the meantime, melt the butter over medium heat, add the sage leaves, and continue cooking until it turns golden brown and starts turning nutty. Drizzle a quarter of the brown butter and sage leaves over the pizza. Slice and Enjoy!

Roasted Radicchio with Balsamic vinegar and Chevre

For 4
1 head radicchio, or small red cabbage, quatered
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, plus more for drizzling
8 oz fresh chevre (fresh goat cheese)
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 425 F. In a small oven-safe pan, drizzle each quarter of radicchio with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, or until the leaves start to wilt. Turn up the oven to broil and broil until the edges start to brown. Take the radicchio out, slice into 1 inch sections, and immediately cover with balsamic, turning to dress.

On one stretched pizza dough on the floured pizza peel (or a floured baking sheet if you don't have one) smooth 2 tablespoons of sour cream onto the pizza, covering the whole thing, save a 1/2 inch around the edge. Top with a quarter of the cheese and sprinkle a quarter of the radicchio. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 8 minutes and finish with a drizzle of balsamic and some ground pepper. Slice and enjoy!

ROASTED VEGETABLE PASTA WITH SAUTEED KALE AND WALNUT PESTO

2011-12-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve dinner sort of popped up out of nowhere this year. We usually have a little more of a to-do, but by the time the 26th rolled around my mom and I could build a bridge we were so over it. So what's an easy, relatively "make ahead" dish that could feed everyone and leave left overs for days? A massive "kitchen sink" style pasta.

I say "kitchen sink" because I put the entire contents of the fridge in this pasta. Chopped butternut squash? Sure! Leeks? Why not? Kale? OK! It's kind of ridiculous. But the lovely thing about this pasta is that it all works together. Winter vegetables are just meant to be roasted and combined: fennel caramelizes like candy, and we all know about butternut squash. Kale adds a bit of crisp texture and sunchokes bring some earthiness to the party. In the spring asparagus and pea tendrils could make an appearance and in the summer fresh corn and artichoke hearts with a basil pesto would be delicious. The idea is to just put them all together, and let them do their thing.

You also might have noticed that the pesto isn't...pesto-y. It's not even green! This is because it's about the walnuts. Combined with the garlic, nutmeg, and milk, this sauce takes on an alfredo quality but without the heft. It's just really awesome. Enjoy!

Note: This is the PERFECT dish for vegetable leftovers because the walnut pesto goes with practically everything. So add and combine away!

Walnut Pesto
yields 1 1/2 cups pesto, or more if thinned out
1 1/2 raw walnuts
3/4 cups cubed bread
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 cup milk, or however much you need to cover the bread
1/4 cup Parmiggiano, freshly grated

Soak the bread in enough milk to cover the cubes, and soak the walnuts in enough hot water to cover them for 15 minutes. The bread should be soft and the walnuts should have turned the water a brownish hue. In a food processor, add the walnuts, drained with the liquid reserved, the bread and milk, and the other ingredients. Pulse to combine. Add a 1/4 cup of the walnut water and pulse until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If you want a thinner, sauce-ier pesto, add more of the walnut liquid.

For the Pasta

For 4
2 cups butternut squash, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups sunchoke (aka Jerusalem Artichokes), chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, vein removed and roughly chopped
1 leek, cleaned and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of chili flake
1 tablespoon lemon juice
olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 lb pasta, such as penne
3/4 cup walnut pesto, more if you like more
Toasted breadcrumbs, optional

Preheat oven to 425 F

On a baking sheet, drizzle the butternut squash, sunchoke, and fennel with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the fennel for about 15 minutes, or until the edges turn brown, and remove from oven. Continue to roast the sunchoke and butternut squash for another 20 minutes, flipping once. You want them to be really caramelized so if they need to get a little browner, leave them in for another 5 minutes.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and then the leeks. Season the leeks with salt and pepper, and after 5 minutes add the garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes until wilted and browning and add the kale. Stir in the kale so that it's coated, add more olive oil if necessary. Add the chili flake and lemon juice and cook until the kale is just wilted.

Meanwhile, heat up a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta. In a small saucepan heat up the walnut pesto over medium low heat.

Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauté pan with the kale, add the roasted vegetables, and add the walnut pesto. Stir to combine and coat. Garnish with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

A LITTLE CHOCOLATE LOVE

2011-12-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

Raspberry Pink Peppercorn truffles are probably my favorite thing at Compartes, the lovely store of my friend and amazing chocolatier, Jonathan Grahm. After shooting my sister's lookbook video, Jonathan came over and we had some fun with the the slow motion camera and his chocolates. The result? This little 20 second video showing off Jonathan's gorgeous truffles and their new look in the new year. Enjoy!

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS TREATS

2011-12-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

I have been knee deep in cocoa powder and vanilla beans this week, and have a few burns on my hands to prove it. It's homemade gift time, and all hands are on deck as my family comes together to make some of their favorite holiday treats. A few of these recipes might look a little familiar, because they are, but I thought why not include them so all of my seasonal favorites can live in one place?

We have, Chocolate Coated Coffee Crackle Crunch (try saying that 10 times fast!), Hot Cocoa Mix, Vanilla Sugar, and my favorite, Tina's English toffee. Enjoy!

Chocolate Coated Coffee Crackle Crunch

Inspired by the crackle cake from old school LA spot Blum's, which my aunt Tina resurrected as the best birthday cake ever this year, I covered my crackle in chocolate to make for the perfect holiday gift. Homemade violet crumble, anyone?

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, for baking sheet
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (or coffee plus a little instant espresso)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons baking soda, sifted

1 lb milk chocolate chips
1 lb semi sweet chocolate chips
Gold powder, for cake decorating (optional)

Directions:

Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil; set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, coffee, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat to just below the hard-crack stage (310 degrees on a candy thermometer).

Remove from heat for 10 seconds. Sprinkle the baking soda evenly over sugar syrup. Whisk just until combined. Pour immediately onto the prepared baking sheet. Let stand until cool, about 45 minutes.

When ready to use, cut the pieces into large chunks (pieces will shatter off and crack) with a large knife.

To coat in chocolate, melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler over medium heat (or just place a glass of metal bowl over a pot of boiling water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl). Cover two baking sheets with wax paper. Take the chocolate off the heat and using two spoons (or your fingers) coat each piece of crackle in the chocolate and place on the wax paper.

Once the chocolate has dried (wait at least 2 hours) sprinkle with gold powder store in sealed plastic bags (like a ziploc).

Enjoy!

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

A little spicy and super chocolatey, this hot cocoa takes under 30 seconds to make, but can be enjoyed through the holidays and beyond. Plus it's WAY better than swiss miss.

Ingredients:
For 4-5 cups
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate, either small chips or finely chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vanilla sugar (I bought the crystalized kind because it creates a lovely sparkle, but you and always do white sugar plus a scraped vanilla bean.)
1 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Whisk the ingredients together. To make an 8 oz cup (which is honestly enough for 2-3 people), mix 3 tablespoons of the mix with a dash of milk to form a paste. Gently heat the paste over medium-low heat until the chocolate bits start to melt. Add an additional cup of milk and stir until hot and steaming. Pour into cups and top off with a dash of heavy cream. Enjoy!

Homemade Vanilla Sugar

Add it to your coffee, tea, or on top of cookies when they bake; this pantry staple makes any recipe a little more luxxe.

Ingredients:
For 2 cups
1 vanilla bean
2 cups of sugar

Split the vanilla bean with a paring knife and using the blunt side of the knife scrape all of the seeds in the bean out. Place the seeds in a bowl with the sugar. Slice each bean in half crosswise and pop each half in a jar. Using your hands or a food processor, blend the vanilla seeds and sugar. Fill the jars with the sugar mixture, pouring over the empty bean. The bean will continue to infuse the sugar for weeks. The sugar is best two weeks after preparing. Enjoy!

Tina's English Toffee

For me, this toffee is the epitome of the Christmas Season (we start badgering Tina to cook it the day after Thanksgiving), and something I look forward to nibbling on every year. Nothing is more depressing than reaching for my family's toffee tin and finding it empty, like a dead Christmas tree in the gutter. So please cook up this toffee until your kitchen is heavy with the scent of butter, sugar, and the holiday spirit.

Ingredients:

1 pound unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing the pans)
2 cups white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups milk chocolate, chopped
2 cups finely chopped toasted almonds

Directions:

Melt the butter, sugar, water and salt over a low flame, stirring with a wooden spoon. When the mixture starts to boil, turn the heat up to medium. Meanwhile, grease two cooking pans with butter. After 15-20 minutes, the mixture has reached 305 F. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla, stirring to incorporate. Be careful not to burn yourself or the mixture, but if you do, and I have, run your hand under room temperature water (never cold or hot water) to subside the pain. Immediately take the hot toffee and pour into two greased cooking pans and smooth until evenly coated and about 1/8 or 1/4 inch thick. Put the pans into the fridge to let the toffee cool (this will take several hours, or leave the toffee in over night, uncovered).

Once the toffee has cooled, remove it from the refrigerator and carefully loosen the pieces (you can do this by hand or with a knife). If it cracks, it's not a big deal.

Melt the two types of chocolate over a double boiler, stirring to combine. Once the chocolate has melted, use a spatula to coat one side of the toffee, and then immediately sprinkle heavily with the chopped toasted almonds. This must be done immediately because the cold toffee can cause the chocolate to harden before the almonds can stick. Put the toffee back in the fridge to cool the chocolate. Once it has hardened (it takes about an hour), flip and coat the other side with the chocolate and almonds. You will probably have chocolate and almonds left over, which you can use for more toffee. Let the toffee cool in the fridge until hardened again. When it's ready, take the toffee out, and using your hands crack it into irregular pieces. Bag them or stick them in a tin for your own enjoyment.

APPLE LEMON VERBENA JELLY AND CHEDDAR GRILLED CHEESE WITH FRENCH APPLE CIDRE

2011-11-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

Whitney Adams of Brunellos Have More Fun and I have been getting up to a lot of fun lately. She brings the drinks and I bring the food, and this time around it's a comforting bite of gooey, savory, and sweet grilled cheese paired with a bubbly French cidre.

I hadn't enjoyed an apple cider in a while (I recall a toast with Martinelli's at prom) so to savor a sip with a warm grilled cheese gave me a massive rush of delicious nostalgia.

This pairing is all about apples for apples: the robust apple flavor of the cider accentuates the apple in the jelly and the gentle carbonation keeps the savory cheddar cheese playful and not too dense. You feel like a kid again! Enjoy!

Apple Lemon Verbena Jelly Grilled Cheese

Ok, I lucked out and a farmer at my farmer's market makes this delicious jelly so I can buy it by the jar-full, but if you can't hunt some down, you can use any of the following:

-Apple jelly with a pinch of lemon zest
-Membrillo (a quince paste)

For 2
4 slices white bread
4 oz sliced English Cheddar
1 tablespoon apple jelly
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Spread the jelly on each slice of bread and stick about 1 oz of cheese to each slice. Sandwich the slices together and spread the butter on the outside of the sandwich. Place on a skillet over a medium-low flame and cook until the cheese has started to melt (about 4 minutes), flip and cook until the cheese is completely melted. Slice and serve with apple cider.

CANDIED YAMS, THREE WAYS

2011-11-22T00:19:00.000-08:00

I feel like this is everyone's favorite dish at Thanksgiving. Yeah, the turkey is the centerpiece, and stuffing is pretty awesome, but let's be real. Yams. Sweet potatoes. They're a vegetable that kind of tastes like dessert, but somehow manages to stay savory. Like a chocolate covered pretzels or something. Mmmm...chocolate covered pretzels.

Yams are officially my cousin Erica's domain. Every year she plans something wonderful, and this year is no different. Inspired by a side we had at a family dinner a few weeks back, she's making vanilla scented yams with marshmallow on top. I asked her to send me the recipe so I could write a post about them before Thanksgiving (and get a sneak peek at the goods) and was floored by how simple it was. You literally boil yams, puree in your ingredients, and toast some marshmallow. Boom. Done. Thanksgiving.

I was making a small batch anyway and when the versatility of the recipe dawned on me, I went a little crazy. Apple Cinnamon Maple Yams and Classic Candied Yams with pumpkin pie spices and a crunchy pecan brown sugar crumble. Each has their own little twist, and they will all hit that candied yam sweet spot.

I also got a little fancy and added a recipe for homemade maple marshmallow that is delicious in hot chocolate and on top of the yams. But if it's too much of a bother, feel free to use store bought marshmallows. Happy Thanksgiving!

Erica's Vanilla-Scented Yams with Marshmallow

1.5 vanilla beans
8-9 medium sized yams, peeled and quartered
1 lb or 4 sticks of butter
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh minced Rosemary or Thyme

Scrape the vanilla beans and reserve the shell and the seeds. Add the shells and the yams in a large pot, cover with cool water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the yams are fork tender. Puree in a food processor with the butter and scraped vanilla, salt, pepper, and herbs. Spoon into a baking dish and dollop on the marshmallow. Broil for about 1 minute or until the marshmallows are toasted. Keep an eye on it! They burn quickly!

Maple Marshmallow
About 1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 ½ envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup room temperature water
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup hot water (about 115 degrees)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, pour in the ½ cup of water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let it stand for about 10 minutes.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240 degrees, about 12 minutes. A word to the wise, this happens very very quickly. While I turned around to tidy up, the entire batch jumped to 275 and burned, so once the thermometer reads 200, keep a close watch, and take it off the heat when it reaches 230. The thermometer should still creep up to 240 after that. Remove the pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With the standing mixer beat the mixture on high speed until white, thick and nearly tripled in volume, about 6 minutes if using standing mixer. In a large bowl separately beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla and maple syrup into sugar mixture until it is just combined (about 2 minutes). Dollop onto the yams before they set.

If you want to save the marshmallow for later...
Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan covered with powdered sugar and sift ¼ cup powdered sugar evenly over top. Let the marshmallow set uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to 1 day.

Apple Maple Cinnamon Yams with Maple Marshmallow

8-9 medium sized yams, peeled and quartered
1 lb or 4 sticks of butter
Salt and pepper
1 cup apple sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup

2 cups Fresh maple marshmallow (see above) or mini jet puffed marshmallows.

Put the yams in a large pot, cover with cool water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the yams are fork tender. Puree in a food processor with the butter and cinnamon, syrup, apple sauce, salt, and pepper. Spoon into a baking dish and dollop on the marshmallow. Broil for about 1 minute or until the marshmallows are toasted. Keep an eye on it! They burn quickly!

Classic Candied Yams

8-9 medium sized yams, peeled and quartered
1 lb or 4 sticks of butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 oz (4 tablespoons) butter, cut into small chunks

Preheat oven to 400F. Put the yams in a large pot, cover with cool water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the yams are fork tender. Puree in a food processor with the butter and spices, salt, and pepper. Spoon into a baking dish, sprinkles with pecans and brown sugar, and dot with butter. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the brown sugar has started to melt.

BROWN BUTTER BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

2011-11-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

This is the perfect dinner party soup. Comforting and a little decadent, it also looks beautiful in the bowl. The combination of sweet, tart, smokey, and brown buttery is a definite crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

For 8-10

2 butternut squash, halved and deseeded

2 kabocha squash (or pumpking), halved and deseeded

olive oil

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 brown onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 sprigs of parsley

1 bay leaf

pinch of chili flake

8 cups chicken broth

2 oz unsalted butter, plus more for garnish

Sour cream (for garnish)

Brown sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F. Drizzle the butternut and kabocha squashes with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper on a roasting pan. Chuck them into the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, or until soft and tender.

Meanwhile, let’s get started on the broth. Over medium heat in a large pot, cook the bacon until not quite crisp. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until golden brown (about 15 minutes). Add the celery and carrot and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth, parsley, chili flake, and bay leaf , bring to a simmer and let it go for 10 minutes or so.

Scoop out the soft interior of the butternut and kabocha squashes. Pluck out the bayl eaf and parsley and add the squash to the soup. Let it all simmer together for about 10 minutes. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or a regular standing blender. Put it back in the pot taste for seasoning. Adjust the salt, pepper, and add brown sugar if it needs some sweetness. If it’s too thick, add a little water until it’s the perfect consistency.

To brown the butter, place the unsalted butter (salted butter will burn) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt and bubble until it froths up a bit and the white milk solids have turned a nutty golden brown. Immediately add to the soup and stir.

To serve, ladle the soup into each bowl and top with a spoonfull of sour cream. Drizzle with brown butter. Enjoy!

CLASSIC TARTE TATIN WITH MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM

2011-11-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

My mom's longtime favorite dessert has been the tarte tatin, which is essentially a french upside down apple tart. Maybe it's the rich caramel flavor, maybe it's the pure, unadulterated apple-i-ness, maybe it's the crust; whatever it is, she in love, and it's not going away any time soon.

What I love about the tarte tatin, is I find it to be simpler and more impressive than an apple pie. First off, it looks awesome. Secondly, it tastes like apples with an exclamation point. Being only 5 ingredients (apples, butter, sugar, butter, flour, and vanilla), there isn't much to get in the way of the main ingredient, the apples. Secondly, it's less work. Yeah, it looks more complicated, but honestly, I find it easier to put together. Plus, the crust is guaranteed to be golden brown, flakey, and tender, not sopping wet or gummy, which, as a crust lover, adds extra points for me. It's delicious, beautiful, and the perfect centerpiece for a family dinner. Enjoy!

Tarte Tatin:
A 10 inch cast iron skillet or round pan

8-10 gala or pink lady apples, any high acid firm apple with a hint of sweetness, peeled, cored, and halved

1/2 cup salted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds extracted

1 recipe pie crust, rolled out to 1/8 inch thick.

Pie Crust:
(This is a double crust recipe, so you will only be using one for the tarte tatin. Refrigerate or freeze the other one for future use)

2 1/2 cups flour

8 oz (two sticks) unsalted butter

1 tsp kosher salt

3 tblsp sugar

1/4-1/2 cup ice water

Maple whipped cream

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)

For the pie crust, in a food processor or quickly using your fingertips, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter until the chunks of butter are broken down to the size of peas and the flour feels like wet sand. Add the first 1/4 cup of water and mix until the dough comes together easily. It's too dry if it immediately clumps apart. Add two tablespoons of water at a time, you can always add more water but not more flour, so careful not to add too much! Bring the dough into two balls and plop them on top of two sheets of plastic wrap. Loosely wrap up the ball and press down, smooshing the ball into a disc about an inch thick. Pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes while you busy yourself with the other stuff.

For the Maple Whipped cream, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whip with a whisk or a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Stir together the sugar and vanilla seeds. Pat down the butter onto a skillet and sprinkle the vanila sugar on top. Place the apple pieces vertically in the pan, snaking in a circle along the edge. Keep repeating until the whole pan is full. Over a medium flame, place the pan for 20-25 minutes, until the butter, sugar, and apples have created a golden brown caramel. It's ok if it's a little patchy. Let it cool for a few minutes and roll the chilled pie dough neatly onto the dish, and roll the crust on the edge. Put in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the apples are bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Bring to room temp (if you can wait) and flip onto a serving dish. Served with maple whipped cream. Enjoy!

APPLE CITRUS SALAD

2011-11-19T08:00:00.002-08:00

Though sweet, apple is jus as well known for its acid. Without it, there wouldn't be apple pie or apple sauce, it couldn't walk that line of sweet and savory, and apple cider? Not happening. This acid inspired me to make a dish celebrating that bright apple pop, so I paired thinly sliced apple with orange and fresh fennel. Fennel has a slight anise flavor with citrus undertones, and is one of my favorite vegetables to add to elevate a dish. Paired with an orange balsamic vinaigrette, this salad is beautifully balanced, and super fresh. Yum!

3 Blood Oranges
3 Pink Lady Apples
1 Fennel bulb
12 large mint leaves, julienned
8 oz Butter lettuce leaves (or Mache)
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper

Directions:

over a small bowl, slice the blood oranges into supremes. This is easiest done by slicing off the bottom and top of the orange, slicing off the skin and pulp, and then slice between the fine white lines of pith between each wedge. This way you get wedges of orange without any pulp or pith, making them incredibly easy to eat. Once you finish slicing one orange, squeeze the remaining pulp and juice over the bowl. Do this for each orange and reserve the juice. Strain the juice (you'll probably have about a 1/4 cup), add a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Taste and adjust. It should be well seasoned and with just a little acidic tartness. Don't go crazy on the olive oil or you'll lose all of the blood orange flavor.

To finely slice the fennel and apples. I used a mandoline. I also cut myself in the process, which made slicing those oranges a wincing ordeal, so be careful if you use one. If you don't have a mandoline, just slice them as thinly as you can. Slice the apples slightly thinner than the fennel, and slice them horizontally to get that beautiful star pattern in the center. Slice the fennel in half, to keep the pieces manageable. If you're making the salad ahead of time, cover the apples with lemon juice to keep them from browning. Compose the salad with orange wedges on top, and there you go!

TOASTED HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH WITH AN APPLE MUSTARD SLAW

2011-11-19T08:00:00.001-08:00

I've been around enough cheese platters to know that apple + cheddar + ham is a very good thing. So way not put it on a baguette and call it a day? Combined with a bright and zesty apple mustard slaw, this sandwich is a delicious and unexpected dish.

For the Apple Slaw (this makes about 6 servings)

3 large tart apples (like pink ladies), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

3 tablespoons whole grain mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Sandwiches

1/4 lb sliced ham

2 slices cheddar cheese

1 large baguette, maybe 2, halved and sliced into whatever size you want your sandwiches to be

1 bunch arugula

olive oil

Preheat oven at 400 F. For the apple salad, mix everything together in a small bowl. I used my hands to distribute the mustard evenly. I must use this on a cheese platter, I'm obsessed. Anyway, to assemble the sandwiches, lightly toast the baguette with the cheese and ham on top, in the oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasty. Drizzle with a little olive oil and dress the top half with the arugula and the bottom half with the apple salad. Enjoy!

BROWN SUGAR PERSIMMON "JAM" WITH GRIDDLED CROISSANTS

2011-11-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

Simple pleasures are the best when they also take under five minutes to prepare. By using the already “jammy” persimmon pulp and giving a little bit of texture to an otherwise “meh” croissant, you’ve got the perfect breakfast with coffee or a snack with some tea. Plus, brown sugar! Yum!

INGREDIENTS:

For 4

2 hachiya persimmons, fully ripe

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

4 croissants

2 tablespoons butter

Scoop out the pulp of the persimmon with a spoon and using a fork, chop it until it is the same smooth texture (some lumps are fine). Chuck it in a bowl and add the brown sugar, stir to combine. Congrats! Your jam is done.

Meanwhile, slice your croissants in half lengthwise and spread each side with butter. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the croissants, butter side down. With a spatula, press the croissants until brown and crisp, about a minute.

Spread with Persimmon Jam and enjoy!

RICOTTA GNUDI WITH BROWN BUTTER BUTTER AND PROSCIUTTO FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2011-11-12T08:00:00.002-08:00

This looks like a restaurant dish. Seared golden spheres filled with soft, melty cheese, brown butter butter (that's not a typo, it's actually twice buttered), and some earthy, and sweet prosciutto; all are lovely touches that seem a little beyond a normal Sunday night family dinner. This also happens to be my favorite dish from my current favorite restaurant.

So imagine my surprise when this glorious, luscious, super indulgent meal was not only utterly simpler, but gluten free too? No rolling out pasta dough, no stress over texture or a delicate touch, no highly complex sauce with 20 steps. Just a little wrist work and more than a little butter and you're halfway there to an amazing dinner. Enjoy!

This recipe is graciously provided by Chef Jason Neroni of Osteria La Buca

Jason Neroni's Gnudi from Osteria La Buca
serves 4

2 cups fresh ricotta
1 cup chick pea flour
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp garlic, minced
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp canola oil

Toppings:
Prosciutto
Rosemary, fried in some olive oil (it sweetens the rosemary)
Balsamic Vinegar

Roll ricotta into a little larger than marbles sized balls. Roll into chick pea flour and let sit over night.
The next day, shake off excess flour and transfer to cookie sheet. Boil a pot of water. Place gnudi in the water and cook until they rise to the surface (only 2-3 minutes). place on to a plate with a paper towel to soak up excess water. Turn a saute pan on and set to medium heat, add the canola. Gently place the gnudi in the saute pan and cook until golden brown. Remove gnudi and add butter and a little water bring to a boil and cook until you have a glaze. Add the garlic and parsley to the sauce. Use this as your sauce for the gnudi.

Top with some pieces of prosciutto, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkling of the fried rosemary.

DAIRY FREE PECAN MILK PANNA COTTA WITH CARAMELIZED PEARS FOR FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2011-11-12T08:00:00.001-08:00

Easy and impressive are two goals I always strive for in cooking. They don't always go hand in hand, but when they do it makes me want to high five someone in the kitchen. Usually I'm alone, so a silent fist pump has to suffice. Anyway, panna cotta is one of those desserts you can whip up in a flash and serve easily; all you need is a little foresight. This version of the classic Italian dessert (meaning, "cooked cream") is a bit unorthodox, with no cream or milk in sight. It's made with my favorite homemade spiced pecan milk and topped with caramelized pears. The fun thing about this recipe, is if you're in a rush or don't want to make your own nut milk, just use almond milk form the store and sweeten it with some agave, vanilla, and whatever flavors you like. This dessert is also great with fresh berries or chopped nuts. Enjoy!

**NOTE: to make this panna cotta recipe vegan, switch out the gelatin for 1 tablespoon powdered agar agar.

Pecan "Panna Cotta" with Caramelized Pears and Pear Caramel sauce

For 6-7 4 oz ramekins

For the Panna Cotta:

1 1/2 cup raw pecan pieces

3 cups water

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

a large spoonful coconut butter or oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup agave syrup

1/4 cup sugar

a dash of salt

1 tablespoon gelatin

6 tablespoons water

For Pears:

4 pears

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean

For Caramel sauce:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1/2 cup pear juice

For the pecan milk, combine everything and half the water. Whiz, add the rest of the water, and whiz until frothy. Pour through a mesh strainer and press the left over bits with a spatula. In a separate bowl, combine the gelatin and 6 tablespoons of water and let it stand until solidified (a minute or two). Heat the pecan milk until simmering, and add the geltain mixture, whisking until fully integrated. Pour into greased ramekins. Cover with some plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350. Core, peel and slice the pears (8 per pear). Toss the pears into a pyrex pan, and sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over the pears, and mix briefly to combine. Bake the pears for 45 min-1 hour.

For the caramel sauce, put the sugar in a sauce pan, dry, over medium heat. Let it caramelize (this will take a few minutes) and add the vanilla bean seeds and the pear juice. Stir it to combined and let it cook for a minute until syrupy.

To plate, run a knife around the ramekin and turn onto a plate. Top with a fear pear slices and pour the pear caramel sauce over it. Enjoy!

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT BANANA BREAD FOR FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2011-11-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

Gluten Free can be a BIG hurdle when it comes to what people perceive as delicious, especially when it comes to sweets. The challenge comes in the crumb. Gluten (a protein found in wheat) provides the chewy bubbles in a sourdough and the fine, tender texture of a cupcake. If you remove the gluten, you lose the structure, like removing the skeleton from a body. So when I ventured to create my own gluten free baked good, I tried to think of something forgiving, a texture that wasn't delicate or super structured. My mom's chocolate chip walnut banana bread immediately came to mind.

I can't even begin to count how many times I've eaten this dense, moist, delicious cake. I know it's called bread, but honestly, there's nothing bready about it. Nothing elastic and chewy, nothing bubbly or crusty. It's crumb is dense and uniform, like a cake. But, banana cake just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? Bread has a comfort food thing going on, whereas cake feels pure dessert. Sinking your teeth into banana bread does not strike as a sweet tooth moment, but one of nostalgic indulgence. Maybe it's just nostalgic for me, growing up with it almost every day after school. That and my mom's coffee cake. Or rum cake (which was my birthday cake one year per my insistent 9 year old request). My mom did a lot of baking, to say the least. One of the intriguing things about this recipe is the sour milk component. Yes, sour milk. Now, don't actually leave your milk out over night to make this bread, because, ew. To sour the milk for this recipe you simple add a little vinegar to curdle it before adding it to the batter. It gives the bread a little tang and depth, an excellent foil to the mellow and sweet banana. The chocolate chips and walnuts are completely optional, but so so so good. Enjoy!

** NOTE: To make a with gluten version, just use regular All Purpose Flour and remove the Xanthan Gum. To make vegan, switch out the milk and vinegar for rice milk and butter for coconut oil.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
4 oz (one stick) butter
3 cups mushed bananas (about 5 very ripe bananas)
2 eggs
2 cups gluten free flour (bob's red mill is my favorite)
1 tsp xantham gum
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, mix the milk and vinegar together, letting the milk curdle slightly (you'll see tiny clumps stick two a spoon). Sift together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. While on low, add the dry ingredients then the milk alternatively, ending with the milk. Add the vanilla. Turn off the mixer and fold in the bananas, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. The doneness is mostly a "look" thing because if you spear it you'll probably hit melted chocolate or gooey banana. The loaf should be a deep golden brown and bounce back if you push into it. Slice and serve with a little butter. Enjoy!

BALANCED BREAKFASTS FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS

2011-11-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have a love/lazy relationship with breakfast. Sure, when it's covered in syrup or served at 11 am on a Sunday, I am all for it, but come 7 am on Monday, sometimes all I can rustle up is a cup of coffee.

This obviously isn't the best for my snack-y, grazer ways. I'm constantly pawing at the candy drawer in my parent's house or noshing on my brother's poorly hidden cookies (does above the microwave or behind the cat treats even count as hiding? Try harder, Henry!) once my blood sugar drops and my stomach calls out to me for something, anything to fill it. Hardly a recipe for nutritional balance. So to get this craziness on track, I devised two recipes, one perfect for guests or the weekend, another perfect for a morning on the go. Either way, they're both balanced and will get me through my day with everything I need.

A Farmer's Market Frittata

This is the perfect recipe for left over veggies and can be made as decadent or lean as you please. For extra protein, some chicken sausage would be a delicious and savory addition.

Farmer's Frittata

3 eggs, whole

4 egg whites

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup corn

2 large asparagus stalked chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons mozzarella, optional

1 handful arugula (or spinach)

2 tablespoons Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, white, milk, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in a 9 inch pan (a skillet is great for heat distribution), warm the olive oil, and add the corn and garlic, and saute until slightly golden. Add the tomatoes and let them cook until just warmed, about 1 minute. Add the egg mixture and the asparagus, and cook for a minute or two until the frittata is just set. Sprinkle with cheese and Pop in the oven for 7-9 minutes. Carefully remove the frittata and place it on a plate. Gently toss the arugula in some olive oil and top the frittata. Slice it up while still warm and serve with you favorite whole wheat toast.

Mixed Berry Parfait with Walnut Coconut Granola

What could possibly be wrong with crunchy, creamy, sweet, and fruity all rolled into one spoonful? With orange macerated berries and a touch of honey, this parfait is delicious and filling, but won't weigh you down.

Mixed Berry Parfait with Walnut Coconut Granola

1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries
1/4 cup orange juice
Pinch orange zest
2 tablespoons good honey
2 cups greek yogurt

Combine the berries, orange juice, and orange zest in a bowl, and let them sit in your fridge for about 30 minutes, until the juices start running out. Serve in a glass bowl, and layer with greek yogurt and granola giving each layer a drizzle of honey.

walnut coconut granola
3 cups oats (slow cooking kind)
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white (optional)
3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the oats, brown sugar, honey and oil together. Fun tip: Pour the honey into the oil for no sticky mess! Add the vanilla, and if you prefer clumpy granola, the egg white. Add the walnuts, flax seeds, and coconut, mix, and pour onto a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil or a silicone mat. Spread over the entire cookie sheet and pop in the oven for ten minutes. Remove the cookie sheet and with a spatula, break up the granola, flipping pieces over to let the sides brown. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the granola cool for 10-15 minutes, then gently break it up using the back of a spoon. Enjoy!

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS SUGAR SKULLS

2011-10-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

Halloween is here, but will be gone in a matter of hours. And since I haven't already had enough sugar this weekend I give you....

Sugar Skulls.

One of my best friends, Yayo (and the DP of all of my videos on this blog, as well as countless other fun projects), is a native of Hermosillo, a large-ish town in Sonora, the northern Mexican state right below us here in LA. I always bring him back snacky souvenirs, like chocolate sables from Millette Pastry in the Sf Ferry Building (which never got eaten by the way, for shame), cajeta when I visit the east side, and oysters from the Santa Monica farmers' market, so when he brought me a book all about El Día de los Muertos from his recent trip to Tuscon, it was my turn to dig in.

The Day of The Dead has always captured my imagination. On the periphery of my halloween experience, I'd see marigolds, hear guitars playing, and smell pan dulce from just around the corner. It was a blend of the sweet and macabre, a celebration of memory but with goulish images of the dead.

The sugar skulls are the perfect expression of the holiday. Left on the gravestone of the deceased to honor their memory or passed out to children to celebrate, sugar skulls have become culturally iconic and an immediate touchstone for the Day of the Dead.

So Yayo and I had a mini Day of the Dead party to kick off All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day this week. I made a sugar skull in honor of my sister and her affinity for hot pink and punk studs (her new shoes from UNIF were a major inspiration) and a more traditional one for my friend and chocolatier Jonathan, the owner of Compartes. The skulls were VERY simple to make and a great chance to cut my arts and craft teeth since I haven't made a dollycake in a while.

Here's a basic recipe if you want to make them yourself:

For 5 large skulls or 10 small ones
5lbs sugar
1/4 cup high quality meringue powder
About 3 tablespoons water
Plastic skull molds
cardboard, cut into squares the size of the mold
Royal Icing for decoration

In a big bowl, combine the sugar, meringue powder, and then the water. If you want to color your skulls, add the food coloring to the water. The sugar mixture should clump together in you hand like damp sand, not crumble away or feel wet.

Push the sugar mix into the mold and scrape off the excess with the cardboard. Place the cardboard onto the back of the skull mold and flip. Lift the mold and if the skull cracks or crumble a bit, just put it back in the mold, press, and flip again. Let the skulls dry until hard, about 8 hours for large ones.

Tip: It's really hard for the sugar to dry in humid or wet weather, so if it needs a little help. Warm your oven up on the lowest setting, turn your oven off, and let the skulls dry out in the oven.

To fashion both sides of the skull together, use royal icing as the glue. Decorate with sprinkles and different colors of icing. To make the white chocolate studs, take chocolate chips and shave for hard edges with an exacto knife. Put the studs in a baggie with edible silver dusting powder and shake to coat.

EASY CHOCOLATE GIFTS FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS

2011-10-29T07:00:00.001-07:00

There a some gifts I look forward to all year: Tina's Toffee, Carol's Pear Honey and Fruit and Nut Bread, Connie's cookie tin. All are delicious and as much a part of my Christmas as the ubiquitous lack of snow and the caged in Nativity scene along Ocean Ave. Homemade gifts are far more intimate than a gift card are often cheaper and definitely less guilt inducing. "Oh, a gift card...thanks." Like a specter of Holidays past, those words echo in my head.

Shudder.

A bad gift is quite possibly worse than no gift at all, emphasizing a lack of concern, understanding, or knowledge of the person receiving it. I obviously have a little gift giving anxiety. Hot Cocoa Mix and Hot Fudge Sauce are the balm to my Holiday wounds. They're simple, delicious, and do not taste like it came from a jar AT ALL. These are a chocolatey treat that's delicious all year round.

Hot Fudge sauce:

Yields 2 1/2 cups

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons butter, unsalted

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate and butter very slowly in a double boiler. Meanwhile, heat the cream to a simmer in the small, heavy saucepan. When the butter and chocolate have melted, stir the mixture into the cream. Add the sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder and salt and mix until smooth. Mix the corn starch with equal parts water, and stir into the chocolate. Turn the heat up and stir until mixture starts to simmer (barely boil); adjust heat so that sauce is just maintained at the simmer point, stirring occasionally. Allow sauce to simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and serve warm over ice cream.

Spicy Hot Cocoa Mix

Ingredients:

2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)

1 cup semi sweet chocolate, either small chips or finely chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup vanilla sugar (I bought the crystalized kind because it creates a lovely sparkle, but you and always do white sugar plus a scraped vanilla bean.)

1 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Whisk the ingredients together. To make an 8 oz cup (which is honestly enough for 2-3 people), mix 3 tablespoons of the mix with a dash of milk to form a paste. Gently heat the paste over medium-low heat until the chocolate bits start to melt. Add an additional cup of milk and stir until hot and steaming. Pour into cups and top off with a dash of heavy cream. Enjoy!

BROWN BUTTER WALNUT BROWNIES FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS

2011-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Brown butter improves everything. This is a fact. I love that leaving something on the stove for just 2 minutes longer can transform it into a nutty, toasty, golden brown...gah! I want some now!

And chocolate is no exception to this brown butter rule.

To put an exclamation point on my brownies I added a pinch of cayenne and cinnamon, just for a hint lingering in the background, and lightly sprinkled halved walnuts on top for their textural, nutty goodness. I love how rustic the scattered walnuts look on top of the brownies, plus they add a lovely crunch. Enjoy!

3 ½ oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa and up)
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter 4 eggs, at room temp
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, loose, not packed
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup flour 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup coffee, cold
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts, halved and toasted lightly  
Preheat oven to 350 and pop in the walnuts until just toasted, about 5 minutes. Sift together the flour, spices, and cocoa powder. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl over boiling water, add the coffee and stir to combine, then let cool. In a small saucepan, melt the unsalted butter until browned, and add to the melted chocolate. Beat together the eggs and sugar until thick and shiny. Continue beating on low while adding flour mixture and wet ingredients alternatively. Finish with the vanilla. Do not over mix. Fold in the chips. Pour into a buttered and floured 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle the walnuts on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

AFTERNOON TEA WITH ROSEMARY LEMON SQUARES AND PEAR UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

2011-10-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

The cusp between fall and winter is all about comfort and traditions for me. Our family doesn't really have a lot of traditions, no rules about who cooks what on Thanksgiving, no Christmas sweaters or egg nog parties, but every so often, a recipe becomes so entrenched in our family's history, it's a tradition all by itself. My mum's lemon squares and Aunt Tina's Pineapple Upside Down cake are just those kinds of recipes.

My mum is an Aussie (hence the "mum" bit) so afternoon tea is no stranger to me. In fact, I'm kind of obsessed with it. It's an extra meal and everything is tiny, which I love. It's thoroughly indulgent and unnecessary, but too much fun to pass up. When thinking about classic desserts in my family, an afternoon tea seemed like the perfect setting to update them. Instead of plain lemon squares, I mellowed out the sweetness with some brown sugar and vanilla, and added a hit of rosemary for an herbaceous twist. For Tina's upside down cake, I went with the season and switched pineapple to pear, with lemon thyme syrup to cut through the sweetness. They're perfect with a cup of soothing chamomile. Enjoy!

Rosemary Lemon Squares

Sweet, tart, and with a twist, these lemon bars are perfect bites for afternoon tea, picnics, or just to have on a plate for guests. They look gorgeous and are super simple to whip up. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For crust:
2 cups flour
8 oz butter, room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar

For filling:
4 eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract or the scrapings of a vanilla bean
1/2 tsp rosemary, really finely chopped
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
powdered sugar for dusting

Pre Heat oven to 350F

For the crust, work together the flour, butter, and powdered sugar until it forms a dough. Spread it on the bottom of a greased 9x13" baking dish (I used a glass one) and pat down so it's evenly distributed. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden brown, and cool.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs and sugars until fully combined and a pale yellow hue. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) and whisk until just combined. Pour over the crust and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Garnish with little sprigs of rosemary if you like. Enjoy!

Pear Upside Down Cake with Lemon Thyme Syrup
(I revisit the same recipe from February, 2009)

Who doesn't love a syrupy, warm, gorgeous cake. My aunt recently brought over her lovely pineapple-upside cake. It looks like a stained glass window, with maraschino cherries and pecans dotting the glistening surface. And while I'll gobble up that cake faster than anything, I wanted to mix it up a little and revamp this fabulously retro cake. So the pineapple was switched with pears, which have an earthiness that suits the cold weather outside perfectly. And instead of melted apricot jam to paint the surface, I made a lemon-thyme syrup, which brings a liveliness to this scrumptious tea cake. One cake is technically enough for 8, but I might make an extra to enjoy with a cold glass of milk after everyone has left.

Ingredients:

2, 8.5 ounce cans of sliced pears
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup golden brown sugar
1/2 cup pear juice, reserved from can
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon double acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

For the syrup:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 bunches of fresh thyme
1/2 cup white sugar

Pre heat oven to 350 F.

In a small pot, stir together the lemon juice, sugar, and whole bunches of thyme. Heat the mixture on medium for about 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolves and the liquid is clear. Take off the heat and set aside while you prepare the cake batter.

Spray a 9 inch pie pan with non-stick spray, then pour the melted butter into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter, and press down, to moisten all of the sugar. Separate the pears from the juice, and dry them out on a paper towel. Slice the pear slices in half, and arrange in the pan in whatever pattern you like (i did a sort of pin wheel design).

For the batter, sift the dry ingredients and set aside. Whip the eggs for one minute on high, until light and frothy. Add the sugar slowly, still beating on high until the eggs are very pail and light (4 more minutes). Add the vanilla and pear juice, beating slowly. Add the dry ingredients, also beating on low. Pour the batter evenly over pears in the pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and pulling away from the edges.

Once baked, immediately flip the cake out onto a platter. Do this by placing the platter over the pan, and flipping gently. Don't immediately remove the pan. Let it rest for a minute or two so it can completely unstick itself.

While the cake is warm, cover the entire cake with the lemon-thyme syrup with a brush. Let the cake sit for 30 minutes, just to let the syrup soak in. Serve alone or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

ENGLISH CHEDDAR GRILLED CHEESE WITH SPICY CHUTNEY AND CURRIED TOMATO SAUCE FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2011-10-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

English cheddar with Spicy Chutney Grilled Cheese and Curried Tomato Sauce

This is a play off of India's influence on British cuisine, using a sharp english cheddar (white), chutney, and a curried tomato sauce based off a masala. The tomato sauce works great with other appetizers and if you add a little broth - BOOM - soup!

White bread, crusts cut off

3 slices sharp white cheddar

1 tablespoon spiced chutney (I'm using Major Grey's)

2 tablespoon butter, for bread

For the grilled cheese, spread the chutney on each side of the bread and then stack the cheese. Spread butter on the outside of each side of the sandwich. Grill in a saucepan on a medium low flame, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.

Curried tomato sauce

3 Teaspoons Cumin Seeds

2 medium Onions

3 Teaspoons Shredded Ginger

2 cloves Garlic

3-5 Large Tomatoes (depending on how saucy/juicy you want it)

2-3 Teaspoons of MTR Chana Masala Powder or Curry Powder

1 tablespoon of Cilantro

1 tablespoon Lemon juice

Olive Oil

Put olive oil in a pot at medium heat and add cumin seeds. When cumins seeds start to crack, add finely diced 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 it doesn't get burned. Cook for 6 mins at low-medium heat. Using a half cut lemon, squeeze juice into the mix. Add finely chopped cilantro and mix. Enjoy!

Dip grilled cheese in bread!

Smoked Mozzarella and Herbed Tomato grilled Cheese

Smokey mozzarella adds the perfect counterpoint to the bright zesty tomatoes, and the fresh herbs add an earthy punch. Switch out the oregano and thyme for basil and you have a delicious caprese!

White bread, crusts cut off

3 slices scamorza (smoked mozzarella) or reg mozzarella

2 tomato slices

1/4 tsp Chopped oregano and thyme

2 tablespoon butter, for bread

For the grilled cheese, stack a slice of the cheese and add the tomato slices. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a pinch of the herbs, stack the rest of the cheese. Spread butter on the outside of each side of the sandwich. Grill in a saucepan on a medium low flame, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.

GRILLED HALIBUT FISH TACOS WITH SPICY CORN SALSA FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS

2011-09-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

My sister Amanda is not a fish loving lady, whereas I totally am. So for a fun little challenge, I set out to make her something with fish she'd actually enjoy. My strategy? Keep it light and add something she's obsessed with: corn. She loves herself some corn. Especially with a subtle spicy kick. The result? Grilled Alaskan Halibut (buttery, mild, and oily, so it's perfect for grilling) with Grilled Corn Salsa. Enjoy!

for 4 tacos

1 halibut filet (about 1/2 a pound)

Corn Salsa:

2 ears of corn

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1/2 lime, juiced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Crema (runny sour cream or cream fraiche)

Cotija cheese (any crumbly cheese)

4 corn tortillas

chopped lettuce to taste

Recipe:

Drizzle both sides of the halibut with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on medium high heat for 5 minutes per side (I used a grill pan). Meanwhile, grill the corn unti lthe kernals blacken a bit (about 1-2 minutes a side). In a small bowl, combine the jalapeno (I only use a pinch, but more if you like a lot of heat), red onion, and lime juice. Slice the kernals off of the corn cob and add them to the bowl with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the cilantro and stir to combine. Taste to see if it need more seasoning or spice. Heat the tortillas on the grill so they're warm and pliable. Flake the halibut using a fork (or your hands) and build the tacos: Add a heap of fish in the middle of the tortilla, drizzle with crema, top with the corn salsa and a little lettuce, finish with a sprinkle of cheese.

MY ULTIMATE BURGER FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH CLAIRE THOMAS

2011-09-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

It is no secret that my brother Henry and I love burgers. It's actually one of our bonding moments. On our way home from school I'd swing Henry by my favorite spots to eat (Korean rice bowls, mainstream Mexican, and yes, Burger joints) and the procedure would always be the same. Henry would give me MASSIVE side-eye and give me that suspicious brother look, and I would have to explain to him, "Why would I have you eat something I thought you wouldn't enjoy? Am I the mean sister? No, that's Amanda, so eat up!" And wouldn't you know, he loved it all. And he still gives me trouble when I try to take him somewhere new, which I think is his little brother duty.

Over the course of these culinary excursions, Henry and I tasted practically every burger of note in town. He zeroed in on his favorite, The Apple Pan, and has never looked back. Now our burger journey is back in our kitchen, where I make my "girlie" burger as Henry would call it, with arugula, swiss cheese, and a garlic aioli (basically a fancy French mayo), and Henry makes his "meaty meat boy monstrosity", as I call it, a combination of bacon, cheddar, and at least half a jar of bbq sauce, which Henry is very picky about. These are the recipes for how to make mine, and Henry's burgers. Enjoy!

Claire's Ultimate Burger
For 4-6 burgers
2 lbs burger blend (20 % fat ground chuck)
1 1/2 tbl salt
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbl pepper
2 tbl worcestshire sauce
1 tsp thyme, finely chopped
a little vegetable oil

For Garlic Aioli
1/2 cup Mayonaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (or any type of mustard you prefer)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
Large pinch of lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the sirloin, chuck, salt, garlic, pepper, and worcestshite sauce. Mix with your hands until just combined. You don't want to over work the meat. Carefully shape into 6 patties that are 3-inches wide and about 1 inch thick. Heat a gas grill to high. Brush both sides of the burgers with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the burgers until golden brown and slightly charred on the first side, about 3 minutes, and flip over the burgers. Cook burgers until brown and slightly charred on the second side, 4 minutes for medium rare (3 minutes if topping with cheese) or a minute longer for each degree of doneness (5 minutes for medium, 6 for medium well, 7 for well done).

For the garlic aioli, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and taste to adjust the seasoning.

To serve
Good burger buns (my local bakery has delicious brioche buns I like to use) lightly grilled and buttered
arugula
garlic aioli
swiss cheese (optional)
sliced tomato
red onion, sliced thinly

For a Henry Burger,
Cheddar cheese
Bacon, cooked and sliced in half
Barbecue sauce

MUM'S ANZAC BISCUITS FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2011-09-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

If there was a cookie of my childhood, this would be it. They were such a prolific staple of my schoolyard days that they made it into the Franklin Elementary Cook Book, somewhere between Carol Beitcher's fabulous Mandel Broit and another mother’s Choco Peanut Butter Dreams. I remember devouring the warm sticky dough by the handful and the incredulous looks on my classmates’ faces when I offered them these foreign biscuits. They’re not the most attractive cookies for kids--no shapes or chunks of chocolate—but once they get past the exteriors, these cookies make for a perfect recess snack.

Originating from the World War I Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, Anzac Biscuits became popular for their durability due to the lack of eggs and milk (sort of an Aussie version of Lembas Bread); the basis of the recipe are rolled oats and other ingredients that do not spoil easily. But it's not like that really matters, as within a day of baking them they're entirely devoured. Enjoy!

The following is a original recipe is the one my Great Grandma used, originally by Bob Lawson, an ANZAC present at the Gallipoli landing.
Ingredients

1 cup each of plain flour, sugar, rolled oats, and coconut
4 oz butter
1 tbls golden syrup (you can find it on Amazon, here)
2 tbls boiling water
1 tsp baking soda (add a little more water if mixture is too dry)

Method

Grease biscuit tray and pre-heat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients. Melt together butter and golden syrup. Combine water and bicarbonate soda, and add to butter mixture. Mix butter mixture and dry ingredients. Drop teaspoons of mixture onto tray, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on tray for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks.

AUSSIE PASTA FROM FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2011-09-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

There is nothing actually Australian about this pasta dish. It's just the first recipe I ever created, and because of my mum being Australian and the ingredients are always changing, "Aussie Pasta" became its name. It's a family favorite because of its versatility, simplicity, and the fact that everyone (from my picky brother to my "make it saltier!" dad).

And the reasons this was the first meal I ever made up are simple: 1. it’s impossible to mess up, 2. it’s made of things I had lying around the house. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 lbs ripe tomatoes, wedged into 8 segments each
1-2 small zucchinis sliced about a 1/4 inch thick and halved
1 yellow onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced/pressed
4 tablespoons julienned basil
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper
6 raw chicken Italian sausages (I usually do 3 mild, 3 spicy; you can do pork too if you want)
Cheese for grating, like an Italian Parm

Heat a large saucepan on medium-high with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cut one end of the sausage and push out small one inch balls into the pan (it squeezes out like tooth paste and they look like small meatballs). Do this to all of the sausages and allow them to brown on all sides. Set the cooked sausage aside and drain off the fat. Don't wash the pan, you want to keep all of those fabulous brown bits!

Then add the onion, a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a tablespoon of butter (or olive oil)

Allow the onions to soften (about 15 minutes, they should be translucent and slightly brown. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the sausage and zucchini, cooking for a minute or two to brown slightly. Add the tomatoes and a bit of chopped basil (1 tblsp). Let the whole mixture cook for about 20 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened a bit.

Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and serve with a freshly grated cheese and the remaining basil. This is a great dish to add any of your other favorite veggies to (peas, corn, butternut squash, whatever you have left over in your fridge). Enjoy!

S'MEACHES, REVISITED

2011-09-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

I recently toasted up a batch of my old favorite, S'Meaches and thought it was time for a new recipe video!

Fire is such a wonderful, transformative thing. At first glance, singeing something as perfect as a ripe summer peach seems sacrilege, but then you taste it, and then you add a marshmallow because why the hell not. The burnt sugar with a hint of spice, the acid of the yellow peach against the saccharine marshmallow, it all works somehow and is my new campfire favorite. Smeaches. Smores + peaches. It's a pretty obvious pun, so you probably didn't need that explained, but whatever, smeaches it is. Enjoy!

1 peach, sliced into 6-8 slices and halved horizontally

6-8 marshmallows

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Graham Crackers

Mix the cayenne and sugar, and toss the peaches in it. Put a bottom half of a peach slice on a stick, add the marshmallow, then the other half of peach. Toast over a medium-low flame until caramelized and browned. Enjoy!

PIG CANDY

2011-09-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

My dad just informed me that it's national bacon day, so I figured I re-post an old favorite that I make EVERY time I have people over. It's just one of those slam dunk dishes that everyone loves. Pig Candy.

Really, what could possibly be better than candy made of pig? Bacon to be precise. Smokey, salty, spicy, sweet: yes please! And the best part is that it is ridiculously easy to make. In 30 minutes you’ll have a bowl of kitsch bar snacks that are just as delicious with a rich red wine as with a spicy ale or sweet and smokey stout. The possibilities are endless and so is my appetite for these little pieces of heaven. In the words of the ad man, bet you can’t have just one.

Ingredients:

For 4

8 strips thin cut bacon (hickory smoked bacon was a wonderful maple flavor already within it)
1 cup golden brown sugar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Turn the oven on to 350 F. Meanwhile, blend the sugar and pepper together in a bowl. Taste it. If it’s too spicy, add more sugar, not spicy enough, add more cayenne. However, the spice does become a little more pronounced after being cooked, so be aware of that. Lay the bacon on a cooling rack placed over a baking pan lined with aluminum foil (these means minimal clean up!). Cover each slice of bacon with the brown sugar mixture. It should be an even layer, thick enough so that you cannot see the bacon through it (about 1/8 or ¼ of an inch). Place the bacon in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the sugar is completely browned, and the bacon has curls at the edges and appears mostly cooked. Remove the bacon from the oven and flip. Cover the bacon with the rest of the brown sugar mixture, and pop back in the oven for another 4-6 minutes, or until the bacon appears fully cooked, like crunchy, but not burnt. If the bacon seems underdone, just leave in the oven for a minute or two more.

Let the bacon cool on the rack for at least 15 minutes to let the sugar harden a bit before you start cutting the pieces. I find it’s easiest to use a pair of kitchen scissors and cut the pieces over the serving bowl. Serve it up with the libation of your choice and enjoy!

GARDEN FRESH LASAGNA

2011-09-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

On the premiere episode of Food for Thought with Claire Thomas, I toured the Venice Learning Garden with Garden Master and all around awesome person David King and got some home gardening tips from Garden Nerd Christy Wilhelmi. Laden with garden fresh zucchini, tomatoes, and basil, I set out to make a fresh lasagna with zucchini "pasta", roasted and fresh tomatoes, and a thick, savory pesto. Served up with a side of roasted garlic bread, this bright and delicious dish made for a simple dinner.

Garden Fresh Lasagna

For 2
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced in 9 slices (about the thickness of lasagna noodles)
2 large tomatoes, sliced about a 1/4 inch thick and cut in half
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced basil
Olive oil

For the pesto:
1 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 F. Halve the cherry tomatoes and place them face up on a baking sheet lined with a silicone pad. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until the tomatoes are juicy and slightly caramelized. Set aside. In a food processor combine the pine nuts, garlic, and parm until pasty. add the basil and big pinches of salt and pepper and while the food processor goes, drizzle in the olive oil. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

To assemble, on a large plate line three pieces of zucchini slightly overlapping. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of the pesto (enough to coat the zucchini) and cover with tomato halves. Add another layer of zucchini. Sprinkle the cherry tomatoes and top with 2 tablespoons of the basil. Top with another layer of zucchini, add the tomato slices, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the remaining basil. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil

Other options: adding cheese, prosciutto, salami, using some of your other favorite vegetables and left overs (chicken breast, sauteed spinach, caramelized onion, roasted butternut squash, whatever suits your fancy).

SRIRACHA SHRIMP TOAST

2011-08-29T23:57:00.000-07:00

Oh man, hello to my new everything. I grew up eating shrimp toast, an Aussie favorite, and rediscovered it as it as it had a bit of a renaissance in the restaurant scene. I love it because it takes like zero time to whip up, and you can keep it warm in the oven until you serve it for friends, or if you're trying to consume it all by yourself in shifts. You might need a shrimp toast spotter, because you WILL eat them all. Amanda, my sister, is a terrible shrimp toast spotter. She totally enabled me. So, yeah...

Luckily shrimp toast is easy to make, so I just made more. Problem solved.

Anyway: spicy, herbaceous, a little sweet, and crunchy toasty crispy shrimp. Done and done.

Ingredients for 8 Shrimp Toasts
  Loaf of soft white bread, crusts cut off
 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce 
Sriracha
Toasted sesame seeds
Vegetable/Canola oil

For shrimp paste
1 lb. of large shrimp (16-20 per pound size; peeled and de-veined, roughly chopped) 
1 tablespoon basil
 1 tablespoon Cilantro, plus more for garnish 
1 tablespoon of bottled fish sauce
1 tablespoon of lemongrass stalks
2 tbl shallots, finely chopped 
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled
 1 clove garlic
1/2 tablespoon of corn starch
 large pinch Salt & pepper
2 tsp veg oil 

Toss the ingredients except for the shrimp and corn starch into the food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped and intergrated. Add the shrimp and corn starch and PULSE, you don't want to turn the food processor fully on. About 5-10 pulses should be good.

 In a large sauce pan, coat heavily with oil and heat up. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and put shrimp side down. Cook for a minute or two, until golden brown. Flip and cook for about 30 seconds, until the bread is brown. Set aside on a paper towel.

To serve, combine the mayo and hoisin. Drizzle the shrimp toast with the hoisin mayo, a bit of sriracha, and a couple leaves of cilantro. Slice in half on the diagonal. Enjoy!

HENRY'S DRUMMETTES

2011-08-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Henry's Drummettes used to be my drummettes. But once you find a hand written recipe by your dad with "HENRY'S" scrawled across the top, the torch has most definitely been passed. To be fair, Henry has probably eaten his weight in drummettes several times over, opposed to my once or twice over, as they're his go to, a close fourth to Chipotle, Domino's Pizza, and Reddi Chick.

I know my mom has made these sticky, crusty little legs for me in the past, but for some reason they read as such a "dad" meal. One dirty dish, little fuss, and entirely satisfying in that finger licking, five napkin way. So the boys have officially taken over this Thomas recipe, and I'm very ok with that. It means I'll have something decent to eat when I visit Henry in the dorms next year, and it gives me another excuse to post one of my dad's hand written recipes, left behind for someone else to make.

Random aside: how great is his handwriting? His a's and f's are my favorite.

"Henry's Drummettes"
For 1 Henry, or 3 people

12 chicken drummetes (wings too if you like)
1 bottle favorite teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 cups Short Grain Japanese rice (Cal Rose is our favorite)

Pre heat oven to 425 F

Wash the rice thoroughly and leave in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes. Strain the rice and rinse. This makes the rice clump together nicely and have a finer texture. Cook with 2 cups of water in your rice cooker, or if you're doing it on the stove, heat in a pan with 2 cups of water over medium high heat, until boiling. Immediately turn to simmer and cover, cooking for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked. Take off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Fluff and serve.

For the chicken, put the drummettes in a glass 9 x 13 dish and cover with teriyaki sauce. Coat the drummettes thoroughly (the entire dish should be covered in sauce as well). we usually use at least half a bottle. Pop it in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. We like ours VERY crispy, so at the end, turn the oven up to broil for a minute or two, until the skin crisps up. Serve on top of rice with soy sauce and sriracha. Enjoy!

YOUR "WELL D'UH!" MOMENT: PROSCIUTTO AND MELON

2011-08-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Prosciutto with melon is a classic Northern Italian dish, pairing earthy, melt-in-your-mouth, and mysteriously musty and sweet dry-cured ham with peak of the season melon. It's a dynamite combination and the perfect no-brainer appetizer. I'm just here to post this friendly reminder.

But if you really want to knock people off their socks, here's how you do it:

Choose a prosciutto from the Emilia-Romagna region, where the pigs are fed the whey (the protein rich run off) from Parmigiano-Reggiano production. Which, I mean, just sounds amazing, right? What you end up getting is flavor all the way down to the cellular level, plus a lovely example of how regional cuisine works at its most symbiotic.

Then, go on a melon tasting binge at your grocery or farmer's market. My current favorite are the Cavaillon melons from Weiser Family Farms at the Santa Monica farmer's market. These small, super sweet, cantaloupe-style melons are straight out of Yoshi Story. Delicious!

Yet another reason to love summer...

YELLOW NECTARINE, BLOOD ORANGE, MINT, AND SERRANO CHILI AGUA FRESCA

2011-07-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Sweet, tart, and a little spicy, this refreshing fresca is perfect dressed up as a cocktail or dressed down as an easy summer drink. Mix up the flavors with white nectarines, peaches, or any type of orange you like.

For 6

8 yellow nectarines, sliced
2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced
10 mint leaves
1 serrano chili, split and deseeded
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons agave nectar
Water (to taste)

In a blender, combine the nectarines, oranges, mint, and chili. Puree until completely smooth (adding water if you need it to blend). Strain it and add lime juice and agave to taste. Serve in a pitcher with sliced serrano and orange, and a few sprigs of mint. Enjoy!

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN ICE CREAM

2011-07-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know if y'all heard, but it's national ice cream month, and one of my favorite magazine blogs, Simply Stated from Real Simple, is hosting an ice cream social. What evil awesome genius would come up with this, you ask? Why, look no further than my lovely buddy Kristin Appenbrink, associate editor at RealSimple.com. We met up in NYC recently and she filled me in on her delicious ice cream plans and I swiftly asked if I could come along. I had been knocking around this "blueberry muffin ice cream" idea for a bit, mainly because I love the challenge and also because it fit into my cousin Rachel's red, white, and blue birthday theme. Bringing out the essence of a blueberry muffin in ice cream form, without just blending muffins into the batter, was a fun task, and like most fun tasks, it started with brown butter.

Brown butter, vanilla, and brown sugar to give the base that "just baked" flavor, sweet-tart blueberry compote for that perfect swirl, and cinnamon streusel crumbled throughout for a bit of texture and that muffin-top taste. The brown butter ice cream if great by itself, but the blueberry muffin tweak is definitely worth a shot. Enjoy!

For 2 pints
3 cups half and half
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 egg yolks
3/4 tsp kosher salt
4 oz butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup blueberry compote or jam
3 tablespoons cinnamon streusel

Simmer the butter on medium heat until takes on a nice golden brown color. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temp. In a large pot, bring the half and half up to an almost boil over medium high heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the yolks, sugars and salt until smooth. To temper the egg mixture, carefully whisk in about 1 cup of the hot liquid into the egg mixture until smooth. Then whisk the egg mixture into the remaining amount of half and half in the pot. Return to medium low heat, and cook up to 170 degrees F, constantly stirring along the bottom of the pot to ensure even cooking. Once it has reached the 170, remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and brown butter. Strain through a wire mesh strainer. Allow to cool to about room temperature in an ice bath and pop in the fridge.

Once the mixture is chilled through, put it in your ice cream maker. Once it's gotten pretty firm, pour the ice cream into a large bowl and fold in the blueberry compote and then the streusel so it ribbons through it. Put in a container and freeze until firm. Enjoy!

For Compote:
4 half pints blueberries
Juice of 3 limes
2 cups sugar

Sterilze 2 pint jars. Combine everything in a bowl to coat, and then heat over a medium flame until the blueberries liquify and if you stir a spoon through it, you can see the bottom of the pan for a beat. Basically, it should look kind of syrupy. Pour into the jars, tighten the lids, and flip upside-down until room temp. Keep refrigerated.

For Cinnamon Streusel:
1/2 cup flour
2 oz butter, cold and cubed
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Using your fingers or a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon and then mix in the butter until crumbly. Place on a baking sheet with a silicone mat and bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Break apart and mix the streusel up, and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Crumble and cool.

NO BAKE STRAWBERRY LEMON VERBANA CREAM PIE

2011-07-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

I've always struggled with strawberries in baked goods. They're usually too sweet, kind of mushy, and if they happen to have enough acid they lose that lovely berry flavor. And anyway, who needs to bake strawberries when they're perfect unadorned? Ripe, juicy, fragrant, sweet, and tender, any additions would be gilding the lily.

Enter Laurel, my lovely friend and baking/LA History compatriot, who told me about a new "no bake" blueberry pie she tried recently. Gushing about the fresh, bright flavor, and hearing some "no bake pie" buzz on the radio waves from Evan Kleinman, my curiosity was piqued and we started brainstorming no bake candidates for summer fruit pies.

Wanting to prove my stomach wrong, I decided to go with strawberry. It's not baked, so it doesn't mess with the texture too much, and the addition of citrus and not too much sugar keeps the filling perfectly balanced. For that extra kick of pure strawberry flavor, sliced up fresh strawberries are piled on at the end. My favorite part of the pie though, is the lemon verbena whipped cream. It's the ultimate summer herb, imparting a citrus/mint/basil/earthy perfume to whatever it touches. It also makes lovely decaf tea. It's in season now, so I'm buying bunches of the stuff, but if you can't find it fresh, you can find it dried online pretty easily.

Light, creamy, fresh, citrusy, sweet, and all on a flakey butter pie crust. It's the dessert epitome of summer, and will be gone in a second (just ask Laurel's brothers). Enjoy!

2/3 cup sugar 
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 
pinch of salt
 2/3 cup water 
4 cups fresh strawberries, quartered  
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 tablespoons butter
 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest  

1 pie crust, blind baked in a 9 inch pie tin or if you're short on time, bought from a store.

1 1/2 cup whipping cream
10 lemon verbena leaves (fresh or dried, and if they're hard to find, 4 lemon peels are fine)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar

Note: To blind bake, roll out and place your dough in your pie pan; add a sheet of parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights (this is to ensure the pie keeps its shape). To fully blind bake, bake it at 425 F for 10-15 minutes or until the sides begin to brown. Remove the paper and beans/weights and reduce oven to 375 degrees, baking for 5 more minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt. Blend in water and 2 1/2 cups strawberries. Bring to a boil, stirring and roughly smashing the strawberries. Boil, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick, a minute or so. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cool.

For the lemon verbena whipped cream, combine the sugar and a 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan and add the leaves. Simmer for 3 minutes (until the sugar is fully absorbed) and turn off the heat. Let the syrup fully cool. This can be done up to a week in advance for extra flavor. Strain the syrup and add it to the whipping cream along with the vanilla. Whip to form soft peaks.

Add the strawberry mixture to the pie crust, and top with the remaining fresh strawberries. Dollop the whipped cream in the center, and spread, still revealing the strawberries at the edge. Garnish with chopped strawberries. Enjoy!

WILD ALASKAN SALMON WITH PISTACHIO PESTO AND ROASTED FENNEL

2011-07-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

It's a very small world. When my high school buddy Tim (who you might know from his wonderfully acerbic/insightful tweets) came out of the distant past and suggested we catch up over coffee, little did I know wild salmon would be in our future.

Tim had joined the PR world, with Alaskan Seafood as one of his clients. We immediately started brainstorming on what kind of video and recipe we could come up with featuring their amazing wild salmon. A few weeks later, and bam! Pan Seared Salmon with Pistachio Pesto and Roasted Fennel.

This recipe is delicious for two reasons: first, it's just delicious, so there's that; second, it's sustainable, wild, and healthy. Get ready for some info: Wild-caught Alaska salmon mature at a natural pace, and swim freely along Alaska's 34,000-mile coastline. The quality of flavor and fat is determined by where the fish swims, what it eats, and every other environmental factor it encounters. Alaska's icy, pure waters and the abundance of natural food give Alaska Salmon unparalleled flavor. Along with the delicious flavor, the wild salmon is completely sustainable, meaning, it's managed responsibly so that the wild salmon population isn't harmed or diminished, unlike practices at other conventional fisheries in the US.

Like I said, delicious and delicious. Enjoy!

1 salmon filet, skin on and scaled
1 tblsp pistachio pesto
1/2 fennel head

For Pesto
1/3 cup roasted unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup parmigiano
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups basil leaves
3 garlic cloves

To make the pesto, combine the pistachios, parm, garlic and basil in a food processor and pulse until combined into a paste. Add a large pinch of salt and one of pepper, and drizzle in oil as it forms a smooth sauce. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Thinly slice the fennel and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast for 20 minutes at 400 F, or until golden brown and crisp at the edges.

For the salmon, season both side of the filet with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat up a pan over a medium high flame and coat the pan with olive oil. Add the salmon, skin side down, and cook for 4 minutes. Flip, and cook for another 3 minutes, until golden brown.

Sprinkle the filet with the fennel and drizzle with the pesto. Enjoy!

ROASTED PLUMS ON WHIPPED MASCARPONE

2011-06-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

Prunesssssssssss. Delicious, lovely prunes!

Oddly it's part of one of my favorite deserts from the legendary Brooklyn/NYC restaurant, Frankie's: Wine Stewed Prunes with Mascarpone. The prunes are simmered away to melty, tender notingness, seasoned with cinnamon and red wine. Served on top of whipped mascarpone, it's a symphony (yeah, a bit of hyperbole, but it's that good!) of texture and flavor. Being the middle of summer, stewed prunes won't win a lot of friends, so my mind went to what was seasonal: plums. Inky black, swollen with juice, and that gorgeous combination of sweet sweet flesh and bitter skin. I figured roasting them in their own juices with a touch of butter and sugar would be a nice compromise. Enjoy!

For four

6 ripe plums, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons butter
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups mascarpone

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the plum halves face up on a silicon pad on a baking sheet. Add 1/2 a tsp of butter on top of each half and sprinkle them with sugar and orange zest. Roast the plums for 15 minutes, or until soft with the juices running. Turn up the broiler for a minute or two, just to crisp up the edges a bit. Meanwhile, whisk the mascarpone to get it soft and smooth. Dollop it onto a small plate. Add three halves of plums to the mascarpone, spoon on a bit of the juices in the pan, and top with a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of orange zest. Enjoy!

CHERRY UPSIDE DOWN TART

2011-06-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

I really struggled naming this, because it's essentially a tarte tatin, but without the tatin. So is it a cherry tarte? No, that's pretentious looking and doesn't speak to the caramel-ly, upside down-y situation at hand. So, cherry upside down tart. It's, um, declarative? In a "yes, that's what it is" kind of way.

Does it matter? Not really, because it tastes awesome. And it's easy. Really, really easy. You halve and pit some cherries, caramelize some butter and sugar, pop a pie crust on it and let it do it's thing. Out comes a wallop of rich, caramelized cherry flavor.

For disclosure: I hate cherries. Or, I thought I did. That syrupy sweet/tart thing, the alien red of maraschinos. Not. A. Fan. So with summer upon me and cherries teaming from baskets at the farmer's market, I decided to stop whining and do something about my prejudice. I tasted around and found the most delicious cherries at the market, a perfect balance of acid and sugar (you want a lot of both for flavorful baking) and a firm enough texture to hold up to the tarte tatin process. I added butter and sugar, which improves everything, and a dollop of whipped cream. Still warm from the oven, the caramel and cherry juice created a rich, thick sauce that I would drip on anything, it's that good. Prejudice solved! Guess who's loving cherries.

So for a perfect summer dessert that you can leave hanging around the kitchen all afternoon (but be careful, people will steal caramelized cherries off the top, they're just that alluring), try the cherry upside down tart. Delicious, simple, and intensely cherry. Enjoy!

1 1/2 pounds cherries, halved and pitted
1/2 cup salted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 recipe pie crust, rolled out to 1/8 inch thick.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine the butter and sugar over medium heat until it's a pale caramel color (about 10 minutes). Take it off the heat and add the vanilla, whisking to combine. Pour it into a pie dish (it's ok if the butter separates, it'll get absorbed into the cherries). Add the cherries (it should just crest over the pie dish) and cover with the pie dough and trim the edges so they're only an inch long. Roll the dough neatly into the dish. Put in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until the cherries are bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Bring to room temp (if you can wait) and flip onto a serving dish. Served with whipped cream. Enjoy!

SUMMER CROSTINI

2011-06-16T00:27:00.000-07:00

Heyyyyyyyyy...

So I've been super flakey on this whole blog posting thing, huh? Kind of sporadic, a little on the random side, but I have a really good reason for it.

Promise.

But it's a bit of a secret, so I'll keep it under my hat for a few weeks. CLIFFHANGER!

Anyway, on to the good part: Summer Crostini. It's summer (or June gloom if you're anywhere near LA) which means the farmer's market is a little more spectacular than usual. At the start of the season there's an amazing cross section of spring/summer, and those odd outliers that pop up much too early or cling on for dear life through the seasons.

I was planning on re-making a crostini I put together for my aunt's birthday weekend in Palm Springs, a simple combination of fava beans, roasted cherry tomatoes, some basil, and burrata, because burrata makes everything better.

I wander through the market this morning expecting to buy just that, but once I pass the stone fruit stalls I black out and don't come out of my food fog until I'm missing $30 and have 6 pounds of nectarines, plums, and peaches weighing me down. My list is wedged underneath a bag of lansen cherries, so what's a girl to do? Common sense is flung to the wind and I'm buying up whatever looks the most crostini worthy.

I come home and dump out my produce on the counter:

Porcini mushrooms
Swiss Chard
Kettle River Garlic
Cherry Tomatos
Fava Beans
Brown Turkey Figs
Shallots
Thyme

Well then. Guess I'm making a ton of crostini. Not a problem.

Here's what I came up with:

Roasted Figs over Ricotta with Balsamic Vinegar
Sauteed Swiss Chard with Prosciutto and Gruyere (It's a fancy version of my favorite Ham and Cheese Sandwich)
Fava Beans and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes over Burrata with Basil
Sauteed Porcini Mushroom with Thyme, Jimenez Sherry Vinegar, and Shallot over Roasted Garlic

None of these take more than 20 minutes of active time to put together. The longest is roasting the garlic(45 minutes) but I did that while catching up on Game of Thrones. Added bonus, all of the ingredients can be made ahead of time and left in the fridge or on the counter, so you can whip them up easily right before you're ready to nosh. Enjoy!

Roasted Fig and Ricotta Crostini with Balsamic Vinegar

This simple combination makes the most of what the ingredients have to offer: sweet earthiness, rich creaminess, and a pop of pungency to brighten it up.

For 6 crostini

5 figs (I used brown turkey)
3/4 cup fresh ricotta
6 slices Italian bread or Baguette
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar, for drizzling

Pre Heat your oven to 350 F. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes on the center rack, flip, and bake for another 5 minutes or until the bread is crisp and toasted. Turn the oven up to 400 F. Slice the figs into quarters and place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the figs for about 20 minutes, or until bursting and colored. Smooth 2 tablespoons of ricotta onto each crostini (the bread) and top with 3-4 pieces of fig. Grind a little pepper over it and drizzle with Balsamic. Enjoy!

Sauteed Mushroom Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Jimenez Sherry Vinegar, and Truffle Oil

Earthy, almost meaty, mushrooms with sweet roasted garlic, the pungent acidity of vinegar and that wow factor of truffle oil makes this vegetarian option a slam dunk for mushroom lovers.

For 6 crostini
1 pound mushrooms, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces (I used porcini)
1 tsp thyme, chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tbl Jimenez Sherry Vinegar
6 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Truffle Oil

Pre Heat your oven to 350 F. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes on the center rack, flip, and bake for another 5 minutes or until the bread is crisp and toasted. Turn the oven up to 400 F. In a saute pan over a medium flame, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the shallot. Add the mushrooms and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and just getting soft. Add the thyme and cook for a minute or two longer. Add the vinegar and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and drizzle with a little truffle oil (a little goes a long way). In the meantime, wrap the peeled garlic in aluminum foil with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, until soft and a deep golden brown. Smear a roasted clove on the crostini (the toast bread) and pile with mushrooms. Finish with a few fresh thyme leaves. Enjoy!

The Fancy Ham and Cheese: Sauteed Swiss Chard with Prosciutto and Gruyere

Something about this earthy, hearty combination with the pop of parsley makes this crostini the perfect snack. Really knock your socks off by putting these ingredients on a crossant and toasting it. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Makes 6 Crostini

1 bunch swiss chard, chopped into 1/4 wide pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
6 slices of prosciutto
6 thin slices of gruyere
1 tbl parsley leaves
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Pre Heat your oven to 350 F. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes on the center rack, flip, and bake for another 5 minutes or until the bread is crisp and toasted. In a saute pan over a medium flame, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the swiss chard with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 2 minutes, or until just wilted, and add the garlic, cooking for a few minutes more. Pile the swiss chard onto the crostini (the toasted bread) and add the slice of prosciutto and cheese. Top with a few parsley leaves. Enjoy!

Fava Bean and Roasted Cherry Tomato Crostini with Burrata and Basil

Light, simple, and the perfect transition dish into summer. Plus, BURRATA!

Makes 6 crostini

1/2 lb burrata (one ball), cut into 6 slices
1/2 lb fresh fava beans, shelled (if they're hard to hunt down, fresh peas would also work)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons basil, finely julienned
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Pre Heat your oven to 350 F. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes on the center rack, flip, and bake for another 5 minutes or until the bread is crisp and toasted. Turn the oven up to 400 F. Place the cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet with a silicon pad or parchment, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes for about 20 minutes, or until bursting and colored. Meanwhile, boil a small pot of well salted water and prepare a small ice bath. Add the favas to the water and cook for about 90 seconds, until they bob to the top. Immerse them int o the ice bath and peel the rubbery outershell away. Smooth a slice of burrata onto each crostini (the bread) and top with about 10 favas and six cherry tomato halves. Whatever feels right. Grind a little pepper over it, drizzle with olive oil, and top with the basil. Enjoy!

MAGNOLIA'S VANILLA CUPCAKE

2011-05-18T14:28:00.001-07:00

I've been collaborating with the fabulous ladies at YumSugar for the past few months, so I thought I'd share some of the fun videos we've been creating. First up, a trip to the LA location of Magnolia Bakery, famous for their sweet treats and that fluffy, picture perfect swirl of frosting on top of their cupcakes. The store looks almost set designed, it's so adorable, with jars of hand painted sprinkles, pastel cake platters and mint tile decorating the space. I hooked up with Nicki, one of the chefs, to get the lowdown on their Vanilly Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream. Enjoy!

FAVA BEAN MINT PESTO WITH FARRO PASTA

2011-05-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

It's spring. It's sprung. It's here and is leaving just as quick, so get on it while you can.

For me, spring is all about the vegetables, much like how summer is all about the fruit and fall is all about the root veg and squash. Sugar snap peas come to mind immediately. Sweet, bright, crisp, exactly how a spring afternoon should feel. To capitalize on those fresh flavors, I chose the ultimate spring veg, the fava bean. With a buttery texture, slight bitterness and lovely, nutty flavor, the beans are perfect with the toothiness of a whole grain pasta. Plus, pasta is my default canvas for vegetables. Always delicious, it's a no brainer. If fava beans aren't you thing, replace the whole dish with fresh peas (or even frozen). Whipped up in under 15 minutes, this dish is guaranteed to leave every eater with a spring in their step (sorry...I'm so sorry, the puns, I can't say no). Enjoy!

8 oz farro pasta (or whole wheat, anything with a nice texture)
2 cup fava beans, peeled
1 small bunch fava tendrils (or any leafy green you like, such as arugula or spinach if the tendrils are hard to fine)
1/4 cup mint, chopped
2 garlic cloves
olive oil

In a pot of boiling salted water, blanch the favas for 1 minute, and dunk them in an ice bath. Peel the waxy coating around each bean. Place a 1/2 cup of the beans in a food processor with the garlic and mint, and plus until it forms a paste. Drizzle in olive oil until it forms a thick sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. In a large saucepan, heat up some olive oil over a medium flame and add the remaining fava beans. Season them with salt and pepper, then add the fava tendrils. Stir then until they are limp and cooked down a bit. Add the pesto, and then add the cooked pasta plus a few tablespoons of their water. Stir until everything's combined. Enjoy!

GRILLED CHEESE

2011-05-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

April came and went, and with it National Grilled Cheese Month. I tried to dig up who enacted this special designation for April, but...no one seems to be behind it. Is it a Cheese lobby push for power? A Bread and Cheddar PACT? Some shadowy and gooey association making backroom dealings with the tomato soup canvassers? Set your tinfoil hats to stun! It's a foodie conspiracy!

Or not, but whatever. I like the idea of watching In the Loop but changing the subject from an unnamed war to grilled cheese. "Climbing the mountain of conflict" while eating a grilled cheese and washing it down with a "difficult difficult lemon difficult" drink sounds pretty delicious.

So to celebrate the month that's just behind us, I came up with two of my favorite grilled cheeses (well, other than this Honey Truffle one): Scamorza, a smoked mozzarella, with sweet marinated peppers, and goat gouda with whole grain mustard and apple salad. One's smokey and sweet, the other bright and tasty, mixing caramel gouda notes with a high acid apple. Yum! Time to get grilling.

Goat Gouda with Mustard Apple Salad

2 slices sourdough bread
1 apple (pink ladies are my fav), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
4 slices goat gouda (such as Midnight Moon by Cypress Grove Chevre, or any gouda you like)
Butter

Toss the apple slices, mustard, shallot, and parsely together. Place two pieces on cheese on one slice of bread and top with some of the apple mixture, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Add the other two slices of cheese, and press the other slice of bread onto it. With a knife, butter the bread. Heat a skillet over a medium flame, and press the sandwich on, buttered side down. Press until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has started to melt. Butter the other side of the sandwich (which is facing up) and flip. Cook until golden brown and the cheese is gooey (this should all take about 3-4 minutes). Slice and enjoy!

Scamorza and Sweet Pepper Grilled Cheese

2 slices sourdough bread
A couple of marinated sweet peppers (whatever your personal taste is)
4 slices scamorza (a smoked mozzarella)
Butter

Place two pieces on cheese on one slice of bread and top with the sweet peppers, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Add the other two slices of cheese, and press the other slice of bread onto it. With a knife, butter the bread. Heat a skillet over a medium flame, and press the sandwich on, buttered side down. Press until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has started to melt. Butter the other side of the sandwich (which is facing up) and flip. Cook until golden brown and the cheese is gooey (this should all take about 3-4 minutes). Slice and enjoy!

BOOM: KATE MIDDLETON DOLLYCAKE

2011-04-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-10T23:41:00.000-07:00

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!

HOW TO COOK (AND CATCH) A LOBSTER

2011-03-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

A few months back my dear friend Laurel sent me this photo:

What you might notice after the awesome family portrait in the background and Andrew's perfectly cleft chin, is that gigantic prehistoric creature hanging from his grasp. That's a spiny lobster from the Santa Monica Bay that Andrew caught that morning, and there was a freezer full of its buddies in the kitchen. After the shock of seeing an eight pound (!) lobster wore off, I immediately started plotting. Those lobsters, at least some of them, would be mine, I muttered to myself while fantasizing about melted butter, lemon wedges, and sand in my toes. Yes, my spiny pretties, all mine.

Some emails were exchanged and a few weeks later there I was at 5:30 am, joining Andrew and his friends Shota and Jon for their last dive of the season. Granted, I didn't go down with them (no scuba license for me yet) but I got a shore-side view of how to catch a lobster. Later on I brought Andrew back to my kitchen to grill up his catch and top it with some Ancho Chili Lime butter. So simple, and absolutely delicious! We had so much fun filming and it was such a beautiful day I made two videos, a short and sweet version with just some music (Gershwin, anyone?) and instructions, and for those interested in the nitty-gritty of lobster diving, my interview with Andrew. Enjoy!

Short and Sweet

The Interview

Grilled Lobster with Ancho Chili Lime Butter

1, 1-1 1/2lb lobster tail, raw
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili

Par-boil the tail in salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Halve it, splitting it down the center of the tail. Brush the tail halves with olive oil, and pop on the grill face side down for about 4 minutes. Flip them on their shells for another minute or two, until the lobster is fully cooked. Meanwhile, combine the ancho chili, butter, and half the zest and melt. Pour it over the lobster tail halves and finish with a sprinkle of the remaining zest. Enjoy!

LINGUINE WITH CLAMS

2011-03-06T05:32:00.000-08:00

This is an exquisitely simple recipe and a very classic one too. Lemon + garlic + chili + white wine + parsley + shell fish = awesome. Add bacon and pasta, and well, I mean, do I really need to go into it? Your kitchen will smell amazing, and this little bowl of delicious can make a great starter or main course to a meal. Feel free to take out the clams and add shrimp, scallops, or mussels, whatever makes you happy!

For 2-4

Ingredients:
1 lb littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed
A few tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
3 slices on bacon, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili flake
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
8 oz linguine, cooked al dente

You want to purge the clams first, which just means you're making them spit out whatever sand they have left in them. Put the clams in a large bowl, cover them with cold water, and add a few tablespoons of flour. Let them sit for 30 minutes, and then change the water once or twice more. Rinse them off, drain them, and set them back in the fridge.

In a large pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until almost crisp. Add the garlic and chili, and lightly toast them. Add the lemon zest and clams, followed by the lemon juice and white wine. Cover the pan, and cook until clams open. Discard any unopened clams. Add the linguine to the pan and mix it in with the clams. Drizzle with olive oil, add parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

ROASTED ROMANESCO WITH SALSA VERDE

2011-03-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

I can't really say enough about my love of romanesco (an Italian cousin of cauliflower). It's bright hue, it's bizarre tessellation of spirals within spirals within spirals, it's burnt caramel by way of a potato chip flavor when roasted, all are good reasons to enjoy this obscure veg. Topped with some roasted salsa verde and parmiggiano, romanesco makes a lovely snack, side, or whatever you need it to be. Enjoy!

2 large romanesco heads (or cauliflower, if romanesco is tough to find).
5 tomatillos
1 poblano chili
4 garlic cloves
Hot Sauce
A handful of cilantro
1/4 cup grated parm
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Pre heat oven to 425 F. Clean the romanesco and slice into halves. Break off the florets, slicing the big ones in half. Coat with olive oil (2 tablespoons-1/4 cup, depending on how much romanesco you have) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pop in the oven for about 15 minutes, shake the pieces around, flipping them, and roast for another 10. You should think, "Oh crap I burnt it," when you pull them out. But try it, the more caramelized and crispy the better. Meanwhile, peel and broil the tomatillos for about 5-10 minutes, or until charred and juicy. Char the poblano over an open flame, then scrape off the skin and deseed it. Chop it roughly and pop it, the tomatillos, the garlic, cilantro, and hot sauce in a food processor. Pulse it and taste for season. Drizzle it over the romanesco and top off with grated parm. Enjoy!

OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL

2011-02-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

I'm not quite Boss Tweed yet, who allegedly downed about 150 oysters in one sitting, but, I'm slowing getting there. Every Wednesday morning you can find me tasting my way through the farmer's market in Santa Monica. This is my happy place where I go to check out what's in season and have my pre-breakfast oysters. Yeah, I get strange looks for this morning ritual but that cold ocean taste and shot of B-12 wakes me up better than the strongest cup of coffee. This new habit has grown from morning snack to evening indulgence (it's only $10/dozen, how can I not indulge?) where I have to shuck them myself. Luckily, no fingers have been lost or stabbed...yet, but I'm pretty slow and careful, nowhere near Bill Lowney, the 1885 oyster shucking champ who opened 100 oysters in 3 minutes and 3 seconds. I dare you to pick up and set down that many oysters in that time, let alone shuck them. I think I'm coming at 20 seconds per oyster, so...yeah. Not a shucking champ. If you're going to be eating raw oysters, always taste your first one unadorned, just to get a true sense of its flavor, texture, and oystery loveliness. From there, go crazy! I included three of my favorite raw oyster recipes below. Get shucking!

By the way, if you're wondering where my nerdy knowledge on bivalves is coming from, it's a combination of Mark Kurlansky's fascinating The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell and the knowledgable Geography of Oysters by Rowan Jacobsen. Buy them, read them, and then go eat some oysters.

To Shuck

Cover your hand in a kitchen towel, and hold the oyster in this hand. Have the hinge (what looks like the back of the oyster) facing out. Take your oyster knife and wiggle it into the hinge. Don't force it, it should go in pretty easily. If it's difficult, try moving the knife to the side a bit to get a different angle. When it's in, twist the knife to pop the hinge, and the shell, open. Slide the knife against the top of the top shell to slice the abductor muscle. Remove the top shell, and slice the bottom abductor muscle under the oyster. I then like to flip the oyster so it looks pretty in the shell. Flick out any loose shell. Hooray! You've shucked an oyster, now eat it.

Watermelon, Lime and Sake

Oysters with Sake, lime and finely chopped watermelon. Make sure to pick a dry sake, I prefer the Junmai style ones.

Ponzu and Sriracha

This was recommended to me by a shucker: Ponzu and Sriracha. You can buy ponzu in the Asian aisle at your market, or make your own by combining the following:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, more to taste

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, more to taste

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dry sake

1 tablespoon honey

Pinch cayenne

Whisk together the ingredients in a bowl and let it sit in your fridge over night. Strain. The ponzu will keep for at least several days in your fridge. Enjoy!

Lemon and Tapatio

A very California combination. The Tapatio has that lovely vinegar kick, but you can use any hot sauce you like. Squeeze a little lemon on top (just a few drops) and a shake of the Tapatio.

EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES

2011-02-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

Not being one to do the whole “big date” thing, I prefer spending romantic afternoons sipping tea, reading books, and just enjoying quiet company. And with Valentine’s Day around the corner, my mind can’t help drifting to the thought of flowers; I absolutely adore floral flavors: lavender ice cream, violet chewing gum, and rose water jellies spring to mind immediately. But as I find my offers of ice cream, gum, and jellies getting turned down by friends left and right, it has become clear to me that floral flavors can be a polarizing force; pushing the fans of that delicate top note to one end, and the “it tastes soapy” camp to the other. So to celebrate Valentine’s this year, I thought I’d whisk up some of my boyfriend’s favorite cookies with a little rose-y twist. The Raspberry Rose Thumbprint cookies rolled in almonds are a simple spin on an old favorite (and last forever in your freezer) and the delicate crumb of rosewater madeleines my seem like an intimidating force, but honestly it’s like whipping up pancake batter (you can make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge!) and makes the perfect dunking partner for some green tea. Enjoy!

Raspberry Rose Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies

12 oz unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 brown sugar, packer

1 large egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped toasted almonds

3/4 cup raspberry rose jam

Ingredients for the Raspberry Rose Jam

2 pints raspberries

1 pint blackberries

1 fragrant rose, or 2 teaspoons rose water

1 cup sugar

1 lemon, juiced

For the raspberry rose jam, combine the raspberries, petals from the rose (or rosewater), lemon juice, and sugar over medium. Once the mixture clings to the back of a spoon and takes a second or two to ooze together after you stir through it, the mixture is ready to jam. Meanwhile, boil you jars and their tops in water for at least 10 minutes, then allow them to dry out on a clean kitchen towel. Pour it into the jars, seal tight, and turn upside down. Once the jar as come to room temperature, store the jars in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg, and beat until completely combined. With mixer on low, add flour, and mix just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm (at least one hour).

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in the chopped almonds. Set them on a greased cookie sheet. Moisten your thumb with water, and gently press the center of each ball, making an indentation about 1/2 inch wide and inch deep. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the jam into each indentation. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Enjoy!

Rosewater Madeleines

Makes 18

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour, plus more for dusting

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon rosewater

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature, plus additional melted butter for preparing the molds

Brush the indentations of a madeleine mold with melted butter. Dust with flour, tap off any excess, and place in the fridge to chill. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, whip the eggs, granulated sugar, rosewater, vanilla and salt for about 5 minutes until light in color and thickened. Sift the flour and baking powder over the batter, gently folding it into the batter to incorporate. Next, drizzle the butter into the batter, a few spoonfuls at a time, while simultaneously folding to incorporate the butter. Don’t over mix it and cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put enough batter in the center of each indentation to fill it by about 3/4′s. Do not spread it. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cakes just feel set. Remove from the oven and tilt the madeleines out onto a cooling rack. Try to let them cool to room temp before noshing, but I won’t say anything if you can’t help yourself. Enjoy!

GRILLED RADICCHIO WITH GOAT CHEESE

2011-02-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

Everyone will be grilling something this weekend for the big game, so if you don't feel like hot dogs, burgers, or whatever else is typically charred to perfection, go with a little seasonality. And cheese. Always opt for cheese. Radicchio is popping up at the farmer's market, and with its lovely bitter bite it's sensational with some earthy goat cheese and sweet, acidic Balsamic. Grill it until it looks overdone, and you're there. Super simple, kind of sophisticated, and perfectly delicious. Enjoy!

4 heads Radicchio, halved
1 small wheel bloomy rind Goat Cheese
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar (the more syrupy, aged, and tasty the better)

Drizzle the radicchio with olive oil, some salt and pepper, and grill over high heat until thoroughly browned. Flip, and brown a little on the back. While still warm, cut the grilled halves in half, plate with some slices of the goat cheese, and drizzle the whole thing with balsamic and olive oil. Enjoy!

MY FAVORITE TACOS IN LA

2011-01-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

Best Tacos in LA

These are the bonafide, old school, best tacos in LA. While I love what the new wave of taco trucks has brought us in eclectic flavors, sometimes it's nice to have a traditional carne asada taco without any kimchi. And I'm not talking about the school cafeteria ground meat/hard shell abominations I grew up on, we're looking at the best carne asada, carnitas, chorizo, cabeza, and gambas this town has to offer wrapped up in a tortilla. So get your salsa and limes ready, it's a taqueria round up!

Cactus Mexican Food

950 Vine St

Los Angeles, CA 90038

Neighborhood: Hollywood

(323) 464-5865

What to order: The Carnitas Tacos

Often lauded as the best Cabeza in town (think tender, melt in your mouth oxtail or shortribs if you haven't had it before), this little stand is the perfect post movie grub spot, just a few blocks down from the Arclight. If the Cabeza, and yes we mean brains, is a little much for you to stomach, try the delicious carneta. Moist, tender, and a little crispy at the edges of the pulled pork, it's simply to die for.

El Chato Taco Truck

We are located on the South/West corner of Olympic & La Brea.

http://www.ElChatoTacoTruck.com/

What to order: The Carne Asada

Carne Asada is the bench mark of a decent taqueria, and El Chato passes with flying colors. With just the right amount of spice and great flavor it's perfect topped with some grilled onions, radishes, and limes.

La Estrella Taco Truck

York and Ave 54

Los Angeles, CA 90042

Neighborhood: Highland Park

What to order: Al Pastor Tacos

Located in Highland park, La Estrella is a take no prisoners taqueria. If juicy, succulent pork is your bag, then the al pastor here can't be missed. Spit grilled with a smokey and rich kick, I wish I was eating one right now!

Tacos Por Favor

1406 Olympic Blvd

Santa Monica, CA 90404

Neighborhood: Santa Monica

(310) 392-5768

tacosporfavormenu.info/

What to Order: The Chorizo or Carne Asada Tacos

The red salsa alone is a reason to come here: rich, dark, chocolatey; almost like a mole in flavor, you'll sneak some in your purse on your way out it's so good. But drizzled over their carne asada or spicy chorizo tacos, it is truly a thing of beauty. The carne aside has some bright citrus notes, elevating the flavor of the taco, while the chorizo comes covered in queso fresca, a soft cheese to mellow out the spice. Both are balanced and absolutely delicious.

Ricky's Fish Tacos

1400 N Virgil

Hollywood, CA 90027

twitter.com/rickysfishtacos

What to order: Shrimp tacos

Hidden in a small parking lot and shrouded by green tarps, this blink and you missed it taco stand serves the lightest, crispiest, freshest Ensenada style fish tacos in the city. Ricky is there, his straw fedora tilted jauntily back on his head, ready to serve you up a plate of delicious tacos. Fried to order in a mysterious batter, drizzled with a little crema and salsa, this perfectly seasoned, golden brown bite of goodness is an absolute must.

BEST FRENCH FRIES IN LA

2011-01-26T10:51:00.000-08:00

The Crunchiest, Saltiest, Most Perfect French Fries in LA

No bliss is so simple as the crunch of a golden brown, crispy yet fluffy, perfect french fry. It is my comfort food of choice, and the only thing I can't fathom ever getting sick of. When I'm sick, I feel like french fries, when I'm celebrating: french fries, when I'm lazy and I hen-peck my dad to cook: french fries. We have a very codependent relationship, that sort of "addicted to food" thing you see on reality TV programs. So if you're in the area, please check out my picks of LA's finest, ranging from oozy gooey chili fries to sweet potato to Belgian double fried. Enjoy the unapologetic deep fried goodness!

Father's Office
1018 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
(310) 393-2337
www.fathersoffice.com

Deciding between sweet potato and regular is so hard, so why choose at all? Go with the mixed choice of FO's savory best, served with their delicious house made aioli. These crispy critters go perfectly with the perfectly balanced Mirror Pond Pale Ale they have on tap.

Wurstkuche
800 E 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Neighborhood: Downtown
(213) 687-4444
www.wurstkucherestaurant.com

Three words: white. truffle. glaze. Paired with the chipotle aioli, these Belgian style double dipped french fries are the perfect balance of fluffy inside, crispy outside, and not too "truffley." And alongside a chicken jalapeno sausage and tall glass of La Choufe Tripel, you can't go wrong.

Reddi Chick
225 26th St
Santa Monica, CA 90402
Neighborhood: Brentwood
(310) 393-5238
http://brentwoodcountrymart.com/food/food_reddi.php

This cash-only hole in the wall (literally) serves up simple fare: Rotisserie Chicken, Rotisserie Ribs, and lots of fried stuff. While I usually nosh on the fries al fresco in the Brentwood Country Mart Courtyard, be warned: if you take it to go the fries won't make it home, as you will keep stealing from the bag at every stop sign you hit. The secret seasoning salt it the key, transforming traditional greasy spoon fries into something special.

In n Out Animal Style

Any true Angeleno knows about In n Out's secret menu, so I'd be remise not include it on our best of list. Melted cheese, grilled onions, thousand island sauce, and the extra-super-secret trick of extra crispy fries, makes this the perfect snack stop on a road trip in Cali.

District's Chilli Cheese Fries
6600 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Neighborhood: Hollywood
(323) 962-8200
districtonsunset.com

I love District's luxe take on chili cheese fries, smothered in Hook's aged cheddar and dry aged steak. Ooey gooey and totally over the top, they're the perfect bar food to get your thirst going.

MARCHESA DOLLYCAKE

2011-01-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

When the opportunity to make this Marchesa confection came up, I pushed up my sleeves and threw myself into it. Marchesa is one of my absolute favorite labels. Feminine and soft, but with an edge that always keeps you guessing, I practically turn into a five year old dying to play dress up whenever I lustily ogle the designs.

With all the dollycakes I make, the process always starts the same: pick the singular element to make the cake "read" and attack, attack, ATTACK! The obvious centerpiece here are the undulating waves of delicate ruffles, punctuated with lace eyelets. I am by no means a pastry chef, so when I realized sugar sculpture was the best way to go, my soul cried...hard. It cried so hard I watched Seinfeld reruns and ate double stuffed oreos instead.

So I practiced. I busted out the silicone pads, boiled the sugar syrup, and spun my little heart out. It worked like a champ! I molded the sugar into these flowing, flowering, lovely little shapes. The hardest part was over, right? RIGHT?

Well, it was, until I found out my parent's kitchen was being used for a photo shoot so I'd have to decorate the cake at my boyfriend's apartment. Not really a big deal, until you realize that guys in their 20s have nothing, literally NOTHING in their kitchen. So like some nomad on a caravan I had to bring over all of my ingredients, all of my cooking equipment, my mixer, cookie sheets, paintbrushes, the whole shebang.

To save on space, I stupidly brought a roll of wax paper assuming it would work just as well as the sil pads. Well, you could imagine the melted, hardened waxy mess I crumpled into the trash. I raced over to the house, hoping to sneak into the kitchen, snatch some silicone pads, and escape unnoticed, but, as Murphy's law would have it, the kitchen was the first shot of the day.

Eventually I get back to the cake, and started decorating. It was a marathon, but it worked. I spun out the sugar in a Jackson Pollack-y round, molded it when still warm, and put the them in muffin tins to keep their shape; covered them in a little white chocolate, and there you have it: lacy, swirly, pretty ruffles to cover my cake. Not quite the same as getting to wear an amazing Marchesa gown, but hey, it's a delicious consolation prize!

HEALTH IN A BOWL: MINESTRONE

2011-01-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

I'm a pretty fickle salad eater. As a starter, absolutely. Give me a plate of the green stuff, as long as something warm is coming afterward. I love bitter arugula, undulating butter lettuce, and delicate mache, but as the whole meal, I'm usually left wanting. Give me something hot, something filling, and good lord let it be easy to make because I'm too hungry to bother. Enter, minestrone. It's basically my garbage disposal because I'm a notorious over buyer at the farmer's market (everything looks so good, I can't help it!). I just toss in every vegetable that I don't see myself noshing on in the next couple of days, and leave it be, so there's a ton of lee way with what you want to include. Consider this a blue print, your starting point for wherever you want to take it. The base of a good minestrone is cooked cannelini beans and their delicious broth, and I stock mine up with chopped tomatoes, zucchini, and tons of super crazy healthy kale. The best part? One pot is enough for a no-brainer lunch all week. Enjoy!

Serves 8-10

1 1/2 cups cannellini beans
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 rosemary sprig
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 large fennel bulb (or 2 smaller ones)
2 zucchini, quartered and sliced into 1/4 thick slices
3-4 tomatoes, cut into eights
1 head of broccoli, broken down into bite size florets
6 oz kale
2 teaspoons oregano, finely chopped
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup basil, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1-2 tablespoons nice balsamic vinegar (syrupy modena style is best)
olive oil

In a large pot toss in the cannellini beans, 3 cloves of garlic minced, sprig of rosemary, big pinch of salt, and 6 cups of room temp water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, turn down to a simmer, and cover. Then go watch TV for 2 hours. The beans take forever, but it's passive work, so just let them do their thing. You want them to be tender, and not too toothsome. To prep the other vegetables, chop the onion and fennel into equal sizes (about a 1/4 of an inch). Heat a large pot (this will be your soup pot) over medium heat and add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, followed immediately by the onion and fennel. Season with a pinch of salt and cook until the onion and fennel are a little browned (about 5-10 minutes). Add the remaining garlic cloves and the oregano. After it's browned a bit (about a minute) add the carrot and celery. To prep the kale, slice out the center rib of each kale leaf, then slice the leaves into 1 inch strips. Add the kale to the pot along with the cannellini beans, their cooking liquid (remove the rosemary sprig, it's ok if the leaves fell off), and the stock. Bring the whole thing to a simmer (about 20 minutes), and add the broccoli, tomatoes and zucchini. After another 10 minutes, add the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. The balsamic gives the whole thing a nice bit of body. Finish with the parsley and basil. Enjoy!

PIZZA NIGHT

2010-12-27T15:26:00.001-08:00

This is how my Christmas morning went: Wake up with the fam, nibble on some tea and toast while opening presents, and while everyone else is getting ready before we head out for our Christmas day movie (True Grit was great, btw) I ferment some pizza dough. It mostly requires me babysitting the mixer so that it doesn't walk off the table. And while I sit in the darkened theater, watching Rooster Cogburn messily slur words out from beneath his soiled eye patch, my mind moves to the big bowl of dough sitting on the kitchen counter, tripling in size. We get back home, heat up the pizza stone as high as it can go, an prep the toppings while the oven pre-heats. There's not really much to prep, considering 75% of the toppings are left overs from breakfast and the rest I scrounged up in the pantry. So despite the obnoxious fussiness homemade yeast doughs bring to mind for me, this whole pizza affair was decidedly lazy and lo-fi. It was also delicious. We put away 8 pizzas, and my family valiantly taste tested which were "blog worthy." And if my mom's sensitive palette can agree with my dad's salty one and with Henry's teenage boy one, I think we have some winners.

The recipes all use the same dough recipe and all have the same rule: less is more. If you pile on the sauce and cheese, you will get a pooled depressing mess burned onto your pizza stone. Just administer as much restraint as possible and you'll be ok.

Pizza Dough

3 cups high gluten flour (I use King Arthur's Bread Flour), though All Purpose is fine too.

1 teaspoon yeast (half a pack)

1 3/4 cups warm water (about 70-80 degrees, not too hot or you'll kill the yeast)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Olive oil

In a the bowl of your electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Stir gently to combine. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and on the second highest speed (8 on a Kitchen Aid) knead the dough for 15 minutes, or until it has formed a ball on the hook and has completely pulled away from the sides of the bowl. The best test to see if it's elastic enough is to pull off a tablespoon of dough and stretch it into a square. You should be able to pull it thin enough to see light through it without it tearing. It is tears knead it for another minute. When it's ready, knead on the highest level for an extra two or three minutes. Lightly oil a container with olive oil, add the dough, and cover with a lid (or plastic wrap if using a bowl). Mark or mentally note where the dough is, and note where it should be for it to triple in size. Set aside in a warm spot (on top of the fridge is great) and let it ferment for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until tripled in size.

An hour before making the pizzas set your pizza stone in the center of the oven and crank it up as high it can go for at least an hour.

When the dough is ready, scoop it onto a floured counter (it'll puddle out) and cut into four equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 10 minutes. When ready, pick up a piece of dough and stretch at the edges, moving the dough through your hands in a circle. It doesn't have to be perfect, just get it as thin as you can and put it on a flour baking peel or rimless cookie sheet. Add your toppings and bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

The Pizzas

Cannelini Beans with Sage and Smoked Sea Salt

Drizzle your dough with olive oil and rub it in, covering the whole thing. Add about half a cup of cooked cannelini beans (or from strained and from the can), about five sage leaves, and sprinkle with smoked sea salt (regular is fine), and a good amount of ground pepper. Bake and revel in the crispy sage leaves and browned bean bits.

Bacon, Caramelized Onion, and Rosemary

1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces

1/4 cup caramelized onions

1/4 grated cheese

1 tablespoon rosemary leaves

Truffle oil, optional

Drizzle your dough with olive oil and rub it in, covering the whole thing. Add a bit (1/4 cup max) of grated mild cheese (mozzarella or talleggio is perfect) and add an equal amount of caramelized onions. Tops with a handful of cooked bits of bacon (just chop up bacon and cook it until not quite crisp) and some rosemary leaves. Sprinke with salt and pepper. Pop the pizza in the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes, and for an eztra bit of fabulousness, drizzle a couple of drops of truffle oil. Yum!

Burnt Honey Truffle Pizza

Honey

1/3 cup Sottocenere al Tartufo (you can get this at Whole Foods. Also, any melting cheese with truffle in it, or just some mild cheese with truffle oil sprinkled on after baking will work just fine)

Drizzle your dough with olive oil and rub it in, covering the whole thing. Pop in the oven and bake for 4 minutes, or until puffed and just starting to brown. Take it out and add the cheese and drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of honey on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Baking the bread a bit before is to make sure the honey doesn't burn too much. A little caramelization is delicious, but too much and it can taste bitter. Bake for the remaining 4 minutes and enjoy.

The Breakfast Pizza

This one is the winner, the Grand Poobah of pizzas. And why not? It's everything awesome about breakfast baked onto a handy piece of crunchy, chewy bread.

1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces

1/4 cup grated mozzarella

1/4 cup hash browns, crumbled

2-3 tablespoons tomato sauce

2 eggs

Parsley, finely chopped

It will seem like a paltry amount, but seriously, any more sauce than this and you will have a mess on your hands. In the cooking process, combined with the melted cheese, it's the perfect layer of tomato hugging the pizza. Here's an example:

So smear the sauce on the pizza, just enough to cover the whole thing in a very thin layer. Add the cheese, hash browns, and bacon. Pop on the pizza stone and crack the two eggs on top of the pizza. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley. Bake for 7-8 minutes and eat ASAP. Not that that will be a problem. Enjoy!

TINA'S ENGLISH TOFFEE

2010-12-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

Candy so nice I posted it twice!

Two years ago I did a Kitchy TV post of my aunt Tina and I making a batch of her delicious Holiday Toffee, and this year I decided to give her toffee a 30 Second Recipe update. Enjoy!

For me, this toffee is the epitome of the Christmas Season (we start badgering Tina to cook it the day after Thanksgiving), and something I look forward to nibbling on every year. Nothing is more depressing than reaching for my family's toffee tin and finding it empty, like a dead Christmas tree in the gutter. So please cook up this toffee until your kitchen is heavy with the scent of butter, sugar, and the holiday spirit.

Tina's English Toffee from Claire Thomas on Vimeo.

Ingredients:

1 pound unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing the pans)
2 cups white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups milk chocolate, chopped
2 cups finely chopped toasted almonds

Directions:

Melt the butter, sugar, water and salt over a low flame, stirring with a wooden spoon. When the mixture starts to boil, turn the heat up to medium. Meanwhile, grease two cooking pans with butter. After 15-20 minutes, the mixture has reached 305 F. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla, stirring to incorporate. Be careful not to burn yourself or the mixture, but if you do, and I have, run your hand under room temperature water (never cold or hot water) to subside the pain. Immediately take the hot toffee and pour into two greased cooking pans and smooth until evenly coated and about 1/8 or 1/4 inch thick. Put the pans into the fridge to let the toffee cool (this will take several hours, or leave the toffee in over night, uncovered).

Once the toffee has cooled, remove it from the refrigerator and carefully loosen the pieces (you can do this by hand or with a knife). If it cracks, it's not a big deal.

Melt the two types of chocolate over a double boiler, stirring to combine. Once the chocolate has melted, use a spatula to coat one side of the toffee, and then immediately sprinkle heavily with the chopped toasted almonds. This must be done immediately because the cold toffee can cause the chocolate to harden before the almonds can stick. Put the toffee back in the fridge to cool the chocolate. Once it has hardened (it takes about an hour), flip and coat the other side with the chocolate and almonds. You will probably have chocolate and almonds left over, which you can use for more toffee. Let the toffee cool in the fridge until hardened again. When it's ready, take the toffee out, and using your hands crack it into irregular pieces. Bag them or stick them in a tin for your own enjoyment.

CHRISTIE'S PERSIMMON CINNAMON TEA

2010-12-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

Sweet and spicy, my dear friend Christie told me about this wintry concoction. And considering how she always treats me to cardamom infusions and fresh mint tea whenever I visit, I was certain this would be just as delicious. So easy and a perfect way to use up the water balloon soft hachiyas sitting in your fruit bowl. Enjoy!

Christie's Persimmon Cinnamon Tea from Claire Thomas on Vimeo.

Ingredients

1 super soft hachiya persimmon (almost like a water balloon)

4 cinnamon sticks (or more, if you like a stronger cinnamon flavor)

Hot water

Mix a 1/2 cup of persimmon pulp with 2 cups of simmering hot water (just adjust if making more tea) plus the cinnamon sticks. Stir to dissolve the persimmon pulp and let the mixture steep for about 5 minutes. Strain and enjoy!

AFTERNOON TEA: EARL GREY WITH FRENCH LAVENDER SUGAR COOKIES AND EARL GREY INFUSED BISCOTTI

2010-12-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

Appeared in the "Handmade" Issue of Dujour Magazine

I was raised with an, let's say, alternative vocabulary. My sister Amanda, who's only 14 months younger than me, completely missed out on this, but for some reason, sponge-like and impressionable, I absorbed all of my mum's Aussie lingo. Singlet instead of tank top, lippy for lipstick, "how you going" replaced "how are you doing", and cup of tea was dropped to simply "cuppa." Amanda skipped around, looking all Americana with her blonde pony tail and hard "a"s, while I was left referring to mascara as mas-cah-ra and strawberries as stror-berries.

The "cuppa" is an important ritual in our home. If it was raining outside and my mum was set to drive the carpool, she'd sigh and tell us we were made of sugar, and would melt if exposed to the raindrops. So inside we would stay, watching a Doris Day film while balancing a cup of earl grey on my lap as she painted my nails. After an hour or two of an excruciatingly boring school tour, my mum pulled me aside before we entered the Chem lab. It took little convincing for us to duck out early and catch a high tea around the corner. Somehow scones make truancy even more delicious. Every night, every morning, if you are rustling in the kitchen and she is in shouting distance you will probably find yourself making a cup of chamomile or her current favorite, rose sencha for you to share in front of the fireplace.

This little break from the day punctuated with baked goods has always been a favorite of mine. So for this first Afternoon Tea for Dujour Magazine, I paired one of my favorite Earl Greys, Blue Flower Earl Grey by Chado Tea Room, with French Lavender Sables (a French butter cookie) and earl grey infused biscotti. The mellow earthiness of the lavender works beautifully with the bergamot notes in the earl grey, and toothsome texture of the biscotti against the tender sables keeps your palette interested. For the Earl Grey, steep one teaspoon per cup for 3-5 minutes in 205 F water. Enjoy!

French Lavender Sables

French Lavender Sables from Claire Thomas on Vimeo.

Makes 30 cookies

8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 dried lavender flowers, crushed

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg (for egg wash)

2 tablespoons crystal sugar

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg, lavender, and vanilla extract and beat until blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough a few times to bring it together, and then divide the dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least an hour).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking sheets and set aside.

Remove one portion of the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. Using a lightly floured 2 inch round fluted cookie cutter, cut out the cookies, placing them on the prepared sheet. Place the baking sheet of cut out cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 -20 minutes to chill the dough. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg for the egg wash. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with crystal sugar. Bake cookies for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Earl Grey Biscotti

4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

1 cup of sugar

3 extra large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups of flour, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons crystallized sugar

1 teaspoon lavender flowers

1 cup heavily steeped Earl Grey Tea

Directions:

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Preheat the oven at 350 F. Mix together the butter and sugar until they form moist crumbs, clumping together. Add the 3 eggs and mix together until light in color and the mixture forms ribbons when you lift the whisk out of the batter. Add the vanilla and mix well. Then, add the dry ingredients in batches of about a 1/2 cup at a time. Mix on low until just blended.

On a cookie sheet with a silicon pad or parchment paper, place the mixture (which is now a very thick dough). Heavily flour your hands and form the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches high, and 3 inches wide. It may take up the entire length of the cookie sheet. Brush the beaten egg over the log, then sprinkle with the lavender and the 2 tablespoons of crystallized sugar.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut the loaf into 1/2 inch slices. Dip the pieces into the tea until just soaked. Place the slices on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flip them, then bake for another 20. If the biscotti appear too moist in the center, put them back in the oven for an extra 5 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Tea Towels by Sur la Table, Lavender Motif Kitchen towel and Blue Striped Kitchen Towels:

The gilded teapot is my Great Grandmothers', but for something similar, check out this Waechtersbach Heirloom Chocolate and Gold Teapot.

The tea cup is a vintage find, but for something similar, check out these Blue Banded Porcelain Cups by Williams Sonoma.

For a vase similar to my mom's fabulous Betty Lou Nichols, check out the Head Vase Museum, with lists of other style and manufacturers.

For the Earl Grey Tea with Blue Flowers, please see Chado Tea Room.