I was away last weekend in Wisconsin, indulging in amazing food and drink with even more amazing friends. After eating whatever I pleased for 3 days straight, I felt the need to make something light and comforting last night. A "Meatless Monday" meal, if you will. (Wait. Was yesterday Monday? I don't even know these things anymore.) I was perusing the squash, gourd and pumpkin display at Trader Joe's, and I got the idea to make a bowl with spaghetti squash as the base (instead of rice or noodles). It was delicious, and I will make it again and again...
I halved the squash, scooped out the seeds and roasted it on a baking sheet for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Then, I scraped out the "noodles" with a fork, drizzled them with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I topped my bowl with sautéed brussel sprouts (chopped) and shiitake mushrooms (always weirds me out that word has two 'i's'), boiled sweet corn, avocado and sriracha.
By the way, this also would have been perfect with a soft-boiled egg on top, but for whatever reason I've lost my ability to properly execute that culinary technique. And that is a fancy way of me saying, WTF... why can't I soft boil an egg anymore??!?? I keep trying, and trying, but it won't peel, and it's like EXTREMELY raw inside. What am I doing wrong, people, what, what??
Many people are surprised when they find out that crab rangoons are about as Asian as Buffalo chicken wings, but it’s true. Even though they’re commonly found on Chinese and Thai menus, they were actually invented in San Francisco, at Trader Vic’s, in 1956.
While not “authentic,” these crispy crab and cream cheese wontons are one of the most addictive, delicious, and crowd-pleasing appetizers ever created. That is, if the filling has enough crab in it. Most of the restaurant versions I’ve had are probably 3 or 4 parts cream cheese, to 1 part crab, but here we’re using a 1 to 1 ratio, and the results are amazing.
Besides being generous with the crab (or lobster, or chicken), the other critical factor is the “warhead” fold. Even though you can fold these over once to make a simple triangle, I highly recommend using the method shown herein.
The “turnover” fold is easier, but you don’t get nearly as much crispy goodness, and that’s what makes these so great. It’s that contrast between the warm creamy center, and those four crunchy edges that makes this such a magical bite I really hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 60 Crab Rangoons:
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces crab meat, drained well
1 clove crushed garlic
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
pinch cayenne
60 square wonton wrappers
canola oil for deep-frying
For the sauce: (Note: I only made a half batch in the video. This should easily be enough for 60 rangoons)
We had a friend over for dinner a few weeks ago, and at one point he started raving about his favorite dessert of all time. It's called a Pistachio Pudding Cake, and it was new to me. His mom made it for him a lot as a kid, and it's something he thinks about once in awhile and then starts craving like mad. I had on my to-do list to make him one, and I finally got around to it. Of course, I knew nothing about making this particular cake, but once I googled it I found there are a bunch of recipes out there. I chose this one, and while I never actually tasted it (it's probably rude to give someone a present with a giant bite missing?), he said it was delicious. Oh and I definitely stuck my finger in the frosting, don't judge. What childhood desserts do you crave the most?
I don’t watch a lot of food television, but every once and a while I’ll catch a show where celebrity chefs sit around describing the best things they ever ate, and this English muffin was inspired by one served at the Model Bakery, in Napa, CA.
These muffins were fried in clarified butter, and looked (and sounded) absolutely amazing. I didn’t actually use their recipe, since I wanted to experiment with a simpler, faster method; but if it makes you feel any better, I did cook them in clarified butter.
Speaking of which, I’ve never done a video for clarified butter, but you don’t need one, since all we do is melt some unsalted butter (the only kind I ever use), and once it’s melted, take a spoon and skim off the white, foamy milk solids from the top. That’s it. Once clarified, you can use it without fear of the butter burning from high temps, or long cooking times.
If you want, you could just briefly brown each side and finish these in an oven until cooked through, but I did mine all the way in the pan, a la Model Bakery, and it worked out fine. They took about 7 to 8 minutes per side, and really took on a great buttery flavor.
Over the years, I’ve tried several different methods, including the traditional batter cooked in ring molds system, but I think this technique is much easier, and produces something very close to a classic English muffin. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!
Makes 6 English Muffins (recipe can easily be doubled):
- First mix:
1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water
- Wait 15 minutes to see if yeast is alive, then add:
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg white
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup warm water
- Mix dough and let double
- Form 6 seamless balls of dough, press on to a lined baking pan, coating both sides with non-hipster corn meal.
- Allow to double in size and fry in clarified butter for about 7-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Let cool before splitting!
An update on my previous recipe for cheesecake brownies! These are less sweet because of the berries and a great afternoon treat with coffee.
Cheesecake brownies with red currants makes a large pan - about 40 small pieces
Brownie base: 180 g butter 300 g sugar 140 g dark chocolate 3 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract pinch of salt 150 g flour
Cheesecake topping: 400 g cream cheese 2 egg yolks 120 g sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract
Red currants - mine were frozen but fresh are fine. Use as much as you want - I had two large handfuls.
Start with the brownie part - melt together butter and chocolate. I always do this in the microwave, but feel free to use a double boiler if you want to. Stir in the sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and finally the flour. Pour into a well-lined pan.
Sprinkle over the berries.
Stir together all the ingredients for the cheesecake topping, and dollop on top of the brownie. Use a stick, or a knife, to swirl the together for a marble effect. (If you can be bothered. Honestly it's ok to skip it.)
Bake at 175°C for 30-35 minutes. It should just feel set, and a tester should come out fairly clean.
Hello Internet People. I'm sorry I've been a little absent, but this has been a busy and emotional week. Therefore, I present to you this scatterbrained post of odds and ends...
Many of you have been curious about the infamous "cookie stacking" Instagram post (infamous, really Siri?). The origin of this layered dough can be found in this recipe for Peanut Butter Honey Cookies. I was instantly intrigued to see if by stacking two blobs of dough on top of each other, the result would be a cookie that spread less, as suggested. Well, perhaps I did something wrong, but my cookies just ended up looking like butts, so... delicious recipe, however. Honey? Peanut Butter? Yes.
Last Thursday I was all set to appear on the Today Show, and you may have caught a glimpse of me even, however, breaking news about the Pope's whereabouts interrupted my segment. Of course, I didn't mind in the slightest, and it was actually very exciting to witness... yet another reminder of how surreal it is to be a small part of a news institution like Today. If you're interested in the recipes I was planning on preparing, you may click here: Buffalo Chicken Dip and Ultimate Queso Dip.
Last night, I was very honored to be a part of the launch of Keurig Kold, a revolutionary new drinkmaker that brews perfectly chilled beverages like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and so, SO much more. It is available for purchase today on their website... check it out!
And finally, I wanted to repost this recipe in honor of a great woman, Lucy. If you've been following my blog for awhile then you probably know this sandwich, but to have known the woman behind it was something else. The heavens above gained a beautiful soul. Team Lucy forever!
This roasted butternut squash soup is probably my favorite fall soup of all time, which is why I’m so shocked we haven’t posted a video for it before. It’s cheap, easy, nutritious, and absolutely delicious; and should probably go into the once-a-week rotation for a few months at least.
As I mention in the video, there’s really no great reason to simmer this for an hour like I did, but I think it does help harmonize the flavors, not to mention humidify your home. A cold, rainy day just looks better through steamed-up windows.
If you’re feeling like something a bit more substantial, try this topped with a handful of crispy bacon. Of course, I wouldn’t say no to some diced ham either. Add a hard roll, and you can’t get a better autumn meal. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 portions:
For the sage brown butter:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6-8 large sage leaves (or a lot of tiny leaves like I used in the video)
For the soup:
3 1/2 pound butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 cup sliced carrots
6 garlic cloves, peeled sage-infused brown butter
2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
6 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or other vinegar)
I made this side dish to go with bbq pork and a cole slaw, and it turned out to be so delicious I couldn't even take a photo before it was pretty much gone. As any food blogger knows, that means it was huge successful. I did have some on my plate so I managed to snap this measly pic - but I have to make it again, for sure. And soon! It's a perfect fall side dish and goes well with just about anything.
I really didn't measure my spices - I just can't be bothered but just sprinkle on a bunch and I'm sure you'll be fine. I used mostly cumin and chili, and just a little coriander and garlic.
Sweet and spicy carrots with feta
1 kilo of carrots (about 2 pounds) - ideally organic, they have much more flavor 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp runny honey salt cumin ancho chili powder ground coriander garlic powder
150 g feta cheese
Peel the carrots and cut into smaller pieces - I split most of mine in 2 or 3 pieces and then halved them. Place in a large oven proof dish. Drizzle with olive oil and honey, and sprinkle on all the spices. Give it a good toss.
Bake at 175°C for about 30-35 minutes. The carrots should be fairly softened.
Crumble over the feta and bake for about 10-15 more minutes. And serve. You're done!
Even though I often joke about naming dishes a certain way to help with the search engines, I rarely actually do. Mostly because I don’t get a bonus for extra traffic, but with this borscht-braised beef short ribs, I fully admit to intentionally not using the “B” word.
I would hate for someone who thinks they hate beets to not even watch the video. I figured if we could trick them into at least seeing the dish in all its colorful glory, they’d simply have to give it a try. Unless they don't like beets, and gorgeous things.
By the way, I can totally relate to the “I don’t eat beets” people, as I am one. I’ve never been a big fan, but in certain things, like borscht, I love them. With that simple soup as an inspiration, I thought the flavors would work nicely with the rich, fatty short ribs, and they sure did.
Will this be enough to change your mind about beets? There’s only one way to find out. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 portions:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces, seasoned generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth 1 bay leaf
1 cup cubed carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 pound beets, cut in large pieces (about two large ball sized beets, cut in eighths)
2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- Optional step: when you taste your finished sauce, if you want to add some acidity to balance the sweetness, adjust with a splash of white vinegar.
About a year ago I was in Toronto with some journalists, including one from Germany. He had been to the US many times but it was his first trip to Canada. He remarked that he thought Canada would look different somehow. The truth is, when you travel to Canada from the United States, it doesn’t always look very different. Especially on the surface. The U.S. has a lot in common with Canada, but there are some subtle (and not so subtle) differences. One difference? Candy bars!
The candy bars in question are made by Nestle and Cadbury, but they are not the same as candy bars in other parts of the world, and none of the ones I brought back from my last trip across the border are available in the US, not that I know of anyway. I’m not much of a candy bar fan, and these are everyday, available-in-the-supermarket candy bars, but I still think it's fun to try something different now and again.
So what are they like?
The Coffee Crisp is my favorite. It’s light and crunchy, a bit like a Kit Kat bar but with a distinct coffee flavor. It's made in Canada and has layers of vanilla wafers and a coffee filling. There was actually a campaign to bring this bar to the U.S.
The Wunderbar was recommended to me by another traveling companion and pal, the Global Gumshoe. It has many of the flavors of a Snickers bar and the texture of a Butterfingers bar. It has a light crispy crunch, and mild peanut flavor but no crunchy nuts. It is very thick and chewy with caramel.
Mr.Big is a bit like a lighter version of the Wunderbar, cararmel, peanuts, crisp vanilla wafer and rice crisps, but much more delicate. And well, bigger.
The Crunchie is another top pick, a bit like a Violet Crumble it’s a honeycomb toffee bar, though the chocolate coating is milk chocolate and very sweet. The airy texture and richer flavor are very appealing.
What candy bars do you like to bring home to the US? Or from the US if you live abroad? Let me know in the comments.
Curious about my trip to Canada? Check out this terrific video of Nova Scotia from the Global Gumshoe --and see if you can spot me!
.png)
