Are you ready for the best weekend ever? A glutenous, guilt-free, indulgent weekend full of candy and costumes and sports?? At least that's the type of weekend I'm about to have. I have my red cape and red lipstick all ready to go because I'm sorry, but I couldn't find a single non-slutty Little Red Riding Hood dress, so that's what I'm going with. My Grandmother/Wolf, Hawkeye, Ariel and Elmo are very excited to trick-or-treat. And last night I made these Homemade Take Five bars following this recipe, hence the beginning of the best weekend ever... because when you put peanut butter on pretzels and then caramel on top of that and then dip the whole thing in chocolate YOU WIN!
For more Homemade Halloween treats - like Butterfingers, Snickers, Almond Joys, Peanut Butter Cups and Peppermint Patties - click here. For Baby Ruth Bars, click here. Happy Halloween!
As I joked about in the video, a fruit salad has to be pretty damn good to actually get a name, and the venerable Waldorf salad is certainly worthy.
I realize that there are a small group of you who won’t be able to wrap your heads around mayonnaise with fruit, and that’s a shame, since it means you won’t get to enjoy one of the great combinations of all time. By the way, if you are one of the aforementioned people, but like mayo slathered all over your sandwich, containing slices of sweet, ripe tomato, and caramelized onions, then you have some explaining to do. Also, coleslaw. I rest my case.
Embellish this as you see fit, but I really like it best with just the four ingredients seen here. Things like dried cranberries can add a nice seasonal touch, but for me, the chewy fruit gets in the way of that addictive crunchy/crisp texture. I really hope you give this old-school, but timeless Waldorf salad a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 1 cup dressing (enough for 2 Waldorf salads below):
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup crème fraiche or sour cream (I used CF)
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper
pinch cayenne
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
For 2 large or 4 appetizer sized Waldorf salads:
2 large crisp, sweet apples, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
First things first, the winner of the Happiest Little Baker Giveaway is Valerie! However, HLB is also going to give the first 50 readers that sign up 10% off using the coupon code SIRIOUSLY10. Go, go and join (they even have allergy-friendly kits). My kids are already talking about next month's box :)
Now, on to this wonderfully delicious baked spaghetti squash recipe. I was at a cooking class last week with my mom and some friends, and it was centered around root vegetables. One thing the chef prepared was this baked spaghetti squash with a blue cheese sauce. Any vegetable that disguises as a pasta is my kind of vegetable, especially smothered in a creamy, salty, tangy sauce. This tastes sinfully good, but is much better for you than a bowl of fettuccine alfredo... right? A perfect Thanksgiving side dish, this would be... signed, Yoda.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Carefully slice the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, discard. Place both halves on a baking sheet, flesh side up, and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the skin begins to wrinkle and golden. Remove, let cool slightly, and then scrape out the spaghetti squash "noodles" with a fork. Place in a casserole dish, drizzle with some olive oil, add the sage and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Over the stove in a medium-sized skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, a few minutes. Add the flour and whisk continuously until there are no lumps. Whisk in the chicken stock and cream, stirring frequently until sauce begins to thicken. Lastly, add the blue cheese and parsley, continuing to whisk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over spaghetti squash and toss to combine. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and place back in the 400 degree oven, just until the bread crumbs turn golden and the sauce starts to bubble.
Cooking up a few chicken breasts should be a fast, easy, and delicious experience, but for many people it’s actually a slow, hard, and disappointing one. There are several reasons for this, and hopefully this demo for how to pan-roast chicken will eliminate them.
The most important factor is doneness. By “pan-roasting,” you can easily monitor the internal temp, and as I recommend in the video, start the pan sauce when the meat reaches about 150 F. By the time your sauce is done, and the chicken is covered in its hot, buttery goodness, it should have reached 155-160 F., which is what I shoot for.
At this temp, the chicken will be perfectly safe, while remaining moist and tender. I know many recipes, and reference sites, call for longer cooking times, and internal temps of 165-175 F., but that’s just crazy. Unless, you want tough, dry meat; in which case, that works wonderfully.
Also, I think it’s very important we leave the skin on. Not only does this add a lot of flavor, but also much-needed moisture. Even if you’ve been brain-washed into thinking the skin is “bad” for you, which it isn’t, you can peel it off before you eat it, but I recommend leaving it on during the cooking process.
And yes, we’d be getting even more flavor and moisture if we just left the breasts on the bone, but the whole point is for this to be fast to make, and effortless to eat. Otherwise, we might as well roast a whole chicken.
If you’re not into creating your own boneless, skin-on breasts, like we did in the video, you can have the butcher at the market do this for you. You’ll have to go to a larger store where they cut up their own chicken parts, and tell them exactly what you want, but they’ll hook you up at no extra charge. I really hope you give this easy, and very effective technique a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 portions:
4 boneless, but skin-on chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs, optional
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup *vinegar
4 tbsp cold butter, cut in smaller pieces
a splash of chicken broth or water, if needed to thin sauce
*I used apple cider here, but literally any vinegar will work. Some of my favorites are sherry, balsamic, rice, and champagne vinegar.
I am not a very crafty person. Some moms have the most pinterest-worthy art projects up their sleeves, but when it comes to doing something creative with my kids, I've always preferred baking. Which is why I was THRILLED to discover the Happiest Little Baker - a subscription based monthly kit that comes equipped with pre-measured, non-perishable ingredients and simple-to-follow, adorable recipes! It was created by a woman named Linsdey and her husband Mike - parents who love baking with their own two children. Their kid-friendly approach is obvious in every detail - they even include an activity sheet to kill time while your treat bakes. After our 'Witch Hat Cupcakes' were done, my son proclaimed, "this is SO MUCH FUN, please sign up for every month!!"
So for the giveaway, HLB is going to give one winner a 3-month subscription for FREE! To qualify to win, you must officially follow this blog, as well as follow HLB on Twitter, Instagram and like them on Facebook. Please leave a comment below to enter the giveaway, letting us know what you like to bake with kids. A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday at 9am EST. Good luck!
This Shakshuka, or Shakshouka if you prefer, is why I’m so glad the show/blog/channel is called, “Food Wishes.” This North African one-dish-meal is so fast, easy, and delicious, but it probably wouldn’t have occurred to me to do a video for it, unless someone sent me a request.
I always appreciate these types of reminders, and seeing "Shakshuka" in a subject line does catch your attention, but now I have a little problem. I can’t stop saying it. It has basically replaced using profanity for me. Yes, now when I stub my toe, I yell "shakshuka!"
I know we did an Italian-inspired version of this idea, served in individual ramekins, but this is supposedly the original. The sauce is quite different, and I think more interesting. The peppers and mushrooms add another layer of flavor, and the spicing is much more complex. Not to mention, a large pan of this is much more of a showstopper.
Just be sure to cook your sauce until the veggies are nice and soft and sweet. I don’t think you want crunchy onions and peppers in this, so take a little time building the base. You will also have to monitor the liquid level as it simmers, but that’s very easy to adjust by adding a splash of water or broth.
Once the eggs go in, you can finish covered on the stove, or just pop the pan into a hot oven until they cook to your liking. I go for just barely set, and the advantage of that system is, if you do want them cooked more, you just need to stir the egg into that hot sauce, and it will firm-up instantly.
No matter how you like your yolks cooked, this makes for an impressive breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. And if you’re serving a large group, you can scale this up to any size pan or baking dish. I really hope you “shakshuka!” very soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 6 small portions: (one egg per portion as appetizer - double for a main course)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
large handful of sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 cup diced red bell peppers
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
28-oz can (about 3 cups) crushed San Marzano tomatoes, or other high-quality plum tomatoes. Of course you can use fresh tomatoes in season.
1/2 cup water or broth, or as needed
6 large eggs (or as many as you can fit in you pan)
I recently got a new crock-pot! It was sent by the Swedish crock-pot agent for me to evaluate, and since I love my old one as well, I was really eager to try it. The new one is much more advanced than my old and has sauté settings as well as settings for baking, roasting and cooking rice so I have quite a bit of experimenting to do.
However, for my first time cooking with the new pot, I wanted a simple recipe. I'd be out for most of the day and needed a quick dinner when I got home, so decided to do a chicken parmesan soup. It was really tasty - a hit for at least one of the kids and we adults enjoyed it a lot. I specify my cooking times below but it's adaptable, you could easily do shorter or longer. And I cooked the pasta separately because once we were home, we were in a hurry. If I'd had more time, I'd have added it to the pot maybe half an hour or so before eating.
Slowcooked Chicken Parmesan Soup
2 chicken breasts
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
400 g crushed tomatoes
800 ml water
2 chicken stock cubes
4 stalks fresh oregano
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
2 large handfuls grated parmesan cheese
and to finish:
1 handful grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
200 g cooked pasta, small shapes
100 ml crème fraiche
Place chicken, garlic, onion, pepper, tomatoes, water, stock cubes, oregano, chili and cheese in the slowcooker. Cook for about 4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low. We did an additional hour on low or so, but that was just for our convenience, it was done before that.
Just before serving, shred the chicken, stir in the additional cheese, fresh basil, cooked pasta and completely optional, creme fraiche. Serve and enjoy!
It’s been ten years since the Michelin guide arrived in San Francisco (and I started writing about it!) so I guess it’s the right time for reflection. Ten years ago the stars seemed to go to very predictable and somewhat French-inspired restaurants. This year the balance has swung to favor the new, the modern and the diverse. Is it Michelin or San Francisco? It’s probably a bit of both. Though I'm sorry for some of those restaurants left behind that lost their stars because I believe they are still worthy I can't help but be excited by this new constellation.
While some were making a big deal over Manresa getting three stars, Commis and Campton Place rising to two stars or Kin Khao getting one, I think the really big news was the ever expanding number of restaurants on the list. An incredible 39 restaurants got a star this year with another 12 getting either 2 or 3 stars. That’s truly worth celebrating!
Here are some highlights from the party—photos courtesy of Lee Sherman
The evening always involves plenty of champagne...
Two gorgeous restaurateurs who both earned the respect of their peers, Cecilia Chang and Chef Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn and Petite Crenn.
Pim Techamuanvivit was one of the true stars of night, she’s had a tough year and Kin Khao’s one star was well deserved. While some may consider it an expensive Thai restaurant, Kin Khao has now got to be considered as one of the least expensive Michelin one star restaurants.
Everyone loves a redemption story and Manresa coming back after the fire to earn three stars put David Kinch in the spotlight, here with pastry chef Belinda Leong who spent some time in his kitchen before making an even bigger splash with B. Patisserie.
From what I think is the finest Italian restaurant in San Francisco, Acquerello, Riccardo Menicucci and Suzette Gresham Tognetti.
Aaron London of AL's Place is a chef who takes chances, his next gamble? Decreasing reservations and allowing for even more walk ins. Bravo! My review of his restaurant is currently on Amy's Fork in the Fog
Who says chefs are all work and no play? Well no one who comes to the Michelin gala! Until next year...
I was at a friend's house for dinner last weekend, and she made a beef stew that she prepared IN A PUMPKIN!! Yeah, my friend's name is Ina Martha Garten Stewart, by the way. (Just kidding, her real name is Mo. Ina Martha Garten Stewart is my imaginary friend.) Anyways, I didn't get the exact recipe from her but if you're interested, I found a few recipes you could try here, here and here. What a perfect dish to prepare for friends and family on Halloween night! Do it!!
I was recently on a "booze cruise" with a bunch of moms (and excuse me while I cry for not being there this very second). We sailed along on a water ferry, drinking wine, eating appetizers and talking about how our kids and husbands drive us crazy! Juuuuuust kiddddddding. Anyways. Someone made these Spinach Balls and they were FANTASTIC. I asked her if I could share the recipe and she said yes, so here it is! Funny story though, I made them over the weekend and forgot one giant ingredient: the 3/4 cup of butter. I realized this after my first bite and wondered why they didn't taste as addictive as they had on the boat. Butter... butter makes everything better. However, they were still pretty good without the butter so if you're in the mood to make them SUPER healthy, you can go ahead and omit it. (But I wouldn't recommend it cause I don't recommend those kind of things.)
Combine all ingredients, roll into small bowls, place on a baking sheet (I greased mine) and bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, until the edges are golden. Enjoy!
The next morning I sautéed the leftovers in BUTTER and added a fried egg. Yum.
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