Category: <span>Dessert</span>

It seems that our poor oven is getting quite a workout lately. I’ve been cranking out confections almost every other day in recent weeks and I am not sure quite where they go. Secretly, I pray that they don’t go on me in the form of unneeded pounds.

Baking is incredibly easy, you see. All you need for most sweets/baked goods are flour, sugar, butter, eggs & flavorings. In our case, we are partial to chocolate and since spring is not quite here yet, I don’t feel the compulsion to break out strawberries and rhubarb just yet. Just yesterday, overripe bananas were staring me down, taunting me really. I decided that I’d had quite enough and made chocolate banana bread.

ChocBananaBreadThis is it, hot out of the oven with the chocolate chunks still oozing their molten cacao liquor goodness. Loaves and muffins are among the easiest things to bake since most don’t even require pre-meditation. That is, you need not make the decision to bake ahead of time and bring butter to room temperature, just melt and voila, you’re ready to go. Skeptical about a chocolate banana bread, I was quickly converted by the divine smell emanating from the oven while it baked.

That first slice, while the loaf is still hot out of the oven. Can you imagine how good it was? Irresistible. Obviously the bread won’t stick around long at our house, and so I’ll have to find a new diversion. Until then, here are a few other things that have made cameo appearances in our little kitchen.

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Culinary Adventures Dessert

Believe it or not, this post is going to have something to do with celebrating Purim over the weekend. Who doesn’t like a holiday where we bake special cookies and celebrate with food and drink and family. My in-laws visited with us bringing my mother’s delicious, prune and raisin hamantashen and lots of entertainment for Sophia.

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Here’s Dr. Sophia taking care of Clowdie, the doggie. You could say that Sophia is quite smitten with her canine family member. My mother-in-law generously shared her kiddie doctor set with us so that Sophia can measure everyone’s blood pressure, listen to our heartbeats, and of course administer shots. While she practiced medicine, we practiced the art of baked custards in the form of vanilla challah bread pudding. Drizzled with maple syrup, it is perfect for a leisurely weekend breakfast or a snack.

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I am reading Little Failure and the descriptions of my former USSR life have made me a bit nostalgic. That and treating our visitors to unique culinary delights had Evan and I turn to Georgia (the country) for a Khatchapuri Adjaruli recipe. It turned out better than I expected though was a quite a treat as far as healthfulness is concerned.

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We served it with a very tangy arugula and cucumber salad to help cut through the richness of this bread.

Purim4I also made a batch of blintzes, one of my father-in-law’s favorite dishes, with farmer’s cheese using a new crepe batter. The dough was nicer than the previous one I’ve used, but I had a few blintzes bust at the seams during pan searing. Can’t have these previous pillows of heaven bust, can we? I’ll be investigating causes which may include a too-thin crepe or too much filling (sigh). Lastly, this is Purim, yes? I made hamantashen with apricot and cream cheese/chocolate fillings. I’d never had the chocolate filled ones and was surprised at how good they turned out. We are ready to tackle yet another and dare I hope last snow storm with so many delicious treats socked away in the fridge.

 

 

 

 

Culinary Adventures Dessert Flavors Hubby Cooks Life

Years ago, I had quite a few business trips to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I fell in love with the area, the regional cuisine and their chile peppers. People travel from far and wide during the chile harvesting season to pick, buy and preserve these incredible edibles that turn any food into something extra ordinary. New Mexican chiles aren’t always spicy either and some are verdant, floral and amazing.

Coffee, wine, chocolate and chiles are among foods the taste and flavor of which is greatly affected by the terroir. My trips to Albuquerque or perhaps those who I was with and what I was working, are the reason I have grown to appreciate these green and red rockstars. I have been reminiscing about those days and trips recently and decided that I should cook something with some chiles. Enter enchiladas verdes. The recipe I used called for poblano peppers which are so very floral, so mild and mouthwateringly good. Mixed with tomatillos and spiced with cumin, they bring me right back to many a happy dinner in New Mexico.

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The enchiladas bathed in the verde sauce and topped (at least partially) with some jack cheese before going in the oven.

March8thWeekend3Bubbling hot and out of the oven the enchiladas fill the house with such an aroma. They’re not as sinful as you may expect and serve a huge crowd  — perfect for mid-week dinner and lunch leftovers. This and the salmon cakes were my two culinary accomplishments this weekend. March8thWeekend1We dressed the salmon cakes which had no bread in the recipe with some sweet potato oven fries, roasted broccoli, home-made tartar sauce and a crispy salmon skin hubby insisted on making. Speaking of hubby, he cooked my mom’s famous sous and I can smell that all the way in the office as I write this. We traded off playing with Sophia while cooking and as you can see, painting and those glorious tulips were all the rage this weekend.

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We tried going to the children’s theater to see an age-appropriate play but it had been sold out, so we went to on a long walk stopping by a toy-store and treating Sophia to a mini etch a sketch — an oldie but goodie. Lastly, I admit, I lied, I also made brownies this weekend but since I’ve made them and regaled you with pictures before, I decided not to tease. They’re still just as good. Mmm…

Cookery Dessert Flavors Hubby Cooks Life

What date is today? March 3rd? Are you sure? MarchSnow

This is what our back yard looked like today. The snow was heavy enough that we both worked from home and tag-teamed childcare. Thankfully, Sophia is pretty good at occupying herself now-a-days. We started the morning with some dancing…

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and transitioned to calmer activities like painting.

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The end of our workday called for something comforting, something with chocolate — naturally. And so, I whipped up a batch of chocolate muffins. Seems luxurious, right? Well it was. At first, I was worried whether or not the batter would fit into my muffin tins, and then I was worried whether or not the muffins would come out of the tins. First world problems, no?

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Turns out, I didn’t have to worry about the muffins coming out of the tins, or their taste for that matter. See for yourself.

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Crafts Culinary Adventures Dessert Flavors Life Moments

More is better, right? If that’s the case, then I sure was in luck this Valentine’s day weekend celebrating with Evan and Sophia. A two year old is hardly conducive to a full out romantic fete and besides, the lack of babysitters once again ensured a homey celebration at our house. We weren’t sorry; We’re not big on Valentine’s day and enjoy Sophia’s company too much to leave her at home. I was faced with a dilemma of what to get my husband who already has pretty much everything. After much deliberation, I decided to bake him Boston cream cupcakes. Okay, maybe it was a slightly selfish gift since I too enjoy pastry cream, chocolate and all things cupcake.

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You’ll have to trust me when I say that these were better than the picture suggests. The rest of the weekend we spent both at home and out and about avoiding cabin fever and taking advantage of the less than frigid temperatures outdoors. The cupcake indulgence still burning a trail of sugar and butter guilt, we turned to healthier meals to compliment. There was of course the turmeric-spiced home-made chicken soup with lamb kofta that I ground myself spicing with more cumin and mint. Light, delicious and very satisfying. No carbs necessary.

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Then continuing with the green and vegetable theme that seemed to have emerged this weekend, I whipped up a batch of spinach gnocchi from scratch. I am usually very nervous about making homemade pasta but decided to give this Mark Bittman’s recipe a go. I’d say they were a resounding success and oh so easy to make.

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Here they are lined up like pretty soldiers waiting for their turn in the salted hot water.

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Sauced and plated they’re even more appealing. Green and bathed in a white cream-based sauce they were a delight to eat. I think this recipe is a keeper. Maybe I shouldn’t even mention the last culinary delight from this weekend, but I think I will. You see, it may be a tradition from the old country, but one I intend on keeping on in my own family. When I was growing up, I remember having a mid-afternoon snack to bridge lunch and supper. It was always something scrumptious. My mom is a great cook and an amazing baker. Many a pirozhok, pastry and cake were served with tea at around 3 or 4 in the afternoon on a daily basis. So… without much further adieu, I present you with a pear and almond clafoutis made with almond milk.

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A perfect adieu to our very warm weekend. We loved every single moment, even when faced with the prospect of watching Dumbo two days in a row. 🙂

 

 

Cookery Culinary Adventures Dessert Flavors Life

Our weekends, at least the last one and this one, have been pretty busy despite being in the throws of winter’s freeze. We enjoyed my parents’ visit this weekend and especially my mom’s surprise home-made varenyky and beef stroganoff. As you know, we hold true to the “Will Feed for Free Babysitting” motto. Here are some of the shenanigans that went on while we were cooking.

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that … and …

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With our hands free and the desire not to be outdone by my mom’s Russian culinary delights, we made chicken tikka masala which happens to be one of her favorites.

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My dad, much like his little granddaughter, is a sweet tooth. So to appeal to his weaknesses/preferences, I whipped up a batch of old-school oatmeal sandwich cookies with cream cheese and mascarpone filling. I found the recipe on the New York times. Instead of raisins, these have dates and toasted coconut. They were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G if not a little too luxurious.

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And look, look who helped!?

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I also baked brownies for a dinner date we were heading to in Virginia with Sophia in tow. I don’t have pictures of them as they were destined for our company anyway… but lets just say that they did not disappoint. I can also maybe, maybe admit to eating a few too many ends and crumbs from the baking sheet as I was packing them up in individual petit four cups. I learned the petit four cup packaging idea from Evan’s Bubbie who always sends us passover goodies packaged that way.

The highlight of our weekend was receiving this beautiful cross stitched piece for Sophia’s nursery. It was lovingly hand cross-stitched a few years ago by my sister for my nephew’s room.

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His nursery used to have a Winnie the Pooh theme and he has since outgrown it. She is going to keep and pass it on for my nephew’s kids but is lending it to Sophia since she has recently gotten into the tales of Winnie and his friends. There is something magical about hand-made, one of a kind pieces that are done by someone you love. It instantly brightened up Sophia’s nursery. We hung it up over a chair where we read books and Sophia looks at it while we read our Winnie the Pooh’s Perfect Spring Day  – also a hand-me-down from my nephew. Who says that loaning art is just for grown ups and large scale installations?!

 

 

 

Cookery Crafts Culinary Adventures Dessert Flavors Food For Thought Hubby Cooks Life

Sort of like the song itself, I’ve dreamed of this weekend for so long. We were home, it was cold and wet outside, but warm and pleasant inside the house. First things first… we’re all stocked up on groceries and the tall list of things I had to cook have all materialized and are waiting to be eaten over the course of the coming week.

Besides cooking and crafting, I managed to take Sophia out to the mall. I wouldn’t usually brag about a mall excursion but Saturday was rainy but warm, and she’s been cooped up all week long. I did it more for a change of scenery than anything. I suppose that I could have taken her to a children’s activity but nothing is scarier than a group of kids with runny noses and sore throats. The mall is just a short ten minute ride away and as you know, Sophia is a terrible carseat rider. At first we thought it was motion sickness, but I am starting to think it may be a mean case of anxiety over being restrained. Anyway, the mall excursion started with tears and a tantrum signaling Sophia’s unwillingness to get into the carseat. After much cajoling and, I am not too proud to admit it–bribery, I finally got a stoic and resigned Sophia on her way to the mall where there were cookies and balloons. Our mission was to just window shop and get out of the house; That much was accomplished. In the end, she didn’t want to leave the mall… but lunch and these chocolate covered marshmallows (home made, of course) waited for us at home.

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Aside from these indulgences which were requested by Sophia after watching George devour them on Curious George, we also made

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a lamb roast, grown up tater tots with chimichurri sauce, stuffed peppers concluding our culinary activities with made-from-scratch breakfast this morning:

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My sister got us a waffle maker and we finally whipped up a batch. You’re going to think this is crazy, but I’ve only had fresh home-made waffles maybe three or four times in my life. These were definitely the best! Sophia agreed … devouring a full quarter waffle :-). All those carbs must have been exactly what she needed to rouse up her inner artist.

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Cookery Crafts Culinary Adventures Dessert Flavors Hubby Cooks Life Play Tiny Tastebuds

The snow came and went before we had a chance to enjoy it. On the one hand, its nice to live where the weather is just a little warmer, but on the other hand, poor Sophia hasn’t ever had a chance to ride in a sled. Besides the uninspiring weather, we are feeling caught up in the frenzy that is getting ready for the holiday. We’re not necessarily partaking in all this holiday shopping and running around but are feeling caught up by association. So in an effort to maintain sanity and spend some much needed peaceful time at home, we stayed in, cooked a roasted chicken and defrosted some yummy dishes from before. Unlike the recent weekends where the culinary repertoire was large, all I have to show for this weekend is Rugelach.

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You may notice that these do not adhere to the typical shape of rugelach. Well… did you really expect a mother of a toddler to sit there rolling out each cookie? I found this recipe and was thrilled that all I had to do was roll out dough, spread the filling, roll into a roll and cut into cookies to bake. And guess what? they’re just as delicious as I remembered them when I had the proper cookie last.

Since lazy and relaxing was pretty much the theme around these parts, I also started to read a new book series… and I finished it. Now if you know me personally, you’ll know that the fervent reader gene that my parents and especially my sister have has clearly been omitted in my DNA. I am a rather slow reader and take a while to get into it. That being said, if I like the book, I swallow it. I am reading these series now (well, I just finished) and yes, it is not a literary masterpiece. It is… an easy, entertaining and romantic story. Sometimes a girl needs a little romance in a novel. After being called out on my “high brow” selection by Evan, I am going to make up for it by reading this book by Khaled Hosseini. I’ve mentioned his books before and have to say that his writing is exceptional and the subject matter truly touching. I recommend that everyone read his other two books: The Kiterunner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Since we’re talking about books, I am also planning to read the Hunger Games Trilogy. I know, I know… as usual, I am late but better late than never. So that’s that… the low and high brow book selection for the most avid of readers.

 

Dessert

Very few things are just about us once we become parents. While at times overwhelming, it is endearing and entirely worth it. Evan’s birthday was this Sunday and we celebrated it just as we intended — with his parents and grandmother. My mother-in-law baked a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting which is Evan’s favorite.

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Sophia helped ring in Evan’s new year.

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As for what to get a man who has everything? A cookbook, of course! It is a rather selfish gift, I know. I am sure to benefit from this over the years when Evan prepares delicious dishes artfully described in this bright text. Actually, there is a story behind this cookbook; Back when we lived in Philadelphia, we used to attend dinners hosted by Shola Olunloyo, an excellent and famous chef who at one time co-hosted a dinner with Alex Talbot who one of this cookbook’s authors. The techniques they both used were very unique and each dish was packed with flavor. We were inspired and have since experimented with some of the methods used by both chefs. Anyway, though this book is not an experience (which is what we like to gift each other) per se, it will lend itself to many culinary experiences.

 

Dessert Life Moments Tiny Tastebuds

I alluded to the secret crafts my sister and I were working on for our little cousins for Hanukkah and I can now finally share what we’ve been up to for the last few weekends. We have six little cousins (four on my side and two on Evan’s). We thought that instead of getting books or toys, we’d do something a little more personal; Something from the heart. Fall is finally here and there is a chill in the air. What can be better than a cup of hot chocolate and home-made cookies made with your brother or sister? So… we made hot chocolate and cookie mixes for everyone to make and sewed aprons to ensure no outfits were dirtied in the process. IMG_9894   The hot chocolate mix requires very little work — just add hot milk. While enjoying their hot chocolate, the young chefs need to mix oil, eggs and vanilla adding those to the dry ingredients we provided in the mason jar. Finally, I want to highlight the special food stylist at the photoshoot to capture the Hanukkah gifts. 🙂 IMG_9887

Cookery Crafts Dessert Flavors Life