flapper food: a blog of snack love

Zucchini Extravaganza! (Pizza & Bread)

2010-10-08T15:54:00.026-04:00

I love my city Farmer's Market. Every Saturday, the farms surrounding my city haul in loads of beautiful veggie booty for us nature-starved children, just a few blocks from my apartment building. That and the park mean so much to me--I honestly don't know how this tree-hugger could have survived city living all these years if not for those two heaven-sent places on my local map.

Last weekend, I loaded up on some beautiful zucchinis and got down to it. You may have read in previous posts that I am an outspoken foe of most preparations of zucchini, miserable little cucumber-like slices of soggy sadness. No thanks! But bake it, roast it, grill it, shred it up, and I am a forever friend of the jolly green giant (or elf, depending on what was available at the farmer's market that day).

Someday, in a land far, far away from this city (or perhaps in the land of my own imagination), I see myself in a beautiful, thatched-roof cottage, with lots of wild flowers growing 'round, puppies playing in the sunlit yard, pies cooling on the sill, and of course, my very own veggie garden, chock full of pretty bounty... Until then, I'll scout the local farmer's market for the freshest picks of the freshest soil, in the freshest air just a few miles away. And I'll bake...

Which brings me to the recipes...

ZUCCHINI BREAD
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins

3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (or allspice or cloves)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally. (See those pictures of the cakes inside their non-stick pans? Yup, they’re pretty much hanging out in there for the time being.) Alternately, line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.

Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.

Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Note: These loaves will mellow and actually get better sitting at room temp wrapped in foil on the kitchen counter over the course of the week.

ZUCCHINI-CRUSTED PIZZA
(adapted from Mollie Katzen's recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 pinch basil or 1 pinch marjoram or 1 pinch rosemary (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil

TOPPING SUGGESTIONS:
Extra olive oil
2-3 cloves sliced garlic
sauteed mushrooms
1 large sliced tomato
extra mozzarella (sliced or grated)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Generously oil a 10 inch pie pan or a foil-lined baking sheet, and coat lightly with flour or cornmeal.
3. Combine zucchini, eggs, flour, mozzarella, parmesan, herbs and 1 T olive oil in a bowl and mix well.
4. Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
5. About halfway through the baking, remove from over and loosen the crust a bit from the pan with spatula so it won't stick later. Then brush with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
6. Remove from oven.
7. When it has cooled for about 10 minutes, use a spatula to loosen the crust from the pan so it won't break later.
8. Top with your favorite pizza items and bake at 400 F until heated through.

Stay tuned for upcoming seasonal recipes.....up next...PUMPKIN!

Challah

2010-09-10T13:19:00.015-04:00

For some reason, every cooking show and blog that features Challah involves a super-corny and overused pun. Heard any of these yet?

“Happy Challahdays”

“All Holla for Challah”

“Happy Challahween”

“Chall I love you, let me count the ways...”

...corny stuff like that.

Do you still have an appetite after reading that? If not, then ponder the glistening eggy wonder called challah bread. The slightly sweet, super-chewy egg bread is as tasty as it is pretty. This is the first one I ever attempted to make and, despite the elaborate-looking braided dough and shiny egg wash, it really is not as difficult as one would think. Even a beginner can do it! All it really takes is time. And affection.

I like to think of baking bread akin to housebreaking a puppy. Both are time-consuming labors of love that require patience and affection, resulting in joyful rewards. Kneading dough with force and brute makes for a tough dough. However, handling dough with affection and gentle coaxing makes for a tender, delicate bite, sure to please any crowd. Treat your dough as you would a cute puppy. That's the secret.

I highly recommend Mollie Katzen’s beautifully hand-illustrated cookbook The Enchanted Broccoli Forest for all the recipes, but especially for her informative chapter on bread baking. It comes complete with step-by-step, hand-illustrated pictures, including one of a fist, punching down a dough after the first rise, with a Batman-like caption of “Thwap!” (That's the only non-puppy comparison. No puppy-thwapping allowed, only dough-thwapping.) :)

Challah
(from Mollie Katzen's The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest)
This recipe makes 2 loaves.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups wrist-temperature water
1 package (scant Tbs.) active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar or honey
4 Tbs. melted butter or canola oil
3 eggs (1 for crust)
1 Tbs. salt
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
8-9 cups unbleached white flour
a little oil for the trays
poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
1. Place the water in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast. Beat in the sugar or honey, butter, 2 eggs, and salt with a wire whisk.

2. If using, stir in raisins. Then add flour a cup at a time, whisking after each addition. (Start using a wooden spoon as needed.) Knead the dough until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky. (The recipe says you can do this in the bowl, but I found it much easier on a lightly floured surface.) Cover dough with a clean cloth and set in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk

3. Punch down the dough (“thwap!”) and turn out onto a floured surface. Divide in half, and knead each half for about 5 minutes, adding flour if it gets a little sticky. Divide each half in thirds, roll into snakes about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Line up 3 snakes, and braid starting from the middle, working out. You will end up with one long braid. For a round loaf, as I did, you can form the braid into one large circle, tucking in the end underneath the loaf.

4. Lightly oil two baking trays and place a finished braid on each. Cover with a towel and let rise another hour, until doubled in bulk. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

5. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl. Brush a generous amount over each braid and sprinkle with seeds, if using. Bake 40 minutes or until the braids give off a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Mine took approx. 30 minutes, so check the loaves early. Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating.

Matzo Ball Soup

2009-10-26T16:37:00.015-04:00

I’ve missed you! Sorry I’ve been away for over a month—I was busy getting hitched! Now that I have solidified the deal with the love of my life, I return happily and nesting in my lil urban kitchen. Since I married a nice Jewish boy, I thought it only fitting to post my first recipe back as a married woman, his favorite, Matzo Ball Soup. It is so easy to make, and anyone can do it.

There are two kinds of matzo ball soup lovers, I’ve come to realize. The first kind is the “purist.” They like their soup simple and refined: a clear, fragrant chicken broth ladled lovingly over 2 or 3 light and fluffy matzo balls. The second group likes heavy, hockey puck-style matzo balls with lots of veggies in the soup. Just by the description I think you can see I am of the former camp (delicate broth, fluffy matzo balls).

Just between us, you can make this soup any night of the week in just a few minutes, but it is the same quality soup of the old-school grandma variety. Honest. For real. There is a secret...All you have to do is make a big old batch of stock (you can even make your stock in a crock pot) and keep it in the freezer in quart-sized bags. When you are ready for your soup, you heat up a bag o' broth, throw in the balls, and simmer. Voila, in just a half hour, your kitchen has been transported back in time to a grandma’s kitchen on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, circa 1923. Flapper Food. :)

And flu season? Not a chance with this all-powerful defense in the house!

Matzo Balls
1/2 cup matzo meal
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chicken stock or seltzer

For soup
2 to 3 quarts prepared chicken stock (recipe below)
1 carrot, thinly sliced
A few sprigs of dill (optional)
[If you are in a time pinch, you can also use 2-3 quarts of stock in a box. I like Manischevitz brand low-sodium chicken broth]

With a fork, mix all matzo ball ingredients in a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Bring 1 1/2 quarts of well-salted water to a boil in a medium sized pot.
Reduce the flame. Wet your hands. Roll 1-inch-balls of matzo dough in the palm of your hands loosely. Drop the balls into the simmering salt water one at a time. Lower the heat, cover the pot and let simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

Meaniwhile, bring chicken stock and sliced carrot to a simmer in a separate pot.* When matzos are done cooking, you can spoon them into the stock.

With a slotted spoon, place 2-3 matzo balls into a serving bowl, and gently ladle the soup over that. Garnish with dill if you like. Eat it up and have then seconds!

*If you are fighting a cold or flu, throw in 2-3 whole, peeled garlic cloves along with the carrot slices. Feel free to eat the garlic cloves if you are particularly brave or particularly sick, or if you are a garlic lover like my husband. 

Chicken Stock

3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds chicken necks, backs and wings
3 celery ribs, cut into big chunks
3 carrots, scrubbed and cut into big chunks
2 parsnips, scrubbed and cut into big chunks
2 onions, unpeeled and quartered
1 head garlic, cut horizontally in half
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
4 quarts cold water

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large soup pot. Skim the top of any foam. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer peacefully for 2-3 hours.

Pour stock through a pasta strainer into a large bowl. Allow to cool, and fill quart-sized freezer bags and freeze for up to 6 months, or store the stock in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.

Chickie’s Linguini & Clam Sauce

2009-08-31T12:00:00.014-04:00

My mom makes the best clam sauce in the whole wide world. (See for yourself--these are the mouthwatering pics of the actual dinner she made when I was visiting her this past week!) I love this sauce because it isn't white, and it isn't red. It's in between. She makes a basic white clam sauce but adds some chopped tomatoes to the sauce.

This is a slightly sweet sauce because of her secret ingredient: Marsala wine. A lot of white clam sauce recipes call for dry white wine, but she insists on Marsala and Marsala only, which gives the sauce a slight sweetness that offsets the garlic and clams. The chopped tomatoes (rather than puree) complement the Marsala, and when the alcohol reduces, thickens, and the basil works its magic, well, you've got yourself a bit of snack heaven on your hands. Crusty bread and a glass of your house red is a must!

CHICKIE’S LINGUINI & CLAM SAUCE

1 pound of linguini
¾-1 cup exrta-virgin olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup Marsala wine
2 cans of 6.5-ounce chopped clams, 1 drained, 1 juice reserved
1 Tbs. dried basil
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper
½ a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
Locatelli Romano cheese, grated

Boil water for pasta, and cook al dente, according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepot, heat olive oil over medium low. Add garlic, and cook gently for about 5 minutes, being sure garlic doesn’t burn.

Stir in wine, clams, basil, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, tomatoes. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce to a very soft simmer, and cover. Let cook for 15 minutes. Toss sauce with hot pasta, and serve, passing grated cheese at the table.

Quinoa Crunch

2009-08-26T11:33:00.017-04:00

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!!

Let me count the ways...

Cheap? Check. (Verrry cheap. As in, pennies, cheap. Check the bulk grains section in the healthfood store. You're covered.)

Quick? Check. (As in, I threw this in the oven while my coffee brewed and I showered for work.)

Easy? Check. (As in mix, spread, bake. Done!)

Oh and there are so many wonderful ways this is the perfect snack:

Quinoa is the highest and only complete-protein grain out there.
It's versatile; tasty in savory and sweet recipes. You can use this quinoa crunch anyway you would granola - on yogurt, baked into Blueberry Crunch Muffins, or mixed into Fig Scones, or poured into a bowl with cold milk.

This would be a fab grain to add to my old stand-by, Mix & Match Granola. Remember this one?(CLICK HERE, if you don't remember.) ;)
Quinoa Crunch is close to perfection in a snack.
Snack heaven. Snack love.
Perfect to eat while watching eye candy on the old cable TV. And also for watching version two of eye candy on the old cable TV. (Indulge me for a moment. Thanks.)

QUINOA CRUNCH
adapted from Body & Soul Magazine

1 cup quinoa
1 Tbs. agave or organic maple syrup
1 Tbs. safflower oil

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients and spread onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or so, till golden brown. Cool completely on the sheet and store leftovers in an airtight container.

Cranberry & Blood Orange Bread

2009-08-21T12:27:00.030-04:00

Fear! Fear! Fear! Swine flu! War! Danger! Apocalypse! Terror! Lewd dudes on the Subway!

Sigh...I've decided I will not be terrorized by my television, and have decided NO MORE NEWS! Even the cooks on the cooking shows seem strung out. So I've made a hard and fast decision: I have chosen to allow from my TV and into my home ONLY fiction, fantasy, animals running around in the woods, and cute people. Lots of cute people. Especially cute people.

It's time to take back my TV. Thousands of digital channels at my fingertips, and somehow the *real terrorists* (newscasters) sneak their way in, spreading the disease of fear within seconds (while wearing a swanky satin blouse and a smile). No more swine swiggity swak for me, thank you very much.

My dad used to always say "Why fret about something you can't control?"

Well, Dad, I heard what you said. I can and will control my TV, and filter what comes into my home. And I choose to filter out the blood and fear and filter in only cute people.

Well, let me be a little clearer...The only blood or fear I will see on my TV will involve very good-looking Vampires in the deep south with great haircuts. (Yeah, you know what I'm sayin'. :))

In honor of those sexy, bloody cutie pies on HBO, I give you something I'd love to bring over to their next uh, community...meeting...
Blood Orange & Cranberry Bread
(adapted from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)

Ingredients:
2 cups flour (I used a combo of millet and spelt)
3/4 cups to 1 cup sugar (I used 6 packets of Stevia sweetener)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 t salt
zest from 3 oranges
3/4 cups blood orange juice (about 3 oranges)
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
1 c cranberries, coarsely chopped (I used 2/3 cup of dried organic cranberries)
2 Tbs. flax seeds (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a loaf tin (I used two mini loaf pans).

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest.

In another bowl, combine the orange juice, egg and melted butter together.

Add in the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Add cranberries and stir just until blended. Pour batter into tin(s), sprinkle with optional flax seeds, and bake for about 1 hour (30 minutes for mini loaves) or until cake tester comes out clean. Just check with a toothpick at 30 minutes to be safe. Let cool on a wire rack.

Summertime Picnic Feast

2009-08-21T12:09:00.018-04:00

I love snacks. I love them more than elaborate meals with huge portions. The Spanish have it spot on with tapas.

Over the weekend, we had a hankering for a snack smorgasbord. It was the perfect meal for a hot summer afternoon. I also think these dishes would be great for a summer eve cocktail party with sangria. You can make all of the dishes ahead of time, and are all delicious served at room temperature. Don't forget to scatter the platter with lots of fresh, raw vegetables and crusty bread sticks or crackers for dipping.
BABA GHANOUSH
(Eggplant & Tahini Dip):
Courtesy of Karen Srour of Food Network

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:
Slice eggplant in half lengthwise and put upside down on a greased foil lined pan. Put under a broiler until the outside skin is charred black and the pulp inside is soft (15 to 30 minutes). Scrape out eggplant and put in bowl to cool, preferably in refrigerator for several hours. Pour off extra liquid before using.

In a food processor, mince garlic, and scrape down sides. Add eggplant, salt, and 1/4 cup tahini. Pulse the food processor to mix. Slowly add lemon juice. Taste. Adjust salt and lemon or tahini.

Serve on a shallow platter and garnish with chopped parsley, miniature eggplant, tomato or radish roses. Serve with warm pita bread or crackers.

TUSCAN TUNA BOATS:
Ingredients:
2 or 3 celery stalks, halved
1 can of good Italian tuna, packed in olive oil
½ a lemon, juiced (and zested, optional)
Handful of fresh basil or mint leaves, coarsely chopped (or combo of both)
¼ cup fresh fennel, chopped
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Directions:
To a mixing bowl, add drained tuna, basil (or mint), fennel, olive oil, lemon juice (and optional zest). Stir, breaking up the tuna. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill/marinate in the fridge for an hour.

When ready to serve, pack tuna into celery stalks and place on a pretty platter.

SPICY BACK BEANS ON EGGPLANT WHEELS
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized eggplant
Salt & pepper
1/8-1/4 cup olive oil for cooking, plus olive oil for brushing eggplants
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ a roasted red pepper (pimiento), chopped
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cumin
¼ teaspoon dried cayenne pepper or hot sauce
½ lime, squeezed
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice a medium-sized eggplant into thick rounds. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place rounds on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or so, until eggplant is lightly browned. Flip the rounds and bake another 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized sauce pan, heat the 1/8-1/4 cup oilive oil. When pan is hot, sautee the onion till transluscent, about 4 minutes or so. Add garlic and spices and sauté for a couple minutes. Add red pepper, beans and lime juice. Cook until beans are heated through. Stir in cilantro.

Scoop the bean mix onto the eggplant rounds with an ice cream scooper (about ¼ cup). Return the baking sheet to the oven for about 10 minutes, so the beans become a little browned on top.

Crunchy Carrot Pineapple Snack Cake

2009-08-17T14:38:00.014-04:00

A cake with no butter? No dairy? No sugar? No refined flour? Only organic fruits, grains and nuts? That tastes good?

Did I just hear a "get the heck outta here?" Yeah, that’s what I said too...

Who wants to hear the words "cake" and "sugar-free" in the same sentence? But trust me on this one. It is delightfully and truly delicious, thanks to my favorite nutritionist in the whole wide world, Ann Louise Gittleman.

Believe me, I'm no anti-dessert, anti-fun, crotchety Miss Gulch of Food...As we all probably know by now, I've been known to get DOWN with a red velvet cake or some real-deal milk chocolate chip cookies. I admit I've a killer sweet tooth and I loooove to bake. But for every day eating, I really do try to limit my sugar and flour consumption. And hey, I honestly appreciate what comes out of Mother Nature's "oven" just the way it is, without it being transformed by complex cooking techniques. (A crunchy, cold apple is just so under-rated!) :)

This carrot cake tastes amazing spread with Stevia-sweetened cream cheese (soy for me) or a bit of honey drizzled on top, but it's also really delicious as is.

ALG'S CRUNCHY CARROT PINEAPPLE SNACK CAKE
Recipe courtesy of Ann Louise Gittleman
(serves 8 to 10 people)

3 large carrots
1 large egg
3/8 cup oil (like coconut or macadamia nut)
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple in own juice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (I used spelt & millet flours)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (or cloves)
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Scrub and grate the carrots on the small side of the grater. Measure 1 cup and set aside. Spray 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray (I don't have a square pan, so I used a Bundt cake pan and it worked out beautifully).

In blender, combine egg, oil, pineapple and juice, raisins, walnuts and vanilla. Process until raisins are finely chopped. (I don’t have a blender yet, so I just chopped the heck out of all of this on a cutting board, and it worked fine.)

Measure flour, spices, salt, and baking powder into large mixing bowl. Stir well. Add blended mixture and grated carrots to dry ingredients, mixing until batter is uniform.

Spread batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until toothpick comes out clean. [Test the cake at 30 MINUTES because that is all mine took to bake.] Cool and enjoy!

Roast Beef with Wine Sauce

2009-08-12T17:47:00.011-04:00

Oh hello CROCK POT baby, you loyal, dependable, always-on-my-side Friend-O-Mine. Yeah.

I love that I can put you in the back of my cabinet, forget about you for months, but then when we see each other again, it’s like we were hanging out just yesterday. Nothing’s changed. I can count on you to always be the same. You never let me down. You are always there to help. You make my life easier. You don’t care if I have on make-up or not. You love to sit in my kitchen all darn day long, and you never make a mess. And I can call on you in any hour of need.

Crock pot, would you like to come to my wedding? What? You don’t know anyone? Ah, not to worry, dear old Crocky, I am going to seat you next to my other BFF, Mr. Cast Iron Skillet.

HERE'S THE BEFORE SHOT AT 9AM BEFORE WORK:

AND HERE IS THE AFTER SHOT, 8 HOURS LATER:

ROAST BEEF WITH WINE SAUCE

3 pounds (or so) organic beef roast
5-8 shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 or 2 onions, sliced
2-3 carrots, cut into chunks
3-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
5-10 new potatoes
Sea salt & cracked black pepper
A few dashes Worcestershire sauce
A teaspoon of horseradish powder or a tablespoon horseradish in a jar
2-3 Tbs. ketchup
2 Tbs. onion granules
2 cups broth (beef or vegetable)
Olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine

1. Place onions, carrots, garlic, mushrooms and potatoes in the crock pot.

2. Generously salt & pepper the roast on all sides. Heat a large skillet with olive oil, and when it’s hot, add the seasoned roast. Brown the heck out of it on all sides (because, as Chef Anne Burrell says, "brown food tastes good!"). Add the roast to the crock pot.

3. Turn the frying pan burner down to medium. Add wine, and stir and scrape up all the browned bits. When wine is reduced by half, add the stock and all the remaining seasonings. Stir it up. Pour all of this into the crock pot. Cover and turn on low. Fuggedabodit for 6-10 hours. Come home to a delightfully aromatic home and begin salivating.

Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-08-10T17:27:00.010-04:00

In a temporary attempt to cut wheat, dairy and sugar from my diet (basically avoiding all white foods so that I look good in my white dress this fall ;-)), I adapted this cookie recipe -- using agave nectar and spelt flour instead of white flour and white sugar.

With furrowed brow and dour skepticism in my snack-loving heart, I put the baking sheets in the oven. Then I remembered my brand-new and full-on effort to try to find something positive in every experience (and remain focused on it!). I hoped for the best. And you know what? These lil' babies stepped up to the plate. My plate! They are delicious, chewy, 4th grader after-school snack-worthy. Serious. And I’m not talking “these aren’t not bad for health food.” Nope. I’m talking, “Damn child, these cookies taste GOOD! I should try to sell this thing to Nabisco!”

And of course, just like my white ingredient-laden nemesis, I ate way too many. But what’s the positive in that? Ah, let me count the ways…Fiber, low-glycemic index, they’re yummy, my dress will still fit, they make me smile, my house smells good while they bake, organic yummies, unprocessed yummies, happy snacking, I get to share my recipe with you, I love chocolate, chocolate makes me happy, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate…

SPELT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Adapted from Eat Right For Your Blood Type

Ingredients:
1/3 C. canola oil
½ C. maple syrup (I used agave nectar)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 organic egg
1 ½ C. flour (spelt, oat, brown, rice <--I used spelt)
¼ flax meal
1 tsp. baking soda
½ C. chocolate chips or unsweetened carob chips
Dash of allspice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 375 degrees.

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, syrup and vanilla. Beat in the egg.

3. Stir in the flour, baking soda and allspice. If mix seems to wet, add a little more flour, a few tablespoons at a time until it has a nice, thick cookie dough consistency.

4. Fold in chocolate or carob chips.

5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, 1 ½ inches apart, onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Eat them with an ice cold glass of milk (or soy milk). Paula Deen likes hers with ice cubes, and I tried it. She’s right—it rocks. :-)

Happy Birthday Pupcakes!

2009-08-10T11:19:00.017-04:00

Everyone, this is Wilson. Wilson, this is everyone.

Wilson is the sweet and lovable doggy of my fiance’s sister. She is such a good doggy mommy and loves her pupster so much, that for her birthday, I decided to make her special cupcakes in the likeness of the cute little rumproast that is Wilson. Using my Hello, Cupcake! Cookbook as a guide, I came up with these “pupcakes.”

Hello, Cupcake! is an amazing book—it’s filled with ingenious cupcake decorating ideas that come out not even looking like cupcakes, but like, say, spaghetti & meatballs, a box of buttered popcorn, sharks, kitties, a TV dinner, Christmas ornaments, and bunnies digging in the dirt.HAPPY BIRTHDAY PUPCAKES!
Hello, Cupcake!

This cookbook has great cupcake recipes in addition to the decorating ideas. Adding four whopping eggs and the buttermilk makes the texture of these cakes soooo soft and creamy, but also firm enough on top so that they can take the weight of the decorations. This recipe surprised me, and I have to say these are some of the best tasting cupcakes ever!

Ingredients:
1 box (18.25 oz) cake mix (vanilla, devil’s food, or yellow—I used devil’s food)
1 cup buttermilk (in place of water called for on the box)
Vegetable oil (the amount on the box)
4 eggs (in place of the number called for on the box)

Frosting:
1 container of Duncan Hines French vanilla frosting

For Decorations:
Per cupcake:
½ a pink Starburst chew
2 mini chocolate M&Ms
1 small black jelly bean OR 2 chocolate chips
Multi-colored sprinkle dots
1 Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie or any thin wafer cookie

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Follow the box instructions, putting all the ingredients in a large bowl and using the buttermilk in place of the water specified on the box, using the amount of vegetable oil that is called for, and adding the eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat until thick, 2 minutes longer.

3. Fill paper liners two-thirds full. The book recommends filling a ziplock bag with half the batter, snipping off ¼-inch of the corner, and piping the batter into the muffin tins. Repeat with the second half of the batter.

4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.

To decorate:

NOTE: BE SURE CUPCAKES ARE COMPLETELY COOL (as in, not even a little bit warm!) or else the frosting will ooze off into a drooling, sappy mess!!

1. Frost a cupcake with the vanilla frosting, as you normally would.

2. Next, fill a ziplock bag with a big scoop of vanilla frosting. Snip off 1/8-inch of a corner.

3. Pipe the outline of the dog's muzzle as in the picture above. Pipe two kidney-shaped eye sockets.

4. Cut the cookie or Thin Mint straight in half with a paring knife to create ears. Frost each ear with frosting and place them in the cupcake.

5. Place the M&Ms for eyes and the jelly bean for the nose on the cupcake. If you don’t have jelly beans, you can microwave two Nestle chocolate chips at 9-second intervals to soften a bit, and shape them into nose shapes with your fingers.

6. Place the sprinkles on the face for whiskers.

7. Cut one Starburst chew in half lengthwise with a paring knife. Press the candy half with your thumb to shape like a tear drop. Score a line down the center with a paring knife to create the likeness of a tongue. Place the tongue on the cupcake to finish the sweet little Wilson face. Feel tempted to scratch behind his ears, but don't do it for fear of smearing his frosting fur.

8. Place the cupcakes in a box – I bought a cupcake box from my local bakery. Place a pretty note or card on top and give your pupcakes to someone special. :-)

Dandelion Green Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese

2009-07-28T17:58:00.019-04:00

Oven Schmoven. It's about 100 degrees out there and humid...so there will be no baking of hot stuff until I get about 10 less degrees out of my day!

That said, I found a cool, summer salad recipe in my brand-spankin-new Dave Lieberman cookbook (thank you, T-family!). This salad would be lovely paired with some grilled meat, fish, or as an appetizer to pasta.

Dave's recipe calls for the beets directly in the dressing via blender, resulting in a sweet, brilliant, magenta-colored dressing drizzled over the crisp and bitter greens and cool, creamy goat cheese. I don't have a blender or food processor (I know, I know, disgrazie for a cook!!), but if/when I do acquire one, I will follow Dave's recipe and add the pics. The bright red dressing is quite striking in his book photos, and it would be an impressive dinner party salad.

In the meantime, this dish is just as scrumptious (and still very pretty to look at) with beets in solid form. :)DANDELION GREENS WITH BEET DRESSING AND GOAT GOUDA

Adapted from Dave's Dinners
(this book is awesome)

For the Salad:
1/3 cup sliced, toasted almonds (I used pecans)
2 bunches dandelion greens *tip - see below
1/4 pound goat Gouda, shaved (I used french honey goat cheese, crumbled)

For the Dressing:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
1 pound boiled beets
Salt

Wash and trim the greens.

Combine dressing ingredients in a blender container and blend until perfectly smooth. Spoon a generous amount onto serving plate. Top with a small bunch of greens, then top with a small handful of toasted nuts and cheese.

If you are doing the no-blender version, then whisk all dressing ingredients (except beets) in a glass measuring cup. Drizzle the dressing over the sliced cooked beets and let marinate in the fridge for an hour or so.

When ready to serve, spoon the beets and dressing over the greens, nuts and cheese.

*TIP:
Fresh dandelion greens come with a LOT of grit on them. The most effective and easiest way to clean them is to soak them in cold water, lift them out, drain, and repeat 2 or 3 times. I do this in a big bowl or in the kitchen sink. Store the greens in large ziplock bags lined with paper towel--they will stay crisp and fresh and ready to eat!

Whole Wheat Poppy Seed Cookies

2009-07-27T13:39:00.010-04:00

I know, I know, I just featured a recipe with poppy seeds. I’m like that. I get into something, and it’s go-time till it’s gone. The same thing happened with my cousin Karen’s amazing pasta recipe -- I made it for dinner twice last week and had the leftovers for lunch…So my latest craze is poppy seeds. They make things look so pretty and cute, and they add the same kind of sensual crunch to baked foods that figs do (which are, incidentally, my all-time favorite, mother-nature-made snack in the whole wide world.)

These cookies are simple, buttery, delicate and just-right. Biting into a cookie like this, with all these little seeds making that happy “pop-crunch-snap” in the mouth is one of the simplest, smilingest joys not to be guffawed at. Sesame seeds in place of the poppy seeds in this recipe are also highly recommended, and will induce an equal state of general goodwill. I think that if snacks and little bites of sweets containing crunchy things were consumed by all world-leaders on a daily basis, there might be no more war.

WHOLE WHEAT POPPY SEED COOKIES
Adapted from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Ingredients:
1/2 c. soft butter
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
2 beaten Large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
1/3 c. poppy seeds
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour (I used a combo of spelt & soy flour)
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. With a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Beat till light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla.

2. Add in lemon rind and poppy seeds. Beat another five min.

3. Sift together dry ingredients. Add in to first mix and mix well with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

4. Refrigerate the dough about an hour (important step, or the cutouts won't do their thing!). Roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into your favorite shapes. Bake on a lightly greased tray 10-12 min at 375 degrees.

Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil & Brie

2009-07-23T11:00:00.015-04:00

My cousin Karen hooked me up! She is an amazing cook, especially of Italian cuisine: she makes her own homemade pasta and has a wonderfully fresh style of cooking. I'd like to officially announce that Karen rocks. I love this dish so much, I've already made it for dinner twice this week!

This is light, summer cooking at its very BEST. It's a celebration of summer's bounty: juicy, sweet tomatoes, bright green basil leaves, and sharp, glorious garlic. The sauce does not even get cooked--the ingredients just macerate in a bowl on the counter. If you aren't a fan of brie, smoked mozzerella makes a fantastic substitution. I tried it and it was delicious!

I have not yet attemped making my own pasta, but I did buy fresh whole wheat fettucini from my local grocer. It makes a huge difference to buy fresh, I think. The texture is so lovely and succulent with the sauce.

The lighting was a little low for my evening food photo session, but I promise you, the colors, texture and taste of this dish are vibrant times one hundred.

Thanks cous! xoLinguine with Tomatoes and Basil
adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook

4 ripe large tomatoes, cubed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup clean basil leaves, torn in strips
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (but Karen & I both think a 1/2 cup is plenty!)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 lb Brie, rind removed and torn into pieces (good brie substitutions: smoked mozzerella or regular mozzerella)
1 ½ lbs linguine
freshly grated parmesean (optional)

Combine first seven ingredients in a large bowl and set aside covered at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

Cook linguine and drain. Add pasta to the bowl of tomato mixture, and toss to combine. Serve at once - and pass the peppermill and parmesean at the table.

Could a delicious, fresh, gorgeous dinner come any easier than this??

Poppy Seed Bread

2009-07-22T15:04:00.012-04:00

Before I begin, I’d like to ask that you put on the [soundtrack to this post by playing this. ] Ah, nice and soft volume….good…the mood is set...

Dear Tony the Tiger, Boo Berry, Sugar Bear, and of course my beloved, Sonny the Cuckoo,

It is with wistful nostalgia that I share my news with you today.

Alas, it is time to say goodbye.

We both saw it coming. I think we just need a little time apart. I’ve grown and changed. You haven’t. It’s not your fault. I didn’t mean to change; it just…happened. I suppose moving to this town, reading more books, or taking that cooking class had something to do with it. Who can say why the caged bird sings?

I guess what I’m trying to say Sonny, Tony, Boo and Sugar Bear, is that as much as I love you, and will always love you, I can no longer have you in my life as part of this nutritious breakfast.

I’ve fallen for another. Her name is Poppy Seed Bread. I know what you’re thinking. But I’m not a snob, and you know it. Sure, my poppy’s more sophisticated and complex than what I’ve shared with you, but we have fun together. And I feel, well, complete now.

I’m sorry it had to end this way. But it’s over. One day you’ll look back and know this was the best thing that could’ve happened to us. I only hope we can be friends.

Forgive me,
Flappergirl

POPPY SEED BREAD
Adapted from Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 ½ Cups Flour (I used 1 cup spelt, 1 cup soy flour , and ½ cup whole wheat)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 ¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ¼ cups sugar (I used 1 cup agave nectar)
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup milk
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
¼ cup poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease & flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan.

2. In large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside.

3. In another large bowl, beat oil and sugar (or agave nectar) till smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

4. To the egg mix, add the evaporated milk, regular milk and vanilla.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix well. Stir in poppy seeds.

6. Pour into baking pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs attached to it.

7. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Cordially Uninvited (aka Calzones & Ice Cream Day!)

2009-07-20T17:27:00.024-04:00

Once a year or so, I have one of those days where I just stay in. And I don’t mean “stay in” as in forego drinks on Saturday night. I mean “stay in” as in “Honeys, I’ll see y'all in 24 hours, ok?”

It’s really a lot of fun and a necessary annual event for me. I turn off the cell phone, unplug the computer, remain in my house in my favorite soft shirt and fuzzy pink socks, and really just decompress. Relax. Chill. Just once a year or so. We all have some sort of list of day-to-day, taxing nonsense we experience and we all have a need to get away from it every so often.

Here is my list:
the grind,
living in a large city,
over-stimulation,
honking horns,
noise,
electronics,
people,
vibrations,
commerce,
ads,
and as Sting sang, “too much information, running through my brain.”

Don't get me wrong, mine is a stimulating life that I love and have chosen. But once in a blue moon, I just love to say, “Thank you for coming, World, I had a fabulous time with you. Now please leave, and don’t let the door hit you’re a$s on the way out. See you tomorrow.”

And you know what? It's a great feeling to totally do it and give yourself permission. Just once! Allow the kids a sleepover night at their friends' house, schedule one personal day off from work, or have your partner go run the errands and do the laundry this once. Hang out in your fuzzy socks.

That’s just what I did last Saturday. After I sighed, I smiled. It was a glorious day of well-deserved quiet, lounging, staring at the clouds, spacing out…Oh and I baked some calzones and made homemade ice cream…and had a little indoor pizza party with my fiancé. We ate dessert first. :) I recommend this.
While we all know how amazing it can feel to vacation far, far, away, I must fully and wholly sing the praises of the random vacation that’s close, close, inside...

SPINACH & CHEESE CALZONES

Dough:
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1 cup lukewarm (wrist temp) water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2-3 cups whole wheat flour (or combo of flours totalling this amount)
Olive oil

Filling:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 sprig of thyme leaves
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 small sliced onion
1 lb. fresh spinach (or kale, or collards, or chard), washed and chopped
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tbs. dried sweet basil
2 cups grated mozzerella
½ cup grated parmesan
Sea salt & fresh-cracked pepper
½ jar of your favorite tomato sauce

MAKE DOUGH:
Soften together yeast, water and honey.

Add salt and flour to make a soft dough. With floured hands and floured board, knead 10 minutes, or till smooth and elastic, adding flour if necessary to keep from being too sticky.

Place the dough ball into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic or a tea towl, and let rise till doubled (about 1 hour).

While dough is rising, prepare the filling (see below for directions)

Punch down. Divide into six sections and roll out in rounds 1/4 inch thick.

Fill with 1/2-3/4 cup the greens/cheese filling, placing the filling on one half of the circle, leaving a 1/2 inch rim. Add a tablespoonful of tomato sauce on top of filling.

Moisten the rim with a little water, fold the empty side over, and crimp the edges.

Prick here and there with a fork to allow steam to escape.

Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet lined with cornmeal (or an oiled tray, or a baking stone) in a preheated 450 oven for 15-20 minutes or till crisp and lightly browned.

Serve hot, with a little extra tomato sauce on the side for dipping.

MAKE FILLING:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, thyme and onions. Stir and cook 10 minutes or so, until onions are slightly caramelized. Stir often.

2. Add greens and red pepper flakes and stir, cooking until greens are wilted. Remove from heat.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, basil and salt & pepper. Stir in the warm greens mixture, and taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

EASY VANILLA CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM

Ingredients:

* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 cup light cream* (half and half)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 pinch salt
* 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (or chocolate shavings)

Whisk all ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a large mixing bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add to ice cream maker and freeze according to machine's directions. Stir in chips 5 minutes before ice cream maker time is up.

Makes 1 quart (that should cover a campy 60s double feature for two on cable TV)

*1/2 cream and 1/2 milk may be substituted for light cream

Lemon Taralli Biscuits (Biscotti Taralli al Limone)

2009-07-13T12:25:00.015-04:00

Many years ago I was enjoying the San Genarro Festival in Little Italy in New York City, when I spotted a local baker selling these donut-like cookies on the street. I think he charged me a dollar, and he tucked 3 or 4 of them into a small paper bag. I walked away with my treat thinking not a whole lot about them until I got home. And when I dunked one of them into a hot cup of coffee, I felt instantly transported to a sunny little café near a lemon tree orchard, somewhere deep in the hills of Sicily.

Taralli biscuits are common throughout all of Sicily, and some provinces flavor them with anise, or with orange. This version is lemon-flavored, with lots of bright, fresh lemon zest and juice in the cookie and the glaze. These crunchy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside biscuits can also be enjoyed with espresso, or even a glass of wine (sometimes they are called Wine Biscuits). I say go all European style on these cookies, and enjoy them with a glass (or two) of wine after a long and leisurely late afternoon lunch.
LEMON TARALLI BISCUITS
(Biscotti Taralli al Limone)

INGREDIENTS:

For the Dough:
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
¼ lb. or 1 stick of unsalted butter (at room temperature)
4 medium eggs
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
zest of 1 lemon
flour for dusting

For the Icing:
1 cup confectionary sugar
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of water

DIRECTIONS:

The Dough
Make a well with the flour, place in it and combine sugar and butter.
Add eggs, salt, baking powder, baking soda and lemon zest. Mix all ingredients with the help of a fork and then using your hands knead to bring dough together.
Do not over mix. Do not handle dough more than necessary. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
Prepare pan: grease and dust a cookie sheet with flour.

The Biscuits
Cut dough in 2 pieces and each pieces in 2 parts. Knead dough and make each piece compact, shape each piece into an elongated roll 1½ inch in diameter. Cut it into 6 pieces and roll each piece to form a stick about 6 inches long. Seal the ends together to form a circle, place each piece into a greased pan, 2 inches apart.

The Baking
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until cookies are a light golden color.

The Icing
Place the confectionary sugar, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of water and the zest of lemon in a bowl and whip it until it becomes creamy. If needed, add a bit more confectioner’s sugar to achieve the creamy consistency.

When taralli are cooled, using a pastry brush, glaze the taralli. When biscuits are completely dry, store them in an airtight cookie jar or container.

Fig Scones

2009-07-10T12:09:00.019-04:00

Sometimes when I pull baking sheets out of the oven I talk to the items sitting atop of them. “Hello scones. Oh you lovely little breakfast babies. I love you. Yes I do. You did a good job there in the oven. I’m proud of all your hard work.”

These crumbly little cuties are a bit of heaven if you ask me. Oh and the figs? Forget it, I'm convinced God was just in a really good mood when he invented them. Both fresh and dried are perfect foods to me. Fresh figs are aphrodisiacally delicious, like, oh say, poached in port and served warm over vanilla ice creammmm. And dried figs are to-die-for in baked foods, ever-reminiscent of one of the best cookies of childhood and maybe ever: the almighty Fig Newton.

You can use either fresh or dried figs in this recipe, but I chose dried because the raisin-like chewiness of the fig flesh, along with that little crunchy pop of the inner seeds just seemed like it needed to be nestled inside the flaky loveliness of a buttery scone.

This is another very easy and fun-to-make quick bread. I sit happy and reassured at the fact I’ll never again have to spend 5 bucks on a cold, hard scone from my local corporate coffee conveyor belt, when I can have my home smelling like a sweet Irish lass’s B&B in minutes. And no one's going to be afraid when I fuss and coo at my beautiful baked babies.FIG SCONES
adapted from Whole Foods Market

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats or (i used red winter wheat)
3 tablespoons flax seeds
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces and well chilled
3/4 cup chopped dried figs
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk, divided
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but adds a lot of flavor and aroma!)
1 to 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional)
Method

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Put flour, oats, flax seeds, baking powder and salt into a food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse again mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add apricots and repeat process.

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, 1/2 cup of the buttermilk, eggs and almond extract then pour in a constant stream into food processor while pulsing just until mixture is blended. Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and form into a 9-inch circle. Using a floured knife, cut dough into 12 wedges and transfer to a large baking sheet, arranging the scones 1 to 2 inches apart.

Brush scones with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk then sprinkle with sugar. Bake until cooked through and golden brown around the edges, about 25 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

We will miss you, Michael.

2009-07-09T11:32:00.013-04:00

Losing Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer of our lifetime, hit me harder than I thought it would. He was such a huge influence on me musically (I spent many years as a professional musician) and he was a huge part of the soundtrack of my life, as I know he was for so many of us. And I am sad.

All I’ve wanted to do since I heard the shocking news, is bake a pie in his honor. I don’t know why. I know it's silly. But I have to do it. It’s going to be a special pie that I have never made before, and I will make it with love and affection for one of the most gifted and original talents the world has ever known. Sometimes baking in quiet contemplation and love can be like a form of prayer.

This pie will be shared and eaten in honor of all the sweetness and smiles Michael brought to us.

I am going to get my recipe together and bake it with quiet love for the shooting star that went back into the sky.

We are honored to be in the world when Michael Jackson was in the world.

Nice Rice

2009-07-09T11:27:00.006-04:00

I had to make some room in my fridge for a pie, which will be baked with love in honor of Michael Jackson. It will be shared and eaten in honor of all the sweetness and smiles Michael brought to the world.

In my attempt to empty the pantry, I made a rice dish that surprised me in its yumminess. I took my scraps of veggies, leftover meat and a few spices, and came up with a Chinese-style fried rice that was filled with surprisingly piquant flavor for so few ingredients. It’s easy and a very mix-and-match dish that you can alter according to the leftovers you in your fridge. Maybe you will try it when you need to make room in your fridge for something sweet that will make people smile.

NICE RICE

3-4 Tbs, Sesame oil (or vegetable oil)
2 cups leftover chicken or beef, diced, or frozen, thawed shrimp
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. ground ginger (or fresh, minced)
¼ tsp. ground coriander
Ground white pepper, to taste
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
T Tbs. pomegranate molasses or oyster or hoisin sauce
1 medium onion, sliced
1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 carrot, peeled & sliced into diagonal pieces
4-5 shitake mushrooms, sliced into strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper of any color, thinly sliced
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 eggs, beaten
Lemon zest
Fresh chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the meat, red pepper, ginger, 5-spice powder, white pepper, soy sauce and molasses. Stir fry for a couple minutes.

2. Add onion, broccoli, carrot, and stir for another 2 minutes or so.

3. Add mushrooms, garlic and bell pepper. Stir for a minute or two.

4. Add rice and stir till all combined.

5. Make well in center and pour in eggs. Let set for a few seconds to solidify, and gently stir through rice, so that pieces of egg are visible throughout.

6. Turn off heat and zest some lemon over the whole thing. Sprinkle some fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley over the top, if desired.

Pomegranate Shrimp

2009-07-02T14:41:00.009-04:00

How was your Fourth of July? Did you enjoy the long weekend? I live in a big city, and while I spent a bit of the weekend longing for a backyard and a grill (and a washing machine that doesn't require quarters to run!!), my fiance and I managed to have a lot of fun riding down the coast to the beach.

That said, I had no interest lollying for hours in my kitchen as I usually do--the big blue sky was out there waiting for us to play under it! So we had a quick bite of 5-minute pomegranate shrimp, grabbed the sunscreen, and we were on off...

POMEGRANATE SHRIMP
Adapted from Modern Spice

I am in love with my new favorite pantry condiment: pomegranate molasses. I just bought it by chance in a Middle Eastern grocery because it looked interesting and was inexpensive....and it turned out to be an killer ingredient in so many dishes! I recommend you grab a bottle for yourself. It's tart-sweet-tang adds a gorgeous depth of flavor to so many dishes.

Serves 4 as an entree

1 ½ pounds shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon red chile powder or red chile flakes
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 sprig fresh curry leaves
2 large or 4 to 6 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (see Note)

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, pomegranate molasses, garlic, turmeric, chile powder, coriander, and salt. Mix well. The best way to do this is with your hands.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the curry leaves and shallots. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the shallots just begin to change color.

Add the shrimp and marinade. Toss for a few minutes, just until the shrimp are completely cooked through.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.

Note: Use only fresh pomegranate seeds, not dried, or you will have a mess on your hands!

Strawberry Muffins

2009-06-30T14:21:00.020-04:00

I posted a strawberry recipe earlier in the month, but hey, what the heck, it’s Strawberry season. Besides, they are so sweet and lovely right now...and inexpensive. Let’s go crazy.

Ever read Body & Soul Magazine? I love it, mainly for the gorgeous photography, recipes, uplifting articles, and all-around breath of fresh media air. I saw a recipe for strawberry muffins in a recent issue and decided to revise it further to suit the needs of Flapper Foodies (like me.)

Instead of refined sugar, you can use Turbinado or organic Stevia as a sweetener to the already sweet, in-season berries. I also replaced most of the white flour with flax meal and whole wheat flour. I topped each muffin with a sprinkling of golden flax seeds, which offer a nice crunch topping.

Ya know what? I just think things taste better when they are made with nice grain flours. Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe all-purpose flour has its place in certain pastries, but I wholeheartedly believe a muffin, deep in its little ol' muffin heart, wants to be what it was born to be: a rustic, hearty and earthy snack.

So, my muffin-loving friends, if you desire some added sweetness, then pat a bit of butter and a drizzle of honey inside a split, warm muffin. I love to do that myself, but honestly, these don’t even need it. The baked beauties are living their fullest and truest muffin purpose: to burst forth with glorious grain and strawberry goodness. Crazy muffins.
STRAWBERRY MUFFINS
Adapted from Body & Soul Magazine
Makes 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups sliced strawberries
6 packets of Stevia sweetener (or 2 Tbs. organic Turbinado Sugar)
1 cup organic whole wheat flour
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup organic ground flax meal
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 Tbs. white vinegar or lemon juice)
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons of golden flax seeds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Slice strawberries and place them to a medium-sized bowl. Add the Stevia, and, using a potato masher, lightly mash berries; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a large glass measuring cup, combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk mixture and berry mixture. Fold until just combined. Using an ice cream scooper, fill the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with flax seeds.

Bake for about 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Braciole with Broccoli Rabe (Beef Flank Steak Rolls with Broccoli Rabe)

2009-06-30T10:53:00.016-04:00

I'm getting my inner grandma on today just for you. xo Hey…what’s all this frettin’ about? You watching the news again? Those scavengers of terror. Disease. Sadness. Crime. Terrible things happening to beautiful people. I know, I know, it gives me agita too. Things should be a little nicer for everyone out there in that big world. That's when I go into my kitchen and make the world a little smaller for a couple of hours (and it doesn’t get any smaller than this little kitchen, I'm telling you.)

So listen, fuggeddaboudit. OK? Good. Come on now, sit down at the table. You can keep your shoes on, it’s an old rug. Lemme chop this onion, I’m listenin’. I'm just gonna make a few braciole. Here, have a glass of this nice red. There are some nuts on the table. Now tell me what happened. You hungry? You’re not hungry. What do you mean, you’re not hungry? Okay, so you’ll eat it without bread. Lemme kiss your cheek.BRACIOLE WITH BROCCOLI RABE
(Beef Flank Steak Rolls with Broccoli Rabe)
Recipe by Mario Batali
Serves 4 main course servings

Ingredients
3 cups Basic Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
1 cup green Italian olives
2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano leaves
1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese
4 bunches Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1 cup
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound beef flank steak, sliced into 8 thin scallops
Salt and pepper
1 bunch broccoli rabe, blanched in boiling water and refreshed
Flour for dusting
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine

Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, green olives and 2 tablespoons oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking while assembling the rest of the dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine the Pecorino, chopped parsley and nutmeg and mix until well blended. Lay 8 pieces of steak out on board. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the Pecorino mixture evenly over the beef, spreading it to form a thin layer on top of each piece of steak. Roughly chop the broccoli rabe and divide it among the pieces of beef. Roll up each piece like a jelly roll and tie securely with a piece of butcher's twine. [FLAPPER NOTE: You can also secure with 2 or 3 toothpicks in each roll in lieu of the twine.] Dredge each roll in the flour.

In a 12- to 14-inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil until smoking. Place 4 rolled steak pieces at a time in the skillet and brown evenly, rolling with tongs or a wooden spoon. Remove first 4 pieces and repeat with remaining four. Remove second group and pour off the cooking oil to discard.

Put the skillet back on the heat and add the red wine, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add the simmering tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Add all 8 beef rolls and simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until all of the meat is cooked through.
[FLAPPER NOTE: At this point, you can also put everything into a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours and fuggedabouddit.]
Remove the meat to heated platter, pour the sauce over the meat and garnish with the remaining oregano.

Basic Tomato Sauce
Recipe by Mario Batali

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4- inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 28 ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
Salt to taste

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds one week in the refrigerator or up to six months in the freezer. Yield: 4 cups

Puffy Oven Pancake with Warm Peaches

2009-06-29T14:08:00.017-04:00

Listen up you flower children, you hippies, you tree-hugging, peace-loving foodies. It’s time to go water your spider plants, turn up the Bob Dylan vinyl, throw your bras on the burner, and put on your tie-dyed apron.

As you can see, I was inspired this weekend: I pulled out my iconic 1970s cookbook “The Vegetarian Epicure,” a classic gem filled with meatless recipes written at a time when vegetarianism was a radical, bold, borderline taboo social statement. The totally dated preface reflects this – it’s a very entertaining read. Hey, who can deny the charm of the chapter on dinner party ideas, encouraging the host or hostess to “pass the grass” before the first course, to get the gastronomic juices flowing?

OK enough with the macramé potted plants and Carol King albums, the food in this book is really good; the breakfasts and desserts are especially top notch. I felt particularly inspired by the German Apple Pancake recipe, and adapted it to suit my seasonal fondness for peaches. I threw in a few blueberries for color but they aren’t necessary by any means.

This is essentially one huge pancake that gets baked in the oven. Its chewy, buttery texture and flavor reminds me of a humungous popover. It’s fun to have it all ready at the same time too, as opposed to regular pancakes that have to be cooked just a few at a time. The buttery pancake beneath the warm spiced fruit and maple syrup is sure to hit a homerun with hippies and non-hippies alike. Peace, love, and please pass the maple syrup.
PUFFY OVEN PANCAKE WITH WARM PEACHES

Ingredients:
Pancake:
3 large eggs
¾ cup milk
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup thinly sliced peaches (optional)

Filling:
1 pound fresh peaches
¼ cup melted butter
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar or maple syrup (optional)
Pinch ground nutmeg
2 pinches ground cinnamon

Topping:
Warm maple syrup

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Whisk or beat eggs, milk, flour, and salt until very smooth. Stir in optional sliced peaches (or a handful of berries) if desired.

3. Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet on medium, and melt 1½ tablespoons of butter. When it’s hot & bubbly, pour in the pancake batter. Place the entire skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, then lower heat to 350 degrees and bake another 8-10 minutes, or until the pancake is golden brown.
NOTE: The pancake may puff up quite a bit after 10 minutes or so of baking. If this happens, prick it just once or twice with a fork to release a little air.

4. While the pancake is baking, prepare the filling:
Peel & slice fruit. Melt the butter on medium heat and stir in optional sugar or syrup if desired. Add fruit and sautee briefly, just about 5 minutes, until fruit is just tender (not too soft.)

5. Slide pancake onto a platter. Reserve a couple spoonfuls of fruit filling to the side, and pour the rest down the center of the cake. Fold each side over the other, creating a humongous crepe-type roll. Spoon the reserved fruit over the top and serve immediately. Slice pieces off crosswise and drizzle with warm maple syrup.

Blackberry Crunch Muffins with Whipped Honey Butter

2009-06-25T12:07:00.036-04:00

I have a little confession to make. I have coffee in bed every morning. I have been doing this faithfully for most of my adult life. I look forward to it each and every morning. I kiss my fiance goodbye and proceed to make the most exquisite coffee with roasted aromatic beans from an exotic and faraway land. There’s a market near me that grinds beans from all over the world, and I try a different Arabica bean every week. Thank you, Indonesia, for one of the most sublime weeks of coffee in bed I’ve ever had.

And thank you, cute little Small Batch Baking cookbook, for the delicious muffins. I whipped up a few of these after my little coffee ritual in mere minutes. This adorable recipe makes 4 muffins – just right for my breakfast and his after-work snack.

I had some Ezekiel 4:9 brand granola to use up, but it’s a wonderfully cheap ‘n’ cheerful notion to make your own granola – great to have on hand for enjoying with milk or yogurt, and especially for muffin snack attacks like these. The original recipe called for blueberries, but blackberries seemed like a succulent substitution. And oh my, was it ever.BLACKBERRY CRUNCH MUFFINS
with WHIPPED HONEY BUTTER

Ingredients:
Butter for greasing tins, or 4 paper muffin liners
1 standard muffin pan, ½ cup capacity

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
(OR you can omit white flour and increase whole wheat flour to 2/3 cup)
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt (I use sea salt)
Pinch ground nutmeg
½ cup granola
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup packed light brown sugar OR a scant ¼ cup of honey
1 medium egg
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup fresh or thawed frozen blackberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with liners or grease the bottoms only of the 4 muffin tins. Fill the remaining empty muffin cups with water to prevent the pan from scorching.

2. In a medium sized bowl, sift then whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Stir in half of the granola (1/4 cup)

3. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, sugar or honey, egg, vegetable oil and vanilla.
Add the milk mix to the dry ingredients and stir lightly just until combined. Fold in the blackberries.

4. Fill the four muffin cups with the batter, distributing it evenly among each cup. Top the batter with the remaining granola, and press it down lightly so that it sticks a bit to the muffin batter.

5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the pan with tongs and let cool on a plate for a few minutes. Schmear with the lovely honey butter, watch it melt and drip and eat it with plenty of joy.
Whipped Honey Butter

Ingredients:
4 Tbs. butter (I love Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread for spreading on breads and muffins!)
2 Tbs. honey
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon or ginger

Directions:
1. Beat in a small bowl with a hand mixer until it becomes very fluffy and lighter in color.

2. Spread thickly and with eagerness onto a split, warm blackberry muffin. Smile. Eat with plenty of joy. Have another.

Ground control to Major Tom...
And how about this little contraption? It's like a portable little space ship for your muffin or cupcake. I bought two from Williams-Sonoma and really get a lot of use out of them. Frosting and crumb toppings transport flawlessly to work, and everytime I pack one up I find myself beginning to hum "This is ground control to Major Tom...

Strawberry Amaretti Crisp

2009-06-23T11:21:00.034-04:00

Walking past the produce stand last night was like a trip back in time to the 1920s Ziegfeld Follies: all the strawberries were glamorously and gloriously lined up, on display, showing off, looking coquettish and sweet. Those little tarts.

While I prefer my strawberries unadorned and raw in all their luscious juiciness, I decided to bake with some of them since I had so many on hand. I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Small Batch Baking. I love that all the dessert recipes serve just one or two. Here, sliced berries fill a small baking dish, are topped with a crunchy, almond-cinnamon crumb topping and baked to a golden brown crisp. The warm, gooey fruit with the buttery crunchy topping is other-worldly. Trust me. I adapted a few ingredients to my taste (and hopefully yours too!). Since the peak-season strawberries are so sweet and succulent right now, they don’t need as much sugar as the original recipe calls for. So I cut the amount in half, resulting in a perfectly thick, amorously sweet filling that's just-juicy-right.

This dessert is so fun and flirty, I’m tempted to rename it after some fabulous flapper from the Follies. Maybe something along the lines of Strawberry Stella For Star!
or Luscious Lulu!
or Clara Bow Crisp!
On second thought, forget it. Like most Follies girls, this little number’s just too unique to name…

STRAWBERRY AMARETTI CRISP

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter for greasing the baking dish

FOR THE FRUIT:
1 ½ cups quartered strawberries
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
Pinch salt

FOR THE TOPPING:
¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbs. sugar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup crushed amaretti cookies, into coarse crumbs (but I used whole wheat almond biscotti, which I like better)

One 2 or 2 ½ cup gratin dish, oven proof soup bowl or other baking dish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease baking dish lightly with a bit of unsalted butter.

2. Arrange strawberries in the bottom of baking dish.

3. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the strawberries.

4. In the same bowl (now empty) place the flour, sugar, cinnamon and whisk to combine. Stir in the amaretti cookies. Add the butter and, with your fingers or a fork, combine until the whole topping looks like coarse crumbs.

5. Sprinkle this topping evenly all over the strawberries. Place in the heated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the strawberries are thickened and bubbly.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. This will ensure the strawberries will set a little bit and offer a wonderful, luscious filling.

7. Serve as is, warm, room temperature, with ice cream, whipped cream, a drizzle of half & half…the possibilities are endless. The end result is divine.

North African Beef Stew

2009-06-22T12:40:00.011-04:00

I’m still in honeymoon daydream land…thinking of Southern Italy…the Mediterranean… exotic ports of call… Ah yes, this is the fun part… picking out place settings and invitations is alright…but I’d rather hike up an active volcano in Sicily with my new husband or wander into some Tunisian family-owned restaurant to sample some freshly caught, local grilled fish.

All of this got me thinking of the interwoven history in music, art, architecture and of course cuisine. I love how Sicilian cuisine contains elements of African cooking, like couscous, savory meats paired with sweet raisins and cinnamon, and, and, and…then it hit me…I have that delicious (yet lonesome) little bottle of pomegranate molasses in my cupboard just waiting for a purpose in life!

And I found it. Here is a recipe I adapted from cooking hottie Nigella Lawson. The exotic combination of spices can be found in North Africa, Sicily, and along the Mediterranean. The beauty of this brazen combo of flavors is how they mellow into a deep, complex and comforting dark broth. Dip some chewy Whole Wheat Molasses Bread (which you can make way ahead of time, and even freeze) into this stew and you’ve got some luxurious comfort food on hand.

Crock pot cooking in the summer is perfect because the kitchen stays nice and cool. I’m also loving my trusty crock lately because it allows me to shamelessly daydream about my groom and I jet-skiing the Tyrrhenian Sea…and I don’t have to interrupt my blissful vision to get up and stir the pot.

NORTH AFRICAN BEEF STEW

Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound stew beef or lamb
1 onion, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 3-inch chunks
2 Tbs. Soy sauce
1 Tbs. molasses or pomegranate molasses
1 Tbs. Honey
3 Tbs. Marsala
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp Turmeric
1 tsp ground Ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Ground white pepper, to taste
dash tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf

Optional:
3 tbsp pine nuts or slivered almonds
Cooked couscous or whole wheat egg noodles
Whole wheat molasses bread

Directions:
1. Sprinkle the beef with salt & pepper. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil on high heat and brown the beef on all sides. Remove beef to a platter.

2. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the Soy sauce, pomegranate molasses, marsala, honey, garlic, turmeric, ginger, red pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper.

3. Into the crock pot, layer from the bottom up: onions, carrots, potatoes, beef, thyme sprigs, bay leaf. Pour the sauce over the top. Cover and turn crock on low and fuggedaboudit for 6-8 hours.

4. To serve, first remove the thyme sprigs & bay leaf. Ladel the stew into big bowls and sprinkle the nuts over the top. I think a nice, thick slice of this whole wheat molasses bread serves as the perfect accompaniment for sopping up the delicious broth. You can also serve it over cous cous (in keeping with the North African vibe) or whole wheat egg noodles.

Tahini Spice Cake with Intention

2009-06-19T11:57:00.024-04:00

Have you noticed a glaring contradiction on this site yet? Have I told you yet that said “glaring contradiction” is a running theme in my life? I haven’t? Well let me tell you…

As you have probably read by now, Flapper Food is a clearly defined term: clean, pure, not processed, natural ingredients. I am one of those people that sincerely enjoys the taste of a raw carrot just for the taste of it – no salt, no dip, just a nice, sweet, crunchy carrot in all its humble glory. And I like to live my life that way: with intention, simplicity and truth, whether other people find it tasty or not. I want so badly to share my carrots and for everyone to like those hypothetical carrots as much as I do, and I feel so sad when they don’t. But still I crunch…

That said, I have a sweet tooth that borders on criminal. This is the glaring contradiction that warrants my Flapper Food caveat “for a special occasion.” It gives me a Get-Out-of-FlapperFood-Jail Free Card, so that I can bake to my heart’s content whenever the heck I feel the urge.

About the cake: Let’s just say that last night, I felt the urge. This urge involved a huge vat of tahini and a lot of, um, intention. I found a tahini cake recipe online that looked pretty good to me, so I modified it to my tastes as well as the contents of my pantry (like say, buttermilk instead of milk, and raspberry brown ale instead of cognac, a mix of whole and white flours, things like that.) The result is a tangy, savory-sweet, nutty, bold, and wholly unique cake.

So in the end, maybe my caveat is not as much of a contradiction as I thought. The bold and completely unique personality of this cake is a reminder to live life the same way: with cheeky, slightly nutty, but totally authentic intention.
TAHINI SPICE CAKE

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar plus more for dusting (I used turbinado sugar)
1 1/2 cups sesame tahini
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup dark brown beer (I used Otter Creek Raspberry Brown Ale)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
zest of one orange (1 small orange will supply the juice and the zest)
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup hulled sesame seeds

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350. Lightly butter a 9″ cake pan and dust with a little flour

With a whisk or hand mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar till fluffy. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and combine.

Mix the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients (except for the sesame seeds) in a separate bowl.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, whisking to combine.

Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle sesame seeds and sugar all over the top of the cake. (I would say about 2-3 tablespoons of sugar.) Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

NOTE: The complex tang of this cake is on its knees imploring for blueberry ice cream…or vanilla ice cream with freshly smashed blueberries mixed throughout. Holla!

Gran Gran Gibs’ Red Velvet Cake

2009-06-17T11:54:00.030-04:00

For as long as I can remember (and for the life of me I don't know why), I have always loved the color red. I’ve always had at least one pair of red shoes in my wardrobe. And when I don’t have them, I feel a little less complete. Perhaps it’s some childhood regression of Dorothy and her magical shoes in Oz. I can’t imagine what a shrink would do with this nugget of information.

But it’s not just shoes. I love all shades of red on clothing, jewelry, flowers, lingerie, home décor, sneakers, cars, doggie collars, iPods. Heck, I even fantasized for a fleeting (repeat: fleeting) moment of wearing red on my wedding day. Red is sensual, deep, passionate, luxurious, cheeky. Red is such a good thing.

And of course there is the food. (It just occurred to me that there is a very large percentage of red food on this blog. Call that shrink again.)
So let’s talk about this luxurious, tempting lil' harlot of a cake. It’s color is the exact same shade of deep red roses…of blood…of a cloak made of silk velvet…of pinot noir in the sunlight. It’s antiquey red. This cake is beautiful, rich, creamy, and gorgeous – something to be savored and meditated upon.

The recipe itself is from the grandma of my friend Nicole. My dear Nicole and Gran Gran Gibs: THANK YOU! I can honestly say this is one of the best things to come out of my humble little kitchen. And I encourage you all to try this so you can say the same!

I offer you the exquisite aesthetic combination found in just about everything I really love: something old, something new, something borrowed, something…red.

GRAN GRAN GIBS’ RED VELVET CAKE

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 to 2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two round 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.

Using a hand mixer or stand-up mixer, blend the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix each one in.

Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add it to sugar and butter mixture; mix well.

Sift together flour and salt; and then add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture.

Pour batter into 2 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool.

HUGE MEGA NOTE: Be sure cakes are cooled COMPLETELY before frosting them, otherwise you end up with frosting and red crumbs. ;)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients:
1 pound cream cheese, softened (two 8-oz packages)
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (real, true five minutes and no less. Makes a huge difference, trust me! (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

NOTE: This is enough to frost a 3 layer (9-inch) cake, but I like a lot of FROSTING, so I frosted a two layer 9-inch cake with all of this creamy madness. Heaven.

Spicy Calamari Stew

2009-06-09T12:05:00.006-04:00

Hi. I’ve been away for a few days. I hope you will forgive me. It isn’t that I haven’t been thinking about this blog every day; I have, I have! And I’ve missed you. But truth be told…I confess, the last couple rounds of pictures have been, well, lame.

I was so excited about the Cuban beef hash I made the other night. It was delicious! But the pictures, oh the pictures...Wrong lighting, bad exposure...they came out looking like the contents of a baby’s diaper. I know, I’m sorry! TMI! TMI! But I feel the need to explain.

That said…I am back, and all too stoked about this stew I made last night! I have never cooked with calamari, and to my surprise and delight, frozen calamari (like my old pal, frozen shrimp), cooks up to a soft and delicate texture. No rubber bands in this dish! Just soft, lovely rings of calamari in a spicy fra diablo tomato base. You can thaw the squid exactly as you thaw shrimp: Read all about it.

It is sublime served over whole wheat couscous or pasta, but just a nice big bowl on its own is truly a joyous thing.

SPICY CALAMARI STEW

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 stalk celery, chopped to small dice
1 small carrot, chopped to small dice
½ sweet onion, chopped to small dice
1 3/4 cups tomato sauce
1 cup white wine
1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme
½ tsp fresh chopped oregano (optional)
½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds calamari (squid), bodies thinly sliced and tentacles whole
Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Warm the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, deep skillet or pot. Add the garlic, celery, onion, carrot and pepper, and let cook until fragrant and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir often so it doesn’t brown.

2. Add the tomato sauce, white wine, thyme,optional oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

3. Add the calamari and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the mixture comes back up to a simmer, about 2 more minutes. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top. Serve immediately and be oh-so-very glad about it all.

Filipino Chicken Adobo

2009-05-28T15:02:00.012-04:00

Funny how things can change so quickly. A couple months ago, I used to walk home from work daydreaming of the perfect, mile-high meringue pie emerging from my little oven. Now, it’s all about mile-high wedding cakes, fall color schemes, bridal flowers, and hand-written vows. I just can’t stop feeling all dreamy and fuzzy and happy. I’ve become one of those bridal nerds right before my very eyes, with no plans of stopping. Gasp!

That said, I didn’t really prepare anything spectacular this week for that package of skinless drumsticks and thighs in my fridge, as I was busy picturing myself on a moped, wind blowing through my hair, in some exotic honeymoon location with my new husband. I think I also happened to be about 6 feet tall and 100 pounds with shiny, flaxen hair down to my hips...Do you think this might be a good time to set aside those bridal mags? Yeah, me too.

Thank god for this recipe I found I’d tucked away a few months ago. Pantry-friendly, easy, cheap and yummy! I served this over brown rice and a side of steamed greens, then poured the yummy juices all over the top. The lovely thing about this recipe, is that the outside of the chicken darkens to a deep, rich golden brown in the soy sauce, but when you cut into it, the meat is light-hued and tender-juicy.

So I know some of my Filipino friends will be reading this, and I hope you will please chime in and let me know if the ingredient list resembles anything your mamas made growing up.

Now, where was I? Ah yes….bridesmaids dresses in October...honeymoons...Paris...Italy... I wonder if mopeds come with seat belts...

FILIPINO CHICKEN ADOBO

Ingredients:

4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon peppercorn, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon brown sugar (more or less depending on your taste preference)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat.
2. Add garlic and onions to pot, saute.
3. Place chicken in with the garlic and onions and slightly sear the chicken on all sides.
4. Add vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Cover and allow to cook over medium heat for about half an hour.
5. Add brown sugar and stir well.
6. Replace cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve over rice.
7. Eat it up as you daydream of something wonderful. :)

Chewy Sugar-Crusted Spice Cookies

2009-05-26T12:12:00.009-04:00

There are so many cookie recipes that claim to be chewy, but they end up drying out in a day or two. I have nothing against crunchy cookies, but I like a cookie to be dependable like an old friend: if they say they are gonna do something, like be chewy, then I count on that chewiness like I count on a good friend to be happy about, say, my upcoming wedding, ya know?

I wanted to make some big, spicy, soft cookies that would remind my boyfriend of his childhood. These fit the bill! Remember Archway spice cookies? That’s what these are, but better because all the ingredients are pure—no partially hydrogenated, artificial D&C number whatever. These are just nice, big, yummy, dependable, old-fashioned homemade cookies!
Chewy Sugar-Crusted Spice Cookies

Adapted from Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour or combo of both)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar (see homemade sugar recipe below!)
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
about 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

Directions:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar and spices until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg and molasses and mix until blended and an even light color, about 1 minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it.

NOTE: I find if you cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 20 minutes or so, the next step of rolling the cookies in sugar will be easier, but this is an optional step.

Spread the turbinado sugar into a small bowl. Roll 2 Tablespoons of dough between the palms of your hands into a ball, toss the ball in sugar to coat and place on the prepared baking sheet. Continue making cookies, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm but they are still soft in the center and there are several large cracks on top, about 12-14 minutes.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days and will remain SOFT!

HOMEMADE BROWN SUGAR

NOTE: I recently ran out of brown sugar and decided to try making my own. Now I’m hooked—I doubt I’ll ever buy brown sugar again. Homemade brown sugar comes out so moist and soft and luxurious. It doesn’t dry out as quickly as pre-packaged brown sugar and is a lot cheaper. All you need is molasses and granulated sugar, and you’re all set.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon molasses
1 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
Add molasses to sugar and stir with a fork. Store brown sugar in an airtight container to keep it soft. To make dark brown sugar, increase the molasses to two tablespoons.

Shrimp & Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce

2009-05-22T12:27:00.018-04:00

Frozen shrimp are amazing little guys to have on hand. I always keep a bag in my freezer for quick weeknight meals. The secret to amazing frozen shrimp is this: don’t buy pre-cooked frozen shrimp. It's soooo easy to cook them yourself, and pre-cooked shrimp are almost always waterlogged and flavorless when defrosted (and rubbery when cooked. Erf). DO buy frozen, RAW shrimp with the shells still on (heads are already removed and they’ve been cleaned and deveined). The shells actually protect the delicate shrimp meat's texture through the freezing and defrosting process. You can get a huge bag for about 11 bucks which will last you 3 or 4 few meals. Cheap 'n' cheerful if you ask me!

Defrost the shrimp right when you are ready to cook them. It’s so easy: place the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cool tap water and let them sit for 10 minutes or so. Peel them in the sink and discard the shells into a little plastic bag (the shells dry to a pretty stinky state so take out the garbage right after dinner!). Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel. Easy-peasy! And they taste as fresh as fresh!

This meal is quick and scrumptious. As long as it takes for the pasta to boil is as long as it takes to prepare this dish. Beats ordering in from the diner! Have a loaf of crusty bread and a little salad to complete the meal…oh yes, and a nice chilled glass of pinot grigio. ;)
Shrimp & Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Serves 4 (or 2 with lunch leftovers :)

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta (Whole grain pasta is Flappery :))
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup clam juice (optional)
1/4 cup half & half (or more or less)
grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil and/or oregano, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice if using, and half & half. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Grate some parmesean over the top and toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and a couple fresh oregano or basil leaves and serve immediately.

Pan-Seared Veal Chops with Rosemary

2009-05-19T12:44:00.015-04:00

Last night was the two-year anniversary of the day I met my husband to be! (I will go from Flappergirl to Flapperwife in about 5 months!) So...we were going to have dinner out, but seeing as it was a Monday night, we decided to stay in and have a romantic dinner at home, complete with wine and dessert. And romantic it was!

This is a very quick dinner to prepare. My big note to all you cooks is to be sure to brown the chops really well first. Why? Because in the words of one of my favorite crazy-genius chefs Anne Burell, “Brown food tastes GOOD!”

MENU
Pan-Seared Veal Chops with Rosemary
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Steamed Mustard Greens with Olive Oil
Blueberry & Blackberry Shortcake Parfait

Pan-Seared Veal Chops with Rosemary

INGREDIENTS:
2 veal chops (about 3/- inch thick)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth

DIRECTIONS:
Rub the chops with the garlic, rosemary, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and
pepper and let sit on a plate for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large cast iron or heavy skillet over medium high heat and add remaining oil. Add chops to pan and cook until golden brown and on both sides. Remove chops from pan to a baking dish and roast in oven for 10 minutes.

Add wine, stock any drippings from baking dish to cast iron skillet and stir up brown bits from bottom.

Reduce sauce by half. Serve with the veal chops.

MASHED SWEET POTATOES
NOTE: Heating the milk first before adding the hot potatoes will ensure the texture is smooth and not grainy.

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons butter (I like Soy Garden)
1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
2-3 tablespoons half-and-half or milk

DIRECTIONS:
Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water until fork tender and drain into a bowl.

In the same cooking pot, add milk, butter, brown sugar and salt. Heat gently and stir until melted and combined. Add potatoes and mash with a potato masher. Check seasonings and adjust with more salt/sugar or butter if necessary.

BLUEBERRY & BLACKBERRY SHORTCAKE PARFAIT

I wish I had a picture of dessert! After a couple glasses of wine I forgot about my camera...The fun thing about this recipe is that I just winged it with what I had on hand. Remember when I made Tiramisu for that Tofu Takedown a short while back? Well, I had an extra sheet of homemade ladyfinger , and it was taking up space as if I'd put a bathmat in my poor little freezer. So I decided to take a pretty cookie cutter to my bathmat, and make lovely little flower shapes. But you can just buy prepackaged Savoiardi (Italian lady fingers) or mini sponge cakes, which will work just as well!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pint of blueberries and black berries
3 Tbs. white or red wine
1 Tbs. water
1 sprig of thyme, leaves on
1 Tbs. sugar or honey
A pinch of cinnamon
4 ladyfingers (or 4 flower discs from a bathmat ;))
Whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:
In a small saucepan, add wine, sugar, water, thyme and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, reducing wine by half. Add the berries and cook 2-3 minutes, until they break apart a little bit from the heat.

Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

To assemble:

Line the bottom of a wine glass with lady finger. Drizzle some berries and juices on top to soak the ladyfingers. Add a dollop of whipped cream. Add another layer of ladyfingers, then another layer of berries and juice, and another dollop of whipped cream. Repeat this step as many times as you like to make a parfait as tall as you like.

Finish the top with a dollop of whipped cream and eat 'er up!

Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies...and Pomegranate Molasses??

2009-05-15T13:11:00.021-04:00

What's on the menu this weekend? Are you guys cooking? I have this amazing bottle of Pomegranate Molasses that I bought because I liked the way it looked, though I've never cooked with it. Any ideas?? I know it's used a lot in Middle Eastern cuisine, and I'm thinking there is a fun brunch idea in there somewhere as well...What do you think I should do with this stuff??? Cookies, pancakes, lentil stew, meat marinade?

So while I'm figuring out what to do with my new mystery ingredient (any and all suggestions are welcome -- please!!!), I'm putting up a link to some Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies (<--just click here), because that is one recipe that needs no tweaking, no jazzing up, and no re-inventing. :) Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfect just the way they are. Besides, I had some new pics of a recent batch of flapper food from my etsy shoppe that I wanted to share... makes me wanna jump up and lick my computer screen.

Wishing a Happy-Flip-Flappity Friday to you!

Cherry Cloud Pancakes with Warm Maple Cherry Syrup

2009-05-13T11:38:00.040-04:00

If any fruit could be considered glamorous, I’d have to go with the cherry. I’d even go so far as to call cherries sexy.

The other night, the fresh bing cherries looked so pretty and shiny at the produce stand, so juicy and bulbous, that I was completely seduced by them and took them back to my apartment.

In my enamored state, I came up with a new pancake recipe, which is an adaptation of an old apple-cottage cheese pancake recipe. The whipped egg whites and fluffy ricotta create a glamorous, cloud-like texture. Drizzle the top with some warm maple berry syrup and you’ve got some seriously sensual snacks on hand. And I guarantee you won't regret this one in the morning.

CHERRY CLOUD PANCAKES WITH WARM MAPLE CHERRY SYRUP

Pancake Batter Ingredients:

4 Eggs; separated, see note
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup pitted, chopped cherries (the cherries should equal 1 cup after they are chopped)
¾ cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat or combo of both
1-3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
Oil or butter for frying

Maple Cherry Syrup Ingredients:

1 handful of pitted, chopped cherries
1 ½ cups real maple syrup

MAKE THE SYRUP:

Pit cherries, slice them into quarters, and place them into a small saucepan with the maple syrup. Witha fork, stir and press the cherries just a bit to extract some of their color and juices.

Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

MAKE THE PANCAKES:
Pit and finely chop cherries on a cutting board or place in food processor, and pulse till grated. The fully chopped cherries should equal a one-cup measurement.

With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff in a small bowl. Combine all other ingredients (except maple syrup topping and frying oil) in a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Fold in the egg whites.

Heat oil or melt butter in a skillet on just-below-medium-low heat. When it is hot enough to sizzle a drop of batter on contact, add spoonfuls of batter. Fry on both sides until firm and lightly browned.

Serve right away, topped with soft butter and warm maple cherry syrup. Eat it up. Smile. Have seconds. Smile again.

Flapper Food Wins a Prize at the NYC TOFU TAKEDOWN!

2009-05-11T12:40:00.044-04:00

Flapper Food came, tofu-fied and flapper-fied...and received a prize for my recipe "MR. T-Ramisu (T Stands for TOFU, Fool!)" at the 2009 TOFU TAKEDOWN at the Highline Ballroom in NYC.

I had a fantastic time yesterday, and walked home with the "Best Texture" Award YEE-HAW!! The judges (Cathy Erway and Ariko Moorman) announced that it was "so light and fluffy, you couldn't even tell there was tofu in it." MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

THE VILLAGE VOICE COVERED IT!

TIME OUT NY COVERED IT!

CLICK HERE FOR MY OFFICIAL TIRAMISU RECIPE!

METROMIX COVERED IT!

Here is a dramatic, Oscar night-esque acceptance speech in blog form. ;)

"First...I want to thank God and all the little animals and flowers.... I want to thank Julia Child, Sting, and Mr. Rogers...ok ok...
FOR REAL: I want to thank Matt Timms, the host and founder of the Takedown, for being so amazingly responsive and cool and friendly! I also want to thank my nephews Tom Callahan and Tony Spoto. Tom designed the Flapper Food business card, Tony designed the Mr. T sign, and they both have been invaluable sources of support and answers for all things Flapper Food design and technology. Some amazing talent in the family--love you guys! Thanks also to my brother Ron of B2B Printing for printing up some gorgeous cards for me. Thanks bro! And of course huge thanks to my ever-supportive husband-to-be, Brad, for eating taste after taste of tofu for weeks, even when he wasn't hungry. You are a sexy guinea pig and I love you."

[bring in the orchestra and drag me off the stage...go to commercial.]

Here is a photo summary of the fun!

MR. T-Ramisu (T Stands for TOFU, Fool!)

2009-05-11T12:20:00.020-04:00

Here is the recipe for my version of Tiramisu that I entered in the 2009 TOFU TAKEDOWN in NYC. I won the prize for "Best Texture." Yeah!! It took over the course of a couple days, but in the end I was really happy with how it turned out, considering I made everything from scratch. And when the judges announced that "it was so light and fluffy, you couldn't even tell there was tofu in it," I felt my mission was accomplished!

I hope you try it and enjoy the process of making it as much as I did.

MR. T-Ramisu
(The “T” Stands for Tofu, Fool!)

Serves 8-12

Ladyfingers:

6 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
1 cup cake flour, sifted
Melted butter, for brushing pan

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 12 by 16-inch baking tray. Line with parchment paper and brush again with butter.

2. In a mixing bowl, whip the egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until ribbony and light in color. Reserve.

3. In another mixing bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue to whip to medium peaks.

4. Sift the flour again. With a rubber spatula, fold half of the flour mixture into the yolk mixture. Fold in 1/2 of the egg white mixture. Then fold in the remaining 1/2 flour mixture. Lastly, fold in the remaining 1/2 egg white mixture.

5. Pour the batter into prepared baking tray and with an offset spatula, carefully spreading the batter to fill the tray. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until done and golden in color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Use as needed. This can be made up to 2 weeks in advanced, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil and stored in the freezer.

Espresso Syrup:

1/3 Cup water
1/4 -1/2 Cup sugar
2/3 -1 Cup strong brewed espresso coffee (or double-strength coffee)
1/4 Cup Kahlua

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, cool and add coffee and Kahlua.

Mascarpone Filling:

1 1/2 Cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature

1 16-ounce block of extra firm silken tofu, drained
¾ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
T Tbs. vegetable oil

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into ¼ inch pieces

Topping: 3 ounces milk chocolate, grated or shaved

1. Place drained tofu in a coffee filter-lined strainer over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to drain over night in the fridge.

2. For the filling, in a medium bowl, whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.

3. In a separate large bowl, whip the drained tofu, oil, salt, sugar and lemon juice till creamy and smooth. Taste it (look for a cream cheese-type flavor) and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Blend this with the softened mascarpone cheese.

4. Into the large bowl of cheese/tofu mixture, gently fold in the whipped cream.

Assembly:

1. Divide the sheet of ladyfinger into 2 (8 x 10 inch) sheets. Divide espresso syrup into two portions. Divide the mascarpone-tofu mix into 2 portions.

2. Lay one layer of the ladyfinger sheet into an 8 x 10-inch baking dish. Brush the top with half the espresso syrup until soaked.

3. Spoon half the cream mixture over the top and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.

4. Sprinkle on all of the broken bittersweet chocolate pieces.

5. Lay down the second layer of ladyfinger. Brush evenly with remaining half of espresso syrup.

6. Top with remaining whipped cream mixture.

7. Sprinkle with shaved milk chocolate.

REFRIGERATE TO SET 6 TO 24 HOURS BEFORE SERVING.

Lilacs and Pizza

2009-05-08T14:01:00.041-04:00

When you think of your mother, or another important woman/mentor in your life that you love, what is the first image that comes to mind? For me, every time I think of my dearest Momma, I see lilacs. My mother loves flowers and gardening, and growing up, we had lilac trees all around the yard. For those magical few days each May as a little girl, I would sit underneath the fragrant, sun-glowing blossoms, pretending I was in a magical flower-castle. I felt happy, safe, complete. And when I moved out on my own for the first time many years later, I painted my new room a soft lilac, because that color signified safety and love. To this day, the smell of lilacs brings me back to a quiet place in my heart, and I think of my mom.

I recently entered an online contest giveaway. We were asked, in a few sentences, to describe why our mom is spectacular. A few sentences could never do justice to the woman who raised me and my brothers and sister with unwavering love, passion, compassion and strength.

My mom gave birth to six kids–SIX! In this day and age, the thought of raising just one leaves many a jaw hanging! Yet, she stayed home to raise all of us, while my dad worked sometimes two and three jobs in a day to provide for us. Did I mention she worked a night shift as a hospital nurse? Did I mention she was a local politician? Did I mention she starred in the local community theatre? A few short years ago when my beloved daddy passed, she learned to live on her own for the first time in her entire 72 years, and become completely financially independent and do all the things her own husband did for her and the family our whole lives. And she's doing it. Doing it really well.

My mother is the strongest, coolest woman I have ever had the honor to know. But there is a little bit more…

My 75-year-old momma, a grandmother of eight, continues on the road of cool—she’s a high-tech techie…Yep, she can text, facebook, fax, cellphone, and Google with the rest of ‘em. She also loves Rod Stewart, Barry White, can sing along to just about any 80s new wave song word for word, and tell a dirty joke with the inflections of a stand-up comic. She naturally uses words like “bling,” “peace out” and “kick ass” yet wonders what’s so funny when we drop laughing. Her earrings are always bigger than mine (and everyone else's in the room). When I was a little kid, she drove this enormous blue car with bright blue flames on the side. I can still see her peeling through puddles while singing along to Smokey Robinson on the radio. She makes strangers laugh and want to tell their deepest secrets and thoughts to her, because she is that warm, that trusting, that empathetic.

Oh yeah, and she is a hell of a cook. Where the heck do you think the inspiration for Flapper Food came from? Ah yes, her army-sized vats of breaded eggplant, cauldrons of homemade meatballs, and tray after tray of stuffed cabbage rolls were on the table and gobbled up daily my entire childhood.

My dearest Momma, as the youngest of the litter, I know I speak for all six of us when I say: YOU FREAKIN’ ROCK. I love you with all of my heart!

Now everyone reading this, if you want to do something special for a favorite momma in your life, forget the quesadilla, make a dang pizza! It’s my mom’s own recipe--and a pic from the actual pie she made last night! (great photography courtesy of my nephew, Tom. :))

From my momma to your momma, salute!

MOMMA SPOTO'S HOMEMADE PIZZA

NOTE FROM MOMMA SPOTO: Amounts of all toppings can be altered to your tastes. If you like a lot of cheese, add more cheese; if you like less garlic, use less garlic. It’s all adjustable.

Ingredients:
1 pizza dough (store-bought or homemade, recipe below)
½ cup to 1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce
Dried oregano sprinkled very liberally (approx. 1.4 cup)
1 tsp. dried garlic granules (more or less as desired)
Grated Romano cheese (more or less as desired)
½ a medium onion, sliced into thin rings
1 small sweet bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ pound cooked bulk sausage, crumbled and browned
1 8-oz bag shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Prepare the pizza dough (recipe below).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray Pam onto a pizza pan or stone. With floured or oiled hands, spread the dough out onto the pan, stretching and shaping the dough into a round pizza crust.

Microwave vegetables for 1-2 minutes in a small bowl to soften.

Layer the ingredients with your hands onto the crust in the order listed above (sauce on bottom, then oregano, garlic, Romano cheese, vegetables, cooked sausage, and mozzarella)

Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and pizza crust is crispy underneath (peek underneath with some tongs).

HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH
NOTE: This recipe makes enough dough for 2 Pizzas. You can go ahead and make a double batch of pizzas, or freeze the other half of the dough for something else.

Ingredients:
1 cup lukewarm water (wrist-temperature)
1 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 tsp sugar, maple syrup or honey
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter - or olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour
Extra flour and/or nonstick spray for handling the dough

Directions:
Place the water in a medium-large bowl, and sprinkle in the yeast and sugar (or honey or maple syrup). Let it stand 5 minutes, or until the yeast is dissolved and it begins to bubble.

Stir in the oil, salt, and 1 cup of the flour. Beat in the flour with a whisk.

Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. (Switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon as the dough thickens.) The dough will be very soft.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured or nonstick-sprayed surface, and knead for several minutes. You can flour or nonstick-spray your hands to keep the dough from sticking. Clean out the bowl, spray it with nonstick spray, and add the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk. This will take about 1 hour at room temperature.

After the dough has risen, punch it down to deflate it. It is now ready to shape, with no additional kneading necessary! It will be very supple and stretchy. Use a little more flour or nonstick spray to handle it, if necessary.

Now take this dough, and make yourself a dang pizza! And have a WONDERFUL, FLIP-FLAPPITY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! :)

Mediterranean Sunday Brunch

2009-05-04T14:50:00.024-04:00

Call me a recluse, but I am that one...who turns down brunch dates and inevitably schedules a dinner in its place or invites you to my place for brunch. Why? Because to me, screaming across a table in a crowded café on Sunday morning is about as appealing as an appendectomy. Oh no, no, my friends, Sunday mornings to me are (ahhhh) sacred time to be spent at home, happily nesting in comfy clothes, enjoying time alone and with loved ones and my cast iron skillet. (I have a standing joke with my fiancé that my cast iron skillet is going to be invited to the wedding, because of its quiet dependability and faithful companionship.) ;)

Here is a quick and lovely brunch that you can make at home for yourself, your loved ones, or as host/hostess of your own brunch party. However you like it, like it even more with a Mimosa, put on some Ben Harper (Disc 1 please!), and live large, live luxuriously, at home.

FLAX RYE BREAD (or Muffins)
Makes 12 muffins or 2 mini-loaves

This bread takes 15 minutes to make. That’s IT! Sooo simple, and the house smells cozy and delicious as it bakes. Once you pull the bread out of the oven to cool, you can prepare your eggs, and a Mediterranean brunch is just a moment away!

Because of the combo of wheat and rye flours, this bread has a tender flavor —it's not too sour like a traditional rye bread (that tastes yummy too but it isn't keeping with the Mediterranean theme). I like to spread mine with butter and drizzle on some buckwheat honey. (Then again, I enjoy everything drizzled with butter and honey.)

Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 cup Rye Flour, Dark, Organic
2 tb Turbinado Sugar or honey
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 handful of whole flax seeds
2 Tbs. sunflower seeds (optional)
1 cup Milk or Buttermilk
1 Egg
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Combine liquids and stir into dry ingredients. Spoon into prepared muffin tin. Bake for 15 minutes for muffins, 17-20 minutes for 2 mini loaves.

Makes 12 muffins.

MEDITERRANEAN SCRAMBLED EGGS

I made up this recipe after having a delicious omelet like it at a Portuguese restaurant. I decided to make it by scrambling the eggs (rather than preparing as an omelet) only because I happen to prefer the juicy texture of European-style scrambled eggs cooked soft. Mmmm…

1-2 Tbs. olive oil
6 large eggs
6 Tbs. Milk
10 olives, pitted and split (Kalamata, Mixed, Sicilian, Spanish, etc)
1 small sweet onion, sliced very thin
2 sprigs fresh oregano leaves (or 2 sprigs fresh thyme)
1 sweet Italian frying pepper, sliced
Salt & pepper

TIP: To easily pit olives, just place a large knife flat onto the olive, and press down over it with your palm, much like you would crush a clove of garlic. The pit comes right out. Easy-peasy!

1. Pull the eggs out and allow them to come to room temperature before cooking them. Crack eggs into a bowl, add milk, and whisk with a fork. Set aside.

2. In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 Tbs. olive oil over medium-low heat, and sautee onions, peppers and oregano till soft and caramelized. Stir often. Add a little more oil if needed, and add olives. Season with salt & pepper. Remove to a plate.

3. In the same pan, heat remaining Tbs. of olive oil. Whisk a pinch of salt into the egg mixture and pout into the hot pan. As soon as curds begin to form, increase heat to high and instead of stirring, use the spatula to fold the eggs over themselves while gently shaking the pan with your other hand. Turn off the heat.

4. Add cooked vegetables over the top and fold into the eggs. As soon as no more liquid is running around the bottom of the pan, remove from the heat and serve. TIP: If they look done in the pan, they'll be over-done on the plate, so remove quickly!

Lips Like Honey...

2009-05-01T17:26:00.016-04:00

"Lips Like Honey" might have been the name of the single if the band called themselves Echo & the Honeymen ("Lips Like Honey" is soooo much sexier than "Lips Like Sugar," isn't it??)

Honey is such a little miracle food, it really is. Created soley by bees! Talk about living with purpose! And there are so many beautiful flavors and colors of honey, depending on the flowers the bees pollinate...Orange blossom, clover, lavender, buckwheat, wild flowers, and on and on.

My new addiction....savory herbs in dessert applications. Thyme and honey? Heaven.

This simple, late-to-work breakfast will have you noshing like royalty:

Toasted English Muffin with Honey & Thyme

Toast a gorgeous, whole-grain English muffin, spread it thick with a layer of salted butter
(I like Earth Balance), drizzle some honey and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves.

Mmmm...Bite. Chew. Lick your lips. Feel amazing. :)

West Indian Vegetable Curry

2009-04-30T11:56:00.016-04:00

Before I get into this recipe, I have this preface:
If you do not dig tempeh, you can totally substitute with chicken, beef, lamb or shrimp (1 pound of one of these will do). OK, now that's said...

Tempeh! Ah, what an easy, recession-friendly ingredient for a healthy vegetable curry in a hurry (and when I say hurry, I mean it—30 minutes and it’s suppertime!). This is a great dish to try if you’ve never cooked with tempeh before. It's made from fermented soy beans, so if you don’t like the texture of tofu, this is perfect for you because it is hearty and chewy, more like nuts or beans.

I highly recommend you try making some shockingly simple whole wheat breads from scratch to go with this fantastic curry. See below for a simple roti recipe and how-to video. Trust me, 15 minutes and 2 or 3 pennies later (that’s seriously all it takes to make authentic, homemade Indian bread!), you will have elevated your dinner to restaurant quality and your snack mates will grin from ear to ear. Girlscout promise on that one.

WEST INDIAN VEGETABLE CURRY
WITH WHOLE WHEAT ROTI BREADS AND BROWN RICE

Serves 4

CURRY INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 package tempeh, cut into 1-inch pieces
(my favorite is Litelife Flax tempeh)
1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks (any color bell or an Italian frying pepper will do)
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
2-3 Tbs. curry powder (prepared or use a yummy recipe below)
1 handful of golden raisins or dried cranberries (or both)
1 handful of roasted cashews
1 14-oz. can of lite coconut milk
1-2 Tbs. water
Salt & pepper
Squeeze of lemon or lime (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Steamed brown rice (short-grain non-instant brown rice is my favorite)
Whole Wheat roti breads (recipe is below)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cook 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water, according to package directions. If serving roti breads, prepare the dough now and set it aside. While rice is cooking and bread dough is resting, prepare the curry.

2. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet. Add garlic, and stir for a minute. Then add chopped peppers and onions. Cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring so it doesn’t stick. Add broccoli and tempeh. Stir.

3. Stir in the coconut milk, water, and curry powder. Add raisins, cashews, optional lemon juice, salt & pepper, and stir. Allow this mixture to simmer very gently on low for 10 minutes or so, or until the broccoli is fork tender but still bright green. Cover skillet and remove from heat.

4. If serving roti breads, prepare them now.

To serve:
scoop a big, happy, heap of curry over a mound of hot brown rice. Scoop up all the juices and goodness with the fresh roti breads. You can eat the entire dish with your hands (which is so much more fun than a fork if you ask me), using the roti as your scooper. Eat. Smile. Have seconds. Wash it down with ice cold beer. Sigh in snack-satisfaction.

WHOLE WHEAT ROTI BREAD
(makes 4 breads)

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup whole wheat flour
Pinch of salt
¼ cup lukewarm water
¼ tsp. oil

To learn how to make these breads perfectly, just watch this 7-minute video of a sweet and gifted Indian woman making these breads. Seriously, that is how I learned. I love her; I want her to be my auntie. CLICK HERE: FLAT INDIAN ROTIS

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, mix the above with your hand, forming a soft dough.
Note: put a couple drops of oil on your hand to knead dough without it sticking all over your hands.

Put the dough onto a cutting board and divide into 4 even-sized pieces, and roll into nice little meatball shapes. Flatten a bit. Let them rest 5-10 minutes (very important step for the bread to come out soft and tender!)

In a dry cast iron or non-stick skillet, turn heat onto medium high.
Dip a ball into a little flour. Rollout to 5-inch diameter with rolling pin or a wine bottle.

Place the flat bread dough into the hot skillet.
Peek underneath to make sure it is not burning.
Once bubbles form on top, flip it over. There will be golden brown spots on top.

Turn it once again, and it will bubble. Press the bubbles into a circular motion with a spatula and the bread will puff up like a big puffy bread bubble.

Flip over, remove and spread with a little butter or ghee.

Layer rotis in a dish lined with papertowel then cover the dish to keep the steam in – this is very important to keep the bread soft and moist!

Homemade Amazing Curry Powder

2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon crushed dried red pepper flakes
2 tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground yellow mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium skillet or saute pan combine all and cook over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, until spices are fragrant and just beginning to smoke. This will smell very pungent and savory, much stronger than it will taste as it cooks in prepared dishes! Remove from the heat, transfer to a shallow plate and allow to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer. Use in any dish that calls for curry powder. This is authentic and yummy.

FlapperGirl Enters the NYC TOFU TAKEDOWN!

2009-04-24T17:37:00.023-04:00

TOFU TAKEDOWN!
Sunday, May 10, 2009 / 4:30 PM / HighLine Ballroom, NYCHave you heard about that carnivorous carnival of fun here in NYC called the Chili Takedown? The NY Daily News calls it a “growing underground movement among food-obsessed New Yorkers.” Well, the takedown’s funky founder Matt Timms has created a spin-off contest for local cooks called the TOFU TAKEDOWN, and I am THRILLED to call myself one of the contestants! All chefs entered attempt to invent a stellar tofu recipe, prepare 300 bite-sized servings worth, and set up shop at NYC’s Highline Ballroom for the big taste-off. It’s open to the public, so you can come and sample all the booty, and even vote in the People’s Choice category!

What to make, what to make! My mind’s swirling with excitement; I feel kinda like Bubba with his shrimp in Forrest Gump. ;)

I hope you will all come out to support your local Flappergirl! All this fun falls at a budget-friendly ten bucks (cheaper than a large pizza pie in these parts!) Tickets sell out QUICKLY for this, so if you want in, Matt recommends ordering tickets ASAP through TicketWeb. Click here for tickets. :)

Taste 30 amateur chef's interpretations of this famed vegetable meat! Vote on the winner!

Come for the tofu, stay for the bloodbath!

YEE-HAW!!!

"Anyway, like I was sayin', you can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, tofu-kabobs, tofu creole, tofu gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple tofu, lemon tofu, coconut tofu, pepper tofu, tofu soup, tofu stew, tofu salad, tofu and potatoes, tofu burger, tofu sandwich.
That...

...that's about it."

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

2009-04-23T13:22:00.013-04:00

I decided to commemorate my 2nd annual 39th birthday with a lemon ricotta cheesecake (and also to share with my boyfriend’s family at dinner last night). And you know what? Thirty-nine the second time around doesn’t sting as much when there’s a supportive and lovable friend like a cheesecake at the table. ;-)

This is a traditional Italian Ricotta Cheesecake, not to be confused with the equally lovable, yet entirely different kind of friend, Italian Ricotta Pie. When ricotta is baked, it can very easily become grainy and gritty, but this outta-the-ballpark recipe manipulates the ingredients so the final result is a purely sensual, rolling-on-the-tongue texture of creamy delight. The humble integrity of ricotta is not only uncompromised, but further complimented by the bright and sunny addition of fresh lemon zest.

Ah, things feel better now. Here comes the sun.

LEMON RICOTTA CHEESECAKE
SERVES 12 , 1 12inch cheese cake
Note: Prep and cook time are an hour or so, but set aside 3-4 hours to allow the cake to cool in the oven! (See step 8)

INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs whole milk ricotta cheese, drained
2 cups sugar
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 egg whites
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
1/2-1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon rind
graham cracker crumbs
confectioners' sugar, for lightly sprinkling over top of cooled cake (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Butter bottom and sides of a 12-inch spring form pan. Sprinkle bottom and sides of well buttered pan with Graham cracker crumbs.

2. In a large bowl, beat drained ricotta until very smooth. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar and egg yolks, beating after each addition. Beat in flour, lemon rind, and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, beat cream until cream holds its shape, but is not too stiff.

4. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with remaining sugar until fluffy and almost stiff; combine with whipped cream and fold into ricotta mixture.

5. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

6. Bake for 10 minutes.

7. Lower oven temperature to 350°F and bake 1 hour.

8. Turn off heat and allow cake to cool in oven with door closed (about 3-4 hours).

9. Remove cooled cake from oven; carefully remove sides of pan, store cake (well wrapped) in refrigerator.

10. Before serving, lightly sprinkle top of cake with powdered confectioner's sugar.

11. Cake may be served chilled or at room temperature.

NOTE: Center of cheese cake will be lower than the sides when it is cooled. This is not a defect! It is supposed to be this way (makes it easier to hold the topping if you choose to use one).

VARIATIONS: Top cheese cake with fresh berries or cherries before serving; sprinkle powdered sugar over that.
Cover bottom of crumbed pan with drained, sweetened crushed pineapple or sliced apples before adding batter to pan.
Crushed amaretto biscotti may be used instead of Graham crumbs to line pan.

Tangerine Dreams and Marshmallow Skies...

2009-04-22T15:43:00.036-04:00

You know that luscious, image-filled place we find ourselves in, just between waking and sleeping, when all is still, the pillowcase is nice and cool, and surreal images of sensual snacks swirl over your head? OK, my surreal images are decidedly not LSD-induced, but let's just say John Lennon was digging this whole vibe back in the day:

“Picture yourself on a boat by a river, with tangerine dreams and marshmallow skies…”

Back to this morning: I found myself in a dreamy, pre-dawn state, swirling on about gardens of cotton candy blossoms, marshamallow Peeps chirping in a green licorice meadow, and a sky filled with Half Moon balloons and kites made of Girl Scout cookies. Thin Mints to be exact.

See, I ordered a box a couple weeks ago from a coworker, who’s little 6-year-old was selling them for Brownies. Processed foods don’t normally fall under the definition of Flapper Food (unless it is baked with extra amounts of love or a special occasion). So the big question stands:

Can Girl Scout Cookies classify as Flapper Food?

I don’t suppose the Girl Scout’s outsourced factory conveyor belt generates a whole lotta love...but what if said cookies were sold from an adorable little girl that drew individual, personalized thank-you cards for every sale? Drawings of, say, a self portrait and a gigantic necklace? That said, can I still count my Thin Mints as Flapper Food??
I’m going out on a limb and saying YES to Girl Scout Cookies being Flapper Food! YES to snack love! YES to early-morning images of ecstatic cookies swirling around by kite strings drawn by Lucy in the Sky (with Thin Mints). ;)
OK now that we've worked that out, I'm thinking about recipe ideas...what about a Cream Pie with Thin Mint crust? Or how about a Thin Mint-ini? Hmm....I am going to have to Flapperfy these cookies into some kind of fun recipe. Comments please! Ideas, requests, and shared recipes are all welcome. Hit me up on the commment section below and let me know what you think.

Love & Snacks,
Flappergirl

(Oh, and thanks, Lucy!)

Pesto-Spinach Lasagna with Sweet Roasted Tomato Sauce

2009-04-16T18:03:00.021-04:00

I’m always looking for the ultimate lasagna recipe. This one comes close—it’s a combo of my favorite lasagna filling, spinach pesto, layered with a sweet, roasted tomato sauce. The basil, herbs, nuts and parmesan of the pesto give the filling a very delicious, green, creamy, dreamy flavor. And of course I Flapperfied the whole recipe by using whole wheat lasagna noodles and part-skim ricotta. The wheat noodles mirror the nuttiness of the pine nuts nicely.

A word on the sauce:
You can use any jar of your favorite sauce, but the one in this recipe, adapted from Alton Brown, is a very unusual and flavorful sauce—it is a sweet sauce due to the roasting of the tomatoes, and the addition of wine vinegar, a little sugar, and caramelized vegetables. Believe me, I was skeptical when I first saw the recipe (I thought, "What kind of proper Italian cook puts CELERY in her sauce?!?) It's unusual but totally worth the time. (It is also HIGHLY recommended for pizza!) I like to make a big batch of this sauce and just keep it in bags in the freezer—that way it’s there whenever I have a hankering for homemade.

PESTO-SPINACH LASAGNA WITH SWEET ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE

40 minutes to prepare
50 minutes to bake
Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:
about 16 whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 lb. fresh spinach
(or 2-10 oz. pkgs. of frozen, chopped spinach - defrosted)
2 lbs. (4 cups) ricotta cheese
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. dried sweet basil
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh black pepper to taste
3/4 cup grated parmesean
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (or minced walnuts)
1 lbs. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 jar or 4-5 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (sweet roasted tomato sauce recipe below)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

2) Bring to a boil a large potful of water. Add the noodles and cook them for 4-5 minutes. (They will be undercooked.) Drain them, and lay them flat and straight on a table, counter or tray.

3) Meanwhile, thoroughly wash and dry the fresh spinach. Remove and discard the stems; finely mince the leaves. (If using frozen spinach, thoroughly drain and squeeeeeeze out all extra water!)

4) Place the ricotta in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach, garlic, basil, salt, black pepper, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, and nuts. Mix well.

5) Spoon a ½ cup of sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan pan. Place a layer of noodles in the bottom of the pan. Spread about 1/3 of the ricotta filling over the noodles (OK if it's uneven), spoon a cup of sauce on top, and sprinkle about 1/3 of the mozzarella on top. Follow with another layer of noodles, another 1/3 of the filling, 1 cup of sauce, and another 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat this pattern one more time with a third layer of everything. Top with one final layer of sauce and the remaining ¼ cup of parmesan on the very top.

Here it is in list form, from the bottom up:

Layer 1:
Sauce
Pasta
Ricotta filling
Sauce
Mozzarella

Layer 2:
Pasta
Ricotta filling
Sauce
Mozzarella

Layer 3:
Pasta
Ricotta filling
Sauce
Mozzarella

Layer 4:
Pasta
Sauce
Parmesean

6) Bake for 50 minutes. If the top browns too quickly during baking, cover loosely with foil.

7. Allow the lasagna to sit on the counter for 15 minutes or so to allow the cheeses to set a bit so you can cut nice, square pieces of lasagna, otherwise you will spoon soup onto your plate. ;)

YUMMY! Have a nice salad and some crusty bread on the side, and you are ready for a cozy dinner of comfort food galore. Don’t forget the wine. ;)

SWEET ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE

2 (28-ounce) cans whole, peeled tomatoes (San Marzano variety is the best!)
1/4 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
2 ounces olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a sieve over a medium non-reactive sauce pot, strain the tomatoes of their juice into the sauce pot. Add the sherry vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, oregano, and basil to the tomato juice. Stir and cook over high heat. Once bubbles begin to form on the surface, reduce to a simmer. Allow liquid to reduce by 1/2 or until liquid has thickened to a loose syrup consistency.

2. Squeeze each tomato thoroughly to ensure most seeds are removed. Set the tomatoes aside.

3. Cut carrot, onion, and celery into uniform sizes and combine with olive oil and garlic in a cast iron skillet or oven safe roasting pan over low heat. Sweat the veggies until the carrots are tender and the onion becomes translucent, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the roasting pan.

4. Place roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven and broil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Tomatoes should start to brown slightly on edges with light caramelization. Remove the pan from the broiler. Place the pan on the stove. Add the white wine to the tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes over medium heat.

5. Put the tomatoes into a deep pot or bowl and add the reduced tomato liquid to the tomatoes. Blend to desired consistency with a wooden spoon and adjust seasoning. Allow the sauce to cool a bit if using to assemble a lasagna or pizza. Otherwise, eat it up!

3-Saucepan Southern Smorgasbord!

2009-04-15T13:57:00.029-04:00

This pantry-friendly and super-inexpensive dinner is totally yummy and also really good for you. And while we're at it, let’s hear it for the humble and oft-neglected vegetable okra. High in Vitamin C and fiber, a wonderful thickening agent (it’s the secret vegetable for gumbo), it has a great texture: the crunch and pop of the seeds, and the soft, chewiness of the flesh and juices. Mmmm…

NOTE:I didn’t include it in the picture, but I think a fab sidedish would be a Cuban avocado salad. It's easy: Just lay some avocado and sweet vidalia onion slices over a bed of crisp, chopped lettuce (romaine or iceberg). Drizzle with olive oil, white vinegar, and some lime juice. The crisp lettuce, crunchy onions, and cool, creamy avocado will complement the other dishes beautifully, which are hot, spicy and chewy.

Black bean go power. And wash it all down with a cold lager. Yeah.

3-SAUCEPAN SOUTHERN SMORGASBOARD
Steamed Brown Rice
Cuban Black Beans
Tomato-Stewed Okra
Sweet Plantains
Cuban Avocado Salad
Serves 4
Cook time: 30-40 minutes

Steamed Brown Rice
1. Put the rice on first, on a back burner on the stove. Cook 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water, according to the instructions on the bag. I like short-grain brown rice that isn’t instant. Takes about 30-40 minutes but it basically cooks itself while you prepare the rest of the dinner.

2. Prep/Chop the rest of the ingredients below so everything is ready at the side of the stove to cook with.

Cuban-Style Black Beans

INGREDIENTS:
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. Goya sofrito
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup chicken stock or water
1 small hot chili pepper (such as jalapeno, Anaheim), seeds removed & chopped finely
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs. white vinegar
salt to taste

Garnish:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 or 2 scallions
Lime wedges
Guacamole or avocado slices
Sour Cream

INSTRUCTIONS:
Note: Use rubber gloves to chop the hot peppers and avoid touching your eyes or mouth until you wash your hands. If you don’t want to use hot peppers, you can substitute with a few dashes of dried, ground cayenne pepper or hot sauce.

1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil (1 swirl around the pan) over low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir often so they don’t burn. Add sofrito and cook for a minute or two, stirring.

2. Add black beans, hot pepper, bay leaf, vinegar and stock or water. Bring to a boil, then cover pan, lower heat and simmer very gently on low for 20 minutes or so. Remove bay leaf and add salt & pepper. Serve with the steamed rice, and garnish with any or all of the garnishes listed above.

Tomato-Stewed Okra

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound fresh okra, washed, trimmed, sliced
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes or tomato puree
1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
½ half medium onion, chopped
Salt & fresh cracked pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a medium saucepan, sauté onion and optional bell pepper in olive oil (1 swirl around the pan) over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir often so they don’t burn.

2. Add okra and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover pot and simmer very gently on low until tender. Stir occasionally.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve alongside beans and steamed brown rice.

Sweet Plantains

1 large plantain, sliced on the diagonal
olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in frying pan and saute the plantain slices until crisp and brown.

(If you include plantains on the menu, it's really a 4-pan smorgasbord, but they're small pans, and who's counting if it tastes good?) ;)

Italian Easter Bread

2009-04-13T14:46:00.024-04:00

Hope you had a Happy Easter yesterday! I have to share this recipe for lovely little Italian Easter breads, which I made over the weekend. I grew up with a similar bread that my aunts made – they shaped the recipe into one large wreath loaf with the eggs nestled around the ring. Very pretty!

This recipe makes individual little loaves that resemble a bird’s nest, so each person gets their own bread and their own egg! I thought that was a cute presentation, as it’s great for kids and for kids at heart (like me). ;)

Bonus Recipe
The bread is slightly sweet and very reminiscent of challah. The leftovers make fantastic French toast (scroll down for the food porn) – just remove the colored egg and slice into nice, thick rounds before dipping into egg batter. Drizzle with real maple syrup and you are off to an Easter breakfast from heaven. Yummy!

ITALIAN EASTER BREAD
Adapted from The Italian Dish blog

INGREDIENTS:
1 package Rapid Rise yeast
1.25 cups scalded milk, cooled to room temperature
pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar

3.5 cups flour (or more—up to 5 cups)
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water
6 dyed Easter eggs
sprinkles

Note: the Easter eggs do not need to be hard boiled. They cook when the bread bakes. I usually just dye the eggs without hardboiling them. Just be sure the eggs are brought to room temperature first, and dyed in warm (not hot) water so they don't crack!

In a large mixer bowl, combine yeast, warm (not hot) milk, salt, butter, eggs and sugar. Add about half the flour and beat until smooth with dough hook or wooden spoon. Slowly add the remaining flour to form a stiff dough. You may need more than the 3 ½ cups of flour -- Don't worry about how much flour it ends up being, just keep adding until the dough is not sticky anymore. Knead until smooth with either dough hook attachment or turn out on floured board and knead with your hands (that’s what I did). Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.

Punch dough down, divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece between your palms to form a 1-inch thick rope about 14 inches long and, taking two pieces, twist to form a "braid", pinching the ends, and loop into a circle.

Place on a greased baking sheet (using parchment paper will result in burned bottoms, trust me, I learned from experience!) Cover and let rise until double, about an hour again. Brush each bread with beaten egg wash. Put on the sprinkles. In the middle of each bread ring, gently place an Easter egg, making an indentation with the egg.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden - about 20 - 25 minutes. Cool on rack.

Make chewy, challah-like French Toast with the breads the next day(!!):
(I sprinkled mine with sweetened coconut flakes because I'm a coconut junkie.)

Warm Praline Pecan Noodle Pudding

2009-04-10T11:36:00.019-04:00

I was invited to a really fun Passover seder last night and wanted to bring a traditional Passover dish, so I chose a noodle pudding, called a kugel. Kugels can be sweet or savory, and usually consist of noodles, eggs and sometimes a dairy, like cottage cheese, to which countless other flavorings can be added (raisins, cinnamon, nuts, cherries, and on and on.)

This kugel is dairyless, and not too traditional due to its lack of dairy and addition of caramelized nuts on top.

I have one addition to the original recipe that I find actually makes or breaks the dish:

SERVE WARM RIGHT OUT OF THE OVEN!
If you do this, you will get an oozy, gooey, warm, sticky, sweet concoction quite reminiscent of old-fashioned caramel sticky buns fresh out of the oven!

The salt content may seem excessive but trust me, it balances the two sugars perfectly (think salted caramel candy or chocolate covered pretzel), so be sure to measure it out and also to use the salted butter. (Plus, anything can classify as Flapper Food if it's for a special occasion and, most importantly, if it's prepared with love.;-))

The original recipe suggests serving cold or at room temperature, and, while this is traditional kugel temperature, I happen to think that melty, gooey, finger-licking praline drippy goodness kicks the butt of a cold hunk of noodles any day. Just my opinion, but I’m sticking to it. ;-)

Lick-Your-Fingers Kugel
Recipe adapted from Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter or margarine
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup pecans, halved
1 pound wide noodles
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt

1. Melt half the butter in a 12-cup mold or tube pan. Swirl it around the bottom and up the sides.

2. Press the brown sugar into the bottom and press the pecans into the sugar, layering them into a lovely little arrangement.

3. Boil the noodles according to the package directions and then drain. Mix with the eggs, the remaining butter, melted, cinnamon, sugar, and salt and pour into the mold.

4. Bake in a preheated 350*F (175*C) oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the top is brown.

NOTE: Begin checking the kugel at 1 hour! If the top is browning and drying on top, it’s done. Let sit for 15 minutes before unmolding. The top will become slightly hard like a praline.

5. Serve a slice of kugel, all warm and gooey like, if desired, along side a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Savor the contrast of hot and cold sweet snack-heaven in your mouth. Commence sugar high. Smile.

Yields 10 to 12 servings.

Happy Easter! Happy Passover! Happy Equinox! Happy…Wednesday!

2009-04-08T12:06:00.028-04:00

It’s that time of year again when delicate blossoms grace the trees, the clouds make room for the rays of the new season’s sun, and robins sing from the tree in the yard.

Whether or not you celebrate one of the spring holidays, or you are just happy that spring has finally sprung, this is a fine time to celebrate new beginnings by turning out something sweet from your kitchen.

Have you tried a ricotta pie? This traditional Italian Easter dessert is pure creamylicious bliss topped with fresh berries and powdered sugar. Make this and you will become the Pied Piper of Spring, with loyal, plate-holding followers wherever you roam.

I'm trying a new recipe for noodle pudding, a traditional Passover dish, and will post the goods here soon.

In the meantime,

enjoy the magic of the season.

xo

Tumbling-hair
picker of buttercups
violets
dandelions
And the big bullying daisies
through the field wonderful
with eyes a little sorry
Another comes
also picking flowers

-e.e. cummings

How do you like the new "kitchen?"

2009-04-03T11:51:00.021-04:00

Hi guys!
I have a new layout! So what do you think of the new "kitchen?" Do you like it? Love it? Loathe it?

Don't be shy now - pull up a chair at the kitchen table and vote in the poll to the right--it is anonymous, so no matter what your thoughts are it will be your little secret. ;) And as always, I welcome comments, suggestions, recipe requests, and links to your own blogs, free poetry, and pie. :)

I remember one of my favorite F. Scott Fitzgerald passages in The Beautiful and Damned where he described the aroma of fresh-baked goods wafting onto the sidewalk from a bakery door late at night..."From the door came a smell that was hot, doughy, and pink."

Pink.
The smell was pink! I just love that he described a smell as a color! Amazing writing always inspires me. And I wanted to smell that sweet, warmth visually. So that's what I was going for. Vintage, flappery, warm, doughy wallpaper in my virtual flapper kitchen. You are all welcome to come and sit at the table and have some "coffee and" here with me anytime. :) And the little birdie up there enjoys visiting the the windowsill from time to time to see which pies are cooling in the morning. ;-)

Fudgie Brownies

2009-03-27T11:58:00.016-04:00

Here is some chewy chocolate goodness in flapper form. Have you ever noticed how healthier versions of baked yummies replace the butter and fat with applesauce or bananas? It’s perfect for some recipes, but the problem with using fruit in brownies is that they end up tasting more like, well, fruit rather than chocolatey goodness. That’s why I like this version: instead of fruit, the naughty fats are replaced with sweet potato. The texture of pureed spuds give the brownies a nice, thick fudgie texture, and the mild potato allows the deep, dark chocolate to remain at glorious center stage, right where it belongs.
Fudgie Brownies
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 35 minutes

Instructions
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup sweet-potato puree
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon instant coffee powder

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Remove pan from heat, and stir in cocoa. Let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. Stir in sugar and sweet-potato puree, then egg. In a small bowl, stir together vanilla and coffee until coffee is dissolved; add to cocoa mixture.

4. Add flour mixture to cocoa mixture and stir until no traces of flour remain. Spoon into prepared pan; smooth the top. Bake until surface of brownies looks barely dry and an inserted knife comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

I love to eat mine warm with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt and a sprinkle of cocoa and cinnamon powder on top. :)

Corned Beef Reynolds with Molasses Mustard “Ale-jus”

2009-03-25T11:33:00.014-04:00

Crock pot magic again!

Corned beef was on mega-sale post St. Paddy’s Day, so I scooped up a hunk and brought him home.

This is so (times 20) simple, but so delicious – tastes as good as if a little Irish grandma spent the day basting it with all her love. The drool-inducing flavor comes from a savory sauce which infuses into the succulent, slow-cooked beef.

Corned Beef & Cabbage with Molasses Mustard “Ale-jus”

Ingredients:
½ cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp. crushed black peppercorns
3 Tbs. molasses
3 bay leaves
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 12-ounce bottle amber ale

2-4 lb. hunk of corned beef
1 small head of green cabbage, cut into 6-8 large wedges
2-3 yellow onions, cut into 2-inch chunks
10 small new potatoes
3 large carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks (or a couple handfuls of baby carrots)

Rye or pumpernickel bread (if you can, buy an unsliced loaf from the bakery. Cut it at home into nice thick slices and spread it with butter (I like Earth Balance buttery spread)

Directions:
1. In a bowl, whisk together first 5 ingredients. While whisking, slowly pour beer into the bowl and mix well.

2. Into the crock pot, layer from bottom to top the onions, potatoes, carrots and beef. Pour “ale-jus” over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3. About 30 minutes before you want to eat, add the cabbage hunks to the top of the crock pot, press them down into the hot liquid, and cover. Cook on high for 30 minutes or until tender.

When ready to eat:
Turn off pot, uncover and let it “rest for 15 minutes or so. Discard bay leaves.
Cut the meat on a board against the grain into ½-inch thick slices.

To plate:
Arrange meat and veggies in a wide, shallow soup plate and spoon the lovely jus over the top. Serve some Dijon mustard on the side to slather on the meat and veggies. Mop up the juices with the buttered rye bread. Wash it down with a cold ale. Have seconds. Smile.

PICS COMING SOON!
In the meantime, I substitute with an equally juicy, equally corny, equally beefy image (and it guarantees a lively dinner conversation). Bon appetite. :)

Hot Corny Beef Reynolds:

Warm Carrot Cake Pancakes with Creamy Vanilla Cream Cheese

2009-03-23T11:56:00.019-04:00

I woke up on Sunday and realized I missed "my" food. I'd been doing a little too much baking (and eating) of unflapperlike foods recently (see “About FlapperFood” to the right). That said, I was more than happy to sit over coffee with my recipe box as if I were catching up with an old friend.

I always make brunch at home at least one day of the weekend, and decided to Flapperfy a wonderful carrot pancake recipe. They were so delicious and completely (thank you Will Ferrell) scrumptrelescent, that I don’t see why anyone would want the original version! I added whole wheat flour, Stevia sweetener, and soy milk instead of the original version's refined flours, sugars and fatty cheese.

The warm cakes topped with cool, vanilla creamy cream-cheese taste just like real carrot cake in fun, FlapperFood form. When my boyfriend took a bite, he smiled and said “It’s like an amusement park in my mouth.” Coming from a roller coaster junkie, I’d say that was a compliment in its highest form.

Try it, you’ll like it.

Warm Carrot Cake Pancakes with Creamy Vanilla Cream Cheese

Ingredients:
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans or walnuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon dried ground ginger or finely grated fresh ginger
Dash nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup packed brown or granulated sugar
¾ cup soy milk
¼ cup orange juice
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Topping
8 ounces Tofutti brand soy “cream” cheese
2-3 stevia packets
2 tablespoons soy milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 dash ground cinnamon

1. Make the cream cheese topping: Using a whisk or fork, blend cream cheese, stevia, soy milk, dash cinnamon and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

2. Using the SMALL side of a box grater, grate the carrots into a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
TIP: The small side is the side you would grate parmesean cheese with, not mozzarella. This way, the carrots will be a nice, tender texture in the cakes, just like real carrot cake.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.

4. In the bowl of grated carrots, combine egg, brown sugar, milk, OJ and vanilla; mix well.

5. Stir the wet carrot mixture into the dry ingredients until moistened. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased, hot griddle. Flip the cakes when bubbles form on the top of pancake. Cook until golden brown.
[TIP: Try not to use too much oil in the pan; it will help the cakes not burn. I like to use spray can olive oil (like Pam), or brush a little oil into the pan with a basting brush)

6. To plate the pancakes: Lay a pancake on the plate, top with a dollop of cream cheese “frosting”; add another pancake and another dollop of cream cheese. Continue like this, making a tower as tall as you like. Finish with a dollop of cream cheese and sprinkle with cinnamon. If desired, drizzle a little bit of 100% pure maple syrup on the top if you like. (Doesn’t need it though!)

So, in other news...I've got this bowl full of verrry ripe bananas, and I'd like to make something other than banana bread (sure I love it, but I've already posted my favorite banana bread recipe!). Have a banana-happy request or suggestion? Let me know by posting a comment: Coffee, tea, a recipe?
I'll do my best to flapperfy any dish your little heart desires, with or without bananas. :)

Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-17T12:43:00.014-04:00

My niece’s adorable baby chocolate cake recipe (see Dinner for One, please, James) inspired me to further explore small batch baking. After all, it’s just me and my boyfriend right now, and neither one of us wants to find ourselves digging into a half-eaten pumpkin pie right before bed (which, I guarantee you, is exactly what would happen if I were to give my feeble little will the opportunity).

I bought the book “Small Batch Baking” by Debby Maugans Nakos. Fantastic recipes, from little pies, tarts, cakes and puddings, to these scrumptious chocolate chip cookies. The recipe makes just 6-8 cookies, the perfect size if you want a cookie or two for dessert or to bring a couple in the lunch bag to work. Baking in small batches is so much fun, too: clean-up is a breeze, and the results are so cute and adorable and delicious. They make really nice “just-because” gifts for one, a couple, or if you want to just make something special all for you and you alone!

Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Small Batch Baking

*note: I sprinkled in a couple Tbs. of shredded coconut, because I was jonesing for an Almond Joy. I'm also wondering how whole wheat flour would fare in these. If anyone tries it, let me know!

Makes 6-8 cookies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbs plus 2 tsp butter (room temp)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 Tbs. of 1 large egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, cream the butter and sugars till fluffy. Mix in the beaten egg and vanilla.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and blend. Mix in the chips.

5. Drop cookies using 2-tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove baking sheet and leave in pan to cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove cookies with a spatula to the rack to finish cooling.

Tip:
To store cookies that are chewy: Lay a sheet of wax paper onto a sheet of tin foil. Pile cookies into a single-layer tower onto the wax paper. Wrap cookies up in the wax paper, then wrap the foil around that. The cookies will stay crunchy outside and chewy inside, as a proper choco-chipper ought to be!

Dinner for one, please, James.

2009-03-12T12:27:00.022-04:00

So the old Nat King Cole tune goes. The boy had martial arts practice after work and I had the apartment to myself. These are the types of nights I find myself eating a piece of leftover chicken over the sink and grabbing a swig of juice out of the carton. But tonight, I was feeling a little indulgent, and decided to treat myself to pasta and meatballs, and a cute little teency chocolate cake! I set the table, bought a nice baguette and a bottle of wine (which, of course I shared with the boy once he got home, as I did the cake).

The cake recipe came from my amazing cook of a niece, Jessica. She does a lot of cooking and baking, modifying many recipes to feed just one or two. She even has cute, little tiny cake and pie pans. Believe it or not, you can bake this cake in empty tin cans if you don’t have special bakeware, which is exactly what I did. Thank you, Jessica!

Check back for uploaded pics in the next day or two!

PASTA AND MEATlessBALLS MARINARA

1 or 2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
1 cup of cooked pasta (I love whole wheat penne rigate!)

Directions:

1. Open the bottle of wine to let it “breathe.” By doing this, the oxygen will touch the wine and the flavors will open up. Such a little thing but makes a huge difference in the taste. Set the table, laying out your nicest table setting. :) Put on some tunes (highly recommended: Louis Prima and Keely Smith. Trust me on this one.)

2. Put water on the boil for the pasta.

3. Make Meatballs

Meatballs for One or Two People

½ a tube of Litelife brand Gimme Lean - beef style (or 4 oz. real ground beef or turkey)
1 egg white (save the yolk in a cup for the chocolate cake!!)
½ tsp. dried basil
Two shakes of dried thyme
1 shake of dried oregano
1 shake of garlic powder
3 grinds of black pepper
A pinch of salt
4-5 leaves of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1 slice of the baguette, crust removed, soaked in soy milk (or 1 Tbs. breadcrumbs)
1 Tbs. of grated parmesean cheese
Olive oil

a. Squeeze out the milk from the bread and add that to a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with your hands.
b. Form into cute, little 1.5-inch balls (might as well keep the "mini" theme going here ;) )
c. Fry balls in two swirls of olive oil, in a heated frying pan on medium heat.
d. Cook for a couple minutes on each side till browned.
e. Lower the heat to medium-low and pour the sauce over the meatballs. Simmer on low, stirring gently so the bottom doesn’t burn and the balls cook all the way through.

4. Add pasta to boiling water and cook to al dente, following package directions.

5. Drain pasta and add to the cooking pot of sauce and balls. Gently stir to combine.

6. Scoop the pasta into a dish, sprinkle with a little fresh, chopped parsley and lots of grated parmesean. Lay a hunk of bread on the side. Pour the wine. Smile. Feel special. Mangia!

I made the cake after dinner (as opposed to before) because I was doing it more for the joy of baking than for the need to have a piece of cake. (Of course, once the cake is baked, I always need to have a piece of cake!)

MINI CHOCOLATE CAKE
Feeds just one or two
NOTE: These little cakes make wonderful gifts! They are so tiny, that a wine glass turned upside-down can serve as an adorable cake stand. You can find give-away wine glasses at the dollar store. If you give two of these with a bottle of dessert wine, it would make a fantastic housewarming or dinner party gift.

½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup water
Yolk of 1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla
3 Tbs. melted and cooled butter
2 ½ Tbs. cocoa powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
½ cup sugar
Two 14-ounce cans or one 28-ounce can

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease and flour insides of two 14-ounce cans or one 28-ounce can. Set on baking sheet for easier handling.
3. Combine water, egg, vanilla in small bowl and whisk. Slowly pour melted butter in, whisking constantly.
4. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium-sized bowl. Blend well, add sugar, blend well again.
5. Slowly add wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until just moistened.
6. Divide batter between the two 14-ounce cans or all into one 28-ounce can. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool 15 mins, run knife along inside of cans to release cakes, cool upright on rack.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

3 oz. milk chocolate or choc. chips (1 cup)
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (dark chocolate bar works) (1/2 cup)
3 Tbs. sour cream, at room temp
½ tsp. vanilla
pinch salt

1. Microwave 2 minutes or until melted. Cool 5 minutes.
2. Add sour cream, vanilla, salt, and blend well. Cool completely. Refrigerate to thicken if needed.
3. Be sure cakes are cooled completely before frosting. Cut cakes in half and frost between layers and on top.

NOTE: You can also use the glaze recipe from my Red Velvet Black & White Cookies (which is exactly what I did, because I had no sour cream!)

bright orange soulshine

2009-03-09T11:42:00.008-04:00

I had a sweet, simple weekend, filled with tiny pleasures that added up to a cumulative bright orange burst of soul-shine: watching a film at home with the boy on a drizzly afternoon...sweet vanilla candles... a steaming mug of ginger tea... my new cocoa-scented hand cream...warm, fuzzy pink socks... a recording of acoustic Brazilian guitar music... things like that. Simple joys appreciated alone and shared that give one the truest sense and joy of being alive.

I saw this spectacular little mineola orange at the grocery store last night (I go shopping late on Sunday nights and have the place all to myself -- I really savor the unhurried, uncrowded, calm shopping experience!) I brought the orange home, and it is now sitting on my desk at work. Everytime I look at it, I'm reminded of how grateful I am to have love, a cozy home, family, a soothing escape from a chaotic world... and a lovely little orange to enjoy later this afternoon after lunch.

There is so much in this world that is complex...but when I can embrace the simple pleasures, and radiate a bit of gratitude, my whole perspective tranforms from drizzly to dazzling, bright orange joy.

So my recipe today is this:

Ingredients
1 beautiful piece of fruit

Directions:
1. Enjoy

Have a great day!
xo

The Orange
by Wendy Cope

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all my jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

Rock the Pot Chili

2009-03-04T11:41:00.015-05:00

Thank you, oh great and powerful inventor of the crock pot, for all you’ve done for me on those freezing winter nights at 8pm when I come home from work with a grouchy, growling belly…for those nights I open the door to the savory, spicy smells of homemade chili that’s slow-cooked all darn day long.

The thing that rocks about the crock pot, is that even if you are off a bit on spices or measurements, somehow the many hours of slow-cooking will make it taste amazing anyway.

Here is an easy, foolproof weeknight feast. I enjoyed this particular meal with my feet up, watching my favorite show on DVR, and washed it down with an ice-cold lager. Tuesday nights aren’t so bad now, are they? :)

Rock the Pot Chili

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound of ground turkey
1 large onion
2 fresh jalapenos, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
½ a 7 oz. jar of sweet, red roasted peppers
A handful of chopped fresh cilantro
8 oz (or so) of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 28-ounce can of whole tomotoes in juice, roughly chopped
½ a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 16-ounce can of red, pinto or kidney beans
1-2 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbs. pure cocoa powder
A couple dashes of ground cinnamon
Two swirls of olive oil in the pan
Salt & freshly cracked black pepper

I think some people just throw everything in the pot and turn it on low, but I’ve never tried that. I like to prepare it a bit first.

Here is what I do:

1. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Sautee the chopped onion for a few minutes, stirring till it softens. Add garlic, cilantro, jalapenos and stir for a couple minutes, making sure garlic doesn’t burn. Add salt, pepper, chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano. Stir. Add mushrooms, and stir till softened. Add red roasted peppers and cilantro.

2. Now add the turkey and stir all together, browning the meat and breaking it up into bits with a wooden spoon.

3. Add the skillet contents to the crock pot. Stir into the crockpot the tomatoes, beans, cocoa and cinnamon. Gently stir to combine all ingredients, cover and cook on low for 6-10 hours. Have a nice day and, every few hours, remember that your chili is home and very happy in its pot, filling your home with yummy smells.

To serve:
Turn off crock pot, stir, and take a taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Ladle chili into nice big bowls, and top with your choice of shredded mild white cheese, chopped scallions or onions, fresh cilantro, sour cream, avocado slices, or a hunk of corn bread….or all of the above. :) Eat, smile and feel the happy snack warmth.

Weeknight BBQ Bonanza!

2009-02-26T11:35:00.019-05:00

I've been thinking, the humble crockpot deserves a better reputation than it has. Nothing beats a crock pot when it comes to the flavor and texture of slow-cooked meats in savory sauce. Fantastic! And on those nights I have to work till 7pm, nothing beats coming home hungry to a nice, hot dinner, ready for eating. :)

This chicken recipe is embarrassingly easy, yet one of the most popular dishes in my home. It's a slam-dunk every single time.

DINNER MENU:
Crockpot BBQ Pulled Chicken
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Fiesta Slaw

CROCKPOT BBQ PULLED CHICKEN

2-4 boneless chicken or turkey breasts
1 jar of your favorite BBQ sauce (or make your own - simple recipe below!)

Season meat with a little salt and pepper. Throw it in the crocpot. Pour BBQ sauce all over the top. Turn it on low. Go to work and fuggedaboudit. (But then remember it after 6-10 hours)

When you are ready to eat, do this:

1. Turn off crock pot. Take two forks, and pull the meat apart into nice juicy strands. Stir it up to evenly distribute the sauce.

2. Prick a few washed and dried yams with a fork, throw 'em in the microwave and cook on high for 6-10 minutes. Check them half way through. When a fork is inserted easily, they are done.

3. While the potatoes are microwaving, make the coleslaw:

FIESTA SLAW

Ingredients

For the dressing:
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
20 grinds fresh black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:
A big bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix
(or 1 small green and a ½ a red head of cabbage, shredded by you)
1 (15-ounce) can corn kernels, drained
1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed, dried, and finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, washed, dried, and thinly sliced into rounds

Directions
Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss all the salad ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Keep refrigerated and covered until ready to use.

HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE

2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar (OR molasses OR honey OR real maple syrup)
5-10 grinds fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard or mustard powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or lime or OJ)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
dash cayenne pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and pour over chicken in crockpot.

TO PLATE THE DINNER:

You can have the pulled chicken on hamburger buns for a slammin' sandwhich, but I really love to pile the meat on top of the split, baked yam. It makes a nice-looking boat on the plate. :)
Pile a mound of slaw on the side.

Eat it up. Smile. :)
Bring leftovers to work for lunch the next day. Smile again. :)

Back from the Beach!

2009-02-23T14:43:00.007-05:00

I'm back!

As you can see, I was at the beach all week on vacation...(don't I look refreshed and rested? Don't I look shockingly similar to Bettie Page? OK OK you win, that is Bettie Page. ;-))

Now that I'm sunned and satisfied, I will be back with some new recipes and pics to go with it.

In the meantime, if there is any dish you are craving or a recipe you are seeking, leave a comment and I will do my best to accomodate!

Red Velvet Black & White Cookies (aka Half Moon Cookies)

2009-02-15T19:30:00.015-05:00

Where I was born, we call them Half Moon Cookies. I prefer the poetry of that name better, but most of the world refers to these cookies as Black & Whites, so I listed both names.

I wanted to make a special cookie for Valentine's Day, so I tried a red velvet variation. Red velvet is a Southern American cake that includes buttermilk and a bit of cocoa powder, and these cookies follow suit. They are rich, creamy, satisfying and so pretty to bite into! You will see in the pics, I made a batch with red food coloring and one batch without, just to see what would happen. Same taste, different look. Though far from health food, if they are baked with extra amounts of love, they will classify as FlapperFood for a special occasion. ;-)

RED VELVET HALF MOON COOKIES

Makes 10 large cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

For Vanilla Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
1 Teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Chocolate Glaze

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or grease and flour the pan well so the cookies don’t stick. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

Using a mixer (or wooden spoon & elbow grease), beat 5 Tablespoons of butter with the granulated sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, food coloring and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until smooth.

Place 1/4-cup scoops of batter 2 inches apart of the prepared baking sheet, spread the batter out with a butter knife, so they’re not completely flat but uniform and round. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.

Make the glazes:

In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup and 2 tablespoons hot water, until smooth. That’s your vanilla glaze.

In a separate bowl, melt the butter and the chocolate in a microwave for about 1 minute. Add the corn syrup and stir until smooth. That’s your chocolate glaze!

Once the cookies are cooled, face them all bottom side up of a clean surface. Spread half of the cookie with vanilla glaze and the other half with chocolate glaze. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.

Eat. Share. Lick fingers. Smile. :)

Yummy Meatloaf from Tyler's Dad

2009-02-13T15:55:00.017-05:00

I've made meatloaf a bazillion times, but somehow it's always just missed the mark of my flapper heart -- think bleak and boring...

...UNTIL I found Tyler's recipe.

I should have known Tyler Florence, chef extraordinaire from the Food Network, would present a recipe that would not only be scrumptious, but something I'd even consider preparing for guests. The tomato relish in and on this loaf is the snack magic element!

A word about Tyler's cooking style (aka, flapperosophy): He has a genius way of designing base flavor layers to all his dishes. The end products are always arresting, complex, delightful: they make me stop multi-tasking and just EAT. I always really EXPERIENCE and enjoy his recipe in zen-like bliss.

Onto the meat loaf: A truly sublime and lovely little loaf. I saw him prepare this dish on his show "Tyler's Ultimate" on the Food Network. I flapperfied it by using ground turkey (instead of pork & beef), whole grain bread slices, non-dairy milk, and turkey bacon, but that's totally your choice.

Pair it with my Sage Roasted Winter Veggies and a nice cold Guiness, and you are ready for a comfy winter night of nesting.

And while you're at it, have another Guiness with a snap of dark chocolate for dessert :))

YUMMY MEAT LOAF FROM TYLER'S DAD

INGREDIENTS:

Tomato Relish:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced (or 3 roasted red peppers from a jar, chopped)
2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meat loaf:
4 slices whole grain bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks by hand
1/4 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
2 pounds of ground turkey
2 eggs
Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 bacon slices (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

MAKE RELISH:
Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves for a few minutes to create a base flavor. Throw in the red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften. Now add the tomatoes; adding them at this point lets them hold their shape and prevents them from disintegrating. Stir in the parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes to pull all the flavors together. Remove it from the heat; you should have about 4 cups of relish.

MAKE MEAT LOAF:
Place the torn bread in a bowl and add the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together.

This is where you get your hands dirty! In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of the tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Squeeeeeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture.

[Tip: You can test the loaf by frying or microwaving a small "hamburger" patty of the meatloaf until cooked; the patty should hold together but still have a soft consistency. Taste the patty for seasoning.]

Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 9 inches long and about 4 inches wide. OR you can pile the loaf into a lightly oiled loaf pan. Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Lay the turkey bacon across the top lengthwise.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf firm. Rotate the meat loaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that the bacon browns evenly. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side. Unbelievably moist!

Eat. Smile. Sip your beer. Feel the snack love. :)

Pasta with Pumpkin, Sausage and Sage

2009-02-12T17:31:00.006-05:00

I have recently fallen in love with the herb fresh sage. It seems everytime I go to the grocery store, I pick up a package of the pretty leaves. They make just about every dish you can think of taste very special and elegant. And yummy. Flappery. :)

So I had some sage, sausage and squash along with a late night at work. This is what I came up with. You can have this ready in a half hour if you are a speedy veggie chopper. I adapted this recipe from some classic versions out there, and I flapperfied it by using whole grain pasta and turkey sausage instead of pork sausage and white pasta.

A few simple but high quality ingredients make fancy, happy, flapper food: fresh herbs, a good parmiggiano reggiano, and white wine that you would enjoy drinking out of a glass (not that bottled cooking wine!) Enjoy!

(Pics coming soon, bear with me--I just moved and have to find my USB port!!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1-2 tablespoons
1 pound sweet Italian turkey or chicken, removed from casing
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
6-8 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1-2 cups of diced winter squash (pumpkin, butternut or acorn squash works nicely)
1/2 cup soy creamer or half and half
1 pinch cinnamon
2 pinches ground nutmeg
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound whole grain pasta (penne rigate is nice!), cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating
Pumpernickel or whole grain bread, as an accompaniment

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the squash in it. Remove from pan to a dish. Add a little more oil if pan is dry, and add sausage to pan, browning and breaking up with a wooden spoon. Remove from pan and pile on top of the squash in the dish.

2. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

3. Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and squash, stirring until liquid comes to a bubble. Smash half the squash with a potato masher and keep some of it in dice shape. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

4. Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and a couple sage leaves. Pretty!

5. Serve pasta with pumpernickel or whole grain bread and a nice salad of arugula, thinly sliced pear or apple, and red onion. Drizzle salad with a little balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Eat. Smile.

6. Enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day and smile again. ;-)

Pig in a Blanket (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

2009-02-03T12:12:00.017-05:00

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
(aka "Golabki", pronounced "Go-WUMP-kee")

My mom made these Polish cabbage rolls growing up all the time, and they are the ultimate comfort food. They are best with mashed taters with lots of butter and either corn, carrots or peas (because you have to have a nice little veggie like that to smush into the mashed potatoes on the plate :-))

Keep in mind this is no "30-minute meal" but that isn't always a bad thing. I love to make these on a lazy Sunday afternoon while the music's playing in the background and I've got time to enjoy every fun little step of the preparation process. You can make these in a crockpot or in your oven, up to you. The reward of this labor of love is sheer deliciousness, and a big old WOW from your family and friends at the table. This is the ultimate cozy supper food!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large head of green cabbage (savoy cabbage is the easiest to roll and the little ripples look very pretty)
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 c. white or brown rice (not quick-cooking or instant)
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp. thyme
pepper to taste
1 meduim can (app. 12 oz) tomato paste
1 large can (28 oz) ground or pureed tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

Fill a stock pot (big enough to fit the whole head of cabbage) with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the cabbage. Bring the water to a boil and, as the leaves become tender (but not cooked), remove the leaves from the head of cabbage layer by layer (you can remove the head from the pot each time you perform this task. Return the cabbage for the next layer or two and so forth). Reserve the outermost, damaged leaves for lining the cooking pot. The largest leaves can be cut in half down the middle.

Combine the beef, rice, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl (don't bother with a spoon - just use your hands.) Line a crockpot or casserole with the outermost leaves. Lay the tender leaves on the counter one at a time a fill with 1-3 tablespoons of mixture, depending on the size of the cabbage leaf. Starting from one long end, roll the leaf, tucking in the sides as you go. Layer the rolls on top of one another in the crockpot or baking dish. With a whisk, combine the tomato paste and puree with a little water. Add thyme. Pour the tomatoes over the rolls. Cook on low in the crockpot or 7 hours, or bake in a covered baking dish and place it in a 250-degree oven for three to four hours.

Serve with mashed buttered potatoes, carrots/corn or peas, and pumpernickel bread with lots of room temperature butter. (No other way!)

Chicken Soup with Little Meatballs (aka Italian Wedding Soup)

2009-01-28T21:11:00.013-05:00

I grew up with a version of this soup that didn't have spinach, was made with beef meatballs, and had pastina as the pasta shape. My friend Vanessa shared this truly scrumptious version with me that has spinach and healthier meatballs made with ground chicken (or turkey). I added basil to the meatballs because I just love that flavor with the cheese. You can make this recipe in a half an hour if you have ready-made stock. The original recipe involves the longer process of boiling chicken to make the stock.

This is an incredible first course for a special dinner, or you can have it with grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches for a quick weeknight supper. :) Let me know what you think!

Chicken Soup with Little Meatballs

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (or dried whole wheat couscous)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
a pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
6 cups canned chicken stock or broth
2 cups water (or 8 cups total of homemade chicken broth/stock)
1 1/2 cups small pasta (like ditalini, mini farfalle, pastina, orzo, etc.)
5-6 oz (or more) triple washed fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, nutmeg.

3. Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit to a simmer and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve.

4. Ladel soup into bowls and sprinkle some parmesean cheese on the top if you like.

TIPS:
1) You can plop those little meatballs into the stock in seconds flat if you have a cookie scooper. I have a 1-tablespoon scoop, which I used. It also keeps the meatballs fluffy and dumpling-light because the meat doesn't get tightly packed from hand-rolling (although I admit I adore TINY meatballs....so if you have time to lightly hand-roll into 3/4-inch balls, I recommend it. :))

2) I always keep 2-cup serving-size baggies of homemade chicken stock in the freezer so I can throw dishes like this together in a flash. You can make homemade stock in the crockpot while you are away...leftover chicken or turkey, or the carcass, onion, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and a few herbs. Throw it all in the crockpot and fill with fresh water, put it on low and leave it for 6-10 hours. To store: Put a baggie in a glass, ladel in two cooled cups of broth, seal, and pile labeled bags in the freezer till you need them.

Wholesome Whole Wheat Molasses Bread

2009-01-25T12:54:00.012-05:00

Whole Wheat Molasses Bread

You may have noticed by now, I really like quick breads and soups & stews - and I like them even better paired together. To me, the perfect winter supper is a good hearty vegetarian soup and a thick, warm slice of grainy bread. This recipe is flapperfood all the way because: 1) it's healthy, has fiber, and no processed ingredients, 2) it's easy and quick to prepare, and of course, 3) it's yummy!

Iron and calcium-rich molasses adds a rich, deep tone to the bread and an earthy sweetness - yet it's not too sweet. You can slather it with butter (I love Soy Garden on breads) and cinnamon sugar (My favorite is Stevia mixed with cinnamon and sometimes a little ginger and cloves), or you just can eat it warm, as is and dip it into your favorite soup, or a hot mug of cocoa.

Ingredients

Oil or butter for greasing pan
1 2/3 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt, or 11/2 cups milk and 2 tablespoons white vinegar (see Step 2)
2 1/2 cups (about 12 ounces) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup molasses

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease the bottom (not sides) of an 8-by-4-inch or 9-by 5-inch loaf pan, preferably nonstick.

2. If you're using buttermilk or yogurt, ignore this step. Make soured milk by warming the milk gently -- 1 minute in the microwave is sufficient, just enough to take the chill off -- and add the vinegar. Set aside.

3. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, stir the molasses into the buttermilk, yogurt or soured milk. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients (just enough to combine) then pour into the pan. Bake until firm and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Mix & Match Granola

2009-01-24T11:40:00.011-05:00

Warm, spice-infused fruits and grains wafting through your home will transport all there to a heavenly bed and breakfast. :) I admit it's hard for me to pay 7 bucks for a puny, cold (albeit tasty) bag of granola in the store knowing it's so easy to make my own scrumptious version in minutes flat, and a LOT of it for cheap (you can buy organic grains and dried fruit in the bulk section of the health food store for pennies).

What I like about this particular recipe is that it's changeable--you can mix and match the ingredients depending on what's on hand. It lasts for weeks in an airtight container so it's on-hand and ready to enjoy.

Mix and Match Granola

4 cups rolled oats, wheat, or barley (any combination)
½ cup sunflower or sesame seeds
½ cup honey, maple syrup, or a thick syrup made with ½ cup brown sugar and 2-3 tablespoons water
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla and/or other extract
¾ cup raisins or other dried fruit (optional)
½ cup nuts (optional)
½ teaspoon salt

(other possible ingredient ideas: flax seeds, coconut flakes, figs, dates, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and on and on and on...:))

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together except for the dried fruit. Set the dried fruit aside.
2. In another bowl mix the sweetener, oil and extract together.
3. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. The liquids will be absorbed and the granola will become darker and shinier.
4. Spread the granola in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 325°F for 25 to 35 minutes or until fairly dry and starting to brown. Stir every ten minutes while it is baking to keep the granola on the bottom from burning.
5. Remove the granola from the oven and stir in the fruit.

Tips

1. Granola will become crispier and crunchier as it cools. Let it sit a bit before removing from pan--that way the grains will cool into nice clumps. :) Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.
2. If storing at room temp, use within a couple of weeks. It will last for six months or longer in the freezer.

Sage Roasted Winter Veggies

2009-01-23T22:37:00.011-05:00

Vickie's wonderful comments on my "Roasted potatoes and onions" recipe inspired me to create a roasted veggie dish that includes brussels sprouts. Fresh, woodsy sage pairs perfectly with sweet potatoes, and sweet potatoes blend beautifully with the caramel flavor of roasted beets, brussels sprouts, and sweet vidalia onions.

This dish cooks itself. Throw it in the oven and leave it till the timer beeps!

Sage Roasted Winter Veggies

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 large vidalia onion, peeled and chopped into 2-inch chunks
1-3 fresh beets, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
About 15 brussels sprouts, halved or left whole
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8-10 sage leaves, rolled and julienned
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix it up with your hands. Spread the mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet (foil-lined for easy clean-up!). Bake until the veggies are golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes.

You can reheat these leftovers in a preheated 400-degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Hunter's Minestrone

2009-01-23T13:19:00.019-05:00

My girl Jessica sent a request for a minestrone recipe, and this is one that I wanted to share. This recipe comes from the innovative and gifted Tyler Florence. When I saw him prepare this soup on his show Tyler's Ultimate, I knew it was a winner. It differs from the classic minestrone because contains no zucchini (cooked zucchini always reminds me of warm, soggy cucumbers! No can do!) It also contains italian sausage (as opposed to chicken meat) and savory field herbs like sage and thyme. I flapperfied it by using chicken sausage instead of pork sausage, and whole wheat pasta instead of regular. Let me know what you think!

This is a hearty, warming winter soup that tastes even better the next day!

INGREDIENTS:

2 quarts of chicken stock (8 cups)
1 head of garlic, halved
1/2 pound of whole wheat pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
8-12 sage leaves, rolled and sliced thin
3 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
1 sprig of rosemary, chopped fine
3/5-1 lb sweet italian sausage (turkey or chicken sausage is nice!)
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped (by hand or food processor)
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 (28-oz.) can chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 28-ounce cans of canneloni beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
Frshly ground black pepper
Salt (optional)
Grated parmigiano-reggiano

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the stock and garlic, skins and all, in a big saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain out the garlic with a slotted spoon and discard.

2. Bring pot of salted water to boil for pasta.

3. Chop celery, carrot and onion and keep on side of stove till ready to use.

3. In a large sauce/soup pan, heat up 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add sage, rosemary and thyme and stir for 3-4 minutes, infusing the oil with wonderful flavor. :) Add sausage and cook, breaking up pices with a wooden spoon till browned.
Add carrots, onion and celery to pan and cook 3-4 minutes till softened (not browned).

4. To same pan, add tomatoes, bay leaf, beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover to a peaceful simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

5. Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 6 minutes or so--should be underdone a bit.Drain and stir into the soup.

6. Add parsley, a little salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf.

7. Ladel soup into bowls and top each bowl with some grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Serve with whole wheat garlic bread or some other nice bread to mop up juices. :)

8. Eat. Smile. :)

Spicy shrimp and Roasted potatoes and onions

2009-01-14T15:15:00.004-05:00

Rustic, fresh, simple and bursting with flavor. It's a healthy and verrrry easy dinner to make on a weeknight. The main course is Spicy Sauteed Shrimp and the side dish is roasted potates and Cippolini onions. This basically roasts itself in the oven and comes out all carmelized, sweet and savory. Comfort food with no guilt! Add a crisp, green salad (see my recipe for Christmas Salad) and you are all set. :)

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Onions

2 pounds new potatoes (white, red, or Yukon gold), scrubbed and halved
1 pound cippolini onions, blanched & peeled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, boil a small pot of water on stovetop. When boiling, drop in onions and blanch for about 1 minute. This will loosen the skin so you can peel them very easily. Otherwise you end up taking half the onion off with the skin. ;)

2. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix it up with your hands. Spread the mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet (foil-lined for easy clean-up!). Bake until the potatoes and onions are golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes.

You can reheat these leftovers in a preheated 400-degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

While potatoes are roasting, you can prepare a green salad and prep your ingredients for the shrimp. Have it all by the stove so it’s ready to cook. Begin cooking the shrimp when you pull the potatoes out of the oven to cool a bit. The shrimp only takes 3-5 minutes!

Spicy Shrimp

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lemon, juiced
1-2 handfuls of chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
Coarse salt, about 1 teaspoon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Set a frying pan on medium-hot and then add the half the contents of bowl to the pan. Cook shrimp for 3 minutes until pink and just firm. Cook second batch the same way.

This shrimp dish also tastes delish atop a nice bowl of Pasta Aglio Olio!