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April 28, 2009

Honey, that's disgusting...


I have this friend, let's call him Richy Rich, and he has this absolutely repugnant food fetish. Are you ready to hear it? Got your doggy bag handy? He puts honey on everything--spaghetti, tuna salad, mashed potatoes--EVERYTHING. I think it may have something to do with his insatiable sweet tooth (frosting and raw cookie dough are his favorite snacks), but tuna salad and honey--thats just too much! So I'm taking it upon myself to help him out... I am going to provide him with some delicious recipes that utilize honey the right way. Hang in their Rich, help is on the way.
To start, here is a recipe that will quench your sweet tooth while letting honey shine in an appropriate manner. This honey butter tastes good on anything you spread it on, from biscuits to pancakes to cornbread.

Cinnamon Honey Butter (Ina Garten's--found @ foodnetwork.com):
1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with a paddle attachment or combine by hand. Spread away!

Honey Glazed Grilled Chicken (Bobby Flay's--also on FN website):
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 whole bone-in chicken breasts
Olive oil, for grilling (optional)
Salt and pep
Heat the grill to medium. Whisk together the hone and balsamic in a small bowl. Brush the breasts with both sides with olive oil (to ix-nay a little fat, ix-nay the oil). Season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the breasts for 7-10 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through. Brush with the honey glaze during the last few minutes of cooking.

Honey-Soy Glazed Salmon:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce plus 1 tablespoon
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable
4 (6 ounces) pieces salmon fillet, skin removed
In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, and dijon. 
In a skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat and cook salmon until its golden and cooked through, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan simmer the honey mixture until it reduces to a glaze-like consistency. Plate the salmon, and pour the glaze over the fillets
Moral of the Story? Richy Rich, if your nauseating honey fetish persists, I'm calling it quits on our friendship.

April 14, 2009

Busy Bee = Caffeine OD (FAIR TRADE COFFEE)


With all the crap-ola I need to complete before graduation, I've been pounding coffee and expresso shots like it's my job. But it's not. Which is unfortunate since I need one. Anyway, I've been wired like a transformer on caffeine, and it has created within me the desire to emphasize the importance of fair trade coffee. Buying fair trade is a tiny deed with a big impact. Coffee is the largest source of export income and one of the most heavily traded global commodities for many developing countries. Twenty-five million coffee-producing families suffer due to inadequate income.  They deserve recognition for the quality products they generate, that YOU consume on a daily basis.  The "coffee-crisis," triggered by plunging coffee prices, devastated coffee-growing communities in developing countries for years. The price of coffee has since improved after hitting a 30-year low in 2001, however, many small-scale coffee farmers and their families still cannot earn a decent income despite higher prices. Basic expenses like healthcare, food, and education are a constant struggle. Is it too much to ask to buy fair trade coffee? Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization that creates solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice, works toward economic security for coffee-farmers and their families. 
Check out the website for more info: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/campaigns/coffee
Word to the wise: Fair Trade Certified coffee is increasingly available at mainstream stores. Brands that sell fair-trade coffee include Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (I drink this, it's good), Starbucks, Equal Exchange, and Procter & Gamble's Millstone. Get you some! Only if you care about anybody other than yourself, that is... 
Moral of the story? Don't be a jerk. Buy fair trade. 
*photo is from oxfamamerica.org

April 9, 2009

You Must Make This Pasta


So as I mentioned a few days ago, my main squeeze, Sergio, had a birthday recently. And neither the presents, the two-day celebration, nor the grungy stripper are what made his birthday special. The pasta single-handedly made his birthday the most memorable birthday yet (if I may exaggerate and/or toot my own horn slightly). And let me tell ya, it is stupid-simple to make. If you don't make this recipe, you're an idiot. Sorry. Because whoever you feed it to will be in awe and praise you for life. Plus, it only takes about 20 minutes to make and it requires very few ingredients. Check this bad boy out:

Pasta with Zucchini and Red Cream Sauce:
2 medium zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, whole but cracked (smash it against a cutting board with your palm)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (plus more for garnish)
1 jar marinara sauce
15 ounces ricotta cheese (can use part-skim)
1 pound pasta (penne, ziti, cavatappi, have your pick...)
2 cups mozzarella, provolone, and/or parmesan
Boil water. Saute zucchini in olive oil with cracked garlic glove over medium heat for approximately 7 minutes.   Add the basil. Remove the garlic clove. Move the zucchini mixture into a bowl and set aside. Using the same pan, poor in the marinara and heat through on low heat. This would be a good time to add the pasta to the boiling water (be mindful of the pasta's cook time and time accordingly). Add the ricotta cheese to the marinara and whisk until combined. Add the zucchini into the sauce. When pasta is cooked to al dente, strain and combine the pasta and the sauce. At this point, you have a decision to make. You can 1) ex-nay the cheeses and serve as is, or 2) place the pasta into a baking dish and top with the cheese mixture and heat under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown, or 3)  you can place into individual ramekins and evenly distribute the cheese on top and broil until golden brown. Garnish with the basil, and try not to let the pleasure overwhelm you.
The creaminess (sans cream) of the sauce makes it incredibly decadent and the basil and zucchini add fresh flavor. Plus, who doesn't love the taste of browned, melty cheese. And isn't this recipe super easy? Gosh I can't get over it; You Must Make This Pasta!
Moral of the story? Even a 2-day birthday celebration involving gifts and a grungy stripper can't top this pleasure-fest of a meal!

April 7, 2009

Tidbit: Short and Spicy...


Word to the wise: Don't dice a jalapeno, forget to wash your hands, and make contact with your eyeballs.
Moral of the story? I'm feeling the burn. Yowza!
*FYI-- The jalapeno did not actually make my eyeball bleed. This photo is from Lasik. Silly...

April 5, 2009

Wake 'n' Bake Some Birthday Cake!

So I got this man-friend. Let's call him... Sergio.  Sergio has been my main squeeze for a little while now and I guess you could say he's kind of important to me. Well Serg (for short) has a birthday coming up in a couple of days so I have birthday cake on the brain, and soon on the buds!  BIRTHDAY CAKE MAKES ME EXCITED! When it comes to baking, there's one lady that I trust with all of my heart... Ina Garten. I saw these recipes on her show a while back and they are the sexiest cake recipes I've ever seen!  I've had them set aside ever since and I've been frickin' dying to utilize them. I am not quite sure which one I am going to make yet, so I am going to share them both with you! There's one for you, vanilla-lovers, and one for chocolate-lovers. These cakes, my friends, are not your average cakes; ingredients like sour cream, coffee and/or lemon zest make them extra elegant and special. The luscious ingredients really set them apart.  Whichever one I choose, I can't wait to eat---I don't know if I'm actually making it for Sergio or myself! But I can promise you that Sergio's birthday and these tasty cakes are definitely cause for celebration. My tall drink 'o' water will be very pleased! Here are the recipes:

White Birthday Cake!!!:
2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons good vanilla extract
1 lemon, zested
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstartch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 pounds confectioners sugar, sifted
9 tablespoons milk
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Food coloring (optional---if you want to make it a pretty color!)
For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan, a 6-inch cake pan, and a 3-inch cake pan. To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until smooth. Finish mixing by hand to be sure the batter is well-mixed. Proportionately divide the batter between the 3 cake pans. Bake the 9-inch pan for 45 minutes, the 6-inch pan for 35-40 minutes, and the 3-inch pan for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from each cake. Cool in the pans to room temperature. 
For the frosting, cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. If adding food coloring, add now and turn the mixer off. Finish mixing in the color by hand using a spatula. Frost each cake separately, saving some frosting for decoration. Centrally stack the cakes: 6-inch on top of 9-inch, and 3-inch on top of 6-inch. Decorate and look at your amazing cake creation! 

Chocolate Buttercream Cake!!!:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups good cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup brewed coffee
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
1 pound bittersweet chocolate
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup egg whites (4-5 large eggs), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 teaspoons instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 1/2 teaspoons water
3 tablespoons dark rum, optional
For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour 1 (4 by 3-inch) cake pan, 1 (6 by 3-inch) cake pan and 1 (8 by 3-inch) cake pan. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on high speed until light, approximately 5 minutes.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in thirds, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix the batter only until blended. Divide the batter between the 3 pans and smooth. Bake on the middle rack of the oven as follows: 45-50 minutes for the 4-inch pan, 70-75 minutes for the 6-inch pan, and 85-90 minutes for the 8-inch pan, or until a toothpick comes out clean from each cake. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, then carefully remove from the pans and allow to finish cooling. 
For the frosting, chop the chocolates and place them in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Return the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, vanilla, espresso, and rum, if using, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again. Frost just the top side of the cakes and then stack them accordingly. Finish frosting and enjoy that buttercream deliciousness! 
Word to the wise: You obviously don't have to bake a 3-tiered cake. If you want to use other pans, go for it--just watch the cook-time!
Moral of the story? Tall drinks 'o' milk will be in order when devouring these cakes with my tall drink 'o' water!
*this recipe can be found at foodnetwork.com