tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84794068064401049372011-09-17T10:40:09.466-04:00Cooking, eating, drinking and random musings.Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.comBlogger381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-77817498775167456412011-02-06T04:20:00.006-05:002011-02-06T04:46:50.160-05:00

It's been a little over a year since my last post. During that time, a lot has happened including a couple of minor foot surgeries and a move across the globe. I will post and share stories of my adventures as I learn and explore this new home of mine. Stay tuned.Best wishes for this new year...may it be filled with good health, fortune, love, joy and laughter.

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-85940884126057896852009-09-22T23:11:00.005-04:002009-09-22T23:48:40.362-04:00

Mmm...how yummy were these? I loved the texture and that subtle creamy cheesy-ness. They really do need to be eaten right away. They do not keep at all. Any older than couple of hours and they turn soggy and gritty, but straight out of the oven, they are wonderful. The dough is very easy and quick to make but I had a very hard time working with it. As you can see below, my poor pufflets look

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-64819620986073628272009-08-18T20:49:00.002-04:002009-08-18T21:04:37.578-04:00

I can't say my applesauce spice bars looked pretty (my cake was so moist it started falling apart when I tried to cut it into bars) but I can say it was yum yum yum. Yum!I'm going to try a zucchini version as well as a carrot one with a cream cheese glaze. Hmm, maybe even one with pears and ginger. Oh, the possibilities are endless.Thank you to Karen of Something Sweet by Karen for this

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-30737662181596287022009-08-04T17:40:00.003-04:002009-08-04T17:57:59.325-04:00

Moist. Light. Absolutely scrumptious!Halfway through the baking time, there was this amazing caramel fragrance drifting from the oven. That should have been the first clue. The second should have been when I took the cake out of the pan. The aroma was amazing! And the cake felt spongy and light.I took my cake to the office, as I usually do all my TWD endeavors...I never saw anything

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-55461525495578647982009-07-20T14:38:00.014-04:002009-07-20T16:54:49.103-04:00

As it may be for many (or most) of you, I have a great fondness for Juila Child. My first exposure to her TV series began in high school and continued through college. My friends and I laughed until our stomachs hurt watching the SNL segments parodying Julia, especially since we've been doing it ourselves when cooking. My love of reading and collecting cookbooks sprouted from reading (and

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-31609805690777249812009-06-16T19:13:00.005-04:002009-06-16T20:15:45.068-04:00

Hmm. How to make ice cream when one does not have an ice cream maker. That was my dilemma. Not to worry...plastic baggies, check...salt, check...ice, check. Honey Peach Ice Cream, here I come.The directions I found online says to use one gallon and one quart bags, but I didn't want to make this in two batches and had one and two gallon bags. So, that's what I used.I filled the larger bag

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-37204103186527650942009-06-09T22:56:00.004-04:002009-06-09T23:13:36.546-04:00

Very quick.  Very simple.So quick and simple, that I question if it can even be called a "recipe."As for the taste, I found it rather bland.  That's saying something because if it has apples in it, I am bound to love it. I think next time I will brush the apples and the edges of the puff pastry with an apricot glaze.  It might also help to cut the apple half into slices (while keeping the round

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-88616125751793148402009-05-24T20:08:00.011-04:002009-05-25T12:51:22.870-04:00

Now that spring is here (well, summer really, since we no longer seem to have spring nor fall in NYC), I've entered my pesto obsessive phase which has led me to a pasta obsessive phase, which got me remembering this fabulous pasta salad I used to get when I lived in Newport, RI many moons ago.  (Yes, my mind goes off in tangents all the time.)This yummy pasta salad had black olives, bacon,

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-44877333964497792002009-05-12T23:55:00.006-04:002009-05-13T00:31:10.782-04:00

I don't know if this is typical and happened to anyone else but my tart bubbled over...furiously bubbled over.  The surface was uneven in color and texture and didn't look like the numerous other lemon tarts I've had up 'til now.  My shoulders slumped with what I first thought was another mishap (remember my cake that wasn't from last week?) but I remembered how scrumptiously delicious the

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-74160310380800436142009-05-05T21:40:00.003-04:002009-05-05T22:02:42.911-04:00

I am very particular about Tiramisu.  I find that most of the recipes are rather mediocre.  I tend not to order it in restaurants or buy it in bakeries because I find I am almost always disappointed at their attempts at what I believe is one of the great desserts mankind has created.  This wasn't always the case.  They all tasted great.  However, once I tasted how truly wonderful this dessert

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-65938744870469474162009-04-28T07:56:00.003-04:002009-04-28T08:00:28.124-04:00

Oh, wow. The chocolate custard is very addictive. The bowl, the whisk and anything else I used to make it was licked cleeeaaan. I kept sneaking a taste of it here and there - I started to worry I wouldn't have enough left to the fill the tart shell! Since I was taking it to the office, I filled the tart shell with the custard the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight (I put the

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-38874207377866060302009-04-07T18:06:00.003-04:002009-04-07T18:41:02.659-04:00

The Tale of Two Pies...When I was in New Orleans last month, I had dinner at Emeril's where I had the most eye-popping, mind-boggling, jaw-dropping delicious banana cream pie.  Not to be redundant but this pie was out of this world!  I began to obsess about it and would stop strangers on the street to tell them about it (well, not real strangers...this is NYC after all, the city of no eye contact

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-21283884880356174082009-03-31T20:37:00.006-04:002009-03-31T21:09:15.373-04:00

I think I've misplaced my baking mojo.  Either that or it is a typo in the book.  It did say to bake for 18 - 20 minutes, didn't it?I don't know what happened.  Everything was going so well.  The heady fragrance released from the lime zest when I rubbed it into the sugar made feel me giddy and happy (picture Snow White singing with the seven dwarfs giddy).  At the halfway mark, I skipped

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-42895532360561279852009-03-25T21:34:00.003-04:002009-03-25T21:48:41.977-04:00

Oops!  I was so busy celebrating my birthday yesterday that I forgot to post my TWD blurb.  Well, better late than never.This is the first TWD selection that got the better of me.  The crumb topping didn't turn out the way it should have.  I did not over mix but the cake came out tough, and I baked for only 50 minutes (350 degrees right on the dot) and it came out overdone.  Not sure if I want to

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-61995498105880245222009-02-21T22:07:00.007-05:002009-02-25T00:20:22.391-05:00

This is a keeper! If I'm not careful, I'll finish the entire pan by myself. Luckily, I have very willing taste testers who are willing to taste anything. They also LOVED these bars. I couldn't find any toffee bits, so I made some from scratch. Scroll down for the recipe I used - just skip the pecan bit.The first few pictures below show the toffee mixture at various stages. You need to stay by

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-11569004476629109132009-02-03T21:38:00.004-05:002009-02-03T22:02:08.188-05:00

Couple of years ago, when I was traveling around the Yucatan with some friends, we stopped overnight at a sleepy little town.  The place we stayed at served us these chocolate cookies that were to die for.  The lady who made it for us, an American who was spending the summer there, ignored all our not-so-subtle hints to share the recipe with us.  The cookie was served warm and was chewy with a

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-86951849713845056042009-01-28T19:49:00.004-05:002009-01-28T20:15:00.846-05:00

YUMMY!Love ginger.  Loooove chocolate.  Loooooooooove the combo.Mine came out a bit dry, but the bits of chocolate gave it a nice texture of fudgy-ness here and there.  It was a HUGE success at the office.Contrary to Dorie's footnote, I used an 8x8 pan and the entire batter filled up less than two-thirds of the pan.  Thank you to Heather of Sherry Trifle for this week's selection.(I apologize for

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-53364373957048538892009-01-13T23:09:00.004-05:002009-01-13T23:24:51.179-05:00

I love cornbread and have made it, I’m sure, hundreds of times…well, maybe not hundreds but close enough. The point is that I’ve made repeatedly and never once did I even think to add cilantro or chili pepper. I’ve usually made it plain adding just corn kernels. As I was making this week’s TWD recipe (selected by Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake), I realized that while I am an adventuresome diner, I

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-57650616924102267872008-12-30T23:08:00.004-05:002008-12-30T23:33:55.717-05:00

It isn't the prettiest cheesecake I've made but it is one of the most tastiest, crrreeeeaaamiest I have ever devoured.  I love, LOVE, love cheesecake, and this recipe has instantly become a favorite.Despite the bain marie, it cracked on the top as well as the edges.  The way it ballooned up, I would have been very surprised if it turned out with a pristine surface.  Makes me laugh whenever I see

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-39219784257174961982008-12-30T22:52:00.003-05:002008-12-30T23:08:06.194-05:00

Whew! What month it has been! I just barely got couple of entries in for TWD.  So, here goes...Buttery Jam Cookies.  Hmmm.  Well, it fell a bit flat with me.  It smelled great baking in the oven but it didn't have that buttery goodness I thought I would taste.  I used a peach and apricot preserve that is one of my favorites but I couldn't taste it at all.  Perhaps, I should try it again with

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-40299839425567254252008-12-10T09:26:00.003-05:002008-12-10T10:07:03.690-05:00

I apologize for the late posting.  I've been KO'd by a stomach virus and have lost all sense of direction and time.  Luckily, I got my baking done before I went out for the count.I had tried this recipe some time before I joined TWD, and it was not one that I thought I would make again.  I didn't like how the cookies tasted.  I thought it was rather, well, blah.  So when it came up as one of

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-83739072029263153352008-12-01T19:58:00.006-05:002008-12-01T20:58:25.620-05:00

I was planning to lug the kugelhopf with me on my business trip since I made it the day before I was to leave.  My tasting panel from work were traveling with me so I knew it wouldn't go to waste.  However, it wouldn't fit in my bag, and I didn't want another bag to carry on board.  With the way the airlines are going, they probably would have charged me $25 to take it on board.  I put the slices

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-56856026813019534832008-11-25T20:54:00.009-05:002008-11-25T22:59:57.834-05:00

First.  This was the easiest and quickest recipe I have ever put together.Second.  When will I learn that appearances can be deceiving? Very deceiving.This recipe was so quick and easy that by the time I put it together (which took all of five minutes), I was feeling preeetty confident. That lasted until I started filling the pie crust with the filling.  I used a frozen pie crust (don't own a

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-65456331805164364762008-11-10T23:04:00.006-05:002008-11-10T23:44:46.193-05:00

Woohoo!  I am now a proud mama of a KitchenAid stand mixer! And it arrived earlier than expected and just in time for me to christen it with this week's selection (thank you to Yolanda of The All-Purpose Girl for this week's choice).  This has been an eagerly awaited gift to myself and I couldn't wait to get started.But, oh no, my bubble of giddy happiness was threatening to burst when the dough

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-60465515024188550202008-11-10T15:20:00.007-05:002008-11-10T17:50:42.725-05:00

When baking things to give away I always have a hard time trying to decide what to make. This was no exception. For couple weeks I've been jotting down things I wanted to make and send to the two recipients of  Round 4.  Brownies, pecan shortbread, Austrian shortbread, mango bread, homemade granola, blondies, pumpkin chocolate bars...the list went on and on...and on...and on.  Making a list might

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-88895889694739081362008-10-29T18:50:00.004-04:002008-10-29T19:13:37.286-04:00

I'm doing something I promised I would not do...I'm posting my entry past the deadline, and I feel terrible.But I have to say the Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes are doing very well at easing my guilt!  I only had to look at them to feel a BIG grin coming on.  Boy, are they gooood.  They were so good I didn't want to take them to work!  But they were really too scrumptious to keep to myself.  I

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-2426178613337807302008-10-21T23:10:00.005-04:002008-10-21T23:59:16.973-04:00

This time, I was determined to follow the recipe exactly as it was written.  I carefully measured each ingredient and organized them according to the order they went into the bowl.  I knew I nailed it...or so I thought.Of course, this is me we're talking about.  So, something either had to be missing, in the wrong quantity or the oven temperature was too low or too high, right? Right.I was

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-76642537142672939142008-10-03T23:44:00.004-04:002008-11-10T15:20:36.748-05:00

This week was Round 3 of Operation Baking GALS.  I was part of Team Baking for Our Troops which was hosted by Lyndsay (who deserves a BIG thank you).  I must have deliberated over what kinds of cookies to make for about 2 weeks.  I finally decide to make...Ginger MolassesPeanut ButterChocolate WalnutThe Chocolate Walnut is actually Chocolate Chip but ended up being more like Chocolate Dust

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-20842455933429076142008-09-25T19:26:00.002-04:002008-09-25T19:47:07.361-04:00

Just like the Omnivore's Hundred, this list surveys what food items you've had but this list is directed toward your sweet tooth.  The original list can be found at Cakespy.Instructions:1) Copy this list into your site, including the instructions!2) Bold all of the sweets you've eaten!3) Cross out any of them that you'd never ever eat.4) Consider anything that is not bold or crossed out your "To

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-21537332676578634642008-09-23T22:03:00.005-04:002008-09-23T23:10:03.745-04:00

Boy, is this recipe forgiving!It was a Murphy's Law kind of day.  My brain decided to take a holiday that day and did not return until the next morning.  I don't know why I thought it would be a good time to bake. I think I did everything I could to sabotage this recipe.First, I decided that seeing double when reading was normal and ended up reading "2 eggs" instead of "3 eggs."  Well, I did not

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-63914639445787987682008-09-16T21:50:00.012-04:002008-10-04T23:27:58.480-04:00

Today is my first Tuesday with Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD)! Woohoo!  For those of you who are wondering, "What is Tuesdays with Dorie?"...TWD is an online baking club where each week a member selects a new recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking, From My Home To Yours for all the members to bake.  The results (and pictures) are posted on each members website on Tuesdays. This week's recipe, Chocolate

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-74261840211190428182008-09-03T14:09:00.009-04:002008-09-06T17:52:54.621-04:00

For all you foodies out there, here's a quick, fun game posted on Very Good Taste.Below is a list of 100 items that "every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life."  Copy and post it on your blog or, if you don't have a blog, print it and pass it around to your friends and co-workers.Here are the instructions from the original post at Very Good Taste.1) Copy this list into

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-61689047212062969082008-09-01T19:17:00.007-04:002008-09-06T22:08:29.100-04:00

Around this time each year, a countdown suddenly begins in my head, and I feel a quiet desperation.  I get this sudden urge to buy every piece of fruit I see, especially peaches and watermelon.  Now that I think about it, I get the same urge with berries in mid-summer...you should have seen the blueberries I hoarded!Anyway, just yesterday I bought two baskets of peaches from the Greenmarket at

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-66288215501896747452008-09-01T17:58:00.015-04:002008-09-06T09:33:53.083-04:00

The reviews I've read about Tabla Restaurant was peppered with adjectives like exquisite, bewitching, and deliciously satisfying. Well, the chef and all the kitchen staff must have been having a day off (if not, then definitely an off-day) when I went, because I could not apply any those adjectives to my first dining experience at Tabla.  The decor is beautiful...as a matter of fact, one could

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-81946047328831204812008-09-01T17:32:00.007-04:002008-09-06T17:54:04.823-04:00

Have I been totally oblivious all this time or are restaurants suddenly enamored with incorporating watermelon into their dishes?  It seemed liked everywhere I looked this summer, there was watermelon on the menu - served usually with feta.   As a matter of fact, the other night when my friends and I went to dinner at Artisanal Fromagerie, Bistro & Wine Bar, we saw that they, too, had watermelon

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-61824435585005100322008-08-11T19:28:00.019-04:002008-08-11T22:36:21.054-04:00

According to Wikipedia, the word "pesto" is "the contracted past participle of pesta ('to pound, to crush', from the Latin root of work pestle)."  While I love the idea of pounding away with a mortar and pestle, I'm not willing to put in the elbow grease if it's not absolutely necessary. So, when I decided to experiment with different ingredients (for "experiment" read "cleaning out the fridge")

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-55733614469018635382008-07-27T10:30:00.025-04:002008-12-13T04:32:22.961-05:00

Every summer the New York Philharmonic holds performances in Central Park, and the Great Lawn overflows with New Yorkers armed with picnic baskets (go here for pictures from the event) ready to unwind after a hard day's work.  Beethoven, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, and fireworks...not a bad way to end a day.  Perfect setting for me and my friends to do what we do best:  eat, drink and be merry. We

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8479406806440104937.post-9056397598664705552008-07-26T22:00:00.018-04:002008-07-27T12:35:43.047-04:00

It was a glorious afternoon.The weather was perfect. Lunch at Sophie's Cuban Cuisine was lip-smackin', finger-lickin' good: tender roast pork, slightly crispy on the outside maduros, and a I-don't-know-what-it's-called-but-it's-addictive green sauce. Dessert was a sublime experience: oh-so-smooooth frozen custard from Shake Shack.Ahh. All was right in my world.My partners in crime and I were

Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13102585786824718278noreply@blogger.com0