Soup!

I LOVE SOUP! I am sad to report that I had have a persistent cough for the past few days. On a happy note, my cold gave me the incentive to experiment with making soups. I made a Chinese-inspired soup today for dinner, based on the soup I had for lunch yesterday in NY's Ctown. This soup was a great discovery for me, because I love soup, but I'm always afraid the soup in Ctowns across America have meat in it or meat broth. It's hard to tell, you know?

Recipe for Chinese-inspired soup:

1. Boil 6 cups water in a large wok. A big pot works too, but I was too lazy to clean one!

2. Add 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp minced ginger root, and 2 finely diced green chili peppers to the boiling water.

3. Add 4 tsp low sodium soy sauce, 4 tsp seasoned rice vinegar, 2 tsp sesame oil to the wok. Let it continue simmering for a few minutes.

4. Add 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms.

5. Add 2 cups baby bok choy and 2 cups cooked rice noodles to the wok. The rice noodles should be cooked by boiling water in a pot, removing from heat, adding noodles, and covering the pot. Strain and then add to the soup. Also, the bok choy can be prepared by cutting off the ends, separating the leaves, and washing the veggies. Let simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat or the bok choy leaves will turn yellow. If you won't be serving the soup for awhile, wait until just before serving to add any leafy veggies or any veggies you want to keep the crunch in.

6. Right before serving the soup, add 1/8 cup chopped cilantro and 1 tsp fresh lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

This soup cleared my nose and throat AND tasted delicious at the same time! The best thing about this soup is that you can use many types of veggies. I think it would taste good with different types of mushrooms or fresh spinach (not the bagged kind with E. coli O157:H7!) or broccoli. Also, you can make this more or less spicy by changing the quantity of chili peppers!

Chocolate Bar at Cafe Fleuri

Frank and I went to the Chocolate Bar at Cafe Fleuri on its Opening Day last Saturday. I would recommend this Saturday chocolate buffet to anyone who loves chocolate, because it is so decadent and yummy! There were cookies, chocolate crepes, ice cream, chocolate fondue, chocolate bread pudding, and 2 tables covered with various chocolate desserts (primarily made with some form of chocolate mousse). The lavishness of the spread was just so unbelievably overwelming- I didn't even know where to start!

My favorite things to try are show below in pictures. I can't remember all the names, so I hope my descriptions and pictures are enough!

1. This dessert tastes like a grown-up Twix bar. It has a pear inside, which I didn't eat, but the rest of the dessert was just so good. I mean, a Twix bar made tastier- can you ask for anything more out of a dessert?



2. Chocolate Bread Pudding- I don't know what they call it at Cafe Fleuri, but this dessert is a chocolate bread pudding, simple as that. It is delicious. They serve it with the option of adding caramel sauce and/or chocolate sauce. We added caramel sauce only, because we tried it towards the end of our buffet experience, and we just couldn't deal with eating any more chocolate! This bread pudding reminded me of the English Sticky Toffee Pudding at Croma, the gourmet pizza place on Newbury Street in Boston.



3. Chocolate Fondue- They had milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate fondue sauces, as well as a lovely 3-tiered chocolate fountain! We also had a bowl of caramel sauce, which we mix and matched with the chocolate sauces (we were serious about trying EVERYTHING!) We started "healthy" by dipping fruit and pretezels in the sauces. We ended up dipping these mini-churro-looking things into the chocolate sauces. They were little mini churros that were filled with liquidy chocolate. Amazing.




4. White chocolate citrus ice cream- surprisingly light and refreshing.


I wouldn't recommend the chocolate crepes. Nor would I recommend the various flavored creme brulees. Besides that, SO GOOD! Thanks for taking me there, Frank!

South Indian Cabbage

I have this great vegetarian cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey- I absolutely love it because I can make any recipe in the book! My sister and I decided that we are going to work our way through the book, cooking all the recipes that sound appetizing to us. We each picked a recipe to make for our parents this past weekend. We cook well together when we have our own projects! I, of course, picked a cabbage dish to make!

South Indian Cabbage
1. Chop cabbage into long, thin pieces (coleslaw-esque). Wash.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil in a pan, I prefer a wok.
3. Add 1 tbsp brown mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add 1 tbsp urad dal, 1/2 tsp fenugreek powder (or 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds), 1/2 tsp asafetida.
4. Add 10-12 curry leaves. Stir.
5. Add cabbage. Stir until cabbage is cooked through (around 5 minutes).
6. Add 1 tbsp coconut milk. Mix.

I love this dish because it's quick, easy, really tasty, AND according to my South Indian taste-testers, the cabbage actually tastes like real South Indian food! woohoo!

ps pictures to come soon!

Saravanaas Restaurant Review

My parents, sister, cousin and I went to Saravanaas, a South Indian restaurant, in Murray Hill (popularly known as Curry Hill) in NYC. I was hoping it would be really tasty since my sister loved it, but I have to say, it was not so great. To be fair, I feel like the quality of the food and the poor service was the product of a really busy Friday night. But no excuses! The food should have been better, regardless of how busy it was! Here's what we tried and my opinions on them:

Drinks:
1. Salty Lassi- somewhat flavorless, I've definitely had better
2. Sweet Lassi- pretty good, but heavy

Appetizers:
1. Plain Idli- The green coconut chutney was really great, and the idli was perfect. I've had a lot of versions of this steamed rice and lentil patty, and I really thought this one was good. The other three chutneys were pretty average.

2. Sambar Vada- This was AMAZING! Vada is a lentil "donut" that is made by soaking and grinding lentils (urad dal), adding spice, and then deep frying in oil. Usually it ends up being heavy and oily, but Saravanaas' vada was soft and light and flavorful. It was served in a plate of sambar, covered with red onions and green beans. I thought the green beans were a really nice touch, definitely not something I would think of. So, this was the first dish we tried, and I was really hopeful for the rest of our dishes. Unfortunately, they weren't so great.

3. Rasam- This dish had potential.

Dosa
1. Paper Dosa- This was served to us cold, which ruins the taste of dosa, as anyone who has eaten dosa knows.

2. Rava Masala Dosa- Ok, but again, cold.

3. Tomato Onion Utthappam- I love utthappam normally, but this one was in dire need of seasoning. My mom thought it was soggy on the inside and crispy on the outside, but only because they doused it with oil.

4. Adai Avail- I was so disappointed in this dish, because I was hoping for something interesting and new, but it ended up tasting like chilla, a North Indian "crepe" type dish.

Rice
1. Bagalabath- yogurt rice was made with this bizarre short grain rice that reminded me of couscous. I did not like it. Definitely not.

So, I apologize to any lovers of this restaurant, but this restaurant just didn't work for me tonight. My sister is protesting as a I write this post, so I suppose I might give it another try. After all, the sambhar vada was fantastic, so maybe there's still hope for Saravanaas!

Fresh Cabbage Salad

Normally my mom does all the cooking in my house, but I have to admit, my daddy makes this one really good dish. He was the first person to make this cabbage salad for me, so even if it was originally my mom's recipe, I always associated it with my dad (sorry mom! hi dad!) I love this stuff. It sounds a bit too simple to be tasty, but it really is. And what's great is that the flavors are better the next day after the citrus has had some time to marinate the cabbage, so you can store the salad and eat it over a few days!

Fresh Cabbage Salad

2 cups chopped cabbage- use only the inside part of the cabbage, the whitish part. This part has the "sweetest" leaves on the head and will make the best tasting dish. Cut the cabbage into longer strands, rather than squares. For some reason, I'm uncomfortable with the idea of eating square cabbage pieces in this dish!

1 cup chopped tomatoes (any kind is fine, but keep in mind, they're going to be eaten raw, so they should be the freshest, juiciest tomatoes you can get. I like to use vine-ripened tomatoes; grape or cherry tomatoes would also be yummy)

Mix cabbage and tomatoes. Add lots of black pepper and salt to taste.

P.S. This is going to be the first of many posts on cabbage, because I absolutely love cabbage. It can be prepared in so many different ways, and it can sit in the fridge for weeks without going bad!!

Indian Eggplant Chips

I'm at home in CT right now with my parents, and I'm trying to pick up as many cooking tips from my mom as I can! She made one of my favorite Indian snack foods tonight, which I thought I would share. She used eggplant, or aubergine, as my British friend would say, or brinjal, as Indian restaurants like to use on their menus. I've always thought eggplant is a really hard vegetable to cook, but this dish isn't pretty foolproof. I have to say, somehow, my mom always makes all her eggplant dishes so well! She used the regular plump Italian eggplant, but this same dish could easily be made with the longer eggplant or the cute little heirloom eggplants.

Indian Eggplant Chips

I like to make them so they are crispy on the outside skin, but with a tender inner layer, just barely cooked through.

1. Wash eggplant. Cut into 1/8 inch slices. They don't have to be perfect, but the slices should be a medium width- if they're too fat, they won't cook through the inside; if they're too thin, they will stick to the pan or get too crispy all over.

2. Heat a non-stick pan (the big flat base ones) on medium heat and spread 2 tbsps olive oil over the bottom. I'm trying to stop using those non-stick pans, because I feel like cooking food on Teflon probably isn't the healthiest thing to do. But they're just so perfect for cooking this chips! I'm sure I could make the same chips on a regular pan just by using more oil.

3. Place eggplant slices on the hot pan. Don't overlap or touch the slices.

4. Cook the first side for about 4 min on medium heat, or until they are lightly browned. Flip and cook the other side for another 4 min.

5. Remove from pan and sprinkle each piece with salt, black pepper, and kala namak, a black salt commonly used in India. Kala namak is definitely one of my favorite seasonings, and it is commonly overlooked by Indian restaurants or Western-produced Indian recipes. The salt is actually pink, but it turns blackish when it gets wet, which I think is really cool! If you can't find kala namak, don't worry, the eggplant chips will taste great with just the salt and pepper. You can also try dipping it in cilantro or mint chutney, for an interesting flavor.

CHAI!

I make good chai. That's all there is to it. I've made lots of variations, including elaborate 12-ingredient masala mixes or using tea leaves straight from the motherland. But really, making a good cup of chai is so easy and so simple. Everyone likes this chai, Indians, non-Indians, etc. It's just such a comforting flavor on a cold, gloomy day. Or when you're stressed. Or excited. Or tired. Basically, it's good for any and every occasion! Here's the recipe I use, step by step:

For 1 cup of chai:

1. Using the mug that you are going to be drinking the chai out of, pour half a mug of milk (I use 1%) into a pot with one mug of water into a pot.

2. Add 1 cardamom pod (crack open and use the entire pod) to the pot.

3. Add a pinch of fresh ginger.

4. Bring to a boil at medium heat. Be REALLY careful and watch the pot or the milk will boil over, guaranteed. Watch your milk! I wouldn't recommend using high heat, because the milk will probably end up burning and sticking to the bottom, which will change the flavor of the entire pot of chai. boo to that!

5. After the milk/water comes to a boil, add 1 teabag if you like the tea light, use 2 teabags if you like it stronger, as I do. Typically, tea experts say you should "give a teabag or a spoon of tea leaves to the pot," but I would only use one teabag if you know you don't like strong tea. I use regular Lipton tea bags, but you can definitely use fancier blends- Darjeeling tea leaves, if you like.

6. Let your tea simmer for 15- 20 minutes on low heat, until the chai is a nice tannish/brown color. Strain into mug. Add sugar to taste.

So a couple things- first off, before my sister says anything, I admit she makes really good chai too. But, I introduced good chai to my family, so there! Also, this recipe is not cut and dry since everyone likes to drink their chai a little differently. Definitely increase cardamom ratios, or include cinnamon or more ginger or whatever. This is just my favorite basic recipe for chai. Try it, it's great! Let me know how your chai turns out (esp you, Kimbop!)

Sisters' Blog!

I forgot to mention that my big sister is now the New York correspondent for this blog! Welcome to my blog, didi!

Fermentation?

I have to admit, I have always been a bit weary of anything that is fermented. Somehow I can't shake the image of mold or that musty smell that organisms secrete when they anaerobically metabolise. So, when Frank told me he was cooking dinner for me and he was going to use fermented bean curd, I got a little nervous. Luckily, he made this really good dish with on choy, a green Chinese vegetable that kind of looks like watercress with longer stems, and fermented bean curd. Here's what he did:


1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan or wok (a wok is probably better to use since the veggies will fall back into the center of the wok by themselves) and add 3 cloves of garlic to the hot oil. I prefer my garlic minced, but if you like to bite down on pieces of garlic, definitely feel free to slice it or throw it in whole.

2. Add on choy to the oil. (Before adding the veggie, make sure it is washed and cut into thirds lengthwise.) If there is a lot of veggie and a little pan, cook the stuff in batches.

3. Stir the on choy, it will shrink down a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Add a little water or veggie broth to create a "sauce."

4. Add a few tablespoons of fermented bean curd. This measurement is so imprecise, because it really depends on how much you like the taste of the bean curd. I liked it, but definitely err on the side of caution in the first batch. It's easy to add and hard to remove a flavor! Also, don't be scared by the smell of the bean curd- it tastes better than it smells, i promise!

Note: We used veggie broth when we cooked this dish, but the sauce ended up looking kind of gray after we added the bean curd. So, I think it might be a better idea to add water, instead of broth, to keep the broth a nice tan color. If the sauce seems too water, just mix the water with 1/2 tbsp of corn starch, and then add to the pan. Also, I feel like chicken broth could be substituted too, if you like that flavor.

P.S. Thanks for dinner, Frank!

My Favorite Boston Restaurants (Taiwan Cafe, Shawarma King, Figs, Cafe Mami, Helmand)

TAIWAN CAFE (Taiwanese)

I love this restaurant, I absolutely love it... my best friend and I have spent so many lunch hours at this place enjoying their lunch specials. My favorite dishes are below:

1. mustard green with edame & fresh bean curd
2. sauteed chinese watercress with garlic
3. home style braised eggplant with basil- I don't like the texture of the eggplant, but the dish is still really good
4. sauteed spinach with garlic
5. sauteed napa cabbage with silky bean curd- my sister and bff don't like this dish very much; my sister thinks the cabbage is really hard and feels waxy, but I think it's an interesting (in a good way!) flavor and texture
6. vegetarian steamed ravioli- be warned, these look like dumplings, but they don't taste like them. they have a light spinach filling which i absolutely love!

As for meat, my friends recommend the braised tilapia with soy & scallion!

After dozens of visits to this restaurant, I've only disliked one dish: sauteed chinese mushroom over green. Kinda tasted like feet. We're going to go to Taiwan Cafe this Friday, so I'm sure I'll have the remaining vegetarian dishes I haven't tried to include on this list!

SHAWARMA KING (Middle Eastern)
I've been here a few times and there are 2 meals I really like- the fool moudammas roll-up (i'm sure the dinner plate is great too) and the halloumi white cheese roll-up (the cheese is really light and tasty.) Also, this place has good falafel, if you like falafel. I'm not the biggest fan, but my falafel-loving friend gave me 2 thumbs up when he was eating it! I wouldn't recommend the shawarma king salad though, because it was somewhat bland and the veggies were limp.

For drinks, I recommend the lemonade which is made fresh with a hint of rose water and the gowava juice (guava juice??).

FIGS (Pizza)
I think I've tried every vegetarian pizza at this restaurant. I've also been to all 3 locations in MA, which are Charles Street near MGH, Charlestown, and Wellesley! As a general description, the upscale pizzas made at Figs, Todd English's restaurants, have a thin, crispy crust, and simple, fresh gourmet toppings. My favorite pizzas are, in order:

1. Bianco- the arugula is always very crisp and well-dressed; it's kind of a strange idea to put a "salad" on a pizza but it actually works really well
2. Golden Tomato- this pizza is especially good in the fall, because the tomatoes are at their peak

I wouldn't recommend the portobello pizza, because the mushroom puree tastes a bit bizarre, nor would my carnivorous friends recommend the fig & prosciutto pizza, which is sad since it has the signature ingredient!

CAFE MAMI (Japanese/Pan-Asian)
I can only eat 2 dishes here, but I LOOOOOOOVE the teriyaki don rice bowl. It just hits the spot. And I think any of my friends can vouch for the appeal of this restaurant- it just hits a spot for eeeeveryone! so good!

HELMAND (Afghan)
The cool thing about this place was that it pleasantly reminded me of Indian food, but with a nice twist, since the food included different vegetables and some different seasonings than my brown people use. I would definitely recommend the pumpkin kibby; it's at the top of my list for Helmand. But my favorite thing is, without a doubt, the "bread bowl" and chutney appetizer they serve before the meal. Yum!

SALSA!

I love this salsa. It is so fresh and tasty. The cool thing about this recipe is that it's so easy to adjust the spicyness of the salsa and it uses 4 items off of my essential ingredients list!

Salsa (spice level: medium)

Ingredients:
2 ripe tomatoes (I like to use vine-ripened tomatoes because they are the juicest and tastiest, in my opinion)
1 white or red onion
1 jalapeno (adjust according to your heat preference)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
salt to taste
handful of cilantro leaves

This will probably make about 2 cups of salsa, but I guarantee it will be consumed in minutes, so be ready to double or triple the recipe!

Cut tomatoes, onions, and peppers into small pieces. Mix. Add lime juice. Add finely chopped cilantro leaves as a garnish if you have some, but this isn't absolutely necessary. I don't like biting into large pieces of cilantro, so I like to cut the leaves really small so I can appreciate the fragrance without feeling like I'm eating grass. Finally, add salt to taste (keep in mind, if you're eating this salsa with a salted item, like chips, don't put too much salt in the salsa.)

Note: If there are going to be children eating this, try eliminating the pepper altogether for them. It will still be a really tasty snack for everyone. Also, just a warning: I once tried a version of this salsa that had minced garlic in it, and it was awful. aaaaaaaawful. It tasted like it was trying to be salsa and bruschetta at the same time, which doesn't work at all (how could it possibly please the italian and mexican palates at the same time?!) So if someone says to you, hey, let's add garlic- JUST SAY NO! Ok, now that I've gotten that little PSA out of my system...

The next logical question is: What can this be eaten with??? Regular tortilla chips or pita chips work well. But that's the other really amazing thing about this stuff, you can use it on EVERYTHING! In my parents' house, we eat toast with hummus and salsa; I add the salsa to scrambled eggs; the salsa can also be a lovely garnish for tofu burgers.

Requests?

If anyone wants me to make something for them or to try out a recipe, let me know! I am happy to entertain requests!

The Essentials

Having lived with friends and my sister for the past few years/summers, I've realized the importance of always keeping basic ingredients in my kitchen. When the urge to eat kicks in (when hunger strikes, when the going gets tough... etc etc :~) lol!), it's so great to have these supplies in the house. Here's what I think is important to keep stocked in the refrigerator and some reasons:

To keep stocked in the refrigerator:
1. Tomatoes
I LOVE tomatoes! Best fruit/vegetable EVER!

2. Limes
Limes are great for cooking because they can be used to liven up the flavor of a dish. A lot of Thai dishes use them, as do Indian dishes. There was an interesting article in the NYTimes ("When the sour note is just right," July 20, 2006) about the use of limes and oranges- definitely check it out!

3. Onions (I think yellow onions are more useful to have than red, but my sister loves them red, so I keep both)

4. Jalapeno peppers (some people use them from a jar, but I think they taste so much better fresh and they last for a long time in the refrigerator, so why not keep them fresh?!)

5. Hummus
Good for dipping veggies, spreading on high quality bread, making sandwiches. My favorite spread!

To keep stocked in the pantry:
1. Chocolate chips
Perfect for any baking emergency. Also good for impromptu microwave s'mores or a quick dip for fruit when sweetened with powdered sugar.

2. Bisquick/a generic brand pancake/waffle mix
For the most part, I argue for the importance of using fresh ingredients and making food from scratch. However, I was raised in a house where eggs were not purchased very often (my family is Hindu.) But I also loved pancakes for breakfast, so my mom would always keep the mix in the pantry. Therefore, for me, this is definitely a staple for my kitchen. Last weekend, a friend visited and we made banana pancakes and chocolate chip pancakes. I remember throwing together pumpkin pancakes last fall and raspberry pancakes in the spring. Pancakes are a great breakfast, brunch, and snack item! I suppose I should also mention that I love breakfast foods and would eat them at every meal if my friends and family let me!

3. Black bean sauce
I stir-fry everything with this sauce- mushrooms, cabbage, bok choy, onions.... so tasty!

4. Tortilla chips
Munch on by themselves, dip in salsa, or make into a place of nachos.

5. Jar of banana peppers
Use on sandwiches, on nachos, etc.

6. Good quality bread

7. Potatoes
I don't think I really need to explain this one!

Tribute to the A310 Suiteys!

Here are some of the fabulous birthday goodies and yummy meals the lovely ladies of suite A310 made in the past year:

Don't lisp when asking for the Apple Crisp

This is my friend Divya's favorite dessert that I make. It's so easy to make and it's great for large gatherings of people. The recipe below will serve up to 10 people, with generous helpings!

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (I like to use light)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 lbs apples ( I like Granny Smith or sometimes I mix a couple types together!)
3 tbsps fresh lemon juice
1 tsbp cinnamon (I like to grate mine fresh, but it shouldn't make a big difference)

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Combine oats, 1 cup sugar, flour, butter to make the topping.
3. Combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, remaining sugar for the apple filling.
4. Cover apples with topping. Bake for an hour or until apples are soft (they shouldn't be crumbly).
5. Serve hot with ice cream.

Note: This also works with pears.

Mmmm, Ice Cream Cake

My mom bought me an ice cream cake for every birthday when I was growing up; my sister got me a Coldstone Creamery ice cream cake for my surprise 20th birthday; my friends got me a JP Licks ice cream cake for my 21st birthday... clearly, I love ice cream cake! So what better than to learn how to make the perfect ice cream cake! I finally made an ice cream cake for my best friend's 22nd birthday party, and I have to say, it was damn good.

Frozen Chocolate Cookie Cake (doesn't the name alone make your mouth water?!)

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 box package of Devil's food cake and listed ingredients (usually eggs, oil, and water)

Cake Filling:
1/2 gallon cookies 'n' cream ice cream

Chocolate Ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
12 oz chocolate chips

Garnish (optional, well, not really):
crushed oreo cookies

1. Freeze ice cream into a 9 inch round cake pan for several hours. (tip: line the pan with plastic wrap/saran wrap before adding ice cream. This will make it easier to remove the ice cream later on).
2. Bake 2 9-inch Devil's food cakes. Refrigerate cakes until cold.
3. Prepare the ganache: Heat cream until it bubbles. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until it melts into the cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until it has thickened enough that it can be spread with a butterknife.
4. Building the cake: When cakes have cooled, cover 1 cake's top and sides with ganache. Unwrap ice cream and place on top of this layer. Place the second cake on top of the ice cream layer. Cover the sides and top of that cake with ganache. For the garnish, cover the sides of the ice cream layer and the top of the cake with crushed oreos.
*Another option would be to cover the cakes with ganache and then cool them in the refrigerator. Then put the three cooled pieces together.

Notes: Crush oreos by placing a plastic bag and hitting with a hammer or the back of a knife. Also, remember to even out the sides of the ice cream layer so it is more in line with the cake layer. This will make the cake prettier!

Chocolate Molten Cake

Warning: This dessert should only be made by serious chocolate lovers. this is serious chocolate business! I made the mistake of making this for a non-serious chocolate fan, and it just wasn't the same (for said person: it's not your fault! i still like you!.) Only chocolate fanatics need apply!

Chocolate Molten Cake

Ingredients (6 souffles):

Cakes:
12 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
6 eggs


Raspberry Sauce:
2 cups frozen raspberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

To make cakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour ramekins.
2. Melt chocolate and butter over double broiler. Cool.
3. In separate bowl, beat sugar, flour, and eggs until fluffy. Add to chocolate.
4. Fill ramekins 2/3s full and bake about 15 minutes.

To make sauce:
Heat fruit and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice. Puree 1/2 mix. Chill. Drizzle over cakes.

Garnish cakes with powdered sugar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Note: Strawberry sauce would also be so yummy!! I also recommend a caramel sauce for people with a really big sweet tooth.

Wait, is that a fruit dessert?

So, I don't believe in fruit desserts. Now I know there are people out there getting all up in arms about this, but let me explain myself before you all get worked up. I really just feel like fruit needs a certain texture. When fruit is cooked it gets soggy and gross and mushy. ew. Obviously there are exceptions to this- I like strawberries in a syrup or covered in chocolate and I like bananas baked into breads and muffins. I like smoothies (everything is blenderized until it is the same texture!) and I like fruit sauces for my waffles (we made strawberry-pear sauce and pineapple sauce last weekend!). However, I despise fruit layered cakes. I remember eating cake at birthday parties when I was a kid and I would dig into the cake and take a big bite, only to find out the middle layer was a jelly fruit spread. . I just think that's a waste of fruit and a waste of cake!

Ok, having said that, I made a pear almond tart last week. Wait, what? I totally broke my fruit rule! But wait, here's the thing, I made it for my boy's birthday as a surprise. And I'm so proud of it because it came out really pretty. I thought it looked like one of those tarts they feature in the magazines! I'm still so excited about it!

Pear Almond Tart

Ingredients:

Cupcake Frosting

Last week, my best friend accepted a job in Boston, so we decided to celebrate the best way we know how- with champagne and dessert! I made chocolate cupcakes for my choc-oholic friend, but after making them, I realized that I didn't have any frosting in the kitchen. So, I read a couple of recipes on my favorite recipe sites (foodtv.com and epicurious.com) and came up with the following frosting recipe:

Chocolate-Coffee Frosting

Ingredients:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/8 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup powdered sugar (Confectioners' sugar)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 cup hot coffee (I used French Roast)

1. Mix butter, sugar and chocolate chips in a small saucepan on low heat. Stir to make sure the sugar doesn't burn or stick to the bottom. If the butter boils, the heat is too high.

2. Add almond extract.

3. Add heavy cream to give the frosting a glossy texture.

4. Add hot coffee until the frosting is the thickness of whole milk.

5. Refrigerate for thirty minutes to allow the frosting to solidify.

If the frosting tastes too sweet, add more heavy cream to lighten the flavor (isn't it ironic that HEAVY cream can lighten a flavor?!)

Also, I would like to mention that this frosting is really versatile. I have used it as a topping for waffles and as a topping for ice cream. All you need to do is heat it for a few seconds to make it more liquidy.

Why?

I was inspired to start my own food blog after I read a notice on foodnetwork.com telling me that the Barefoot Contessa, also known as my idol and personal goddess, will not invite anyone over for dinner who is not already her friend. After having that dream shattered, pardon the drama, I decided to catalog my recipes and cooking adventures for friends, family, and fellow foodies to enjoy. Feel free to send me questions and comments!