Diwali Dinner!

My friend and I decided that we wanted to celebrate Diwali (the Indian New Year for you non-Indians!) with a dinner party. We originally thought about having a small dinner party for close friends, but somehow, like good Indians, our plan got morphed into an elaborate dinner buffet for 60 people. Neither of us had ever cooked for that many people before, but after getting through the hellish immunology exam, we felt pretty prepared to take on the task! dramatic, yes. true, also yes. We spent a few hours at various grocery stores on Thursday afternoon buying produce and ingredients, and discovered a little Indian grocery store in the process of getting all our stuff! Major find!


Though we had a few disasters, including a pressure cook incident, burned fingers, and cut thumbs, the dishes turned out pretty well (we think!). We took a picture of our pressure cooker disaster, and as you can see, there were chickpeas everywhere! I have always been weary of pressure cookers, but I have to say, after seeing the effects of all the incidents we had with the damn machine, I'm not scared of it anymore! I mean, what's the worse that can happen? Oh wait, I already know! And pressure cookers are really great for cooking Indian food, because it speeds up the process of cooking lentils and chickpeas, and it even speeds up the process of making rice or boiling potatoes.



Here's what we finally ended up with:
Dum aloo - a potato dish with tomatoes and onions
Saag paneer - spinach and paneer (Indian cheese)
Channa masala - chickpeas in a tomato-based sauce
Rice
Raita - yogurt with cucumber, tomato, and onions
Mango and cucumber salad

Dum Aloo Recipe
(serving size = 60!)

Ingredients:
60 white-skinned baby potatoes
5 tomatoes, roughly chopped
5 green chili peppers, finely chopped
3 big white onions, roughly chopped
1 8 oz. can tomato paste

Spices:
garam masala
ground coriander
tumeric
whole cumin seeds
salt

1. Boil the potatoes until you can easily pierce the potato with a fork. Be careful of overboiling them, because you need the potatoes to hold their shape for the next steps. Cool the potatoes in a strainer. Cut in half.

Note: If you weren't able to find small baby potatoes, that's ok! you can use regular thin skinned potatoes, but you will have to cut them into big chunks so they cook properly.

2. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a large pan at medium-high heat. When the oil becomes hot, add 7 tbsp cumin seeds. You can always tell when the cumin seeds are ready, because your entire kitchen will start smelling like an Indian restaurant.

3. Once the cumin seeds turn darker brown and become fragrant, add the onions. Saute until softened. Avoid cooking them until they are translucent, because the onions will continue cooking through the next steps.

4. Add tomatoes and chili peppers. Cook on medium heat until softened.

5. In a separate bowl, mix the tomato paste with all the spices except salt, and 1/2 cup warm water. Mix until everything is integrated. The consistency should be slightly runny, but not thin like water.

6. In a separate pan, heat oil, add 5 tbsp cumin seeds. Once brown, add all the potatoes. Periodically stir and let the potatoes cook until they are browned on at least one side. This will take about 15-20 minutes on medium heat.

7. Add the cooked tomatoes/onions and spice mix to the potato pan. Mix. Cook together for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

8. Add 2 tbsp fresh lime juice. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro leaves. Serve hot with rice or roti (Indian bread).

Pumpkin cookies....

Will write later....

My Rice and Beans

I finally made my first meal in my new kitchen and I am pretty happy with the way it turned out, especially considering that I didn't have all the ingredients that typically work in this dish. I made a faux-rice and beans dish which took only 20 minutes to make and had enough to feed me for days.

Rice and Beans

1 red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 can (16 oz) black beans, washed
3 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tsp garlic, chopped
salt to taste
1 cup chopped rice (I used Basmati, because that's all I had in my pantry)
cheese (optional)
salsa (optional)

Basically I just boiled the vegetables and tomato sauce, then added the washed black beans after the vegetables softened. This is a really easy and friendly dish to make, because any and all veggies work. It is also very quick to prep for because all the vegetables can be roughly chopped to any shape. I used tomatoes and tomato sauce to make the "broth," but canned tomatoes of any shape would work as well. Also, the spice level can be adjusted by adding jalapeno peppers or crushed red peppers, which ever you prefer. I cannot emphasize enough how easy and versatile this dish is. To serve, sprinkle cheese and salsa on top on the rice and beans. If you have cilantro, garnish with chopped cilantro. This dish can also be incorporated into a quesadilla by filling a tortilla shell with the rice and beans mixture, adding cheese, and toasting either on the stovetop in a frying pan, or in a panino press, or even by wrapping the shell in foil and placing in the toaster oven. Whatever works for you!
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A Williams-Sonoma inspired medical student's kitchen...

I just moved into my new suite and I was a bit disappointed by the kitchen. Not by the ancient stove whose knobs are so worn out that we are forced to guess which knob correlates with each burner, not by the tiny sink, nor by the negligible counter space, rather, by the utter lack of storage space. It's a rather inconvenient setup. There was one set of cabinets for 4 girls to hold all of our pots, pans, food utensils, etc. Problem! Well, luckily, we thought of a solution, which I think is very exciting and fabulous! We lined part of our living room wall, which is adjacent to the kitchen, with our pots, pans, strainers, and baking-ware, and we hung our utensils and cooks' tools in the kitchen! It freed up space in our cabinets and makes our apartment feel so cozy!

Martha Stewart would be so proud!

NYC Destination Review: Kyotofu

Upon my sister's recommendation, my friends and I went to a really cute dessert bar in Hell's Kitchen last week called Kyotofu. The vibe of this place was Sunday morning dim sum sweets meet chic Upper West Side wine bar. Since I have this never-ending obsession with all things East Asian, and since I can't imagine a more perfect girls' night out than a night filled with girlie drinks and dessert, this place was definitely a hit with me. Very cute, very fun. The ambiance was just right for a relaxing night with my ladies, who I definitely do not get to spend enough time with! Kyotofu, on 9th Ave between 48th and 49th, offers entrees as well as a short and simple list of desserts and cocktails, which Divya, Kate, Liz, and I happily chose from. We had heard this restaurant is known for their tofu desserts which I was highly skeptical of, but the girls and I decided to be adventurous and try one of their tofu creations. I am SO glad we did! We ended up splitting a dessert called "black sesame sweet tofu," which I LOVED because it is the gourmet version of the tofu pudding Dim Sum restaurants typically serve.

(Right: Liz pouring the ginger flavor-infused syrup over the the lovely black sesame sweet tofu dessert. Note the prettily designed burnt sugar stick which, I thought, was a really nice touch!)

Now, I think this dessert might be one of my favorite things to eat EVER, so I was determined to figure out what it is called and how to make it. According to Wikipedia, this tofu pudding dessert is called "tou foo fa" or "douhua," which makes sense since tofu is often referred to as "dohu" or "bean curd." The Kyotofu pudding was made according to Hong Kong style because it was mixed with black sesame paste and served with ginger syrup. This versatile dessert can be sweet or savory, and garnished with a plethora of sides, including peanuts, tapioca, mung beans, and ginger or almond syrup to make a sweet dish, or chillies and soy sauce for a savory dish. It can also be served hot or cold, depending on the season.

To make the sweet version of this dish, refer to the following recipe from chowhound.com (4 servings):

1 Litre sweetened soy milk
1.5 tsp gypsum powder*
1.5 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp hot water

1. Boil the soy milk. Be careful about not burning the milk.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve the gypsum powder in the hot water. It should be pasty and thick.
3. Add cornstarch to the small bowl. Mix well. Consistency should be that of a paste.
4. Transfer the paste to the bowl into the final dish that the soy milk will be added.
5. When soy milk is "rolling boiling," which means when the soy milk is boiling at a steady pace, quickly pour the milk into the final dish with the paste. Quickly stir once or twice, no more than that. Leave dish alone for an hour to set. If the tofu does not coagulate properly, try increasing the gypsum powder and corn starch quantities to 1.5 tsps each.
6. To prepare the simple brown sugar syrup: boil a brown sugar slab (found in chinese grocery stores) in 1 cup boiling water. Dissolve. Add ginger if you like. This syrup can be stored in a the fridge.

*can be purchased at a chinese grocery store. gypsum powder is called "sook sek ko fun" in cantonese, if that helps you interpret the package label!

Just a warning, I've never tried to make this before, so I cannot personally vouch for the authenticity of this recipe, but I tend to trust the foodies on chowhound.com. They know what's up : ) But for the non-foodie types, or for those who do not have the luxury of abundant free time to peruse Chinese grocery stores for obscure coagulating agents, douhua can also be made from a instant pudding mix that can found in Asian grocery stores. The tofu pudding is often labeled as "soybean cheese." However, if you are buying this soft tofu at a grocery store, be sure to check if there is sugar or salt added and choose according to your flavor preference!

and i'm back....

An ode to mixed fresh lime sodas:

When I was in India, I used to drink fresh lime sodas every single day, because it is the most refreshing drink you can possibly find. It's better than water, soda, iced tea, etc. Amazing stuff. So the options are to get it salty or sweet or salt and sweet mixed. I used to drink only salty, but then my friend enlightened me to the mixed variety. I was hooked. Of course, everyone has their own preferences... my sister drinks them salty, my mom likes them sweet, etc etc. So, try all the varieties and let me know what you like best! Here we go, for everyone to enjoy:

2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black salt (kala namak)
2 tsp sugar
8 oz seltzer water

Mix and watch the bubbles foam up! (It's like a super cool chemistry experiment in a glass! The salt gives the carbon dioxide a site to form bubbles. The insoluble carbon dioxide wants to escape the carbonated beverage, and the salt provides a surface area to do so. Didi, that was super nerdiness just for you!)

So long, farewell, I'll even say goodbye...

I'm leaving for India tomorrow, so I will not be posting any new recipes until I return in the summer. My sister, Ashu, will be taking over for me! Stay tuned...

Rice and Beans

My sister made a rice and beans dish the other night inspired by her friend Sneha's recipe, and because she wanted to attempt a tex-mex-ish dish. It was so delicious and, she claims, really easy to make! The good thing about this dish, and most other dishes that I make, is that you can put in whatever veggies you want (or meat if you swing that way, lol!)

Part A: THE RICE

Heat veggie oil in a pot at medium heat. Add 2 tbsps chopped garlic. Once the garlic has cooked, add veggies. My sister used 1/2 cup of chopped red bell peppers, 1/2 cup chopped green peppers, 1/2 cup chopped white onions, and 1 cup chopped plum tomatoes. After the veggies softened, she added 2 cups of uncooked basmati rice. Stir for a couple of minutes. Add 1 cup canned diced tomatoes (with juice), 2 tbsps Ortega taco seasoning, and salt to taste. Cover pot and lower heat. Allow the rice to cook in the juice, until it fluffs to your liking. It should take about 10 minutes. You can add water or veggie broth to the rice if you like the rice fluffier, which is what my sister did.

Part B: THE BEANS

Buy frijoles negros (black beans, I know, but I like to pretend I'm cultured and a polyglot), wash them. Serve with rice!

Serve with shredded Monterey Jack, salsa (we use Taco Bell sauce!!), and finely sliced scallions. We love Taco Bell sauce in our family, so I strongly suggest using it- buuuuuuuut, I suppose you could use another type of sauce or salsa! : )

Holiday Cookies!

My sister, our friend Saylea, and I decided to watch all three Lord of the Rings movies and bake holiday cookies today! My sister and I love the LOTR movies, and Saylea had never seen them, so we felt the need to share the joy with her (we are in the spirit of the holidays, of course!) We ended up making three types of cookies and rice krispie treats, cause that's how long it took us to watch the trilogy of movies....
: ) On the left, there's a picture of all three kinds of cookies we made, aren't they pretty??


Cookie 1: Russian tea cakes

My sister made these cookies, and they are super good and super pretty. We actually picked this recipe in honor of my parents, because they love nuts!

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar
serving size: 3 dozen cookies

Heat oven to 325F. Grind the pecans in a food processor or mini prep grinder. Mix ground nuts with flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Make 1 inch diameter balls from the dough. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until they are golden colored. There isn't a huge color change between the cooked and uncooked cookies, but there is a slight change, if you look carefully. I definitely think it is easier to look for slight cracks in the balls. Also, the cookies feel drier to touch when they were done. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes and then roll the cookies in powdered sugar two times (while the cookies are still warm.)

Note: You can also make these cookies with walnuts.

Cookie 2: Turtle Thumbprints

I absolutely love these cookies, and they are pretty easy to make. I would say, on a scale of easy to hard, that these cookies are between easy and medium difficult to make. They kinda take a long time to make because the recipe requires a refrigeration step in the middle. Also, the ingredients are sticky and messy, so it requires some patience, but it's definitely worth it!

Cookie:
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Filling:
15 caramels, unwrapped
3 tbsp heavy cream
24 pecans halves

Topping:
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp heavy cream
serving size: 2 dozen cookies

The first step is making the dough. Mix all the cookie ingredients, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 1 hour. After refrigerating the cookie batter, mold the batter into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 375F. When you remove the cookies from the oven, make a small indent in the center of the cookies with a spoon. I tried making an indent in the cookies before baking them, but the indent filled itself in while it baked. I made an indent afterwards, which worked well too!

While the cookies are baking, prepare the filling and topping. Microwave the caramel and heavy cream for 30 seconds, and microwave the chocolate and heavy cream for 30 seconds in a separate bowl. Stir each bowl until they are smooth.

Assemble the cookies by spooning 1/2 tsp caramel on to the top of the cookie, add a pecan half on top of the caramel, and then drizzle chocolate on top. I didn't put a pecan on top of the cookies because I ran out of pecans, but I added a layer of chopped pecans under the chocolate layer instead of the whole pecan.

Cookie 3: Chocolate Snowcaps

These are the last cookies I made, and the recipe is based on a Martha Stewart recipe. The Martha version is called Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps, but I realized that we didn't have espress powder in our kitchen halfway through making the recipe... sooooooo, I changed the recipe, lol.


3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp skim milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix all the ingredients, except the powdered sugar. The dough should stick together prettty easily. If it is too liquidy, add a little all purpose flour. Roll into a big ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze for 45 minutes.

After the dough has hardened, remove from freezer. Roll into 1 inch bowls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Roll each ball in powdered sugar 2 times and then bake for 13 minutes in an oven preheated to 350F. SO PRETTY!

IN CONCLUSION...
Ashu, Saylea, and I took a vote on the cookies to see which ones we liked best....
Saylea: tie between the Russian tea cakes and the turtles
Ashu: tie between turtles and chocolate snow caps
Me: Russian tea cakes (I was in the mood for nuts)

But, as Saylea said, the cookie preferences really depend on your mood at the moment, because at the end of the night, she decided to vote for a 3-way tie between the cookies. I love cookies!

The Breakfast Club Part II

The other breakfast club post described a lot of the sweet things my kids and I made in class. I ended up making more savory dishes as the semester progressed, because I thought it would be fun to introduce the kids to different veggies' tastes and flavors.

My two favorite classes were when we made mini-frittatas and breakfast quesadillas. For both recipes, I bought lots of different veggies, including green, red, orange and yellow bell peppers; and red and yellow onions. I always think it's really interesting that kids have certain ideas about foods that are really inflexible, but they actually like the tastes of those same foods once they try it. For example, one of my girls said she hated onions, and she refused to try them. I convinced her to put some onions in some of her frittatas, and she ended up loving them after they were cooked, because they were sweet and delicious after being cooked! Of course, three classes later, she refused to admit she likes onions, but hey, baby steps!

Here are the recipes:

Mini Frittatas (40 mini frittatas)

8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped white onion

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix eggs, milk, pepper, salt with a metal whisk or a fork. Add the parmesan cheese to the mixture. Spray mini-muffin tins with non-stick oil spray, or use oil if you prefer. Fill each tin with the egg mixture until they are 1/2 full. Fill the remaining space with veggies. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the eggs puff up and turn slightly brown.

Note: The best thing about this recipe is that the kids can customize every frittata! They can have themes, or color code, or do whatever their little hearts desire!

Breakfast Quesadillas

So, these are the easiest things to make, EVER! Basically, it's the same recipe as above, except without eggs, and with flour tortilla shells! So, here's what we did: I cut 8 inch flour tortilla shells into half, which made it easier to deal with after filling them. On one half, we layered the veggies (bell peppers, onions, grated zucchini), Monterey Jack cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper, and fresh lime juice. The fresh lime is the secret ingredient that really makes the quesadilla taste special, so don't skip it! If adults are eating these, add jalapeno peppers or banana peppers! Then, cover with the other half of the tortilla shell, and bake at 375F for 5 minutes, until the top is brown and the insides have melted/cooked.

We also made sweet breakfast quesadillas, which I thought were really cool! We layered one half of the tortilla shell with a few tablespoons of chunky applesauce, 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp brown sugar, 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Cover with the other half of the tortilla shell and bake at 375F for 5 minutes. So tasty! It's kind of like a really easy apple pie!

Ode to Cupcakes!

I love cupcakes! They're cute, they're tasty, they're amazing. What's not to like? And, I think it is time for me to admit that I love cupcakes made from a box. The lovely, delightful cupcakes pictured above are made from a supermarket brand lemon cake mix. Yum! I can appreciate gourmet masterpieces, as the cupcakes from Washington DC-based CakeLove are. But, at the end of the day, these cupcakes, with a little bit of vanilla frosting and a shake of round sprinkles make me happier than anything else in the world! YUM! As my big sister likes to say, "Don't hate, appreciate."

: )

Saag and Onion Rice

My sister made this fantastic dish for dinner tonight, so I thought I would blog it for her! She made saag, which translates to spinach, and a simple rice stir-fry to accompany it. You will find this dish at every North Indian restaurant, and it will be super heavy, since they typically use a large amount of heavy cream. My sister made a lighter version of the dish that tastes just as good, and won't require you to buy new pants every time you eat it! The saag dish is typically made with paneer, which is a type of Indian cheese. We decided not to use paneer in our dish because we weren't in the mood, but paneer would definitely add to the flavor of the dish, and make it fancier or more appropriate to serve to company.

Saag (Spinach)
2 boxes frozen spinach, chopped
1 red or white onion, chopped
1/4 cup light cream
2 tsp vegetable oil (or corn oil)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tomato, chopped
2-3 green chilies, chopped finely
1/2 red chili, chopped finely
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp tumeric
salt to taste
1/4 cup coriander, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Add oil to a large pan at medium heat. When the oil gets hot, add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds begin to sizzle and brown, add the onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Once the onions gets translucent and the tomatoes soften a bit, add the spinach. At this point, try to burn off some of the liquid, so the dish gets a little dry. This should take a few minutes at medium heat. Remove half the mixture from the pan and place in the food processor. Pulse 3 times, and then return it to the pan. The purpose of doing this is to create a smooth texture for the dish. Next, add the garam masala, tumeric, ground coriander, and salt. Mix. Turn the heat to low and add the cream. Mix. Add lime juice. Turn off heat. Add coriander leaves as the final ingredient.

Note: This recipe can also be made with fresh spinach. We used frozen spinach because my sister wanted to try her friend's recipe, but fresh spinach will obviously work wonderfully as well! To do so, chopped the spinach roughly, blanch in hot water, and then proceed with the recipe as you would with frozen spinach.

Also, if you want to use paneer, you can either buy paneer at an Indian grocery store, or make it from scratch, which requires more effort. I've never made it, so I won't attempt to explain how it is done!

Rice with onion
2 cups cooked Basmati rice
1 white onion, chopped
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add cumin seeds when oil gets hot. Add the white onion and cook until they soften and brown slightly. Add the rice and stir on medium low heat for a few minutes.

So, the good thing about rice is that you can stir-fry it with almost anything and it will taste fantastic. The trick to making this dish is to avoid using the rice until it has cooled. If you try to make this dish with rice that has just been made, it will crumble in your frying pan. BUT, by waiting until the rice cools or by using leftover rice from the refrigerator, the dish cooks perfectly. If you use refrigerated rice to cook this dish, which I did, add a few tbsp of water to the pan to soften the rice while it is cooking! You could also add carrots, peas, etc.

Thanksgiving Vacation Cookies!

I made 2 kinds of cookies during Thanksgiving vacation this year. The first kind of cookie I made was called "Thumbprint cookies," which I decided to make for my Mom, because they are egg-less. The other kind of cookie I made was based on a recipe I got from one of my graduate school interviewers! They're based on a recipe published by Neiman Marcus, and they are a variation of chocolate chip cookies! It's an urban legend that a woman accidentally paid $250 for the cookie recipe from Neiman Marcus, and after paying such a large sum of money for a cookie recipe, decided to spread the recipe to everyone she knew! I dont know if the story is true, but I do know that my friends and family loved them!

Cookie #1: Thumbprint cookies


¼ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp milk
¼ cup cornstarch
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
Jam (I used raspberry jam with seeds from Trader Joe's)

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream together butter, sugar and salt. Beat in vanilla, milk and cornstarch. Stir in flour until just combined.
Roll into 1 inch balls and roll in coarse sugar. Place on baking sheet and make a shallow indentation with your thumb. Fill indentation with a bit of lime curd or jam.
Bake tarts for 12-13 minutes, until cookies just start to brown.
Cool on a wire rack.

Note: I also used a tablespoon of apple sauce because the dough felt dry to me

Cookie #2: Neiman Marcus cookies

1 cups butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups blended oatmeal (Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder)
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 - 4 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1. Cream the butter and both sugars.
2. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts.
3. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 48 cookies.

Thanks for the recipe, April! (This is where I got the recipe- http://community.livejournal.com/cooking/265929.html)

cakelove

I went to Washington DC to visit my friend, Kate, and I visited cakelove bakery while I was there! I have been dying to go there since I first heard about its owner, Warren Brown, and his baking journey. To read the full story, go to http://cakelove.com! So, in honor of the bakery, and because I'm a huge dork, here are some pictures!!!!

I tried a slice of the New German chocolate cake, which was absolutely divine! It's a chocolate cream cake with coconut-vanilla buttercream frosting. Amaaaaazing. I gobbled it up before I had a chance to take a picture of it! Kate had the vanilla cupcake with strawberry frosting, and she liked it (pic below!) My friend Nisha tried the chocolate cupcake with amaretto frosting and nuts, which she also liked!


My sister tried the crunchy feet, which was really good too! I think they were lemon flavored, which reminded me of these really tasty lemon cookies my sister and I used to buy in the Italian bakeries in the North End of Boston.

I also tried a few really good restaurants in DC and Baltimore. The first night I was in DC, Kate and I went to Neyla, this really good Lebanese place near Georgetown. The restaurant was really tasty- we got a dish with grape leaves and a lovely salad with bread. The starters were also really good! I would def recommend this place! We also went to a really good Mexican place called Lauriol Plaza in Dupont Circle. I got a really good vegetable fajita, which had plaintains (yum!) and asparagus, which I thought was unusual and fantastic! Nisha and I went to Helmand, an Afghan restaurant in Baltimore, which is actually the "brother" restaurant of the Helmand restaurant in Boston that I love! Apparently, the Helmand restaurants are owned by Hamid Karzai's 2 brothers! We also went to a hookah bar, where the owner proceeded to call me "New York" all night, lol!

PS Thank you Kate and Nisha for taking such good care of me in Washington DC and Baltimore!

PPS My first picture is of the t-shirt that I bought at CakeLove! I am such a groupie!

Mini break

I will be traveling to Washington DC, Baltimore, Cleveland, CT in the next two weeks, so I might not have any new posts until I return to NYC. But I'll be back with my mini-frittata recipe, and restaurant reviews from DC!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

We ordered fresh groceries today, so I wanted to finish some of our older produce before our new stuff arrived. I realized that I had one banana left over and a lot of butter in the freezer, so I decided to make cookies! I had just made 2 batches of zucchini bread, so I definitely wasn't in the mood for banana bread. And there is something so comforting about cookies and milk on a cold day! I found this recipe online, and I modified it to my liking:

Banana chocolate chip cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 mashed ripened banana
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chocolate

Mix everything together. Bake golf-ball sized morsels of cookie dough on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15 minutes at 350 F.

Note: I think these cookies would taste great with coconut flakes, pecans, and/or walnuts. It could have a tropical twist with macadamia nuts and coconut flakes. Or, almond extract instead of vanilla extract would taste good too. I say, the more stuff inside the cookie, the better! : )

Lisa, I used the vanilla extract you gave me- it smells amazing! Thank you!

The Breakfast Club

I teach a cooking class for kids, and we make fun breakfast foods every Saturday! I decided to compile a list of recipes, because we make really yummy stuff! I generally make baked foods with the kids, because they're the best kinds of foods for younger children (my kids are ages 3-5) to get involved with. It's harder for them to cook on the stovetop, partially because it's too high (!), and partially because they don't have proper motor function to be around really hot surfaces! People go on and on about how baking is an exact science.... well, that's not exactly true. There's no way to be really precise when you cook with children. So, I don't suggest you make souffle with really young kids, but regular muffins, cupcakes, etc, are pretty easy to do! It's ok for the measurements to be a little off!

Blueberry Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl: milk, melted butter, eggs. Mix dry and wet together. Add blueberries.
3. Bake for 15-20 mins.

Coffee Cake Cupcakes

Coffee Cake:
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
2/3 cup milk

Topping:
2 tbsps all purpose flour
2 tbsps butter
5 tbsps white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Mix cupcake ingredients. Fill cupcake tin.
2. Mix topping ingredients. Add a little bit to each cupcake.
3. Bake for 25 minutes at 375 F.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Muffins:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 mashed bananas
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup melted butter

Crumbly Top:
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsps all purpose flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter

1. Mix all the dry ingredients listed under "muffin." Mix all wet ingredients under "muffin." Mix wet and dry.
2. Mix everything listed under "crumbly top" in a separate bowl.
3. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Distribute "muffin" mix evenly among the cups. Add a small amount of "crumbly top" mixture to each muffin. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 F.

Baked French Toast Homestyle

Toast:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
6 slices French bread
3/4 cup crushed cornflakes (the cereal)
1 1/2 tsps butter

Syrup:
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 can (5 oz) evaporated milk
1/4 tsp almond extract

1. Mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt to make the "breading mix." Pour breading mix into a large ziploc bag, or a large breading dish with shallow edges. Add bread. Coat both sides for 5 minutes. Place each piece of bread on a foil covered cookie sheet. Add crushed cornflakes to one side of each piece of bread. Sprinkle butter on each piece of bread, because it will help the toast brown in the oven. Bake at 450 F for 10-12 minutes.

2. Make the syrup while the toast is baking. Bring the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cinnamon to a boil, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add evaporated milk and almond extract. Drizzle on top of toast immediately before serving.

Note: Add some powdered sugar for pretty presentation! To crush the cornflakes, place cornflakes in a ziploc bag, seal it, and allow the kids to crush it with their fingers. : )

Cranberry scones

1 cup sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix sour cream and baking soda. It will fluff up while you do the next step!
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tarter, salt, and butter. Add sour cream and baking soda.
3. Knead bread until it is a smooth lump. Break into 3/4 inch pieces. Bake for 12-15 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.

Notes: If you're cooking this with kids, try covering a table with wax paper, so the kids can knead the dough without making a huge mess. They'll love it!

Banana Smoothies (2 servings)

2 bananas
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup honey

1. Blend all ingredients together.

Note: This recipe can also include peanut butter to make PB and Banana Smoothies. But, a lot of children don't like peanut butter or they're allergic, so watch out!

So, in summary, cooking with kids is really fun! I like to let them be messy, but being the slightly Type A person that I am, I also try to keep the messes contained a bit. Here are suggestions: put stuff into ziploc bags so kids can mix the ingredients without flinging flour all over the place; cover surfaces with wax paper to make clean up easier. Other thoughts: encourages kids to try everything (except eggs) because it makes them familiar with ingredients; wait until the very end to add eggs so they can try the mixture at every point; explain different ingredients (baking powder, baking soda, etc.)

help?

to my loyal readers (aka, my patient friends/family who i force to read this):

i need ideas for new dishes to try making. any suggestions? please please please! i only have 2 more months before i go off to india for 6 months, where i will be forced to relinquish my kitchen and only be able to consume foods prepared for me! gasp!

My Birthday = "The Day I Officially Became Old"

My friends, Divya, Liz, Kate, and Lisa took me out for my birthday this past Saturday. And, as always, the most memorable moments of the night took place while we were eating! We went to Brick Lane Curry House for dinner and Max Brenner for dessert- I love BLCH, which is pretty surprising, since I generally don't rave about Indian food, aside from my Mom's fabulous cooking. But, BLCH, which prides itself on British Indian-style food, is really good Indian good. The service is AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL, but the food makes up for it. My friends and I were originally going to go to Dos Caminos on Park Ave, but an hour before dinner, I changed my mind and decided I wanted to take my friends to this Indian place. I'm always talking about how much I like their food, and I felt the need to share the joy with my friends! We ended up sharing 3 entrees, which was just enough to comfortably fill the stomachs of 5 girls who know how to really eat food! I, for one, have been known to out-eat boys (does anyone remember a particular potluck dinner where we dubbed the phrase, "Double spoon! Double spoon!"?)

Anyway, here's what we ate for dinner:
Entrees: Bombay Aloo, Goan Curry with Vegetables, Dakshini Korma
Breads: Plain naan without butter, garlic naan
Drinks: Salty Lassi, Berry Lassi, Mango Lassi

We all agreed that the entrees were excellent! I have also tried the Chana Masala and Aloo Gobi. I looooooved the Chana Masala, which is pretty remarkable, since I generally hate anything made with chana (chickpeas)! Just a note: the salty lassi was a bit too salty. So, watch out for that!

After dinner, we went to Max Brenner, where we had dessert and drinks. We split the Chocolate Mess with Strawberries and Cream, and also the Tutti-Frutti Waffle. We drank a frappuchino, Mexican Hot Chocolate, and Toffee Hot Chocolate. I've also had the Chocolate Mess with Toffee Banana, Italian Hot Chocolate, Melting Marshmallow Hot Chocolate, and Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate. All of them were excellent! I know Max Brenner has gotten some unfavorable reviews, including some comments that compared the restaurant to a "chocolate version of Cheesecake Factory," but I still recommend it! It has great ambiance and the decorating scheme is really put together. I have some pictures of our desserts below:

Tutti-Frutti Waffle

Chocolate Mess (with and without the toppings)
















All in all, it was a fantastic night for my taste buds- Thank you girls for a great night!

Zucchini Bread

I noticed zucchini in my sister's refrigerator and I thought it would be fun to try to make zucchini bread. My friend from college, Kate, makes this amazing zucchini bread, which I find myself craving all the time. I thought it might be a good idea to learn how to make it myself! I ended up using Food Network Chef Paula Deen's recipe, with a slight adjustment, in which I added 4 tbsps brown sugar.


Zucchini Bread (enough for 2 loaves)

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
4 tbsps brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Bake for 1 hour at 350 F.

Note: One of my friends likes to eat his bread with cream cheese!