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Gâteau de Crêpes

April 10, 2013

It’s been a long break my friends. It’s been a windy road with work and now time is especially sparse as I move into day 13 of my Bikram 30 day challenge. Time is of the essence. Which is why I come back with a bang. I hope you will be pleased.

Before I move on with what P and I cooked up lately, what have you been up to my dear readers? Spring finally broke through today and I’m excited to hear what you’ve been up cooking up in the kitchen and spending your sunny days. Many of my Brooklyn friends have been taking advantage of the Home Depot spring sale to fully prepare for the coming season. I, on the other hand have been pushing myself through one and half hours of Bikram every day. (More on this later!)

Onto the cake!

The crepe cake – Gâteau de Crêpes.

I originally saw the recipe on the Times with their feature on Mille Crêpes at Lady M Cake Boutique. P followed the trail to Smitten Kitchen, which led him right to my kitchen; turning out crepes like a pro like I held the blowtorch at the ready to caramelize wayyyyy before the cake was even finished.

Sometimes…life in Brooklyn is delightful.

This cake has been around for a while, but it is only Mille Crepes that holds the trademark. You can read about that here. It’s all very New York-y and mysteriously fun.

The Times recipe is pieced together with a Crepe recipe from The Joy of Baking and a vanilla pastry cream from ”Desserts,” by Pierre Herme and Dorie Greenspan. Both are a big time suck but the end result is so delightful, it’s hard to imagine why I was complaining about having to make a ice bath. As with most things, this cake is best made with two people. Peter took the batter and I took the pastry cream.

When the two came together, magic happened.

Please note that patience is key. Both the cream and the batter have to be made the night before. And regardless of the fact that the pastry chefs at Mille Crepes can churn this sucker out in 6 minutes, it takes an average mortal much longer to make and ice 20 crepes. (Or 24 if you’re baking with us!) We found the crepe batter to be a bit liquid-y so we added a touch more flour. Do a few test runs and use your judgment.

For the crepe batter:
6 tablespoons butter
3 cups milk
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
7 tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt

For the vanilla pastry cream:
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons butter

For the assembly:
Corn oil
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar or more
3 tablespoons Kirsch
Confectioners’ sugar.

1. The day before, make the crepe batter and the pastry cream. Batter: In a small pan, cook the butter until brown like hazelnuts. Set aside. In another small pan, heat the milk until steaming; allow to cool for 10 minutes. In a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the eggs, flour, sugar and salt. Slowly add the hot milk and browned butter. Pour into a container with a spout, cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Pastry cream: Bring the milk with the vanilla bean (and scrapings) to a boil, then set aside for 10 minutes; remove bean. Fill a large bowl with ice and set aside a small bowl that can hold the finished pastry cream and be placed in this ice bath.

3. In a medium heavy-bottomed pan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, then place pan over high heat and bring to a boil, whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Press the pastry cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the small bowl. Set the bowl in the ice bath and stir until the temperature reaches 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Stir in the butter. When completely cool, cover and refrigerate.

4. Assemble the cake the next day: Bring the batter to room temperature. Place a nonstick or seasoned 9-inch crepe pan over medium heat. Swab the surface with the oil, then add about 3 tablespoons batter and swirl to cover the surface. Cook until the bottom just begins to brown, about 1 minute, then carefully lift an edge and flip the crepe with your fingers. Cook on the other side for no longer than 5 seconds. Flip the crepe onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat until you have 20 perfect crepes.

5. Pass the pastry cream through a sieve once more. Whip the heavy cream with the tablespoon sugar and the Kirsch. It won’t hold peaks. Fold it into the pastry cream.
6. Lay 1 crepe on a cake plate. Using an icing spatula, completely cover with a thin layer of pastry cream (about 1/4 cup). Cover with a crepe and repeat to make a stack of 20, with the best-looking crepe on top. Chill for at least 2 hours. Set out for 30 minutes before serving.

7. If you have a blowtorch for creme brulee, sprinkle the top crepe with 2 tablespoons sugar and caramelize with the torch; otherwise, dust with confectioners’ sugar. If you don’t have a blow torch go buy one immediately even if it’s only for this cake.

*Batter adapted from ”Joy of Cooking.” Pastry cream adapted from ”Desserts,” by Pierre Herme and Dorie Greenspan.

Done and done!

April 9, 2013

I had every intention to write about my 30 days of Bikram yoga but sadly, I found that just adding yoga to my schedule this time of year was enough to cause me a heart attack. Never mind setting aside the time for blogging.

But now, as I (finally) find myself in the midst of a quiet Sunday morning, with no urgency, I am slowly but surely contemplating my 31st day of Bikram. I am also realizing why most who do blog about their 30-day challenge only periodically check-in. It takes up a lot of your freaking time! Between a 9-10 hour work day, 90 minutes of class, trying to feed yourself something that won’t make you nauseous, seeing your loved ones and making sure you have dry CLEAN clothes for the next day you are barely left with a minute to breathe.

Regardless, here I am. Breathing.

To sum up my entire experience, I can break the 30-day challenge into 4 different parts.

Part 1
The first 10 days were a piece of cake. I got this, I thought.

Part 2 Days 10-20
It was somewhere between day 10 and day 13 where I started to feel as though my body was falling apart from the inside out. I am very flexible but it was in this time period where I felt like every class was my first. It hurt to touch my toes. Every day between day 10 and day 20 was something different. One day my toes hurt. Another, my shoulders. And another my wrists. Day by day the yoga worked through me – healing, detoxing, aligning. Or at least that’s what I was telling myself. This lasted up until about day 20, which is right on par with what the teacher estimated.

Part 3 Days 20-26
Around day 19 or 20, the pain stopped, but mentally I was a mess and I wanted it to stop. I needed to not wake up at 5:45 for once. I needed to not carry a 10 pound bag filled with soaking towels to work. I needed to not have to wash my hair, for once. But I kept going. Work is driving me insane and the only thing I kept thinking was “Imagine what I would be like if I wasn’t doing 90 minute of yoga in a 110 degree room every morning…”

This is also when the amount I was sweating doubled. I found it impossible that I could sweat MORE but it turns out, it happens. The heat allows you to work deeper which means your body is constantly working harder which means…you got it…more sweat.

Part 4 day 26-30 (31?)
Thing started to come together at the end. My body is sore, like after a good workout, and not in pain. My balance got better, my body more aligned, and my postures steady. I began to realize that this is something I can regularly put into my weekly routine…more than twice a week. I begun to not to want to punch my very fit boyfriend every time he jokingly said I just don’t understand why you don’t do it all time time and why you need a ‘challenge’. All positive steps!

Overall I can’t say that I got exactly what I wanted out of the 30 days. But, my initial goals were a bit shallow I suppose. I had certain hopes for certain postures and that was about it. I wasn’t expecting to learn better weight distribution. I also wasn’t expecting my skin to clear up so much – issues that I usually have to take medication for are gone. I also wasn’t expecting my body to tone up as much as it has. And day-by-day, I wasn’t expecting to renew my love for yoga as much as I had. I had forgotten what initially drew me to Bikram but now, after a 30-day love fest, the realization of why I go has become clearer and stronger than ever.

So that’s that.

My busy, BUSY work season is almost at a close so I’ll be back in that kitchen soon enough. Stayed tuned!

Day 15 – Bikram

April 8, 2013

As of today I am officially half way done with my 30 Day Bikram Yoga challenge. I hadn’t thought to write about it. I also hadn’t thought about the onslaught of physical and emotional turmoil my body would encounter as I delved deeper and deeper into my yoga practice. So here I am.

The 15 days have been difficult. The last five more so than any of the days that came before it. I woke up Monday fine but class left me fatigued and dehydrated from a bit of Sunday afternoon beverage fun. The class left me weepy. Panicky. Questioning. I didn’t know what to do with it.

So I drank some water.

And then I drank more water.

Rinse and repeat.

Tuesday.
Wednesday.
Thursday.
Friday.

Friday. Day 15 gave me confidence I could finish the last 15. I was a bit distracted throughout the class, but I worked strong. And when the backbends came up, I finished stable and not weepy. The panicky component of Monday – Thursday left me and I left…lighter. Thank you Bikram.

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I decided to do the 30-day challenge quickly. I needed some balance. I needed structure to my diet as I entered a particular harrowing work month. I wanted to get better at standing head to knee. Most of all, I needed…time. And if Bikram gives you anything, it gives you time. It gives you 90, sweaty minutes of it. Ninety, sweaty minutes of you staring yourself in the face asking “why god why?”

I joke, but the Bikram practice; my Bikram practice has become my church. It’s given me patience, solitude, and a peace of mind. It’s given me confidence in the bigger picture, confidence in others around me and most of all it’s made me more confident.

And yes, all this led me to dedicating myself to 30 days of 90 minutes in a 105+ degree room. Join me while I finish the journey?

Culinary Israel

March 6, 2013 — 2 Comments

When people think of culinary destinations they think of Paris, New York, Shanghai, but they definitely don’t think Tel Aviv. After a 10 day culinary tour exploring the food of Israel from bottom to top, I can say with confidence that Israel knows what delicious is. Oh, and by the way, the food in Paris kind of sucks.

Within hours of landing from the 10 hour flight I was plopped in the middle of Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem. Lingering plane hunger lead me to go insane buying stuffed grape leaves, dried dates, a bag of paprika, pistachio halvah, persimmons, and filo pastries in record speed. The realization that I had 9 more days to travel and a bag of stinky spices was definitely memorable.

Three days and countless foodie snacks later we were waking up at 6:30AM to drive to a Druze village. It was a pretty sexy experience to watch this woman make steaming fresh whole wheat crepes and slather them with labneh (soft cheese) and za’atar. Our second breakfast was served with some homemade olives and coffee spiced with cardamom. I miss second breakfast…

Day 6 and countless bus hours later we were at our desert farm, Shvil Hasalat or Salad Path to see (eat) tons of fresh produce. It was made apparent by this time in the trip that Jews can figure out how to move water anywhere, anytime so a farm oasis was not a huge surprise. What was a surprise was how amazing the cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries were in the middle of winter. Negev desert territory means summer whenever you want it. One of the top things I miss about Israel…

The last place the tour brought us on day 9 was Tel Aviv and Jaffa. The sun was shining, the Mediterranean was blue, and the food was plentiful. After a stop for the BEST HUMMUS IN THE WORLD at some magic green awning-ed restaurant, we headed for a “demonstration at Mizlala”.

The demonstration quickly turned into plats after plate after plate of food coming out for us. The food was incredibly decadent and included charcoal roasted eggplant paste, tempura fried soft boiled eggs on fresh corn polenta, and peanut butter ice cream sandwiches in chocolate mousse. It ended with a complex dessert which involved liquid nitrogen from the chef Meir Adoni’s other restaurant Catit…

Five hours later I was starting a 7 course gastronomic tasting menu at Catit. I mean, how often am I in Tel Aviv? The menu included things like langoustine broth trapped in a fried ball, a jelly tent over my fish course, and so many things in the dessert the waitress almost passed out describing it.

Eating all of the above plus countless pastries and second breakfasts, I only gained a pound from this trip. Everything was so fresh and vegetable packed that even when I was being bad, I had made up for it by being good. Salad for breakfast is an Israeli concept but definitely something I can see myself embracing, especially if it means I can pig out otherwise.

Israel really exceeded my expectations especially when it came to food. Of course there’s politics and history and lots more I learned on this trip, but let’s be honest this blog is for food. In the end it’s sad to be home and back at work, but at least I have fond memories and a really stinky spice cabinet to remind me of my trip.

It was a gnocchi kind of Monday

February 21, 2013 — 2 Comments

It’s that time of year where I have to choose between the things that make me happy and keep me balanced. Work is busy, my mind is cramped, and I can’t seem to get in all the cooking, writing, yoga AND quality time with friends that I would like. Oh, if only I didn’t have to work…

Last week was a blur and I was determined to hit the morning Bikram classes. That meant evenings were for cooking my boring lunches and going to bed early. Saturday and Sunday left me at the office and extremely cranky. (I don’t know what would have happened if I DIDN’T go to yoga.)

It wasn’t until Monday, oh sweet Monday, where I could indulge in a six-hour marathon of Downtown Abbey and think about making gnocchi. I, of course, went with Lydia Bastianich. Her recipes are always authentic and very simple even though the serious ones may take some time and love. It seemed too perfect for my indulgent Monday so off I went.

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I went about things right away (after I decided to blow off Bikram) and immediately my arms were regretting it. I do not have a potato ricer so I used my bouillon strainer to push the cooked potatoes through. This was a bit tough and took much longer that I would have liked. It would have made much more sense to mash them first and then push them through the strainer…. Just an FYI for those without potato ricers whatever the F those are…

(Some recipes recommended using an immersion blender, or just a potato masher. I do not know how that would get smooth enough for what is needed.)

I let the potatoes sit for three hours on a cookie sheet, which was a good move. The longer they sit the lighter the potato and the more excellent the gnocchi.

Things didn’t get difficult until the shaping. J came over a little after 7, about one hour into my attempting to finish these off. I had officially given up and had a little pile of squares on the counter for cooking. He managed to finish off the shaping much easier than I, which was a little upsetting.

Overall, I found them to be tasty. I’m not a huge gnocchi expert. J is and said, “Well, they taste like gnocchi.” I’ll take it. Here’s the original recipe – proceed with patience and enjoy!

Ingredients
1 ½ lbs baking potatoes – all the same size
¾ tsp salt
2 large eggs beaten well
1 ½ cup all purpose flour, plus more for working the dough

Directions
Put the potatoes, whole, unpeeled, in a large pot with water covering them. Bring to a boil and cook until they are easily pierced with a fork. Do not let the skins burst.

Let the potatoes drain briefly.

Peel and press through the food mill, potato ricer or whatever you have as soon as you can, while they are very hot so their moisture will evaporate.

Spread the riced potatoes on a thin layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the salt all over and let them cool and dry for at least 20 minutes but up to 3 hours.

On your work surface, gather the cold riced potatoes into a mound, forming a well in the center. Stir the beaten eggs and 1 cup flour into the well. Work the mixture together with both hands, scraping the dough up from the work surface with a knife as often as necessary. (Incorporation of the ingredients should take no longer than 10 minutes. The longer the dough is worked, the more flour it will require and the heavier it will become).

The dough should be smooth, soft and only slightly sticky. I took my time and was able to see a clear difference between smooth, soft and very sticky and smooth, soft and only slightly sticky. Who would have thought?

Dust the dough, your hands, and the work surface lightly with flour and cut the dough into six equal parts. Continue to dust dough, hands, and surface as long as the dough feels sticky.

Using both hands, roll each piece of dough into a rope 1/2-inch thick, then slice the ropes at 1/2-inch intervals.

Indent each dumpling with a thumb, or use the tines of a fork to produce a ribbed effect. This facilitates adhesion of the sauce and this is also about where I wanted to kill myself. I was determined to have the ribbed effect. I watched this lady and she helped. Enjoy.

Cooking
Drop the gnocchi into boiling water a few at a time, stirring gently and continuously with a wooden spoon, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they rise to the surface. Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer them to a warm platter, adding a little sauce of choice, and boil the remaining piece in batches until all are done. Sauce as desired, add freshly ground white pepper to taste and, if appropriate, grated cheese, and serve immediately.

I have a new toy!

February 11, 2013 — 1 Comment

I hope everyone survived the blizzard! Things weren’t too bad here in Brooklyn. Yoga wasn’t cancelled – which is pretty much my gauge for anything weather related.

I spent the weekend making yogurt. Lots of it.

I have a new toy and it’s this – Cuisinart’s Thermo Electric Yogurt Maker. I’m not sure what caused the splurge purchase. Maybe it was the fact that I have to go to Costco to get decent priced Greek yogurt. Or maybe it was the $2 yogurts I buy a few times a week when I’m out of the Costco yogurt. Maybe all of those reasons go together?

Either way, it was perfection when I was taking a minute to look around William Sonoma and came across that puppy.

I’ve already done the math. With what I normally spend on products, I’m saving about $1/serving and that is AOK in my book. Even with the highest price local milk (7.40/gallon @ Eataly), I’m paying about 15 cents less per serving than I would for the cheapest yogurt at Costco ($5/35 ounce). (Cost does not reflect hassle or loss of brain cells that happen with a trip to Costco.)

The best thing about the Cuisinart is that once your set fermentation time is up, it automatically switches to a cooling phase. Long story short, I can set that shit to do it’s thing overnight and not worry about getting up in the morning. It seems that most yogurt makers just shut off.

I’m still working out the process a bit. Essentially you heat up milk to 160-180, which will rearrange the proteins so they properly ferment. You then cool to 110 degrees – a comfortable temperature for the starter to thrive. And then you put into machine to ferment.

There are many other, kind of tedious, ways to make yogurt without a machine. You can see one of them here. Others include putting in a jars inside a cooler filled with warm water.

I’m still toying with the fermentation time vs the amount of starter. I want to use the least amount of starter as possible and need to have a thick, creamy yogurt. It may not be there yet but hey, at least it’s yogurt!

I’ll be bringing the yogurt back a little later on once I have things a bit more note worthy. Until then, check it out! Have you ever tried to make your own yogurt? If so, what’s your secret?

It’s been a week…and a half.

February 8, 2013

or at least it feels like one….god it’s been busy! I don’t know what it is about this winter, but it seems everyone is working a tad harder to stay out, social and involved. And I’ve been just as guilty as the rest of them.

Tuesday, a few of the girls and I took in a chocolate, cheese and wine tasting at Chocolat Moderne. It was New York state themed which delighted me. The chocolate was good (my favorite being the Lovers bar – a white chocolate with passion fruit caramel), the cheese excellent (hello Old Chatham sheep’s milk Camembert) and the wine lovely but sparse. I was pleased to see my favorite sparkling from Lenz winery in Long Island.

Wednesday I made to the Hurricane Club for Restaurant Week. It would have been solely unforgettable if I had not spent a small fortune on the meal. And poor M woke up in the middle of the night with food poisoning. I was worried, as we ate almost the exact same thing, but my current juicing regimen has given me a steel stomach. Nothing says “F you Hurricane Club” more than a body full of beet juice. So there’s that…

Other than that, work has been an expected nightmare and Oh! Look at that it’s now starting to snow. So, with that in mind, the world may or may not end this weekend. Either way, make sure you are stocked with goodies to cook.
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There have been a lot of great things out there lately. Take a look at the below and see if anything inspires you for the weekend.

Prosciutto and Fontina Panini with Arugula Pesto – M and I made this last night for our TV night. We subbed in the Provolone and Pancetta loaf from Eataly and used the (awesome) Costco pesto. I also forgot about the shallots so I quickly pickled a leek I had in the fridge. Yum Yum

One Skillet Wonders – There is nothing I love more than my cast iron skillet right now. I loved this feature on Bon Appetit and am thinking that mushroom, leek and fontina frittata may need to happen very soon.

Valentine’s Day – Whether you are cooking for a special someone or just need to treat yourself, check out Gourmet Mag’s “Cupid in the Kitchen” feature. You’ll be sure to find something sinful.

Ok, that’s all for this week. Have a great weekend and be safe in the snow!

Brownies? Yes, please.

February 6, 2013

This has to be one of the easiest, most decadent brownie recipes ever.

The recipe is out of my favorite book – The Essential New York Times cookbook. It’s a classic recipe, with just the essentials, and the end result is pure heaven. There is a shiny crackly crust, which is the perfect cover for the dense, chewy chocolate center. I don’t skimp on the type of chocolate, using Mast Brothers Brooklyn Blend. Their house blend with hints of wine and plums fits in perfectly with this…and everything else in life. With so few ingredients, a high quality chocolate is a nice, noticeable touch.

I made the first batch a few months ago for a cookout and although I was upset with myself for not buttering the pan, the end result of the broken brownies was still amazing. This time, for J’s birthday, I was smarter and poured the entire batch over a piece of parchment. (I feel I can be a bit freer with the parchment ever since L and I scored a big roll at Costco!)

This recipe is also a great base to mix in other things. I have big plans for a dulce de leche and maybe a peanut butter when I start allowing myself sweet things again.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¼ lb semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
½ sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

Optional
½ cup chopped nuts

Instructions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees

Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line the base with parchment

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat once melted.

Beat the eggs with the sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved, and add to chocolate mixture. Add the other ingredients and mix well.

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out, almost, bt not quite clean. About 25 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes and then invert onto rack, remove parchment and turn right side up.

Buttered Rosemary Rolls

February 4, 2013 — 3 Comments

This weekend P and I revisited our old favorite Lobster Bisque. After the sad realization that we both had to throw our way, way to old frozen shrimp stock, we moved onto the more recent lobster stock and made this a full-fledged success.

Saturday was not only a success because of the lobster bisque but for two additional reasons.

The first – I went to a Chinese market, ate Chinese food and did not have a panic attack and subsequently crawl into the corner behind the frogs. Yay for progress!

And second – we made these Buttered Rosemary dinner rolls from scratch. P originally found the recipe on Pioneer Woman who used frozen bread. We just don’t roll that way so he dug some more and found a recipe making them from scratch by A Feast for the Eyes.

Amazing. There was something delightful about the flaky sea salt and the rosemary. That combined with the heartiness of the whole wheat and the sheer act of pulling them out of the cast iron skillet piping hot…well, there’s nothing better for a snowy Saturday in Brooklyn.

This recipe is very easy and turned out way better than I could have imagined. Within ten minutes of cooking I was salivating by the oven, having completely given up on our episode of Shark Tank, and P was asking how I could stand not having a window in my oven to peer into. We were in a desperate state – well I was at least.

Anyways… Enjoy! (And enjoy even more by adding a little pat of butter to each roll after they’ve baked.)

Ingredients

2¼ tsp fast acting yeast (or 1pkg)
¼ cup warm water (105°F-110°F)
2 tsp sugar
1 cup milk, just to scalding hot (do not simmer or boil)
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3½ cups bread flour (dough will be somewhat sticky, but the less you use, the lighter the rolls)
1 cups whole-wheat flour
4 Tbsp. butter, melted, for brushing

Optional – 3 tbsp Vital Wheat Gluten – helps the whole wheat rise better. We did not use this.

Directions
Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Stir in the 2tsp of sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until mixture foams up.

Heat milk in microwave (or in small saucepan on stove top). Do not scald or boil.

Add sugar, butter, & salt to hot milk and stir until butter is melted. Cool to 105°F-110°F.

Pour milk mixture into bowl of stand mixer fitted with bread hooks.

Add the yeast mixture & egg and mix together.

Mix in all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour beating to form a soft dough. Knead with mixer for 5 minutes, adding extra flour, if needed.

Place dough in warm oiled or buttered bowl, turning greased side up. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place* until doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes. (My oven in constantly a bit warm – doesn’t seem safe I know – but it’s the perfect place to let bread rise.)

Gently, press dough down and hand-knead for 5 minutes on lightly floured surface.

Divide dough into 9 pieces and shape into round rolls. Place them, into a seasoned and lightly oiled cast iron skillet.

Cover with a clean cloth & let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes.

Melt 1/2 stick of butter, and brush all over the rolls— gently, so you don’t deflate them.

Sprinkle lightly with sea salt & rosemary. (Because we had more dried rosemary than fresh, we put the dried into the butter while it melted to release the flavor a bit.)

Bake at 375°F for 18-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Brush tops of rolls with additional melted butter, while they are hot!

Recipe Round-up

February 1, 2013

It’s taken me way too long to realize what to do with all the recipes I get in my inbox everyday. I can’t possibly make them all and I have never quite figured out how to properly share, without sharing with my hips.

It never dawned on me to just put a weekly recap up here. It’s always the simple things that get you… so here we are! Welcome to the new weekly feature – Recipe Roundup!

I’ll be pulling from whatever pops up in my email, so please enjoy! Also, if you have a source that you think would be fun for me to start receiving, give me a shout in the comments and I’ll be sure to sign up.

January and February are always my least favorite months. They are the deep bowels of winter. The fresh, local veggie situation is rough. And it’s not only too cold to go anywhere (except when you have a rare 60 degree day – hello last Tuesday!) – there is little reason too. But what do you cook when you’re holed up catching up on your week’s Hulu Queue?

PS. Along with the recipes I’ll probably be posting weird random pictures from China. Because…well… why not?

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This week, month actually, it’s been kind of fun to see what the chef’s are popping up with to make these winter months a little more fun. I think, there’s been a bigger focus on Super Bowl food, which is ok by me.

Check out Food52’s recipe for homemade Nacho Cheese sauce. Am I the only one who thought that you could only achieve this with Velveeta?

California Ranch Olive Oil gave me a lot of great recipes this week but the one that takes the cake is their Olive Oil Walnut Brownies. Check out that recipe here.

I keep going back to Tasting Table’s feature on Mortedella Bolognese with Pistachio Gremolata from Texan chefs Terrence Gallivan and Seth Siegel-Gardner out of The Pass and Provisions in Houston. The pistachio addition is weird and oddly mesmerizing. I’m into it.

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