Take Me Out To the Cupcakes

Mmmm cupcakes...

I like making/eating/decorating cupcakes. But what I really like, truly, is designing cupcakes--coming up with a unique blend of flavors and techniques that make the cupcake less a cupcake and more an experience. Witness: shotglass cupcakes, delicious in their own right, amazing because they are cupcakes hollowed out and filled with booze.

So I jumped at the opportunity again to create some unique cupcakes for the third annual Cupcake Project/Scoopalicious Ice Cream Cupcake Contest!

My little beauties (bum ba bum...)



Pretzel Cupcakes with Sour Frozen Yogurt!

I am so excited for these--they are absolutely amazing! Google tells me they are the first pretzel cupcakes of their kind, which was fun, and I made my first foray into homemade frozen yogurt, with delicious results. I started with a very sweet and buttery pretzel recipe, which I invented by blending recipes for pretzels, butter cake, and sweet rolls. Dipping the unbaked pretzels in baking soda gave them their characteristic pretzelly flavor, and a crisp crust of salt added the right flavor. To offset the saltyness and butteryness of the pretzel, I used a recipe for a tangy, smooth frozen yogurt, which provided the perfect clean contrast to the flavorful pretzel. Amazingness, indeed. And because cupcakes should have frosting of some kind, I topped the whole thing with a very thin, very sweet sugary glaze (another frosting I considered was a lemony or strawberry topping. But, I don't like fruit in desserts, and these are my cupcakes, so straightforward sugar was all I needed).

The results were terrific--even more delicious than I was hoping--and got raves from my guinea pig tester. And because for some reason I was feeling the whole summer/baseball/soft pretzel vibe (and because I am a diehard, 24-years-and-counting Yankees fan), I gave them a baseball name: Take Me Out to the Cupcake.

On to the tips and tricks
Make sure the cupcakes are cool before putting on the ice cream--you want them just warm enough to still have that rich, bready taste, but not too warm so they melt the ice cream. I made my frozen yogurt without an ice cream machine, and it turned out pretty well, if a little gloopy. To give my fro-yo the characteristic Pinkberry swirl, I stuck it inside my Wilton Dessert Decorator Pro. This thing is awesome, and I was stoked for the opportunity to use it. Dave was stoked for other reasons...


I should also note, he was an excellent helper, hardly batting an eye when I told him I wanted to take fancy pictures. "With props!" So I pulled out my beloved old-school Yankees gear and my little plastic Yankees cap and set about taking fancy food pictures. It did not go well.

And so my career as a food stylist ends not with a bang, but with a t-shirt covered in fro-yo.

PRETZEL CUPCAKES*
INGREDIENTS
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and butter.
Add in yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until browned.

*Adapted from AllRecipes


FROZEN SOUR YOGURT
INGREDIENTS
3 cups plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla until the sugar is dissolved
Freeze in a large, shallow container for one hour
Whisk until all the ice crystals are broken up, refreeze
Repeat freezing and mixing for 4-6 hours, or until it's reached desired texture


SIMPLE SUGAR GLAZE
INGREDIENTS
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1 tablespoon honey
vanilla extract (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Blend all ingredients together

Read more!

Happy Moanday: Blogging Because I Lost My Voice!

Hello friends, and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwazy Kwanza, Tip-Top Tet, and solemn and dignified Ramadan.*

I am blogging in my bathroom and slippers, Planet Earth playing on the tube behind me (I'm learning about the importance of grass!), a cuppa tea at my side because, after almost a year of steadfast healthiness, I've finally been felled by the cold that savaged its way through my family this holiday season (at least, unlike my brother, I am not heading to China today, a country whose motto is "If you threaten us we will detain you." Have fun in that Chinese prison, brother).

I've just finished hour 11 of feverish, coughing sleep, and now I'm trying consciousness (hooray!) and waiting for Dave to come home so he can heat up the won-ton soup in my fridge (toooo acheeeey to mooooove...). We were supposed to go to Shake Shack tonight with friends, celebrating me and Dave being in the same city, but it is looking more like Boo-Hoo Flu Soup with Tina Fey (on Dvd! Because Dave got 30 Rock Season 1! Totally faked you out, huh?.)

Also pause this post because LIONS ARE TAKING DOWN A FULL-GROWN ELEPHANT!!! And isn't nature cool? Ok, post back on.

So I am sick and not feeling good and another nap seems to be in my very near future, but (obligatory cooking news!) I got lots of fun cooking stuff from Santa, et al! My mom got me a set of ramekins (so I can try again to make Cheryl's amazing molten cake), little cake tins that make mini three-tiered cakes, a new silicone pastry brush, and ONE HUNDRED COOKIE CUTTERS!!! They are awesome and my friends and family will be so fat(ter) soon. My brother got me an aMAzing pastry decorator that is a triumph of usability and design, and Dave's mom sent me Julie and Julia on DVD. One of my friends from high school almost got me a recipe book, choosing instead to go with a heating pad (she is a good friend, and I wish I had that heating pad now instead of leaving it at my parents' house). I was surprised that everyone thought I was such a foodie until my brother was like, "Um, don't you have a food blog or something?" Oh right.

Well, I am back to feeling like I want to guzzle cough medicine, curl up under my new Snuggie, and let David Attenborough's smooth narration lull me gently to sleep. Here is an oldie but a goodie to keep you all in fighting mode: my Boo-Hoo Flu Soup, which Dave says should be on the cover of any (non-existent) cookbook I publish.

BOO HOO FLU SOUP
INGREDIENTS:
1 large potato
1/2 chicken breast
1 can Campbell's condensed chicken broth
8-10 baby carrots
thin egg noodles
1/2 tablespoon rosemary
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon tarragon
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
Coffee filter and needle and thread (for bouquet garni)
Pepper
Salt

DIRECTIONS:
Add 1 can water to condensed chicken broth and set to boil in a pot
Cut chicken into very small pieces--no bigger than a dime
Cut carrots (coins not spears)
Peel and dice potato
Add chicken, carrots, and potato to broth, boil and reduce to simmer
Make a bouquet garni: fill coffee filter with rosemary, thyme, tarragon, and garlic; pull ends together and secure with thread
Add bouquet garni to broth
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes
Add about 1 cup of egg noodles to broth, cook for 4-5 minutes
Remove from heat, let cool briefly, and serve, seasoned with pepper and salt to taste

*Krusty the Clown, American comedian and entertainer, 1989?- Read more!

Happy Moanday: Cookies for Happiness!

I am slowly bringing myself back into the realm of the cooking, tentatively trying out new dishes that have (so far) filled me with glee (like the show! go buy the soundtrack! it is like concentrated joy!). At the moment, Neiman Marcus cookies are turning golden brown in my oven, a last-minute baking decision after my roommate came home with unfortunate work news. "Cookies solve everything!" I said, although she might have appreciated some job leads more...

In any case, I am baking cookies and relaxing after a long day of work, counting down the days until Dave and I leave for our mid-winter adventure, wherein we plan to visit (in 10 days) Boston*, Martha's Vineyard, Philadelphia, Washington DC/Baltimore, southern Jersey. Somehow we will relax (?). At least we are sequestering ourselves in my parents' MV beach house, where, car-less and somewhat heatless, we plan to spend long, windy, rainy days curled up in front of the fireplace, popping popcorn and drinking hot cocoa.

Oh my gosh I just took a break to get the cookies out of the oven and lordy they are amazing and Belinda Carlisle was wrong heaven is not a place on earth it is a cookie and I am eating it ooooohhhhhh....... that's good.

Ok then! Cookie eaten and grease all over my keyboard (sorry Mom and Dad, I know you lease these laptops but I'm only human). I am back to hoping I'll update this blogorrino semi-regularly, but the unhealthy amount of satisfaction I am reaping from doing two "Happy Moanday"s in a row probably means I will end up resting on my laurels. Well, we can dream.

Since everyone needs a little cookie happiness, here is the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe (I substituted cocoa powder for espresso powder and am ecstatically happy about it). Btdubs, the story referred to in the introduction, about which NM says (nose in the air) "we won't perpetuate...here," refers to an alleged incident wherein a woman requested to buy the recipe and was charged "two-fifty," not realizing the witty attendant meant $250. Supposedly a myth, but I'm suspicious of anyone who sells a $25,000 cupcake car.

NEIMAN MARCUS COOKIE
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softenened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)
Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.
Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.


*Yes, I will be going to the Border Cafe and no, I will not be leaving. Read more!

Happy Ruesday: Guilty of Non-Blogging

Hello, dear readers. Yes, almost a month has passed by since my last post. Sorry folks. Remember when I last wrote? What I said about more posts? More pictures? More laughs (and tears)?

Empty, empty promises...

Sorry about that!

Since the past three months I've been mulling over various blog posts, only to stumble home lazy and tired, muttering an incomprehensible "Lata..." as I click off to Gawker and watch endless reruns of Seinfeld on TBS.com (did you know they no longer air them on Fox?! I mean, the Office is nice and all, but where're my random reflections on the eccentricities of daily life?). Anyway.

Let's just say I'll commit myself to a semi-random, mostly-infrequent schedule of blog postings. You know. Just to keep you on your toes. And it's worked! Since my blog-hiatus I've added two new followers, garnered a comment or two, a friendly email, and not one but TWO real companies offering me real products to share with my real readers (hello, future in-laws!)!!! That last part is not even a joke, as I have corporate sponsorship, sort of. Look for glowingly bloated reviews of famous food/drink/appliances!

Since it's been ages since I last posted a recipe, I will leave you with my new favorite, shockingly easy iced tea that is refreshing, delicious, and about as literal as you can get (let the cop out start now?). This comes from my future mother-in-law, who actually managed to ingrain it into my "lez heat up a frozen pizza" fiance, who taught it to me in about 25 seconds.

EASY AND LITERAL ICED TEA
INGREDIENTS
2 bags black tea
water
glass jar with a closeable lid

DIRECTIONS
Boil water in a pot
Pour water into jar
Add tea bags
Seal up and place in fridge until cool
Remove tea bags and enjoy Read more!

*


Happy Moanday: Banner Back, Blogger Back!

Hello reader(s)! I have returned and brought my sneaky banner with me. Sadly, I'm still on a "blog light" menu, as my adjustment to new hours is causing me to mostly fall back on hamburgers and sweet potato fries (still delicious!). Last weekend I did make some Toniatti sauce, though, and tried out my brand-new pasta press (a gift from Dave's mom). The ensuing lasagna was delicious, although perhaps not fatteningly cheesy enough. Mostly I'm subsisting on Fresca (it's caffeine/sugar/carb free!) and candy corn (none of the above), wondering idly when December will roll around and with it my mini-vacation (staycation with the fiance woohoo!).

How is this little blog doing? I have ideas for posts rolling around in my yet-unfrazzled brain, and, energy-willing, will post those ideas into reality some time soonish. Frankly I should be happy I'm eating something other than Spaghetti-Os (oh I just remembered I have some in my cabinet! I know what I'm having for dinner tonight!!!). I did come up with a lovely addition to a typical pan-fried burger: a dash of balsamic vinegar (I like Trader Joe's) into the ground beef gives the burger a delightfully tangy and fragrant taste. I loved it, and now I wish I had more to eat.

Ok, Res-o-puh-leesers, fingers crossed that the next time two weeks goes by sans posts, it is because I am lounging around in some exotic locale getting engaged (oh! did that already!).


*seriously? When I first made all the little months pictures for my blog, I apparently neglected to make October (wtf?). I guess I thought I wouldn't last that long... Read more!

Happy Moanday: Tired Bloggers, Tired Blogs

Wondering what blog you have arrived at? Yes, it is still Res-o-puh-leese, but my banner has disappeared like it was the leaning tower of Pisa in an episode of Carmen Sandiego (I have have a lot of PBS nostalgia lately...). Unfortunately, the website that hosted the banner and several other images is still offline, meaning the problem will not just fix itself, as I'd been hoping, but must be fixed by me. Le sigh.

I will get around to fixing it, hypothetically, as soon as I will my tired little fingers to tap-tap-tap out the correct code and find another website to host the gargantuan files (still possible: clicking the area where the banner was to get to the main page. hooray for shoddy coding!). Add it to the list of To Dos, which has grown to include rearranging my bedroom, getting a new TV(?), and replacing my sweet little sort-of dying plants, which my landlords unceremoniously threw away without my knowledge over the weekend (wtf?). Also on the list: eating, sleeping(?), basic personal hygiene (impressed coworker: "Wow! Make up! You look so different!" unimpressed me: "Thank...you..?").

But, while I mull over abandoning my messy apartment and the stresses of New York for the relative happiness of a life of a trapeze artist, the world still turns. Yes, it is still fall. I like fall. I like the clothes I wear (layers of browns and golds, bright cheerful blues and reds), the fresh air, the clear skies, the inviting, snappy chill. Last week I enjoyed Indian food and warm soups, and it seems some repeat performances are in order. I'm going to drag out How to Cook Everything, my favorite cookbook (from Mark Bittman), to see what the scribe himself has to say about soup (good. warm. liquidy.). I am thinking some kind of chicken-mushroom broth, maybe with some beans, fresh bread, happiness. Oh fall, when I wish I were a little mushroom, swimming joyfully in sweet steamy broth! (is this sleepiness, hunger, chilliness, or growing hysteria talking? who knows?! Soup!) Read more!

Happy Ruesday: Another One!

Sigh. Dear readers, it is just too crazy (what is? life! that's what... also, me...). A new job promotion and new hours and New York craziness (see that transition? yeah.) mean I am collapsing every day after work. My stress levels, previously floating around "yo lez chill," have now shot up into ALL CAPS AND EXCLAMATION POINTS EXTREMENESS!!!1!! So rather than coming home, lovingly opening my cookbooks, and pondering on what culinary excusion I will happily embark, I have been turning steadfastly and devoutly to that kitchen krutch, comfort food. Granted, the tomato-basil soup I made last night (paired with a grilled cheese sandwich) was delicious to the max. Still, it was a little too old man and/or young child for me to enjoy fully.

It's fall! That means chilly air, floating leaves, and, most importantly, soups, stews, and chilis. I loooove fall and winter food--hot cocoa, thick chowders, everything drenched in warm sauces. I think I must always be reeeeally cold, because even on hot, sultry nights, I'm like "Can I get a lasagna here?" I've already indulged in the aforementioned tomato-basil (made my apartment smell like heaven and/or Cosi), but later this week I'm planning on pulling out a new Indian food recipe that (I hope) will expand both my repertoire and taste buds. In the meantime, my shortish blahg update will have to suffice, as I thank my lucky stars that this is better than being unemployed (right? right?!?!?).

Read more!

Happy Moanday: Good Morning!

If I am unusually chipper today, it's because I am finally sloughing off my terrible working hours in favor of ones that more closely resemble an actual "normal" workday. How terrible, and how normal? I am happily jumping from the mind-numbing, insomia-inducing, social-life-killing 3am to 11am shift to the perkier, more pleasant, and saner 7am to 3:30pm shift. I consider it the best of both worlds: the easy pace of the morning, the pre-rush hour emptiness of the trains, the early evenings, as well as the joy of waking up after sunrise, getting to actually speak with my roommates for more than 3 minutes each week, and not falling asleep at 9:30 on the weekends (good thing Dave is a homebody). So what does that mean? Hopefully, more energy for food, eating, and blogging about food and eating hooray!

I am still searching for the perfect mix of healthy, simple, delicious, and more and more I find myself relying on Bitten, the truly extraordinary cookbook from NYTimes food editor, Mark Bitman. It is just amazingly simple, clean, interesting food, the basics cooked in a way that balances between approachable and complex, familiar and exotic. Rather than branch out into wildly unusual food, Bitman appreciates the satisfaction of a good meal made well, with easy-to-find ingredients assembled so their natural flavor shines through. It's just sweet simplicity, something I can appreciate when it's 2 hours before bedtime and I haven't even gone grocery shopping yet (my friendly neighborhood grocery store is used to seeing me pad around in pajama bottoms to buy the one stick of butter or tiny bottle of spice that my dinner that night absolutely needs). The book is so easy to read and enjoyably precise that I could peruse it like a novel and I would read it before bedtime every night if it didn't make me so hungry and itching for coq au vin.

Aside from Bitten, I'm interested in visiting some local farmers' markets to check out their wares. My disdain for vegetables is not helped much by the wimpy varieties on display at my corner grocery (bitter tomatoes, plasticized corn, mealy potatoes). When I go visit my parents, the Garden State amply provides, and I happily load up on tomato salads and fresh corn (oh the sweet loveliness of a straight-from-the-stalk ear of golden-white Jersey corn!). Although I doubt being able to get the same flavor-bursting fruits and veggies here that I enjoy in New Jersey--and for-get New Jersey prices--I'm interested to sample the last of the summer bounty and the first of the fall.

What else is new? Dave is in Chicago, happily living the proto-yuppie lifestyle, and we're embarking on the strange and interesting experience of plane-based long-distance relationships (he also bought me a Snuggie! It is awesome, natch). Also, I am a (future?) auntie, after Dave's brother and sister-in-law had their little peanut, Adam Joseph (Dave and I have begun to aptly call him "Squishy."). I cannot wait until he's old enough to eat chocolate chip cookies. Anything else? I am starting up a newwww blog, regarding my emotions-wrought journey into the world of wedding planning. Details to arrive soon. That's it--have a good week, eat your veggies, and bake some cookies! Read more!

Happy Ruesday(?): Labor No Labor Day

Hello reader(s)! I have had the nutsiest week, wherein my attempts to eat healthily did mostly crash and burn (I did eat a very nice balsamic-chicken salad, and another lemon-wine-chicken salad, but followed them up with pizza...). Work exploding like it sometimes does, I was lucky enough to get home at a reasonable (for me) hour, exercise, nap, and get in my daily Sims fix (my girl had twins last night! ...ok fine...) without worrying about food and/or writing about food. I did break down a chicken, though, and that was fun, if a little bloody and slippery...

So, what is the what-all this week? I'm in week 2 of no fiance, but getting excited for my first trip to Chicago on the weekend (Dear Southwest Airlines: How you doing? We will become good friends. Love, you know who). Dave and I have tentatively decided to nix the open bar at the wedding in favor of wine, beer (list by Steve), and a signature cocktail which we'll design, meaning if we get sloshed this weekend trying out various mixed drinks we aren't just drinking, we are researching (oh how I wish I could just plan the fun parts of the wedding, trying on dresses, auditioning hair and makeup people, sampling gourmet food and--heavens--cake. And yet, venues to be booked, churches to consider, guest lists to trim...).

Yesterday, a headache and slight chill left me wanting something easy and warming, so I broke out the giant frying pan for some lovely and delicious chili (it's getting to be that time of the year!). I'm starting to figure out now that spicy food gives me stomachaches the next morning, something to consider as I'm spooning that next amazing bite of firey-sweet chili (chicken tika masala, spiced fish, etc etc). Is this normal? I'd like to think I'm not stripping off my stomach lining, but somehow I never consider the ramifications when it's 5:30 and I'm hungry and that spicey food is just callin' my name...

So chili is likely for tonight, and damn the rumbly in my tumbly. For the rest of the week, I might tone things down with some fish or shrimp or salad, courtesy the ever-burgeoning farmers' markets of which New York is so fond. Then Friday I flit-fly off to Chicago to see Daaaave hooray!! Where will we go? What will we eat?? Who knows! But I am excited (as uus).

Read more!

Happy Moanday: Keepin' Cool

Well, my wish was finally granted. Going to bed last night I felt a chill, gathered up my quilt, and huddled under the blankets. Sleepy and content, it took me a minute to discover what had actually happened: I was cold. Cold! In my apartment! In my poorly-ventilated, air-conditionerless, boxy, barren apartment! It was, oh, fantastic.

So, I am dreamily wafting through this week, cheered by the slight crisp in the air and dismayed that I have just managed to move my winter clothes out of my closet and into storage.

After this past weekend, though, and all the many weekends this summer filled with pizza, ice cream, cookies, hamburgers, soda, etc etc, I am craving plain, simple food that fills me up without filling me out. Although most people seem to gain weight in the winter time, I tend to switch things up (like a bear!), piling on the pounds in the summer to last me through a cold, dark winter. Of course, now that I am engaged and every personal trainer in the tri-state area is sniffing me out to remind me that no, in fact you cannot get married unless you go through something called "Bridal Body Boot-Camp Bonanza," the realization that there is more of me to love is even more distressing. So! With Dave rolling, rolling, rolling on a multi-hour drive to Chicago (tell them about the time you ran out of gas in the middle of the intersection...), I am looking forward to lighter meals.

Yes, I think I will put away the baking and deliciously cheesy, saucy, buttery dishes that I so love (at least most of the time), and focus more on salads, simple chickens, whole grains, and sugar-free alternatives (my big vice: amazingly sweet and tart fruit juices. mmm baby). Although I am mostly against going on diets, since I find them depressing and degrading (I spent one terrible month trying to follow a diet in Us Weekly that completely eliminated dairy, spices, and most carbs. Oooh I still shudder), I like finding meals that are healthy and delicious, relying more on blends of spices and subtle balances of natural flavors than addititives like butter, sugar, or cream. Plus, I am delighted to discover a slew of farmers' markets in the area, which hopefully will lead to better and fresher vegetables than I usually am subjected to (my little market is far, far, far away from organic yuppie-dom).

For tonight I am thinking of starting out simple: balsamic chicken salad with a sprinkle of walnuts and blue cheese, paired with a white wine. Not sure what I'll end up with for the rest of the week, but I did pull out my copy of Mark Bitman's Bitten, and the recipes there seemed to sing they were so amazing. So perhaps I'll work my way through that? Read more!

Happy Moanday: Beat the Heat

It's the last week in August and you know what that means: all the mid-winter's longings for warm breezes and sultry nights have collapsed in the reality of choking humidity and heat rash. After spending another night tossing and turning between my two dueling fans, cursing my landlords for maintaining that air conditioning is "not essential," I'm done with summer--done! Bring on September and fall, cool breezes, turning leaves, candy corn in Rite Aide (actually I think they start putting that out in May).

Yes, soon I will trade light fish and chicken meals (paired with some ice-cold lemonade) for hearty stews and chilis, warm dinners with thick rolls, hot chocolate on the weekends... sounds lovely, right?

Not that I'm upset with summer, but really. Last weekend Dave and I went down to the beach again (we managed to beat the traffic both ways, which was really quite impressive). We went out for seafood and I had lobster, something I rarely order in restaurants because they usually ask for your 401k to pay for it (admittedly, would not take much of a hit). It was delicious, if a bit tougher and less elegant than the way I usually eat it (nestled on a bed of fetticine alfredo oh heaven). Our beach plans were put on hold by Hurricane Bill, but we had a lovely visit from some old friends and I got to tell the engagement story again (I started noticing a lot of people saying things like "Now I need the real story from you," probably because when they'd ask Dave how the proposal went he'd say "Success!"). Saturday night was another epic mini-golf battle between Dave and Chris (they talked it up for about the past 6 months), where we were plagued by gnats and fake fog. We skipped ice cream at one of Avalon's many eateries for margaritas in pajamas, watched some ESPN (I was outnumbered), and went to bed.

And now, I am gearing up for Dave's last week on the east coast and the last week of summer (although my schedule will change, like, not at all). Dave will be spending three and a half days with me this week, a lovely change from the 48 hours in which we usually cram our relationship face time, and then we head beachward again for a "meet the in-laws" weekend with our parents.

For this week, I'm spoiled with visits from Dave and, hopefully, meet-ups with some college/high school friends before they head off to their respective universities. Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm thinking of switching to a healthier diet, something more plant and less starch-based (that roaring cheer in the distance is from my parents). That will probably have to wait a little while, though, because Dave and I are getting lunch together today, and then Evie is coming to Astoria, and then Dave and I are having a Central Park Shake Shack picnic on Wednesday (oooh so excited!), and I also just bought another 3lb tub of sherbet, and really my bursting fat cells should just rejoice.

Besides, it is easy to feel like I've just run a marathon when I'm sprawled out on my bed, panting and sweating half my body weight simply from walking up the stairs. Summer! Like an exercise in itself! Read more!

Happy Moanday: Is it Friday Yet?

Ever have those weeks where you wake up and it's Monday morning and the very first thing you think of is how long it is until the weekend again? Yeah, me too.

After a relaxing weekend with friends and (future) family, I had a long and exhausting trip home, which has left me worn-out and low-down for the start of an unfortunately very busy work week. Maybe it's allergies? End of summer blues? Post-vacation let down?

Anyway.

I did at least have a nice weekend with Dave's family, where we made delicious fudge (about which more will be posted later). And despite post-vacation let down, there are still a slew of Spanish recipes hiding out in my computer, just waiting to be blogged about. And I've been partnered with Alisa of One Frugal Foodie for this month's Taste and Create session, so be on the lookout for some frugal food!

Plans are to recreate this week's La Cocina Espanol recipe, entrecot con queso cabrales, with American ingredients, partly because it's delicious and partly because I forgot to take photos the first time around (I also came up with a new theory regarding pan-frying steak that I want to try out). And I want to try something refreshing and delicious, like maybe a chilled soup or ice-cold fish dish, seeing as it is humid as Hades in my apartment (only in New York City is air conditioning considered "non-essential"). So here's hoping some delicious meals this week will save me from exhausted, worn-out, depressing drudgery, woohoo!


(or I might just go home and eat ice cream all week, counting down the seconds until the weekend...) Read more!

Happy Moanday: No, Now I'll Talk About Spain

Phew. Lo siento, kiddies. For some reason I thought I would actually have the gumption to write many, many Spain posts while still unpacking my luggage, announcing my engagement to the world, and filling in for someone at work. Well, optimism always was my best quality...

Yes, rather than lovingly recounting my favorite Spanish gastronomic memories, I spent my week picking over my smelly and wrinkly clothes (I'll clean it up soon, I promise), spending long hours at work, and replying back to well-wishing friends and family. Thankfully, this week should be much, much easier, starting off and finishing up with visits from my lovely fiance. I actually already have two Spanish posts in the tube, just waiting for the finishing touches (and pictures, recipes) before I post them, so stay tuned (browsed?)!

Dave and I just got back from Boston, where we celebrated our engagement with some friends and family and were treated to free ice cream, beers, and various other delicious things. We also visited the Border Cafe (!!!) and I sunk into a happy stupor of chimichurri steak and pastelitos (better even than I remembered...). Some day, oh some day I will recreate those recipes... The next day we swam a little in Walden Pond before getting some pizza (meat lover's) and ice cream (vanilla with cookies + chocolate with caramel). I stuffed myself with both, unawares that we were later heading out for beers and BBQ with Dave's soccer friends (hi Nate! I told you I would mention you here!). I went with a few sliders, which even then had me so full I could have rolled out of the bar. We topped off our weekend of delicious/unhealthy eating with a visit to Kimball's! I had a hot dog and some seriously delicious waffle fries (we spent a good 10 minutes discussing how they get their distinctive shape) before the requisite ice cream (I wisely eschewed the hot fudge, whipped cream sundae for a simpler cookie dough cone with sprinkles). And now I am fat, happy, and ready to eat things not deep fried and/or made of pure sugar.

This week, I'm hoping to get back into cooking new things and eating well (last week's meals--chicken tikka masala and lemon salmon with fetticine alfredo were delish but predictable), as well as getting my rear in gear and attending to the various tasks and errands I should have done last week (also: plan a wedding). I may try the chicken in white sauce recipe on the frying pan, which may or may not be successful, and a nice, light salad or pasta dish. Read more!

Happy Moanday: Back from Spain!

Well! It has been a fantastic, wonderful, relaxing, exciting two weeks, but I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that I am home in the states again after a whirlwind trip in Spain. It was absolutely wonderful, and I diligently photoed and noted and sampled foods from Barcelona to Bilboa and back again. I am still dreaming of spicy chorizo, pungent queso cabrales, crunchy-sweet crema Catalana, and tangy sidra, and my disappointment that I can't get these things in the U.S. (especially the sidra. That stuff--bubbly hard cider from Basque country--is awesome) is only slightly tempered by the multitude of posts I'm expecting to cull from this trip. I have many, many recipes to share, foods to feature, and delicious/humorous foodie experiences to relate, and expect Res-o-puh-leese--Espanol-style to kick in starting tomorrow.


For the most part, I have to say I completely fell in love with Spanish food, as I'd hoped and expected. Although I often stuck to the Spanish PB&J equivalent of jamon y queso bocadillos (ham and cheese sandwiches), I ventured out to try a variety of new foods (the weirdest stuff I would encourage Dave to get so as I could limit my venturing to a small sampling, see: monkfish in Tarragona). Most everything I tried was absolutely amazing--a blend of flavors and textures unlike anything in the U.S.--and even Dave's and my fledgling attempts at Spanish cooking were pulled off mostly without a hitch (and with lots and lots of Spanish wine).

Of course, I returned to my little apartment awash in humidity and smelly clothes, dreaming of the crisp cool mountain air in Asturias (far from Astoria), and wondering what I would eat after two weeks without American food. My rumbling tummy had all day been asking for one thing and one thing only, something which I saw Spaniards try and epically fail to replicate: my sweet and hearty chicken tikka masala.

I'll get some Spanish-related posts up soon, but until then, buen provecho y me gusta volver al blog!

Read more!

Happy Moanday: I Viajar to Espana!

Well, the countdown has finally begun in earnest! In less than a week, I will be wandering around sunny Barcelona with my puppy, looking terribly American and forgetting my 8 years of Spanish classes (lo siento, Hermana Josefine!). It is exciting and wonderful and I am so thrilled that I'm half-worried I'll be completely worn out by Sunday, like a little kid who stays awake the week before her birthday and ends up sleeping through the whole thing. Dave has been happily tromping along on the Camino, not getting trampled by bulls in Pamplona, and product-testing my blog with European browsers (hi kiddo!).

Our plan is a few days in Barcelona and San Sebastien and a few days in the mountains, in a tiny 300-person village. Since I am a bit anxious about what we're going to be eating, I've starting reading Penelope Casa's The Foods and Wines of Spain, which presents a whole number of Spanish recipes, from tapas to sopas to carne (appetizers, soups, meats). My plan is to also find a Spanish grandma and ask her what we should eat (taking copious notes/pictures, of course), and with any luck be adopted and stuffed fully.

What I think is a little strange is how excited I am to eat. This is incredible to me, since a lot of my trips to foreign countries have been filled with anxiety over not having access to Cheerios or Mac n Cheese. While there are still some places on the planet where I think I would get skinny quick (ever tried 100-year-old egg?), I'm finally shaking free of my picky eating habits and feeling more willing to embrace the unusual (of course, I'm also traveling to a country where bacon is an art form, cheese is a part of every meal, and veggies are almost unheard of). I'm excited to go shopping and hopefully learn culinary skills from the people we meet and sample regional fare. My dream: fresh paella when we visit Tarragona on the Mediterranean, goat cheese from the goats wandering in the mountains, olive oil from the arid eastern coast... How much of this can I fit in my suitcase?

So while I dream of delicious food and steadily check off everything I need, I still need to feed myself! I'm not traveling this weekend (unless, you know, you count going to Spain), so I should be busily cooking. I may test out some of my Spanish recipes, but I'm thinking I might hold off until I can get my hands on the real thing. My throat has been bothering me for a few days, so I may put together my Boo-Hoo Flu Soup, or something equally soothing. My mom told me about a recipe that sounds lovely and delicious--a mousse made with Cool Whip and strawberry yogurt--and so I might also keep this week to simple and delicious. Of course, I looooved my pizza from last week (it gets a post soon!), and if my brother stops by this weekend, I may make it for us.

The blog will likely be on hiatus until I return in August, as presumably I will be spending Internet cafe time telling friends and family I am alive and well, rather than updating Res-o-puh-leese. So, dear readers, enjoy this week and I will Happy Moanday up a storm in a few weeks! Read more!

Happy Moanday: Bon Voyage, Puppy

Well, Dave is currently slipping into extra-large hiking boots and starting two weeks of blisters and sunburn as he treks the Camino in Spain. I am bummed to go two weeks without chats (literal, electronic), but excited for the next part of his Spain trip, in which he rides a bus to Barcelona and picks me up at the airport (!!!). But, more on that later.

I am sleepy as usual from a busy weekend as usual. We spent the Fourth of July weekend in Philly (eating the most amazing tapas with Steve and Jenna) and at the shore, where Dave's mom made the chicken in white sauce that I blogged about a few days ago. No Fourth of July-themed food, I am both saddened (I love those little red-white-blue cupcakes) and pleased (red-white-blue veggie plate gets an eyeroll) to say. Some day, oh some day I will have a nice, big, light-filled kitchen and a beautiful top-o-the-line grill and then, dear readers, I will bbq up a storm...

This week I am hoping to finally get back on a normal (this is a relative term) schedule. With no boyfriend to distract me with heart-aching hour-long phone calls (or YouTube videos of Neil Patrick Harris singing "Les Mis") and coworkers back from vacation, I am hoping to have some time for cooking good summer food. On Friday I head out again (shocking, I know. My roommates are like, "Who are you again?"), this time to my cousin's baby shower in Maryland (or Virginia. Or D.C.? Whatevs, I'm not driving). My mom and aunt are making the dessert, which is something like strawberry mousse with mint, so pictures and recipes and mousse-smeared keyboards look likely to be in my future.

As for groceries this week, I still need to check what I got goin' on in the fridge. I seem to remember, last week, splurging on lots of food that I didn't really need and just assuming I'd deal with it later. It being later, it's probably time to take a look at things. I'm thinking homemade pizza (I may make the dough or go cheapie and buy--I mean test--a premade one). I'm also continually thinking about one of the tapas dishes we had--baked goat cheese with honey and toasted pine nuts--and it seems not unreasonable to assume I'll try my hand at whipping it up.

Also, for the first time eva, I'm getting the strong desire to try out some cookbooks. On the list, Mark Bittman's classic How to Cook Everything and a good, lightweight Spanish foods cookbook to take to Spain (Dave and I will be sequestered in a tiny cabin in a remote mountain town, so I am anxious/curious/excited to see what we'll be eating). Also catching my eye is The Polymer Clay Cookbook, which features tiny food-themed jewelry made from clay. Me and Sculpey go way way back, and I bet this book is cute and jealousy/hunger-inducing. Read more!