My mouth is watering just at the thought of this.
Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake
Too rich, delicious and chocolately to describe in words.
Just make it and cut the slices small and/or be ready for a blissful chocolate coma.
No really, you don’t need a reason. But if you do (like I did… 2 birthdays on the same day), then this is probably the best gift you could give anyone.
P.S. Happy Belated Birthday to Biscotti Queen, Matt and my sister!
I probably don’t have to tell you this but this Bourbon Bread Pudding was delicious.
I could probably sing it’s praises for days, but sadly it’s already gone.
inspired by Epicurious
5 cups wheatberry bread, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
few shakes nutmeg
6 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 tbsp bourbon
2 tsp vanilla
The night or a few hours before, put the bread chunks into a large souffle dish or other baking dish. In a bowl combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour half the milky liquid over the bread. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to soak.
Preheat oven to 350F. Pour the remaining milk mixture over the bread. Bake for about an hour or until the top is crispy and if you put a knife in it, it comes out clean.
While it’s baking you can make a creamy bourbon sauce.
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
3 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp bourbon
Heat cream in a small saucepan. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and water. Once cream is just starting to boil, add cornstarch, stir and bring to a light boil. Turn on heat and add sugar and bourbon and continue to stir. Let it sit until it reaches room temperature.
Once your bread pudding is cooked. You can either turn in onto a plate, like I did, or keep it in the dish you baked it in. Pour half the bourbon sauce over the bread pudding then leave the rest to serve on individual portions.
I think the key to this is the wheat berries.
They add an amazingly chewy texture!
I wish I could rate the wheat berry bread recipe on Bob’s Red Mill’s website because to be perfectly honest the bread on its own is bland and NOT tasty. However, when turned into this deliciously sweet creation, it is nothing short of amazing!
If you use another bread, I suggest adding 1/2 cup of cooked wheat berries into the mix just to get the nice chewy texture.
This weekend is the last weekend before classes start. Summer is coming to an end. I know this sounds nuts, but thank goodness! I’m ready to be busy!
That being said, I’m going to finish an application! Have a great weekend!
P.S. Tortilla tutorial coming!
I’m back! I went to Florida for a few days to visit some friends, cousins and an aunt! Fun all around! Beach, lots of food and family! It was a nice break from the internet and taking pictures of food, but I’m ready for more blog fun!
Before I left last week, the Biscotti Queen and her fella came over to help me eat some vegetables before my trip. Here’s another little known fact about the Biscotti Queen: in India, the little boy she lived with called her the Chapati Queen. I had to put that nickname to the test.
What is chapati? Everytime you go to an Indian restaurant, you probably order naan or roti, right? Chapati is a similar flatbread, cooked on a skillet. Only a few simple ingredients: whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt and water.
Mix 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose with a 1/2 tsp salt. Add 3/4 cup water, knead until smooth. Divide into 10-12 balls and roll into thin circles.
Cook on an ungreased, hot skillet for about 30 seconds each side. You can also toast it on the stove like such
Then brush with butter and sprinkle with salt. Mmm sooo good!
Serve it with something tasty like Baingan Bharta and Fennel Rice for a quick and easy Indian inspired meal!
from Manjula’s Kitchen
1 medium eggplant
2 tomatoes
1 jalapeno or green chili
1 bell pepper (I used a strange yellow variety)
1 tsp ground ginger (or 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp tumeric (I completely forgot to add this and it still tasted good)
1/2 tsp cayenne
salt to taste (or about a tsp)
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Microwave the eggplant 8-10 minutes, until tender. Allow to cool then peel and dice. Set aside.
In a blender, blend together the tomatoes, jalapeno (or green chili) and ginger. Set aside.
Heat oil in deep pan or pot. Once oil is hot, add diced bell pepper and sautee for 2 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Next, add cumin and coriander to oil and stir. Add in the blended tomato mixture, add tumeric and cayenne. Add eggplant and bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, mash the eggplant along the side of the pot for about 10 minutes. By the end you should have a lumpy mash. Lastly, stir in garam masala and cilantro.
Serve with Chapati and Fennel Rice with Raisins!
Eating with your hands is recommended! After our delicious feast, Biscotti Queen and boy were pooped. Aren’t they adorable?
BUT that didn’t stop us I from finishing up something we’d been wanting to make for a looong time! Stay tuned for that!
Today was the beginning of Empire Farm Days, basically a big New York State (Empire State) farm fair!
I didn’t talk too much about my internship because of the semi-sensitive nature of my work. But now that it’s over, I’ll share a little bit about it without disclosing too much. My internship was with the Cornell Farmworker Program and we had a table in the Cornell Cooperative Extension barn/shed/tent.
My partner in crime, Xochitl, and I drove to Seneca Falls bright and early this morning to set up our table.
We provide information for migrant farmworkers in the state, as well as information on farmworker economic and community contributions. Interesting stuff.
We got there a little early so we walked around to see what Empire Farm Days had to offer.
I thought this was really interesting because while a know a fair amount about food security and food systems, I know very little about actual farming.
There was a ton of information about new technology, sustainability, techniques. Pretty interesting for a self proclaimed “city girl” like myself. I like getting to learn different lifestyles and experience new things. Honestly, that’s one of the reasons I chose Cornell for grad school. I could have stayed in LA or gone to NYC, but I wouldn’t have learned fun new things about agriculture and rural life! When else would I get to spend 2 years living in the middle of nowhere!?
Obviously, the most exciting part for me were the animals.
Goats
Horses
and Cows!
The cows were in the Beef Producer’s tent. You know what that means…
Overall it was interesting, especially as someone who doesn’t eat meat. I think I’ve said it before but I don’t think eating meat is wrong. My concern is with animal treatment, environmental issues and overall health and overconsumption issues. I know this sounds weird but I was pretty glad there was a live cow next to this Beef: It’s What’s For Dinner poster. It’s important to know where your food comes from. At the risk of offending card carrying PETA members, I will say petting a few cows didn’t stop me from thinking the BBQ stand not far away smell amazing!
Aside from livestock, there were tractors everywhere…
I got to see what tractor ROPS (Roll Over Protection Structures) look like in real life! I’d only heard about them through my internship when we talked about on the job safety. Safety first!
Concentration is essential.
Xochitl knows all about tractor safety.
After a few hours, we headed home. I was pooped! After a nap, I made a simple, meat-free dinner.
Sun-dried tomato waffle topped with some kale sauteed in pesto. The waffle was as delicious as the first time I made it. If you still haven’t tried it, I suggest you do so soon!
Also, if you’re in the Upstate/Western NY area I suggest you take a little trip to Seneca Falls to check out Empire Farm Days. Even just from a foodie perspective, there were a ton of interesting things (a lot of which I didn’t photograph)!
Off to watch Modern Family and pack for my trip to Florida on Thursday! Have a lovely night!
Sometimes I just feel the need to bake. Can’t help it. It just needs to happen.
Obviously, I also had to break in my new (to me) oven! My oven in my previous apartment was the size of an easy bake oven (okay so maybe I’m exaggerating). This one is even smaller, and it only has ONE RACK!
For my first creation in my new mansion…
adapted from Care 2 Make a Difference
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup buttermilk (or 2 tsp of white vinegar + enough milk to make 3/4 cup)
Preheat oven to 500F. Combine all the ingredients. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Roll to 1/2 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter (or a cup like I did) but into 6 circles (or whatever shape you choose).
Bake 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Not gonna lie. I ate 3 for lunch. Not one of my finer moments but definitely healthier than eating 3 KFC biscuits, right?
I guess that should also tell you how tasty they are 🙂
Tomorrow, I’m going to Empire Farm Days for my internship. Should be fun! I hope I get to pet a goat or something. Have a great night!
My CSA this week was one of the best! I’m not sure if it’s that I missed it since I haven’t been able to pick it up for about 3 weeks or it was just outstanding.
Kale, Green Onions, Sweet Peppers, Jalapenos, Eggplant, Beets, Parsley, Basil, Lettuce, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Oh my!
Wayy too excited. Another exciting thing was this
Maseca to make tortillas! Just add water!
I’ve been going TORTILLA CRAZZYYYY! Yesterday, all the talk of families made me miss my own. Naturally, Guatemalan breakfast came to the rescue: Black Beans, Eggs, Sour Cream and Homemade Tortillas.
Today I decided to combine the two wonderful things: Handmade Tortillas + CSA Vegetables. Result = Black Bean Vegetable Enchiladas
1 tbsp olive oil
2 small summer squashes, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped*
2 cups greens (spinach, kale, beet greens, etc.)
2 cups black beans, cooked
1 1/2 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
12 tortillas (handmade or store bought)
2 cans enchilada sauce
2 oz cheese (optional)
In a large pot or pan, heat oil. Add onions and squash. Cook until onions are translucent. Add red pepper and jalapeno, cook for a few more minutes. Add beans, spices and greens (I used beet greens), cook for a few minutes until the greens have wilted. Now you have the delicious filling that is a wonderful side dish on its own as well!
Next, take a tortilla, spread some of the filling in the center and roll like a taquito/flauta. Place on a 9 x 13 baking dish. Repeat until all 12 tortillas are rolled or you run out of filling. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortilla rolls. Sprinkle with cheese (I used string cheese, because that’s how I roll but I bet chedder or monterey would be better).
Let the tortillas soak up the liquid for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, clean up and preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and serve with a dollop of sour cream (or greek yogurt) and some chopped green onion!
*Please use gloves when chopping the jalapeno! I had a terrible experience over 4th of July weekend where jalapeno got in my eye, saturated my contact and pain ensued! Trust me take the precaution. Use gloves!
Deeeeelicious! Wayyyy better than a lot of the stuff at Mexican restaurants. I generally don’t like Mexican restaurants because the food a lot of times isn’t that great. Refried beans and sour cream covered in cheese is not my idea of a delicious Mexican meal. Maybe that’s the food snob in me 🙂
Are you a fan of Mexican food?
I want a big scoop of ice cream right now more than you’ll know. Instead of giving in, I’m going to try to write about a fantastic dessert the Biscotti Queen and I made for Sunday Dinner with her family
Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse in Dark Chocolate Bowls.
Do I need to say any more? Well maybe just how to make it.
Inflate some balloons to the size that you want your bowl to be. Dip the balloons in melted dark chocolate chips, place on plate/sheet pan lined with wax paper.
Refrigerate (or put infront of the AC) until the chocolate hardens.
In the meantime, make the mousse. Mix together a 13oz jar of nutella with 3 cup of heavy cream. This guy comes in handy…
Whisk with a mixer until you get peaks. Be careful! I overmixed in the first attempt (don’t go thinking I let all that nutella and cream go to waste… more on that in a bit). Once you’ve whipped up the mousse, pop the balloons! You might have to peel them off carefully and gently like we did. Be careful not to crack the chocolate or handle it too long, as it’ll melt.
Fill the bowls with mousse and refrigerate for a few hours. We didn’t do this so we had sort of a soupier mousse than is desirable, but I’m sure if refrigerated in the bowls it would turn out great!
Serve with a strawberry!
The presentation is lovely and the taste is absolutely AMAZING!! The best part… it’s SUPER easy! Only 3 ingredients: Nutella, Cream and Chocolate!
Now onto my mistake. So I accidentally overwhipped the nutella and cream! Oops! It turned to liquid again! Boo!
Solution: Chocolate Hazelnut Creme Brulee
1 13 oz jar nutella
3 cup heavy cream
7 egg yolks, lightly beaten
12 teaspoons sugar
Preheat oven to 275F. Combine the first 3 ingredients. Pour mixture into 12 ramekins. Put ramekins in a large baking dish or roasting pan, fill pan with hot water until ramekins are half way submerged. Bake 45-60 mins. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar and burn sugar using a kitchen torch or broiler.
Deeeeelish!
Best mistake I’ve made in a while.
Hmm… I still want ice cream. Distracting yourself from your cravings with other delicious treats probably isn’t the best idea. Oh well!
Coming up… Sunday Dinner with Italians!
I had a pretty amazing weekend. Sure, it was my birthday, but really that wasn’t even the good part.
Let me tell you about it.
It started on Friday, when I drove down to the NYC area. I picked up the Biscotti Queen at her parents house and we headed to Brooklyn to visit our friend who was subletting a place with the most AMAZING rooftop.
The view was outstanding.
Even better was the food
and obviously drink
Grilled french bread with dijon mustard, brie, avocado and sundried tomato.
Oh goodness. Make it now!
This was only the beginning of the weekend of eating. Stay tuned for more!
Most of the time, I don’t have the heart to bake with fresh fruit that is delicious (i.e. blueberries, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc.). I usually think they should be enjoyed, raw, delicious and completely on their own (I don’t understand putting sugar on strawberries!), as nature intended.
But if someone gives me some fruit and asks me to bake something with it, do you really think I’d say no?
from All Recipes
3 tablespoons butter (I used EarthBalance)*
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk*
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups fresh pitted cherries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread cherries in a greased 9 inch pie pan or 9×9 square baking dish. Combine the first seven ingredients in a bowl. Spread the mixture over the cherries. Combine the 1 cup of sugar with a tablespoon of flour and a cup of boiling water then pour it over the batter and cherries. Bake for 45 minutes.
*Use non-dairy milk and Earthbalance to make it vegan.
Potential Problems You Might Face in Making This Cobbler:
Was anyone else as sorely disappointed as I was at that first episode last night?
Nope. Those aren’t burnt waffles.
It’s a waffle, pizza, calzone, and a panini all in one!
Okay so I have no idea if I read about this or dreamt about it. Let’s be realistic, I probably read about it because I doubt I could be this creative.
Actually nevermind, let’s pretend I’m great and I thought it up all on my own.
I made a quick whole wheat pizza dough by mixing together:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or just 1 cup WW flour and omit all purpose)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/8 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 tbsp olive oil
After kneading it for about 2 minutes. I let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. Then I divided it into two equal sized pieces and on a well floured surface, rolled each piece VERY thinly. I topped one side with some pasta sauce, kale (obviously), smart dog and 1 string cheese. I put the other thinly rolled piece of dough on top and sealed the edges by folding over and pinching together. After I put it in a heated waffle iron for 5 minutes. The dough shouldn’t reach the edges, you’re going to squish it down so it’ll get there but leave about an inch of room all around.
It got a little messy in the spots where the sauce oozed out. But it was completely worth it.
Perfect for days like today when turning on the oven could easily qualify as murder. Not to mention it takes about 20 minutes total to make and if you use store bought pizza dough, the process takes less than 10 minutes.
Also fun because I’m obsessed with this waffle maker! While these were delicious, there’s always room for improvement.
A few suggestions:
I should also note that this waffle maker is huge! So one waffle is enough for two people.
If you have a waffle maker, try it! Super easy and relatively healthy!
Foodologie 