I am taking the day off from cooking because it's my birthday (happy birthday to me!) and it's too warm in my apartment to turn the stove on! Actually I did cook a perfect fried egg this morning, and it was good, but that doesn't really count.
I did want to use this post to tell my friends and followers about some great websites where you can sign up to get delicious deals to restaurants, many of which you may not already visit because you can't or don't want to spend the money. I've taken advantage of these deals often and you should too. Most of these sites are giving deals in many major cities. Check them out when you have a chance!
www.groupon.com
www.blackboardeats.com
www.socialbuy.com
www.livingsocial.com
www.bloomspot.com
www.atcost.com
www.restaurant.com
How it works: Typically you go to the site, provide your email address and closest city name and they email you occasionally with great deals that you can either take or leave. Not all of these are restaurant/food specific, occasionally there will be great discounts on spa, bowling, movie tickets, and more! If you can't stand the idea of getting emails almost daily, create an email address just for these. I promise, it's worth it.
Do you know of any other discount websites that have worked for you and helped you save money? Please share here!
Chow for now! :)
Food Buzz
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
When life hands you too ripe bananas...make banana chocolate chip muffins!
Oh, these are too good! My house smells like bananas and cinnamon and chocolate-y goodness. The muffins are soft on the inside, have a slight firmness on the outside, melty chocolate chips and delicious banana flavor. They can be eaten for breakfast or a snack or dessert.
I borrowed this recipe from http://www.babylovingmama.com/ who has a great website filled with "all that moms love." This includes recipes, discounts, product reviews, great photos and giveaways (I really wanted to win the Kitchen Aid mixer giveaway...). Definitely check it out.
But onto the more important stuff at hand. Pictures and recipe. Please buy bananas and leave them out today so you can make these this weekend. It's a really easy recipe!!
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (www.babylovingmama.com)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt or sour cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used minis)
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt (or sour cream) and vanilla. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened
Fold in bananas and choc chips.
Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups almost to the top.
Bake at 350 for 22-25 min until toothpick comes out clean
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I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the dry ingredients just for another layer of flavor. I might add more next time. Experiment and feel free to add chopped walnuts or another nut!
I think I will go have another.....
What's your favorite banana dessert? Please feel free to share here!
Chow for now! :)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Puff pastry pizza, it's neither puffy nor pastry. Discuss.
I've had a hankering for pizza for the last few days and if you saw my recent post about pizza you would know it hasn't been all that long since I last had pizza...but yet I crave it. All. The. Time.
I was thinking about my pizza dough making skills (or lack thereof) and realized I didn't have to make my own crust... I could cheat a little and make the sauce and still feel good about it, right? Right. As long as I at least bake the crust myself. I thought about picking up a ball of pizza dough from Trader Joe's but then remembered the puff pastry sheets I had in the freezer. Couldn't I make the pizza on one of those? Indeed I could.
Drunken Mushroom Pizza
serves 2-3 depending on hunger level
1 puff pastry shell, defrosted
1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch salt
1 ball of fresh mozzerella, sliced thin
3 large basil leaves, chifffonade
for the mushrooms:
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 T butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
5 white mushrooms, sliced
splash of dry white wine (sauvignon blanc works well)
for the sauce:
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes, sodium free
4-5 large basil leaves, chiffonade
salt, to taste
pinch of sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Roll the puff pastry out so that it extends an inch more wide and an inch more long. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese, dried herbs and salt all over the pastry. Fork the pastry all over, leaving a 1 inch border for the crust to puff up (forking the pastry in the middle fores the middle to stay flat). Place puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper (or Silpat) on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes until the pastry is lightly browned and crispy.
2. While the puff pastry is cooking, pour evoo and butter into a saute pan over low- medium heat and add garlic. Saute for a few minutes, watching to make sure garlic doesn't burn. Add sliced mushrooms and saute until they are slightly brown. Once pan is almost dry, add splash of white wine and cook the wine down until almost dry. Pour in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In the same saute pan, add 2 tsp evoo, diced tomatoes, basil, salt and sugar and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes or longer. (You will have leftovers of the sauce so use within a day or two or freeze and toss with pasta another night!)
4. Spoon about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce onto puff pastry and spread out, leaving a 1 inch border. Place slices of mozzarella across the sauce leaving about 1/2 inch between cheese slices. Scatter basil and "drunken mushrooms" all over the top.
5. Bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted. Slice and enjoy!
What is your favorite pizza topping? Feel free to share here!
Chow for now! :)
I was thinking about my pizza dough making skills (or lack thereof) and realized I didn't have to make my own crust... I could cheat a little and make the sauce and still feel good about it, right? Right. As long as I at least bake the crust myself. I thought about picking up a ball of pizza dough from Trader Joe's but then remembered the puff pastry sheets I had in the freezer. Couldn't I make the pizza on one of those? Indeed I could.
Drunken Mushroom Pizza
serves 2-3 depending on hunger level
1 puff pastry shell, defrosted
1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch salt
1 ball of fresh mozzerella, sliced thin
3 large basil leaves, chifffonade
for the mushrooms:
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 T butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
5 white mushrooms, sliced
splash of dry white wine (sauvignon blanc works well)
for the sauce:
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes, sodium free
4-5 large basil leaves, chiffonade
salt, to taste
pinch of sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Roll the puff pastry out so that it extends an inch more wide and an inch more long. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese, dried herbs and salt all over the pastry. Fork the pastry all over, leaving a 1 inch border for the crust to puff up (forking the pastry in the middle fores the middle to stay flat). Place puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper (or Silpat) on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes until the pastry is lightly browned and crispy.
2. While the puff pastry is cooking, pour evoo and butter into a saute pan over low- medium heat and add garlic. Saute for a few minutes, watching to make sure garlic doesn't burn. Add sliced mushrooms and saute until they are slightly brown. Once pan is almost dry, add splash of white wine and cook the wine down until almost dry. Pour in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In the same saute pan, add 2 tsp evoo, diced tomatoes, basil, salt and sugar and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes or longer. (You will have leftovers of the sauce so use within a day or two or freeze and toss with pasta another night!)
4. Spoon about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce onto puff pastry and spread out, leaving a 1 inch border. Place slices of mozzarella across the sauce leaving about 1/2 inch between cheese slices. Scatter basil and "drunken mushrooms" all over the top.
5. Bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted. Slice and enjoy!
What is your favorite pizza topping? Feel free to share here!
Chow for now! :)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Yummy chocolate chip cinnamon cake for father's day!
On Saturday I was perusing http://www.tastespotting.com/ looking for a recipe for my recent purchase of a bag of mini-chocolate chips (hint: never grocery shop when you are hungry) and came across a great blog: http://butteryum.blogspot.com/. On that site I found a great recipe for a chocolate chip cinnamon swirl cake that looked delicious! It also inspired me to cook it for my sister's family (new mom, Jenn) and my dad who would be visiting for father's day.
Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Swirl Cake
Serves 9
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pre-heat oven to 350F. In large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla; mix.
In a small bowl, combine flour, b powder, and b soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat well to combine.
Spread half the mixture in a greased 9x9 baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar and sprinkle over chocolate. Top with remaining batter. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve.
--------------------------------------------
I substituted plain greek yogurt for the sour cream since that was what I had in my fridge. I also used 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup of sugar mixed with cinnamon for the middle layer of the cake and still had some left to sprinkle on top of the cake (along with a scattering of chocolate chips) before I placed it in the oven. This topping made for a flaky crust which I absolutely loved. Finally, I used a 9 inch circular pan instead of square. Voila!
Another hint for this kind of cake... the dough is very thick so it is important when you are putting the top layer of cake over the chocolate chips that you use what I call the "blob" method (very scientific, I know). This entails scooping the batter out of the bowl and placing on top of the chocolate chips as five or six "blobs" and using a spatula to spread the batter between blobs. If you just attempt to pour the batter on top of the chocolate chips, you will find it difficult to spread to the sides of the pan without mixing the chips up in the top layer of the cake.
I thought the cake was really delicious... not too sweet, very cinnamon-y and chocolate-y and tasted great with a cup of coffee or tea. After about 24 hours sitting out (but covered), I found that the texture started to get a little hard so at that point the cake tasted better warmed up in the oven.
Did you make your dad something sweet for father's day? Feel free to share here!
Chow for now! :)
Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Swirl Cake
Serves 9
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pre-heat oven to 350F. In large bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla; mix.
In a small bowl, combine flour, b powder, and b soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat well to combine.
Spread half the mixture in a greased 9x9 baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar and sprinkle over chocolate. Top with remaining batter. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve.
--------------------------------------------
I substituted plain greek yogurt for the sour cream since that was what I had in my fridge. I also used 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup of sugar mixed with cinnamon for the middle layer of the cake and still had some left to sprinkle on top of the cake (along with a scattering of chocolate chips) before I placed it in the oven. This topping made for a flaky crust which I absolutely loved. Finally, I used a 9 inch circular pan instead of square. Voila!
Another hint for this kind of cake... the dough is very thick so it is important when you are putting the top layer of cake over the chocolate chips that you use what I call the "blob" method (very scientific, I know). This entails scooping the batter out of the bowl and placing on top of the chocolate chips as five or six "blobs" and using a spatula to spread the batter between blobs. If you just attempt to pour the batter on top of the chocolate chips, you will find it difficult to spread to the sides of the pan without mixing the chips up in the top layer of the cake.
I thought the cake was really delicious... not too sweet, very cinnamon-y and chocolate-y and tasted great with a cup of coffee or tea. After about 24 hours sitting out (but covered), I found that the texture started to get a little hard so at that point the cake tasted better warmed up in the oven.
Chow for now! :)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Recipe finding made easy with tastespotting.com!
I don't know about you but I am always searching online for new recipes. I may have an ingredient I want to use (rhubarb?) or maybe I'm looking for something very specific (banana chocolate chip pound cake, perhaps?). What bothers me is when I find a recipe that looks interesting but the recipe provider didn't provide a picture of what it should look like. I may be creative with my food but I still want to know how "their" version came out.
Since I began writing my blog, I have been searching my fellow blogger websites for new recipes and have been inspired many times over. Food bloggers are notorious for taking pictures of their food and posting with their recipes.
Today, while searching for a recipe to make with chocolate chips, I found a new website that does the blog searching for you! It's called http://www.tastespotting.com/ .
You can search by category, date, popularity or (my favorite) random. Also, you can type anything in the search box (try "coffee cake"... I promise you will drool) and you will get a selection of blogs/recipes to choose from. Once you find a picture you like and click on it, a new window opens with the blog entry and recipe. Easy as pie (or coffee cake)!
Next time you are looking for inspiration, or if you just enjoy looking at pictures of food, try clicking on "random" and see what you get (I just got recipes for brisket, cinnamon scones, dandelion greens salad and bacon wrapped shrimp.
For the record, I am still not sure what I'm making with chocolate chips... many of the cake-like recipes called for sour cream and I am out. I am trying to use what I have in my fridge and pantry. Of course, I will keep you updated!
Do you have any favorite websites for recipe searching? If so, please share!
Chow for now! :)
Since I began writing my blog, I have been searching my fellow blogger websites for new recipes and have been inspired many times over. Food bloggers are notorious for taking pictures of their food and posting with their recipes.
Today, while searching for a recipe to make with chocolate chips, I found a new website that does the blog searching for you! It's called http://www.tastespotting.com/ .
You can search by category, date, popularity or (my favorite) random. Also, you can type anything in the search box (try "coffee cake"... I promise you will drool) and you will get a selection of blogs/recipes to choose from. Once you find a picture you like and click on it, a new window opens with the blog entry and recipe. Easy as pie (or coffee cake)!
Next time you are looking for inspiration, or if you just enjoy looking at pictures of food, try clicking on "random" and see what you get (I just got recipes for brisket, cinnamon scones, dandelion greens salad and bacon wrapped shrimp.
For the record, I am still not sure what I'm making with chocolate chips... many of the cake-like recipes called for sour cream and I am out. I am trying to use what I have in my fridge and pantry. Of course, I will keep you updated!
Do you have any favorite websites for recipe searching? If so, please share!
Chow for now! :)
Friday, June 18, 2010
Easy, light, spring dinner!
I just wanted to post a couple of photos of what I made for dinner tonight. I was feeling like I needed some greens in my diet (maybe because I ate nothing but carbs since breakfast) ... of course I ended up pairing the greens with pasta but it was Barilla Plus thin spaghetti which is multi grain and has 4 grams of fiber and 10 g of protein per serving. It doesn't have that... whole grain taste and is the pasta I always buy.
I started by sauteing one halved clove of garlic and about 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan and after allowing a few minutes for the garlic to infuse, I added two large leaves of kale (chopped, tough stem removed). I also added a handful of pignoli nuts and a little nutmeg (which I always add to dark leafy greens to complement the earthy flavor of the greens).
Once the kale was wilted and bright green, I added 1 medium sized zucchini (shredded) and cooked it all down until it was sauce like.
After about 5 minutes of cooking I added 1/2 can of diced, low sodium tomatoes and one tablespoon of basil (I didn't have any fresh on hand so I used - and swear by Dorot brand frozen basil cubes which can be found at Trader Joe's.).
That's it - Once the pasta was done boiling, I added a small amount of the pasta water to the sauce along with the drained pasta and topped it with a little grated Parmesan. This is a healthy and filling dinner with good nutritional value for a warm spring night.
I must share a pic of Murphy stealing a piece of runaway thin spaghetti....
Do you have any favorite "go to" spring recipes that you enjoy cooking? Please leave me a comment!
Chow for now! :)
I started by sauteing one halved clove of garlic and about 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan and after allowing a few minutes for the garlic to infuse, I added two large leaves of kale (chopped, tough stem removed). I also added a handful of pignoli nuts and a little nutmeg (which I always add to dark leafy greens to complement the earthy flavor of the greens).
Once the kale was wilted and bright green, I added 1 medium sized zucchini (shredded) and cooked it all down until it was sauce like.
After about 5 minutes of cooking I added 1/2 can of diced, low sodium tomatoes and one tablespoon of basil (I didn't have any fresh on hand so I used - and swear by Dorot brand frozen basil cubes which can be found at Trader Joe's.).
That's it - Once the pasta was done boiling, I added a small amount of the pasta water to the sauce along with the drained pasta and topped it with a little grated Parmesan. This is a healthy and filling dinner with good nutritional value for a warm spring night.
I must share a pic of Murphy stealing a piece of runaway thin spaghetti....
Do you have any favorite "go to" spring recipes that you enjoy cooking? Please leave me a comment!
Chow for now! :)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Anthony Bourdain is my hero!
But back to Anthony. I anticipated that this event would consist of his ranting about the various Food TV folks that he dislikes, discussions about weird "squiggly things" he's tried in different parts of the world and a plug for his new book Medium Raw. And he did not disappoint. He touched on all of those things but also showed a dare I say, softer side of Tony (if I may call him that). He has a 3 year old daughter and has admitted to being somewhat of a changed man as a result of her birth. But deep down he is still the crass, sailor-mouthed chef that we all know and love.
He gave us some of his likes (LA's ethnic "strip mall" food, In N Out Burger, Top Chef, the original Iron Chef, Mario Batali and Jonathan Gold), some of his
Some favorite lines/moments from the evening:
Why we watch Man vs Food: A show where the host goes to different spots to eat the largest _____ (fill in large/disgusting/fattening food here): "We watch Man vs Food for the same reason we watch Siegfried and Roy - because this is the week he might die."
Regarding his 3 year old daughter: "The last thing I wanted to do was raise one of those obnoxious 'foodie' children" then proceeded to tell a great story about a recent trip to France when his daughter, on her own, ate a raw oyster then pointed to a lobster and said "Sebastian" (referring to the animated character from Little Mermaid), and proceeded to eat that too.
Discussing some of the chefs on the Food Channel: "I really like Giada DeLaurentiis - she makes good food. She does have a freakishly large head."
Favorite question from an audience member (who asked Reddit.com users to help him come up with the best question): Audience member: "Nigella vs Giada in a knife fight... who would win?" Anthony: (after a moment of consideration): Nigella (referring of course to Great Britain's own Nigella Lawson).
His short list of places to visit before you die: Saigon, anywhere in Vietnam, San Sebastian, Spain, Bahia, Brazil.
He gave his rules for traveling and eating well: 1) If you are lucky enough to travel, make the most of it. 2) Have an adventure (don't get your picture taken in front of the Starbucks in Taiwan), 3) Don't worry about "dirt" (try new foods, even if it is from a shack on the street) and 4) Observe local customs, do what the locals do and be polite.
He touched on his new "Softer side" and how he used to just care about how food tasted and nothing more. He now cares about where it comes from and how it's going to affect his child. He plans his business trips around visits with his in-laws in Italy. He buys organic at Whole Foods. His priorities may have shifted, but he still swears and drinks and talks about his peers. He is Anthony Bourdain and he's so cool, even Ron Jeremy was a member of the audience last night.
My final thought from last night is a quote: There has never been a better time to be cooking, there has never been a better time to be a chef." I hope this is true.
Are you a fan of Anthony Bourdain or does his snarky attitude rub you the wrong way? Any other favorite "celebrity chefs"? Feel free to post them below!
Chow for now! :)
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