Teatopia

Which Dessert?

I started a book club through my mom's group, and I'm hosting the first one next week. We;re discussing "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" which is a fabulous book BTW. I'm providing coffee and dessert. I can't decide what to make though. It's so seldom these days that we entertain that I'm obsessing over the details.

Which dessert sounds the best? Keep in mind it should go rather well with coffee.

~peach cobbler

~chocolate cake

~lemon bars

~coconut dream cake

Let the voting begin!

The chef . . . she's back!

I have been trying to get back to one of my favorite hobbies-- cooking! And not to mention, we have to eat, so it makes sense. I'm just trying to make things that are more fun and not let-me-heat-up-this-can-of-soup.

I made this Chop Chae a week or so ago. It's a Korean dish we had in Korea, except that they made it with squid (yucky) and I went vegetarian. It's just glass noodles with veggies, sesame oil, soy sauce, and a couple other little things. I love the texture of the noodles!

James has been complaining how hungry he's been lately. I'm thinking stress between school and work. So, today when he came home, this hummus was waiting for him with celery sticks, Kashi ranch crackers, and papad, a crunchy cracker-like Indian bread.

Maple Macchiato

Yesterday, my friend B asked me to swing by Starbucks so I could meet his latest squeeze. I was impressed with his new man-- very sweet and has seemingly genuine feelings for my pal B, which is a relief since he's dated his share of jerks.

Anyway, while there, I decided to take the plunge and order the new Maple Macchiato, which I was told tastes like pancake syrup, and indeed it does. I had it iced and it was heavenly. I'm thinking next time, I'll try the Maple Frap. Anyone else tried it yet?

Mexican Lasagna and other stuff

Thank you for all your sweet comments yesterday about that man's comment. It just really bummed me out, but I'm determined to keep on walking so I can fit my old clothes, maybe even go down a size less! MF e-mailed me today and said how much she loves our walks and that we should do it more often. Amen to that.

Today, our dogs went to the vet for their yearly check-ups. Gracie, our rat terrier, has had horrible allergies since she was 1 (she's now 4) and she gets frequent ear infections. She had another one today, and the whole visit-- check-up, shots, meds, etc-- cost over $300. It is so hard to get ahead financially because it's always something. The good thing is, they put her on a new medication that already seems to be helping her allergies.

I had another back appointment today. I'm making progress, but my physical therapist thinks the pain and numbness is something I might struggle with off and on. The damage is done. Again, let me say how glad I am we hired a lawyer, because we only have 2 years until we settle, and the check-ups and therapy will continue long past that. And it won't be covered by health care probably because it's a previous condition and it's accident-related. I'd better be compensated.

After my appointment, which James came to so he could watch Olivia, she and I headed downtown to the Oriental Market. James and I love Cheese Ramyun (which is spicy Korean ramen soup with cheese in it). I also have been wanting to make Chop Chae, and I found some noodles I thought would work. I asked the lady if they were Korean glass noodles (the see through ones) and she didn't understand me, but she replied "Chop Chae noodle". Yes! I found a recipe that looks pretty accurate in one of our cookbooks. We ate it a few times in Korea and it was so yummy. It's got a strong sesame flavor. I also remember how to say "thank you" from James's sister teaching us, so I always try to thank the ladies in Korean when I go to the market. They always seem impressed. It's the only word I remember though. :-)

Tonight, we had Mexican lasagna. Yummy yum yum! Just layer tortillas (any flavor works) with a meat mixture (lean ground beed, sauteed with onion, garlic, and taco seasoning), and cheese. Then on top, more meat, lots of cheese, and scallions. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, whatever. So easy and good.

Tomorrow, MF and I are going to this mom's group. They are meeting at Burger King for breakfast. Not that thrilling, but it's something. It's actually our first event. Hope it'll be fun!

Yummy grilled food

After a major lull in my cooking, I've dived back in full force. I think I've cooked more big meals in the last 6 weeks than I did during my entire pregnancy. However, it's a lot harder than it used to be since we have our little winkie and I've forgotten to take pictures of most of them!

On Saturday night, we had my family over for kabobs. I'd never made them before, and it was fun! We had cherry tomatoes, vidalia onion, squash, zucchini, red pepper, baby portobellas, pineapple chunks, and marinated sirloin steak (I made an awesome marinade if I don't say so myself). They were really healthy and good!

We also made chicken satay (chicken on a stick with a Thai peanut sauce). It was so tender, and white meat isn't always. I went out on a limb and marinated it in coconut milk overnight. I'm not sure if that's what made a difference, but I've never had grilled chicken so tender before, so maybe it did? We also had grilled corn on the cob with garlic butter and a salad.

I also baked an almond cake with berries and fresh whipped cream, but it was gone before I could take a picture. It was in this month's Bon Appetit.

And for your viewing pleasure, I have added some pictures of Olivia. :-)

Melktert (Milktart)

While I was on vacation, I made a mental list of some things I want to do for myself since I'm so busy with Olivia lately. One of them was to make something from the South African cookbook I picked up last year in Cape Town. I came back from that trip pregnant, and I'll admit I didn't do much cooking during my pregnancy. I was too nauseous and tired. Anyway, the first recipe I decided to make was a milktert, or milktart. It almost resembles flan, but it's more like a pie, but instead of crust, there's a kind of a shortcake, pastry-like layer underneath. It was a lot of work, but it turned out really well! I decided to add fresh whipped cream on top and some juicy raspberries.

I thought about posting the recipe, but it's metric. I converted it as I went, but didn't write it down. If anyone wants it, let me know and I'll e-mail it to you.

Really quick about the cyst removal: wasn't too bad, didn't hurt much until a few hours ago. Now it seriously hurts. I have stitches between my boobs. It's hard to nurse, so I pump and James gives her a bottle with my milk. The doc said it's going to leave an obvious scar, but I'm just glad it's out. Stitches come out in 10 days. It could come back. Turns out it's related to a chronic health condition I have, which I've had surgery for a few times before, but that's a whole other post.

Nighty night! Oh, and 3 month pictures of Olivia can be found here and on my sidebar.

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Olivia sleeping more = Mommy having more time to cook! Yay for 7 straight hours last night!

I made this yummy baked spinach dip the other night to take to my parents' house. It turned out really well!

Ingredients:
1 10 oz. pack frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
small can diced water chestnuts
1 medium can artichokes in water (I finely chopped them)
1 packet Knorr vegetable soup mix
16 ozs. light sour cream
1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 cup regular mayo
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese (I used parmesan)

Bake for about 20 minutes at 300 degrees. Serve with chips.

New Obsession

I really haven't had any odd cravings since getting pregnant, but I have really become a sucker for fruit. Today I had the most incredible drink. I think I could've had like 4 of them. I am going back tomorrow for another one! At Panera, they have a new Mango drink that tastes almost like sorbet. It is amazing and so pretty with the raspberry swirls inside. So refreshing!

Other fruit cravings I've had:

ice water with tons of lemon slices
pineapple slices
grapes
homemade smoothies
apples that have been chilled in the fridge
raspberries

I wonder if I'll still love fruit this much when I've had the baby? I hope so. It's such a healthy snack! I am disappointed though that I don't have anything wild and crazy cravings to laugh about. And I'm sorry that I don't have anthing more interesting to report than my fruit cravings, but satisfying my cravings is definitely something I think about a lot. :-)

Oh Fudge!

I have been busy the last few days! I made three batches of fudge to give to co-workers this week. This fudge is fairly easy to make and quite good. It's also incredibly rich! I used the basic recipe included below, with various yummy things inside. I made one with marshmellows, one with walnuts, and one with mini reese's cups. They are so cute! I have alot of fudge leftover too, so I will save some for my parents' Christmas Eve get-together and freeze the rest. I bought small glass candle holders, filled with them cloves and cardamom pods, and stuck a Yankee candle votive in each. I wrapped them in tissue with a ribbon tied around and also gave them out as gifts at work. I feel very crafty, even though I'm really not. I can say though that this is my craftiest Christmas yet! :-) I'm sure when we have our baby next year, I'll be able to make even more things since I'll be home.

Click below for the fudge recipe. In a pan, bring 1 5 oz can of condensed milk, 3 cups of sugar, and 1.5 sticks of butter to a boil. Turn down to medium and boil for about 4 mins. Stir constantly.

Immediately add a tsp of vanilla, 1 jar of marshmellow cream, and 12 squares of semi-sweet chocolate. Stir well and pouhr into a 9 x 9 tray lined with tin foil.

Let cool at least 5 hours. Enjoy!

Scottish Shortbread

Today I felt more Christmasy. Might've had something to do with the Christmas Cookie Swap I went to today. My contribution was some Scottish Shortbread Cookies. They were easy to make (but the rolling and cutting out requires some patience). This recipe is a new favorite of mine. Few ingredients, easy dough to work with, and soft cookies. I think I might use it again next week for our Christmas cut-outs. I just made these in a round shape to go along with tea, nothing special.

The recipe is included in the extended entry.

Guess who's back in the Christmas spirit? After the swap, James and I spent a few hours Christmas shopping and then wrapped the gifts back home. Tomorrow my mom and I are going to Atlanta for even more shopping. Now that I am really showing (HUGE growth spirt in the last 2 weeks, will include picture tomorrow), I was all excited to wear one of my cute cliche pregancy tops that ties in the back. Sadly, the pregnancy hormones have caused my chest to break out, so now I'll be hiding my nasty bumps with a not-so-cute top. Has anyone else noticed that all maternity shirts are rather low-cut? What's up with that? Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm a slut. :-) Oh well, cute top or not, I'm going to have fun!

Scottish Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups flour

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Work butter, flour, and sugar with hands until smooth.

3. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for 30 minutes (or more).

4. Roll ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface.

5. Cut into desired shape and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5 minutes, then reduce temperature 300° and bake 10-15 minutes more.

Indian Dinner

Yesterday, James had to catch up on some school work since he wasn't able to do it on his trip, so I was on my own for part of the day. I decided to drive down to the Indian grocery and pick up some supplies for dinner. Here's what I made:

I bought a box of pakora mix-- all you have to do it add water. It's similar to a tempura and you add a variety of things to the batter. I decided to use eggplant slices, but in the past potatoes and cauliflower have worked well.

The samosas, I have to admit, were already prepared. I've never actually tried to make them from scratch! Pam, the nice woman who owns the store, makes these and brings them in to sell. I did, however, make the coriander/mint chutney. It's very a very cooling, refreshing sauce. I kept mine mild in the interest of my baby and the horrible acid reflux I've been getting, but you can add chiles for an extra kick.

And for the main course: Mulligatawny Soup (Indian curry-flavored lentil soup) I have included the recipe below. Next time, I probably wouldn't use the crushed red pepper next time. As much as I love spicy food, I should keep my food mild. So, if you like milder foods, leave that out.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lentils
3 table spoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions chopped finely
2 stalks celery chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon curry powder or garam masala
1 dried red pepper crushed
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 carrots chopped
2 red potatoes diced
2 tomatoes diced
1 zucchini sliced
6 cups bouillon or vegetable stock
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
1 cup coconut milk
Salt to taste

Directions:

Pour enough warm water over lentils to cover well, put aside. This is to soak the lentils before cooking.

Melt butter and oil in large pan, add chopped onion and celery and cook until transparent. Add ginger cook 1 minute more. Add curry powder, dried red pepper, crumbled, ground coriander, freshly ground black pepper and stir over low heat 2 minutes. Add flour to pan, stir over low heat 1 minute. Add the bullion. Mix well.

Stir in the carrots, zucchini, potatoes and tomatoes and the drained lentils. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered 20 minutes, cover pan, simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are tender.

Puree in blender or food processor. Return soup to pan, bring to boil. Season the soup with salt according to your taste. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro and simmer 5 minutes more. Reduce heat, stir in coconut milk.

Serve hot. Add a few teaspoons of freshly made plain white rice.

Spicy Food Kick

I desperately want to go eat Indian food for lunch-- what can I say? Last night Korean, now I'm craving Indian food-- I want something SPICY! But, alas, I don't have anyone to go with. James doesn't want any and my usual Indian food partner, my friend B, is in Atlanta.

Would any of you nice internet folks like to fly to Columbus, GA for lunch? I really do hate to eat alone.* :-P

*Does it still count as eating alone if you have a little bambino in your tummy eating right along with you??? hehe.

Moroccan Lentil Soup

I am now in fall mode, even though we are so far from fall temperatures here. Still, a girl can wish. :-) Tonight I made a a comforting, Moroccan lentil soup. It smelled wonderful while it was cooking and there is plenty left over for lunches this week. If you want a comforting, cold-weather soup, then this soup's for you!

Click below for the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
6 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil

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DIRECTIONS:
In large pot saute; the onions, garlic, and ginger in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes.
Add the water, lentils, chick peas, white kidney beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, garam masala, cardamom, cayenne pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil for a few minutes then simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer, until the lentils are soft.
Puree half the soup in a food processor or blender. Return the pureed soup to the pot, stir and enjoy!

Thank God for Indian Food

After church today, I dragged James to my favorite Indian restuarant (ok, so it's the only one around, but one of the best I've been to). I just have to say that eating all the various dishes was one of the happiest, most satisfying moments I've had in a while. Give a pregnant women what she's been craving and she's a happy camper. Hopefully the peanut enjoyed his/her lunch too. I could eat Indian food every day, 3 meals a day. I mean, why the heck not? Indians do! It has got to be my favorite type of food, followed by Thai. Perhaps I need to go one of these? :-)

What's your favorite cuisine?

Bizcocho Tres Leches (Three Milks Cake)

I have seen Three Milks Cake on menus and even on the Food Network, but I've never actually tasted it. So, after seeing it on Stef's blog a few weeks ago, and because it sounded so similar to my coconut cake, I decided it was time to try it. I actually went with a recipe on this blog. When I followed this link left by a commenter on Stef's blog, I saw that it was a homemade recipe for this cake. I figured since I have been majorly lacking in the culinary department lately, I was up for the challenge of making this from scratch. Making it from scratch somehow made me feel like the culinary diva I wish I was again.

This is the recipe I followed:

Cake Mix
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Grease and flour a 13" x 9" baking pan.
- Combine flour and baking powder and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until frothy.
- Add in granulated sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks are formed (about 5 - 7 minutes on medium speed).

- Continue mixing and add in one egg yolk at a time until incorporated.
- Add in flour/baking powder mixture and milk. Alternate by starting and ending with flour/baking powder mixture.
- Add vanilla.
- Pour into a greased and floured 13" x 9" baking pan. Bake at 375° F for 30 - 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven, and cool for 10 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE FROM PAN.
- Poke holes all over the cake using a thin spoon handle. Set aside.

Three Milks Mixture
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
3 cups heavy cream

- Add tres leches to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Place half the milk mixutre in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and bring to a boil. Be careful not to scorch, you don't want the sugar in the condensed milk to carmelize or burn.
- Add in the rest of the milk mixture and remove from heat.
- Pour slowly over cake until all absorbed
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Whipped Topping
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
juice of 1 lime, strained to remove pulp

- Combine heavy cream, sugar and lime juice in a bowl and whip until stiff peaks are formed.
- Spread over top of cake and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Ta Da! This cake is so moist and yummy!

Who Needs Ketchup Anyway?

My friend Stef introduced me to this wonderful hot sauce back when she lived here in the south. I have enjoyed it since then-- adding it to soup, using it as a dipping sauce for everything from potstickers to pizza crusts, and even squirting pretty designs on my plate for my fried eggs.

When I received this month's Saveur yesterday, I was delighted to find 2 pages dedicated my my favorite hot sauce: Huy Fong Food's Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. Saveur recognizes its growing popularity in both homes and restaurants. It even said that the body was designed to look like a chili pepper, complete with a red top, or stem. I learned that the rooster on the bottle respresents Tran's (the creator) astrological sign and that it is named after a port in Thailand where it was supposedly created.

You may have seen this sauce in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, or Thai restaurants, but it can be used for more than just Asian food. Here are some of my favorite suggestions offered by Saveur:

*Put it on top of cooked eggs (this is really good!)
*Use it in place of ketchup, like on a hotdog for example
*Sprinkle it on top of pizza instead of red pepper flakes (or dip the pizza in it like I do!)
*Add it to a stir-fry, fried rice, or pho (Vietnamese soup)
*Use in combination with mayo as a dipping sauce

And my suggestion:
*use it for anything you can think of!

The Best Marinated Tomatoes EVER

Today I made marinated tomaotes for the Labor Day cook-out we had with my family. They are so flavorful and the fresh herbs really are great in this summery dish!

Although the recipe doesn't call for it, I thought I'd have some sliced mozzarella on the side for anyone who wanted to make it a caprese-style salad.

Tonight, for the first time, it's starting to feel like fall. It may have been in the 90's today, but this is certainly a cool night and I am loving it!

Click below for the recipe. Trust me, this is a great one!

6 ripe tomatoes (home-grown are wonderful!)
You can peel them if you want, but I didn't.

marinade:

1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. fresh thyme
1/4 c. chives, chopped
2/3 cup olive oil (or salad oil)
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 t. sugar

I made the marinade a day ahead and let the herbs infuse the oil and vinegar over night. Then today, I sliced the tomatoes and covered them with the yummy marinade.

Dua Gan (Korean melon)

When we visited Korean last summer, I found a melon that I really liked a lot. It's called a dua gan and it's similar to a cantaloupe. It's about the size of a papaya with a yellow skin and stripes.

In an effort to try new things, I used to buy a new fruit or veggie each week at the grocery store. I actually became familiar with some things I otherwise never would've tried or even noticed: Australian kiwi, gooseberries (which I had eaten in England but hadn't seen since), kumquats, yellow beets, a canary melon, daikon, etc. I was excited about finding this new melon in Korea, and I was even more thrilled to see one at our local Korean grocers tonight. So, tomorrow morning at breakfast, I will take a trip down memory lane, back to Korea!

What unusual/uncommon produce have you tried and enjoyed?

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Last night, we ate at the most wonderful seafood restaurant I've ever been to, The Market. It was my friend Rebecca's birthday, so several of us went out to celebrate. I wasn't feeling so hot, so I just ordered some sides, one of which was a fabulous heirloom tomato salad with 25 year old balsamic vinegar.

When I was in Maryland about a year ago, I went with my aunt to a small organic roadside stand just outside of Washington, D.C. where we bought the most amazing tomatoes ever: purplish heirloom tomatoes. I have never seen anything like them since until last night. Although the tomaotes are red on the inside, the skin has a purplish hue. Wow was the salad good!

Julianna's

Today my sweet grandma took a family friend and my mom and I to tea at a charming tea room about an hour away. We had a wonderful time and the food was divine. We started off with chicken salad on a croissant and a small spinach quiche. Then came a tower of goodies-- 3 tiers of cucumber sandwiches, pimento cheese on wheat bread, fresh fruit, garlic cheese biscuits, lavender scones, mini cheesecake bites, wedding cookies, and more. I washed it all down with a pot of caramel tea with cream. Yum! Afterall, I am the queen of teatopia. :-)

Shogun

We went to Shogun tonight for my sister's b-day. I love watching them cook and do all the fancy tricks. The food was awesome! In this picture, the chef built a volcano by stacking rings of onions and then pouring oil into the hole at the top. Then, he held up a lighter and the steam pushed the oil out in spurts, making it look like an errupting volcano!

I was hoping to go swimming tonight to work off some of the calories, but it's storming, so not a chance. I went last night though and it felt great. I have had a lot on my mind lately and swimming is just so exhilarating!

Hannah's Hummus

I received a few requests for the hummus recipe, so here goes! Sorry I didn't take photos!

1 14.5 oz can garbanzo beans
the juice of one lemon
1 small clove of garlic (peeled but left whole)
1 1/2 tbsp. tahini (look in health section of grocery store)
1 tsp. Greek oregano
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil to desired consistancy

I combined the garbanzos, garlic, lemon, tahini, and oregeno and pulsed them together in the food processor until fairly ground. Then I streamed in the oilive oil while continuing to pulse until I felt it was creamy enough. Then I added salt and pepper to taste and pulsed a bit more. I left mine a litle bit chunky, but you can smooth it out by added more olive oil!

Pita Pockets

Last night I made these pita pockets full of fresh veggies.

I cut the bread in half and opened up each half. I spread hummus inside and put in a leaf of hydroponic lettuce. Next, I filled it with a fresh salad (this was my favorite part!)

Ingredients: chopped English cucumber, tomato, avocado, purple onion and chopped herbs from my garden: parsley, dill, and cilantro. Then I squeezed fresh lemon juice on top and addded salt and pepper. I spooned some of the salad in and added sprouts. Very healthy and fresh.

BTW, update: went to USPS and paid $7.65 and it'll be there in a week!

Strawberry Salad with Gorgonzola Dressing

In my attempt to get healthier and, ahem, hopefully lose 10 pounds before we go to Africa in 8 weeks (is this too little time?), I made a healthy and rather unusual salad, at least I thought so. I found the recipe for this dressing in Vegetarian Times.

Gorgonzola Dressing:

1/2 cup fat free yogurt

1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

I made a bed of hydroponic lettuce and topped it with fresh strawberries. Then, I drizzled the gorgonzola dressing on top of the strawberries. I suppose you could add other ingredients, but I kept it simple.

Mediterannean Pizza

On my quest to get healthier, I made a nice little pizza tonight. First I sauteed some spinach leaves in garlic and a little olive oil. I spread it on pita bread. I topped it with feta cheese and cooked red onion and baked it until the cheese melted. It was scrumdidlyumptious!

Getting Healthy

I probably looked like some kind of freak when I went grocery shopping today. Healthy, healthy, healthy . . . and no meat! I was a vegetarian for years and sometimes I revert back to it without even realizing. Being a vegetarian comes naturally to me-- I sometimes even have to concentrate on getting meat into my diet. Even as a baby, I spit my meat back out. I remember sitting at the dinner table as a little girl, long after everyone else had gotten up. I remember hearing, "Hannah, when you eat 3 bites of meat you can get up. You need your protein."

Anyway, after reading through a vegetarian magazine today, I found a bunch of fresh recipes and then went to the store for this week's groceries. I must've looked like a health nut. I bought organic milk (always do-- I once heard if you buy anything organic, buy organic milk), spinach leaves, butter lettuce, yogurt (flavored and plain), sprouts, a pineapple, an English cucumber, lemons and limes, a mango, strawberries, lite tofu, papaya juice, and an avocado. There will be many salads and healthy sandwiches this week. I will try to post some healthy summery recipes.

Dumpling Mold

We bought this today at Williams Sonoma. I am hoping it will make folding potstickers much easier! It could be used to make ravioli or empanadas too.

Shrimp Pad Thai and a Movie

Can you believe that this Pad Thai only has 3 grams of fat per serving? I used lite tofu, scallions, bean sprouts, shrimp, noodles and flavoring (the fat came from the flavoring). I bought packaged sauce and it turned out really well. I garnished it with a little bit of crushed cashews, limes, and cilantro. Yum!

James and I are still unofficially on vacation. Since our family is still there (immediate and extended), we decided that we are also still on vacation this week, so we have something fun planned every day. Last night, after dinner, we went to see "Kingdom of Heaven". It was amazing!

Dessert

After dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, we had dessert @ the Hard Rock Cafe. I got banana bread with a gooey peanut butter and chocolately center. Yum!

My New Obsession

I bought a whole case of these to bring back!

Asian Food ABC Style

Tonight we ran errands to get ready for our trip this weekend, and we stopped by Atlanta Bread Company (ABC) for dinner. Yes, this is where I got my matcha drink yesterday. :-) I had an asian chicken salad sandwich-- chicken with a light peanut sauce, grapes, and scallions on sour dough bread and soup-- cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms in a coconut curry broth. If you have one near you, you must try these temporary items.

We are looking forward to our trip this weekend, but there is still much to do. James's final project for the semester was due today and he has a final exam tomorrow night (yes, on a Friday night of all times) and I had a late class this evening. I am worn out, but looking forward to some fun in the sun!

Today's Yummies

Just wanted to share some yummy things I enjoyed today. We had a family friend over for dinner tonight to show her what to do with our dogs this weekend, and I stopped by Atlanta Bread Company to pick up a loaf of asiago cheese bread. I noticed signs advertising some new asian items on their menu and this awesome matcha smoothie was one of them. It was really refreshing and it definitely had the vegetal green tea taste. Yum!

Then when I got home I made spaghetti, salad, garlic bread (with what I got from Atlanta Bread Co) and fudge brownies. I like to buy plain jarred sauce and then add to it. Tonight I sauteed onions, green peppers, garlic, and mushrooms together. When they were mostly soft, I added ground sirloin, fresh chopped basil, and the jarred sauce. It turned out well and it was pretty healthy with all the good veggies.

Japanese Fare

I've posted pictures of food from Osaka before, but we usually go here for lunch. Tonight we went for dinner and the entrees were presented just a bit fancier. James has udon noodles with shrimp and scallops and I opted for something a bit healthier: tender chicken and veggies with sweet teriyaki sauce. Although I've never personally been outside the Tokyo airport, my husband, who worked in Japan every other month when we first met, assures me that this is as authenic as it gets.

I also wanted to say thanks to those of you who helped me out with food ideas for my dinner party. The fajitas seemed to be the most popular, so this time around I think I'll make something everyone can help with.

Spinach Dip

Last night I made some spinach dip in a sour dough bread bowl and wanted to share the recipe:

1 pacakge frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained well
1 cup Mayo (I use light)
2 cups sour cream (I use light)
1 small can of water chestnuts, finely chopped
1 packet of vegetable soup/dip mix

Mix it all together and let it chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge-- overnight is better and serve in a bread bowl and Voila!

Life is Like a Box of Choclates

I can honestly say that I want my life to be like this box of chocolates--exotic! Jin Patisserie offers boxes with assorted flavors and many of them are quite unusual! I saw these in today's Daily Candy and boy do these flavors sound good-- Earl Grey Feuilletine, Lemon Grass, Sea Salt Caramel, Mango Basil, Black Roasted Sesame, and Lychee. Oooooohhhhh . . . I want some now . . . (It's dangerous to look at these while having PMS!)

Herbs

This week I have enjoyed working on my potted herb garden. Some herbs have gone back outside since we have warmer temperatures and I have also planted some new herbs, from both plants and seeds. Right now I have a very happy rosemary plant, who seems to prefer being indoors in front of the bay window. Outside, I have parsley, basil, cilantro, 2 types of mint, lemon balm, and lavender. And then today I just planted some chamomile seeds. I love herb bouquets and also cokking with herbs. Do you grow any herbs? Do you have favorites for cooking?

Oodles of Noodles!

When we were little, my sister asked my mom why some people are so fat. My mom jokingly replied that it was because some people ate too many noodles. So a few days later when we were grocery shopping, my sister pointed to a very large man and loudly asked, "Mommy, do you think that man ate too many noodles?" The poor man heard her.

If I don't cut back on my noodle eating, I'm going to be one of those people! For lunch, my mom and I went for Thai food and I had my favorite-- Pad Thai!

Then this evening, James and I went to The Golden Chopticks, a small Korean restaurant. We ordered Spicy Korean Ramen (or Ramyun as they pronounce it). It's a spicy broth with veggies, beef, and cheese. Yum!

Easter Dinner Recipes

As requested, here is the recipe for cheesy squash casserole! (The green tea ice cream recipe also follows)

First, I cut up one large, white onion, 2 cloves of garlic, and 3 1/2 lbs. of squash. I sauteed the onion and garlic first in a tbsp of vegetable oil. Then, after it started to turn translucent, I added the squash. I know it looks like a lot of squash for one pan, but in a few minutes, it'll cook down. Cook all of this for about 10 mins, stirring occasionally. When the squash is starting to release some of its juices, cover the pan and let it go another 15 or so. When the squash is mushy, drain it all.

This next part you can do one of two ways. Before I had my handy dandy KitchenAid mixer, I used to use a hand held, so these next steps work for either one. After draining, transfer to a big bowl. Add 4 eggs, 1 cup of milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Beat/Mix until fluffy. Then fold in 1 cup of crushed Ritz crackers and 2 cups of cheddar cheese.

Next, pour it into a greased casserole dish., Bake at 350 for about 35 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Then cover the top with more crushed Ritz crackers and cheese and put back into the over for about 5 mins to brown the top and Voila!

For dessert, I brought some green tea (matcha) ice cream. It's an easy recipe. The only problem you might have is actually finding matcha. I bought mine in the Tokyo airport last summer, but I know Harney & Sons sells good quality mathca from Japan. You can order it here. This picture of the ice cream is courtesy of Mariko, as it was gone before I could take a picture of my own! My family loves it! I used the same recipe, so it should should look just like this.

Green Tea (Matcha) Ice Cream:
Ingredients:
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2-3 tsp of matcha (powdered green tea)
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of half & half

Directions:
Combine the water and sugar in a small pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly. After the sugar dissolves, let the syrup simmer on low for about 5 mins while continuing to stir. Remove from heat. Add a tablespoonful of the syrup to the powdered green tea in a separate bowl and stir. Don't worry if you have a few lumps, you'll strain it later. Dump that back into the sugar syrup and mix. Add the cream and the half & half and mix. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer into another container. Allow to cool in the fridge, then dump it into your ice cream maker and follow the directions for whatever type or brand you use. Makes about 1 to 1 1/2 quarts.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

The weather here is yucky. The spring rains have come, so I decided to make something at home tonight. This classic dish of spaghetti and meatballs was yummy and very comforting.

For the meatballs, I combined ground chuck, finely chopped onion and garlic, some Italian spices, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and one egg. Then, I cooked them lightly in oil and set the aside.

For the sauce, I sauteed onion, green pepper, and garlic. Then I added a can of chopped tomato, and a large can of plain, canned tomato sauce. You can addS any spices you want-- I added fresh basil and parsley. I let it simmer for 20 mintues and then added the meatballs and let it go another 10. Of course, it wasn't complete without some garlic bread!

Stay tuned tomorrow for fresh squeezed Key Lime-ade, cheesy squash casserole, and green tea (matcha) ice cream-- my contributions for Easter Dinner.

Coconut Dream Cake

On Sunday night, I made a coconut dream cake to take my grandma's. The condensed milk and coconut cream make this cake really moist. This is my mother-in-law's recipe and it is one of the best cakes I have ever had. It's always a hit!

Click below for the recipe:

A box of Duncan Hine's cake mix (I use either yellow cake, or coconut cake) 1 can Coco Lopez cream of coconut 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk 1 lg tub Cool Whip Sweetened flaked coconut Directions: 1) Bake cake and follow directions on the box 2) As soon as it is done, poke holes throughout the cake using the handle of a fairly thin spoon. 3) Pour Coco Lopez and Sweetened Condensed milk in the holes 4) Let it cool (do not put it in the fridge) 5) Ice with Cool Whip 6) Sprinkle flaked coconut 7) Refridgerate for a couple hours before enjoying. :-)

Chantico

My friend Entsar recommended that I try the new hot chocolate from Starbucks, called Chantico. At first I was skeptical because it is so rich, so tonight, as desert after a wonderful dinner in Peachtree City, we headed over to Starbucks. It comes in a small cup as you can see. It's almost like melted chocolate. It's rather thick for a hot chocolate, but not too thick. It's also dark chocolate-- my favorite. Has anyone else tried this?

Semi-Homemade Thai

I really wanted to make something special for James tonight since he is working so hard, but I was kind of tired myself, so I opted for a little help from "Taste of Thai." The kit comes with dried noodles and a packet of sauce, but I did the rest. I first boiled the nooodles and set them aside, leaving them somewhat firm since I was going to cook them more later. Then, I stir-fried some chicken, tofu, bean sprouts and egg. When they were done, I added the noodles to the wok. Then, I added the sauce and stir-fried everything together for about 15 minutes. I topped it all with fresh torn cilantro, crushed peanuts, and lime wedges. Basically, I got my help from the sauce, but I chose to add a little sugar to make it sweeter.

I completed the meal with some frozen shumai and some homemade Thai iced tea. Yummy! James was very pleased and is now back to work on a project for his master's degree, but I'm going to interrupt him shortly for some peanut butter M&M brownies I made earlier.

Check out the teaswap blog, as I posted about a tearoom I went to today and there are some yummy pictures. :-)

Chocolate Cupcake

I am pleased to say that I made it through my first full week of work since my infinitely long bout with bronchitis, flu, and a bad medicine reaction and I'm feeling good. I SO deserve this cupcake!

Fried Rice and Potstickers

Last night I cooked dinner for my family. I made this yummy spam fried rice (thanks Stef for the idea to add spam!) I cooked 2 cups of rice and then fried it with 3 scallions, 3 eggs, 1 small tin of spam, 2 cloves of garlic minced, 3 teaspoons of sesame oil, salt, pepper, and soy sauce to taste. It turned out really well.

The picture above is of the pork potstickers. The seafood ones looked pretty much the same. Again, thank you Stef for the recipes. :-) I didn't make too many changes. Click below for the potsticker recipes: Pork potstickers:
2 lbs ground lean turkey
1 head Napa cabbage, chopped finely
10 dried shitake mushrooms, re-hydrated and minced
1 bundle glass noodles, re-hydrated and minced
3 spring onions, chopped
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 packages pot sticker wrappers
salt to taste

Seafood potstickers:
1 lb. fresh shrimp, minced in the food processor
1 cup fresh crab meat
half a head of Napa cabbage, chopped finely
10 dried shitake mushrooms, re-hydrated and minced
1 bundle glass noodles, re-hydrated and minced
3 spring onions, chopped
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 packages pot sticker wrappers
salt to taste

For each, I chopped the ingredients individually in my food processor and then mixed them together in a large bowl. I am referring you to Stef's instructions on folding potstickers as she was a wonderful teacher. :-)

Lemon Butter Asparagus and Good 'Ol Cream Chipped Beef

Yes! Finally! My e-mail is up and running. :-) Here is a picture of the asparagus and creamed chipped beef I made a night ago. James said it was kind of an odd combination, but I covered my food groups and that counts for something, right? The creamed chipped beef was frozen, but here's what I did to the asparagus-- but first, a word of advice: Never boil your asparagus! Saute it or bake it! Of course, the baking time depends on the thickness of the asparagus. I baked mine at 350 for about 15 minutes with butter, lemon zest and a little lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Sometimes I also finely chop garlic, but I didn't want to smell. hehe.

I will post pictures and recipes tonight for the potstickers and fried rice I made last night.

The Golden Chopsticks

Tonight we had a very authentic Korean dinner at The Golden Chopsticks. Everything tasted exactly as it did when we were in Korea. I have the feeling this will be a new favorite. We started wtih Kim Bop (Korean sushi) and then we had assorted kimchis, pulgoki, sweet and sour pork, a cabbage and noodle dish, and wantons. And after leaving a restaurant that reminded us of good times in Korea, we called James's family, who were lucky enough to be experiencing the real deal.

A Sexy Feast

Yesterday's Daily Candy was about food as an aphrodisiac. This company, Aphrodisiac of the Month, "offers its members the chance to taste hard-to-find, specialty gourmet foods you aren't likely to see in your local grocery. But more importantly, we offer you the chance to experience some of the world's most powerful natural aphrodisiacs, delivered right to your door." Sounds good, huh? As a foodie, this sounds pretty cool. I've never really kept anything, uh, sexual, in mind as I cook, but it'd certainly be fun to see what affect, if any, these foods have.

Limeade

I never much liked the limeade in the carton . . . But then our dear friends Stef and Mike moved, leaving us with several cans of Minute Made Limeade concentrate. Now, I am totally addicted. It tastes nothing like the already made stuff. We always have some made in the fridge now and I'd rather drink it than almost anything else.

Rum Cake

I finally got to make my rum cake. It turned out really well and very moist. I am pleased because I had difficulty finding a recipe that looked good and I think I hit the jackpot. I brought it to my parents' and everyone loved it. The glaze makes it nice and gooey. :-) Click below for the recipe. Cake: 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts 1 18-1/2 ounce yellow cake mix 1 3-3/4 ounce instant vanilla pudding mix 4 eggs 1/2 cup cold milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup Barcardi dark rum Glaze: 1 stick butter 1/4 cup water 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup Barcardi dark rum Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan. Combine all cake ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes on high with electric mixer. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool in pan. Invert on serving plate. Prick top with fork. Drizzle glaze over top of cake. Use brush or spoon to put extra dripping back on cake. Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Note: The rum will cause steam. Be careful not to burn yourself.

I Feel Loved

There's nothing like crusty sundried tomato bread (thanks Mom) to dip in homemade chicken noodle soup (thanks Grandma) while staring at pretty flowers (thank you James) to help you feel better. I feel loved. :-)

This flu still has me down and unfortunately, I'm not well enough to go back to work yet. I'm still fevered, although it's lower and I'm not hacking like I was. Thank you for the warm wishes everyone. I'm working on kicking this flu's butt. :-)

Not So Good Massaman Curry

Ok, so yesterday I decided to make Massaman curry from scratch. And I'm wondering, what went wrong?

I first prepared the curry paste, which may have been a bit too watery. The directions say to include the water the chilis soaked in to rehydrate them, but the recipe doesn't tell you how much water to soak them in. But that was a problem easily fixed, because the water cooks down.

Main issue: The directions say to cook the meat and veggies in the paste. Then, you set them aside. Then you make the sauce by combining coconut milk, tamarind paste, cardamom pods, and sugar. Then when you add the veggies back in, there just isn't enough flavor from the curry paste. The paste is barely coating the meat and veggies and doesn't mix in with the sauce. I am pretty confident the curry paste called for too much shrimp paste (which is quite pungent) and the tamarind made it bitter. I think it also called for too much of that.

I was so proud of myself making it from scratch. I took picutres, buit since I didn't even like it, I won't bother taking up space with them.

And now I am very sick with the flu or something and can't make my rum cake. :-(

Rum Cake

Lately I have been in the mood for some rum cake. It's something I've never made before, but have always loved to eat. One of my goals for this 3 day weekend is to bake my first rum cake.

Click below for the recipe:

Oil, for greasing pan
Flour, for coating pan
1 package yellow cake mix (without pudding)
1 small package vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup combination of cooking oil, dark rum, and cold water, mixed together in equal parts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Glaze:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum, or more to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Oil and flour a large bundt pan and set aside.
Mix all remaining cake ingredients together in a mixing bowl until combined, about 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Let cake cool.

While cake is cooling, make glaze: melt butter in a small saucepan. Stir in hot water and sugar and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes while still stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum.

Poke holes in cake and drizzle half of the glaze over the cake. Invert onto a serving plate and then drizzle the rest of the glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Serve.

S'mores

I meant to post about this a couple of weeks ago. . . Last Christmas, I ordered James one of these s'mores kits from Xando, a trendy, tapas bar/coffee shop we frequented when we lived in Washington, D.C. We use it mostly on special occasions. We actually just used it on New Year's Eve. In the center, using sterno, you can create a fire. The other compartments are for graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmellows (as you can see in the picture above). It even comes with skewers. Isn't it cute?

You can find pretty decent s'mores sets at stores like Bed Bath & Beyond, but some of them are plastic. This one really is nice. It's made of solid wood and it has a trendy appearance, just like our favorite hangout!

Christmas Cookies

Over the last few days I have made a couple different kinds of cookies, oatmeal, and sugar cookies with orange-flavored frosting in different colors. I love the holidays!

They're Here!

Here are a couple pictures from Monday's Christmas dinner at our house.

Caprese Salad-- I used prosciutto laced mozzarella and stacked 'em with a basil leaf inbetween. Then I made a pesto sauce to spread on top:

Pasta with sausage and onions in a creamy, pumpkin, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon sauce. Also pictured is a spinach salad with purple onion, walnuts, and craisins:

Early Christmas Dinner

Tonight I am hosting a small Chritstmas dinner for family and a couple friends. I will definitely post pics later, buit for now, here is le menu:

Appetizer:
-garlic bread cubes with homemade spinach dip
-cheese and crackers
-Christmas Spiced Tea

Main Course
-Penne Pasta in a pumkin, sage, cream sauce (courtesy of Rachel Ray)
-Caprese "salad" (I bought mozzarella laced with prociutto) I say "salad" because it's more like a veggie side dish the way I am making it
-Spinach Salad with cranberries and walnuts

Dessert
-Mandarin orange cake with vanilla and pineapple cool whip topping

The G Collection

I didn't used to be one much for sweets, but in recent months it's like I can't get enough. Unfortunately for my pocket book, I love Godiva chocolates. The cheap stuff in drug stores just won't do. I'll eat it, but Godiva's new G Collection is the real stuff! Just listen to some the flavors included in this decadent box: tart raspberry, apple pie, salted caramel, dulce de leche, P.B. & Jam, Thai Coconut, Deep Dark Sumatra, and Key Lime pie. I want to ask for this for Christmas, but 15 pieces at $40 seems ridiculous and I'd feel so guilty eating it.

Smoothie King

Our smoothies at the Smoothie King in the Coax Mall, Seoul

Lately I have been on a smoothie kick. My sister worls at Smoothie King, so we go pretty often and she makes us different things. When we were in Korea, we visited the only Smoothie King location outside of the U.S. and I tasted this awesome banana smoothie that isn't on the menu here. I picked up a brochure of the menu in Korea and when I shpowed my sister, she was able to make it. Yummy. :-)

I think rather than calling my blog Teatopia, I should be the beverage queen-- I love teas, cofffees, smoothies, eggnog, cider, and any other beverage you can think of.

Thanksgiving

Here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving:

Our turkey-- it was baked upside down! hehe

Sweet Potato Souffle and Cornbread Stuffing

Cheesy Squash Casserole

Green Beans cooked with ham stock and cheddar-garlic biscuits

Jello Salad and Cranberry Sauce

Wrigley, our poodle, and Cooey, my family's dog, seaching for food

Breakfast

This morning I made eggnog pancakes from a mix I bought at Williams-Sonoma. I'm going to have to stock up on this stuff because I could definitely eat this year round. They taste creamy just like the real stuff and the nutmeg taste is very bold. Yum!

The Seafood Market

I'm not much for seafood (or much meat in general), but I had a great meal last night at The Market-- a small, gourmet seafood restaurant that barely anyone here seems to know about. My friend Rebecca, who was one of the friends we went with, is a frequent customer and her New Orleans palate is really quite picky when it comes to seafood. The food was amazing. We started off with peel and eat shrimp with spicey cocktail sauce. Yum! For the entree, I had crab cakes, sauteed okra with garlic, and garlic new potatoes. James had fantastic tilapia stuffed with a shrimp, crab, and cheese stuffing. For dessert, we took home two pieces of bread pudding with a bourbon sauce. I know from watching the Food Network that the sauce was a southern Italian sauce because it was pretty much equal parts of butter and bourbon with probably some cornstarch to thicken it. I probably could've gotten drunk off that sauce. hehe.

Thai Wraps

Because we spent a great deal of time at the hospital today with my grandma, I needed a quick and easy dinner. The solution-- Rachael Ray's Thai Chicken wraps with peanut sauce. Here's the filling and then then you fold the tortilla over like it's a burrito. I like to use sesame wraps.

And by the way, I don't know how clear I've made it, but I am a HUGE fan of Rachael Ray. Quick, easy, and often ethnic is the way to go with me!

P.S. Looky, looky, Stef! Thank you for your image alignment advice. :-)

Ice Wine

As I read yesterday's Daily Candy on good eats, I am reminded of a wine tasting I went to in Germany a few years ago. I tasted a number of beers and wines, but what really sticks out in my memory was tasting ice wine.

I'll let About.com do the explaining:
"Icewine, or Eiswein, originated in Franconia, Germany in 1794. Grapes were left on the vines until the first deep frost, and the freeze/thaw cycles that occurred concentrated both the sugars and flavors of the grapes. The process was refined, and now icewines are highly prized drinks that are created in Germany, Austria, and Canada."

I remember it being very sweet, almost like a muscadine wine, but of course, much better. I also remembering it being about $50 for half of a bottle. I probably would find it worth the money today, but my 19 year old pocket book did not back in those days.

If you'd like to learn more about ice wine, you can read about it here.

Comfort Foods

I spent a great deal of time this evening cooking-- something I seem to have less time for lately. Cooking is peaceful for me and eating what I cook is even better. I found some wonderful recipes from Food Network: Tyler Florence's Eggplant Parmesan and the Pumpking Gooey Butter Cake I posted about a few days ago.

Fall is Here

I have never been more excited about fall.

Just listen to this week's featured recipe on the Food Network site: Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes. Well, I've got a plan for the weekend. This looks amazing. You can find the recipe here.

Soba Noodles with Sesame Seeds

Tonight I made this wonderful dish by Nigella Lawson. I know I previously posted about the comfort of rainy days and now I'm sharing a cold noodle recipe, but somehow slurping a nice bowl of noodles held high to my face seems relaxing and wonderful (and of course yummy). I fact, this is exactly how Nigella describes it.

Click below for the recipe.

Ingredients:

75g sesame seeds
salt
250g soba noodles
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
5 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons sesame oil
5 spring onions

Instructions:

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a high heat until they look golden brown. Set aside.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add some salt. Put in the soba noodles and cook them for about 7 minutes (or according to packet instructions) until they are tender but not mushy. Have a bowl of iced water waiting to put them in once they've been drained.

In the bowl you are going to serve them in, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, honey and oil. Then finely slice the spring onions and put them into the bowl with the cooled, drained noodles and mix together thoroughly before adding the sesame seeds and tossing again. (I actually doubled the sauce ingrediants because to me, they weren't flavorful enough.)

Leave the sesame seed noodles for about an hour to let the flavors marry.

Slurp and enjoy. :-)

Snapple

Lately I have been drinking this at work. Each Monday I bring in a week's supply. They are so wonderful and refreshing.

Update: Indian Feast

We had a wonderful meal tonight. I did make everything I planned: meatball curry, palak paneer (spinach curry with fresh cheese cubes), roti paratha, urid (crispy wafers), and samosas (previously frozen) with tamarind date chutney for a dipping sauce.

After days of bland food, lets hope my tummy was ready for this feast.

I had an amazing revelation tonight-- I may not like Columbus too much, but if I had my favorite ethnic dishes at my fingertips like I used to, I probably would not have spent two hours cooking tonight and learning how to make them myself. Anyone can go to a restaurant . . .

Darjeeling Figs

Last week I posted this on the teaswap blog, and now that I've tried it, I wanted to share the results. Here's what I posted last week:

For those of you who can get fresh figs this time of year, this sounds like a wondeful recipe. I am hoping to try it this week and I'll be sure to report if I do!

Update: Just wanted to let you know that these were amazing. I boiled the tea loose in the pot, so I had to rinse the figs, so you might want to put the tea in a bag or something. And I definitely recommend making fresh whipped cream. :-) It'll only take a few minutes. Here are the some pics below.

Click below for the recipe:

Poach figs half-submerged in Darjeeling tea at a very low simmer for 10 or 15 minutes.

You want very little agitation of the liquid so they hold their shape.

Let them cool in that liquid, then take them out serve them with cream that's been whipped, cultured or thickened in some way. Add sugar to the cream before you whip it.

Bun Bo Xao

Since our Vietnamese Restaurant closed, I decided the only way I was going to get my Vermicelli beef noodles was to make them myself, so I did.

Click below for the recipe. I hope it makes sense. I cook this by feel, not from a recipe, so I kinda estimated. Tastes good though. :-)

All this can be done ahead:

First, you want to begin marinating the beef. I marinated 1 pound of chopped beef in:

one zested clove of garlic
1/4 soy sauce
3 tbsps. oyster sauce
2 tbsps. sugar
pinch of black pepper.

Next, make this classic Vietnamese sauce that gets poured over your salad after it's been assembled. Make sure you mix it well.

3 tablespoons lime juice (1 fat, thin skin lime)
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup warm water
2½ tablespoons fish sauce
1 zested clove of garlic
chili oil to taste
carrot threads (carrot matchsticks cut even thinner is possible)

Ok, when you're ready to begin dinner (since the above things can be made ahead), begin soaking rice vermicelli noodles in hot water. Soak for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, stir fry your marinated beef and one onion.

Julienne romane lettuce and cucumbers and put at the bottom of a deep bowl. Put hot noodles on top to wilt lettuce. Next, add the beef and onion stir-fry on top. Lastly, sprinkle with finely shooped peanuts and pour the dipping sauce on top. You may want to add additional hot sauce for more spice!

Mix and enjoy!

'Tis the Season for Figs!

I'm hoping to get back into my normal routine by actually finding the time and energy to cook something this week. I'm already sick from the billions of germs I'm being exposed to at school and when I'm back on my feet, I plan to make this lovely yet simple dessert. Afterall, this is fig season and I've got to take advantage of it while I can and nothing pairs better than figs and goat cheese!

Click below for this elegant recipe: Grilled Figs and Goat Cheese Drizzled with Honey

16 ripe figs, about 1 ounce each, stems removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons honey
4 lemon wedges

Thread four figs lengthwise (through the stem end) onto skewers and lightly brush or spray with olive oil.

Grill over Direct High heat until soft and warm, 3 to 5 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time.

Slide the figs onto individual serving plates. Arrange the cheese slices beside the figs. Drizzle the honey all over. Garnish each plate with a lemon wedge. Serve while the figs are warm.

Quick & Easy Tiramisu

Tonight we had a great night with our friends Stef, Mike and Andy. We had Pasta Puttanesca, brushetta, and a salad with bacon balsamic dressing. It was a nice night and also somewhat sad because this was one of our last get-togethers with Stef and Mike. They are moving to Seattle and although we are sad, we are also very excited for their adventure. We are anxious to visit them with our free plane tickets from frequent flyer miles. :-)

I made my first Tiramisu-- recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray. If you choose to make it in martini glasses, serve oit quickly or the coffee/liquer mixture will end up at the bottom of the glass and not on your lady fingers.

Click below for the recipe.

1 package lady fingers sponge cakes
1/2 cup strong black coffee or espresso
2 ounces (shots) coffee flavor liqueur (I used Kahlua)
2 cups mascarpone cheese, available in specialty cheese case of supermarket
1/2 cup powdered confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Open the ladyfingers and separate them. Paint the ladyfingers with coffee combined with the coffee liqueur using a pastry brush. Line 4 martini glasses with a single layer of ladyfingers, letting the cakes overlap a bit at the stem. Press the cakes down a bit to fit the lines of the glass. Beat cheese and sugar together 2 or 3 minutes. Spoon sweetened mascarpone into glasses. Top glasses off with a cap of the ladyfingers. Use any remaining mascarpone to dot the ladyfinger tops and sprinkle each glass with cocoa powder combined with a touch of cinnamon.

Pumpkin, Sausage, and Sage Pasta

Initially, I planned to save this good find until the fall. I'm all about mood food, aka, pairing food with certain moods and/or circumstances. I have my comfort dishes, my "I'm in the mood to cook" dishes, my quickie dishes, and my favorite, the themed dishes. I pair Asian cooking with great foreign films, like Chana Masala with Monsoon Wedding for example. Anyway, this is a terrific fall dish, perfect for cold fall nights after I've been teaching all day. There's nothing like school to remind you of fall.

Anyway, this pasta dish by Rachael Ray is a new favorite of ours. And I've decided that this dish is perfect for any time.

Click below for the recipe.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated (I used fresh)
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating ( I chose Romano)

Directions
Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1
tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel
lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil,
and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.
Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin
and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat,
and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste.
Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the
sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute.
Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Red Fire Bar

Today I found this exotic candy bar from a local cafe. It's made from dark chocolate (my favorite) and flavored with Mexican ancho y chipotle chili peppers and Cassia cinnamon. They are made by Vosges who also makes truffles and ice cream among other goodies. The site in general is pretty cool and it's interesting to hear about the other candy bar flavors. Next time I want to try the Naga bar with Sweet Indian curry powder, coconut flakes and milk chocolate. And then? Why the Black Pearl bar of course with Japanese ginger, wasabi, black sesame seeds and dark chocolate.

Truly amazing!

Yummy Puff

I posted about this on the teaswap blog also, but these treats I'm about to tell you about deserve lots of attention. Today's Daily Candy was about these wonderful, flaky, layered cookies made by anna's puff. Just look at the flavors in the picture above. As Daily candy said, they sound more like flavors of tea than flavors of cookies. I also read on the site that they have additional flavors like earl grey. I think I need to order some of these.

This girl anna sounds like a genious and you can go to her site by clicking here.

Summery Blueberry Cobbler

Last night I baked a blueberry cobbler with blueberries my parents gave me. For the first time ever, I baked using Splenda and it actually turned out well. Although the Splenda package will tell you to measure just as you would sugar, Splenda is actually a little sweeter, so I'd recommend using slightly less.

Click for the recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine 4-6 cups of blueberries with 1/2 cup of sugar and spread into 9" greased pan.

In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, and a pinch of salt and pulse for 5 seconds.

Add one stick butter and pulse 10 more seconds.

By hand, mix in 1 egg and a 1/2 tsp. vanilla.

Spoon onto blueberries in clumps. (You want it to look messy and natural).

Bake 35-45 mins.

Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries

Lately we have been addicted to these rainier cherries. They are so pretty and juicy. I like them more than their red counterparts because they aren't so tart. I definitely recommend grabbing some if you haven't already. In a couple weeks they'll be gone 'til next year! :-(

Death By Chocolate Cake

Because James had to work ALL day again yesterday, I decided to surprise him with a nice chocolate cake. Of course, the cake did double duty since I've been having major chocolate cravings (typical for me at this time if you know what I mean). It turned out so moist and yummy. When he finally came home at 2:00 after calling me a dozen times from work to say "just another half hour . . .", I presented him with a piece of cake and a cup of tea. You can find the recipe below.

Ingredients:
4 Eggs
1 c Sour cream
1/2 c Water
1/2 c Oil
1 pk Chocolate cake mix
1 pk Chocolate instant pudding
12 oz Semisweet chocolate chips
Confectioner's sugar (but I used icing instead!)

Directions:
Beat eggs, sour cream, water,and oil together in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add cake mix and pudding mix. Beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into Bundt or tube pan and bake at 350 F for 1 hour. When cool, sift powdered sugar on top of cake or spread icing if you prefer. Variation: Replace 1/4 cup water with Grand Marnier.

Comfort Food

There's nothing like good food to make you feel better. Those Thai wraps were awesome and you can find ther recipe here. Yesterday I was feeling kinda down, but today is a better day.

I have the most wonderful husband-- I really do. He came home for lunch today and brought in a cooler that has been sitting in his back seat for weeks. He told me that it smelled and I needed to wash it today. I gave him a "yeah, right" look, but he just said, "just smell it!" I hesitantly opened it to find a nice, clean cooler with a present inside. He said he knew I'd been feeling down and wanted to cheer me up. I opened it and found a cast iron teapot. :-) Soooo sooooo happy!

Caprese Salad

Here is one of the dishes I made for James' cheese themed birthday party. Yep, that's right. I gotta love my hubby for being so cute. He loves cheese as much as I love tea, so the theme seemed appropriate. I even made cheesy (corny) cheese decorations. hehe. We had cheese dogs, Stef and Mike's awesome blue cheese casserole (thanks again guys for bringing it), seafood cheese dip, a fruit and cheese, plate, and other goodies. Anyway, this was the prettiest dish and it's so easy: alternate with slices of tomato, basil leaves, fresh mozzarella and then driizle olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper . . and viola!

A Simple Summer Salad

I made a fresh, fruity summer salad for lunch today. It was quite simple really. I took a spring mix salad, blueberries, chopped strawberries, purple onion, and goat cheese and covered it lightly in raspberry walnut viniagrette. It was fast and delicious. You can add whatever ratios of the ingredients you'd like. It's a nice fresh salad for a summer day and best of all- it's low fat!

Friday Photos

Ok, so technically it's really early Saturday morning, but this is the first chance I've had to post these pics because we've been grooming our poodle for the last few hours. It's always a production. Poor little guy. I'm not sure who hates it more, us or him. Anyway, here are a few pics for our Friday night.

Mushrooms in wine sauce from tonight's dinner. Yummy!

Green tea ice cream from a local Japanese sushi bar (yep, we went out just for dessert)

James had this yummy red bean ice cream

Paradise in a Can

We brought home some of these fantastic drinks from Korea. Needless to say, our suitcases were quite heavy. Luckily though, I found these drinks at our local Korean grocery. They don't carry all the flavors in Korea, but they have a decent selection. These drinks are fabulous-- and the best part is the fruit floating throughout the drink. The grape is probably my favorite. I love the juicy, delicious, green grapes floating around. Yummy. James loves the peach. These are definitely cooler than canned American juices. If you have an asian grocery near you, see if you can't find these Haitai brand drinks. They are amazing and the pieces of fruit in each sip is a nice surprise. :-)

Smoothies

Last night I made James and I banana smoothies in these cute cups we picked up in Korea at the coolest Smoothie King ever. My sister works at Smoothie King here in Georgia and we brought her back a cup too. She said those cups aren't available here in the states. In Korea, they serve their smoothies in these and we just had to have 'em!

Mediterranean Pizza

Tonight we made a mediterranean pizza on the grill. It was from a recipe I found in this month's Bon Apetit under easy dinners for the grill. First we grilled the pita bread after brushing it with olive oil, then we piled on a mixture of tomato, purple onion, olives, feta, mint, evoo, and salt & pepper. Then we closed the grill cover for 2 mins and viola! Simple and delicious! :-)

Yellow Beef Curry

Tonight I made a yellow beef curry for dinner. I'm getting to the point where I rarely follow any directions when cooking (except for baking of course). James is always worried I won't be able to make the dish again, but I always seem to know what I did before. Tonight I tried something a little different. I cooked beef for an hour and then added 1 potato, 2 carrots, 1/2 an onion, 1 tin coconut milk, 1 cup water, and 1 tin yellow curry paste and cooked it for another hour. At the end, I added spinach leaves (I'm trying to incorporate more iron into our diet). We ate it over Jasmine rice and we drank iced sencha with jasmine (Stef's recommendation).

BTW: James has requested that I make this dish next time we get together with Stef and Mike. He asked, "why did you make quesadillas last time when you can make this good stuff?" It wasn't meant as an insult to my quesadillas, he just really loves my curries. (He tends to complain about the amount of carbs in the rice though) :-)

Banana Coconut Muffins

I found this recipe in last month's travel edition of Gourmet Magazine. It's acutally becoming a new favorite of mine. I used to pretty much stick to Bon Apetit. This is the first recipe I've tried and I sure picked a good one. I made banana cake a few days ago (recipe in yesterday's post), but I still had some bananas needing to be used, so I thought I'd try these banana coconut muff