Recipe: Cucumber and Avocado Salad

This Cucumber and Avocado Salad recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine (May 2012, p. 50) really should be called Cucumber, Avocado and Celery Salad.

Honestly, I wasn't sure how the salad was going to turn out, but it was really good, flavorful -- and healthy.

It basically involves macerating cilantro springs, ginger, chiles, salt, sugar and cucumbers together for 35 minutes;  then taking the cucumbers and adding thinly sliced celery, lime juice and oil to it and topping it all with avocado, cilantro and basil.

Easy!

Tips for next time:

• Cut the celery, cucumbers and avocado in large pieces like in the magazine photo
• Use red pepper flakes instead of 2 dried chiles de arbol because I couldn't taste the chiles at all

Recipe: Beatty's Chocolate Cake from Ina Garten

I used my super fun Nordic Ware Mini Tiered Cakelet pan that I got for Christmas for the first time and prayed that 1) the cake batter that I never had made before would be good and 2) that the cake would come out of the pan.  We were bringing these over to our friends' house, so if it didn't work out, the backup plan was to create a crumbled up cake trifle for dessert.

But my worries were for naught.  It turned out perfectly!!!

I'd been on a mission to find a GREAT (meaning phenomenal) chocolate cake batter recipe, and I found it.  I Googled "best chocolate cake recipe," and Beatty's Chocolate Cake courtesy of Ina Garten came up in the search results.  With 1,825 reviews and 5 stars, I was pretty confident that it'd be good -- except for the fact that I was using a (new) cakelet pan, not 2 round cake pans so I wasn't sure how long to bake the cakes.

Tips:

• Using my cakelet pan, it took the same amount of time to bake as the recipe calls for
• The batter filled the cakelet pan plus 7 cupcake liners
• The batter was very watery -- but that's why the cake is so moist!
• The top of the cake is a bit sticky (but again, very moist)
• We did not make the chocolate frosting;  made chocolate ganache instead as you can see

This recipe is a keeper!

Recipe: Triple-Layer Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I love carrot cake.  And the recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine (from their Oct 1994 issue) that I wrote about last year (see below) is just, well, amazing.  Worth every bite, every calorie.

A few additional tips and learnings from this time. . .

• I was a little lazy and decided to make 2 layers instead of 3.  Don't do that with this recipe.  The cake in the middle sank in both pans, so that it was a bit concave, and we had to do cake surgery to make each layer flat in order to layer the cake.
• We made candied pecan pieces to sprinkle on top which added nice flavor/crunch.
• Like the dabs of cream cheese frosting that blog contributor (or shall I say non-contributor) the grandcruman added?
• Next time I'm going to try to decrease the oil from 1 1/2 cup to 1 1/4.  The cake is plenty moist, so I bet we can cut it down.

Original Post:  6/19/13

I made the best carrot cake I have ever tasted (almost as good as Truluck's carrot cake) this past weekend for Father's Day.  OMG.

The Triple-Layer Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is from Bon Appetit Magazine from October 1994.  I found this recipe while searching on epicurious.com -- I was looking for an amazing carrot cake recipe -- and saw that it had 696 reviews and was rated 4 forks, which is the highest rating, however was a little skeptical because the recipe looked too easy and uses really basic ingredients.

Wow, there's a reason that it has a 4 fork rating.  It is absolutely delicious, and so if you are a carrot cake lover, you must try out this recipe.  The flavor and texture are perfect.  Most carrot cakes I've tasted are too light & airy and don't have enough 'stuff' (e.g. carrots) in them.

To make the cake even more decadent like the one at Truluck's, next time I'm going to make a caramel sauce to drizzle on the top and add candied pecans on top.

Note:  I did make 1.5x the cream cheese frosting just to make sure there was enough to frost the cake!  I'd recommend it.

Recipe: Tomato-Basil Sauce with Polenta

The Tomato-Basil Sauce with Polenta recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine's June 2012 issue (p. 34) was eh, mediocre.

It simply involves:

• mixing extra-virgin olive oil, chopped up cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, a shallot, basil and salt & pepper
• putting it in a sealed parchment paper package (en papillote) to bake
• and then spooning it over baked or grilled polenta

A few issues with this recipe:

• There's way too much garlic in it.  7 thinly sliced garlic cloves?!?
• The tomato juice sauce runs everywhere because it's not thickened.  (I guess you can spoon up the juice and drink it?)
• The polenta needs to be seasoned with salt before grilling or baking it.

The idea of the recipe is good (plus, it's very healthy), but it just didn't come together for me as one that we'll do again.

Recipe: Sunchoke-Kale Hash with Farro

Don't be scared by this recipe's name.  We had never cooked sunchokes or kale ourselves, and it was so easy!

This Sunchoke-Kale Hash with Farro recipe was named Best Grain Dish in Food and Wine Magazine's March 2013 issue (p.60).  The magazine was featuring the 20 best-ever recipes, and this one made the list, coming from F&W Best New Chefs of 2009 Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of Animal and Son of a Gun in Los Angeles.

This is a healthy, hearty and TASTY dish despite the ingredient list that doesn't sound super flavorful:  farro, sunchokes, kale, red onion, oyster mushrooms, extra-virgin olive oil, butter, salt and pepper.

Here are some tips:

• Added garlic with the mushrooms
• Added red pepper to add a little heat
• Squeezed lemon on the dish at the end to add some brightness
• Sprinkled it with Maldon sea salt when serving

Surprisingly, we found sunchokes at our local "regular" grocery store.  Peel them like a potato and cook them per the recipe.  I just love the texture of sunchokes.

With us moving toward a plant-based diet, this recipe fits quite nicely, and we'll definitely be making this recipe again! 

Documentary: Forks Over Knives

Last weekend we watched the documentary Forks Over Knives (recommended to me by my sister).  It has completely changed how we eat and will impact our lives forever.  

The research for eating a plant-based diet is incredibly compelling.  While we won't be giving up meat and dairy completely, we already have made a conscious effort to decrease the amount that we consume.  The link between meat (this includes poultry and seafood ~ anything that has a 'head') and health issues especially cancer is primarily what has compelled us to eat differently.  

No more milk in our household! 

We've switched to almond milk now!  

Ok. . . we still have half and half for coffee. . . 

This past week's meals were filled with farro, barley, and lots of salad & fruit.  I'll be sharing recipes that we're still making from Bon Appetit, Food and Wine and Saveur magazines -- but will be slightly modifying them to decrease the amount of oil, dairy and meat called for in the recipes.  

All in all, I'd highly recommend watching Forks Over Knives -- watch it on Neflix or borrow it from the library.  I bet it'll change how you eat too.

White Pinot Noir (or Pinot Noir Blanc) is becoming more popular and common, but really, it's not a new thing because Pinot Noir grapes are often used in Champagne or sparkling.

4/14/14 article by Jessica Yadegaran:  White pinot noir?  Like Champagne, without the bubbles

An excerpt:

What do you get when you pick cool-climate pinot noir grapes early, press them ever so gently, and limit skin contact? White wine.

But not just any white wine. Pinot Noir blanc, a rare, dry wine that's popping up in the Anderson Valley, is a bracing beauty: Complex, earthy and clear as crystal, it's unusual enough to stump even the geekiest oenophiles.

The method isn't unusual. In Champagne, it is how producers craft blanc de noirs, sparkling wine made from red grapes. The still version is becoming increasingly common in Oregon, too, where WillaKenzie, Domaine Serene, Anne Amie and others are making luscious examples of white pinot noir.

Recipe: Shanghai Stir-Fried Pork with Cabbage

Napa cabbage and scallions in our fridge.  What to make, what to make to use up these ingredients?

I found this recipe Shanghai Stir-Fried Pork with Cabbage that I had torn out of Food and Wine Magazine back in Jan 2012 (p.69).  I had actually thought about tossing out the recipe a while back (the ingredient list doesn't make it sound like it would be very flavorful), but I'm glad I kept it.

It's a simple recipe from Cecilia Chang -- ingredients include boneless pork loin, dried shitake mushrooms, cornstarch, dry sherry, soy sauce, white pepper, peanut oil, napa cabbage, Chinese chile sauce and rice.  That's it!

It ended up being a simple and easy stir fry with pretty good flavor.
A few things we changed and would do differently next time:

• Actually use dried shitake mushrooms (we used fresh ones, and the shitake flavor didn't come through strong enough for us)
• Use sesame oil instead of peanut oil
• Cook the pork until it's done instead of using the cook times in the recipe
• Add minced ginger, garlic and scallions (we added ginger and scallions)
• Add remaining cabbage at the very very end so that it stays crisp

Quote: Elsa Schiaparelli

I love this -

"A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness."
- Elsa Schiaparelli (Italian fashion designer)

benjy's in Houston

We had dinner last night at benjy's in the Rice Village area in Houston.  It was GREAT!!!!  I haven't enjoyed a restaurant meal like that in while ( . . . because something always isn't right -- the food isn't flavorful or is over/undercooked or is too pricey for what it is, or the service isn't up to par)!

Last night was perfect.

The atmosphere was modern, hip and energetic -- not too loud so that we could hear ourselves.  

The service was excellent.  Great recos, and the friendly server even brought us potstickers (on the house!) that we considered for an appetizer but didn't order.  Pace was really good.

Food and drinks were TASTY!  benjy's has a very varied and eclectic menu, and the Asian dishes that I ordered had bold and complementary flavors (I was surprised how good it was).

I will definitely return and would highly recommend the restaurant.

--------

Here are some of the items we ordered that I tasted:

Lemon Basil Gimlet

Enchanted Rock vodka + basil and lemon juice + basil-ginger syrup

2011 Argyle Reserve Pinot Noir

Willamette Valley

BHR Pork Potstickers

lemograss-orange ponzu

Yangnyeom Crispy Chicken

korean red chili + kimchi

Hay Smoked Duck (duck was cooked perfectly!)

soba noodles + soy milk-ramen broth + shiitake mushrooms + bok choy

Dr Pepper Braised Short Rib 

heirloom grits + pipian + taqueria vegetables

Recipe: Pear & Walnut Salad

In an effort to eat more interesting salads than the typical lettuce, tomato, crouton and Parmesan cheese dinner salad, I created the following which was slightly inspired by the Eggplant, Pear and Pecorino Salad recipe I tore out of Food and Wine Magazine (Sept 2012, p.117).

Toss the following and serve:

• Romaine lettuce
• Asian pear slices or cubes
• Toasted walnuts
• Parmesan or thinly sliced Manchego (I use a peeler to shave the Manchego)
• Vinaigrette
• About a 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

The Chefs Feeding the U.S. Ski Team

So interesting!!!!

A U.S. Team Chef Shows His Own Competitive Spirit in Sochi

By Bill Pennington

Feb 8, 2014

The New York Times

Allen Tran, the head chef for the United States ski teams, organizes the effort to keep the teams well-fed at the Olympics.

Recipe: Baked Shells with Cauliflower and Taleggio

Cauliflower with pasta.  You're probably thinking, "Really???" or "Weird!!!"

We made the Baked Shells with Cauliflower and Taleggio recipe from Food and Wine Magazine (April 2013, p. 108), and it was quite good!

The recipe is from Renato Sardo and Dario Barbone of Baia Pasta in Oakland, CA.

Honestly, I don't think the recipe would have been as good without the hot sausage that we added.  Me thinks it would be too one-dimensional and a little bland.

Here is what we changed and tips for making the dish:

• Add 3 hot spicy sausage links (cook them separately and add them to the pasta and cheese sauce)
• There is NO NEED for large shells.  In fact, penne would work nicely.
• The 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs was hardly enough.  I think I quadrupled the amount.
• When serving, sprinkle the top with fresh parsley.

Beaver Creek Food and Wine Weekend 2014: Grand Tasting

One of the primary reasons we went to Beaver Creek last week (besides to ski) was to attend the Beaver Creek Food & Wine Weekend, sponsored by Food & Wine Magazine.  We'd been to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen which was an amazing experience and thought it'd be fun to attend one of their "satellite" events.  

The Beaver Creek event is structured completely differently where you buy a ticket for each event.  We bought tickets to the Grand Tasting on the final day, and to be honest, it was a little bit disappointing.  Perhaps it's because we've been to other Grand Tastings that were phenomenal AND cost less.

Our 2 big issues with this one:  

1. Much of the food was underseasoned, oversalted, overcooked, difficult to eat (no knife to cut a piece of lamb T-bone), or super boring (come on Tim Love - carrot home-fries???).
2. The wine and spirits vendors that participated were lacking -- the nicest wines there were Silver Oak and Twomey but that was about it . . .

To us, the standouts food-wise were:

• Naomi Pomeroy's Brussel Sprouts & Lamb Salad (My favorite!  I loved it so much that I e-mailed her at the restaurant to get the recipe, and she sent it to me!)
• Fabio Viviani's Potato Gnocchi
• David Burton Sanchez's Apple Ginger Smoked & Braised Pork Belly

I'm glad we went to the event, but we likely won't go back -- I mean, we'll go back to ski in Beaver Creek (it's awesome that they hand out chocolate chip cookies in the afternoon!) but not for the Food & Wine Weekend.  

Perhaps I can convince fellow blog contributor the grandcruman to go to the Cayman Cookout hosted by Chef Eric Ripert next January.  Everyone could use a beach vacation in Jan!

Fireworks!

Beano's Cabin

If you're in Beaver Creek and desire a unique mountain dining experience that includes a 15 min open-air sleigh ride (pulled by a snowcat) and a wonderful 5-course meal with almost impeccable service, head to Beano's Cabin. 

The 5-course meal currently runs $115 per person (not including alcohol or tip) and includes the sleigh ride and live entertainment -- the night we went, it was a one-man show, a guy who covered pop music from the 80s to songs popular today, singing and playing his acoustic guitar.

A few tips:

• Reservations are required so call or make a reservation using OpenTable.
• Request a table that's by a window or in the middle of the dining room.  Our table had a sight line to the door, so every time the door opened, we felt a slight cold draft.
• If you're going in the winter, wear your ski jacket & pants over your clothes, otherwise, you will be COLD during the sleigh ride.  There are open cubbies for you to hang/store your clothes once you get to the restaurant.  We even changed shoes so our feet wouldn't freeze in our dress shoes.  Note: The dress code is mountain casual; almost everyone was wearing jeans.
• On the sleigh, sit as close as you can to the front of the snowcat.  We sat at the very back (last row), and all the snow that the snowcat kicked up (as well as the smell of diesel) wafted our way.

The sleigh pulled by the snowcat
(you can't see the snowcat in this photo)

As a reminder to us of what we dined on (aka - our food journal):

Today’s Cabin Made Soup… 

Butternut Squash Soup

Salad

Baby Iceberg Wedge 

tender belly bacon, Maytag blue, cherry tomatoes, scallion vinaigrette 

Appetizers

Oysters 

finger limes, whiskey gelée, lemon 

Pork Belly

[don't have the description]

Entrees

Duo of Colorado Lamb 

lamb leg and loin, braised French beans, fig confit, olive lemon gremolata

Whiskey Glazed Berkshire Pork Porterhouse 

creamy Anson Mills grits, honey glazed carrots, apple preserves 

Desserts

Bourbon Roasted Pear 

crème Fraiche ice cream, chestnut lace cookie 

Caramel Apple Pie

with spruce ice cream

Recipe: Man-Whore Bars

Yes, you read that correctly.  Man-Whore Bars.  Fellow blog contributor the grandcruman (ok, he hasn't contributed in over a year!) posted this recipe on Facebook.  I saw it, and I made them to take with us on our ski trip last week (to avoid paying $4 for a mediocre cookie at the top of the mountain) -- but I tweaked the recipe.  Here's the recipe on Bakers Royale's site.

While these were good, they weren't as amazing as the Brownie-Reese's Peanut Butter Cup-Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars that I made before which were more decadent and satisfying for us chocoholics.

Next time, I may switch out the cookie layer for a brownie layer.

1st layer: chocolate chip cookie dough.
I used the Nestle Tollhouse recipe on the back
of the chocolate chip bag -- but without the nuts.

2nd layer:  16 Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups chopped up

3rd layer:  Oreo Cookies chopped up

4th layer:  chocolate ganache

5th layer:  Rice Krispies treats

The finished product!  Check out the layers!

Macarons Class at Sur la Table

When I have more time, I'll update this post with tips from my Basics of French Macarons class that I took at Sur La Table this past weekend.  The class was so fun; plus, taught good technique.  I was surprised that a silicon macarons mat isn't necessary.  Just need a piping bag!

Did you know that macarons at the very
basic consist of just egg whites, powdered sugar,
almond flour and cream of tartar?

This is how the egg white mixture should look - stiff,
firm, glossy peaks!

Waiting for the slight film to form on the macarons
before baking.

Out of the oven!

My very 1st macaron that I've made myself:
Mint Macarons with Chocolate Ganache

Recipe: Winter Salad with Avocado, Pomegranate and Almonds

We try to be healthy and generally eat a salad at dinner most days.  Our go-to salad is usually pretty boring -- lettuce, tomato, croutons and dressing.  This year, I want to amp it up!  I saw the Winter Salad with Avocado, Pomegranate and Almonds recipe in Food and Wine Magazine (Dec 2013, p.92).  It's great and is one of my new favorite salads we can make this year.

Here were a few modifications I made to the recipe:

• Made 1/2 of the amount of dressing (since the recipe makes 8 servings)
• Used white wine vinegar instead of Champagne vinegar (I need to get some Champagne vinegar at some point since it seems to be used in a lot of salad dressings)
• Added a little lemon zest instead of preserved lemon peel
• Left out the fennel bulb (it was probably key to the salad; will try adding it next time)

In case you've never de-seeded a pomegranate, here's how.
And if you want to know more about pomegranate power, read about the health benefits here at WebMD -- apparently, it's full of antioxidants!

Crepes!

We received a crepe pan from guest blog contributor FoodFiend (thank you!) for Christmas.  We made honey ham & gruyere crepes for dinner and "Blue Lagoon" (Nutella, blueberries, brown sugar, Bailey's Irish Cream) crepes for dessert.

Here's the basic crepe batter recipe we used from allrecipes.com
It's 1 cup of flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tbsp of melted butter -- ingredients most people have at home.  (Note: A crepe pan isn't totally necessary; use a large, flat-bottomed non-stick saute pan)

An easy and quick meal!

Sriracha Vodka

I think flavored vodka has gone too far!  UV Vodka has introduced Sriracha vodka (they also have other crazy vodkas like salty watermelon, candy bar and sweet green tea).  On their website, they suggest using it in Bloody Mary's or drinking it on the rocks.  Here's the LA Times article if you want to read more.

Would you try it?  I'd taste it but would much rather use a good regular vodka and real sriracha sauce.