Bunny Pie

falling back

2007-10-30T05:02:00.001-07:00

sometimes you've got to go back to an old reliable to make something new. here you will see that i have taken my halfmoon cookie recipe, something i've been making for many a year and made it special for this coming holloween's holiday. cobwebs! so scary!!!!

p.s. there is a crinkle in the icing in the picture because i was too impatient to wait for the icing to completely set before taking the picture. bad!

to make the cobweb's icing technique:

1.make a little piping bag with a plastic resealable ziploc-type bag by spooning a little icing into it. you don't need too much maybe about 2 Tablespoons. snip off the tiniest bit of the corner of the bag.

2. spread opposite color icing over flat surface of the cookie. pipe thin lines of the icing (in the bag) into a bullseye shape over the iced cookie.

3. take a toothpick, start from the center of the cookie and draw lines gently radiating outwards, dragging the icing with it.

wherein our heroine 'wings it'

2007-10-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

so i'm looking through the photos on my flickr food set that i've posted in the past months and looking for something good, something season appropriate (or not) to write about here. i came upon something i made in early june that was super easy and something i just put together based on combinations that are tried and true. honestly though, when i made it, i expected it to be tasty but nothing too special. i just wanted to bake and satisfy a little sweet craving. it actually turned out quite delicious. this is why i'm a heroine. in my head. sad face :(

here it is:

Quick Apple Tart with Oatmeal Almond Streusel

1 rectangular section of 1 sheet of puff pastry, rolled out
1 -2 apples (based on size), thinly sliced
ground cinnamon

for oatmeal almond streusel:

2 T brown sugar
2 T oatmeal
1 scant T flour
1 T slivered almonds
1 T butter
dash of salt

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees F or according to puff pastry instructions

2. to make the streusel: mix dry ingredients together and then cut in the butter

3. assemble the tart: layer apple slices in a row, overlapping each other in a pleasing elegant fashion. sprinkle with cinnamon and then sprinkle over that with the streusel.

4. bake until puff pastry is puffy and golden, about 20 minutes.

autumn for 2

2007-10-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

i loved summer while it lasted. i probably had one of the best summers ever. bike rides, picnics, farmers markets, wearing shorts. i was sad to see it go but i must say that fall is really gorgeous. riding my bike home from the train station every day through red, yellow, and green tree lined streets. super romantic! its quite comforting to put on sweaters again, and the occasional whiff of that strange smokey smell in the cool air. it is also pretty wonderful to be cooking with the oven again. here is a nice recipe for these kinds of days.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Sage

1 reasonably sized acorn squash, enough to yield about 2 cups of flesh after roasting
olive oil
half an onion, chopped
chicken/vegetable stock
1 bunch sage
salt and pepper

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. cut acorn squash in half, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. roast in oven for about an hour or until soft when pierced with a fork or any other sharp implement. scoop out the flesh when squash has finished baking and is cool enough for you to handle. set aside.

3. heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and saute onion until just brown around the edges. add squash and enough stock for your preferred soup consistency as well as the sage. simmer for about 20-30 minutes. add salt and pepper to taste.

4. puree contents in a blender or food processor. if it become too thick, you can return to the pan and add more stock.

serves 2

happy summer!

2007-07-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

hi! i have been a long time away from here but still very much in a kitchen way but for whatever reason felt little need to blog. for probably the millionth time, i apologize. but you can check out the many pictures i've taken of the things i have been making at my flickr account. you can find them all here in my food set! no recipes though i don't think but all requests will be carefully considered.

today i took a trip to the farmer's market here in chicago and came home and threw together this nice lunch you see here. it is just cherry tomatoes, olive oil, feta, a little lemon juice and some fresh roughly torn oregano from my little back porch garden and eaten with some multigrain finn crisps (favorite). pretty conventional perhaps but those tomatoes were, dare i say, MAGICAL!

i also picked up a slew of squashes, various sweet onions, peppers, eggplants and unbelievably flavorful and sweet blueberries and early michigan peaches. on the agenda: PIE (using the last two ingredients of course)

food aside, i have put together a little summer mix for people who like to enjoy some warm weather playtimes and also lazytimes but 100% sweettimes. you can view the tracks and download the file here. you can also find it on the yewknee.com summer mix series which i have been a part of for the past couple of years. summer wouldn't be the same without this nice tradition! check it out for other fine music.

i hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather wherever you are.

merry holidays

2006-12-27T07:41:00.001-08:00

pictured above are scottish shortbread, molasses, black and white and linzer cookies. the snickers contributed by the boyfriend.

i also made some fresh cinnamon rolls to eat while we opened presents.

for christmas dinner, we made a wonderful italian roast beef, stuffed shells and orangette's fennel salad that was so good i went into mourning once it was gone! i have another bulb in the fridge and will make some very soon for sure.

new years resolution: BAKE MORE BREADS!

i hope everyone is having some great holiday times, received many nice presents, directed many bites of delicious foods into your mouths and smiled many smiles!

p.s. if you are on grouprecipes.com (a myspace for foodies), add me as a friend!

snickerdoodles

2006-11-12T19:37:00.000-08:00

today's post is a guest entry by liz mcadams, prolific knitter of babywear, nice neighbor, good friend, and food outing partner. she has made an appearance here previously, revewing my banana muffins. here she shares her special recipe for snickerdoodles! believe me, this girl knows her stuff! :::::

In this cookie, an old-fashioned treat is brought back to life. Snickerdoodles are a light crispy butter cookie rolled in sugar and cinnamon. Makes the most delicious bite – perfect paired with a cup of tea or as a late night snack.

Snickerdoodles

1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour plus 2 teaspoons
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup of sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until butter mixture is light and fluffy.

Then, beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour slowly – you may need to stir in the last ¼ and 2 teaspoons of flour (if mixer is not super powerful). Chill in refrigerator for a half and hour. Now pre-head the oven to 375 degrees. Wait 30 minutes until cookie batter is cool.

Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. Roll cookie batter into 1 inch ball, coat in sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer to a wire rack, cool 10 minutes.

coco choco sandwiches

2006-11-03T01:03:00.000-08:00

melty chocolate sandwiches with coco jam and nuts

my relationship with coco jam has been a bit of a long process. i first came upon it some weeks ago while shopping at a tiangge. i had never heard of it before and i didn't know what to do with it other than what the lady selling it told me (to spread it on some bread which didn't really sound that exciting or appetizing), but it smelled so good that i bought a small jar of it. for weeks it sat on my desk unused. i would just open it up occasionally and smell it and that was good enough for the time being.

then one day as i was rummaging through the 23rd wonder of the world aka my parent's pantry (see previous blog entry) and i found a couple of bars of meiji black chocolate and i instantly thought of my little jar of coco jam. i broke a piece of chocolate off the bar and dipped it into the brown gooeyness and took a bite. dark, slightly bitter chocolate and sweet gooey coconut - it was pretty dang good.

so for the next week, whenever i felt like i needed a bit of sweet, i broke off a piece of chocolate and spread it a bit of the jam on it and had it like that. it wasn't something that i didn't have a lot of in a sitting, the flavors were strong and the coco jam would get a little too sweet after awhile so a piece here and there really did satisfy. but soon i felt like i really wanted to do something with it, i wanted to make a finished product - a dessert and not just a snack! ok, well a snacky dessert. a desserty snack?

i wanted to act fast. the impulse was with me and i wanted to do something sort of spontaneous and easy with stuff that i didn't need to go out and buy. so i came up with this sandwich that isn't anything out of the ordinary but @)#@)SDFJWELKJFE)(* so good. the bread balances out the strong and sweet flavors of the dark chocolate and coco jam and the nuts add..er.. nuttiness! you can use whatever nuts you like. we just happened to have hazelnuts here (which was kind of weird). macadamia nuts would be super good with this!

---

bread
coco jam
dark chocolate
crushed nuts

1. break up piece of chocolate and arrange on bread, leaving a margin on the edges so that the chocolate doesn't spill over the sides as it melts.
2. sprinkle over with nuts. place in oven/ toaster oven until bread is toasted and chocolate is melty.
3. heat coco jam in microwave so that it has a more spreadable consistency for only a 2-3 seconds. it melts really quickly and will start to bubble and crystalize if you cook it any longer. spread coco jam over the chocolate and nuts. cover with another slice of toasted bread and push down so the filling spreads and oozes out.
4. eat!

shocking

2006-10-20T02:52:00.000-07:00

this is my parent's fridge. keep in mind this is kind of a deep fridge as well. no one is ever home long enough to even put a dent in this!

until now.

bring it on.

explanations, apologies, mish mash and the tropics

2006-10-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

hello readers,

i do not blame you if you have abandoned me. i have neglected this blog for far too long! i feel guilty, i really do. the longer i take in updating, the worse i feel, making it always harder for me to bring myself to update. things build up and the going gets tough and the debbie carlos shuts down. why does it always seem like whenever i promise an update 'soon', said post never comes. on the other hand, when no promises are made, i do rather well with this thing. what can i say? it is my process. how are you?

fanore beach, ireland

my europe trip after ireland was a bit of a disaster in some ways but also really great in others. i did sample some great food and took your advice on things to try and places to go (thank you so much for all your suggestions if i hadn't thanked you already!). Though about a week after I arrived back home in Chicago, I found I had to leave almost straight away, staying awhile in L.A. and then back to my parent's house in the Philippines where I am now. I have been on the move now since July though I have stayed in Asia now for about a month which is the longest I've stayed anywhere since I left Chicago last summer.

rainy season in the philippines

One of the nicest things about coming back home especially after so long (i have stayed away for almost 3 years) is eating food you could never get or could never be as well made elsewhere, discovering food you thought were 'gross' as a child, and just generally being open to new experiences that makes home both comforting and exciting.

by the way, one of those gross foods that i did try for the first time is balut which i think a lot of people are familiar with if only by hearsay. anyway, it was not that bad and really just tasted like egg with an..er..aftertaste. or more gamey perhaps? i had mine in soup form with puff pastry covering the bowl from the restaurant Via Mare. the soup was actually quite rich and tasty and of course who doesn't love puff pastry. as if to hide the shame! asians really dig the shame.

anyhoo, going to the market is one of my pleasures even if it is just to a boring supermarket. but going to the supermarket here is really incredible which made me think about doing a series of posts about various fruits and veggies native to the philippines or asia and are perhaps hard to find in the US or other places though NO PROMISES. we all know how unreliable i am. regardless, i guess we can count this post as the first in the 'er maybe, we'll see how i feel - philippines produce series'. or PPS for short. or Pee Pees for fun.

but there are some really amazing produce here and strange things like "banana hearts" that no one in my family knows how to prepare but it looks like huge jungle flower buds about to burst open and i would love to even keep one in a vase as decoration, they look so great. but if anyone knows how to make anything with this, please let me know! some other really great fruit that i will miss when I go back to Chicago and might even try to smuggle seeds into the US are philippine mangoes (BEST mangoes in the world), and mangosteens (obviously i like anything with the word mango in it), the last one of which i will talk about. (see below)

mangosteens!

Mangosteens are red/purple circles with lime green spherical leaves aka they are totally cute! they come from a tropical evergreen tree which only begins to bear fruit after 15 years which is probably why they are one of the more expensive items on sale at the market (food here is often quite cheap). Wikipedia also notes that it is related to the button mangosteen and the lemondrop mangosteen which sounds SO FUN!

The outer skin is rather thick and you have to press down on the tops and bottoms to crack it to find white fleshy edible pods inside. The actual edible part is surprisingly tiny when you look at the size of the fruit. the thick skin is quite deceiving so i end up eating about a million of them. they are really rich in antioxidants so i suppose i can be relatively guilt free on that account. you can even get mangosteen juice - perhaps the asian version of POM?? the fruit is sweet and tart, citrusy and creamy. very juicy and even has a slightly crunchy texture. all these wonderful counterpoints! how can i leave the tropics now??

I have only been enjoying mangosteens in its pure form as I have been with all the fruits I've been eating but it makes me wonder what else i could possibly make with it. the first thing that comes to mind is a sorbet or perhaps a granita since i don't have an ice cream maker. or maybe even concoct a mangostini though i feel those are perhaps quite obvious things one can do and have all been done a ton of times and probably much better then i could ever attempt. i feel like it could go so well paired with berries but alas i have not spied any around these parts yet. any suggestions?

well this has been an incredibley long post that i hope can only begin to make up for the months and months of neglect. well i am here, i have no school and i am just mostly loafing around my parent's and buying food and then eating it. i guess i don't really have an excuse to not share things with you (and making most of you jealous if i am doing my job right). i will for sure try to write here more often.

no promises.

news!

2006-08-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

First of all: Hello!

Secondly: Thank you so much for all of your suggestions. They have so far been of great help. No photos today unfortunately but I have been taking pictures of the excellent dishes I have been having. and these dishes are dang sexy. Right now I am still in Ireland and I will be off to Berlin this Saturday. I will update with pictures and stories very very soon.

Thirdly: Hold me.

Fourthly: Bunny pie (me) was featured in a recent Chicago Tribune article about "Food Porn". Go here if you are registered or download the article here (Thank you Gemma!) if you aren't. Awesome Chicago based food blog Part Time Pro bono baker (Gemma) is also featured. Many thanks to Trine Tsouderos for putting together a great article.

Lastly but not leastly: The photo for my zabaglione tart won DMBLGIT contest for FOCUS AND CLARITY! Thank you Grab Your Fork for organizing July's competition. Great great jobs all around!

Food update quite soon! (soonish)

help wanted!

2006-06-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

hello friends!

in less than 1 month, i will be off to europe! i will be doing a 3 week study abroad in ireland and then i will go on to visit berlin and amsterdam. of course i am very excited to see the lands and to eat great food. unfortunately i have never been to these places before and i have no idea where the good foods lie. i am sure i will find some just on my own but it would be nice to have some food destinations to have beforehand. so if you know any restaurants that serve good food for not too many euros please let me know! similarly if anyone has any suggestions on what local cuisines i should try, that would also be great! thank you for being awesome!

sweet mung bean soup

2006-06-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

sweet mung bean soup

my grandfather, that is my mother's father, built a large house for the hong family along the river in dan sui in taiwan sometime in the late 60's or early 70's. it was tradition for our whole family to spend our summers here and i did for a large part of my teenytiny person-hood. it was hot, it was humid, there were large bugs, swimming, ghost stories and the little rivalries that went on between the cousins. we also had a great cook that made huge meals 3 times a day, large enough to feed about 20+ people. 2 of my favorites was a dish called luo ba bung (a stewed beef/pork dish) and lu dou tang (forgive me if my pinyin is totally off) or a sweet mung bean dessert soup. i am anticipating making this a lot in the coming months and made up a batch for the heatwave about to sweep through chicago this weekend. it is not too sweet (unless you want it to be), light, refreshing and requires all of 4 ingredients, one of which is free (well i don't pay a water bill so its free for me). it is similar to adzuki or red bean. this is also made with lotus seeds but i like mine plain. you can also add tapioca balls.

1/2 C mung beans
1/4 C sugar
1/2 t vanilla
water

1. rinse the mung beans and soak in water overnight
2. pour the beans and the water it had been soaking in into a pot. let simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
3. pour in the sugar and mix until dissolved. let boil another 20 minutes. if the water is getting low, just add more.
4. stir in the vanilla.

serve it warm or let cool and eat with some ice cubes.

this makes about 4 smallish servings, or 2 plentiful servings.

zabaglione, thats amore

2006-06-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

loose berry tart with puff pastry and zabaglione

what in the darn heck is zabaglione?? i will tell you right now! it is a warm italian custard usually made with marsala wine. this recipe makes a sweet, rich and tangy zabaglione and instead of marsala wine i used a sweet zinfandel. puff pastry makes for a nice base for the zabaglione and fresh berries (though next time i think i will try it with a proper short crust pastry). the custard is a bit on the tart side so use berries that are more sweet and mellow if you don't like it so sour. but i like it sour and sexy. (antioxidants are dang sexy!!)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed a bit
4 egg yolks
5 T powdered sugar
3 T white wine
zest of half a lime
juice of 2 limes
fresh berries of your choice

1. using a medium to large cookie cutter, cut out 6 circles of the puff pastry. bake as indicated on package until golden brown. let cool on cookie rack.
2. combine the egg yolks, powdered sugar, wine, lime zest and juice in a small heat proof bowl.
3. prepare a water bath by filling a pot with 1/2 inch of water and bringing to a simmer. place heat proof bowl over the water and whisk continuously until the mixture takes on a light and airy texture. remove from heat and continue whisking until cooled.
4. split each puff pastry piece into two pieces (top and bottom). pour a spoonfool of the zabaglione on the bottom half of the pastry. layer with berries and then another spoonfull of the zabaglione. lay the top half of the puff pastry on top.

sprinkle some powdered sugar on top for beauty!

banana muffins

2006-06-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

cinnamon & brown sugar streuseled muffins

recently i baked up a batch of banana muffins for talented knitter, nice neighbor, foodie friend and all around awesome ladyfriend liz! i asked if she cared to write up a review of it for bunny pie site. she said: "yes!!" and knocked that sexy stuff out of the ballpark! here it is!

Debbie Carlos is the Asian Martha Stewart
(editor's note: lol)

A neighbor of mine and I often lament that there is a lack of good bakeries in Chicago. Note, not a lack of bakeries but a lack of good bakeries. Our standards are not that high, we define a good bakery as 1) offers a range of traditional baked goods 2) has affordable prices and 3) doesn’t close at 7pm or have odd business hours which no sane person could ever remember or get their ass to in time. Honestly, that’s our criteria. We’re not asking for a lot!

Because of this, those of us in Chicago with a sweet tooth have to get a little creative. This translates into pulling out the Kitchen Aid mixer, dusting off the baking manuals, and taking matters into our own hands. Lucky for me, Debbie Carlos did just that and delivered a little care package full of homemade banana muffins.

Everything about these muffins screams heaven. The only problem was that they didn’t last very long in my house! The “Good Girl” part of my brain kept telling myself that I should be savoring them, eating them bite by bite, and making them last throughout the week. Unfortunately, the “Homer Simpson” part of my brain won out and I managed to inhale multiple muffins simultaneously in a matter of seconds. Note: this is not recommended as it may lead to muffin crumbs attaching to your shirt (and then you unknowingly walk around with said crumbs attached to shirt, boo).

About the muffins: they were the perfect ratio of butter to flour, which resulted in a nice fluffy texture substantial enough to keep me full. A pinch of cinnamon sugar crumbled on the tops added just a smattering of sweetness. Also, I have been meaning to ask Debbie how she prepared the bananas (mashed? Sliced? Blended?) into the mixture because the strong banana flavor was really showcased in this little treat. Yes, it is definitely a banana muffin as the name says so those afraid of banana-flavored foods should stay away (yay more for me!).

Ever since Debbie shared these, I’ve been dreaming about making my own. They would be perfect with the Sunday New York Times and a cup of Ceylon tea. Or as a mid-day snack during a particularly grueling day at work. Or as a midnight snack when you can’t fall asleep. Really, I think any time might just be perfect for these!

-eam

1 1/2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 bananas - MASHED!!!
3/4 C sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 C melted butter

for the streusel:

1/3 C brown sugar
2 T flour
1/8 t cinnamon
1 T butter

1.preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease muffin pan if you are not using muffin liners.
2. mix together 1 1/2 C flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. in another bowl, mix together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. make sure to slowly temper the egg/banana/sugar mixture before pouring all the melted butter into the bowl so the egg does not cook.
3. pour banana mixture into dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. spoon batter into muffin cups.
4. in another bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 T flour and cinnamon. cut in the butter until it resembles a coarse meal. sprinkle amply on top of the muffin batter.
5. bake muffins from 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

check out liz's wonderful knitted creations on her knitting blog!

hort couture

2006-06-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

this year for the first time i decided to give container gardening a go. i have never grown anything other than maybe a pot of basil and a couple of house plants but early spring i began harvesting seeds from the fruits and vegetables i bought at the market and started some things from seed. i think i got a little obsessive as my boyfriend remarked that i am about one step away from wanting children.

here is a picture of my little back porch veggie patch. plants growing include: red peppers, strawberries, a red sunflower, lemons, avocado, basil, rosemary, parsley, zuchinni and tomatoes. its not much as i don't have that much back porch space (what you see there is pretty much it. the other half is the neighbor's side)and its not that pretty but i love it. i sit out there for extended amounts of time and just look at them - is that weird? anyway!

here are some strawberry blossoms and there are a couple more on the way! so exciting! yesterday i went to the printers row book fair going on all this weekend and picked up a few books including The Chef's Secret Cookbook by Louis Szathmary. there was a nice fresh strawberry tart recipe in there that caught my eye and of course i thought the cover would look very pleasing in my collection so i picked it up for about a dollar!

the printers row book fair has a surprisingly large amount of cookbooks. it was weird but awesome. also i got to see miss alpana singh talk! for those who don't know, she is america's youngest master sommelier and host of Check Please! on pbs.

well i hope everyone is having a beautiful weekend and i will keep you posted on my vegetable babies and of course, i've got some yummy recipes lined up.

yay!

2006-05-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

i am filled with good feelings and romance knowing that people actually read this little blog and sometimes make what i post with good (and sexy) results! two foodblogs that i like very very much: everybody likes sandwiches (i love sandwiches) and from the pantry (pantries are so awesome!!!) both made the norwegian apple cake i wrote about some weeks ago and posted their experiences! do please go check out their foodblogs and say hello to these nice ladies!

here is a picture of cakes the bunny!

another tofu recipe!

2006-05-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

asian marinated tofu

here is the other tofu recipe i have been making a ton of lately. imagine a recipe that is a breeze to make, healthy and mighty tasty (bunny pie score 100!). now imagine me making this in my kitchen, dropping it like its hot to ludacris's 'southern hospitality' (+ 500 bonus stage!!!). um..ok. i don't know what else to say other than: make it now!!!

1/2 a block of tofu (about 7 oz?)
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1/2 t chili bean sauce (or more if you like spicy)
1 T fish sauce
1 t brown sugar
1 T cornstarch
pepper
vegetable oil

1. crumble tofu in a bowl in medium to large sized pieces (or cut into blocks or slices if you prefer). mix in all the ingredients except for the cornstarch until well combined. let marinate for at least 15-20 minutes.
2. heat oil in pan. combine marinated tofu with cornstarch. spread tofu in frying pan and fry one side until darkened and crispy. flip over and fry the other side, breaking up the piece of tofu that have stuck together.
3.serve over rice or also pretty good eaten alone. this recipe serves 1 pair of lovebirds or 2 best friends forever.

no time to clear the table! must eat!

crispy tofu taco wraps

2006-05-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

crispy tofu taco wraps

i have been on a tofu kicky lately. perhaps its the upcoming warm weather and the pants feeling a bit snug from all the winter comfort foods. or maybe its just that tofu is so dang good! yes yes! here is one of the recipes i have been making a lot from my vegetarian college days. simple and pretty quick to make and healthy if you don't fry it in too much oil (but still not too bad if you do). its also pretty handy if you have some leftover rice in the fridge. you can spruce it up by marinating the tofu to your liking or using the pre-marinated baked tofus you can find at the grocery store but i really like the taste of plain tofu so i don't season it with anything but salt and pepper. also, the following measurements (or lack thereof?) are left up to you! tofu worship!

tofu
tortillas
black beans, heated
cooked rice
cornstarch
salt and pepper
vegetable oil
soy sauce

1. slice tofu into cutlet sizes. i use 1 per small to medium tortilla or more for larger wraps. season both sides with salt and pepper and dredge into some cornstarch, shaking off excess.
2. heat some oil in a frying pan and fry both sides of the tofu until golden and crispy.
3. lay out your tortillas and layer rice and then some beans on top. i use about 1/4 cup rice and 1 or 1 1/2 tablespoons beans per small to medium tortilla.
4. drain fried tofu on paper towels and then lay them on top of the beans and rice. drizzle with a little bit of soy sauce.
5. smile!!

norwegian apple cake

2006-04-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

norwegian apple cake

a few months ago, i was browsing through the cooking and craft section of a used bookstore and i came upon 'connecticut a la carte'. it is of a few decades ago, put together by the Junior League of Hartford with recipe donations by what i imagine to be a community of well-to-do connecticut wives. it even had a sticker saying it won "BEST COOKBOOK THE R.T. FRENCH CO TASTEMAKER AWARD". i just did a quick flip through and nothing totally caught my eye except the pleasing early 80's provincial design so i bought it thinking there might be something in there if i were to go through it thoroughly. if anything it would look nice on my cookbook shelf. a few sundays ago (sundays always seems to be the day i want to go through my cookbooks and take on new food projects), i was looking for something i could make that i had never tried before that was both simple and did not require crazy ingredients. i found the recipe for this apple cake that had so few ingredients and took so little time it was unbelievable. the result is less cake, more a kind of blondie, a bit of crunch on the outside and chewy inside. biting into the little bits of apple and walnuts is really wonderful and it is all even better with a bit of vanilla ice cream on top. make it and love it!! (if you dare)

3/4 C sugar
1/2 C flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 egg
1 rounded cup diced apples
1/2 c chopped nuts (i used walnuts)

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Mix together the sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder.
2. break an egg into the center of the mixture and stir together to mix well.
3. mix in the apples and nuts and pour into a greased 8" pie pan.
4. bake 25 to 30 minutes.

the book says it is even better the next day but i think it is good every day!!

supplies

2006-03-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

here is a picture of my little pantry that i love. if only there was just a bit more space in there for a chair so that i could sit in there and read my cookbooks and food magazines and just be with my food.

chinese onion flavor!

2006-02-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

i will now take this time to make a non-recipe post (suggestion post?)

how do people feel about ramen in general in the western world? i grew up with ramen so sometimes i feel like it is truly a legitimate cuisine or a valid culinary adventure anyhow. in the grocery stores here in chicago and i imagine in much of the united states, you get a bunch of nissin cup of noodle type ramens which are FINE. not great, not super good, but fine if you are hungry and looking to eat on the cheap. i have seen those thai kitchen instant noodles or the korean shin ramyun stuff around and i like those. but other than that, not much of a selection. in asia, however, (taiwan, japan, korea etc) the ramen isle is almost daunting. almost too many brands and flavors to choose from. potato noodles? yakisoba? udon? curry? seafood? dehydrated fried tofu and fish cakes? other mysterious flavors in explicable asian writing? yum! (maybe its just me?).

but my favorite and my favorite for a very long time now is CHINESE ONION FlAVOR! it is a thin rice vermicelli in an onion soup. it comes with flavor packet and another packet with oil and brown (caramelized?) chinese onions. the flavor is really authentic taiwanese. it smells a little funny but the taste is really simple. rich and all around quite satisfying. kind of like stinky tofu? i got these in chinatown for only about 50 cents each! i like it with some baby bok choy, fish cakes, fish balls, dumplings, and really just about anything you can think of putting in there (that is edible of course). the packaging is modest, just like the food and its price. grassroots and of the people!

look for this and other ramens next time you are in an asian grocery store (or asia). time for adventure and friendly hugs!

love,
debbie carlos

p.s. i use a lot of parenthesis. (bad habit?)

oatmeal lace cookies

2006-02-18T09:43:00.000-08:00

oatmeal lace cookies

hello, long time no blog. so sorry for the very long 2 month delay. first i was vacationing and loafing about and now it is school. i did not make anything noteworthy or different. certainly one of those culinary lulls one gets sometimes or at least i do. then i remembered that i did document a cookie i had made that turned out quite delish. it is very melt in your mouth buttery type cookie. like a very delicate almond cookie with an oatmeal cookie texture! a very simple recipe for when you don't have any eggs on hand! perhaps this will give me the jumpstart i need to get back into the kitchen. so please make, please eat, please enjoy (if you please).

1 C unsalted butter
1 C white sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 t almond extract
1 C flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 C rolled oats

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. mix in vanilla and almond extract. in a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. add flour mixture into the butter mixture. stir in oats.
3. roll dough into 1" balls and place on greased cookie sheet about 3" apart. bake 8-10 minutes. let cool before eating

***variation: to make little chocolate sandwiches with these cookies, just melt some dark chocolate and spread on the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with another cookie.

fudge

2005-12-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

5 minute fudge

the other night, a girlfriend slept over and we packed some fudge. we packed 5 minute fudge. we also embroidered and crocheted. it was quite a lovely evening actually. i saw rachel ray making this on oprah and it is probably the fastest recipe in the entire world except for maybe toast. its also mind numbingly rich, sweet and delicious. eat !

1 12 oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips
9 oz butterscotch chips
1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 t vanilla extract
8 oz walnut halves

1. place saucepan on low heat. add in first four ingredients and stir constantly until everything is melted. mix in walnuts.
2. pour mixture into a greased pan. refrigerate for at least 30-40 minutes.

chinese "hamburger helper" (veg & non-veg)

2005-12-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

chinese hamburger helper

ok, the name is kinda gross and reminds you of cheap boxed processed foods but probably you secretly love it anyway. i've never actually had hamburger helper but i was wondering what i could possibly name this dish since i did not know what to call it in chinese. my boyfriend suggested it was sort of a chinese hamburger helper as a joke but the name stuck so thats what we've been calling it. as you might see in the picture, i like to have it with rice and tea eggs (tea egg recipe posted in the entry before this one). its also really good over some noodles - egg noodles, pasta, soba, etc. a vegetarian option will also be available below.*

1 pound ground beef or pork (my mom says its super good with both but i've never tried it)
a couple of minced garlic cloves
a couple of green onions sliced into 1" pieces
vegetables of your choice (i like red peppers, peas, zucchini, mushrooms), chopped
2 blocks tofu-gan (a marinated and baked tofu), cubed
3 T sweet flour sauce
2 T chili bean paste
pepper

1. preheat deep sided, large frying pan. add in the ground meat and cook until browned, separating any clumps. take out the meat and set aside. drain any remaining fat from the pan (or keep it if you like it that way).
2. saute garlic in same pan. add green onions, vegetables and the tofu-gan. cook for a couple of minutes until vegetables start to become soft.
3.add the meat, sweet flour sauce, chili bean paste, and season with pepper. combine well, and let simmer for 20/30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*for a vegetarian version, just replace ground meat with meat substitute grounds. you have to use a little more sweet flour sauce and bean paste and you have to add about a cup of water and more cooking oil so it does not come out too dry. the picture above is made with quorn grounds and it is quite tastey indeed.

this serves 4-6 people depending on appetite or personal preference of helper to rice/noodle ratios. its always nice to have leftovers of this.

enjoy! come back soon!

tea eggs

2005-12-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

chinese tea eggs

as a small one, i used to spend my summers and a lot of other holidays in taiwan. for breakfast on many days we had tea eggs. vendors in alleyway markets or on the roadside would sell them. the convenience stores had really good ones too. they are basically eggs carefully cracked and then slow boiled in a mixture of tea, soy sauce and anise seed. once done and peeled, you'll see that the egg will have absorbed the flavors and it will have produced a nice marbling effect. making these will make your whole house smell like a beautiful asian movie.

4-6 eggs
1/4 C soy sauce
1/3 C brewed black tea like oolong
one star anise

1. place eggs in pan and cover with water and bring to a boil. take off heat and cover. let set for 10 minutes.
2. take a spoon and carefully crack the egg all over while still in the pan. do not drain the water. pour in soy sauce, tea and anise seed and bring back to a boil. lower heat to a simmer and cook for 2 hours, mixing occasionally.
3. leave in warm mixture until ready to serve or you can keep these in the fridge for a couple of days. double happiness!