Favorite Kitchen Tips and Tricks

One of my favorite things about cooking and baking (besides the end product of course) are all the tips and tricks I've accumulated over the years that makes things so much easier. Some of them I've picked up from watching my family cook, others from some of my favorite cooking shows. Then there are the ones I've discovered from my own pure laziness genius, like using the method of deglazing to clean a burnt pan to avoid having to scrub it and ruin my manicure... Like my favorite go-to recipes, some of my favorite kitchen tricks are the ones that I find myself using over and over again, without fail.

1. Buttermilk is an ingredient that always comes up in recipes...after I've gone food shopping. Good thing it is easily recreated at home by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup, then filling the rest with milk to equal 1 cup. Five minutes later and the buttermilk is ready to go.

2. Another handy tip from not reading a recipe all the way through: an egg placed in a mug or bowl with warm water gets it to room temperature in no time.

3. Keeping the pit in and adding some lemon juice to an avocado keeps it from browning.

4. Ice cream scoops make perfectly sized cookies and meatball and are less messy.

5. Parchment paper is an amazing substitute for cooking spray. (especially if you know what's in cooking spray...)

6. Sweet onions don't make you cry.

7. Since I hate cleaning the blender and food processor (I could lose a finger!), this one comes in handy daily: dish washing soap + water + the appliance on high = an easy cleanup.

8. Freezing a soft cheese, like mozzarella, makes it easier to slice or grate.

9. A vegetable peeler doubles nicely as a mandolin.

10. "The Finger Test" is an absolutely genius way to determine if steak is done.

Do you have any favorite kitchen tips of your own? Share them!

Adventures in Macaron Making: Part II

Welcome to the now ongoing series, Adventures in Macaron Making, where yours truly attempts to perfect the art of making the French macaron, while remaining graceful and composed. You can read part one of the new series here. 

I can't believe it's been over a year since I first attempted macarons! I decided last weekend that there was no better time than the (then) present to try again. 

It's not that I was defeated by that first try, but making foolproof things like madeleines or going to Laduree (even Trader Joe's) for a macaron fix was just easier. Yet, the perfectionist in me remains determined. I've started this thing and I will  get it right. 

Eventually.

Rosemary Infused Olive Oil

I truly believe there is no greater pleasure in life than that of great food, great people, and great conversation. That was exactly the case last week when I was able to meet Sam of Style of Sam for the first time over a wonderful breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien. As we chatted away about blogging, NYFW, and life, we chowed down on delicious omelettes which came with a side of mixed greens, lightly dressed in olive oil. It was then I got thinking about something I haven't made in while, rosemary infused olive oil.

Madeleines

There are some stores that I just can't go into. Target is number one, Michaels is another, and any type of kitchen/home goods store follows close behind. I will always find something that I just absolutely "need."

Case in point, my madeleine tray. I bought it back in January, not because I wanted it, but because I needed it. I needed it because I had given up processed foods, and while I enjoyed them on occasion at Starbucks with my tall Americano, that was a thing of the past. So I needed that tray to make them on my own, with ingredients I could feel good about.

(I swear that was my entire thought process.)

So I'm sure some irony lies within the fact that the tray I "needed" so badly didn't get used until six months later.  But despite that, I already know that buying that tray was completely worth it. I had a few recipes that I wanted to try out, but went with this recipe for starters. Those dainty, buttery cakes are were just too good to have just one. I can't wait to try other varieties including chocolate and Nutella.

Taste aside, don't they just look so impressive? I suddenly have the urge to have a tea party, especially after laying my eyes on this tea set...

Because I need it right?

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Bark

Am I alone in saying that I never really see chocolate bark outside of the holiday season? Maybe it's because I have only ever noticed it at Starbucks when they have their peppermint bark during the holidays. Sure, I love indulging in a bit of chocolate, but making truffles is labor intensive (a labor of love no less,) and best saved for a special occasion. Chocolate bark is easy, quick, and completely adaptable. Plus, dark chocolate is good for you. You need to be eating more of it anyway.

Ingredients

1 10 ounce bag of dark chocolate chips (preferably Ghirardelli, 60%cacao)

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (add more to your liking)

Optional:
For a truly decadent treat, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Nutella when melting the chocolate chips. 

In addition:
Baking tray

Parchment paper

Stainless steel bowl

Spatula

First start by covering your baking tray with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.

Instructions

Add the chocolate chips to your stainless steel bowl and place over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl and the water do not touch.) Stir until melted and glossy. Remove the bowl once the chocolate is completely melted, to prevent it from burning.

Using an oven mitt to hold the bowl, carefully pour the chocolate onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet and smooth with a spatula. (The more you smooth it out, the thinner the bark will be.) 

Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the chocolate.* 

Place the baking tray in the fridge for approximately an hour, or until the chocolate has completely hardened. Break apart and enjoy! 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

*If you would prefer, you can add the hazelnuts to the chocolate after it has melted, then spread on the baking sheet. 

Printable recipe available HERE.

Celebrating Julia.

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Today would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday, and what better way to get back into blogging then by celebrating of my early influencers? Growing up, PBS was my greatest source of entertainment, and even though the children programming in the afternoons started at three, I always tuned in an hour earlier to watch Julia Child (followed by none other than Bob Ross).

I always enjoyed watching Julia Child cook. Her sing-songy voice, her comical antics, and her obvious passion for what she was doing made her so entertaining to watch and also made me eager to get into the kitchen at such a young age. Earlier this summer, I read My Life in France (highly recommend), where Julia recounts her life in the US (pre and post France), how she fell in love with France and French cuisine, and how she was not a good cook when she started out. I found myself not just admiring Julia's skill as I had all these years, but being inspired by this women who let absolutely nothing deter her from accomplishing what she set out to do, all while remaining completely true to herself, and completely in love with her husband, her family, her life and of course, France.

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Happy Birthday Julia!

Breakfast....Salad?

Never in a million years did I think that this is what my breakfast would look like on some days. Mostly because there was a time when I didn't even eat breakfast. One glum morning as I set out to make breakfast, I was craving the most random things: spinach, a MorningStar "sausage" pattie and an egg, sunny side up. I contemplated it for a few minutes (these cravings! random much?) and decided to make a spin on the breakfast salads I have seen around the interwebz.

This...salad? has easily become one of my favorite breakfast meals. For this specific "salad" I first sautee a bit of baby spinach with olive oil and garlic and plate it as the base. In the mean time, I warm the sausage pattie in the toaster oven and once that is ready, I plate that on top of the spinach. Next, I cook the egg enough so that the egg is still a bit runny to create a bit of a "dressing."  A little salt and pepper to taste and the end result is a great tasting and healthy breakfast.

Easy DIY Almond Milk

In the last year, I have been making many changes in regards to what I eat. One significant change I made was switching from regular milk to almond milk. I initially did not like the taste of almond milk but after giving it a fair try, I came to really love it.

Back in January while on break (and having just run out of almond milk), I came across this recipe and decided to give it a try. The process of making almond milk is very simple and foolproof: soak almonds overnight, pulse in food processor with water, strain, repeat voila! The taste of almond is much more pronounced than regular store bough almond milk, but delicious nonetheless. I like to add a bit of vanilla and agave sweetener but really, the possibilities are endless. 

L: The almonds after their first go in the food processor.  R: The finished product

The great thing about this recipe is how easy it is to turn the leftover almond "pulp" into almond flour. I simply just spread out the almond remains on a baking sheet and dry them out (I usually just toss it in the oven for a bit and then let it air dry), pulse it through the food processor and that's it! One recipe, two great outcomes. 

Adventures in Macaron Making

PART I

challenge chal·lenge something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.: Space exploration offers a challenge to humankind.


Macarons are a challenge. Which is why I was so determined to give them a try. 

For the last two weeks, I have read recipes, watched YouTube videos, and done everything I possibly could short of flying to France to learn about the technique of making macarons.  Last weekend I felt I was ready and decided it was time to attempt the elusive treat.

As I set out to print the recipe I would follow, I came across a new recipe that was so different from all the other recipes I had read. This new recipe skipped most of the "classical" steps seen in the other recipes such as no aging of the egg whites, no drying out of the batter before baking and not adding the sugar in batches to the egg whites. Since it seemed to have so much success (IE it had such pretty pictures...) I decided to abandon everything else I had read before and follow this new recipe. 

It all seemed to be going well. I made sure to measure out all of my ingredients and tried to pay attention to the batter and "macronage." But I think even before the folding of the dry ingredients with the meringue, I don't think my meringue was stiff enough.  The batter consistency didn't fit the profile of over mixed or under mixed so I continued on. As I filled the piping bag and started piping them out (for which I also used the wrong tip) the batter wasn't runny, but it wasn't holding either. But pipe away I did. I even made sure to whack the life out of the baking pan (to remove air bubbles) and as a result, none of the cookies broke. Plus one for me!

I baked the cookies in about three batches. The first came out resembling macarons the most with little "feet." Batch #2 and #3 well, there are no words for them except HUH?

So on the macaron front, they are an epic FAIL! But on the delicate almond cookie front they are absolutely WINNING because they are delicious! I will surely be attempting macarons again, and this time I will surely be sticking to classical wisdom... 

Hot Chocolate Blocks

I can't help but laugh how I go from loving the fact that it felt like spring last week, to loving the fact that it's going to snow this weekend. Maybe that's because one winter "activity" I have been missing out on is curling up in bed, wearing over sized flannels and reading magazines all day, with the perfect cup of almost mandatory hot chocolate.

I became curious about these hot chocolate blocks after seeing them pop up on my search for awesome DIY gifts over the holidays. I was so intrigued, I decided they would be the perfect Christmas gift for my sister and luckily for me, there were a few left over for me to give them a try myself. I used this recipe* and as soon as I tried it, I just knew that it was a keeper. It is true chocolate goodness and way better than the powdered stuff. If you are a chocolate lover like me, you may find yourself eating more of these chocolate blocks than actually using them for hot chocolate, they are that good.

Whether or not the snow decides to fall, I will probably still spend the weekend curled up in bed, wearing over sized flannels, reading magazines all day, and drinking a cup of perfect hot chocolate...

*(One tip I'd like to pass on: make sure you mix the heavy cream and condensed milk very well before warming. I did not and the condensed milk started to caramelize and burn! I had to work fast to strain the mixture to remove the burnt bits, but after that, all was well.) 

Turkey Bacon, Egg, and Toast Cups

Breakfast can be my favorite and least favorite meal of the day. During the week, I often loathe it since I eat the same thing everyday and I'm usually in such a rush to get out the house, I don't even remember eating. But on weekends when I have time, its my absolute favorite meal of the day, and I love to take the time to actually prepare something.

I got inspired for these egg cups by model/food blogger and enthusiast Chrissy Teigen's baked eggs in ham cups (recipe here). I love these egg cups because they are not just simple, but a full breakfast meal in one. And because they use turkey bacon, which I absolutely love. 

Ingredients:

-1 slice of bread

-1-2 strips turkey bacon 

-2 eggs

also:

-Cooking Spray

-Cupcake or muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (I even used my toaster oven), and pray your cookie/muffin tin with cooking spray.

Taking your slice of bread, make a circle the size of the well and place it in.

 Next, take a strip of bacon and wrap it around the side of the well. You can either cut it so it fits around just one time, or you can use the whole strip and just tuck it in.

After the bacon is settled, crack the egg over top. Make sure not to get any shell in!

Place the tin in the oven (I used the toaster oven), and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the egg and bacon are to your liking. (Runny yoke, less time, more crisp bacon more time, so on, so forth. )

Remove from the oven, plate and serve.

Food Must Haves for Winter

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Even though there are no major storms on the horizon, as the winter months approach (I say approach because its been very mild lately...) there are some food items that I simply must have at home at all times. As you know, I like to be prepared with only the most necessary of essentials. Whether its because I'm too lazy it's too cold to brave frigid temps, or because I'm snowed in, here are a few things that must be on hand at all times during the winter: 

Nutella

This is a year round given, but vital in winter.
From hot chocolate, to cookies, to crepes, Nutella is a MUST! I usually stockpile it.

Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate and winter just go together. I usually stockpile this too. (Here's the proof.)

Chocolate Chips

Pancakes, cookies, by the handful. 

Turkey Bacon

Protein for when I shovel...(I don't shovel.)

Caramel and Cabot Whip Cream
Just because.

Wine

Pinot Grigio. No exceptions.

Are there any foods you simply must have on hand when winter rolls around? 

Bellini

oooh, bubbles!

To ring in the new year, I wanted one thing and one thing only: a Bellini.

To say I love Bellini's would be an understatement. Whether its a celebration, vacation, brunch, or a good day, its the perfect and probably my favorite cocktail.

Being anti high fructose corn syrup, and other additives in food, finding a high fructose-free peach puree was basically impossible. So I opted for the next best thing; a DIY peach puree. Using a jar of peaches from Trader Joes's, I was able to enjoy my favorite cocktail, guilt free. 

Ingredients:
-About 1 to 1 1/2 cup of peaches. The halves from the jar in Trader Joe's equalled about 2 peaches.
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup water
-Proseco, or other sparkling wine. For a non-alcoholic alternative, use sparkling cider (like Martinelli's) OR seltzer/Pellegrino.

To start, you will need to make a simple syrup. In a saucepan,  over medium high heat, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, and the mixture is clear again. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.

Once the simple syrup has cooled, combine the peaches and the simple syrup in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Strain if desired.

To make the Bellini:
Place 3 to 4 tablespoons of the peach puree in a glass of your choosing. Slowly pour in the Proseco (or sparkling cider or seltzer). Stir gently, garnish if you wish, and enjoy!

Truffles

The amount of chocolate around right now is obscene.  Everything I have been baking in the last few days has called for some variety of chocolate: bittersweet, semisweet, unsweetened, the list goes on and on. The number one thing on my to make list for the holidays were some chocolate truffles. One thing I didn't know about truffles (like 85% of the things I set out to make), are how easy they are to make! They only require two ingredients: heavy cream and chocolate chips. That's. It.

I used a combination of recipes (this one, one from a Williams-Sonoma cookbook, and this YouTube vid) and my own little touches. For example, I added a pinch of salt to the chocolate as it was melting, (to enhance the chocolate flavor) and I made a batch of truffles with a very special ingredient: Kahlúa. Mind you, in the process of making the truffles, I can't remember which ones are made with the Kahlúa and which ones aren't. Whoops!  But at least its a pleasant surprise and not like a nail or something....)

DIY Vanilla Extract

With the holiday season just around the corner in full swing, I noticed quite a few recipes pop up for homemade vanilla extract. While I thought it was a great idea, I didn't give it too much thought since I  had no idea where I would even get vanilla beans.

On one of my daily trips to Trader Joe's last week, I did my usual stroll of each aisle to see what new items were in. There, in the baking aisle, in mass abundance, were vanilla beans! It took everything in me not to add them all to my cart, (like in that Snickers commercial) but did purchase enough to make some extract.

2 vanilla beans for $3.99 at Trader Joe's

Making the extract couldn't be simpler. Split vanilla beans lengthwise, throw them in a jar, add vodka and voila! Its the waiting 6-8 weeks for the final product that is the hard part. Which will be perfect because if the winter is going to be as bad as they say, I will have fresh vanilla extract for cakes and cookies while snowed in...

I used 3 vanilla beans per 8oz of vodka. It looks like more because some are cut in half. 

In keeping in line with DIYgift ideas, try this vanilla extract for your (patient) baking/cooking enthusiast. A little ribbon, and a fancy bag and your good to go. 'Tis the season!

Caramel Popcorn

One thing I love this time of year are those massive popcorn tins, and their variety of flavors. Since I couldn't wait until this weekend to pick up a tin from Trader Joe's, (they have one for $9.99!) I decided to make some caramel popcorn last night. I then ate it for dinner, after dinner, before bed...

I used this recipe in particular, because it uses no corn syrup. I also put the popcorn in the pot with the caramel, as opposed to pouring it over the popcorn, to mix it up. Pouring the caramel over the popcorn sounded like a visit to the ER and I wanted to avoid that. 

Lastly, I placed the popcorn on a baking sheet, and in the oven for about 5 minutes at 175 degrees. The outcome was a perfectly crunchy caramel popcorn. 

after the popcorn cooled, I mixed it with an equal amount of plain popcorn so it wasn't such a sugar rush.

My outcome will be a nice long nap as I come off this sugar high...

Thanksgiving Prep

A few days ago, I was talking to my Dad about Thanksgiving dinner, and if he had thought about the menu yet. Since my dad is the HCIC (Head Chef In Charge), I asked if I could make a side dish (corn bread, made it for the first time last year and it was amazing). Somehow, my asking to make a contribution, turned into ME  making the sides for Thanksgiving dinner. And yes just the sides. I'm not ready for the responsibility of the turkey.

With Thanksgiving just a week away, I have been browsing FoodGawker for some new recipes (to go with some of the staples) and using Pinterest to keep them all together. Since my usual Thanksgiving day usually consists of waking up, eating pie for breakfast, and sleeping till dinner, its imperative I start planning now. 

see the board and recipes here

What foods are you looking forward to on Thanksgiving? Are you cooking as well?