It Ought to be Enjoyed

In the Library with the Candlestick

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on September 22, 2008 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Plum, j'accuse!

Elephant Heart Plum to be precise. And Dimply Plum Cake.

Which sadly my review has to be... 'eh.'

I did like the mildness of the brown sugar coffee cake, but just didn't like how the whole thing came together. It didn't seem to be the most user-friendly of baked goods. Perhaps this is because everytime I tried to move it around to wrap it in plastic the plums wanted to break apart and take the cake down with it.

Chunk-a

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roy

on September 14, 2008 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I don't tend to be a fan of cookies that rely on large chunks of other substances to define them. Although this distaste has dwindled more and more and I can appreciate a good chocolate chunk cookie, but then there is going overboard. I believe that this cookie goes overboard. These are the Chocolate Chunkers for this week's Tuesday's with Dorie. And while they were tasty, they were a bit too much chunk and not enough cookie for my liking.

Although they were a fun excuse to visit the old offices and share the largess with folks. It was great to get to see friendly faces and hear that everyone seems to be doing well.

Malt-Tease

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roy

on September 8, 2008 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

So this weekend was the waffle party...and as always I have a blast with these. Always fun to see what folks bring. Sadly there are no pictures since I and everything in a constant 5' radius around me was covered in waffle batter, it did not seem appropriate to subject my camera to that. (For those geeks who are also learning 4th ed. rules...I think that would be a close 1 radius. grin)

At the waffle party, the homemade butterscotch sauce, rum soaked raisins, and cinnamon coconut date (dairy free) ice cream were all stellar. It is always great to see what folks bring and then how well all the different ingredients mesh (e.g. creme fraiche, lingonberry jam, and lavendar honey all go well together).

This week for the Tuesdays with Dorie, it is Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops. Which I'd made before, but figured I would make with the virtual masses. Especially since the housemate said he liked them the first go round. I have to confess that these didn't really wow me either time, but they are fairly easy to throw together. I did futz with the recipe some this time, nor purposefully but I had some extra margarine from making the waffles and figured instead of letting it go to waste, so I did the extra 3Tbsp that the recipe calls for as margarine instead of butter. And since the bittersweet chocolate only came in a 4 oz bar, I threw in some semi-sweet discs to make up the remaining chocolate.

My First Tuesday

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roy

on September 2, 2008 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I've been meaning to jump in and participate with all those who have been baking their way through Dorie Greenspan's Baking book but time and many other forces had seemed to be preventing that. Well this is the week that I have triumphed against time (we shall see about those other forces...).

The recipe for Sept. 2 was Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters. However I've just been calling them Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies...not much shorter, but it seems like a lot less verbiage.

I was reading that people had been having dry dough, stiff dough...breaking kitchen implements dough. Not here. It was great, very gooey but after several hours in the refrigerator it became perfectly manageable. However I think I misjudged the size this were supposed to be, since the recipe said 60 cookies and I was lucky to get 30. However this was a good, good mistake. It took much longer for the cookies to bake, but when they were done they were big, thick and chewy. And 30 cookies are more than enough to send out to the world and hopefully spread a little bit of happiness.

More tomatoes

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roy

on August 4, 2008 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

But not a tomato picture...since I've been pretty bad with the food photography lately. More time spent just wanting to sit down and eat then taking pictures of the food. So instead a picture of the dog, since I've been having fun playing with B&W photography again.

As for the tomatoes...lucky enough to have more of the tomatoes fresh from the garden. Tonight they were made into turkey burgers.

Cut about a cup of cherry tomatoes in half, in a non-stick pan over high heat cook them with a diced onion for about 3 minutes, then toss in 2 or 3 minced cloves of garlic. Mix half the onion mixture with ground turkey, salt, pepper, thyme (or any other seasoning), a good splash of wine, and you can sneak some cheese into the center of the burger before making them into patties. Cook for 30 seconds on one side, then flip and cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Top with remaining onion mixture. And you've got some tasty burgers thanks to the Splendid Table cookbook.

(The other tomato recipe...even easier, and just as tasty. Seed then chop three tomatoes into 1/4 inch dice, coarsely chop a handful or two of pitted Kalamata olives, a good bit of fresh thyme, maybe 1/4 c of olive oil, 1 Tbsp of balsamic, toss onto pasta. Done! And much happiness ensues if it is too hot to do any other type of cooking.)

Things Come Together

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roy

on July 31, 2008 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Sometimes when you are too tired to really want to cook anything, everything falls into place to make the meal itself. The last of the basil from the CSA had been made into pesto, a chicken breast that needed to be used, and fresh cherry tomatoes from a coworker that is just beginning to enter into the "tomato surplus" part of summer.

All pulls together into a might nice and very satisfying supper.

The non-recipe is as follows: grill one chicken breast, lightly seasones with salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Bring water to boil, salt water fairly liberally. Add fresh pasta to boiling water (for 3 to 3-1/2 minutes).

In bowl put half tablespoon pesto, toss in pasta, toss on top another half tablespoon of pesto. Toss in 5 or 6 halved cherry tomatoes, and the sliced chicken breast. Toss to coat. Forget about the dishes until tomorrow morning.

Birthday Cupcakes

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roy

on July 28, 2008 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

And before I forget, I did manage to make some birthday cupcakes for one of my co-workers. Who of course wasn't at work on their birthday.

Anyways, they were plain vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream...which is no indication of their recipient who I wouldn't categorize as vanilla in any way. Sadly, while the recipe is normally a winner, I was not bowled over by the outcome this time around.

Too many sleepless nights

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roy

on July 28, 2008 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It has been a whirlwind of long days and not so restful nights, which has made it a challenge to keep writing...not to say that cooking and other things haven't been happening. Have been making some really good pizzas of late, but no pictures. So instead, a bit of the things that have happened in the past.

I was lucky enough to attend an amazing wedding, filled with great people, joyous singing, and lots of love and happiness. Couldn't really ask for more then that...although I would have done with a bit less sun. I didn't get burnt but I did look like a big geek with my splotchy all natural sunscreen.

Here is one of the views from where the wedding was held. We do live in a gorgeous area, although sadly it was all a bit grey and hazy from the wildfires.

An Unexpected Blonde

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roy

on July 7, 2008 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Maybe it is too many Raymond Chandler novels, or the fact that I took a class called Dick Fiction in the wacky heydays of UC Santa Cruz, but a mysterious blonde hiding something seemed appropo.

I decided it would be something other than zucchini bread, but who would have expected a dame like her to walk in. (and that is where I stop my hard boiled detective writing...before anyone gets hurt or embarrassed)

A tip of the hat to the Gardeners' Community Cookbook for the idea...

Zucchini Blondie

Preheat oven to 350

1/2 stick of butter, some (1tsp - 1tbs) fruity olive oil, 2 tsp water all melted together

mix in 1c dark brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, some fresh ground nutmeg

Sift together 1c flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 3/8 tsp baking soda.

Stir in dry ingredients.

Stir in 1/3c chopped walnuts.

Stir in 1 medium zucchini peeled and 1/4-inch diced.

Sprinkle top with butterscotch chips.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy an ice cold gimlet. Wait for trouble.

Summer Bounty

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roy

on July 4, 2008 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Nectarines, raspberries, strawberries, zuchinni, squash, apricots...and those are just some of the stuff that has landed in the house. Summer always seems to be an influx of fruits and vegetables. Had way, way too many nectarines in the house and have been subjecting co-workers to nectarine raspberry muffins. I have to confess that I think I've found my new favorite muffin recipe in The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. The Sweet Muffin basic recipe is great, lets you add any fruit that you want and has all the right muffin qualities, dense, moist and never tries to be a cupcake masquerading as a muffin. Now I just have to find the time to try the Savory Muffin recipe...I'm thinking some Rouge Creamery Maple Smoked chevre and crisp pancetta.

Also note in the photo, some zucchini-pumpkin bread made by one of my co-workers. It makes me very happy that her zucchini plant is amok and out of control, since we get to reap the rewards.