I'm Back!

It has now been approximately a decade and a half since I last posted anything on this blog, and its high time I return to my duties! In the intervening time period, I have traveled abroad, living in Greece for 4 months and traveling all over Europe (and even briefly into Asia), made a few trips out to California, lived in the woods while working at a summer camp, and finally returned to my new and improved college living situation. How is it new and improved, you may ask?.... Because.... drum roll please.....

It has a kitchen!!! A full kitchen! That's rights, ladies and gents, your humble starving scholar is kitchenless no more. This is very very good (being able to cook real food at any time), but also very very bad (a slowly progressing exchange of cooking instead of homework).
Which brings me to my second announcement. As was originally intended for this blog, I will be working out bits and pieces of my Keystone Project (consider it an undergraduate thesis), on the role of women in the culinary realm. Now don't fret, I won't get all philosophical on you (or at least I hope not), but there may be more discussion (hopefully) than there was before. But, as I think its very important for me, as someone writing about women in the culinary realm, to understand the subject, I intend to actively participate in said field. Therefore, there will be plenty of cooking, and plenty of eating. And hopefully some good recipes and photos to share.

So, welcome back to my blog! And forgive me in advance for the delays between posts that I am positive will occur more often than any of us would like.

Until next time,

Bon Apetite! Happy Eating!

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Locally Grown Inspiration

Shopping in Whole Foods yesterday, I was taken by the large amount of local lamb meat in the meat section. And, as I am heading out to Greece in just over a week, I figured it might be time to practice making lamb. And even more importantly, I'm totally for buying local when possible.

We bought a 2 lb. butterflied leg of lamb. At home, I rubbed it over with 1 clove chopped garlic, about a tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme, and sprinkled liberally with salt and pepper. Then evenly rolled and tied it. This part was a little tricky, and my dad took charge and did most of it. Then I seared it on all sides in a grill pan over high heat, before putting it in roasting pan in the oven at 375 degrees with some quartered redskin potatoes for about half and hour, checking the interior temperature until it reached 125 degrees.

Let me just say it made a pretty freaking good meal: Roast lamb, roast potatoes, and steamed green beans.

The local lamb meat came from the Wagon Wheel Ranch in Mount Airy, MD, from free range, naturally fed livestock. And to think, we may have been eating one of these little creatures.

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Candy Cane Marshmallows

While not studying for my finals last month, I couldn't help browsing through recipes I was just dying to make. At the top of my list: marshmallows. And I don't know why. I don't even really like marshmallows. But on every website and blog and recipe I looked at, people were absolutely raving about homemade marshmallows. They were supposedly heavenly, or something.

Well, those people couldn't have been more right. I literally whipped up a batch almost immediately upon returning home, adding a special seasonal twist.

These are so good that you really can't eat just one. And knowing they aren't from a giant processor, and don't contain funky chemical preservatives merely encourages continuous snacking. And these are also great in hot chocolate, even coffee. Alone, each one tastes like a little piece of whipped heaven.

***Make sure you have all ingredients and equipment measured and ready to go before starting. The process goes very quickly***

Ingredients:
.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Line a 9X9 inch baking pan with lightly oiled plastic wrap.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes. (Continue with next steps while waiting.)
Combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute.
Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, add in the vanilla extract beat to incorporate.
Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (Lightly greasing your hands and the spatula helps a lot here). Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.

In a shallow dish, combine equal parts cornstarch, confectioners' sugar, and crushed candy canes. (Do not over-crush the candy, leave some small chunks in the mix). Remove marshmallow from the pan, and cut into equal pieces of about an inch. (Make sure to grease the knife or scissors, as well as your hands before doing so. It will make the process much easier).
Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners’ sugar mixture.
Store in an airtight container.

Then, try not to eat them all at once.

Recipe from Baking Bites.

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Pumpkin Spice Cake

So, because I am pretty awful at regularly updating I am backtracking all the way to Thanksgiving! Because I really just had to share this!

Pumpkin Spice Cake! Deliciously moist with intense flavors. And, of course, as good as traditional Pumpkin Pie is, sometimes its just really nice to switch things up.

Recipe found at Joy of Baking.com

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 and 1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin pure
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sifted flour (recipe calls for cake flour, but I used all-purpose)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 8 inch cake pans. (I put parchment paper rounds in the bottom and buttered and floured the sides.)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add pumpkin and vanilla, beat well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and spices.
Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in three additions to the pumpkin batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Pour batter into the two prepared cake pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes in the pans, and on a wire rack until completely cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces on cream cheese
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 cups confectioners sugar

In a food processor (or mixer), combine cream cheese and butter till smooth. Add syrup and sugar, adding additional to meet your taste.

Place one layer of cake top side down. Spread frosting on top. Place second cake top side down on top. Frost the top and around the sides of the cake. Top with toasted and chopped nuts if you desire.

Keep refrigerated and bring to room temperature before serving.


And here is the pumpkin cake with all 4 or 5 or 6 other desserts, including my sister's peanut butter and fudge pie.

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The Christmas Spirit Shines Through

Tonight's episode of Top Chef may have been filmed months ago, but it's nice to know that the Christmas spirit is never out of season.
On tonight's whirlwind edition of Top Chef, Martha Stewart stopped by for a one-pot holiday wonder Quickfire Challenge. Hosea, Ariane, and Jamie made the best impressions, with Ariane's cauliflower puree taking the prize. There was something else on the plate, but Martha certainly didn't seem to notice. She seemed to be taken away by the fact that Ariane fooled her with cream rather than butter in the cauliflower.

Keeping in the holiday theme, the cheftestants had to cater a large benefit event for amFAR, where each dish was to be inspired by one of the twelve days of Christmas (though I did notice that the Four Calling Birds were missing). But alas, one of the fridges was left open overnight! And Radhika's and Hosea's main ingredients were essentially ruined. Luckily, with the Christmas spirit hanging thickly in the way-before-Christmas air, the cheftestants gathered 'round the prep tables to help each other. Now that's the spirit of giving. Or, as one of the lovely, non-egotistical guy suggested, having everyone on an even playing field would only make his victory more sweet. Classy. very nice.

At judges table, Radhika's duck leg, Jeff's 'island leaping' plate, Steffan's chicken pot pie and Hosea's pork lion fared the best. ...way to go Radhika and Hosea for coming back from a severe disadvantage! And Hosea took it all! He won the judge's choice, as well as, it appears, ladies' choice at the event (guests gave red ribbons to their favorites, and let's just say these strapping young men had an advantage stronger than just their culinary skills).

Jamie's scallop mess, Mel's overpowering blue cheese, and Gene's ceviche fared the worst.
And then Tom walks in for a heart-to-heart, and an encouraging talk about doing your best and stepping up their game. And then, surprise: NO ONE IS GOING HOME!! "a holiday gift" from the judges. That was a bit of a let down, but I guess understandable.

And as for stepping it up, I agree. I've been a bit disappointed, not only in the lack of amazing food, but in the lack of a likability factor from ANY of the cheftestants.

so, for next week: there are no limits, in an effort to get these kids to REALLY impress the judges. But wait, there will inevitably be more drama. Jamie uses scallops again, and Fabio reminds her this isn't "Top Scallop cooker" its Top Chef. And... there's a new judge, and no one seems to happy with that.

Meanwhile, 15 minutes after the episode ought to over, I am headed back to cramming for my final exams!
Until next time, happy eating!

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