Jezebel, Donuts, Traveling: My Three Loves in One Post

Sadie Stein, one of the editors over at Jezebel (my true love!), was featured on the travel-enthusiast site Jauntsetter last week. (Read the original article here.)

What does this have to do with food you ask? Well, Sadie wrote several guest posts, one of which was about eating on the road, and it’s worth checking out. In it, she writes about some of her favorite restaurants and food destinations, as well as online food resources—like Roadfood, which she calls “the ultimate source for time-warp dining.”

And…this is my favorite part:

“I’m a sucker for a good donut and will travel miles for one.”

Yes! A woman after my own heart.

Now, after daydreaming about donuts and traveling while trolling around the Jauntsetter site, I’m officially obsessed with taking a tropical vacation to Costa Rica this summer. It’s infinitely more likely that I’ll sit at home eating an entire box of soggy donuts from the A&P instead.

Yes, It’s Ladies’ Night!

Oh, what a night.

(Ok, I’ll stop quoting Kool and the Gang, but I am going to post the video. Deal with it.)

Last Friday, I had Kristin and Liz over for dinner and a girls’ night. It was actually a big deal because even though we all technically live in the metro-area, it’s a pain to get to one another’s homes (an hour or two of public transportation x 2 = major pain-literally-in the bum). So, I promised them a delicious dinner if they could scrape up the extra train fare it takes to get to my place.

Appetizers are my favorite part of the meal, but I never get to make them, so I decided to make Artichoke and Tomato Pastry Boats for a pre-dinner treat. For the meal, I served Cheesy Rice and Peas (such a classy, classy name, that) alongside pork chops. I wanted to make a fruit topping for the pork chops, but I couldn’t decide between Pear Compote or Peach-Plum Salsa, so I made both. They turned out to be really good, although I think the Peach-Plum Salsa was a bigger hit since it has a surprising combination of the sweet fruit and spicy jalapenos. And I had a little help: Liz brought a yummy baguette to go with dinner, and Kristin brought cookies for dessert, which we broke into as appetizers…and dessert…and then again for breakfast the next morning.

So, everything went smoothly (except for a mishap with opening—or not opening—the wine bottle) and the food was delicious!

While going through the recipes, you may notice that I’ve figured up the approximate cost of making that food. I hope you like the new feature! I plan to keep doing it for everyday meals too, although my stack of grocery receipts is getting a little out of control. Amazingly, this dinner (even with my making two fruit toppings) only cost $15.94 to serve four people. And we had lots of leftovers too! Also, I didn't have time to take pictures of everything, but if you want a visual, just click the links to the original recipes!

Artichoke and Tomato Pastry Boats
Recipe adapted from Working Mother.

1 package of frozen phyllo shells, about 15 in one pack
4 baby artichoke hearts, drained and cut into quarters
2 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 15 pieces
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place phyllo shells on baking sheet, not touching. Put a piece of artichoke, a piece of mozzarella and a tomato half in each shell. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 15 pieces. Total cost: $3.01.

Pork with Pear Compote
and
Pork Chops with Peach-Plum Salsa

Both recipes from Family Circle. See the originals here and here.

Pear Compote:
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 pear, cored and diced
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Pinch ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar

Peach-Plum Salsa (This made a ridiculous amount of salsa; you can safely cut this recipe in half and still have more than enough for four people, so keep that in mind!)
2 peaches, about ¾ pound
3 plums, about ¾ pound
½ cup chopped red onion
2 medium jalapenos, seeded and chopped
½ cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt

Pork Chops:
4 pork chops (boneless, rib, thin-cut, however you like ‘em!)
Sea salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons butter

Make the Peach-Plum Salsa first; it needs to refrigerate for at least one hour before eating. Pit peaches and plums and finely chop. Place in a medium size bowl. Add red onion, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate.

For Pear Compote, soak cranberries in hot water for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine pear, walnuts and cinnamon in a small bowl. Drain cranberries and add to bowl. After you finish cooking the pork chops, then come back to the compote and add the mixture to the skillet you used for the pork chops. Add sugar now, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from skillet and serve with the pork chops.

For the pork chops, melt butter (or vegetable oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. Season one side of the pork pieces with sea salt and pepper, and place the seasoned side down on hot skillet. Season the other side with pepper and salt. Cook time depends on the thickness of the meat; when you can see that the pork is cooked halfway through, flip over the meat and cook for several more minutes. When the pork is cooked all the way through, serve with the pear compote or the peach-plum salsa.

Serves 4. Cost: Pear Compote, $1.56; Peach-Plum Salsa, $5.85; Four Boneless Pork Chops, $2.89.

Cheesy Rice and Peas
Adapted from First for Women.

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1½ cups rice
2 cans (14.5 oz each) low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In skillet over medium heat, cook olive oil and butter for 30 seconds. Add onions and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add rice, stir to coat. Increase heat to high and add broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Let simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in peas and Parmesan cheese. Cook 2 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 6 servings. Total cost: $2.63

Total dinner cost for four people: $15.94

Update: My Recipe Book

Back when I first started this blog, I wrote about my relentless recipe collecting and a little thing I like to call My Book (pronounced Mah BOOOk; this is important, so get it right!). Last week I realized that I had been neglecting my recipe cataloguing—the stack of recipes ripped from magazines and printed from the internet started to take over a section of the kitchen counter—so I got out my tape and scissors and got to work.

My Book has now grown into three: the original is now for main courses and sides; one notebook holds recipes of appetizers, soups and salads; another is for desserts and sweets alone. I have a peculiar feeling of accomplishment that my recipe collection is growing so rapidly. I know that this is probably not something to be proud of. Most likely this is an early warning sign that I will one day end up with some compulsive hoarding illness, surrounded my many cats and volumes of recipes.

And yet, I am proud. I just hope I don’t end up on Intervention or some surreal BBC documentary.

Flip-Flop with Meatballs

Something about that title is setting off a signal on my inappropriate radar, but I like it nonetheless.

ANYwho. Let me explain what it really means, because it’s not as dirty as it sounds. You see, my mother loves the type of recipe that lets you prepare several meals at once, or get a head-start for another meal later in the week. I'm sure it’s a favorite concept of most busy parents and workaholics around the country, because it just makes life easier. I am neither a workaholic (yet!) nor a parent (let’s give it 10 years or so), but I’m a huge fan of making my life easier. Le sigh.

I’ve decided to dub these meals flip-flop recipes, because:

A. I’m silly.
B. I think everything is 10 times better with a catchy name.
C. Alliteration rocks.

So, the first flip-flop recipes I’ve come up with are based on meatballs! Begin by making the first recipe for the meatballs. It’s quick and easy to follow, so you can do this on a busy weeknight. Cook half of the meatballs for classic spaghetti and meatballs, and save and freeze the other half to make the second recipe (also weeknight-friendly) later that week or the next!

Reduced-Fat Meatballs

Recipe from Working Mother magazine

1 slice of bread, torn into very small pieces
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 Tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound ground lean beef or dark meat turkey
2 cups tomato sauce
½ pound pasta
Mushrooms or other vegetables optional

Place bread, milk, egg, onion, parsley, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl, and let sit 10 minutes or until the milk is soaked into the bread. Stir gently. Add ground meat and mix well with clean hands, but do not squeeze. Form about 40 one-inch meatballs. Set half to the side, and place the other half in a medium-large saucepan with the tomato sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat 25 minutes, shaking gently every 7 minutes to rotate the meatballs. Do not stir or you’ll end up with meat sauce. Add any mushrooms or vegetables after about 15 minutes and let cook until soft. As your meatballs cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to directions. While you're waiting on your pasta and meatballs to finish, place the other 20 meatballs in a freezer-safe container, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Transfer to freezer. When meatballs are frozen solid, about 1½ hours, cover container or transfer them to a plastic freezer bag for easier storage. Now go back to your pasta. Drain. Serve meatball sauce over pasta, with Parmesan sprinkled on the top. Add a salad or vegetable on the side for a complete meal!

Makes about 40 meatballs including frozen ones. The 20 meatballs you cook serves 4-6.

Hearty Meatball Spinach Soup

I have a strong suspicion this recipe came from the back of a cracker box. I can’t remember, but it’s really good despite its humble beginnings (and inferior looks)!

20 pre-made meatballs, no need to thaw
Vegetable oil
¾ cup onion
2 cloves garlic
2 cans (14 oz each) reduced sodium beef broth
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Saltine crackers, optional

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat; then stir in onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is translucent and tender. Spread meatballs around the pan, and let cook for about 5 minutes, then carefully turn meatballs and let the other side cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes with their liquid, spinach and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with saltine crackers.

Makes about 4-5 large servings.

Feel free to share your own flip-flop recipes in the comments! I’m always looking for new ones to try!

ZOMG!!1! Girl Scout Cookies!

That was my exact reaction this Saturday when I saw a group of Girl Scouts dressed in their tacky little Brownie vests selling cookies. While my mature boyfriend was getting his taxes done at one of those little tax-people booths, I was reverting back to childhood and panting over the thought of Thin Mints--my all-time favorite.

Needless to say, I bought four boxes.

(Well, Jon bought me four boxes, because I never have any cash.)

But it was a Girl Scout Cookie miracle, because I thought I wouldn’t get any this year. My mom works in an elementary school, so she usually has a ton of students to buy from, which therefore secures my annual box. But this year—this anomaly of a year—no one asked my mother to buy any cookies. I didn’t think I would find any on my own. But I did!

I feel like an adult now that I’ve bought my own cookies. It wasn’t that long ago that my sister and I were wearing our own tacky green sashes covered in patches, delivering cookies in our little red wagon to the neighbors. We were fanatical about our cookie selling, and ended up peddling hundreds of boxes every year. One year, we sold about 600 between the two of us. Look, if you don’t believe me, check out this picture of us organizing our stock in our living room.

Clearly my Girl Scout Cookie love will never die.

Craft and Cake: my heart goes thump.

Unfortunately, the first time I heard about Craft magazine was in an article about its last print issue. As I was wandering around the magazine section of a bookstore last month, I decided to pick up the last issue. It had Amy Sedaris on the cover and I’m a sucker for a Sedaris, so…

The issue takes on parties—what cake to bake, what to stock in your bar and how to put together invitations, decorations and a groovy playlist. I was pleased to find an excerpt from Amy’s book, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, because she’s not a typical party host or homemaker. What I mean is, her cakes turn out looking more like mine than say, Betty Crocker’s, and for this, I love her.

Of course, I would be ecstatic if I could decorate a perfect, polished cake, but I know if I make this cake I’ll have a guaranteed conversation-starter. And more time to actually enjoy my party. So, here’s the cake recipe (with commentary from Amy) from the magazine and a photo of the finished mess.



1. Make an angel food cake from a box.
Take your 10” angel food cake and place it on a plate.
This is the only boxed cake I ever make, because to me it tastes just like a homemade one and you don’t have to deal with egg whites. Egg whites intimidate me (for some people it’s phyllo), but either way, the best part of making an angel food cake is that you get to hang it upside down on a wine bottle for an hour, and you can still do that with a boxed angel food cake.

2. Slice the top.
Slice the entire top from the cake, about 1½“ down. Lift off the top and put it somewhere else.

3. Make a tunnel.
Make a tunnel and scoop out the angel food cake.
Now there is a wall; it will look similar to a Jell-O ring mold. Take the angel food cake that you scooped out and put it on another plate.

4. Fill the tunnel.
Completely fill the cavity with either the chilled whipped filling (see recipe below) or with an ice cream of your choice.

5. Replace the top.
Put the top of the cake back on.

6. Fill the top hole.
I like to use the cake left over from the tunnel and stuff it in the center hole.

7. Cover the Cake.
Completely Slather the sides and top with whipped cream.

*Tip: You can optionally include 1/2 c of toasted almonds in the cake cavity and then sprinkle the outside with 1/3c of shaved toasted almonds.

8. Make a decorating tool.
Scoop frosting into a plastic bag, and twist the top tight. Cut the tip off the plastic bag.

9. Decorate the cake.
Squeeze the bag carefully so the frosting comes out, and decorate the top of your cake how you like.
Repeat steps 8 and 9 with different colors of frosting for an elegant, layered look.

10. Enjoy!
Cut the cake and scoop it onto a plate.

Blogger is being dumb

For some reason my posts aren't showing up when I visit my blog using Internet Explorer, but I have no problem viewing them with a Firefox browser. So, if you think everything looks a little wonky, that's because...it is.

Since I've been using Firefox for the last couple of months, I wasn't aware of the problem until yesterday. But when I started investigating, I found that a lot of Blogspot-hosted blogs have been losing posts since about two weeks ago. They're mysteriously disappearing. I think this is a case for Nancy Drew.

Anywho, I hope you guys can use Firefox to read my blog until I figure out how to fix this! You can download it for free here.

Update (March 4): I think I was able to fix everything (yay!), so you should be able to see all of my recent posts ("A Cautionary Tale," "Fortune Cookie Time!" and "Spring Has NOT Sprung") on Internet Explorer now. Please let me know if you start seeing blank posts with only a title again. Thanks!!