Seeing Stars, 8.31.09

Welcome to Seeing Stars, my weekly roundup of posts from blogs I love that I've "starred" in Google Reader. We're currently on our way back from a weekend of fun in the sun with the fam in my home away from home, Palm Springs. Hope you all enjoyed some sunshine over the weekend too. Happy Monday and have a great week!

Fabric Jam Jar Topper How-To & Free Printable Jam Tags and Labels by Kristen at Domestifluff


Wayne Thiebaud Inspired Sweets by Grace at Design*Sponge


Put a Lid on It: How to Ship Cupcakes in Mason Jars, posted on Cakespy, originally from Beantown Baker, a lovely new-to-me blog (how brilliant is this?! anyone want a cupcake?)


DIY Freebie: Strawberry Shortcake Baskets by Kathleen at Twig and Thistle


PeanUtOh Butter Fudge by Julia at Dozen Flours

Shrimp Scampi with Artichoke Hearts

I have a new favorite game. It's called Ask Andy What He Wants For Dinner. He'll name a completely random ingredient (in this case, artichokes), and I get to find a fun recipe that makes everyone happy.



The result of this round of the game was Shrimp Scampi with Artichoke Hearts. I already spend a lot of time making Ellie Krieger dishes, but I'm skipping out on the next 3 weeks (just not so into the recipe choices), so consider this my peace offering to the group. I don't make shrimp too often, and when I do usually don't wind up loving it (not a big seafood gal in general), but this was definitely a huge success, we devoured it! The flavors came together perfectly, it wasn't too heavy at all, and and it, unlike many of Ellie's recipes, came together in about 10 minutes flat.

So here's my tip of the day: I buy those 4-packs of baby pinot grigio bottles and keep them in the fridge. That way, I don't feel like I need to drink a whole bottle of wine when a recipe calls for it (although that sounds like it would be a good time!). And when it calls for 1/4 or 1/3 cup, there's just the right amount left in the little bottle to enjoy while you cook. Total win.

I served this on top of some fresh egg fettuccine tossed with olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, and some grated grana. Simply divine.

Shrimp Scampi with Artichoke Hearts
Adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave
Printable Recipe

2 tbsp. olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 1/4 lb. medium shrimp (Amy's note: I used 1 lb., it could have easily served 4)
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and quartered
1/3 c. dry white wine
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and cook, sitrring, until softened but not browned, 2-3 minutes. Add the shrimp, artichoke hearts, wine, and lemon juice and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper. Garnish with more parsley and serve.

Serves 4.

Daring Bakers: Dobos Torta

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.



Can I just say how much I've been enjoying these Daring Bakers and Daring Cooks challenges? I joined the groups to push my limits and learn, learn, learn... and I definitely have. This layered chocolate hazelnut caramel torte was a series of firsts for me and definitely not something I would have made on my own. I brought it to a party with lots to celebrate: our friend Jon's birthday and our friend Peter's Ph.D.-receiving! Despite its rustic (my new favorite euphemism to describe my chaotic-looking baked creations) appearance, it actually tasted phenomenal and quite worthy of the momentous celebration.



For the recipe, please visit Angela and Lorraine's lovely blogs, and, as always, visit the blogroll to see how my fellow Daring Bakers fared this month. Oh, and if you're a beginner like me, block out at least 4 hours of your day and save up up all of your baking and emotional energy to use for the afternoon. This one's quite a roller coaster, but 100% worth the thrill!

CEiMB: Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

It's Thursday, which means it's time for another Ellie Krieger recipe! This was the second Asian-inspired Ellie dish in a row, so I'm a happy girl. I've never made chicken satay before, but have been eating it in restaurants literally longer than I can remember (my family really, really likes Thai food). The chicken was the moistest I've ever made, and the flavor was quite dynamic in a good way (possibly due to the the zillion and one ingredients. Thanks, Ellie).



The accompanying peanut sauce was especially amazing: incredibly intense and flavorful, just how we like it. I used hot red curry paste and extra red pepper flakes and still didn't taste any heat though, so next time I'll kick that up a notch. I will definitely be making more of this sauce to use for other dishes. I served the satay with some fresh tofu and veggie salad rolls, which we also dipped in the peanut sauce. Thanks to Cathy at The Tortefeasor for picking this winner, and as always you can see what the other Craving Ellie in my Belly bloggers came up with here.



Chicken Satay
Adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 shallot, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (or 2 additional teaspoons low sodium soy sauce)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast pounded slightly and cut into 1-inch strips
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped toasted peanuts

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, coconut milk, soy sauce, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime zest, and ginger. Add the chicken strips and marinate for 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.

2. Spray a nonstick grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over a medium-high flame. While pan is heating, thread chicken onto skewers. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, until meat is cooked through and has light grill marks.

3. Serve chicken skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce, and garnish with basil and chopped peanuts.


Peanut Dipping Sauce
Adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Sauce can be made 1 day ahead of time, and will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Sherbet

You know how sometimes you just NEED ice cream? Or chocolate? After midnight? Yeah, me too. When I was hit with the craving recently, Google took me to ice cream maven David Lebovitz's website, where of course he had the perfect solution.



I whipped up this chocolate sherbet and had it churning in no time flat, which was key at that hour (essential summer tip: store the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer at all times in case of emergency!). You can probably see hints of my impatience (hello chocolate soup) in the photo. I made a silly error that involved adding the cocoa powder a step later than the original recipe called for, but it came out so well that I've adapted the recipe to show my happy mistake.

Chocolate Sherbet
Adapted from David Lebovitz
Printable Recipe

2 cups milk (whole, low, or non-fat)
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur, such as Kahluà

1. Warm half of the milk with the sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Bring to a full boil while whisking, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 seconds.

3. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla, and the liqueur, if using. Stir in the other half of the milk.

4. Chill thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Pear Custard "Pie"

We're lucky enough to have a baby pear tree in our backyard (the pears are baby-sized, not the tree). The tree itself is huge, and I love it! It must love me too, because it's sharing lots of fruit these days.



I had been wanting to bake something that highlights how delightful these baby pears are, but had been feeling especially indecisive. Enter twitter. One of the many reasons I love twitter is that it's an ideal resource for situations when I can't decide what to cook or bake, or don't know what I'm doing and need to send out an SOS (which is pretty much always). My online foodie friends will always be there with a slew of great suggestions. This one's from Heather, who responded to my query about what to make with my pear surplus, and I thank her muchly because it was divine!



It turned out to be more like a custardy oven pancake or clafoutis than a pie, which is why I've changed the name of the recipe to "Pie" instead of just plain Pie. No matter what you call it, though, this couldn't be easier to throw together (the hardest part by far was peeling and coring the pears), and couldn't be tastier either. Perfect for breakfast OR dessert!

This is also my entry for this month's Grow Your Own, hosted by Andrea at Andrea's Recipes, the venerable founder of GYO! Congrats Andrea on 2 successful years, I'm so glad to be a participant.



Pear Custard "Pie"
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast
Printable Recipe

Baking spray
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
3 ripe but firm Comice or Bartlett pears, peeled, halved, and cored (Amy's note: I used 6 of our tiny pears)
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
Confectioners' sugar for dusting (Amy's note: forgot that, oops!)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch pie dish with baking spray or butter. Slice the pears 1/4 inch thick lengthwise. Arrange the slices in the dish.

2. In a blender or food processor, process remaining ingredients (except confectioners' sugar) until smooth.

3. Pour the batter over the pears; bake until golden and firm to the touch, 40-45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Seeing Stars, 8.24.09

Welcome to Seeing Stars, my weekly roundup of blog posts I love that I've "starred" from blogs I subscribe to in Google Reader. Happy Monday and have a great week!

Flavor Inspiration Board: Raspberries and Lemon by Emma at The Kitchn


Cherry Coke Cupcakes by Annie at Annie's Eats


Grilled Chocolate: A New Take on a Comfort-Food Classic by PJ at Bakers' Banter


Free Lemonade Printables by Farouche by Luzel at iDIY


You Are My Sunshine (Frozen Lemonade Pie) by Susan at Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

This baking of this cake was inspired by celeb chef Michael Chiarello. We're big fans of the show Top Chef, and have enjoyed the antics of Top Chef Masters (featuring well-known, successful chefs) this summer. On a recent episode, Chef Chiarello made an Olive Oil Cake, which sounded too novel and interesting not to make ourselves.



I was deciding on something to bake recently to welcome an old friend of mine who was coming to visit for the weekend. Obviously when you haven't seen someone in 10 years, it's the best time to try a wild-card new cake, right? I'm pleased to say that it turned out lovely. Incredibly light texture, almost cloud-like! The lemon and olive oil flavors were the ideal subtle complements to each other. Mine was a tad overcooked even though I took it out just before the allotted 45 minutes in the recipe, so keep checking towards the end.



Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Adapted from Gourmet
Printable Recipe

3/4 cup olive oil (extra-virgin if desired), plus additional for greasing pan
1 large lemon
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
5 large eggs, separated, reserving 1 white for another use
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (Amy's note: I used turbinado sugar for the 1 1/2 tbsp topping)

Special equipment: a 9-inch (24-cm) springform pan; parchment paper

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease springform pan with some oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Oil parchment.

2. Finely grate enough lemon zest to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons and whisk together with flour. Halve lemon, then squeeze and reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

3. Beat together yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil (3/4 cup) and reserved lemon juice, beating until just combined (mixture may appear separated). Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined.

4. Beat egg whites (from 4 eggs) with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes.

5. Gently fold one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

6. Transfer batter to springform pan and gently rap against work surface once or twice to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan. Cool cake to room temperature, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment, then transfer cake to a serving plate.

Serves 8.

CEiMB: Grilled Thai Beef Salad

Time for another installment of Craving Ellie in My Belly! This week's Ellie Krieger recipe is Grilled Thai Beef Salad, hosted by Jen B's Cooking Carveout. I've written often about how I love Thai flavors, and this was no exception. Not quite as flavorful as similar salads I've had in Thai restaurants, but still a very enjoyable at-home meal.



Cilantro is my most despised food, so I happily piled it onto Andy's plate and left it off of mine. He later informed me that it would have been nice of me to do something with it other than wash it and plop a big fistful of it, untrimmed, onto his plate (insert sheepish/devilish grin here). Otherwise, I stayed true to the recipe. We had a deliciously ripe mango for dessert, and I kind of wish I had added it to the salad, it would have been a welcome hit of color and sweetness.

Thai Grilled Beef Salad
Adapted from Ellie Krieger
Printable Recipe

1 pound top-round London broil or flank steak, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick
3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons red curry paste or chili-garlic sauce
1/2 head red-leaf lettuce, torn (about 6 cups)
3 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup), divided, for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, rinsed and dried
1 cup basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

1. Rinse and pat the meat dry. Place in a resealable plastic bag or small glass dish. In a medium bowl combine 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, soy sauce, canola oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and red curry paste. Pour half the mixture into the bag with the meat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice to the bag. Seal tightly, give it a good shake, and marinate meat in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Reserve the rest of the mixture refrigerated, to dress the salad.

2. Spray grill or grill pan with cooking spray and preheat. Grill steak until medium-rare, about 5 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness. Let rest until room temperature then slice thinly against the grain.

3. Combine lettuce, sliced shallot, cilantro, basil and beef in a salad bowl, reserving a few shallots for garnish. Add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among 4 plates and garnish with reserved sliced shallots.

Panzanella

Panzanella. Sounds like a Disney princess name, right? This is something I've wanted to make for a long time, and finally had the opportunity last week. I am SO excited to tell you about this crusty bread and veggie salad, because... are you ready for this? We grew ALL the veggies in it! That's a bunch of cherry tomatoes, a lemon cucumber, and a few heaping handfuls of basil leaves.



I know everyone's bragging about their veggie garden bounties this time of year, but I am just in awe of the fact that we grew this stuff, so please indulge me while I say YAY! This recipe is a massive improvisation on a recipe from the always fabulous Ina Garten, based on what I had in the kitchen and the garden. She also includes bell pepper, red onion, and capers, and uses champagne vinegar instead of balsamic. Yum.



Panzanella
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small baguette or ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large lemon cucumber, cut into cubes
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.

2. For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

3. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, and basil. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Oreo Cheesecake Brownies

These days, I'll find any excuse to try a new recipe. So when I was happily faced with the task of baking something chocolatey for a coworker's birthday, oreo brownies popped into my head. After some poking around, I found and adapted a recipe from Michelle at Brown Eyed Baker, a lovely food blog that I highly recommend.



Turns out that oreos, cream cheese, and brownies are 3 of my coworker's favorite things. Needless to say, these were a hit! There's pretty much no reason I can think of to not adore these brownies. They're really easy, too. I used my KitchenAid mixer but they can be easily mixed by hand if you don't have one.

P.S. I feel the need to tell the world that my husband and I met 5 years ago today. Yay!

Oreo Cheesecake Brownies
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Printable Recipe

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature (softened slightly in the microwave if necessary)
1/3 cup sugar
10 Oreo cookies, chopped

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan well.

2. Stir together butter, 1 cup sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Add eggs, beat well. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

3. Stir together the cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar with a spoon until smooth and well blended. Gently stir in in the chopped Oreos.

4. Using a spoon, spoon the cream cheese/Oreo mixture in nine evenly-spaced dollops on top of the brownie batter. Using a dull knife or icing spatula, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture with the brownie batter. After swirling, gently push the cream cheese mixture down into the brownie batter.

5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan and the batter in the center of the pan feels just set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Seeing Stars, 8.17.09

Happy Monday! It's time for Seeing Stars, the weekly feature where I share some blog posts that I've "starred" in Google Reader. This is an extra-special week for me; I'm so excited that my mom is in town from Omaha, Nebraska! We'll be playing, playing, playing for the next few days... hope you all have a great week too!

From Mountains to Tray Tables by Grace at Design*Sponge (I need that gingham table!!)


Umbrella Skirts by Kelly at Design Crush


The No-Knead Beat Goes On: Easy Challah by PJ at Bakers' Banter


{Cake with Care} by Nole at Oh So Beautiful Paper (head over to her post to read the darling writing on the box)

Daring Cooks: Rice with Mushrooms and Artichokes

Time for another Daring Cooks dish! This month's challenge was hosted by the gracious Olga of Olga's Recipes. She hails from Spain, and chose a traditional rice dish by Spanish chef José Andrés . The original recipe called for cuttlefish, but I've been leaning towards vegetarianism a bit these days (not completely, just tendencies), so I took Olga's suggestion and used potatoes instead.



There were 3 distinct parts to this meal: the sofregit, which was a thick tomatoey, oniony, garlicky sauce; the alioli, an extremely potent garlic-olive oil mixture that's used as a condiment; and then the rice dish itself, which incorporates the sofregit and lots of other fun ingredients including artichoke hearts and mushrooms. I was able get all of the veggies from the Farmer's Market too, which made me happy.

Sofregit


Alioli


This was another "Daring" success. I'd love to make it again in the winter, it was quite a hearty comfort food. Thanks, Olga, for pushing my culinary boundaries! Be sure to head over to Olga's blog for the recipe and the Daring Cooks blogroll to see what everyone else came up with. Big thanks to my friend Anne for loaning me her mortar and pestle, and to my taste-testers Andy, Jon, and Victor for their willingness to taste my experiments!

CEiMB: Stuffed Turkey Burgers

It's time for this week's Ellie Krieger recipe, Stuffed Turkey Burgers, chosen by Peggy at Pantry Revisited.



So, here's the thing. If you decide to make this, make sure you follow the recipe. Don't be a fool like I was and make 2 giant burgers instead of 4 smaller ones because you bought a bit less turkey than the recipe called for. Because if you're me, then the burgers will start burning and dry out before you're completely convinced that they're cooked all the way through, even though they probably are. Yeah.

Andy really liked his, and it's a great idea in theory, but I think I'll stick to my favorite secret-ingredient turkey burger recipe next time. If you do make these, I (and many commenters on the Food Network site) recommend seasoning the turkey with your favorite spices before dividing into patties. I'm super excited for next week's Ellie recipe; stay tuned for some Thai-flavored goodness!

Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Adapted from Ellie Krieger
Printable Recipe

1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (Amy's note: I used the shredded Mexican blend I had on hand)
1/4 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Divide turkey into 4 equal sized rounds. Make 2 equal sized patties out of each round so you have 8 patties total. Sprinkle 4 of the patties with 2 tablespoons red peppers and cheese, and top with remaining patties, working the turkey around the edges to seal burgers closed. Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper.

2. Grill or broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

I woke up one morning last week, jumped out of bed (not my usual m.o., usually I drag myself), and thought, "I'm making jam cookies today!" The inspiration struck completely out of nowhere. Who am I to question a cookie impulse?



I made half with Smucker's seedless raspberry, and the other half with local marionberry jam from my favorite jam vendor at our local Farmers Market. I brought these to Andy's office and they were gone in minutes. Maybe even seconds.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup seedless raspberry (or any other variety) jam
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
3 oz (6 tbsp) cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat. Fill a small Ziploc bag (Amy's note: I used my pastry bag, makes it easy if you have one!) with the jam. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the cream cheese, egg, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beater(s) as necessary.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Working with 1 1/2 tsp of dough at a time (Amy's note: I just used a heaping teaspoonful, didn't bother measuring exactly), roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb. If you find your thumb sticking to the cookies, wet it a bit with water.

5. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they are just beginning to set and are lightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and, working quickly, gently reshape the indentation with the bottom of a teaspoon measure. Snip a small corner off the bag of jam (or get your pastry bag ready) and carefully fill each indentation with about 1/2 tsp of the jam. Put the cookies back in the oven and continue to bake until lightly golden, 12-14 minutes.

6. Let the cookies cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes, before serving.

Hobo Eclairs

We had a great time camping in the mountains this past weekend with lots of friends and lots of dogs! I took 500 pictures, but that's a story for another time. I feel most privileged and honored to have been let in on the best-kept camping secret ever by a new friend of ours, and I'm so excited to share it with you now. Allow me to introduce...hobo eclairs!



So you take a broomstick (clean and unpainted, of course) and rub the end of it generously with a stick of butter. Then take a square of Pillsbury crescent dough (2 perforated triangles together) and wrap it around the end of the broomstick, making sure that the end is sealed. Roast it slowly over the campfire until it's puffy and golden brown. Make sure you don't get engrossed in conversation and let it burn!



Once it's cooked, let it cool for a minute or so, then slide the cooked dough off the stick. Squirt a healthy dose of whipped cream inside, then drizzle (on top or inside) with chocolate syrup.



Brilliant, right?

Seeing Stars, 8.10.09

It's Monday, which means it's time for Seeing Stars, my weekly roundup of blog posts I've "starred" in Google Reader. Have a great week!

Funky Lunch, A Gallery of Creative Sandwiches by Robyn at Serious Eats


Lemon Meringue Cake by Bridget at The Way the Cookie Crumbles


We Like It Wild: Farm to Table by Grace at Design*Sponge


Sweetness Redefined by Thoughtful Day


Color in the Kitchen: Chinese Porcelain Blue by Nora at The Kitchn (Amy's note: this is my *dream* kitchen!)

Green Apple Basil Sorbet

While mulling over what to do with our surplus of basil, Andy suggested basil sorbet. I was a bit skeptical, but thought it would be a fun experiment, so I agreed.



There are lots of recipes out there, but we chose one from The Kitchn. The main essence of this sorbet came from the Granny Smith apples that serve as the base. Their tartness and apple-y flavor really came through along with the basil, which I loved (and Andy didn't). Overall, this was a light, refreshing, and different dessert, but I prefer more traditional flavors of sorbet.

This is my entry for Grow Your Own #33, hosted by MomGateway.


Green Apple Basil Sorbet
Adapted from The Kitchn
Printable Recipe

makes about 2 pints, or 5 cups

2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cups sugar
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2-3 cups packed basil or mint leaves, plus 1/4 extra for garnish.
1/2 cup apple juice
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water and the sugar to a boil. Add the apples, and simmer over medium-low flame for about 2-3 minutes, or until apples easily break apart with a wooden spoon. Add the basil leaves. Cover, remove from heat, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a metal bowl, stir in the apple juice and lemon juice. Allow to cool in refrigerator, or over a larger bowl of ice water.

2. Once cool, pour mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. When sorbet is frozen (it will still seem quite soft), transfer to a storage container, cover tightly and freeze until ready to serve. Before serving, garnish with basil leaves.

Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Some girls like jewelry or shoes... my indulgence is cookbooks! My collection's relatively small, and will likely be obsolete someday soon, but in the meantime, I can't get enough.

We just returned from a lovely day trip to Ashland, Oregon to meet up with my in-laws who were in town for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. We saw The Music Man (obviously one of Shakespeare's most acclaimed works). While wandering around the quaint shops downtown, my dear mother-in-law and I popped into a fun kitchen store. Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good*, because I walked out of there with my very own shiny new copy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. To say I'm excited is a huge understatement. Thanks, Maw and Paw!


(source)

Now, the big question, what to make first? I'm trying to decide between the Lemon Lemon Loaf, Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust, or Root Beer Bundt Cake. Does anyone have this book? What's your favorite recipe?

*If anyone caught that reference, you're my new best friend.

And, as long as I'm at it, a few photos from today's field trip:

Thai Cooking School: Red Curry Chicken with Thai Eggplant

The final dish that my friend Mary and I recreated from our Thai cooking class was Red Curry Chicken with Thai Eggplant and Bamboo Shoots.

These are Thai eggplants. They're in the tomato family. Aren't they pretty?


Red is my favorite type of curry, so of course I loved this. I was quite impressed that we were able to pull off such an authentic-tasting recreation! A word of caution: the recipe calls for 2 to 3 tablespoons of curry paste. We likey spicy, so we used 3, which was H-O-T, and we even forgot to buy the chilies! It was the perfect amount of spicy for me, but actually rendered it inedible for a few of our friends (sorry, girls!). So, unless everyone you're cooking for is really into burn-your-mouth-off spicy, I'd err on the side of caution and use 2 tablespoons rather than 3.



That concludes this little series on Thai cooking! We had so much fun that we decided to make these international cooking nights a regular thing. Our new motto: "Pack your bags and open your mouth!" Next stop, Italy!

Red Curry Chicken with Thai Eggplant and Bamboo Shoots
Adapted from Niddy
Printable Recipe

1 cup boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced
1 cup bamboo shoots
5-7 Thai eggplants, stems removed and cut into 4-6 wedges (do this as late in the prep process as possible so they don't brown)
20-25 leaves Thai sweet basil
3-5 Thai chilies, stemmed and halved
4-6 leaves Kaffir lime leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 cups coconut milk, divided (don't shake the can or give it to your friend's 2 year old to play with! You'll need 1 cup of the creamy stuff at the top of the can and 1 cup of the thin liquid at the bottom), plus more as needed
2-3 tablespoons red curry paste
White rice for serving

1. Heat 1 cup of creamy coconut milk in a wok or pan on medium-high heat.

2. Once the creamy coconut milk boils and the coconut oil starts to separate, add red curry paste. Keep stirring and flipping so that it does not get burned. Add more creamy coconut milk 3-4 tablespoons at a time if the paste starts to stick to the cooking spoon and pan. Cook until fragrant, about 4-6 minutes.

3. Add chicken. Stir chicken to prevent burning on medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes or until cooked. If the coconut milk is drying up, keep adding the creamy coconut milk 3-4 tablespoons at a time.

4. Add sugar and fish sauce. Stir well.

5. Add the 1 cup of thin coconut milk. Bring to a rapid boil and add bamboo shoots, eggplant, basil, lime leaves, and chilies. Boil for 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over steamed white rice.