pear gingerbread cakes

these li'l cakes of goodness make strangers say, "please, sit on my faaaaaaaaaaaace!" the moist cake paired with the pear (zing!) is akin to flying spaghetti monster tears.

auditory pairing: beirut - santa fe (wait for the end of the video, WAIT FOR IT!)

a new bowl from a favorite!

 spraying measuring cup with cooking spray before adding molasses helps tons

pear gingerbread cakes

yields 8 cakes

from technicolor kitchen

1 1/3c all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp

1/3 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c molasses

1 egg

1/2 milk, room temp

2 pears

1. preheat oven to 350 and line 8 muffin pans with parchment paper squares

2. whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon in a bowl

3. put the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth

4. add the brown sugar, beat until light and fluffy

5. pour in the molasses, beat until smooth

6. add egg, mix until incorporated

7. on medium-low, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with flour

8. beat until smooth at medium speed

9. divide each pear lengthwise into quarters and remove seeds

10. divide the batter among the 8 parchment liners and place one pear piece into each, sinking it in a little

11. fill the empty muffin cavities halfway with water

12. bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean

13. cool in the pan for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely

(or not, i ate them hot and they were MONEY BABY)

grilled veggie sandwiches with a balsamic reduction

'round these parts, i'm known as the rain goddess. ask my neighbor. after all, he coined the term. see, last year i left for lebanon twice. each time was over 2 weeks. during each of those 2 weeks, richmond had not one drop of rain. each time i got back? RAIN! ergo,  vis-a-vis, concordantly, i am THE RAIN GODDESS. today as i was making these, i summoned the rain to come just as i was finishing up on the grill. damn it feels good to be a gangsta.

auditory pairing: miike snow - animal

grilled veggie and mozzarella ciabatta sandwiches with a balsamic reduction

yields 4-5 sandwiches

4-5 ciabatta rolls

1 large zucchini

1 medium eggplant

2 red bell peppers

1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced

extra virgin olive oil

1/2 c plus extra balsamic vinegar

salt, pepper

1. slice zucchini (along the oblique axis), and eggplant into 1/4" slices

2. de-seed and slice the bell peppers into quarters

3. add veggies to a large ziploc and add enough oil and vinegar to coat

4. season with salt and pepper

5. place on a preheated grill on medium heat, after a few minutes flip, and grill for a few minutes longer

6. meanwhile, add about 1/2 c balsamic vinegar to a small pan and simmer on medium-low heat until reduced (it's ready when it coats the back of a spoon), take off heat

7. remove veggies from grill and place sliced ciabatta rolls face down on grill to crisp up a bit

8. flip over and brush balsamic reduction on the inside

9. layer eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers to your liking 

10. add sliced mozzarella, and close the sandwich, leave on grill with top closed until mozza melts (under a minute)

and EAT! (ps, it's still raining)

poached egg salad with citrus dressing

okok. so, since i forgot how to use all kitchen appliances after the hurricane...i thought i would start off with boiling water. BABY STEPS people, baby steps. this salad is so refreshing, and once the poached egg is popped, it mixes so well with the rest of the salad. are you ready? it starts right now!

auditory pairing: caveman - a country's king of dreams (free download from BrooklynVegan)




poached egg salad with citrus dressing
yields 4 servings
adapted from ReadyMade magazine


3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 tsp orange zest
1 tbsp tarragon, finely chopped
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
salt, ground pepper
1 tbsp vinegar (sherry, rice wine, etc)
4 eggs
4 c arugula
1 c watercress sprigs
handful grape tomatoes


1. whisk together lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest, and tarragon
2. slowly add olive oil to the mixture, whisking constantly until combined. add salt and pepper to taste
3. in a shallow saucepan filled with 2 inches of water, add the vinegar and bring to a gentle boil
4. lower the heat until water is no longer boiling
5. crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl/cup. slip each egg into the water
6. poach eggs for around 3 minutes, until whites become opaque and firm to the touch
7. remove with a slotted spoon onto a towel-lined dish
8. toss the arugula, watercress, and tomatoes with the vinaigrette
9. divide into 4 plates, top each with poached egg, and season with salt, pepper

caprese skewers

HOLY CRAP guys! hurricane irene left me without power for seven days. in those seven days i reverted back to human's natural state. i ate a few of our puppies for sustenance, raw of course. i studied by candle light. and i completely forgot how to use all appliances in our kitchen. this here (non)recipe is all i remember how to make. YOU'RE WELCOME.

auditory pairing: human highway - the sound


caprese skewers
yields any amount you wish


grape tomatoes
basil
fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar (i know, not supposed to be made with this. whu-eva)
salt
fresh ground pepper
toothpicks


1. thread a tomato, a piece of basil, and a cube of mozza onto a toothpick and place onto a lipped plate
2. repeat for as many as you like
3. drizzle balsamic, and olive oil
4. sprinkle with salt and peppa


and SERVE!


-JA

(in)famous NYT chocolate chip cookies

ok so if you love food and read a lot of food blogs (as i do), chances are that you've heard of the ubiquitous New York Times chocolate chip cookies. i wish i could tell you don't believe the hype! but that would be a lie. the hype is right, my friends. (see that rhyme i made?) these are my go-to party cookie. they are absolutely worth the slightly extra effort. the sea salt on top? takes this whole situation to a higher level!!!

ps. you totally dont need to refrigerate this dough a full 24 hours before baking... that's just crazy talk! (but if you can wait, they truly do get better and better)

chocolate chip cookies

adapted from The New York Times

- 2 cups minus 2 tbsp. *cake flour

- 1 2/3 cups *bread flour

- 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

- 1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt

- 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated cane sugar

- 2 eggs

- 2 tsp. natural vanilla extract

- 1 1/4 lb. *chocolate

- sea salt

*note about flour-- it's rare i have both kinds of these flours on hand, i've used plain old all-purpose King Arthur with good results

*note about chocolate-- Jacques Torres says to use chocolate disks, and by all means go ahead if you can find them and don't mind spending the extra $$. i use a combination of 60% cacao Ghirardelli baking chips and a broken up bar of good quality dark chocolate, at least 60% - 75% cacao. the better the chocolate, the more amazing this cookie will be.

1. sift flour(s), baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

2. cream butter and sugars together at medium speed until very light (about 5 minutes). add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. stir in the vanilla. reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. fold in chocolate by hand to avoid breaking up the pieces.

3. press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 - 36 hours. dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. (or, if you are a renegade like me, disregard this entirely and proceed to preheating the oven. try to limit yourself to just one batch though, and save the rest for the next day)

WARNING-- chilled cookie dough is delectable and extremely addictive (like you need me to tell you this) and it will taunt you every time you open the fridge, calling to you with its siren song... you should probably hide the bowl behind a milk carton and some yogurt or something else virtuous, otherwise you'll eat it all before you can bake it, chilling time be damned. don't say i didn't warn you...

4. when ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. line baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking mat (this is crucial!)

5. scoop dough roughly the size of generous golf balls onto baking sheet. sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

these cookies keep pretty well in an airtight container or ziplock bag. they firm up a bit when cool but are so yummy dunked in milk, coffee, hot tea, what have you...

auditory pairing: givers- up up up -- this song is a great motivator for a quick run around the block while your dough be chillin... or, just to dance around your living room waiting for the timer to go off the first batch. no judgement!

puff pastry apple hand pies

did THIS happen to you last night? and the only thing that will make that horrible night (and embarrassment) go away is some damn apple pie? not to fear, my lovely. this is a fast, fun, and easy hand pie recipe that will cure ALL.

auditory pairing: carl sagan - a glorious dawn (ft stephen hawking) (if you get why, i love you!)




puff pastry apple hand pies
yields 9 pies


- 1 large apple (any type), peeled, chopped thinly
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp turbinado sugar (plus extra for "sprinkling")
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed


preheat oven to 400F
1. mix chopped apple, cinnamon, 1 tbsp turbinado sugar, and cornstarch together
2. cut puff pastry sheet into 9 squares
3. place about a tablespoon of the apple mixture on one diagonal of each square
4. brush beaten egg along the diagonal sides, and fold pastry square corner to corner
5. use a fork to crimp along the touching edges, you should now have triangle hand pies
6. place on parchment paper and brush the tops with beaten egg
7. sprinkle turbinado sugar on top
8. bake at 400F for 20 minutes
9. place on wire rack to cool slightly
10. serve by themselves, or with some vanilla ice cream

that. just. happened.

a creamy peanut butter pie for mikey

a few days back, i noticed tastespotting being inundated with peanut butter pies. i assumed it was some daring baker's challenge and thought nothing of it. then, @tastespotting tweeted:

so i clicked one of the posts, and it talked about jennifer from "In Jennie's Kitchen". it took me to this post. seriously. i cried and cried....and then i thought about my dad and cried some more. jennifer's husband passed away unexpectedly, and there was an outpouring of the community asking how they can show support. jennie wrote: 

"For those asking what they can do to help my healing process, make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on."

this pie's for you jennie, your children, your husband mikey.....and my beloved dad.

auditory pairing: band of horses - the funeral

creamy peanut butter pie

adapted from in jennie's kitchen

yields 8-10 servings

1 ready-made chocolate pie shell

4oz semi sweet chocolate chips, plus more for decorating

1/4 c chopped hazelnuts

1 c heavy cream

8oz neufchatel cheese

1 c creamy peanut butter

1 c confectioner's sugar

14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. melt 4oz chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until all chocolate is melted

2. pour over ready-made pie crust and spread to the edges

3. sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts over the melted chocolate, place in fridge to cool

4. pour the cream into a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form, place in fridge

5. in a large bowl, add neufchatel and peanut butter. beat on medium until light and fluffy

6. reduce speed to low and gradually beat in confectioner's sugar

7. add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and lemon juice, increase speed to medium and beat until all ingredients are combined and smooth

8. stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the mixture, the fold in the remaining whipped cream

9. pour the filling into the prepared crust

10. drizzle melted chocolate over, or shaved chocolate, or just add some chocolate chips (i shaved some chocolate and added some chips)

11. refrigerate for 3hrs or overnight