Bites of (Chocolate) Heaven

For my office holiday party, we caved in to tradition and held a white elephant gift exchange. You know, the kind of gift exchange where you take turns, and each person has the option of picking a new gift from the stash, or stealing a gift from someone else... I wanted to bring something that wouldn't break my budget, while still being one of the most coveted of the bunch. I succeeded in both goals by making these delicious Frangelico dark chocolate truffles. Not only did they get stolen more than any other gift, but the recipe also made enough so that I could save the leftovers for myself. Now that's what I call success!

This recipe is originally from Baker's Royale, and I highly recommend it for all your chocolate and holiday gift needs.

VELVETY DARK CHOCOLATE FRANGELICO TRUFFLES

THE GOODS

1 cup heavy cream ($0.99)
1 vanilla bean, split, I used 1 teaspoon vanilla extract instead ($4.79 for a large bottle - could be free if you have it)
1 lb. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped ($1.50)
1/4 cup of Frangelico liqueur ($5.99)
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting ($1.59)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder, I left this out

The Grand Total: $14.86 for about 25-30 truffles

THE WAY

Place heavy cream in a saucepan. Cut and split vanilla beans vertically and then scrape vanilla bean seeds into cream and then place emptied vanilla seeds in as well (or, pour in vanilla extract). Bring vanilla cream mixture to a boil. Remove sauceepan from heat and pour cream through a strainer over chopped chocolate. Remove vanilla seed and let stand for 10 seconds. Add salt (and espresso powder, if using) to mixture and gently stir until combined.  

Pour Frangelico in and stir until combined. Then cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.   

If you have a 1 inch melon baller, use it to scoop out chocolate rounds and place on parchment lined bake sheet. Make sure to clean the melon baller with warm water as you go for easy formation. If you don't have a melon baller, scoop out about a tablespoon of the chocolate and roll it between the palms of your hands to shape it into a sphere. Make sure you hands are clean between rolling for easy formation. Finsh by rolling in cocoa powder, or crushed nuts or coconut.

How Do You Say Betty Homemaker in Russian?

For the past 6 months, my Russian roommate has been telling me about her mom's homemade cottage cheese. So when milk was on sale at the market, we finally got our act together and tested it out. 

As I experimented with buttermilk, cheescloth, and the creepy looking curd, I felt like some sort of mix between a scientist and an old fashioned babushka. When we were finally done curd-ing and cheescloth-ing, and I mixed my homemade cottage cheese with non-homemade jam from Trader Joe's, I had a feeling that back in the "old country" my ancestors were smiling at me. Creepy and charming all at once, I know.

Anyways, test out this recipe for homemade cottage cheese when you've got time to kill. It's an adventure in itself, and it makes something healthy and delicious the way it was made in the olden days. 

HOMEMADE COTTAGE CHEESE 
THE GOODS
1 gallon milk, I used 1% ($3.10)
1 quart buttermilk ($1.29)
Cheesecloth ($3.79) 

The Grand Total: $8.18  for about 6 servings, or $1.36 per serving

THE WAY

In a crockpot, stir 1 quart of buttermilk into 1 gallon of milk. Let stand at room temperature 12 to 18 hours until set (clabbered). Cook the clabber at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes, until the whey separates from curds.






Wrap cheesecloth tightly over the top of a small bowl. Pour as much whey (liquid) as possible out of the crockpot and discard the whey. Then, place pieces of the clabber on the cheesecloth and gently push them down so that more of the liquid drains out into the bowl. Place the strained portions in a bowl and refrigerate. If you like it sweeter, add a little cream of jam.

Doughn't Mind If I Do

Pastry dough. Ain't nothin like it.... it's buttery, it's flaky, it's crunchy, it melts in your mouth. And have you ever thought of how versatile it is? It can be either savory or sweet, highly convenient if you're like me and need to have a little bit of both.

At my Thanksgiving dinner, an investment in 2 sheets of pastry dough resulted in my serving my guests 2 cups full of sea salt clad mustard batons, as well as some sweet, carmelized four-spice palmiers (delicious crunchy French cookies). I based the batons on this recipe from "Savoring Time in the Kitchen", and the palmier on this one from "Food Lover Odyssey." The leftovers--what little there were--made me a very happy snacker the following day.

Follow my lead.

SEA SALT ENCRUSTED MUSTARD BATONS

& 4 SPICE PALMIERS

 

 

THE GOODS

For mustard batons:

1 pastry sheet ($4.89)

1/4 cup Dijon mustard ($1.79)

1 large egg ($0.20)

Sea salt and pepper

All purpose flour, for rolling out puff pastry

Parchment paper

For palmiers:

1 sheet of pastry dough (see above)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ($1.99)

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger ($1.99)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg ($1.99)

1/8 teaspoon allspice ($1.99)

1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus an extra 3 tablespoons

Parchment paper

The Grand Total: $4.36 for the mustard batons, $10.41for the palmiers

THE WAY

For the mustard batons (from Savoring Time in the Kitchen):

Place the racks inside the oven so that the oven is divided into thirds (or, use a toaster oven). Preheat oven to 400F. Place a silicone baking mat or parchment paper on two large baking sheets.

Take one pastry sheet out of the package and keep the other refrigerated until ready to use. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it measures 12 x 16 inches, approximately, with the shortest end facing you. Find the middle and mark it lightly. On the lowest half, spread about ¼ cup of mustard, stopping about 1/8 inch from the side and bottom edges. Fold the top of the dough over the bottom. 

 

Mark the pastry every ¾ inch or so, then cut into strips using a pizza/pastry cutter or sharp knife.
Carefully, transfer the strips to one of the lined baking sheets (keeping about 2 inches between them since they will puff up) and chill or freeze while you work on the second sheet of puff pastry. At this point, you can freeze them on the sheets and then wrap air-tight until ready to use for up to 2 months.

 When ready to bake, beat the egg with a little cold water and brush the tops of the strips. Sprinkle them with coarsely ground pepper and sea salt. You could also use poppy or sesame seeds.

Bake for 8 minutes, rotate and transfer the sheets, then bake for another 7 to 8 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

For the palmiers (from Food Lover Odyssey): 

Mix together the 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.  Sprinkle a generous portion (about 3 tablespoons) of the mixture onto the sheet of puff pastry.  Starting at the outer edges, fold over 2 1/2 inches of the puff towards the center of  the sheet.  Do this on both sides.  Sprinkle the newly folded over portions with the spiced sugar mixture.

  

From both outer edges, fold another 2 1/2 inches over towards the center.  Do this on both sides.  At this point, the folds will meet in the center.  Sprinkle the newly folded over portions with the spiced sugar mixture. Fold the two parts together.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  

Preheat the oven to 410ºF and place parchment paper on two baking sheets.

Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and slice into even slices, 3/8-1/2 inch in thickness.  Place on the baking sheet, leaving a 3-inch space between each palmier.  Sprinkle the tops of each sliced palmier, first with the spiced-sugar mixture, then again with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly golden. Cool slightly. Enjoy!

We Got the Beet

Ever since my boss had to leave work in the middle of the day because she realized she left her beets roasting in the over (this happened 2-3 weeks ago), I have had an uncontrollable craving for beets. (Don't worry, her house and her beets survived this traumatic experience thanks to her babysitter's savvy.)

Naturally, when I saw a bunch of beets eyeing me from across the table at Sunday's farmer's market, I knew what I had to do. Soon enough, the beets were bumbing along in my backpack, then back resting in my vegetable drawer.

I didn't know what to do with them. I went on automatic. I roasted them. With a little olive oil and a little rosemary, the results made me a very happy customer. And when I sliced the final product and tossed them into a spinach salad with gorgonzola and candied walnuts (not pictured here, because my appetite has made it extinct), I was even happier.


ROSEMARY ROASTED BEETS

THE GOODS

Roasted Beets: 
Bunch of beets ($2)
About 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
Optional: about 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (free, from my mom's garden)

The Grand Total: $2

If you want to add spinach, gorgonzola, and candied walnuts to your list of ingredients too, be my guest!

THE WAY


Preheat the over to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut of the beet greens if they're attached to the beets. You can use them for another recipe, or even substitute them in a recipe that calls for chard.

Wash the beets, dry them, and put them on an oven safe pan or a large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle the beets with oil: you can use as much or as little as you like. Fold the foil over the pan and crimp the sides closed. Roast them for 25-45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets.

Let them cool until you can handle them, then use your fingers or a paring knife to gently slide the skin off the beets.

Serve peeled roasted beets with a sprinkle of salt or slice and put them in a salad with creamy cheese like gorgonzola or goat cheese.

Oh My. Berry Pie (I Mean Crisp).

What is better than a hot steaming berry crisp a la mode? Well, that's what I was trying to figure out when it occurred to me: nothing. Except maybe something nutty, something streusely... something that could absolutely be combined with my berry crisp to rock my sweet toothed world. 

To be perfectly honest, when I embarked on my inspired journey to the berry promised land, I had little direction and lots of hunger. I must say, however, that with my sense of adventure (and this recipe from tastefoodblog.com) as my guide, I think I may have found it.


The warm flavors of tart berry, smooth and nutty macadamia nuts, buttery streusel melting with creamy vanilla ice cream on my tongue made me forget all my worries, as well as all the turkey I'd eaten just minutes earlier.... and that is a success if I've ever had one.


4 BERRY CRISP WITH MACADAMIA NUT STREUSEL

Serves about 10

THE GOODS

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour ($1.99)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar ($1.39)
1/4 cup granulated sugar ($1.99)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ($1.99)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg ($1.39)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut in 1/2″ cubes (4 sticks $2.99)
1/2 cup toasted, skinned and chopped macadamia nuts, can sub hazelnuts too ($6.99)
Optional: a pinch of ground ginger and/or allspice

For the filling:
1/4 cup granulated sugar (see above)

2 lbs fresh mixed berries e.g. Trader Joe's berry medley, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries ($7.98)
About 6 oz. fresh cranberries ($1.99)

The Grand Total: $28.70 - kind of expensive if you have to buy everything, but hopefully you have some of the ingredients already. If you want to make it even cheaper, sub a different nut for the macadamias, or leave them out altogether.

THE WAY

First, make the topping. You can make it up to one day in advance and refridgerate it until you're ready to make the crisp. Toast the nuts for a few minutes (I did 4 minutes in the toaster oven) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep an eye on them; they burn quickly! While the nuts are cooling, mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a medium bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingers until topping resembles coarse meal. Mix in the nuts.

Preheat oven to 375 F. (190 C.)

For the filling, slice the strawberries, but leave all the other berries whole. In a bowl, mix them all with 1/4 cup of sugar, then dump them into a glass dish -- either a round pie dish or a square/rectangular casserole dish work. Cover the filling evenly with the topping.

Bake until bubbly and golden brown on top, about 50 minutes. Remove and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

Rollin' in Pumpkin

Another potluck to attend. Another cheap dish to brainstorm. Another night searching through Tastespotting.com.

And then I found it: the perfect idea. I love pumpkin bread. I love nutella. I love mascarpone. Why not roll them all together?

So that's what I did. I combined this recipe for pumpkin roulade  and this recipe for the mascarpone/nutella filling. I don't take full credit for this recipe, as it was the product of Kacey's Kitchen and Bellalimento (the blogs where I found those recipes) with a little bit of my brainpower. But I must say the result was fabulous. There were probably about 10 desserts, including 3 types of pumpkin bread. My dish was the only one that was emptied.  

PUMPKIN ROULADE WITH MASCARPONE & NUTELLA

THE GOODS

3/4 cup all-purpose flour ($1.99)

1/2 tsp baking powder ($1.39)

1/2 tsp baking soda ($1.55)

1 tsp ground cinnamon ($1.99)

1 tsp ground ginger ($1.39)

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg ($1.39)

3 large eggs, room temperature ($0.80)

1 cup granulated sugar ($1.99)

3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling) ($0.99)

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for dusting ($1.29)

8 ounces mascarpone – room temperature ($3.49)
2 tablespoons Nutella (not sure - I had some on hand. Also, optional)
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Parchment paper

The Grand Total: $18.26 for about 10-12 servings, depending how thin you slice it 

THE WAY 


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 18 by 1-inch sheet pan. Line the pan with parchment paper and grease and flour the paper.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and stir to combine.

Place the eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light yellow and thickened. 

With the mixer on low, add the pumpkin, then slowly add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Finish mixing the batter by hand with a rubber spatula.

Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake the cake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the top springs back when gently touched. 
 

While the cake is baking, lay out a clean, thin cotton dish towel on a flat surface and sift the entire 1/4 cup of confectioners' sugar evenly over it. (This will prevent the cake from sticking to the towel.) As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, loosen it around the edges and invert it squarely onto the prepared towel. Peel away the parchment paper. 

With a light touch, roll the warm cake and the towel together (don't press!) starting at the short end of the cake. Allow to cool about 90% on a wire rack. It should be warm enough to unroll without cracking, but cool enough to icing without melting.

Meanwhile, make the filling. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone and nutella together for about a minute, until light and fluffy.

To assemble, carefully unroll the cake onto a board with the towel underneath. Spread the cake evenly with the filling. Re-roll the cake in a spiral using the towel as a guide.


Remove the towel and trim the ends to make a neat edge. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve sliced.

A Spanish Staple

When I studied abroad in Spain, one of the staples in my pantry was the little muffins known as "magdalenas." Similar to French madeleines, magdalenas are sweet little light muffin bites, eaten often with cafe con leche for breakfast or as a snack after siesta. I found this recipe for them on this French blog, and used the translator on the side to make them for

MAGDALENAS 



THE GOODS 

2 3/4 cups flour ($1.99)
1 1/4 cup sugar ($1.99)
1 cup vegetable oil ($3.29)
1 teaspoon baking powder ($1.39)
1/2 cup whipping cream ($2.79)
Zest of 1 lemon ($0.20)

4 eggs ($0.12 per egg, $0.48)

Pam/vegetable oil spray

Optional: about 1 tablespoon of orange juice

The Grand Total: $12.13

THE WAY

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a bowl or using your food processor (I used my blender), whisk the eggs and sugar until they turn whitish. Add the lemon zest or flavor chosen (I also added a little bit of orange juice), cream and oil. Mix well.

Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder. Mix until dough is smooth.

Spray your muffin tins with Pam. Pour batter into trays or muffin tins (fill to 3 / 4 molds).

Bake for 15 minutes watching the crust does not brown too much. 

Young Corn and Celery Soup

Oftentimes my dinner is the product of my raking through the refrigerator to figure out what I have on hand. Yesterday, I came up with carrots and celery (left over from my lentil soup). On a rainy day in San Francisco, my brain processed this information and began to plead for soup.

Since I just made a couple different soups last week, I wanted to make something that was totally different: bonjour Tartine Gourmand! I can always depend on the Tartine Gourmand, a beautiful blog by a French woman who takes pictures of her getaways, along with whimsical pictures of the food she makes to take along. I found this lovely soup, and cheapified it but still made something cozy, creamy, and delicious.

YOUNG CORN AND CELERY SOUP

THE GOODS

3/4 bag of frozen corn ($1.29)
1 1/2 cups whole milk ($1.49)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion or shallot, diced ($0.40)
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated finely ($1)
2 young carrots, peeled and diced ($1.29)
2 celery branches, diced ($1)
Salt and pepper
3/4 to 1 cup cold water
Optional:
Fresh parsley
Dash of paprika
About 5 to 6 cherry tomatoes, diced
Chiffonade of fresh basil
I left out (but I'm sure it would be good if you included): 1 small celeriac with greens attached, peeled and diced (about 3 oz once cleaned), 3 thyme twigs, 1 bay leaf

The Grand Total: $6.47 for about 2-3 servings, or $3.23 per serving

THE WAY

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a thick-bottomed pot and when hot, add the onion and thyme. Let cook, without browning, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute.

Add the celery branch, carrot, celeriac with its greens, and the bay leaf. Let cook for 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels — reserve about 2/3 cup that you boil for 1 minute in salted water — and 1.5 cups water, and the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until all the vegetables are fork-tender.

Remove the thyme and bay leaf, then puree the soup in the blender or food processor. Check the texture of the soup and if too thick, add more water. Season to taste. Serve warm in bowls with the diced tomatoes, the extra corn kernels, fresh parsley and basil. Finish with a dash of paprika.

Give Thanks for Shortbread and Cranberries

As Thanksgiving rolls around, I've been racking my brain, my books, and my Google--well, I guess it's not really my Google, is it?--for some brilliance and deliciousness. There are plenty of great recipes circulating around, but I wanted something that was easy, cheap, and didn't require me buying many things that I don't already have. Enter cranberry shortbread.

I found this simple, cheap, and yummy-looking recipe--which is originally from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours--on "Singleton in the Kitchen" and decided to give it a go. Literally the only thing I had to buy this grocery run was a bag of cranberries, which only ran me up $1.99. ...And it's healthy, right? I mean, there is fruit in it!

I really made only a few modifications to Singleton's recipe. I did not have an orange, so I used a lime instead, which I think added a nice complementary zing to the cranberries. I used about 1 cup (rather than 3/4 cup) of sugar, since she said people commented that hers was too tart. And I added cinnamon to the shortbread recipe, because I figured, "Hey, it's Thanksgiving. Why not?"

I hope you enjoy this around your Thanksgiving table as much as I have on my typical work potluck table.


CRANBERRY SHORTBREAD TARTLET

THE GOODS

For the Jam Filling:

1 large navel orange - I subbed 1 lime ($0.20)

about 1/4 cup of orange juice ($1.50)

1 12-ounce bag cranberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed) ($1.99)

About 1 cup sugar ($1.99)

For the Cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ($1.99)

1 teaspoon baking powder ($1.39)

Pinch of salt

1 stick plus 5 tablespoons (13 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature ($1)

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar  (see sugar above)

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk ($1.49 for a dozen, $0.12 for 1)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ($4.79 for a large bottle - could be free if you have it)

Optional: cinnamon (I added this; wasn't in the original recipe)

The Grand Total: $15.09 - but since most of this should be stuff you already have, it will probably be way less! All I had to buy are the cranberries.

THE WAY

To Make the Jam Filling:

Grate the zest of an orange into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Slice off the peel, removing the white, cottony pith that sticks to the fruit, and slice between the membranes to release the orange segments. Cut the segments into 1/4-inch wide pieces and toss these into the pan. Working over a measuring cup, squeeze the juice from the membranes -- if you have 1/4 cup, great; if not, add enough additional orange juice (or water) to make 1/4 cup -- and pour it into the pan. 

Put the cranberries in the pan, stir in 3/4 cup of sugar, set the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook, stirring almost constantly, until the cranberries pop and your spoon leaves tracks, about 5 minutes. Scrape the jam into a bowl and taste it -- if it's too tart, add more sugar to taste. Cool to room temperature. (The filling can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)

 
To Make the Cake: 

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. 

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl (or a fork, if you're as low maintenance as I am), beat the butter on medium speed until soft and smooth. Add 1 cup of sugar and continue to beat until it dissolves into the butter. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the egg and egg yolk and, beating until they too are absorbed. Beat in the vanilla.







Add the flour mixture, mixing only until it is incorporated; since this is a delicate dough, one that should not be over beaten, you might want to finish mixing in the flour by hand using a sturdy spatula. You'll have a thick dough, one that is quite malleable. 

Turn the dough out onto a smooth surface and gather it together in a ball, then divide in half and pat each half into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate them for 15 to 30 minutes. (At this point, the dough can be refrigerated overnight; set it out at room temperature for about 20 minutes before proceeding.)

Getting Ready to Bake:

While the dough is chilling, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan (preferably nonstick) and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. 

Work with one piece of dough at a time. For the bottom layer, either roll out the dough to size between two pieces of plastic wrap -- it's an easy enough dough to roll -- and lay it in the pan, or put the dough in the pan and press it lightly and evenly across the bottom with your fingertips. Spread the cranberry filling over the dough.

Unwrap the second piece of dough, but leave it on the plastic. Press and/or roll it until it is just the diameter of the pan. Carefully lift the dough and invert it on the filling, lift off the plastic and use your fingers to even it as necessary so that it covers the filling. Brush the top of the cake very lightly with water and sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top of the cake is lightly golden and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool for about 20 minutes, then run a blunt knife around the cake, remove the sides of the pan and let cool to room temperature.

 

Squash Me Softly

In my Chinatown wanderings, I stumbled upon a large, green, pumpkin-looking item. I lifted one that was pre-cut (in half), schlepped it to the register and asked how much it cost. "$2.15." And...sold...to the lady in black (that's me!).

So there I was, sitting at my kitchen table, staring at a large, green, pumpkin-looking thing that was staring back at me. I knew I hadn't met my match, but I didn't know yet what to do with this bad boy. And hence the googling began. I knew it had to be some sort of squash, so I started with that little tidbit and eventually narrowed it down to Kabocha squash. I targeted some recipes about how to use it, and decided I would go with soup because--per usual--I wanted something warm, cozy, and creamy. I guess I've finally figured out the pattern emerging in my food consumption.

I basically followed this recipe on La Fuji Mama to a tee and was very happy with the final product. It lasted me about 4 meals, which was great penny pinching and made me one very happy lady in black.


ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH SOUP

THE GOODS

1/2 kabocha squash ($2.15)
1/2 can coconut milk (full can costs $1.09)
1 cup of chicken stock - or 1 tsp of chicken buillon and some water ($1?)
1/2 yellow onion (full onion costs $0.40)
A little olive oil or butter
Salt and pepper (and some cayenne/red pepper flakes if you like spice)

The Grand Total: $4.64 for at least 4 servings, that's $1.16 per serving

THE WAY

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut your Kabocha squash in half, if it isn't precut. Be very careful - the skin is thick and hard to cut through (don't cut yourself!). Take out all the guts and seeds.








 Put a little olive oil or butter on the flesh of the squash, prick it, then place it face down on a baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes to an hour, or until it's soft.






While it's baking, caramelize some onions in some olive oil in a sautee pan (don't know how to caramelize onions? click here!). You can also roast the squash seeds to use as a garnish.

When the squash is done cooking, scoop out the good stuff and toss the skin. Then, throw it in a food processor with half a can of coconut milk, 1 cup of chicken stock, and the caramelized onions.


Serve hot garnished with spicy roasted squash seeds.

Cooking the Books

In late August, there was a huge book fair near my apartment. Given my budgetary constraints, I skipped the first 6 days of the book fair and went only to the final day -- the day that all the leftover books (there must have been hundreds of thousands; I'm not exaggerating) were $1. Naturally, I went wild, but my most important purchase is a giant Drake's International Recipe Cookbook. It's just great. It organizes the recipes by type of food (e.g. appetizers, soups, fish, poultry) and within those categories, by region or type of cuisine. It even features recipes as obtuse as devils on horseback, and .... In fact, I even found my favorite tapas dish that I discovered when I studied abroad in Spain. That's how I know it's legit.

Anyways, I'm slowly working my way through my new treasure, because I know very little about food from Scandinavia, for example. And I know I have a lot to learn.

So there's your backstory. It resulted in me picking out this Mediterranean lentil soup to try my hand at Middle Eastern cuisine. My book features three types of lentil soups--from England, Ireland, and the Middle East. I love lentil soup, but my favorite is the one I had at this small Lebanese restaurant near my mom's house, so I figured it was worth a try.

I was very happy with the result, especially the day after (when the flavors seemed to meld together more). However, I left off the bay leaves, because I didn't want to buy them. Next time, I'd invest in some for added flavor. I'd also use more salt, and a chicken buillon to flavor the water. 

Also, I might consider taking some of the tips from this recipe--which I found later--like adding balsamic vinegar and canned tomatoes.

MEDITERRANEAN LENTIL SOUP

THE GOODS

1 lb lentils ($1.99)
2 onions, I recommend yellow although I used 1 red, 1 yellow ($0.80)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed ($1)
1 stalk of celery ($0.50)
1 carrot, grated ($0.50)
4 teaspoons chicken buillon - although I'd use more next time ($3.29)
2 lemons ($0.80) - the recipe called for vinegar, which I subbed the lemons for. If you're trying to make a more traditional recipe, or you have vinegar but no lemons lying around, use .... of vinegar)
Olive oil, salt, and pepper
2 bay leaves (I didn't use them due to cost, but I recommend it)

The Grand Total: $8.88 for 8 servings, or $1.11 per serving


THE WAY

Rinse and strain your lentils. Crush your garlic, chop your celery and onions, and grate your carrot. Pour about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan. Turn the heat to medium, and add the garlic, celery and onions. Let them sautee for about 7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent but not burnt.

Bring 10 cups of water to a boil (I used an electric water heater). Mix in the chicken buillon. Add the lentils, the carrot, and water/stock to the saucepan. Add salt, bay leaves and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down. Allow the pot to simmer for 45-50 minutes, or until the lentils are soft but not mushy. Before serving, squeeze about 1/4 of a lemon into each bowl.

A Snack Worth Napping For

What to do on a day off work.... what to do.... what to do.... It's times like these that you don't have homemade bread dough in your fridge for nothing. So I put it to work and made these babies from scratch. What to do next? Well, nap. Obviously.

CARAMELIZED ONION AND GRUYERE PANINIS ON ROSEMARY FRENCH BREAD

THE GOODS

Your premade boule dough, see recipe here, or a french bread purchased elsewhere
Gruyere cheese ($3.43)
Red onion ($0.40)
Balsamic vinegar and olive oil


The Grand Total: $3.83 for as many paninis as that block of cheese will make ya (or your stomach can handle)

THE WAY

Use the recipe for boule dough here, mixing rosemary into the ingredients before you add flour. After the dough is made (warning: read the recipe first, you should make the bread in significant advance of expected hunger).

Slice your red onions thinly and caramelize them by sauteeing them on medium low heat over 1 tablespoon or so of olive oil for 5-10 minutes, stirring once, until they start to brown. Then, add about 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and stir them up again. Let them cook for another 5 minutes or so.

Heat up your George Forman or grill pan, if you have them. If not, a sautee pan works fine. Slice up some gruyere cheese and your French bread. Assemble little paninis with the caramelized onions, and gruyere. Then grill, using a little bit of butter on your sautee pan if you're not using a grill.

Bon appetit!

2 Little Pumpkins Sitting on My Sill

If you're anything like me, your stomach is grumbling as you eye the Halloween pumpkins sitting unsuspectingly on your window sill. "How can I get you on my plate?" you're wondering deviously.

Wonder no more. Here are some step by step instructions about how to roast your pumpkin to make your very own pumpkin puree that you can use for any variety of delicacies: pumpkin oatmeal cookies, pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin bread, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin gratin, etc. And since nothing goes to waste in this girl's kitchen, you'll also learn how to roast those delicious pumpkin seeds for a great afternoon (or any time) snack.

HOW TO TAME YOUR PUMPKIN



THE GOODS

Pumpkin(s) (for small ones, $1 a piece)
Butter
Salt and Pepper

The Grand Total: $1-4

THE WAY

This article from Suite101.com gives an easy to follow how-to about different ways to make pumpkin puree - baked, boiled, or microwaved.

I followed their directions for baking:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the pumpkin in half and clean out the seeds and stringy guts. Brush a little melted butter on the cut edges of the pumpkin.







Place the sides cut side down on an oven safe dish (I used a glass casserole dish). Cook for around an hour or until the pumpkin is soft.








Cool.













Scoop the insides out of the skin. Cut into pieces and food process until it's a smooth puree.








While your pumpkin is cooking, get ready to roast those seeds. Separate the guts from the seeds, and lay the seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered with tinfoil. Season them with salt and pepper. I made two batches: one with Chinese 5 spice mix on them for a little gingery twist, and the other with hot peri peri pepper spice on them for a little kick. Let the seeds dry out for a few hours. Then, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and roast the seeds for about 40 minutes.