Happy New Year

I've seen this posted on various blogs on websites over the past couple months, and I love the message, so I snatched it to share with you. 

As we roll in to the final hours of 2010, I keep reflecting on everything this year has brought and everything I've done.  There have been highs and lows, injuries and great accomplishments, amazing trips, new friendships, rekindled friendships and thankfully a little nudge from a friend to start this blog.  Thank you all so much for reading and for your wonderful comments....I love comments, keep them coming!

As the year ends, some really great things are happening in my life and I'm hopeful they'll continue into 2011.  I'm not one for New Year's resolutions (mostly because I don't keep them), instead I set goals for myself for the upcoming year.  Some of my goals over the past couple years have been to complete a Half Ironman (I've since done 3), to run a marathon (I ran the NYC marathon this year) and to start this blog. 

I'm ready for the new year and a fresh slate.  I have some pretty lofty & exciting goals lined up for 2011, and I think it's going to be an amazing year!  There are some big, little bit scary (in a good way) but exciting changes coming my way, and I cannot wait.


Go get yourselves dolled up, surround yourself with some of your favorite people and have a blast this New Year's Eve!

Cheers!  See you in 2011!

10 Favorite Food Things of 2010

While I let my kitchen rest of the remainder of the year, here (in no special order) are my 10 Favorite Food Things of 2010....

(1) Northern Spy Food Co....my favorite restaurant find of the year!  They were also noted as a standout restaurant in 2010 by the NY Times.  After my first visit, this quickly became one of my go-to restaurants.  Northern Spy is a small, inviting gem in the East Village, with a passion for serving seasonal, accessible, high quality food and using locally-grown or -produced ingredients whenever possible.  If you haven't eaten here yet....GO!  Make it one of your resolutions for 2011.    If you're planning to visit NYC, make sure you also pay a visit to Northern Spy Food Co. 

(2) Justin's Nut Butter...my favorite nut butter.  I posted about my love for the amazing products this company offers back in June, and gave another mention in September.  In a word, Justin's Nut Butter is AH-MAZING!!!  I have a hard time picking favorites when it comes to food!  A really hard time.  My favorite here is a tie between Maple Almond and Chocolate Hazelnut.  And coming up with the idea for squeeze packs....pure genius!!  During long rides and when traveling for races, these saved the day. 

(3) Pancake Pantry in Nashville, TN....my favorite pancakes.  If you are ever, ever in Nashville or even anywhere close to Nashville, you must have pancakes here.  It's more than likely you'll encounter a line out the door, and that stretches down the street and possibly around the corner.  Do NOT be dissuaded, I promise you it's worth the wait.  I made a couple visits to the Pancake Pantry during my visit to Nashville, and tried a few different pancakes, but 8 months later and I'm still salivating over the Sweet Potato Pancakes.  These are the BEST pancakes I've ever eaten!  

(4) MY BAKING ADDICTION....my favorite cooking/baking blog find of the year.  A handful of years ago I stumbled upon a cooking blog.  It provided hours of entertainment.  Then I found another and another and another.  I thought it was a passing phase, and in time my addiction to food & cooking/baking blogs would fade.  Just the opposite!  There are a number of blogs I read on a regular basis, and every so often I find a new blog that inspires me and makes its way into my regular line up.  My favorite cooking/baking blog find of 2010 was MY BAKING ADDICTION.  Jaime shares absolutely remarkable recipes and stunning photos.  You may remember me posting about the Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies and Peanut Butter Cup Brownies....both delicious recipes were straight from My Baking Addiction.  If you haven't checked out this blog already, get yourself over there!

 

(5) Quinoa....my favorite new grain of the year.  One of my goals for 2010 was to cook with ingredients I'd never used before.  Quinoa was one of them.  It was love at first taste.  Quinoa is now a constant staple in my kitchen.  I lost track of how many variations of quinoa salad I've made, I made quinoa for breakfast, added it to pancakes and muffins and even did a take on rice pudding, but with quinoa.  My favorite quinoa recipe is still Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (sorry for the one & only horrible photo). 

                                        

 (6) The Wafels & Dinges Truck...my favorite "sweet" food truck.  Wow.  Just wow.  That's pretty much all I have to say.  And also that you should order the Brussels Wafel with Spekuloos Spread.

(7) A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table By Molly Wizenberg....my favorite food read of the year.  I've followed Molly's blog for quite a while, so naturally I got her book when it came out.  It just took a little while for it to get to the top of the reading queue.  This book is filled with wonderful stories and amazing recipes, like this delicious gem.

(8) Levain Bakery...home of the best cookies ever!  These cookies look more like a scone than a cookie, they're served warm with a soft, gooey center and taste completely divine.  I've been known to go across the city just for one of these cookies....they're that good.  I've tried to replicate them at least 10 tens, but nothing that's come out of my oven can do these cookies justice, so I've stopped trying. 

(9) Brookfarm Toasted Macadamia Museli...my favorite museli!  I posted about this wonderful Aussie company and their amazing museli during the summer.  I fell in love with this museli during my trip to Australia last year....I may have eaten it for breakfast everyday I was there.

(10) My new apron!  How adorable is this apron!?!  I love it!  It was a super sweet gift from one of my forever friends (and sometimes taste tester).  I'm a little more stylish in the kitchen these days.  If you're in the market for a new apron, Anthropologie has a great selection of super cute, super fun aprons.

Birthday Buttermilk Pancakes

I started my Thursday with a bike ride (well, an indoor ride on the trainer) followed by a stack of fluffy, delicious pancakes.  It was a really good start to the day!  It's not often I start my weekdays with pancakes.  Actually, I usually don't even eat breakfast until I get to work.  My weekday mornings are a race against the clock to get out the door & to work on time.  It's been especially hard getting out of bed lately, on these cold winter mornings.  But, today isn't just any day though, it's my birthday!  And I couldn't think of a better way to start my birthday than with some time on my bike and pancakes for breakfast.

This is my go-to pancake recipe...it's amazing and reliable every time!  These pancakes are soft and fluffy and light, and just a little crisp around the edges.  They're perfect!  And, if you have a carton of buttermilk in your fridge that only has a few days of life left in it, and you're looking for something to do with it, these pancakes will solve your problem.

I have a couple tips for super light, fluffy pancakes.  First, don't overbeat the batter.  As you mix the ingredients together, mix until everything is just combined.  You'll have some small lumps, but it's totally ok.  The next tip...separate the eggs, add the yolks to the batter, beat the egg whites until they're stiff and after all the ingredients have been mixed together, gently fold the whites into batter. 

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Buttermilk Pancakes

(Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, January 2001)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups buttermilk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the pan

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.  Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter; whisk to combine.  Batter should have small to medium lumps (fight to urge to keep whisking until you get rid of the lumps).

Heat your pan or griddle over low-medium heat.  Once the pan is fully heated coat the bottom with butter.

Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other.  When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, flip over.  Cook until golden on bottom.

Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven.  Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Peppermint Snowball Cookies

My of my favorite things about this recipes that it lets me use one of my most favorite kitchen appliances, twice!  What is it, you wonder.  A Mini-Chopper!  Thanks to my mom for introducing me to this life-changing appliance.  Not only is it my most used appliance, it's tiny, so it doesn't take up half of the counter space in my super tiny NYC kitchen.  Seriously, I think you'd all be shocked if you knew how little counter space I have.  I've gotten very creative.  Anyway, I know I can just as easily to pull out the food processor or blender to chop the walnuts and candies for this recipe, but for just 3/4 cup of each the mini-chopper is so much more efficient.  I didn't realize how much I relied on this little appliance until I broke the cover of my first one, rendering it nonfunctional.  It was 3 months before I replaced it...it was a long 3 months. 

My other favorite thing about this recipe....these cookies taste amazing!

I think candy canes chop up the easiest, but you can use any kind of peppermint candy.  So, maybe for some crazy reason you don't like peppermint...I'm pretty sure they still make those tasty spearmint candy canes.  In fact, last time I was at the store it seemed like there was quite the assortment of candy cane flavors...get creative.  My favorite alternative to peppermint, is crushed lemon candies.

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Peppermint Snowball Cookies

(Adapted from Betty Crocker's Best Christmas)

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for coating

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups walnuts, finely chopped

3/4 cup peppermint candy, finely crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and 1/4 cup of the crushed peppermint candy.

In a large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla, until creamy.  Stir in flour mixture.  Stir in chopped walnuts.

Refrigerate dough at least 1 hour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Place about an inch apart on a ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 9-12 minutes, or until cookies are set but not browned.  Immediately remove from baking sheet, and roll in powdered sugar.  Let cookies cool for 10 minutes, then roll in remaining crushed peppermint candy.  Re-roll, if desired.

Enjoy!

Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts



I'm warning you off the bat, these nuts are seriously addictive.  You'll be surprised at how fast & easy these are to make, and even more surprised at how fast they disappear.  Don't think you can eat just a few and stop.  It's not going to happen.  The sweet, salty, spicy medley will keep luring you back for more.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

I like using a blend of pecans, almonds and walnuts, but whatever kind of nuts you have handy, will work great.  For my next batch I think I'll try cashews....I think they'd be really amazing. 

These nuts make a great edible holiday gift....fill a small canning jar or a festive holiday snack bag and tie it with a nice ribbon.  If you're hosting a party during the holiday season, or any time of year for that matter, fill a festive dish with these nuts.  These are guaranteed to be a hit. 

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Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts

(Adapted from Elizabeth Karmel of Hill Country)

1/3 cup dark-brown sugar

2/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound walnuts, almonds, pecans
1 egg white, room temperature
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix sugars, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps; set aside.  Beat egg white and water until frothy but not stiff.  Add nuts, and stir to coat evenly.  Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture, and toss until evenly coated.  Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper.  Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven, and separate nuts as they cool.  When completely cool, pour the nuts into a bowl, breaking up any that stick together.

Enjoy!

Braised Chicken with Dates

A few too many of my meals over the past week have revolved around Christmas cookies, peppermint bark and really delicious sweet & spicy glazed pecans.  It was starting to get a little out of control.  I  went cold turkey and cut myself off from all holiday treats.....at least temporarily.

Usually around this time of year, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, when I'm not spending my evening at holiday parties and social gatherings, I'm running around in a mad dash to get all of my shopping done.  Not this year.  For once I'm way ahead of the game, and all of my shopping is done.  In fact, I've been done for a couple weeks now.  So instead of spending my evenings weaving through crowded stores, I'm spending my free evenings back in the kitchen cooking wonderful dinners.

I can't believe this recipe has been hanging on my refrigerator for nearly a year, and I've just now gotten around to making it.  Everything about this chicken is perfect.  It's wonderful & delicious and so full of flavor.  The mix of spices and sweetness from the dates blend together perfectly.  There's something I find really homey and cozy about this chicken, and it's a great dinner on a cold winter night.

The flavors in this chicken instantly made me think back to a fantastic pinot noir I had in New Zealand.  It would have paired perfectly with this dinner!  I'm on a mission to track some down. 

The original recipe uses a whole chicken cut into quarters.  But if you're like me, and don't  feel like cutting up a whole chicken, you can use any combination of bone-in chicken breast, thighs, legs or whatever part of the chicken you like.  I used 3 large bone-in chicken breasts.

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Braised Chicken with Dates

(Adapted from Everyday Food, December 2009)

2 - 2 1/2 lbs. chicken, any combination of breast/thighs/legs

Sea salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high.  Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes.  Flip chicken and cook until browned, about 6 minutes.  Transfer chicken to a plate.

Add onions to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add  paprika, coriander, salt & pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.  Arrange chicken evenly over onion mixture, add 2 cups of chicken stock, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a serving dish.  Increase heat to high; stir in dates and cilantro.  Boil cooking liquid until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.  Pour sauce over chicken.

Enjoy!

Cheery Cherry Macaroon Cookies

Hope you all had a great weekend!  The holiday baking continues over here!  There's a New York City radio station that plays Christmas music 24/7 from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas day.  It's great...as long as you pace yourself.  Everyone has a different level of tolerance, but for me listening to Christmas music is an endurance event that requires serious pacing.  As I've been baking, I've been getting my fill of Christmas tunes.  I was pacing myself quite well at first, taking it slow and steady.  It's so easy to start off too fast & overdo it with the Christmas music, and I really wanted to last until the 25th.  By Friday I was walking a fine line between a healthy dose of holiday music and exceeding the amount of times I can hear Holly Jolly Christmas and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. 

These cookies are another one of my holiday favorites.  I remember my mom making these cookies year after year when I was growing up.  I think it took me a few years before I was interested in them.   But eventually, a few bites and I realized I was missing out.  Now, I can't get enough of them!  They're delicious!  Bake them and you'll see what I'm talking about.

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Cheery Cherry Macaroon Cookies

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped & well drained

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 cups flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in egg, almond extract and milk.  Mix until fully combined.  The mixture will look slightly curdled.  In 3-4 additions, gradually stir in the flour mixture.  Fold in the cherries and pecans.

Refrigerate dough overnight (or at least for 1 hour).

Pour coconut into a medium bowl.  Use a teaspoon to scoop dough from the bowl.  Roll dough into small balls and drop into coconut, and fully cover.  Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes (coconut will be toasted).  After removing the baking sheets from the oven, let stand for 2-3 minutes.  Transfer cookies to wire cooling racks.  Store in an air tight container.

Enjoy!

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

I have a problem.  Right now I tall stack of cookie tins filled with about 9-10 dozen cookies, in my apartment.  I know what you're thinking....this doesn't sound like a bad problem to have.  It is when you have a huge sweet tooth and no self control.  And it proved to be a problem last night, after I waited for the 6 train for 30 minutes on my way home from work, finally walking in the apartment, stomach growling....why make dinner when there are dozens of cookies staring me in the face.  Most days I can have one or two cookies, and call it a day.  Last night was not that day.  The plan is (was?) to package up a nice assortment of holiday cookies and send them out to friends and family.  It's a good thing most of these package are going out in the next couple days because at the rate I'm going though, I don't think these cookies would last 2 more weeks.

Holiday baking has been in full swing this week.  I always have a tough time narrowing down which cookies I'm going to bake each year.  I love trying new recipes and making new additions to my line up.  But at the same time, I'm I also like sticking with old childhood favorites.  There's something really comforting about making cookies now that my mom used to make when I was growing up.  This year I decided to stick with traditional favorites...some from my childhood, some that have become favorites in the over the years and with some I'll put a new spin on an old favorite.

Jam Thumbprints are one of my all-time favorite Christmas cookies.  I love the buttery dough and sweet jam center.  This time I made half the batch with raspberry preserves and the other half with apricot.  But, feel free to use whatever flavors you like best.

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Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 egg yolks

2 cups flour

1 - 1 1/2 cups jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until smooth.  Add vanilla and egg yolks.  Beat until fully combined.  Gradually stir in in flour (I usually add it in 3 additions).

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough from the bowl.  Roll dough into small balls and place on  ungreased cookies sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Use your thumb to press down on the center of the ball, and fill with jam.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  After removing the baking sheets from the oven, let the cookies cool for 2 to 3 minutes.  Transfer cookies to wire cooling racks.

Enjoy!

Eggnog Oatmeal

This weekend was wonderful and so so productive!  Really, I haven't had a weekend this productive in a really long time.  I'm happy to say that my Christmas shopping is 100% finished!  To be fair, I've been working on it for a while, so there were only a few small finishing touches to pick up.  But still, it's done, and I don't have to fight my way through crowded stores and wait on seemingly endless lines again.  I forgot how crowded stores get as we close in on the final weeks before Christmas....and how much I hate battling crowds.  So happy I won't be dealing with that again in the next few weeks.

I have something that's going to make these cold December mornings a little brighter and more bearable...and really, really tasty.  And it might even put you in the holiday spirit.  Forget the Egg Nog Latte from Starbucks, instead I recommend starting your day with a big, warm bowl of Eggnog Oatmeal.

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Eggnog Oatmeal

Serves 2

1 cup whole old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup eggnog

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

In a medium pot, combine oats, milk and eggnog, stirring frequently, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and continue to cook until the milk & eggnog have been absorbed.  Remove the pot from heat.

Stir in vanilla, brown sugar & nutmeg.  Top with a sprinkle nutmeg & raisins.

Stay warm & enjoy!

Fig & Almond Biscotti

Hope you're having a good weekend so far!  It's been a long week, but I've finally shaken the jet lag, my internal clock has been reset and I'm back on track.  I always think I'll be able to jump right back into the mix after traveling, but it never actually happens.  I'm not giving up hope though, maybe next time.

While it took me a few days to adjust & settle into my regular routine, it took next to no time at all for me to get into the holiday spirit.  Christmastime in New York really feels magical.  It's funny, some the things that get us into the holiday spirit...sometimes it's twinkling lights & decorations, festive department store windows, Christmas carols or sometimes is something small & mundane that you normally wouldn't think twice about.  For me, it's been the same thing for the past two years.  All it took for me to get fully wrapped up in the holiday spirit was seeing a small paper coffee cup from Starbucks, red & covered with crisp, white snowflakes, on a day when there was a chill in the air, enough to warrant a hat and mittens.  From the moment I saw that cup, I could feel a smile creep across my face, my head filled with catchy holidays tunes and all I could think about was which of my favorite holiday cookies I'd bake first.

There's something about this time of year that makes me want to bake cookies every single day.  I don't, of course, but without fail every December, my kitchen gets quite the workout and there are cookie tins filled to the brim scattered around my apartment.

Some of the best holiday gifts are the ones that have thought behind them, ones that come from the heart, and of course edible gifts.  Who doesn't like opening a box to find something tasty inside?!  Cookies, candies, nuts and jams are all fantastic ideas for homemade edible holiday gifts.  Over the next couple weeks I'll share some of my favorite cookie recipes and ideas for edible gifts.

Biscotti is one of my favorite cookies.  I love everything about this cookie, but most of all the way all the flavors compliment each other.  Opposed to what I expected this first time I made these cookies, the anise flavor is lite and pairs nicely with the fig and orange zest.  Biscotti is a really versatile cookie because you can pair such a wide range of flavor combinations.  It doesn't have to be figs & almonds, you can use almost any combination of dried fruit and nuts, or add some chocolate drizzle.

 Print Recipe

Fig & Almond Biscotti

(Adapted Everyday Food, March 2010)

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

3/4 teaspoon anise seed, chopped*

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 cup coarsely chopped dried figs (Turkish or Calimyrna figs)

1 cup almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and anise.  In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until they're pale yellow and hold a ribbon for 1 second when whisk is lifted, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in zest.

Fold egg mixture into flour mixture until combined.  Fold in figs and almonds.  Remove dough from the bowl and divide in half, on a lightly floured countertop (you can also use cooking spray, but I prefer flour).  The dough will be sticky, so be sure to have extra flour on hand.  Form each piece of dough into a 2 1/2-inch-wide log, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake about 25 minutes, until dough is firm but gives slightly when pressed.  Transfer logs to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Cut each log on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place slices, cut side up, on sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, flip biscotti, and bake 10-12 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

* If you don't like the flavor of anise  (a licorice-like flavor), or just want to accent the almond flavor a bit more, substitute 1 teaspoon of almond extract, added in with the eggs, in place of the anise seed.

Enjoy!