my "garden"

My family has always had a stellar garden. My grandpa grows all kinds of corn, tomatoes, peas, taters, green beans, cucumbers, and carrots, to name a few. He also harvests apples and berries. On the other side of the family, my grandma grows green beans out the wazoo (some seasons she cans over 100 quarts). Our garden at home is full of goodies like peppers, cilantro, squash, and green beans. Yes, my family likes green beans.

(I'm a mother! This is my first offspring. She's gonna be a looker, right?)

Up until this latest move, I’ve still benefited (mooched, some might say) from those gardens. Unfortunately, it’s apparently quite a bit of trouble to ship fresh produce 700 miles. (Excuses, excuses, I say.) Thus, I’m forced to plant my own garden if I want to partake of any newly-picked fruits and veggies.

(Can we talk about how the phenomenal smell of cilantro lingers on my fingertips long after I harvest it and how happy that makes me? Man, I love this stuff.)

Obstacle #1: I have no land. I live in an upstairs apartment containing no soil of which to speak. (A dirt-free apartment had been considered a perk until now.) I do, however, have a little deck, so in order to overcome obstacle #1, I went to Home Depot and bought some pots and planters, as well as some soil.

Obstacle #2: Regrettably, I have no gardening knowledge. Even though I’ve been surrounded by it my entire life, I’ve largely ignored the methods. Doh. Perhaps green thumbs are genetic, in which case I’m all set. If not, I’m already poring over online articles and library books.

(Peter Piper picked a peck of poblano peppers. How many poblano peppers did Peter Piper pick?)

Obstacle #3: I have no experience with the NY climate. What grows well here? I don’t really know, but I do know what produce I like best. So, I got four varieties of tomatoes (golden jubilee, husky cherry red, roma, and bush early girl), two types of peppers (poblano and jalapeno), zucchini, and cilantro. Those seemed like a good start.

(Everything I read and past memories indicate that zucchini is a very prolific plant. Here's hoping I don't mess it up.)

Obstacle #4: Again, since this is a new climate, I have no idea what to expect in terms of temperature and summer weather. Sadly, I haven’t found anyone who can offer me any advice. Any pointers, New Yorkers? Since temperatures at night are still in the 30s(!), I’ve been using some common sense (also known as advice from the Maminator) and bringing my new babies in at night.

(No, your eyes are not deceiving you. I improvised for my shortage of pots by using old coffee containers and an ice cube bin. I knew there was a reason to keep them! Frugality at work, my friends.)

Yes, folks, I'm excited. Updates will be frequent, unless I fail miserably, in which case you'll never hear about my "garden" again.

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toitles on mudda's day

Have you ever eaten turtle? Turtle soup? Fried turtle?


I haven't, and probably never will. (I'm fickle like that.) I have, however, eaten turtle cheesecake, and that's turtle enough for me.


These little beauties have been specifically requested by the bride (for any newbies to my blog (welcome!), I've been asked to make desserts for the reception), and they're a delightful choice. I personally think caramel may be the very best thing to pair with chocolate, and come on--it's cheesecake!

These were actually a breeze to put together, and although there was some cratering...


...it was effectively covered up by the luscious caramel...


(who knew caramel was so reflective?)

...and pecans.


One of my main concerns (aside from keeping them cool in outdoor early-July heat) was wrapper removal. Would they peel right out? Eh, almost, but not quite.


I skipped the crust because I had planned to use vanilla wafers and they wouldn't fit into the mini muffin cups--doh! Say, maybe that would aid in wrapper removal. And there we have it folks--I've found an excuse to make a second batch. :)

Miniature Toitle Cheesecakes
(based on this recipe by More Than Burnt Toast)
Yield: 24 baby turtles (hatchlings, if you will)

8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
4 oz dark chocolate, melted
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
caramel sauce and pecans, for topping

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Line mini muffin tin with paper cups.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Beat together until light and creamy. Add the flour and blend until smooth. Pour in melted chocolate and sour cream and mix well. Add the egg and mix. Spoon the filling into cups and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the center is almost set. Let cool at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, then refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Before serving, drizzle on some caramel sauce and top with a pecan.


So yesterday was Mother's Day and International Eat What You Want Day. Coincidence? I think not. This one's for you, Mammicus!

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as american as apple pie

But not really.


I'm still trolling for dessert recipes for the wedding reception, and my latest hunt has been focused on white chocolate. (Don't attack me, chocolate purists--I've gotta have variety!) Apples have also been lingering in the back of my mind, because really, who doesn't love an apple dessert? I truly would never consider combining the two in the same dessert (the only example that comes to mind is a candied apple), but I came across this recipe by Weevalicious and was intrigued. I pretty much demolished her version with my changes, so I'm including her source (good ol' Tartelette) as well. This is an amalgam of both, with a touch of my own flair, pizzazz, limited creativity, what have you.

The bars are actually quite delicious, if you like white chocolate. The bar part is a bit fudgy, while the apples on top are light and creamy. Plus, there's cinnamon involved. I'm thoroughly satisfied, but I don't think my version would do well for the reception. Too messy and awkward. However, they're perfect for scarfing down whilst standing over the sink.

Apple Pie Bars
6 tablespoons butter
8 oz white chocolate
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup baked apples (a la my grandpa)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease an 8 inch square baking pan.
Melt butter and white chocolate together in microwave or in top of double boiler over hot water. When melted, remove from heat and stir to blend well. Set aside.
Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Add white chocolate and butter mixture, vanilla, flour, and cinnamon. Beat just until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with baked apples. Spread evenly. Bake another 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out cake-free (a little apple is inevitable).
Cool on wire rack and cut into bars.


I happened upon this quote by Michael Owen Jones (no, I have no idea who he is) while this post was percolating and thought it was fun:

"To a foreigner, a Yankee is an American.
To an American, a Yankee is a Northerner.
To a Northerner, a Yankee is a New Englander.
To a New Englander, a Yankee is a Vermonter.
To a Vermonter, a Yankee is a person who eats apple pie for breakfast.”

Is it true? I can only vouch for statement #2.

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beaver mode

When I eat an ear of corn, I eat an ear of corn. I don't mess around.


I go into beaver mode and chisel away at the thing row by row until every kernel is gone. Yes, this often results in corn mush all over my face, but it's worth it.

(gnaw-some corn holders, eh?)(yeah, I said gnaw-some)(insert groan here)

My grandfather and little brother share this slightly obsessive trait with me. My grandpa grows all kinds of corn in his garden, and I'm bummed that I'll be missing out on it this year. Boy, I've been spoiled by that man's garden.

And speaking of Little Bro, I'm thrilled to report that he'll be making a move to Pennsylvania soon and starting a doctorate program at Penn State. Yes, he'll be making the switch from Hokie to Nittany Lion, whatever that is.

Sidenote: I went from Maroon to Hokie. What the heck is up with these vague mascots?

Anyway, LB'll be about six hours closer to me, so instead of being 700 miles away from my family, I'll have one member right down the road--only a measly 350 miles away. Hooray!

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bean bread?

Yes, bean bread. Just in time for Cinco de Mayo.


There's no question that I love my beans, but to add them to bread? It seems weird and inappropriate.

But add them I did, and the result?

Spectacular.

Although the original recipe called for black beans (arguably my favorite bean) and barbecue sauce, I had some pork and beans burning a hole in my cabinet, so I opted for those. The recipe also included chopped chipotle peppers, which I should always have on hand but didn't. Instead, I used some chipotle chile powder.


Folks, this stuff is potent. How potent, you ask? After adding a measly half-teaspoon to my batter and stirring a bit, I suddenly found myself sneezing. And sneezing some more. I counted nine sneezes, but it's hard to focus on counting when you're thrashing around your kitchen like a fish out of water.

And don't worry, I didn't sneeze into the bowl and I washed my hands after my fit. I know you were concerned.

Eb definitely did his job (even though I inadvertently starved him for an extra week):


I'm pleased with both changes I made, even though they were out of necessity rather than personal preference. The pork and beans pretty much disintegrated into the batter. They made the bread moist (although it looks deceivingly dry) and a little bit sweet, while the chile powder definitely delivered some punch. Here's how it goes: Take bite, taste sweetness, swallow, feel burn. Take another bite to stop burn, taste sweetness, feel relief, swallow, feel burn. And on and on it goes. Yeah, I ate a huge hunk of it without really meaning to. It's a vicious (but oh-so-tasty) cycle.

It's Cinco de Mayo, possibly my favorite holiday as it gives me an excuse to eat all the Mexican food I want (as if I needed a reason). I'm loving my black bean pomegranate salsa, so for breakfast this morning, I had some toasted bean bread, leftover egg whites, and some of that amazing salsa (with fresh-cracked pepper, of course).


Fire-Breathing Beany Bread
2 cups active sourdough starter
16-oz can of pork and beans
1 cup bean juice
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, or 1 1/4 teaspoon dried regular oregano
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (not for the sensitive-tongued)

Method:
1. Do whatever you need to do to prepare two cups of active sourdough starter.
2. Drain the beans, reserving 1 cup of the starchy juice per batch of bread. If there isn't a full cup of juice, add water to make 1 cup of liquid per batch.
3. Mash the beans with a fork, potato masher, or food processor until they are chunky, but not pureed. Try not to leave any beans whole and intact. The texture of the bean puree will affect the texture of the bread--you choose how smooth or chunky you want the bread. (I made mine chun-kay. That's just how I roll.)
4. Pour the bean juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the bean mash and sourdough starter.
5. Add and (carefully) stir in the whole wheat flour, chile powder, cumin, oregano, and salt.
6. Add the bread flour a cup at a time, until the dough becomes too stiff to stir. Pour out the dough into a well-floured surface.
7. Knead the dough, adding flour as needed, until the dough is fairly smooth and springy. You may need to add more flour than is called for above, depending on how liquid the beans are. Knead 6 to 10 minutes. The dough should be soft and lively (lively?).
8. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn, and cover with foil.
9. Let rise in a warm place until approximately doubled in volume (Eb took all night).
10. Punch the dough down, transfer to a well-floured surface, and cut into 2 or 3 (or 4, if your starter is as spectacular as mine) equal pieces.
11. Grease some baking sheets and/or loaf pans.
12. Shape the dough into loaves. Circle, oval, massive blob--it doesn't matter.
13. Place the loaves on the baking sheet or in the pans, cover with foil, and let rise again in a warm place for 1 hour.
14. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
15. Make 2 or 3 diagonal slashes in the tops of the loaves with a knife to allow the dough to expand in the hot oven.
16. Put the bread in the oven, and put a cup of water into a tray on the bottom of your oven.

Yes, my pan warped in the super-hot oven. Oops.

17. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is caramel brown, and the loaf is done. Cool on a rack.
18. Take some Bean-o and enjoy.

Bread is simply not photogenic.

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can't win 'em all

I had so much fun and success with the shortbread cookies I made a few days ago, I decided to try a different version. This one involved chocolate, so I felt sure it would be an upgrade. After all, chocolate can improve anything...


...or so I thought.

Although the end result looks fairly presentable (if you can get past the white splotches), these beasts gave me quite a bit of trouble. My mistake was using only the amount of flour in the ingredient list even though I thought the dough was too sticky. I ended up flouring as I rolled the dough out, thus giving me speckles of floury bits.

The good news:
-This baker has been humbled.
-They taste great.
-They gave me an opportunity to flex my cookie-decorating muscles, which were previously in a state of atrophy (and, some might argue, still are):

(the initials of the happy couple)

Moral of the story: Don't get cocky. Oh, and eat more cookies.

Fiendish and Fickle Chocolate Cookies
(from Smitten Kitchen)

3 cups all-purpose flour (possibly more)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk dry flour, salt, and baking powder in bowl and set aside. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cocoa in mixer. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Add more flour until dough is no longer sticky. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

Roll out cookie dough on floured counter. Cut into desired shapes, brushing extra deposits of flour off the top. (It does disappear once baked, so don’t overly fret if they go into the oven looking white.) Bake on a lined cookie sheet for 8 to 11 minutes (the former for 1/8-inch thick cookies, the latter for 1/4-inch cookies) until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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simply irresistible

I had some time to kill (there's that savage expression again) this morning, so I busted out another test-for-the-wedding-reception recipe. I've made these puppies before and I know they're good, but I felt the need to tweak and (hopefully) improve them.



I know some might argue that the original Reese's Peanut Butter Cup can never be improved. Others, like myself, appreciate all the variations. Then there are some people who just have too much time on their hands.

Actually, the only thing these bars have in common with RPBCs is the fact that both contain peanut butter and chocolate. Eh, I suppose the taste is similar. I could've done this version and made them more authentic-looking, but time was not on my side. Maybe later. Maybe not. It depends on my degree of sloth-itude.

In bar form, this is an easy-peasy dessert to make. And eat. The heart shape is just an added bonus. Be forewarned: It's important to break through the chocolate layer before it completely hardens. When it reaches that point, it just breaks where it wants to break and a nice, picturesque heart is hard to come by.


We-Wish-We-Were-Reese's-Cups Bars
(from good ol' Recipezaar)
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used pulverized cinnamon animal crackers)
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (12 ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine crumbs, sugar, and peanut butter and mix well. Blend in melted butter until well combined. Press mixture evenly into a 8 x 8" pan lined with wax paper. Melt chocolate chips and spread over peanut butter mixture. Chill until just set and cut into bars or delicate, attractive, and clearly-more-delicious-because-they're-shaped-like-hearts hearts.

(Side note: Sorry about my over-zealous dash usage in this post. I don't know what type of temporary can't-seem-to-write-one-sentence-without-a-dash madness has gotten into me.)

My surprising and hard-to-find personal favorite:

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