Poor Man's Tea to Chase Away the Winter Blues

As we speak freezing rain is falling on the 2 feet of snow we received over the weekend. Despite a wool sweater, scarf, and hat, I must admit it's a bit chilly in here. Having left the "Sunny and 70" that is Los Angeles for the cheesesteak-y frigidness that is Philly, I am still getting used to this thing called snow.

Though a nice cuppatea is my go-to for keeping the winter chill at bay, I can only justify going through so much of it in a day. Also, as I like my tea as I like my men (tall, hot, and super sweet) I have quickly gone through enough honey to make Winnie the Pooh seem miserly.

So, in the interest of preventing adult onset diabetes, I have been mixing it up with a simple slice or two of lemon and a lot of boiling water, otherwise known as poor mans tea. It's piping hot, refreshing, and a touch bitter....just like me.

Return To Beauty - Now Available

Pardon the moment of shameless self-promotion (what else is a Blog but one giant self-promotion... but I digress) Roughly a year ago I had the unique opportunity to photograph a series of images for renowned skin care expert Narine Nikogosian. This was an exciting and challenging project for me that culminated with some of my best work to date.

The book is finally available, and features the ability to make both you and your coffee table or library look beautiful. Check it out here and here

Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir Fry

I have always loved the idea of stir fry, throw some veggies and maybe some tofu or chicken all together in a hot wok, stir it up a bit and you've got dinner!  Amazing!  The reality however has never been so dreamy.  Rubbery mushrooms, painfully wilted veggies, and you don't even want to know about the culinary sins I have created involving toasted sesame oil.

All of this culminated to make me believe that it was simply beyond my grasp to properly cook bok choy.  It was a mysterious freak of the vegetable world that I just couldn't crack, until now.

The problem was exactly what I described above as my idea of a stir fry - throw everything in a pot - together - at the same time.  Of course, the result of this method is that some things will cook faster and be overcooked, while others will barely be cooked at all.  Even my nemesis the Bok Choy needs to be divided up and cooked in stages.

Pumpkin Custard Mini-Pies

October is my favorite month by far.  Not because I love Halloween, but because I love Fall and all things "Pumpkin Spice".  Unfortunately however, my partner Noah detests all things pumpkin, including pumpkin pie which he finds "repulsive". So, faced with the reality of baking a pumpkin pie only to have the daunting task of eating the entire thing myself (my stars! what a tragedy THAT would be!) I devised a way to make my pie and eat it too.

Blueberry Almond "Good For You" Muffins

I know that "Good for You" is not exactly synonymous with muffins. This recipe however is loaded with protein, antioxidants, and tastes like happy - so hopefully it will make you think twice about the supposedly evil little muffin.

Longing to bake something in my new apartment last weekend with little more than some flour, eggs, and frozen blueberries at my disposal I whipped up (quite literally) these little guys. Substituting almond meal and protein powder for some of the flour in this recipe actually adds to the texture without compromising the flavor.

Pomegranate Applesauce!

So you go to the store, trying to be good, trying to follow that whole "apple-a-day" thing, and buy a sack of apples only to bring them home and find that they are mostly bruised, mealy, and unspectacular. Or, you've got some apples that have maybe been lying around a bit too long and fall into that unspectacular category. Well, in the spirit of waste not want not, when life give you crappy apples - make applesauce!

The Filthy Martini

By merely posting about Martini's I am creating (stirring up?) controversy. Controversy between the Gin Martini vs. Vodka Martini set, the shakers vs. stirrers. Vermouth lovers and haters. Even the amount and kind of olives used are debated amongst purists.

To this end I would like to defend myself by stating that I am neither a bartender nor master mixologist. I like what I like, and I like dirty, nay, filthy martinis. And garlic stuffed olives, and gin.

What makes this martini filthy is the liberal addition of olive brine, and yes, a garlic stuffed olive. This is less drink and more appetizer, and oh so good.

I refuse to lecture you on shaking vs. stirring, the benefits of a vermouth spritzer, etc. The following is an account of how I, prefer my martini, and I demand you enjoy it too~!

Return of the Fro-Yo

Which one of these trends from the 80's is back to haunt us:

A) FAME: The Movie
B) Big Hair
C) Frozen Yogurt Stores
D) The Soviet Union

Give up? Well, technically all of the above.... but I am here to deride the return of the novelty Fro-Yo movement. I will not give in. I refuse to condone any movement that involves the potential combination of green tea, fruity pebbles, and carob. No people, this is wrong. Light, fluffy, fun, and wrong.

Noah and I recently visited "yogurtland" (no, really, that's what it's called) on La Brea the other night, for a post-Indian Food cooldown. The people watching was FAR more enjoyable than the silly self-serve dessert. It seemed like every gay, asian, and fashionista (and a few gaysianista's) in a 15 block radius had turned out to cram their gob with 3 lbs of frozen yogurt.

A Note About: Immersion Blenders

photos and pricing courtesy Amazon.com

Few electric kitchen gizmos are as essential to me as the immersion blender (also known as a stick blender). It's a great tool for creating soups and sauces, as well as the occasional smoothie-by-the-glass.

There are a few key benefits to the immersion blender opposed to a regular blender:

For one, you can stick it right into the pot to puree hot foods without waiting for them to cool, or worrying about steam and puréeing in batches. For anyone who has tried to purée a hot soup in a regular blender, you know what a challenge it can be as the steam builds up and threatens to pop the lid right off.

Two, they are generally small, and can easily be stored in a cupboard or drawer rather than taking up valuable counter space.

And lastly, they are generally quieter and easier to clean than their bigger cousins.

The Karen Cookie

On a recent photo shoot I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to experience what must be the highest achievable form of chocolate chip cookie, as produced by a woman - nay - angel, named Karen. This chocolate chip cookie was soft - but not too soft, sweet - but not too sweet. The ratio of chips to cookie dough was something to be studied by mathematicians.

But the crown jewel that put it right over the top was a light dusting of sea salt over the top. Salty, sweet, chewy, and dare I use the word - moist. It was single-handedly responsible for an uncomfortable addition of poundage, what an assistant friend lovingly called her "hot-pockets".


Needless to say, when the shoot ended, I was left in withdrawal. I quickly turned to my kitchen and several chocolate chip recipes to try and unlock the mystery.

I learned much in my attempts, and lo and behold a month later much of what I had learned was confirmed in the April issue of Cooks Illustrated.

Puréed Wild Mushroom and Brussels Sprout Soup

This is like your favorite sweater in a bowl. A warm, hearty brew that's perfect for those last chilly nights in spring or those first fall evenings.

For those who are fearful of fat, this recipe uses no cream and only a small amount of butter for sautéing. For those afraid of brussels sprouts, fear not - sautéing them and blending them to a puree removes all bitterness and texture that might be a turn off to you.  For those afraid of ghosts... I'm afraid there isn't much here that concerns you.

This recipe does require an immersion blender, which is a kitchen gadget I could not live without and can probably be found for as little as $15 at your nearest drugstore (where I got mine).

Oven Puffed Pan-Toast

This recipe is SO simple and comes out SO beautifully it makes an elegant presentation with very little hassle. But the best part is it's versatility. It can be made sweet or savory like a crepe, and can be covered with jam and syrup, fresh fruit, gruyere and caramelized onions, or virtually anything you can think of. It's consistency is that of a thin french toast, definitely egg-y but crisp and crunchy rather than spongy. Buttermilk gives this dish a richness, but regular milk may be substituted for a lighter version. The version shown here was dusted with cinnamon and allspice.

This recipe will yield 1 10" toast, enough for 4 large servings or 6-8 smaller servings.

Pumpkin Pie with Salted Caramel Pecan Topping

Our friends Lori and Jason love Thanksgiving more than anyone I know. Tragically one year both of them became violently ill and had to call off the seasonal feast, postponing it to a later date that came to be known as faux-thanksgiving. Faux-thanksgiving has developed into a regular holiday with our group of friends, and even though this years soiree was held closer to Easter than Thanksgiving, nonetheless fun (and ungodly amounts of food) was had by all.

For this faux-thanksgiving I baked a silky smooth pumpkin pie with a salted caramel pecan topping. Though there were no less than 5 (5!) desserts, this pie was still a hit and received plenty of damage.

I always prefer my pumpkin pie to have a graham cracker crust. For this recipe I used a prepared crust. The crust is not the star of this dish, and not having the time to whip one up I have not included a recipe for one here.

Thanks to our hosts Mikey and Anthony for this years faux-thanksgiving!

Apricot Walnut Muffins

I was bit by the baking bug this past Saturday morning. I woke up, and HAD to bake, regardless of the fact I didn't have much to work with other than some dried apricots in the pantry and some walnuts tucked away in the freezer. Having just made scones the weekend before, and cupcakes (for work, not for pleasure) earlier in the week, my heart cried out for a combination of the two and found a happy medium in these delicious pint-sized muffins.

I have to confess that I forgot to add baking powder to the first batch, but that's ok as I didn't need a full dozen muffins to pacify my cravings, and was able to save the second half. If you don't have (or don't want to use) Brandy, not to worry - substitute hot water instead. Brandy however seems to draw out the tart qualities of the apricot, which is a nice complement to the sweetness of the dough.

This recipe will yield 12 "normal size" muffins or 6 "Texas Size" muffins.

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Spiced Frosting

So let's face it, with most cupcakes, the "cake" portion is merely a delivery method for the frosting. Often dry or overly cake-y, they usually don't inspire you to chew the frilly paper cup after the cupcake has been consumed, yearning for more. This cupcake might change all that. Here I used a devil's food cake, which is so moist, dense, and chocolatey delicious it is a deserving throne for the heavenly frosting that crowns this dessert.

In addition to the standard recipe, I added 2 wedges of Ibarra Mexican Chocolate. Typically used to make Atole, Champurrado, or Mexican Hot Chocolate, this chocolate comes in disks and is not for the lazy or the feint of heart. It required the use of a hammer to break off 2 wedges and a heavy duty chocolate grater to scrape the wedges into a fine powder. It is made from sugar, cacao nibs, and cinnamon "flavor", but what it adds is a complexity and fullness to the cocoa powder that would be otherwise lacking.

In this recipe however, the frosting is still the main event. I experimented with several recipes...including the buttercream frosting recipe from the February issue of Martha Stewart Living that makes a ridiculous 4 cups of frosting (great if you are making cupcakes for a 3rd grade class, excessive when making 14 cupcakes for a small birthday gathering). What I settled upon was the recipe on the back of the box of C&H powdered sugar, with a few very important tweaks. Using the recipe as written on the box produced a cloyingly sweet frosting that instantly made my teeth ache upon tasting it. The addition however of sea salt and cloves balances the sweetness and adds an unexpected spiciness that is niceiness.

This recipe yields 14 "texas sized" cupcakes (as stated on the package of muffin cups) and would likely yield 16-18 normal cupcakes, or better yet, 30 mini cupcakes.

Chili

 
Don't be daunted by the cook time, it only takes 30 minutes of prep, and the rest is done by your slow-cooker

Although I was born and raised in Southern California where Spanish, Mexican, and Southwestern cuisine influences abound, I was still the subject of a purely Irish/Italian/Midwestern diet. As such, this version of chili is more of a hybrid of beef stew and a good bean soup. Succulent, spicy, and saucy...just the way I like it.

People put lots of crazy things into chili - chocolate, peanut butter, garlic, bread, just to name a few - but for my money all you need is lots of beans, some good beef, and BEER! I cheated by using a can of salsa to spice up the base of my Chili. There are no shortage of great varieties in the "ethnic foods" section of my supermarket that have more exotic chili's than the ubiquitous Pace piquante sauce. I used Herdez Salsa Ranchera for this batch which has Jalapeno, Ancho, and Cascabel peppers. As if that wasn't spicy enough, I added a liberal dash of Spike seasoning... but that is a whole other story. There is also some debate over ground vs. chunks of beef, and after many failed attempts using ground, I used cubed chuck steak this go 'round which gave me the flavor and texture I was after. While I like my chili heavy on the beans, much of these measurements can be adjusted to taste.

Cheesy Pasta Bake

Not terribly photogenic, but oh so good.

I cannot call this dish macaroni and cheese. For one, I do not like to use macaroni when creating this dish as it reminds me too much of kindergarten craft projects and I have a hard enough time controlling my impulse to run for the glitter and elmer's glue as it is. For two, the dish I know as macaroni and cheese from my childhood comes from a bright blue box and is often a suspicious orange color. That having been said, this dish is divine. I do not know how I spent the formative years of my life having never had "real" macaroni and cheese - from an oven, not a pot - but I have recently seen the light.

The first time I experienced "real" macaroni and cheese was with my partner Noah at his mother Toni's house. His mother and stepfather have been veggie-converts for many years and as such have had time to perfect what has become a staple in their home. This version is a hodgepodge of what I gleaned from watching Toni work her magic and a recent recipe from Gourmet magazine. It couldn't be simpler and there are SO many ways to vary this recipe to go from weeknight sassy to dinner party classy.

Oh snap, I blog!

After enjoying many food blogs such as simply recipes, smitten kitchen, and cook and eat, I have decided to throw my hat into the food blog ring. I subscribe to the theory that there can never be too much food, so by virtue of this fact there can never be too many food blogs. I will do my best to keep what's coming out of my kitchen onto this site. Bon appètit!