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.