Category Archives: food

a resolution

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If you follow me on Twitter, you may know that I have been a little obsessed with food trucks lately…because they are amazing! Just around the corner from my new office is a food truck lot and every day there are three different trucks, usually two food and one treat. And I have been taking full advantage of the trucks. Just one more reason to love living in a big city. Here’s a little look at the delicious treats:

Kimchi Taco
VanLeeuwen
Desi
Je and Jo

Rickshaw

And then, the other day, I realized that I was eating out breakfast (okay, it doesn’t really count because I just buy a banana from the fruit guy by my building for $0.25, but I’m still eating out), lunch, and dinner. Almost every day. Almost every meal. Not only is this not the best idea for my waistline…it’s also not the best idea for my bank account. I have a weekly budget and I was blowing it. Every. Week. And then this whole hurricane thing happened and I thought about food storage, and how I need to keep on top of it and rotating through the food…which would require me eating that food.

So, an idea was born and a resolution was made. For the month of September (well, really from yesterday until I fly to Utah the first week of October) I am not going to eat out. At all. (Although the fruit in the morning after my run I’m not counting because it’s as cheap as the grocery store.)

I went grocery shopping Monday night, and even with shopping at Whole Foods and purchasing organic whenever possible…I was well under my weekly budget. I know I’m only on day two, but already I feel better and I’m less stressed about money. It might put a little bit of a wrench in my social life this month, but it also means I’ll be a little more creative when it comes to time with friends.

I realize that this would not be a big deal for some of you…but until you’ve lived in New York as a singleton, I don’t know that you can understand just how dependent you can become on restaurants for your survival (okay…maybe that’s a little dramatic, but you get it is kind of dramatic). So, don’t judge me or think that this will be easy. Just wish me luck. It’s going to be…interesting. And at the end of the month, maybe I’ll have a new plan. One that’s a little less extreme, but that helps me stay on track, both physically and financially. Maybe?

Oh, and I’ve also cut out Diet Coke. Now do you feel concerned for my survival?

pancetta, leek, and goat cheese tartlets

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They taste even better than they look

Remember once upon a time when I used to cook a lot. Not sure what happened or when it happened, but I just kind of stopped…and then recently, the baking bug has bitten again. It started with cookies. And then the tartlet pan (total impulse buy) was just sitting in the box, unused, whispering to me from beside the couch where I was storing it. So, I got online and found a recipe for delicious little tartlets (mini quiches, if you will). And tonight, I baked. And I had people over to my apartment for the first time in a while. And it was lovely. And the tartlets? Amazing, if I may be so bold.

The recipe isn’t mine, but I did improve the crust because, well, I’ve got some serious pastry skills (tart pastry anyway). So, without further ado, here’s the recipe (as posted on epicurious–originally seen in Bon Appetit):

Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 ounces chilled cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Ice water to texture

Filling
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 large)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
2/3 cup half and half
2 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Fresh parsley leaves (I didn’t use the garnish)

For crust:

  • Blend flour and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter and cream cheese. Using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form. Gather dough; shape into 6-inch-long log. Wrap and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
  • Cut log into 24 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Press 1 round into each cup of 2 nonstick 12-cup mini muffin pans; freeze 30 minutes.

having the right equipment is key

And what I did: 

  • Put the flour, cream cheese, and butter in a bowl and place the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes (assuming you started with cold cream cheese and butter–if not, freeze it longer). 
  • Using a pastry cutter–this is imperative for keeping all the ingredients chilled which is what will give you the lovely, light, flakey crust you want–cut the butter and cream cheese into the flour until you have pea-sized balls of dough. 
  • Slowly add ice-cold water (a tablespoon at a time) until the dough just comes together to form a ball. 
  • If the dough feels at all greasy (like the butter has started to soften), refrigerate it for 5-20 minutes. 
  • Roll the dough out to 1/4″ thickness and cut circles (I use a cutter) large enough for whatever pan you are using (muffin tin, mini-muffin tin, tartlet pans), place the rounds in the pan and then freeze for 10-20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare filling: (No changes here–except the parsley garnish)

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté 10 minutes; cool. Heat oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; sauté until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels. Whisk half and half and next 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Mix in goat cheese, then leeks and pancetta.
  • Spoon filling into shells. Bake until filling is set and crust edges are golden, about 25-30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill in pans. Rewarm uncovered in 350°F oven 12 minutes.)
  • Using small knife, cut around tartlets to loosen. Turn out tartlets and arrange on platter; top each with parsley leaf 

raclette

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When I was 14, after one of the hardest years of my childhood, I decided I’d had enough of my life. I was done with my school. I was done with my friends. I was done with my family. On top of that, I’d always known that at some point in time, I would live in Europe. And so an idea was born. Thankfully, I had a mother who didn’t ever shoot down our hair-brained ideas. So, when I suggested that maybe I could be an exchange student for my sophomore year of high school (yes, sophomore), she told me that this might be a possibility. Well, that was all I needed to hear. A few months later, everything was set and I was on my way to La Calamine, Belgium to live with a lovely family called the Bindels.

While, in hindsight, I realize that I was way too young and way too naive to be living in a foreign country, speaking a foreign language, in the home of a very foreign family, this was one of the best decisions I ever made for so many reasons, not the least of which was the discovery of raclette.

This week, in history, was the first time I ever had raclette. After that first time, it was six years before I had it again. I was on a mission for my church in Switzerland and a lovely family invited me and the other missionary I live with over for the dish. I was lucky enough to have that experience a few times during the 16 months I was there.

Before I left Europe this time around, I made sure to purchase a raclette grill. Not being well versed in the ways of electricity at the time (home ownership changed all of that), it did not occur to me that my 220 volt grill was never going to pull the power it needed from our 110 volt outlets. My attempt at sharing raclette with my family ended in a stinky disaster of sweating cheese…one that my family often likes to bring up for no particular reason.

Finally, about four years ago, I decided I needed to purchase a raclette grill that would work here in the U.S. I found one on Amazon.com and promptly ordered it. While I have never been able to get my family to try it again, my friends have all willing participated in raclette consumption and this has become a regular part of my holidays every year. Not only do I absolute love eating raclette, I also love that it is a meal that lasts a while. Because you eat as you cook, this is not just a “sit down and dig in” type of meal. It is a meal that takes time and requires us to slow down just a bit.

I may not have thought to do it this year with so much going on, but at Kelly’s request, a raclette night was scheduled. (For the record, I love when my friends request such things!) It ended up being a very small group, but I was so excited to be sharing it with Kelly, Jenn (who had it as a child living in Europe, but not since), and Amanda (a raclette virgin). My apartment was decorated for Christmas. With just the four of us, I was able to pull out my table. It was absolutely lovely.

And now, I am looking forward to my second raclette of the season. As the raclette love has spread through my friends, a couple of them have purchased their own grills and this Tuesday I will attend my first American raclette party that I am not hosting thanks to the lovely Sarah. I could not be more excited!

love, toffee, and a giveaway

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During the Christmas season, when I was a little girl, my mom would make batches and batches of caramel, fudge, toffee and other such treats to take to our neighbors and friends (sometimes these drop-offs actually included caroling, too). I remember the caramel being so mesmerizing as the bubbling sugars transformed to caramel when my mom added cream and vanilla. I loved licking (and still do) the spatula after my mom spread the melted chocolate over the toffee. And so on and so on. 

Eventually, I learned how to make all of these treats. In my teen years, toffee making became a source of income for me during the Christmas season. My mom’s best friend, Sydne, is an incredible florist who hosted a holiday boutique every year and she let me sell my toffee at it. Then, after I went off to college and my mom died, I kind of gave up on the toffee making. Every couple of years I’d make a batch at a sibling’s request, but other than that, it just wasn’t my thing.

Then last year, as Monica and I were trying to decide what to give some professors who were volunteering for an activity, and stay within our very limited budget, I suggested that we could make toffee. So, with Monica’s help the toffee making was on. I don’t remember how many batches we made, but I do remember learning that stirring the toffee as it was cooking was not only unnecessary, it actually didn’t help. (The hours and hours of stirring I wasted in my teenage years…) I also discovered my favorite kitchen tool ever, which is not a kitchen tool at all; a laser thermometer. I will never use a candy thermometer again. (Thank you to Justin and Cherity yet again for the fabulous birthday gift last year!)
Fast forward to this year. I decided that I would be making toffee for my coworkers. So, a couple of weeks ago, I did a test batch. I had to try out making toffee on my little stove with my pot in a different climate. As I said, execution can be a little tricky. It turned out great! Since then, I have made five batches with only one more to go. 
And here’s where the love comes in. Whenever I do anything that I learned from my mom, it reminds me how lucky I was to have her, even if it wasn’t for nearly long enough. And as strange as this may sound, I can feel how much she loved me whenever I’m doing anything that reminds me of her. She taught me so much in the short 18 years I got to have her around. 
While I’ve obviously learned a lot in the 15 years since she’s been gone, who I am today is a direct result of who she was. She didn’t just teach me how to cook. She taught me about generosity and thoughtfulness as we cooked treats for our neighbors and friends. She taught me love and patience, through her example, as she took the time to teach me how to do something that she could have done much faster on her own. And finally, she taught me that the only way to learn is to try and keep trying until you get it right. 
And now the giveaway. Leave a comment for a chance to win a bag of toffee to be sent directly to you from me (or a holiday mix cd should toffee not be your thing or should you be concerned about getting candy through the mail). The winner will be chosen on Sunday, so you’ve got some time…and I will use a random number generator to make sure that it’s fair. 

brunch

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Since moving to New York, brunch has become a common occurrence in my life. At least every other week, I seem to find myself out and about on a Saturday morning in order to meet friends for brunch.

Kitchenette – TriBeCa
Yes, I was trying to get a picture of my delicious eggs benedict crab cake style. (I’m too lazy to upload my pics right now, so I stole this from Sara’s blog (not to be mistaken with Sarah. I know…it’s confusing.)

Essex – LES

First of all, I love breakfast foods, so brunch is seriously one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning. Second of all, these girls are some of my favorite girls, so it makes for a very happy combination!

And, in fact, I did breakfast (9 am = not brunch) just this morning with the lovely Sara and our friend, Kevin at Good Enough to Eat, conveniently located between my apartment and Kevin’s apartment. I could see this becoming problematic…