February Daring Bakers' Challenge: Panna Cotta & Florentine Cookies

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

Winter Stew with Sunchokes

My latest farmbox brought with it sunchokes, carrots, and celery, which sounded to me like the basis for a tasty winter stew. Deborah Madison provides an earthy recipe with herbs and red wine and suggests that the addition of a pastry lid would be a fine one.

Maple Sweetened Carrot Cupcakes

Mini Maple Carrot Cupcakes

My friend's daughter just turned two, and it seemed like a fitting occasion for making Martha Stewart's Maple-Sweetened Carrot Cupcakes. The recipe, found in Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, is introduced with the proposition that it be served at the birthday party of a baby or young child because a) it has no refined sugar, and b) adults will like it.

Vegetable Tempura



The wrong way to serve tempura.



Saturday night, the Gastronomist Economist and I convened for our monthly cooking session. I planned to make cupcakes for a birthday party, so I let the GE pick our dinner menu. "Let's make tempura!" she said.

I am a deep-frying newbie, having only received a deep fry thermometer a few months before. (The thermometer made its debut at Hanukkah, when I made apple fritters.) I continue to be astonished at how quickly food cooks in its hot oil bath and how delectably crisp and tender it becomes.

Daring Bakers' Challenge: January 2011

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge is hosted by Astheroshe from the Blog, accro. Astheroshe chose Joconde imprime /entremets as the challenge for the month. Her challenge recipe is based on recipe from Chef John O, from The International Culinary School in Atlanta, Georgia USA.

Enchanted Broccoli Dome... er, Heap

The evening of Wednesday, January 19 marked the beginning of Tu B'Shevat, the new year of the trees.
Tu B'Shevat originally marked a new year for the purpose of calculating the age of trees for tithing but now serves as a way to celebrate the gifts of the natural world in general and trees in particular.

In the 16th century, Kabbalists created a seder for Tu B'Shevat modeled after the seder for Pesach that offers a means for discussing and contemplating the spiritual aspects of the day.

Mark Bittman Inspires a Stir-Fry

Tuesday, I ran across this article by Mark Bittman, which urges people to cook more food at home. (Amen!) Anticipating the protest "but, I don't know how to cook!", Bittman suggests that knowing three simple recipes is enough to get anyone making delicious and nutritious meals in no time at all. The three recipes?

1. a stir-fry
2. a chopped salad
3. rice and lentils

The article wasn't really a revelation for someone devoted to the art of inconvenience, but it did make me think: "Mmm. I could really go for a stir fry right now."

So, I did.