Glazed Pear Walnut Cake

The baking bug has bit me. When the temperature drops I have the desire to bake bake and bake. My mind is always coming up with ideas and I’m always finding recipes that I want to try… but the problem is that there is not enough people to feed! So about twice a month I’ll mail off a package of whatever I made so I can get some baking out of my system! I do wish the post office was open longer, who came up with the hours of 9-5?! That’s when most people are at work! Somehow I usually manage to get there usually with ten minutes to spare. And mailing stuff is expensive! The expenses still won’t stop me; I’m just like ahhh 6 dollars to mail my dad some cake?! If you want me to mail you something give me your address, I’ll gladly send you some desserts because I don’t need to be a glutton and keep them all at my house. And I forgot to mention my willpower with desserts is zero, I have absolutely none so I try to get them out of here ASAP.

Birthdays are a great excuse to get baking. Tomorrow is my friend’s 23rd birthday so I made a Glazed Pear and Pecan Cake Recipe at Epicurious.com. Pears are overflowing at the grocery stores so I couldn’t resist this recipe when I saw it. I saw this at 8 pm last night and walked to the store to buy some pears and had this dessert done by 11 pm. I trekked to the post office today after school and sent this lovely cake to the birthday girl. I changed the recipe a wee bit of course; I used walnuts (I had them already) and used 1 cups of sugar in the glaze (the recipe online has a typo, so only one cup of sugar for the glaze!) But other that that, I followed the recipe and it was very yummy and incredibly moist.

Butternut Squash Salad with a Tahini Dressing

I want to apologize for being such a bad blogger lately. I love trying out new recipes but the truth is I get fed too much… At school I eat a wonderful lunch and often get to bring home leftovers. This week alone I brought home pork tenderloin, grilled chicken and fresh bread from the bread class. On Wednesday I volunteered for a cooking demonstration and at the end I got to bring home a quart of hummus, plenty of pasta with pesto, tuna tartar, and they gave me a bottle of red wine. The latter made me the happiest and the volunteering completely worth it. So I do get a lot of food and my roommates love me for it because I try to shove it down their throats (actually no need to when the pilot is home it gets gone quick… I do hope I will get a flight soon in exchange for all the food…)

Anyways enough excuses. To the few fans that like my blog (my dear friends and family thank you) I am jumping right back on the blog train and am going to try to be much more consistent. Fall is by far my favorite season to cook. I love anything with butternut squash, pumpkin, brussel sprouts, cranberries, pomegranates, figs, and the list goes on of my favorite fall produce. I have been seeing a bunch of recipes that I cannot wait to try so here is the first one!

I have trouble with recipes featuring butternut squash; if I had my way I would do ten blog posts in a row featuring my absolute favorite vegetable. I got this from the Smitten Kitchen Blog and it was such an interesting combination of flavors that I urge everyone to try it. I went to the grocery store with a shopping list and I still forgot the chickpeas in the recipe oops. It still tasted wonderful without the chickpeas, in fact I think it’d taste much better with brown rice or any type of grain (couscous, barley, wheatberries) so it can absorb some of the tahini dressing. If you make thins I encourage you to use at least two butternut squashes. I used only one and it fed just me in one sitting… I’m telling you I eat butternut squash like candy. After having to peel and prep at least 50 butternut squashes for my internship the best way to prep butternut squash is to: peel the entire squash first then cut in half separating the bulging bottom from the long skinny stem. From there cut the squash in about ½ inch pieces. Hope everyone has been having a wonderful fall lately. And if you have a seasonal item that’d you like me to blog about please let me know!

Tomato Apple Sauce

I have been rethinking a few things lately… working in a kitchen is a sweaty, dirty, greasy, and stressful job but I still manage to love it. But what would it be like to work in a test kitchen, catering company, a resort, or even a cruise ship… the opportunities are endless! Yesterday at my school they had a career fair and even had Martha Stewart company there… oooh! That one definitely piqued my interest but that one had a loooong line of current students and alum. Food jobs in the media, editorial, and development are intensely competitive, but that is an area I am interested in so I’m about to make some pretty darn impressive cover letters and send some resumes and hope for the best! On Sunday Sheryl Crow is having a concert in the city and I have the chance to assist Sheryl’s private chef. I hope I get this opportunity and I’ll keep everyone updated if I do!

Fall came, went, came, and now it went away for a few days. Today it got to nearly 85 degrees and tomorrow it is supposed to reach the 90s. I’m done with summer this year! I’m over my dresses, flip flops, and having to crank up my fan to go to bed. I’m ready for scarves, my boots, hot drinks, and my favorite fall foods. My roommate’s mother gave us a cookbook (but I think I’ve deemed it mine already?) and there are some wonderful recipes in there. I’ve been in an apple mood lately… a few days ago I made an apple cannellini bean soup from her book. Tonight I made the apple tomato sauce recipe that totally caught my eye. The recipe is so straightforward and simple and uses minimal ingredients and tasted delicious.

Tomato Apple Sauce

3 cups (one 28-ounce can) canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large stalks celery, cut in 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound tart, firm apples, such as Granny Smith

Pour the canned tomatoes into the food processor or blender, and purée until smooth.

Pour 4 tablespoons of the olive oil into the skillet, set it over medium heat, and sweat the chopped celery and onion in the pan. Cook and stir the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they wilt and start to caramelize.

Add the chopped garlic. Stir in the puréed tomatoes, season with the salt, and heat to a bubbling simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or so. As the tomatoes perk, peel and core the apples, and remove the seeds. Shred them, using the coarse holes of a shredder or grater.
When the tomatoes have cooked about 5 minutes, stir the apples into the sauce. Heat again to a simmer, and cook the sauce, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until it has reduced and thickened and the apple shreds are cooked and tender. Add the 2 tsp. of sugar and season with more salt if needed.

Chocolate Caramel Bars

For the last month I’ve been interning at a French place called JoJo during my weekends from 9 AM till 5 PM. I was initially so excited about getting the internship…. But I always knew that I’d have to start on the bottom (on the job chain) and I’m learning what that actually entails. From 9-5 on Saturdays and Sundays, I am working in the prep kitchen either peeling potatoes, shucking corn, prepping string beans, cutting onions, making dressings, frying chips… and the list goes on. I am learning how to do lots of new things and how to be quick quick quick cause you know time is money (even though I am most definitely not getting paid). Anyways, today was a weird day, I woke up at 3 AM in a horror I had forgotten my knives in my locker at school! Chefs do not share knives… it’s like a musician without a guitar or a photographer without a camera…. This morning I woke up an hour earlier than my planned wake up time and hauled my ass downtown to school (about a 35 min subway ride) and got my knives…. But then I realized I had FORGOTTEN my chef pants! Ah! I guess it’s like a nurse trying to wear jeans to work if that makes the comparison more understandable…. I cursed myself once again. I tried to get an administrator at my school to sell me a pair of pants and he told me I had to wait for the receptionist who wouldn’t be there till 9 AM and my internship started at 9! Then my tears started coming… my internship was about a 15 minute subway ride away… but golly the normal me wouldn’t care and I’d be like hmm okay sooo I’ll be a few minutes late. But the tears worked the administrator (a man) ran and found someone (a woman) who was able to figure out how to charge pants onto my student account. Finally! I thought I got the worse out of the way, then at about 11 AM I was chopping onions and I cut myself and made a bloody mess and again the tears came. I cut and burn myself almost everyday at school, but today for some reason I was Mrs.Waterworks and I had to step outside of the restaurant and contain myself. I’m wondering if school and work every day of the week is finally getting to me… don’t get me wrong I love almost every moment. Tomorrow I don’t have to go into Jojo until 2PM and I’m making myself go to Central Park in the morning and walk around and enjoy the quiet and not being in a kitchen the first thing in the morning.

At school, I am mostly cooking something savory so I have been craving to bake. A few days ago on the phone my friend Jen told me that her boyfriend Kellan wanted me to send him some cookies. His birthday was yesterday… but perfect I decided I was going to bake him a belated birthday treat to fulfill his wish. Kellan was my neighbor in college and I brought him baked goods from time to time and he got pretty spoiled. Now everytime he sees me or hears his girlfriend on the phone with me it’s always, “Ooooh where are my cookies!” I love a boy who will eat my baking; he does have a special place in my heart… These are made with a chef’s worse enemy…. Cake mix… and store bought caramels… I can just see everyone cringing… I saw this recipe and I don’t know why I didn’t turn away when I saw cake mix listed as an ingredient. I still made them and they are pretty damn good. I need to send these bars out pronto buut I hope it passes the mail test meaning that it doesn’t get melty and fall apart. Since I can’t send the ENTIRE thing to Kellan (I mean that’d be spoiling him too much) so the winner for the other half goes to my dear old grandparents! This dessert would be great if you needed something quick and easy to throw together. To me this dessert is like a really fudgy dark brownie with decadent oozy caramel and crunchy pecans. Here is the recipe http://www.bakeorbreak.com/recipes/2009/12/23/chocolate-caramel-bars/

Indonesian Ginger Chicken

I am sitting outside on my balcony with a glass of wine as I am writing this because it’s rainy and slightly cool for the first time in a long while. It’s nice not to feel that wave of mist rush over me as soon as I step outside. I feel like New York is way more humid than North Carolina? I could be wrong… maybe its because I am used to getting around in a car with air conditioning and here I walk everywhere…but I am looking forward to experiencing the New York four seasons (the frigid winters maybe not so much).

I apologize I am doing chicken once again. We all had to quarter a chicken in class but did not cook them all so I volunteered to bring home a quartered chicken which meant free dinner times three (including leftovers). I have been craving Thai and asain foods lately maybe its because in class we do all sorts of French cooking which means lots of cream, butter, and SALT (thank goodness I walk a lot). I put salt in caps because I feel like we salt our food by the handful instead of using a typical pinch, and the chef instructors will still say it tastes undersalted still at times. It’s like WHAAT now I can’t help but have a heavy hand with salt. Perhaps that’s why I feel puffy sometimes? Anyways so asian is typically light, spicy, and fresh which is much more appropriate for the summer time.

This chicken recipe is a winner and the sauce makes it. I got this recipe from Ina Garten on the Food Network. I made the marinade before school in the morning and threw it in fridge and it was ready to bake when I got home later that night. Sorry for the boring pictures; I had a sweet potato on the side but it was microwaved and a bit shriveled up so it didn’t make it into the photos. But the sweet potato did go really well dipped in the yummy sauce.

Indonesian Ginger Chicken

Ingredients:
1 cup honey
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
1/2 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger root
2 (3 1/2 pound) chickens, quartered, with backs removed

Directions:
Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger root in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey is melted. Arrange the chicken in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan, skin side down, and pour on the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. **(Michelle’s Note: If I were you I’d use half the sauce for marinating and save about half of the sauce and use it for dipping)**

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan, turn the chicken skin side up, and raise the temperature to 375 degrees F. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the sauce is a rich, dark brown.

Homemade Mole

I went back home to Raleigh this past weekend and had an amazing time with family and friends. When I was picked up from the airport and on the way to the house I realized I’ve missed seeing green aka trees and grass. New York City is glamorous and so fun but definitely lacking in the nature department and consists of the colors light gray concrete and dark gray buildings. After spending time at home and riding in cars (not in subways) and lounging around the house I felt slightly refreshed when I got back to NYC.

Today I finally did what I’ve wanted to do for a long time and that was to make homemade mole! For a class assignment we all had to come up with a menu, and my menu theme was a progressive Mexican/Latin menu. I am going to include the menu because I would love some ideas and feedback if anyone has any other ideas to include in the menu… I have to cook some of the things on my menu and do food costing and take photos so this was the perfect excuse to make mole. I trekked to a Mexican grocery store after class and bought the dried chilies and chocolate. I pretty much simplified the recipe meaning I took less time to soak the chilies and sauté things… the whole thing probably took me about 45 minutes to make and I have enough mole to make multiple dishes of mole enchiladas. But that’s perfect because that’s what freezers and tupperwares are for.

Mole Negro
· 3 cups low-salt chicken broth
· 1 cup orange juice (I used two fresh oranges)
· 1 large onion sliced
· 1/2 cup sliced almonds
· 6 large garlic cloves, sliced
· 4 teaspoons cumin seeds
· 4 teaspoons coriander seeds
· 3 ounces dried pasilla chiles

· 2 ounce dried negro chiles

· 1/4 cup raisins
· 1 3.1-ounce disk Mexican chocolate (I used Ibarra brand)

First, toast the dried chilies in a saucepan (no oil) for about 3 minutes until the peppers start to puff up. Transfer the peppers into a bowl and pour in boiling water (until the peppers are covered) to rehydrate them for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add almonds, garlic, cumin, and coriander. Sauté until nuts and garlic begin to color, about 2 minutes. Add chiles and stir until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.

Put this chicken broth in a large pan and bring to a simmer and add the orange juice. Add the raisins to the broth. Transfer the chili mixture to the broth and simmer until chilies are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Let stand until chocolate melts. Working in small batches, transfer sauce mixture to blender and puree until smooth; return to reserved pot. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

I used the leftover chicken I brought home from class and made myself some enchiladas. I microwaved the chicken and corn tortillas and just slathered them with the mole sauce and it was yuuum!!

Here is the menu that I made for class, some of these dishes are the Mexican dishes that I grew up with and others are ideas that came to my head.

Appetizer

Cream of Poblano Soup
Topped with a fried cornbread crouton and shredded Monterey jack cheese

Seasonal Ensalada
Crunchy cabbage, julienned mango, avocado, candied walnuts, lime vinaigrette

Corn and Black Bean cakes
Topped with creamy queso, green onions, and fried cilantro and served with red pepper jalapeno salsa

Beef Empanadas
Made with masa dough, filled with chorizo, raisins, and olives

Seafood Entrées

Fish Tacos
Grilled Flounder with pickled red onions, fried avocados, and a roasted red pepper remoulade

Snapper
Breaded with dehydrated squash blossoms and served atop pepper jack mashed sweet potatoes

Mexican Style Mussels
Tequila, lime, and jalapeno

Scallops
Seared corn meal crusted scallops served with a honey habanero sauce

Meat Entrées

Mole Enchiladas
House made corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken and

generously topped with mole sauce

Stuffed Chicken
Chicken Breast stuffed with mashed plantains, bacon, and leeks

Pork Tenderloin
Made with orange marmalade and chipotle glaze

Chiles Rellenos
Poblanos stuffed with pork cheek, three cheeses, and served with a smoky tomato cream sauce

Sides (choice of two per entrée)

Spicy Macaroni and cheese
Serrano chilies, cayenne béchamel sauce, and Gruyere

Julienned Carrots
Paper thin carrots sautéed in a cilantro garlic dressing

Corn Pudding
Vanilla bean, chives, Manchego cheese

Jicama Salad
Julienned Jicama, red peppers, apples, cucumber, citrus vinaigrette

Desserts

Chocolate cinnamon profiteroles with a warm Kahlua sauce

Pineapple Brown sugar crisp served with a Mexican vanilla Ice cream

Coconut Flan with spiced pepita seed brittle

Chocolate Cherry Torte with Pistachio Ice cream drizzled with a bittersweet chocolate sauce

I hope everyone is doing well and is having a great summer!

Maple Cayenne Glazed Chicken and Sweet Potato Hash

Before school started I ate egg whites, boneless skinless chicken, and low fat mayo… but today a chef came in and talked to us about nutrition. I learned about the French Paradox, which is basically how do the French eat so much more salt, butter, cream, and drink and smoke a hell lot more than Americans but manage to have a MUCH lower amount of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and colon cancer. Boy, I thought I knew a lot about nutrition, but I did learn a few things.

• First, I learned that Americans have been brainwashed about good vs. bad fats. I already knew that butter is better for you than margarine. I also learned that chicken skin is considered to be a monosaturated fat (olive oil and avocados are other sources of monostaurated fats)… so chicken skin is good for you? The chef “nutritionist” said that the chicken skin is actually good for us and gave us a homework assignment to buy a rotisserie chicken and just eat the skin (that was just a joke of course). So I have spent years eating bland boneless skinless chicken breasts, well no more.
• I learned about the business of salmon. Wild Atlantic salmon is apparently all gone and if we want wild salmon, we have to resort to Alaskan wild salmon which is outrageously expensive (like $25/pound). But often the only reason I eat salmon is because I’m thinking I need some Omega 3s. But guess freaking what, farm raised salmon almost has NO omega 3s because they are fed corn and soy products instead of other fish and coral like they are supposed to eat. And the pink color from farm raised salmon comes from beets. Are salmon supposed to eat beets?? I don’t think so but at least it’s not artificial color…
• Salmon being fed corn and soy products brings me to another point. We are not what we eat, but we are what we eat eats. That is kind of a depressing thought, because almost everything we eat is fed corn and soy (think cows and chickens), so that’s why our meat is so far inferior compared to other cultures. Apparently, in Japan, the chicken is raised just right and they can eat it raw if they wanted because their chicken has virtually no salmonella! I learned that in America, our chicken is disgusting and full of salmonella. In class, when we prepared chicken that was the only meat we had to all wear gloves (we have cooked steak, venison, rabbit, duck, etc). Chicken is the most common meat produced in the U.S. so it makes sense that our chicken is just awful because people want to go to Wal-mart and buy the cheapest chicken which is probably chock-full of salmonella. Now I will not ever try to complain about paying 5.99 a pound for chicken.

Anyhow, I don’t want to scare you from eating chicken because that is my recipe for today. All in all I learned that I may need to pay more for better quality food (Duh, everyone knows that but now I might actually be willing to after learning all this information) and to finally indulge in chicken skin.

I made cayenne maple chicken : Food Network and Sweet Potato, Bacon and Apple Hash Recipe : Anne Burrell : Food Network. I made the recipes exactly as they are stated and they are both delicious. It took me until after I cooked all this to realize this would be perfect for the fall oops but it was still very good.