Read this exchange between a food blogger and Cooks Illustrated or whatever is their conglomeration is. And go and look at the comments. People are really going nuts with it. I originally saw the posting from Evil Chef Mom, which I check with some frequency because she is entertaining and ranty and she was amused by Pi Day!
I knew there were probably some rules about what you could use/borrow from people in terms of recipes but I have always figured that I never really follow recipes very well anyway so it shouldn't be an issue. Sometimes I have even forgotten where the original recipe is from but after all the things I forgot...errrr..... modifications I made I never really cared. Plus I don't exactly have a following the way some real food bloggers do. That and with my horrible permutations on what starts off as a good recipe, they probably don't want to be associated with the monstrocity that I create.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Though maybe I should make sure to at least put a link into all of my recipes so you can see where they come from... at least from now on...
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Barefoot Bloggers: Smoked Salmon Spread
Just making it under the wire! Whew! So I didn't make the first one of the month on time and this one I am just barely making. Next month I will be moving and the month after that I may or may not be moved in to a place yet so I my chances of making those are pretty slim. I just hope I don't get kicked out of the group!
I am not sure what I am doing with it now that I have it made... I'll probably bring it to work tomorrow. I didn't have any dill so obviously that's not in it. I bought horseradish just for this; I had just about everything else already, except the smoked salmon. I will have to give away the horseradish, along with whatever else is left in the fridge when I move.
I actually made it this morning but didn't get a chance to post anything then because I had no time. When I got to work my hands smelled fishy and still smelled fishy after I washed them 3 times, lathering each time for at least 30 seconds with soap, which didn't bode well for the spread. Fortunately the dip tastes pretty good. I may have gone a little heavy on the lemon juice and horseradish but oh well. I kind of want to add some mustard to it too (maybe because I have 4 jars of different kinds all lined up in my fridge) but I decided to stick with the recipe.
Smoked Salmon Spread
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced
Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.
I am not sure what I am doing with it now that I have it made... I'll probably bring it to work tomorrow. I didn't have any dill so obviously that's not in it. I bought horseradish just for this; I had just about everything else already, except the smoked salmon. I will have to give away the horseradish, along with whatever else is left in the fridge when I move.
I actually made it this morning but didn't get a chance to post anything then because I had no time. When I got to work my hands smelled fishy and still smelled fishy after I washed them 3 times, lathering each time for at least 30 seconds with soap, which didn't bode well for the spread. Fortunately the dip tastes pretty good. I may have gone a little heavy on the lemon juice and horseradish but oh well. I kind of want to add some mustard to it too (maybe because I have 4 jars of different kinds all lined up in my fridge) but I decided to stick with the recipe.
Smoked Salmon Spread
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced
Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Pi Approximation Day
So I gave my notice last week at work. I will be moving to North Carolina in a couple weeks. I have told pretty much everyone at work by now.
The consensus was that everyone would effectively be going on a diet starting August 2nd. So naturally I have an effort to try and make as many baked goods as possible between now and then. Of course that's a bit of a challenge when it's 90+ degrees outside everyday and even hotter in my apt because it's on the 3rd floor.
In particular, one of the things that people were sad about was that I wouldn't be there to spearhead Pi(e) Day next year. Maybe it will live on in, I gave my 'Pi Day poster' to our finance guy; we will see how he does with it in March.
It was quite an event this year, with 20 some pies for maybe 40 people and the timing of it helped lighten the mood quite a bit around the office.
Well I won't be here for Pi(e) Day but tomorrow is Pi Approximation Day. A lot of older people know pi as 22/7 or 3.142857. Well that isn't exactly pi but it's close enough. So for Pi Approximation Day we all bring in stuff that is close to pie but isn't.
Here's the menu of what I am bringing:
Corn and Bacon Tartlets - the Corn and Bacon pie was so popular on Pi(e) day I made a bite size version
S'more tartlets - graham cracker crust, a bit of chocolate melted into the crust and a marshmallow charred just a bit on top, all in a bite size piece
Devils Food cupcakes with chocolate ganache filling and hazelnut praline buttercream frosting
Peach cobbler
Lemon and blueberry bars
Brownies
Mixed berry puff pastry cups
Other people at work seemed excited about the idea so hopefully other people will bring stuff as well.
Did I mention this was a pretty major cleaning out the fridge/freezer/pantry effort as well? Pretty impressive considering I only decided to do it last night and I made everything last night and today after I got home from work don't you think? I probably shouldn't come home at 4:30 and bake the entire time until I go to bed too much more.
The consensus was that everyone would effectively be going on a diet starting August 2nd. So naturally I have an effort to try and make as many baked goods as possible between now and then. Of course that's a bit of a challenge when it's 90+ degrees outside everyday and even hotter in my apt because it's on the 3rd floor.
In particular, one of the things that people were sad about was that I wouldn't be there to spearhead Pi(e) Day next year. Maybe it will live on in, I gave my 'Pi Day poster' to our finance guy; we will see how he does with it in March.
It was quite an event this year, with 20 some pies for maybe 40 people and the timing of it helped lighten the mood quite a bit around the office.
Well I won't be here for Pi(e) Day but tomorrow is Pi Approximation Day. A lot of older people know pi as 22/7 or 3.142857. Well that isn't exactly pi but it's close enough. So for Pi Approximation Day we all bring in stuff that is close to pie but isn't.
Here's the menu of what I am bringing:
Corn and Bacon Tartlets - the Corn and Bacon pie was so popular on Pi(e) day I made a bite size version
S'more tartlets - graham cracker crust, a bit of chocolate melted into the crust and a marshmallow charred just a bit on top, all in a bite size piece
Devils Food cupcakes with chocolate ganache filling and hazelnut praline buttercream frosting
Peach cobbler
Lemon and blueberry bars
Brownies
Mixed berry puff pastry cups
Other people at work seemed excited about the idea so hopefully other people will bring stuff as well.
Did I mention this was a pretty major cleaning out the fridge/freezer/pantry effort as well? Pretty impressive considering I only decided to do it last night and I made everything last night and today after I got home from work don't you think? I probably shouldn't come home at 4:30 and bake the entire time until I go to bed too much more.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Sour Cherry Cheesecake Bars
I bought some sour cherries this weekend so then I had to figure out what to do with them. I had some cream cheese sitting the the fridge and a whole bunch of graham crackers that were supposed to be for smores but that didn't happen. And marshmallows but I forgot about those until it was too late.
Anyway, I ended up making sour cherry cheesecake bars. No real recipe but this is what I did.
Took 2 packs of graham crackers, 1/2 cup of sugar and a stick of melted butter. Crush up the graham crackers and mix with the sugar and melted butter. Press into 2 pans. I used a 9x9 and 9x13.
Mix 1 1/2 packs of cream cheese with sugar to taste, maybe 5 tablespoons?. Spread into a thin layer over the crust.
Pit a quart of sour cherries. Toss with a couple tablespoons of sugar and spread over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle some sugar over the top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until done.
Probably should have greased the pan first but oh well. And I probably should have made less crust and only did one pan so it was covered completely with the cream cheese and cherries. There are some gaps where the crust peeks through the cream cheese and the cherries form a layer but they definitely do not completely cover the cream cheese.
Not much of a recipe but they look tasty.
So now what do I do with the marshmallows?
Anyway, I ended up making sour cherry cheesecake bars. No real recipe but this is what I did.
Took 2 packs of graham crackers, 1/2 cup of sugar and a stick of melted butter. Crush up the graham crackers and mix with the sugar and melted butter. Press into 2 pans. I used a 9x9 and 9x13.
Mix 1 1/2 packs of cream cheese with sugar to taste, maybe 5 tablespoons?. Spread into a thin layer over the crust.
Pit a quart of sour cherries. Toss with a couple tablespoons of sugar and spread over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle some sugar over the top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until done.
Probably should have greased the pan first but oh well. And I probably should have made less crust and only did one pan so it was covered completely with the cream cheese and cherries. There are some gaps where the crust peeks through the cream cheese and the cherries form a layer but they definitely do not completely cover the cream cheese.
Not much of a recipe but they look tasty.
So now what do I do with the marshmallows?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Barefoot Bloggers: Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
This was July's first recipe for the Barefoot Bloggers. I got really busy and missed the day but here it is anyway. It was chosen by chosen by Sabrina and Alexander of Cooking with the Kids. Everybody together now, let's say 'thank you Sabrina and Alexander'.
Anyway.....
Well I ended up making the Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread only a couple days late. And I actually followed the recipe, pretty closely! I even used the jalapenos. After I said I wasn't going to with the whole salmonella thing I saw them at Walmart and figured what the hell.
It came out quite tasty. I didn't deseed the jalapeno's or anything and it came out with just a little bit of heat, not bad at all. Flavorwise quite good. Firsts bite I thought bah, I like my cornbread sweeter but after that I got the salt from the cheese, oniony goodness and heat from the jalapeno's and realized it was good the way it is. It's very soft and almost cakey in texture, moreso than most conbread that I've had but I've never been big on the grittiness you can get from cornmeal.
I served it with some taco meat and my version of a mango salsa although it's more of a guacamole than a salsa. mmmm that was a tasty dinner. And lunch the next day. It will be for lunch again tomorrow but I think I am tired of it and it's less good now.
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Ina Garten
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppersCombine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Anyway.....
Well I ended up making the Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread only a couple days late. And I actually followed the recipe, pretty closely! I even used the jalapenos. After I said I wasn't going to with the whole salmonella thing I saw them at Walmart and figured what the hell.
It came out quite tasty. I didn't deseed the jalapeno's or anything and it came out with just a little bit of heat, not bad at all. Flavorwise quite good. Firsts bite I thought bah, I like my cornbread sweeter but after that I got the salt from the cheese, oniony goodness and heat from the jalapeno's and realized it was good the way it is. It's very soft and almost cakey in texture, moreso than most conbread that I've had but I've never been big on the grittiness you can get from cornmeal.
I served it with some taco meat and my version of a mango salsa although it's more of a guacamole than a salsa. mmmm that was a tasty dinner. And lunch the next day. It will be for lunch again tomorrow but I think I am tired of it and it's less good now.
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Ina Garten
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppersCombine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Spinach and Feta Phyllo cups
A few days ago I was really tired. Really really tired. So tired I left work at 4:30 and fell asleep when I got home and slept through the night. I woke up at 4:30 AM. At this point I was pretty well rested so I figured I'd get up. So what do you do at 4:30 in the morning? I could call someone and wake them up but then they would probably be whiny and not entertaining. So I decided to make something. Someone at work mentioned they would like it if I made something savory, I guess to balance out some of the sweets I usually make. So I decided to make spinach and feta phyllo cups.
I had been wanting to make something with spinach and feta for a couple weeks now, which is why I had the feta in the first place. Feta is not a kitchen staple for me; cheddar and parmesan are but not feta. I had the spinach thawed and sitting the the fridge awaiting an application. I had seen some recipes, like this post that forgot the spinach in the spinach and feta pie and this spinach and feta calzone and I had a pack of phyllo dough in the fridge so I improvised.
I finished them at 6:45 which worked out nicely. I put them in a container and brought them in to work, still warm. The phyllo dough lost its crispness in transit but it probably made them a little easier to eat because then they didn't fall apart.
Spinach and Feta Phyllo cups
Based off a lot of recipes, so who knows
1 large bag of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 container feta
4 eggs
1/2 cup cottage cheese
salt
pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
phyllo sheets
butter, melted
Mix together the first 4 ingredients.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. You will use a fair amount of pepper and nutmeg.
Lay out single sheets of phyllo, brush with melted butter then cut the sheet into 12 almost squares. Stack up sets of 3 squares and push them into a mini muffin pan. Put them in every other cup on the pan so the cups do not touch.
Fill each cup with the spinach mix. It doesn't rise much so fill it to the top.
I wish I had sprinkled some parmesan on top but I didn't.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until the tops are GBD (golden brown and delicious).
Repeat until you are out of phyllo dough or filling or you get bored.
I got tired of the cups so I started making egg roll type rolls out of it.
I have one of my grainy pics but it's probably not worth posting.
I had been wanting to make something with spinach and feta for a couple weeks now, which is why I had the feta in the first place. Feta is not a kitchen staple for me; cheddar and parmesan are but not feta. I had the spinach thawed and sitting the the fridge awaiting an application. I had seen some recipes, like this post that forgot the spinach in the spinach and feta pie and this spinach and feta calzone and I had a pack of phyllo dough in the fridge so I improvised.
I finished them at 6:45 which worked out nicely. I put them in a container and brought them in to work, still warm. The phyllo dough lost its crispness in transit but it probably made them a little easier to eat because then they didn't fall apart.
Spinach and Feta Phyllo cups
Based off a lot of recipes, so who knows
1 large bag of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 container feta
4 eggs
1/2 cup cottage cheese
salt
pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
phyllo sheets
butter, melted
Mix together the first 4 ingredients.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. You will use a fair amount of pepper and nutmeg.
Lay out single sheets of phyllo, brush with melted butter then cut the sheet into 12 almost squares. Stack up sets of 3 squares and push them into a mini muffin pan. Put them in every other cup on the pan so the cups do not touch.
Fill each cup with the spinach mix. It doesn't rise much so fill it to the top.
I wish I had sprinkled some parmesan on top but I didn't.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until the tops are GBD (golden brown and delicious).
Repeat until you are out of phyllo dough or filling or you get bored.
I got tired of the cups so I started making egg roll type rolls out of it.
I have one of my grainy pics but it's probably not worth posting.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Barefoot Bloggers
I just realized today is the posting date for the cornbread... don't have time today but I'll get to it by the end of the month! And with the whole jalapeno pepper salmonella thing (and the fact that i'm lazy) I will make it without the jalapeno's. Maybe I'll substitute something if something comes to mind.
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