Oatmeal Cookies Anyone?

On a cool and damp day, I opted to tackle a cookie that I have been dreaming of for so long, the oatmeal raisin cookie. The oatmeal cookie is perfect in so many ways. I personally love a crispy cookie, but I do make exceptions for oatmeal cookies. Here is a great recipe from one of my fave sites.

Adapted From Smitten Kitchen:

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.

At this point you can either chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them. You could also bake them right away, if you’re impatient, but I do find that they end up slighly less thick.


The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.


My batches weren't award winning cookies, but I felt like a winner after completing my task. I love challenging myself and trying new things. I learn each and every time. At the end of the day, these were tasty cookies and I look forward to keeping this recipe for the future.

Happy eating everyone!

Granola

Doug said this was, "the best granola I have ever had."

Alton Brown's Granola Bars

ingredients:

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Directions

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.








I also made them into individual portions by using a muffin tin. Best tool for portion control :)

Happy snacking and eating to all!!!

Location:Brooklyn, NY

Snowy Days Lead to Soup Filled Thoughts

Today marks the first snowfall of 2012 and the first snow of the season. This weather is perfect for staying in, building a fire, and snuggling up with your loved ones(furry or human). As lovely as the before mentioned are, this is a food blog after all, and I attempt to stay true to that. The following is a short and sweet rambling about a wonderful concept that ANYONE can create no matter what their cooking ability.

Mmmm...Soup. If it wasn't clear from my last post, this is the time of year that I basically obsess about soup. There is nothing more filling, comforting, and heartwarming to me than soup. The picture below is the a bowl of my chicken matzo ball soup that I cooked up recently on a Sunday afternoon. The recipe consists of parsnips, carrots, celery, onion, a whole chicken, dill, parsley, and some other secret ingredients. What you come out with is a meal in a bowl that would make my Nana very proud. I created this recipe by combining recipes that both my Dad and Nana gave me. The result is pictured below and I am pretty damn proud of it!

I encourage everyone to get into the kitchen and see what you have in the pantry or fridge and I challenge you to create your very own custom soup. You will not be sorry! Happy eating to all, and to all, good eating!

Oh yea!

Here are a few of my fave soups with recipes attached:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/down-home-with-the-neelys/broccoli-soup-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/squash-soup-recipe/index.html

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jamies-minestrone/

Is there anything better than a bowl of noodle soup?

Pho is defined by Webster as a "vietnamese noodle soup". I will say that these are three little words that do not do this dish ANY justice. I will say that Pho is the soup that eats like a meal (a large meal). It is the meal that is bottomless and keeps on giving. Pho is SO MUCH more than any soup I have ever had the opportunity to enjoy and I am thrilled to live in a city that offers so many delicious options.

Pho begins at its ground level as a deep and dark beef broth that has a heaping amount of rice noodles, cilantro, thai basil, onions, and different cuts of beef throughout. From what I understand, the broth becomes so rich and full of flavor from the slow and low cooking down of beef bones from the meat they used the day prior. The lovely folks at Pho Grand in Chinatown, NYC do this soup right! We went for some Pho on a frigid Sunday afternoon this month and had the best meal we have enjoyed in Chinatown in a while. After ordering by the letter and number, the waiter brought over a large dish that has a bunch of extra fix ins on it. This dish included lemon wedges for acidity, a mound of crisp bean sprouts for texture, and extra thai basil for earthiness. YUMMY! A squeeze of the hoisin on the table and some spice if you like and you are ready to dig in.

I opted for the top round brisket and extra veggies on this trip, but I think that I am beginning to open my mind to different cuts on meat in my Pho. One of the best things about this particular mean is that even after getting your soup facial, you don't feel full or heavy. It is easy to taste and see that all of the ingredients are fresh, light, and crisp from start to finish. May I also mention the bill for two large bowls of Pho, 2 diet cokes, and spring rolls=$20!!!

I am getting hungry, so if I type anymore I will find myself back in Chinatown. That being said, I will end this post for now and bid you all happy eating and a warm winter!

Look out for more soups in the weeks to come...

Pho Grand

277	Grand Street New York, NY 10002

Brooklyn Brunches

When midweek rolls around there are few things that push me through to the end of the week. It is about this time (Wednesday evening) that I begin to fantasize about the weekend ahead and all of the wonderful joys that a weekend at home in Brooklyn may bring me. We always enjoy early mornings at Fort Greene Park with our dogs, the Saturday framers market, and coffee (religiously) with our friends @ Bittersweet. I truly embrace these little moments and rituals for so many reasons and I couldn't imagine a weekend without them.

Along with some of the above mentioned reasons why I love living in Brooklyn, one of the BIGGEST rituals when you live in a metropolis is the idea of brunch. I personally am a huge advocate of this meal for a few very important and well thought out reasons:

1) the term brunch can be used both as a noun and as a verb. You can be eating brunch or bunching with friends. Love that!

2) to me there is nothing more comforting than being able to enjoy both sweet and savory on a plate without judgement. Yes, I pour syrup on my bacon :)

I would have to admit that brunch is the ultimate meal to me and something that warms me down to the core. My fiancé and I love this meal so much that we will be holding our wedding at a local brunch location. What can be better than having all the best of breakfast and lunch at my wedding? 12-1-2012!!!

I have had the opportunity recently to enjoy brunch at two wonderful Brooklyn "hot spots" for Brunch and neither myself or my dining partners were disappointed.

Apartment 138 is located on Smith Street in Cobble Hill. It is a small/intimate space indoors, but we had the chance on a cool Sunday Fall afternoon to dine in their backyard. The decor and the ambiance melded beautifully with the wooden trellises and deck. The yard was full with families eating with their young ones, couples having a meal intimately, and girlfriends like us just catching up over a mimosa and eggs. The only down side of this dining experience was that they were CASH ONLY and that we didn't have more time to just sit, eat, and drink.


I ordered a pumpkin soup that was topped with vanilla whipped cream and a perfectly dressed Ceasar salad.


Buttermilk Channel is "the place" for pancakes and brunch according to many. It is located on Court Street in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn. The party of 7 that I was dining with were celebrating the wedding of a close friend. Buttermilk didn't disappoint.


This short stack of pancakes is the must eat item on the menu.


And the bride washed it down with one of Buttermilk's popular bloody Mary's. This one was topped with an oyster.

At the end of the day, Brunch is really about what I began my blog post mentioning and that is community and togetherness. The weekends are for gathering with loved ones and catching up on sleep. There is no better way in my opinion to achieve all of these things than by having a cocktail or coffee and some bacon. Really, is there anything better in this world? I think not. Now, go out there and order a waffle or short stack for the table!!!

Be kind to one another and enjoy the good life all around. Happy eating!

Location:Brooklyn, NY

NYE Feast of the 7 Fishes

Happy New Year to all!! We had our Feast of Seven Fishes a week late this year. Here's some of the highlights:


Our guests made this menu to commemorate the dinner.


Beau Soleil Oysters with Jalapeño Mignonette


Peruvian Striped Bass Ceviche with Tostones and Avocado


Octopus a la Plancha with Smoked Paprika (this was just before they hit the grill)


Whole Bronzino in Salt Crust (just before we piled on the salt crust)


Un Gateau au chocolat


Amy's bread


I found a new wine to love.


Great company!

Location:Brooklyn, NY