I know, I know...

So in case you haven't noticed, I haven't done what I promised--or so it appears. Let me explain. The truth is, I have been cooking, cooking, and cooking some more, AND snapping shots to document all of my experiments in the kitchen. I really do have so much to share with you (if any of "you" actually do read my blog--or even if you don't), but I've been using the excuse that I can't find the attachment I need to connect my camera to my computer so I can upload the shots I've taken. As someone recently pointed out, I could easily remedy that if I really wanted to. True that. But during the last several weeks, I've thought of some new ideas. So as I rework my blog, I will resolve the missing cord problem ASAP and keep "you" all updated. Don't give up on me. Please?

The plan

I know I haven't been the best at this, and I apologize. Basically, I've been busy and haven't had a lot of time for cooking lately. I know, lame excuse. I've just moved and once I get settled, I plan to start cooking like the dickens and update this blog regularly. That's the plan.

To make up for it, here's a picture from my trip to Turkey.  It's a new favorite for me which I intend to try and duplicate: Turkish pizza! Wow!

Nothing yet

Sorry about the lack of posts and pictures promised. I've had a rough time getting back on track after my trip. They are coming, though. Be excited.

Bon Voyage to me

Sorry I missed posting this past week. I've been running around trying to get ready for an exciting trip to a far-off land, as many of you know. I will be gone for nearly two weeks, but you can be sure there will be lovely pictures posted at the end of that time period. See you then!

In the red

There's this little cupcake place that comes out of Beverly Hills called Sprinkles. My little sister, Christi, first introduced it to me, and since then, we haven't been able to stop talking about their Red Velvet cupcakes:  

Pretty much the best cupcakes I've ever had. And I'm not a cake lover, either. My roommate Linda bought the mix for me for Christmas from Williams-Sonoma, and I finally made them just recently. You can purchase it online or in-store for around $14. I know, fourteen-dollar cupcakes, right? Believe me, they're worth it. Or you can travel to Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Dallas, Scottsdale, or Palo Alto to get them individually (but they're still not cheap!). Oh, and you may want to be forewarned: You will be seeing red in the kitchen for several days. Just make them and you'll see what I mean!

Happy Spring!

A chili March day

[Edit: I usually only make half a recipe, so that's why I was able to use a shallow pan as in the following picture:]

This week was an abnormally dark and dreary one in San Antonio. The best sort of remedy to cure the glooms and chills? "Chil"-i. Get it? Ha. Well, at least Linda thought it was funny.

In all seriousness, this is one of my favorite recipes which I stole from Food Network's Rachael Ray. I've made it over and over again and haven't gotten bored with it (which is easy for me to do). It's a one-pot wonder--i.e., you don't have to dirty a million dishes for this one. And it's tasty, fast, and satisfying. It also goes with everything.

Here's the recipe (sorry I'm short on words today--I'm late getting this post out, so I wanted to do it, but it's also time for bed):

This is the way I ate it this week--oven fries on the side, sour cream, cheese, and green onions on the top. I've also eaten this with corn fritter toppers, tortilla chips (my roommate Linda's favorite), or just plain. It's good any way you eat it, and you can adjust the seasonings to suit your taste. I don't measure anything exactly; I use Rachael's "measurement" methods and also add more of whatever I think needs adding at the end. It comes out different every time, which is just the way I like it.

Indian Summer Turkey Chili

Adapted from a recipe by 30-Minute Meal Queen Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

2 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey (or other lean ground meat)

4 tablespoons dark chili powder, 2 palm fulls

2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend, 1 palm full

1 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 palm full

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (or however you say it)

1 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, whatever your heat tolerance is

1 large onion, chopped

2 large bell peppers, any color combination, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce

2 cups corn kernels, optional (I never put these in because I never have them, but you can if you want. You could also add the beans of your choice if you like beans in your chili.)

Heat a pot over medium to medium high heat. Add EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, and the turkey meat. Season the meat with chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Break up the meat into small crumbles or chunks.

Brown meat 5 minutes, then add onions and chopped bell peppers and cook 10 minutes more. Add broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up drippings. Add tomato sauce and barbecue sauce and bring to a bubble. If using corn kernels and/or beans, add them now. Let chili simmer 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and heat level to your taste. Remove from heat and serve.

Serves 8-10

It's not easy being green...

[Edit: I forgot to mention that the author of this recipe suggests using leftover lemon-chive cream as a dip for potato chips. I highly recommend it myself! Yum!]

Unless, of course, you're broccoli soup. Or making broccoli soup. I found this to be the case with a simple, flavorful recipe for Broccoli Soup with Lemon-Chive Cream, which I got from my favorite food blog (I mean besides mine), Orangette by Molly Wizenberg, who also writes a column for Bon Appetit and just had a book published.

Yesterday, I decided I wanted something light, simple, and interesting for dinner, so I tried this. It turned out to be just that and more: the lemon-chive cream really gave the soup a unique depth of flavor that I have never tasted before. Of course, I still love my mom's classic broccoli soup, as I love all things that remind me of home, but this was really great for something different, something new, something interesting, and... something green. Enjoy.

Broccoli Soup with Lemon-Chive Cream

Recipe courtesy Molly Wizenberg

The soup:

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, sliced

1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 lb. broccoli, both crowns and stems, trimmed and coarsely chopped

5 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 rind (about 2 inches square) from a piece of Parmesan cheese (absolutely necessary for adding flavor to the soup--I found some rinds sold separately at the market specifically for this purpose)

1/4 tsp. kosher salt, or less if the broth is well-salted

The cream (amazing!--this really makes the soup):

1 cup sour cream (can't be low- or non-fat)

2 scallions, white and pale green parts only, very thinly sliced

1/4 cup minced chives

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. pressed or minced garlic

In a small stockpot, warm the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened and the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the broccoli, stock, Parmesan rind, and salt, and stir to mix. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 20 minutes.

While the soup cooks, prepare the cream. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, scallions, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, grated Parmesan, salt, and garlic, mixing until fully combined. Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.

To finish the soup, remove the Parmesan rind. Using a regular blender, puree the soup in small batches (don't fill blender more than 1/3 full with hot liquid), or use an immersion blender (which is what I did and a lot more convenient than transferring it to the blender and back), and puree until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot if necessary, add a few dollops of the cream mixture (Molly adds about 1/3 cup), and stir to incorporate. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary. If needed, re-warm the soup gently over low heat.

Serve with a spoonful or two (or three, or four...) of the remaining cream on top.

Serves 4-6.

P.S. Although all the food on my blog has been vegetarian so far, I promise I'll feature food with the carnivore in mind in the very near future. Stay tuned for more kind of Fine Dining!

A little late...

Just wanted to do a quick post tonight, as my goal was to update my blog every week.  This does come a little late, but then again, so do I.  (Those of you who know me well will agree.)  I know they're not the most beautiful things in the world (nor is my photography--we'll work on that), but I did make them with the help of my friends Monica and Linda.  We made them after Valentine's Day, but when isn't a good day for strawberries and chocolate?  

There's no recipe, but if you really don't know how to make them, send me an email.  Or better yet, look it up yourself.  I really don't know how to make them, either.  This was my first attempt.  Still delicious, though.

Butternut Squash: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

For such a fruit (vegetable? No, fruit--seeds) with such a demeaning name (on second thought, "butternut" does sound light, cheerful, and tasty, but "squash"???), butternut squash is a heavenly, melt-in-your mouth kind of food. All cut up into cubes and baking tenderly in the oven with delicate herbes de Provence to complement its sweet flavor, wafts drifting upstairs from the kitchen entertained and tantalized my nose for a good 25 minutes until I was able to pull it from the oven and sneak several dainty morsels to the satisfaction of my anxious mouth. But the squash had more important purposes than being a simple treat for my nose, tongue, and stomach. It was to become...

Tortellini!


Thanks to Giada De Laurentiis, I found this delicious recipe for one of my favorite dishes watching the Food Network one day at work. I had had butternut squash ravioli (a minor difference) for the first time at a great little soup/sandwich/pasta place in Arizona called Wildflower and have been craving it ever since. I have been wanting to try out this recipe because it seemed simple enough for the amateur gourmet in me, so I finally got myself to Central Market, picked out a beautiful squash, and made it this week... Devine!

The squash filling itself has the texture and taste similar to that of honeyed sweet potatoes and, mixed with whole milk ricotta, becomes creamy and slightly rich. Nutmeg and almond cookies add layers of flavor and interest to the filling, and the brown butter sauce with sage, cranberries, and walnuts literally melts over the top, lightly finishing off the simple yet sophisticated dish. The cranberries give a necessary subtle tangy-sweetness that complements the squash extremely well. Although a bit time-consuming, I would hope that you would try out this dish if you don't have the pleasure of living near me... And if you do, I suggest you find a way into my kitchen to try some before it's all gone. (Note: The recipe makes A LOT of filling. I still have an entire tub of the mixture in the fridge waiting to be tucked into little pockets tomorrow, only to be consumed by you-know-who...)

Butternut Squash Tortellini with Brown Butter Sauce

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1 butternut squash, cubed (about 3 cups) [I think I may have used a bit more.]

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons


1 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence


1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste


1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste


2 large shallots, chopped


2 garlic cloves, chopped


1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese


4 small amaretti cookies, crushed (1/3 cup) [Couldn't find these, so used thin almond cookies instead.]


1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


1 package small wonton wrappers


3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)


2 tablespoons torn fresh sage leaves


1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped


1/2 cup dried cranberries


1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste


1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste


1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese



Preheat the oven to 375. On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss together the butternut squash, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven until soft and golden, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.



In a food processor [I put everything in a big pot and used my hand mixer since I don't have a processor.], combine the butternut squash mixture, the shallot mixture, and the ricotta cheese and pulse a few times to blend. Add the crushed amaretti cookies, the nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until smooth.

Lay out 6 wonton wrappers, keeping the remaining skins inside the package or under a dampened paper towel. Place 1 tablespoon [I had to use less than this to avoid over-stuffing.] of squash mixture in the middle of each skin. Dip a pastry brush in a little water and wet the edges of the skin. Gently fold the square wrapper into a triangle, making sure the edges are securely closed and there are no air pockets inside. Dampen the two bottom corners of the longest side of the triangle and gently bring them together, pressing lightly to secure. Place the formed tortellini on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Before laying out another 6 wonton sheets, be careful to dry the work surface. This will help keep tortellini from sticking to the baking sheet. Continue until all the butternut squash mixture is used. [You can freeze some of the tortellini on a baking sheet and then put them in a container or plastic bag and save for later.] 



To make the sauce and serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sage, walnuts, and cranberries and let cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes. [Be very careful--you don't want the butter to cook too much and become bitter!] Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.



Then, gently place the tortellini in the boiling water and gently stir. When they begin to float, they are done, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently spoon the tortellini onto a serving platter. Top with the brown butter sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.



Buon appetito!