by Nicole Jordan
// Photos via Emily Blincoe and 101 Cookbooks
Tags: by Nicole, Food, Summer
by Nicole JordanIt's been almost a year since Claire and I have started this blog and somehow I have not mentioned my deep obsession with pasta. I'm totally enamored with the dish, from the production of the pasta itself to the variety of sauces that it can be served with. Although I'll eat just about any pasta dish, a classic tomato sauce is my favorite for how rich and comforting it can be. However, the arrival of summer--along with the accompanying heat and fresh produce--has kept me from cooking my favorite dish. These days, I slice fresh tomatoes to accompany mozzarella and basil or simply bite into them as if they're apples. I'm too eager to wait to savor the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity that is present in a ripe summer tomato. That was until I found this recipe. The addition of lemon zest brings a vibrancy that is unlike any other summer tomato sauce I have encountered. I've since returned to the steady ritual of preparing a pasta sauce from scratch. This sauce even pairs well with different types of cheese, lending itself to lasagna and stuffed shells. N.B. The recipe calls for a can of crushed tomatoes, which is perfect for making a quick sauce. However, to take advantage of the seasonal fresh tomatoes, I like the prepare them myself in the summer.
// Photos via Emily Blincoe and 101 Cookbooks Tags: by Nicole, Food, Summer
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by Claire StarI’m not a morning person, so I often struggle to fit in breakfast and coffee before scrambling out the door. Looking to fix this problem, I found a couple of recipes for breakfast muffins that had lots of fruit and weren’t heavy on the sugar. After some experimentation, I’m happy to report that these fruit and oat muffins (complete with a crumble topping) were both delicious and easy to make. The best part? You can substitute the cranberry for whatever fruit is in season. I’m thinking raspberries will be great in a few weeks. The original recipe called for oil, but I substituted that with homemade applesauce, made by peeling and chopping an apple and putting it in the microwave for four or five minutes with a healthy amount of cinnamon. The apples will still be a bit chunky, allowing for a little apple in each bite, or you can microwave longer to make for a smoother applesauce. I also added lots of spices to my take on the recipe, like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, easily adapted to suit personal preference. Depending on taste, you can reduce the amount of sugar. To round things out, I mixed equal parts brown sugar and oats and sprinkled the topping on the muffins for some added intrigue. Despite forgetting to separate the wet and dry ingredients the first time I made them, the muffins turned out perfectly. And, depending on how large you’d like them to be, I suggest doubling the recipe and filling the muffin liners all the way to the top. These don’t rise much and until I thought to double the batter, I was eating two at a time for breakfast. Here’s the recipe: Oatmeal Apple Cranberry Breakfast Muffins
Are there any quick and simple breakfasts you recommend? Here’s another great choice from our archives. // Adapted from Food.com's recipe. Tags: by Claire, Food by Claire Star and Nicole JordanRather than going to a cafe for my morning coffee, I prefer to brew a cup in the comfort of my home. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good latte or cappuccino. But the sense of accomplishment I feel when I assemble my own coffee is unparalleled to what a barista can do. I mean, with the grumpy morning complex I developed as a child, how else am I supposed to tackle the world every morning? I simply can’t walk outside uncaffeinated to then be greeted by a perky barista whose latte art just reminds me of my own laziness. And since I make my own coffee every morning, I have tried several different methods to brew the perfect cup. Below, Claire and I discuss the four methods that we use to brew coffee. -N. The AeroPressThe AeroPress, $30, is a funny looking contraption that makes ridiculously smooth espresso-strength coffee without a fancy, expensive machine. I discovered the AeroPress this summer, promptly forgot about my French press, and turned the rest of my family into converts. It takes a little practice (I highly recommend Blue Bottle’s brew guide for instructions), but once you get the hang of using the AeroPress, you’ll never look back. Plus, since it’s made of plastic, you can take it camping without worrying about breaking parts and clean up requires only a rinse with water. -C. 2 minute brew time. Blue Bottle’s brew guide. The Bialetti Moka PotThis classic Italian espresso maker, $20-40, is new discovery of mine. It’s so incredible, I wish I had known about it sooner. While the brewing time on with this stovetop pot is the longest out of the other methods discussed, it produces a smooth rich cup that retains a majority of the coffee oils. In my opinion, it’s the easiest to assemble and clean. It only requires a rinse out with some warm water. When I have my morning coffee, I like to add bit of hot water on top of my coffee and then cut it with a splash of milk. After one cup, I’m set in terms of caffeine for the rest of the day. -N. 5-7 minute brew time. Blue Bottle’s Bialetti brew guide. The French PressThis French Press, $20-50, is a favorite for Claire and me. Our love of the French Press began when we discovered that a decent cup of coffee was hard to come by on our campus. We headed to Zabar's to find that the French Press had the most simplistic design, easy brewing process, and ability to make two or three cups of coffee at an affordable price. This coffee method became ritualistic on our daily routine. Claire would brew the coffee to a smooth dark perfection in her press and I would attempt to froth warm milk in mine so we could have each have a cafe au lait in the comfort of our dorms. As for clean up, just rinse it out with warm water and occasionally a little soap. -N. 4 minute brew time. Blue Bottle’s French press brew guide. The Pour OverThe pour over, $10-30, may be the most foolproof method of all. In essence, the pour over is a standard drip coffee maker, but without the electricity. To use, place a filter in the basket, dampen the filter, add the grounds, pour in the water, and voila! Simple to make and easy to clean. There are a couple different ceramic and glass models (here’s a great article about different pour over methods), but the simplest plastic pour over dripper can start at about $10. -C.
3-4 minute brew time. Blue Bottle’s Pour Over brew guide. // photos via The Everygirl, Alternative Brewing, Camille Styles, SafkaKitchen, Flickr. Tags: by Claire, by Nicole, Coffee/Tea by Claire StarI’ve known about Hot Cakes Molten Cakery for a couple years now. Its Ballard location is right in the neighborhood and the reviews are unflinchingly enthusiastic amongst dessert-crazed Seattleites. But waiting in line for half an hour to eat a simple molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce? Surely that’s a bit much, right?
Apparently not. Hot Cakes really is as good as advertised. I’ve been three times now (twice just this month…) and have yet to be disappointed. // Photo of Hot Cakes’ Dark Decadence via my Instagram. Tags: by Claire, Food, Seattle by Claire StarBefore I watched Kings of Pastry, I would never have thought it possible to find watching pastry chefs create sugar sculptures would equate to the suspense and awe, excitement of a professional sporting event. Oh, how I was wrong!
Kings of Pastry (available on Netflix) follows chef Jacquy Pfeiffer as he prepares for the competition of a lifetime: the Les Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, a red, white, and blue collar signifying mastery of fine pastries. The award ceremony is such a prestigious affair that even the French president attends and the preparation for the competition, which is held every four years, is reminiscent of athletes dedicating their lives to winning an Olympic gold medal. This documentary is one of those films that never gets old. The first time I rented it, I watched it two nights in a row. Kings of Pastry was also the first movie Nicole and I watched together, only a few days after we met. When each of us brought cookies to share (mine were gingersnaps mailed cross country by my mom; Nicole’s were Fairway coffee chocolate chip), I think we realized our friendship was meant to be. Have you ever watched a movie and loved it so intensely that you wanted to watch it again and again? Nicole and I plan to share a roundup of some of our other favorites soon! // Photos via NPR, Living Room Theaters, and Honolulu Pulse. Tags: by Claire, Food, Watch by Claire StarWhen I was a kid, my parents both worked part time and alternated days where they’d take care of my younger brother and me. One day a week, my brother had preschool while I didn’t, so my dad and I had the day to ourselves for adventuring. “No Plans Mondays” were born. Many Mondays, my dad and I would walk up to the corner store and I got to pick out whatever juice box I wanted (and my dad would get an apple - he really likes apples). For some reason, I remember the juice box selection process and bus ride being equally exciting as the Children’s Museum destination. Clearly, my dad is awesome for being able to make busses and juice as great as the Children’s Museum. Other Mondays, my dad and I would do some baking. Our favorite recipe was (and continues to be) cranberry pumpkin muffins. If I’m remembering correctly, we watched Arthur while they were in the oven, but Arthur-watching was by no means something strictly relegated to No Plans Mondays itineraries. We watched Arthur most days of my childhood and my dad even claimed to watch the show when my brother and I were napping. (To this day, I’m still not certain whether he was pulling my leg about that, because he does genuinely like Arthur… He does not, however, enjoy Teletubbies.) More than fifteen years later, I still consider No Plans Mondays to be one of my favorite parts of my childhood. And I still really like spending time with my dad. So today, in honor of No Plans Mondays and my dad being great, I’d like to share our favorite recipe for Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins, adapted from Jane Brody’s Good Food Gourmet (published 1990 by Norton).
by Claire StarOn Tuesday, I flew home after a five day visit with my best friend in San Francisco. We’ve known each other since we were one so, despite not having seen one another since January, the conversation picked up right where we left off. All week the weather was balmy and, after a little trial and error, I think I finally mastered the transportation system (BART station platforms are more confusing than Grand Central during rush hour!). Here are some highlights of my trip, including a perfectly curated bookstore, a funny coffee roaster, and some of the best dumplings I’ve ever eaten. Straight from the airport, my friend Andy took us to lunch at his favorite Chinese dumpling place on Taraval St in the Sunset neighborhood. Unassuming and with just a handful of tables, Kingdom of Dumpling had, by far, the best dumplings I’ve ever tasted. My favorites were the Shanghai soup dumplings filled with a rich broth that burst with flavor and the pork with Napa cabbage that were fresh and tangy. We wandered around the infamous Castro street and saw Harvey Milk’s camera shop, now repurposed as the Human Rights Campaign giftshop. We also went to Eureka for Straus ice cream, because life is not worth living without eating it several times per week. Over the weekend, we stopped by the Ferry Building marketplace to drool over fancy food and gifts. We sampled chocolate, expensive olive oils, and admired the views of the Bay. If you go, be sure to visit Heath Ceramics, Rancho Gordo, Blue Bottle Coffee, Stonehouse Olive Oil, and Acme Bread Company. We also stopped by City Lights Bookstore in North Beach, a San Francisco institution. The store has is wonderfully curated with lots of light and a sprawling poetry room. On my favorite professor’s recommendation, I bought Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns for 622 pages of light reading. All jokes aside, Wilkerson has crafted an honest, engaging, and in depth history of the Great Migration and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. Nearby was Chinatown where, ironically, all the streets are named after U.S. presidents. On Washington St., I stocked up on my favorite White Rabbit candy (my teacher used to give them to us in 4th grade!) at Wang Chung Co, a friendly little corner store that I like to go to each time I'm in San Francisco. On Sunday, we spent the day with my dad’s friend from high school who knows all the best places. He took us to Twin Peaks for the sweeping views of the city and across the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito for lunch at Bar Bocce on the beach. Their garlicky pesto and kale pizza was unbelievably good. Later that day, I stopped by Four Barrel Coffee where I admired their roast descriptions. If you’re going to charge $20 for a mere 12 oz of beans, you better make it witty. In true Portlandia-style, here's the description of their espresso: “Citrus flavors swan dive into fresh berry full forward fold, which jumps or walks back into down dog, then ascends into a toffee sweetness sun salutation. Swan dive.” The last day, I took a misty walk along the Embarcadero piers while the sky was dark and misty. The female voice of Google maps barked orders (Right on Vallejo! Turn around! Up Washington! Calculating! Recalculating!) all the way up the hill to the delightful map store Schein & Schien. Some maps were over 10o years old maps and well out of my price range, but fun to drool over and discuss with the knowledgeable staff nonetheless.
After five days meandering up and down the city’s hills, my leg muscles are in great shape and I can’t wait to go back. Thank you, Andy! And I'd be remiss not to thank all the helpful commuters who helped me to navigate mass transit, too! // all photos by Claire Star via my Instagram Tags: by Claire, Coffee/Tea, Food, San Francisco, Travel, Travel Guide by Nicole JordanSince I love to cook, I often spend my weekends in the kitchen taking on culinary challenges or recreating my favorite comfort foods. Today, I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes that continually inspire me to be a better chef. This weekend, I highly recommend that you give a couple of these recipes a try. I hope you enjoy working with the recipes as much as I do! If I add chocolate chips to these hearty Oatmeal Pancakes, it's still healthy, right? It's too delicious not to. This 4-Hour Baguette recipe is incredibly easy to follow. So if you would like to impress friends, family, co-workers, or yourself, give it try. Malawah: Somali flatbread is great for breakfast. Just spread on a thin layer of butter, jam, or even Nutella and roll the flatbread up like a crêpe. You can even replace sliced bread with Malawah to upgrade your typical sandwich for lunch. Arugula and Chive Baked Egg Cups are especially good when paired with a wholesome, nutty grain like Farro or bulgur wheat. I recommend tossing the grains with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper before serving alongside the eggs. Muhammara: roasted red pepper spread is a excellent alternative to hummus when you're looking to spice things up a bit. This Tomato and Burrata Salad is simple, full of flavor, and makes for a delicious meal all on it's own. This 9-Minute Pasta dish paired with a simple salad makes it possible to create a 10-minute meal. It is easily one of my favorite recipes to make if I've just gotten home from a really long day. Nothing says comfort food to me like a plate of pasta. A Roast Chicken with Olives and Lemon is sure to impress everyone you invite to the dinner table. Serve this Blackberry Nectarine Crisp with rich vanilla bean ice cream. (This dish can be made year round by using any seasonal fruit that is available to you.)
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