Coconut, Walnut, and White Chocolate Blondies

"Life is uncertain, so always eat your dessert first."

Now, don't get me wrong, I love brownies as much as the next person.  But sometimes you want a change.  Enter blondies: soft, chewy, a little less rich but completely satisfying nonetheless.  These particular blondies are chock full of toasted walnuts, unsweetened coconut, and melty white chocolate.

1 cup walnuts
1.5 cups unsweetened, grated coconut
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (6 ounces)
1.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7.5 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1.5 cups dark brown sugar (10.5 ounces)
2 extra large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces white chocolate

Picnic Menu: Egg Salad and Tomato Arugula Salad

Is there anything as wonderful as a picnic on a warm summer day?  Keep the salads cold with a large ice pack, and don't forget the fuzzy blanket.

Peach Shortcakes

"An apple is an excellent thing - until you have tried a peach."

This is one of my new favorite desserts.  The biscuits are close to perfection: dense and extremely moist, with just a touch of sweetness.  Peaches, both sliced and mashed, mingle perfectly with the light and airy whipped cream.  To break from the usual cake, cookie, pie routine, these shortcakes are fabulous.

2 pounds peaches
9 tablespoons sugar (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons orange juice
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 ounces)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (14 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup buttermilk, cold
1 extra large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fried Chicken

 

Fried chicken is one of my all-time favorite foods.  This recipe is by far the best I've tried; the crunchy crust is packed with big taste and because of the marinade, the chicken meat is super tender and juicy.  Try to buy the smallest chicken pieces possible (the large ones have little flavor and take forever to cook).

3.5 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters
3 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1.25 cups buttermilk
3 dashes hot sauce
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1.75 cups vegetable oil

Key Lime Meringue Pie

"A boy doesn't have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn't like pie when he sees there isn't enough to go around."

This pie screams summertime.  The combination of textures - crunchiness of the crust, smoothness of the lime filling, and airy lightness of the meringue - makes it unique as well as delicious.  Plan to polish it off by the day after baking; the meringue becomes sticky and moist with time.

4 limes
4 extra large eggs
14 ounces sweetened, condensed milk
1.25 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookies

"If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control-top pantyhose.  An entire garment industry would be devastated."

Oh, boy.  These cookies combine rich, chewy goodness and melty, sweet chocolate.  They're quick to make and the result makes the process very worth it.

16 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (1/2 pound)
1 cup dark brown sugar (7 ounces)
1 cup sugar (7 ounces)
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Italian Wedding Soup

"Worries go down better with soup."

This soup combines fresh vegetables, tender pasta, and savory meatballs.  Very satisfying regardless of the weather outside.

3/4 pound ground chicken breast

1/2 pound chicken or turkey sausage

1/4 cup Parmesan

1/4 cup Pecorino Romano

2/3 cup white bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

3 tablespoons milk

1 extra large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 yellow onion

3 carrots

2 celery stalks

10 cups homemade chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup tubettini

1/4 cup dill

12 ounces spinach leaves

Banana Crunch Muffins

"Oh yeah.  The tops are the best part.  It's crunchy, it's explosive, it's where the muffin breaks free of the pan and sort of does it's own thing.  I'll tell you.  That's a million dollar idea right there."

These are my absolute favorite muffins.  They're fantastically moist and have big chunks of banana as well as crunchy granola clusters.  Served with a steaming cup of tea - the perfect breakfast.

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 pound)
3 ripe bananas
2 extra large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces)
2 cups sugar (14 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup walnuts
1 cup granola cereal
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Caramel Chocolate Truffle Tart

"I don't drown my sorrows, I suffocate them with chocolate."

This dessert is for true chocolate lovers.  It combines the silkiness of ganache with the rich intense chocolatiness of truffles.  The smooth bittersweet chocolate layer is offset by the sweetness of the caramel.  Topped with homemade whipped cream, it's a perfect end to a great meal.

1 extra large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1.25 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6.25 ounces)
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 cup powdered sugar (3 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon + a pinch table salt
18 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled (9 ounces)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar (3.5 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon Cognac

Cream Cheese Brownies

"If there's no chocolate in heaven, I'm not going."

Who doesn't love chewy, moist brownies?  These have big chunks of sweet cream cheese swirled into the super chocolatey batter.  Serve with ice cream, fudge, and whipped cream.

2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (3.33 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 ounces)
1.25 cups sugar (8.75 ounces)
2.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 extra large eggs
8 ounces cream cheese
1 extra large egg yolk

Dinner Menu: Pan-Fried Steaks, Mushrooms with Thyme, and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

"Any of us would kill a cow, rather than not have beef."

Steak is one of my favorite things on the planet.  After finding this cooking method, I will definitely be making it more often!  This is a great menu for any weekend night.  The dishes complement each other very well.

Payasam

"Seize the moment.  Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart."

Payasam, or kheer, is a milk-based Indian dessert.  Unlike most Indian sweets, it doesn't have that terrible cloying sugariness.  One of my favorite childhood desserts.

4 cups milk (the more milkfat, the better)
1/4 cup small tapioca pearls
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup purple or golden raisins
1/3 cup cashews
6 cardamom pods
Pinch saffron

One-Minute Omelettes

"We plan, we toil, we suffer - in the hope of what?  The title deeds of Radio City?  A trip to the moon?  No, no, no, no.  Simply to wake just in time to smell coffee and bacon and eggs."

I used to reserve omelettes for weekend mornings because of the extensive chopping of vegetables and meat.  That changed when I saw a Julia Child video where she made an omelette in a shorter time than it takes me to spell omelette.  The technique takes a little getting used to, but the moist, fluffy eggs are something special.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Cookies are made of butter and love."

What's more classic than chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven?  Boxed and refrigerated mixes are fine in a pinch, but nothing compares to homemade.  My boyfriend begs me to make these at least once a month.  He likes them sweeter, with semisweet chips, but I prefer the sugary cookie portion to be balanced by the slight bitterness of the dark chocolate chips.  So we do 50:50, and everyone's happy!

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (7 ounces)
1/2 cup sugar (3.5 ounces)
3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5.25 ounces)
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 extra large egg
1 extra large egg yolk
1.75 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8.75 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1.25 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao)

Restaurant Review: Taiwan Cafe

Taiwan Cafe is definitely my favorite restaurant in Boston's Chinatown.  It's our regular Friday night haunt, because the food is seriously amazing.  The restaurant was recently renovated (it was closed for almost a year, breaking my heart), and the new design is small but cozy.  I'm usually skeptical of restaurants with huge menus, but everything I've tried has been delicious.

Chicken and Noodle Stir-Fry

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta."

This stir-fry takes a little while to make but the results are definitely worth it.  Pork or beef can be used instead of chicken, and the vegetables can be substituted for anything that makes you happy.

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 garlic cloves
3/4 inch ginger
4 tablespoons Chinese rice cooking wine
2 red bell peppers, medium diced
3 bunches scallions, whites and light greens thinly sliced and dark greens sliced 1 inch wide
1/2 head Chinese cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch wide strips (about 5 cups)
14 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce

Hot and Sour Soup

"To feel safe and warm on a cold wet night, all you really need is soup."

I looove hot and sour soup and was thrilled with this recipe.  Every memory I have of going to Chinese restaurants as a kid involves a huge family-style bowl of this soup.  I was thrilled to find this easy recipe which makes the best hot and sour soup I've ever had.  You have to go a little out of your way to buy the right ingredients, but it's completely worth it.  Feel free to add pork if desired, but I didn't feel that it was necessary.

15 ounces extra firm tofu (1 package)
1 extra large egg
3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons cornstarch
6 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 cup slivered bamboo shoots
1 can peeled straw mushrooms (or a comparable amount of shiitake mushrooms)
5 tablespoons black Chinese vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons chili oil
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
4 tablespoons soy sauce
scallions, for garnish

Restaurant Review: Jacob Wirth

I've been to Jacob Wirth twice (due to overzealous purchase of Groupons) and wasn't thrilled either time.  The ambiance is quite nice with a cozy feel and tables spaced close together.  On Friday nights, a pianist is brought in to play songs from the 60s-80s and the whole restaurant sings along, which is pretty cool if you plan on singing, but pretty terrible if you plan on conversing.  The restaurant is booked months ahead for Friday nights, so be prepared to wait at least half an hour.