American biscuits

I have been craving so much American junk food. Doughnuts, biscuits and gravy, cinnamon rolls, eggos, and that's just the bready stuff. Don't get me started on my mexican food cravings. Anyway, I'm mostly craving things that I cannot get here, or are prohibitively expensive (though that didn't stop me from special ordering saltines and lemon-lime gatorade for like $50. first trimester probs.).

Most of these things, I've started trying my hand at just baking or cooking. I made a killer tortilla soup the other day. Carnitas tacos in May. I just bought a doughnut cookbook and things to make American-style doughnuts which are hard to find here, or again - really expensive (1.50 pounds for a krispy kreme glazed doughnut! come on.).

Last year, I purchased the Clinton Street Bakery cookbook and I've been wanting to make the buttermilk biscuits for a long time. I finally found some shortening (Crisco from Ocado) and made some big American fluffy buttermilk biscuits yesterday morning. It was LIFE CHANGING. Henry and I ate biscuits with butter and jam for breakfast. For dinner dessert, we made strawberry shortcakes with the biscuits. And this morning I made a mouth-watering bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. Honestly, I want to die from happiness. Also, the biscuits were so easy to make, I see these happening a lot in my future.

So, here's the recipe if you are in need of the perfect buttermilk biscuits (you are).

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 TB baking powder
1 1/2 TB sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 TB unsalted butter, chilled
3 TB shortening, chilled
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat over to 350 F. Mix all dry ingredients together in a kitchenaid. If you don't have an electric mixer stand, use your hands (I don't have a kitchenaid here, and I used my hands - got a little sticky, but it was fast and easy). Add butter and shortening and use mixer (or hands) until crumbly texture. Add buttermilk and mix until dough comes together.

Turn dough onto floured surface, pat with hands into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. You're trying to get about 6-7 2-inch round biscuits. Use a biscuit cutter or a cup with a 2-inch circle. Place all the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the biscuits before placing into the oven. Bake for 15 - 17 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through. Rotate the pan halfway through for even baking.

Cakes for Mark.

I do not shy away from cake baking. After a few incidents years ago left me with dry, tasteless cakes, I set out on a mission to learn the craft. I slowly purchased the requisite cake bakery supplies, stocked up on ingredients, cookbooks, recipes, and watched countless youtube videos to learn technique. Now I bake a cake every couple of months - some good, some so-so, but I save the truly deliciously fattening cakes for marks birthday. It is an exciting time for all of us when his birthday rolls around. I am a huge Smitten Kitchen nerd and I get most of my winning recipes from her these days. She really speaks my language. 

First birthday cake (year 30): Classic yellow cake with chocolate sour cream frosting. Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

Second birthday cake (year 31): Banana split cake: Banana cake with chocolate ganache, sliced bananas, whipped cream, walnuts and maraschino cherries. Recipe from Epicurious.



Third birthday cake (year 32): Apple cake with caramel drizzle. Recipe for cake from Smitten Kitchen. For the caramel drizzle: 1 part butter, 1 part brown sugar, 1/4 part milk, heat in saucepan for 3-5 minutes, let thicken, then drizzle onto cake. The best part about this cake so far is that it is even better the second day, which happens to be today. Win!

And just for good measure, another Smitten Kitchen cakes I made for my sisters birthday:

Dobos Torte (this one was so good!)

late night buns.

i've been craving a homemade cinnamon roll for a few weeks now, so i broke down yesterday after work and threw together some dough, let it rise, and finished the buns around 11pm. i ate no less than 3 in a row. they were easy to make, tasty, indeed, and hit the spot.
recipe from the infallible molly wizenberg aka orangette.

it sparked in me a desire to find the perfect cinnamon bun recipe. i think i'm not too far off, but i want to try a recipe that gets a little more gooey. any ideas? i just want to be the kind of mom that turns to her "trusty recipe for..." and mouths are happy. that's not too much to ask, is it?

summer + pregnant people.

i made this cherry pie for a dinner of pregnant people this weekend. i have 2 friends who are also semi-newlyweds and we're all pregnant, due within 3 weeks of each other. it is so funny and interesting to get together with these couples and hear about their pregnancies - the similarities and the stark differences (where are my cravings?), but mostly it's just really cool to be a in a room where all the woman have babies growing inside of them. because let's be honest, where does that ever happen??

this weekend was so fun. lots of friend/family summer time. even a trip to the pool, just like i had hoped. life is good and i love my husband quite so.

summer of cooking.

while TH was living it up in Asia, i got to work in the kitchen. wooden spoon in hand, pots and pans everywhere, cookbooks lying around for days...it was all so nice. having an appetite is a wonderful thing. for example, i ate 2 sandwiches for lunch today. big deal. i'm happy to be pregnant and happy to be cooking and eating again like a normal person.

i've been experimenting in the kitchen, and ironing out some yummy summer dinners and treats. if you are looking for some ideas, you can find my rolodex (growing) here.

craft night with the gals.

it turns out that my craft parties should really be called "come over and eat some food and talk with your friends" night. which really are the best kinds of parties, right?

besides a couple of yarn balls i wrapped, and a scout patch hannah sewed onto a little scout shirt, there was nary a craft to be seen. and i loved it that way. naomi brought over some little coca colas, christina brought some popsicles, and we all just basked in the fun of girls night.

and bonus: now i have a wreath to make for the front door on my own time while i catch up on a ridiculous TV show. taking suggestions for new shows (people keep telling me battlestar gallactica?).

and double bonus: i have been cooking/baking a TON since TH left town, and i practiced a couple things last night:
cheese straws, thumbprint cookies, and brownie peanut butter cookies. the cheese straws are set to become a regular thing. those little devils were goood.

gnomie cooks!

I'm doing my best to keep up with the things I cook at my new blog, Gnomie Cooks. It's still a work in progress, but I just posted a recipe for my favorite thing, the Marv N Joe (cheesy bread and tomato yum!).

So check it out. If you are interested in foods that are primarily vegetarian, but usually pretty generous with cheese and eggs, you might like a few of my recipes. I swear I don't just eat eggs and cheese, but maybe I do more than I thought?

i am resolute: cooking

last night i made migas. que rico! TH and i were both over the moon in love with this dinner. hooray!
one of my new years resolutions is to stop being so scared to cook, especially being ok with improvising on recipes (i'm one of those people that feel like they have to measure every single thing. how boring, no?).

So I have lots of ideas up my sleeve, and i'm excited to share them at my semi-new cooking blog, Gnomie Cooks. the blog is really just a way for me to track what i'm eating and save recipes. i always seem to misplace the good ones.

shaved asparagus pizza.

a couple weeks ago, before all this heat prevented me from even thinking about turning on my oven, i made a pizza. it was my first attempt since working as a pizzamonger in college, and i wasn't that proud of my final product. my biggest mistake? i overworked the dough and it ended up making the crust too thick. but friends, i haven't given up. it was a super easy recipe, it just takes practice to be a good pizza dough thrower. shaved asparagus on pizza though? deb is right, wowsers. so delicious and you almost feel like you are eating food that is good for you!

prep the dough beforehand. it will take about 1.5-2 hours to rise and get ready. it's really easy to make, even for me the challenged baker.

1. shave asparagus with veg peeler. about 10 stalks is good. drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper these.

2. use cornmeal or flour under the dough.
3. sprinkle some freshly grated parmigiana-reggiano on the prepared dough. top with asparagus, crushed garlic, and then layer fresh mozzarella on top.
4. bake at 450 for about 10 minutes.eat up! i put some tomatoes on it, but didn't like it in the end.

recipe, including crust (which was super easy to make) adapted from smitten kitchen, here.

Achtung! ISO Funeral Potatos recipe!

Seriously, because casseroles is how you make the friends.
Who has recipes?

To my brothers and sisters

I'm SORRY I swore at you so robustly last night in my dream. But you should know that you shouldn't eat your sisters entire batch of banana pancakes without asking! Geez...have a little courtesy.

But then again, I can't fault you for wanting to eat my delicious buttermilk banana pancakes. They are quite good.


Buttermilk Bananacakes

2 c. flour
2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Mix together and add:

2 eggs
2 c buttermilk
1/2 c milk

Stir, just until moistened. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

Cut up 2-3 bananas into nickle sized slices.

Pour pancake in griddle to your desired size. After about 10 seconds, add slices of banana, enough to cover the pancake. Watch for air bubbles popping, flip and cook for another 30 seconds.

Spread with butter, jam, or fresh maple syrup and enjoy!

More Cabbage

Because I know you all went directly to your kitchen after reading my Curried Colcannon recipe and sweated heavily over the stove whilst whipping up dinner, I also know that you might have leftover cabbage from this venture. What can you do with cabbage anyway? {Besides hang it from a string and let the cats bat at it, of course.}

I want to share another cabbage recipe to ease your troubled minds.
And the name by which this meal shall be known on this earth is:

Asian Cabbage Slaw

Salad for two:

Ingredients:
Salad:
1/4 head Shredded Cabbage
Diced Apple
1 c. Mixed greens/herbs
Toasted almonds

Dressing:
1/4 c. Rice Vinegar
1 TB Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp Sugar
dash of soy sauce

Toss the ingredients of the salad together in a medium bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, oil and sugar. Chill for 5 minutes.

An absolutely fresh and deliciously crunchy summer salad! Play around with the ingredients until you get the taste you like. I think I'll make it again tonight, this time with oranges!

The best part about this week is that now I'm not afraid of eating cabbage anymore. It's so easy to cook with!

Curried Colcannon

I have been wanting to start posting some of my culinary feats for awhile now. Unfortunately, there haven't been many. However, last night I stumbled upon something simple and spectacular.

I am calling it Curried Colcannon.

It's essentially Irish Colcannon, with a dash of garam masala in place of salt and pepper.

Ingredients:
2 Potatoes
1/2 cup Cabbage
1/2 small Onion
1 TB Butter
1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
salt to taste

1. Cut up potatoes and place in pot of boiling water for 7-10 minutes, or until tender.
2. Add cabbage and onion {I sliced both into portions about 2 inches long} to boiling water. Let cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Drain well.
4. Mash together, while adding butter, salt and garam masala to taste.

It was so easy to make and it is also low in fat and calories. A little starchy, but perfect for a good comfort dinner! It was seriously so so yummy! I can see this becoming a winter staple in my kitchen.