In celebration of the holiday, I present this awkward prom-style Christmas photo for your consideration, complete with soft focus and head tilts.
Harvest Sandwich
November 11th, 2009 § 2 comments
Can all of the flavors of autumn be captured in one sandwich? I set out to do just that on Sunday, piling as many complementary autumnal items as possible between two slices of bread. Crisp apples, caramelized onions, and butternut squash from the farmers’ market, brie and dijon mustard from the store, and an amazing loaf of bread from the new branch of Almondine Bakery in Park Slope. I mean, come on. Look at this loaf:
The Almondine Bakery in DUMBO makes the best macarons I’ve had in my life, so coming upon the new storefront during a Sunday walk took my already wonderful weekend to a new level. Having the bakery within a few blocks of my apartment is going to be very dangerous. Ten pounds dangerous.
With all of my ingredients in hand, I went to work putting together the sandwich. I started by peeling and then cutting the squash into 1″ thick slices. I tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a bit of nutmeg, and then roasted them on a baking sheet for 20-30 minutes at 400º.
While the squash was roasting, I sliced two yellow onions into thin strips and slowly caramelized them in a skillet with a splash of oil and a dash of salt. The process can take around 30-40 minutes, stirring the onions every few minutes as needed.
Once the onions and squash were done, I sliced the bread and topped it with brie, and then placed it in the toaster oven for a few minutes to melt. Finally, I spread on the mustard on the top slice and layered the ingredients on the bottom slice: squash, apples, and then the onions.
It doesn’t beat a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, but when it comes to the flavors of mid-autumn, it does the trick.
Fresh Pumpkin Pie
November 9th, 2009 § 1 comment
If I’m forced to choose between all of the pies that appear on the dessert table at a Thanksgiving dinner, pumpkin pie always wins out. I love the custard filling, and I find it difficult to pass up another vehicle for whipped cream during the holidays. My mind also rationalizes that it must be healthier than an apple pie because it has only one crust, conveniently forgetting the amount of sugar and cream required to make the filling.
I have attempted two pumpkin pies over the last month as part of my Pie and Manicure Sunday series, during which I bake a pie and get an very cheap manicure around the corner from my apartment. The first pie’s crust had some issues, and the amount of cream in the filling was overwhelming. I made the second one yesterday and I think I’ve found the correct ratios, but the cooking process was not without incident. More photos and a recipe after the jump » Read the rest of this entry «
Squash Adventures
November 5th, 2009 § 0 comments
Between Halloween, a trivia night in Greenpoint, and getting my hair cut, I’ve only had time to cook one night over the past week…and that was recapped in my post from Monday. I did manage to roast some acorn squash tonight, but a few weeks ago, I tried sweet dumpling squash (pictured above). It’s a small squash with a flavor similar to pumpkin that I randomly picked up at the farmers’ market. I roasted it at 400° for 45 minutes with butter and brown sugar (inventive, I know), and it was the perfect single serving size.
Coming on Monday: An epic pumpkin pie post. I attempted one a few weeks ago with mixed results, so I’m armed with a modified recipe and another pie pumpkin. My success or failure will be paraded before you on Monday morning with plenty of photo documentation.
Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Penne
November 3rd, 2009 § 1 comment
Today was my last hurrah for getting takeout for lunch at work, and I went out in style. I had split pea soup and a chunk of baguette from Almondine in DUMBO, followed by two macarons (pistachio and raspberry, respectively). I saved the raspberry macaron for a late afternoon proofreading session and the sugar rush powered me through the rest of the workday.
My new strategy is bringing in leftovers from dinner throughout the week for my lunches, as long as they are conducive to microwave heating. It will motivate me to cook more and save some extra cash to the tune of $50 a week. I’m two weeks away from a nice massage, five weeks from a new winter coat, and thirty-four weeks away from a MacBook Pro.
I started tonight with roasted eggplant and tomato penne that cost me about $5 to make and will last me for three days for lunch and dinner, with a few supplemental items. » Read the rest of this entry «
Bandwidth
October 29th, 2009 § 0 comments
Much like the terrible internet connection in my old apartment, my bandwidth has been very limited lately. Work has been busy, and by the time I’m done with things for my full time job and my freelance job, I can’t stand to look at a computer screen anymore (can I get special glasses for computer eye strain?). I promise to get back to my regular posting schedule next week as I’m vowing to get more sleep and start cooking more, even if I’m exhausted. A woman can only eat so many lazy pasta dishes and I have a lonely pie pumpkin sitting on my shelf.
Momofuku-Inspired Brussels Sprouts
October 23rd, 2009 § 0 comments
When most people think of brussels sprouts, fish sauce is not the first thing to come to mind. However, when I had the brussels sprouts at Momofuku Ssäm Bar last year, they were a perfect match. I’ve had plans to recreate a very simplified version in my kitchen, but have been met with a challenge at the farmers’ market every week: beating the competition.
I usually arrive at the market around noon on Saturdays, so the the crates of brussels sprouts are picked over and only a few sad sprouts are left, leaves splayed out and smashed. However, last Saturday morning I woke up at 7:30 to conquer the weekend. I was at the farmers’ market by 9AM and a mound of fresh, perfect brussels sprouts was waiting. I bought half a dozen cider doughnuts to celebrate my victory and started plotting my side dish. » Read the rest of this entry «
Apple Cranberry Pie
October 19th, 2009 § 2 comments
It was a banner weekend: dinner on the Upper West Side on Friday night, the farmers’ market in Grand Army Plaza on Saturday morning, shopping and macarons in SoHo in the afternoon, beer and tacos in Sunset Park at night, and finally on Sunday, manicures, pints of pumpkin ale, and lots of cooking in Park Slope. It felt the way a New York weekend should, with just the right balance of adventure and absurdity, and enough scenic views for a Woody Allen film. Much of it also revolved around food, so it was natural to wind down by baking a pie Sunday afternoon with my well-manicured hands.
I wanted to go recipe-free to make an apple cranberry pie, so I tried to remember as many techniques as I could from last year’s apple pie adventure and winged the rest. The pie was a success, but I forgot to add flour to the apple mixture which resulted in a little excess liquid. I’ve corrected it in the recipe after the jump. » Read the rest of this entry «
Food Rules
October 16th, 2009 § 3 comments
Michael Pollan has been collecting people’s personal eating rules for a new book and he posted some of his favorites on the New York Times website. It got me thinking about my food rules. They include:
- Don’t eat anything that’s still alive (recently shucked oysters excluded).
- Always use real butter and never use skim milk.
- Order the half or small plate. Then, order dessert.
- When at a fancy restaurant, kick off the night with the most absurd cocktail on the menu.
- If a food has more than four legs and you’re not lost in the woods, proceed with caution.
- Try a bite of every new food that you’re offered.
- Baked goods taste better when they’re shared.
What are your food rules?
