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Cookie Update: Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

5 March 2012
Food and Drink, Photography, Recipes
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My recent attempt at a chocolate chip mango oatmeal cookie didn’t quite cut it. I improvised the recipe and it was fine, but certainly not exceptional. The important discovery I made in that experiment was that I really prefer a chewy oatmeal cookie to the crispier style. As any good procrastinator would do, I performed a quick Google search instead of writing a paper. It should come as no surprise that Deb had a really appealing recipe on her blog for “Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.” Yesterday morning, I took a stick of butter out of the fridge to soften for the whole day so that I would have to make them in the evening. And I did. And I substituted chocolate chips for the raisins (and left out the cinnamon). And they are magical. Truly delicious.

Go forth and make cookies, my friends.

Baking and Viewing

27 February 2012
Food and Drink, Photography, Video
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The latter half of last week, I was absolutely exhausted. I had a headache for days (speaking of which, how many days of headache in a row is too many, do you think?), the weather was beautiful but I didn’t really have time to stop and enjoy it. There were just way too many things to do. As I got out of class on Wednesday and began running errands I had the brilliant idea to take the evening for myself – no schoolwork, no obligations… just baking, a guilty pleasure tv show, and half of a girly movie before Alex got home.

At some point recently I wondered if Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Mango cookies would be any good, and this seemed the perfect opportunity to find out. I collected all the ingredients, and piled them on the counter on top of each other because my laptop (the tv/movie viewing department) had the place of honor on the kitchen table.

And I baked, not for speed or efficiency, but to eat some cookie dough and to fill the apartment with pleasant aromas.

I added some shredded coconut to the recipe… it was made-up anyway, so why not?

And the cookies were… good. I can definitely do better. Next time I want to try a different type of dried mango. The unsulfured and unsweetened version was a little too tough and the flavor did not shine through.

And just what did I watch? That Zooey Deschanel show, New Girl. There’s something a little stupid about it, but I also cannot resist it. Maybe it’s just that it’s painfully dorky sometimes (which hits quite close to home), but she’s just so cute. I also watched most of a movie called Timer. It’s on Netflix Instant Watch and I love it. It’s definitely a “chick flick,” but it is also very thoughtful and interesting and, of course, very sweet. It gets me every time. It stars Emma Caufield (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and John Patrick Amedori (who is totally adorable). Trailer here.

What do you like to do to unwind on your stressed-out days? Any movie or recipe suggestions for next time? Cheers to a better week!

Whoa…

30 September 2011
California, Food and Drink, Grad School, Lifestyle, Music, Oakland, Photography, Travel
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You don’t have to worry anymore, guys, I’m not dead. 2011, the year of many transitions, has kept me from blogging. More accurately, all of the reading and writing I have to do for grad school is keeping me from blogging. Since I last posted, Alex and I flew across the country and settled here in Oakland, California. We found a great apartment, full of character, in a 1920′s (pink!) stucco building in North Oakland. We live close to about 7 or 8 coffee shops, a boulangerie with fantastic baguettes (and more good coffee), a few yoga studios, and a bunch of vintage boutiques. Très charmant. Not as much of our apartment is decorated as I would like, but hopefully I can make it happen in little bits and pieces.

Three mornings a week I’m in a classroom at the Mills College lab school with 2 and a half to 3 and a half year olds. I’m in five early education classes, and I audit one dance class (which, I swear, is solely responsible for maintaining my sanity). When I’m not actually in the classroom or in my own classes, you might find me in the library with my nose in any number of books or articles, or clacking away at at one paper or another. I try to sit outside in the sunshine to do my reading as much as possible. The Mills campus is really quite beautiful, and I try to take advantage of the warm California sun as much as possible. On weekends we try to do fun things. We started out using Zipcar all the time, but since decided that freedom and flexibility would be worth the extra pennies to buy a car.

Our new chariot! Gene Carmesan (of course) is a 2010 Toyota Corolla. He’s a champ. So far, with the help of Zipcars, public transit, and Gene, we’ve explored Alcatraz, Muir Woods, the Bear Republic, Russian River, and Lagunitas breweries, Joaquin Miller Park. Gene also took us into San Francisco for a great James Blake concert (not quite as good as the US debut in Williamsburg, have to say…).

        

My sister, bless her heart, carried Harry on a cross country flight. She’s got the battle wounds to show for it, to be sure. Harry is now comfortable, which means he’s back to being a jerk most of the time. He has his moments:

One of the highlights of my summer (aside from getting married and moving across the country, of course), was receiving Jasmin Ortiz’s fantastic photographs from our June 30 Brooklyn Municipal Building wedding and neighborhood bar festivities. The shot below is just a sneak preview. More will be posted at Emily. Alex. Wedding(s). very soon.

With that, a catch-up post, I will leave you for now – hopefully for not quite so long this time. Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Sweet Summer Sweat

2 June 2011
Fashion, Food and Drink, Lifestyle, Photography
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I know it’s not quite summer, technically, but it sure has been feeling like it! I’ve been spending as much time as possible in my never-nudes and have switched my sipping from bold IPAs and yummy porters to session-y bitters and yeasty Belgians. And I can’t get enough of the Victory Headwaters Pale Ale. We spent last Saturday morning in a park in West Philadelphia, enjoying iced coffees, old friends, and breakfast tacos. These pictures are from that morning.

Sometimes I feel like I’ll never find the right words to tell this man how much I love him, but I promise to try for the rest of my life. We met five years ago on this very day. Happy anniversary, my love.

And on a stylistic note, Saturday morning I was pleased to see the vignette that my much loved Tropezienne and my new L.L.Bean Signature Milbridge Clogs created. These clogs have completely scratched the clog itch I’ve been feeling for months and at a MUCH lower price! They’re comfortable, too!

That afternoon included spiked milkshakes… yes. The rest of last weekend included a BBQ with more old friends, quality time with dogs, beer tasting with my lovely Momma, and a grilled fajita dinner with my sister, her roommate, and several Pacificos. ‘Twas the best Memorial Day Weekend we could imagine.

I just wanted to holler out and let you know that I’m still here! The last weeks of the school year are a busy time, especially as I prepare to move on to a different state and a different type of life. Look forward to a post dedicated to my students, for they are splendid.

Seared Scallions with Poached Eggs? Mais Oui! Bon Appétit!

20 April 2011
Food and Drink, Recipes
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So often we find a recipe that calls for two scallions. Of course no one sells scallions individually, they come in bunches.  The remainder of one such bunch sat in our refrigerator for about half a week before I flipped through the pages of the May issue of Bon Appétit to find the following super tempting photo and its accompanying recipe:

Photo Credit: Bon Appétit Magazine

Um!!! Hello! Yum!! So Sunday morning we seared our scallions, and used the AMAZING microwave poached egg technique in the recipe. I’ve only tried to poach an egg once before and it was totally unsuccessful… I just wish I had known sooner that it was as easy as a mug, a 1/2 cup of water, and just over a minute on high (see the recipe below)!

This month’s Bon Appétit is RIGHT up my alley. It’s the Italy Issue! I have zero Italian heritage, but my love for Italy and its cuisine blossomed when I spent two weeks in Rome at age 18. I can’t wait to try out the recipe for the Ricotta Cheesecake from Gina DePalma at Babbo. Other droolworthy recipes include: Zeppole with Chocolate Sauce, and the ever-classic Cacio e Pepe and Pasta al Pomodoro. This issue is also the first from new Editor in Chief Adam Rapoport who totally overhauled the design, adding lots of visual pop, and is bringing in big chef names for tips, tricks, and treats.

I look forward to seeing more from the new Bon Appétit! In the meantime, I suggest trying out the recipe I made over the weekend. Enjoy!!

Seared Scallions with Poached Eggs

Recipe by the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

2 servings

  • PREP TIME: 5 minutes
  • TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches scallions
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
Test kitchen tip:
The addition of thick slices of olive oil-rubbed grilled bread makes this a simple one-dish dinner.

Preparation

  • Mince 1 whole scallion, transfer to a bowl, and whisk in 2 Tbsp. oil and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set scallion sauce aside. Put the remaining scallions on a plate. Drizzle with remaining oil and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat a large cast-iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook scallions, turning occasionally, until tender and slightly charred, about 5 minutes. Divide scallions between plates.
  • Pour 1/2 cup water into each of two 8-oz. microwave-safe coffee cups. Crack 1 egg into each cup, making sure it’s completely submerged. Cover each with a saucer. Microwave 1 egg on high until white is set but yolk is runny, about 1 minute (cooking time will vary depending on microwave). Uncover; using a slotted spoon, transfer egg to top of 1 serving of scallions. Dress with half of the scallion sauce. Repeat with remaining egg and sauce; serve.
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