TFF - Pot Roast with Vegetables

Even I, the champion of vegetables, am capable of making a meat and potatoes kind-of meal. And sometimes, when the weather is just beginning to turn and you find yourself shivering on your way home from a bar at 2 AM with your roommate from college huddled next to you (how do those girls wearing the short shorts in winter DO it?!?!?), that is all you crave.

But pot roast? Really? I never liked pot roast growing up. It may or may not have had something to do with the fact that my mother likes her meat overcooked. To clarify, it can't be that she really likes it that way because no one likes eating something that has the texture and consistency of dry rubber. I believe the crux of the problem is that she mistakes her sense of taste with her sense of how likely it is that a given food will give you food poisoning. Never mind the countless times I've tried to explain to her that slightly pink beef/pork is perfectly safe. It's a battle I've all but given up.

This explains, though, why I don't cook red meat when I'm at home and also why, when I crave hearty, home-cooked meals, beef or pork are rarely featured.

Until now. Tyler certainly knows what he is doing with this recipe. Maybe it's his inclusion of diced tomatoes. And my favorite winter herb trilogy (bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme). Or maybe it's just because he's a genius. Either way, even if you think you don't like pot roast. You probably just mean you don't like any pot roast other than this one.

I changed Tyler's recipe only VERY slightly by (a) leaving out the celery (I hate the stuff), (b) cooking it in the crockpot, and (c) eating it with some crusty walnut bread from Le Pain Quotidien. Hopefully, he can forgive me.
Pot Roast with Vegetables
Serves 4, adapted from Tyler Florence

1 1/2 lb beef chuck roast
1 tbsp olive oil
15 oz canned crushed tomatoes
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
1 1/2 lb potatoes, chopped
1 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves

1. Chop up all of the veggies. Place them at the bottom of the crockpot, along with the herbs.

2. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Brown the meat on all sides. Add it to the crockpot.

3. Pour the canned tomatoes over the meat. Put the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours. I cooked it overnight (since I couldn't bear the thought of waking up early to brown meat) and thus woke up to it's glorious scent the next morning (I also coincidentally found myself laying next to a puddle of drool. I maintain it wasn't mine).

I am submitting this to Tyler Florence Fridays. Stop by on Friday after 5pm EST to see what everyone else has cooked up!

A Farewell To Summer - Zucchini Spice Cupcakes (with Cream Cheese Frosting)

I took a class in college on how to read and write short stories. (Yes, even at MIT you can take humanities classes. You can even major or minor in the humanities - it is one of the few places in the world where you can get a Bachelor of Science in literature or music.) In addition to reading and writing short stories, my professor also told us a little bit about the publishing world since she was, in fact, a "real" author (her name was Shariann Lewitt for any of you science fiction fans out there). One of the things she told us that stuck with me is that every writer has a specific medium that suits them. For example, some writers are just novelists while others are short story-ists. Others are journalists or reviewers; food writers, as well, are their own breed. Sure, they can cross these self-defined boundaries and write outside of their genre, but there is definitely something inherent in them that gives them a proclivity towards one type of writing or another.

I maintain that the same is true for baking. I can bake cakes or make pies. I can even whip up a batch of cookies. Should I so desire. But cupcakes. I think and dream in terms of cupcakes. They are my thing. As they say.
My roommate from college, Tiffany, is another lover of cupcakes. And cream cheese frosting. That is another one of my fortes. So when she came to visit, I whipped out my new cupcake cookbook - Martha Stewart's Cupcakes - and searched for a recipe. I wasn't supposed to own this cookbook, mind you. By which I mean, I wasn't supposed to buy any new cookbooks. But then I ordered the next book for Cook the Books off Amazon.com and this cookbook somehow managed to finagle it's way into my shopping cart. It had something to do with the fact that you get free shipping on orders over $25. Which I think is a pretty rational argument. Plus it is a cookbook filled solely with cupcake recipes. Which is an argument in and of itself.

Seeing as how I had not one, but two zucchini sitting in my refrigerator, Martha's zucchini-spice cupcakes immediately jumped out at me. Plus that weekend just happened to mark the end of fall and so I felt this extreme urge to purge myself of all summer foods. I managed to convince myself that having summer squash in my fridge as the seasons turned would somehow bring me bad luck for the coming year. Ludicrous, I know, but what with the marathon and this whole medical school thing, I need to take all of the precautions I can.
Speaking of which, I ran 20 miles yesterday. Or 20.5 as my dear and wonderful running partner Alan would want me to tell you. We felt kind of dead at the end of it and, to be honest, I could not have run it without him. That is my last long run, though, before the actual race! And how do I feel? I feel like I am going to miss it. A lot. Oh well. Time to start planning for the next marathon ;).

These cupcakes were delicious. My roommate, Sophie, claims that they were her favorite cupcakes that I have made yet. She has a thing for cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Which really do happen to make everything better.
Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Serves 12, adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, pressed (about 1 zucchini)
4 oz neufchatel/cream cheese
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp butter
confectioner's sugar, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, egg, vanilla, and lemon zest until well blended. Whisk in the brown sugar until blended. Stir in the zucchini. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

2. Divide batter evenly among the lined cups. Bake, rotating the pan about halfway through, for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

3. To make frosting, blend together the cream cheese, vanilla, and butter. Add confectioner's sugar to taste. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least one hour before frosting the cupcakes.

Grilled Fig and Brie Sandwiches

A few weeks ago when I went home for a visit (I make it sound like quite an undertaking, but my parents only live about twenty minutes away), my dad mentioned that our fig trees were in full bloom. I have to say that I never really appreciated these trees while I was growing up. I would complain about having to water them and then I would watch the little figs grow and grow and grow until they either fell into the soil (at which point I deemed them ruined) or were plucked away by birds. Now that I see how much they cost and how short their season is, I think differently. Plus figs are the kinds of things that don't really travel well. They are best right after being plucked, which is why I am kind of wary of buying them in a supermarket or from one of the street vendors. I apparently have no qualms, however, about sneaking into the backyard on my way out with a small ziploc container, stealing a few figs from the trees (by a few I may in fact mean all of the ripe ones), and then comforting my dad on the phone the next day as he bemoaned the fate of his trees which were obviously ravaged by the local avian population. Nope, no regrets at all whatsoever.

In other news, I am hosting Regional Recipes this month!! Which means EVERYONE should participate. The theme this month is Scandinavian food, so all you have to do is cook up your favorite food from Sweden, Norway, Finland, or Denmark and send it to me by October 15th (okay I will take entries until the evening of the 19th as I will post the round-up on the 20th). This is a great opportunity to widen your culinary horizons, so get to it!
Grilled Fig and Brie Sandwiches
Serves 1

2 slices of bread
4 or 5 small figs, sliced
1 oz brie, sliced

1. Heat up the George Foreman or a panini press or a non-stick skillet.

2. Compile the sandwich by placing the figs and brie between the two slices of bread.

3. Grill using any of the aforementioned methods until the brie is melty.

I am submitting this to Souper Sunday, which is hosted by Deb over at Kahakai Kitchen.

Coco-Peanut Butter Noodle Salad

A few weeks ago, Mark Bittman did a piece in his Minimalist column on the virtues of peanut butter, one of the most "flavor and reliable single-ingredient processed foods". Not only is peanut butter insanely healthy, but it is also extremely versatile and has far more uses than the traditional PB+J that we all know and love. Admittedly, in my case Bittman is preaching to the choir. I could eat peanut butter all day, every day, in any variety of ways. Curries, stir fries, burgers (did you know it is the secret ingredient in White Castle burgers), cookies, cake, ice cream, etc. The list actually is endless since peanut butter is both savory and sweet and thus goes well in almost any type of dish.

I did not always used to feel way, however, and it is strange to think that once upon a time I scorned at the idea of a peanut butter sandwich. I mean, it was something my mom fed me when I was five. You don't see me trying to revisit the days of eating Gerber Graduates, do you?

So what changed? I can only imagine it is the fact that peanut butter, for all of its simplicity, is actually quite complex. It's like that guy who you were obsessed with in high school or college (or dare I say medical school). You can't quite figure it out. One minute it's a remnant of your past, right up there with ramen noodles and Kraft's Mac and Cheese, and the next it's being served to you in a five star restaurant (and is completely blowing your mind). And as much as you try to resist - to convince yourself that there are other, better nut butters out there - ones that aren't quite so schizophrenic - you just keep coming back for more. It's an addiction that you just can't shake.

And so you find yourself sitting at home on a Tuesday night after running practice making peanut sauce. Marveling at how ground legumes can be so satisfying.

Coco-Peanut Butter Noodle Salad
Serves 4, adapted from A Year In The Kitchen

1 lb pasta
2 zucchini
1 green bell pepper
4 scallions
1 clove garlic
3/8 cup peanut butter
3/8 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
3/4 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp sriracha

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the bag/box.

2. Saute the zucchini and peppers until soft, along with the garlic and the scallions. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. When the pasta has about 2-3 minutes left to cook, pour the sauce over the zucchini and pepper mixture to warm it.

3. Toss everything together.

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights which is being hosted this week by Sarah of Imafoodblog.

A Race, A Recipe and A Restaurant Review - Sachertorte

I have a pretty regular blogging schedule. And I am usually pretty good about keeping to it. But sometimes life gets in the way. Sometimes you have to wake up at 5AM to run a half marathon in Queens. Sometimes your parents, your current roommate, your roommate from college who is visiting for the week from San Francisco, and one of your best friends get up with you and come cheer you on. Sometimes you beat your personal record by 6 minutes and come in 20th out of 220 in your age bracket. And when all of these things occur, I think it makes for a pretty good excuse to "miss" blogging. So yes. I ran the Queens Half Marathon yesterday and finished with a time of 1:42:50 according to my watch (longer according to theirs but my GPS also shows that I ran more mileage probably due to the way I took turns, etc.). That is an average pace of 7:47 minute miles, which is crazy even for me. I was so ecstatically happy.

It really is a shame, though, that I had to postpone showing you guys this recipe for the Sachertorte, which is perhaps my most daring baking undertaking yet. See, I'm part of this group called Have The Cake. As part of this group, a new recipe is posted every month that we have to bake. This month's recipe was the Sachertorte, which is a Viennese chocolate cake that is shrouded in mystery. It traditionally consists of two layers of dense, not-so-sweet chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot-rum jam in the middle and a chocolate icing on top. The original Sachertorte was made at the Hotel Sacher in 1876 and the recipe is still a well-kept and highly coveted secret.

Having never had a real Sachertorte before, I cannot attest to the authenticity of this recipe. I invited a bunch of friends over to eat it with me, however, one of whom, upon sitting down said, "You know. This looks a lot like a Soccer-torte." Though not quite spot-on with his pronunciation (according to Wikipedia), I took that as an affirmation that I had actually done something right. After a bite, he followed up his remark by saying, "All the soccertorte's I've ever had have not been very good. But this is delicious." Apparently, something very right.

As I said before, making this cake was a pretty intense, multi-step process. But it was a lot of fun and made me realize that I love baking and I love the challenge of trying something so ridiculous and new. I am really excited for the baked goods that Have the Cake will challenge me with in the future.

Sachertorte
Makes 1 double-layer, 9-inch round cake, adapted from Epicurious.com

For the cake:
4 1/2 oz high-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 tbsp butter, at RT
1 cup confectioner's sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour

For the apricot filling:
1 1/4 cup apricot preserves (I used peach-apricot preserves from whole foods)
2 tbsp rum

For the chocolate icing:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 oz bittersweet chocolate

1. Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 400. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Microwave the chocolate to melt it. Remove from the heat and let stand until cool, stirring often. Beat the butter in a large bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. On low speed, beat in the confectioner's sugar. Return the speed to medium-high and beat until light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla and chocolate. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and granulated sugar on high speed until soft peaks form. Stir 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture to lighten it and then fold in the rest. Sift half of the flour over the mixture and then fold in. Repeat with the second half. Spread evenly in the springform pan and then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

2. Make the apricot filling. Bring the preserves and rum to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the last drops that stick to the spoon are very stick, about 2-3 minutes. Strain through a wire sieve into a small bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Use while warm.

3. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into two equal layers. Brush the top of the cake layer with the apricot glaze. Place the second cake layer on top. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool until glaze is set.

4. Make the chocolate glaze. In a heavy-bottomed small saucepan over high heat, bring the water, sugar, and chocolate to a boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and, stirring often, cook uncovered until the temeprature reaches 235 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat and stir to cool and thicken slightly, about 1 minute. Immediately pour this over the cake and use a metal offset spatula to spoon it over the top and sides. Cool until the glaze is barely set, then transfer to a serving plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator at least one hour before serving.
So now last but not least, the restaurant review. As I mentioned before, my roommate from college, Tiffany, has come to visit from San Francisco for a week!! This has made me unbelievably happy since we didn't think we would see each other until my marathon and I have missed her dearly these past few months. We have many plans for the week, all of which revolve around food. For example, we decided that since this was such a special occasion and will only happen once in a blue moon, especially now that she will have a steady and serious job to answer to, that we would go out to eat at none other than Bobby Flay's restaurant - Mesa Grill! The food here was absolutely amazing, starting with the bread basket that was placed on the table (it had blue corn/yellow corn mini muffins!) and ending with the fabulous chocolate corn bread pudding for dessert. Here's a look at what we ordered.

My dish: New Mexican Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon-Ancho Chile Sauce and Sweet Potato Tamale with Crushed Pecan Butter.
Tiffany's dish: Sixteen Spice Duck Breast with Carrot-Habanero Sauce and Chorizo-Goat Cheese Tamale with Thyme Butter.
For dessert, we both had: Chocolate Corn Bread Pudding with Dulce de Leche Sauce and Creme Fraiche Sauce.
All in all, a seriously heavenly meal. A girl could get used to this.

TFF - Cranberry Chutney (and Brie Sandwiches)

A bag of frozen cranberries from Whole Foods? $2.99

A wheel of Brie from The Food Emporium? $4.99

A subway ride to and from my apartment to the aforementioned stores? $2.25

Getting to eat Thanksgiving in September? Priceless.

If you know me, you know about my obsession with all things that involve brie cheese. My favorite way to eat it is baked and smothered in cranberry sauce. Which brings me to my obsession with cranberry sauce. I used to hate it. But then, after my aunt made some homemade cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving last year, I realized that I only hate canned cranberry sauce. It's a consistency thing as well as a taste thing. Homemade sauce is chunky and tart and basically heaven on earth, whereas the canned stuff is sickeningly sweet and pureed until it is maroon-colored mush.

All that being said, just popping a wheel of brie into the oven with some cranberry sauce and then expecting myself to exercise any kind of self control over not eating the whole thing is a ludicrous suggestion. So I made it into a sandwich.

Earlier this year, I made Tyler's version of cranberry sauce, which I loved. Then, I came across his recipe for cranberry chutney and thought I would give it a try. I have a feeling it is not very chutney-esque however, although I can't really say since I've never had chutney before. It just didn't seem to be as heavily spiced as it could have been (okay it was not spiced at all). I really liked it a lot, although his actual cranberry sauce recipe is better. Then again, I think you would be hard put to find a cranberry and brie combo that I didn't like. Just saying.

I am submitting this to Tyler Florence Fridays and Souper Sundays!


Cranberry Chutney
Serves 4, adapted from Tyler Florence

1 package frozen cranberries
1/2 cup full-bodied red wine (I used sherry - it was what I had on hand)
1/4 cup sugar

Combine all of the ingredients on the stove over medium heat and cook until the cranberries are just beginning to break down. Allow to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate before serving so the pectin in the cranberries has a chance to gelatinize (what a great word!).

Monthly Mingle - Baked Heirloom Squash with Brown Sugar and Butter

Even though I love summer weather and spring scenery, fall is invariably one of my favorite seasons. Why? Simple. The food. Cranberries, sweet potatoes, and winter squash are some of my favorite ingredients of all time. Not to mention the fact that they are all nutritional superstars!

So you can imagine the intensity of my elation when I walked into Whole Foods this past Friday. And sitting in front of me. Was the first winter squash harvest of the season!! I danced. I swooned. I almost made out with the Whole Foods produce guy. And a few random customers who just happened to be in the nearby vicinity.

There were acorn squash, butternut squash, kabocha, and spaghetti squash - all shipped in from Vermont and/or Massachusetts (my "home" state!). Instantly, all of my previous dinner plans went out the window. There was no way I was passing up the first of fall's bounty. But what to make? Instantly, I recalled a recipe for baked winter squash with brown sugar, maple syrup, and butter that I made last year, before the blog, by Paula Deen (one of the few recipes of hers that I can stomach without extreme modification). The sweetness of the syrup mixed with the saltiness of the butter and the starchy, nutty goodness of the squash make this one of my favorite ways to enjoy winter squash.

Okay so now that I had a recipe in mind, I had to pick a squash. I was going to go for kabocha when I spied an unfamiliar type of squash sitting by itself in the corner. Delicata squash, read the label. I shrugged, carefully placed two in my shopping cart, and moved on to the next item on my list.

When I got home, I decided to look into what exactly a delicata squash is, and so I googled it. According to a wide variety of sources, delicata squash is an heirloom squash, meaning that it is a cultivar that was commonly grown during early periods of human history, but which is not used in modern large-scale agriculture (thank you Wikipedia..the best source on earth). Thus, they are grown for flavor and not for their ability to be mass-produced and shipped thousands upon thousands of miles away. Can't argue with that.

Delicata squash is also commonly referred to as sweet potato squash (for its taste), peanut squash (for its shape), and/or bohemian squash (because it owns a studio in the West Village, only smokes organic herbal cigarettes, and is a self-proclaimed starving artist). It has a creamy pulp that tastes like a cross between sweet potatoes and corn. The skin is very thin and is thus edible. It was originally introduced by the Peter Henderson Company of NYC in 1894 and was popular throughout the 20s. It then fell into obscurity for 75 years and is only now becoming popular again. Although it can be grown year-round, it peaks between late summer and early fall.

Seeing as how I am on a mission this year to try as many different winter squash varieties as I can get my hands on, I was certainly grateful to have found this.

I am submitting this recipe to this month's Monthly Mingle, which is being hosted over at Jugalbandi, the theme of which is heirloom recipes!
Baked Heirloom Squash with Brown Sugar and Butter
Serves 4, adapted from Paula Deen

2 delicata squash (they totaled 2 1/2 lb)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp and the seeds and discard. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, butter, and maple syrup until the brown sugar has dissolved. Rub the squash cavities and cut sides of the squash with the butter mixture and place them on a baking sheet, cut side up. Bake until they are tender and pierced easily with a fork (depends on what kind of squash you used - these took about 30 minutes). Serve 1 half per person.

The Vegetable That Ate Manhattan - Zucchini Carbonara

Has anyone ever noticed how zucchini season is kind of like that stampede in The Lion King where Simba and his dad are standing in the middle of the desert, arguing about the fact that Simba went into hyena territory. It's absolutely silent, the calm before the storm if you will, and then all of a sudden five thousand wildebeests are rushing towards them ready to trample if necessary?

Really. One minute you're standing in the middle of the supermarket or Farmer's Market or CSA pick-up spot or even your own garden saying, "Gosh, I really wish those summer squash would ripen already."

And then you go back the next week and they are EVERYWHERE. And not only are they everywhere, but they are local and so cheap that you feel compelled, obligated even, to buy them. What business do you have purchasing eggplant or peppers for $2+ a pound when zucchini are only 50 cents! Not only that, but you think, Heck this only comes around once a year, I'd better take advantage of it while I can!

But those little suckers are tricky. Because they stick around. Week. After week. After week. And then after your third week of eating nothing but zucchini omelets, zucchini pancakes, zucchini bread, etc., when you've just started to have nightmares of King Kong-sized summer squash thundering down the streets of Manhattan ready to take over the world, you come across this recipe for zucchini carbonara. And you are reminded that maybe, just maybe, this veggie is just a little misunderstood, the Holden Caulfield of the produce world, and isn't so mal-intended after all.
Zucchini Carbonara
Serves 4, adapted from Jamie Oliver and Closet Cooking

1 lb whole wheat penne
2 lb zucchini, chopped into penne-sized bits
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup almond milk (or regular milk or 1/2 cup half and half total if you don't want to decrease the fat)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 slices turkey bacon, cut into small pieces

1. Set up the water for the pasta.

2. Fry the bacon in a non-stick skillet. When it starts to get crispy, add in the zucchini as well as salt and pepper to taste.

3. Mix the egg yolks, parmesan cheese, and milk(s) in a bowl.

4. When it is done, drain the penne, reserving some of the water. Slowly pour 1/4 cup of the water into the egg mixture, whisking very rapidly to temper the mixture. Repeat.

5. Mix the zucchini/bacon mix into the pasta and then mix in the egg sauce. Toss to coat. Top with parmesan cheese when serving.

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights which is being hosted this week over at Sweet Kitchen.

Also, I keep forgetting to do this but check out the roundup for The Edible Word (remember my scones!) over at A Blithe Palate. There are some excellent treats, all of which were inspired by Confections of A Master Baker.

BSI: Chocolate - Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

I have a bad track record when it comes to baking with chocolate. The last chocolate cake I made came out really dry and let's not even talk about my first batch of brownies (okay they were black bean brownies and I should have never even tried to go there, but still). Thankfully I threw both of those away before anyone had a chance to happen upon them (except for my mom but she agreed that we could pretend they never happened. Aren't moms great that way?).

And I was willing to pull out the white flag. Throw my hands up to the gods of the cacao trees and say, Okay I get it. You win. And walk away from the entire situation none the worse for wear. I like vanilla better anyway, I told myself as if it were a consolation prize.

The problem is that most people out there like chocolate. They like chocolate enough to say things to me like, Hey why don't you make some chocolate cupcakes for your friend Amma's birthday? And I am stubborn and strong-willed enough to not want to concede that maybe I can't do anything I set my mind to, and thus end up replying with something like, Wow what a great idea!

And then I go home and flip out because when push comes to shove I will actually have to bake these cupcakes and serve them to people and there is a very good chance (if history repeats itself) that they will be awful.

But they weren't. They were actually very good. So for everyone out there who is mortally afraid of baking with chocolate. This is the recipe for you.

On a side note - I ran 20.24 miles today. Just thought I'd put that out there. I also finished a jar of peanut butter, single-handedly, in a month. I might turn into a jar of peanut butter soon, so if I ever stop blogging without explanation - you'll know what happened.

I am submitting this to this week's Blogger Secret Ingredient, which is being hosted by Anna over at London Foodie in New York.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Serves 24, adapted from Not Without Salt

3 cups flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups cold water
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup and 2 tsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp white vinegar
12 oz neufchatel
4 oz butter
3 tbsp half and half
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 cup-ish confectioner's sugar (I added it to taste and thus probably added less)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, oil, 2 tsp vanilla, and vinegar. Mix the wet into the dry and stir until just combined. Fill the cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is set. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then on a wire rack.

2. For the frosting, whip together the neufchatel and butter until fluffy. Add in the half and half and vanilla. Mix in the caramel ice cream topping. Add in the confectioner's sugar until frosting has desired taste. Put in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Frost cupcakes.

Tortellini Pesto Pasta Salad

When I first found out that the theme for this month's No Croutons Required was Mediterranean Salads, I was thoroughly unperturbed. As someone who is 100% Italian I thought, I've got this in the bag.

And then, like the true logician that I am, I started to wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, visions of if/else and if/then statements running through my head. I was being haunted by the ghost of Aristotle, if you will, which is quite fitting considering the fact that Greece is one of the major culinary centers of the Mediterranean world.

What makes a certain dish Mediterranean? And if a country borders this body of water then is all of the food that originates from there considered to be Mediterranean food? Or is there only a subset of that country's cuisine that truly qualifies?

So I did what I do best, which is consulted Wikipedia. But alas, I am finally beginning to see what my professors mean when they say that Wikipedia is not the most reliable source on the web (perish the thought!). Thus, I did the next best thing which was to perform a google search. And here is what I learned.

The Mediterranean is divided into three culinary regions: North African, eastern Mediterranean, and southern European. Even though these are seemingly disparate entities, their food has the shared trait of using "robust and clear" flavors; as a result, it is essentially what we think of when we think of home cooking. Onions, garlic, tomatoes, and olive oil abound in all of these areas and thus often serve as the base upon which a dish is built. Vegetables are also extremely prominent (eggplant, squash, peppers, mushrooms, okra, artichokes, and cucumbers), as are legumes (lentils, chickpeas, fava beans, green beans, and white kidney beans), and herbs (rosemary, basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, mint, fennel, and oregano). In addition, there is a definite emphasis on cooking from the ground with what is local and available rather than with esoteric spices and herbs from foreign and distant lands.

And what is more local than the flower pot in your (parents') backyard? Nothing. Hence the inspiration for this tortellini pesto pasta salad made entirely with basil that my dad has spent the summer nurturing (especially since his zucchini plants turned out to be cucumber plants, which for some reason he felt warranted far less of his time and affection).

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights (hosted this week by Rachel of The Crispy Cook), No Croutons Required (hosted this month by Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen) AND Souper Sundays, hosted weekly over at Kahakai Kitchen.
Tortellini Pesto Pasta Salad
Serves 8

2 lb tortellini
8 stalks worth of basil cut from the garden
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Set up the water for the tortellini and cook as per package instructions. Make sure to reserve at least a cup of pasta water.

2. In a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Add olive oil. Process. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Mix the pesto with the drained pasta. Add the pasta water until the sauce can be evenly distributed among the pasta and until the dish is moist enough for your taste. Serve.

Chickpeas Romesco - Regional Recipes: Spain

I'm sure I say this pretty frequently about blog events but Regional Recipes: Spain had me stumped. The problem was this. I didn't want to make something obvious like paella or gazpacho or ceviche, not because I don't like these dishes but because I've had them before and I think the whole point of Regional Recipes is to force yourself to cook outside your comfort zone and explore new things. So take all of those out of the equation.

Obstacle number two: tapas. I love tapas. I really do. But when you are cooking for one it is just not practical (or cost-effective) to make four or five small dishes. This doesn't seem problematic except for the fact that most of the information out there about Spanish food revolves around tapas.

So picture me sitting at my computer for hours, biting my nails, pulling out my hair and generally adding years onto my life doing google search after google search.

And then there was romesco. In Spanish, romesco can refer to three things - a seafood stew, a variety of medium-mild dried pepper, and (the more relevant definition, at least for this post) a sauce that originates from Catalonia. Although many variations of this dish exist, most combine ground almonds or hazelnuts with pureed tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and vinegar, yielding a sauce that is simultaneously incredibly complex and incredibly appetizing. With each bite, you are hit with the sweetness of the peppers and tomatoes as well as the acidity of the vinegar. The fat from the nuts serves to tie it all together and makes the dish all the more hearty. Although it is very often served with fish or meat (as most dishes in Spain are), I chose to go vegetarian (vegan actually!) with this one, using a recipe from Veganomicon that pairs the sauce with chickpeas. I am submitting this to Regional Recipes, which is being hosted this month at Blazing Hot Wok.
Chickpeas Romesco
Serves 4, adapted from Veganomicon

1/2 cup sliced almonds
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeledand deseeded (I roasted my own - just place them under the broiler, continually watching and turning them until they are charred on all sides. Then put them in a closed container or paper bag for 10-15 minutes. The skin will peel right off after that.)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 serrano chili pepper, minced
1/4 cup white wine
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown rice

1. Set up the brown rice, either in a rice cooker (my first time using one!) or on the stovetop as per the package's instructions.

2. Grind the almonds into crumbs. Set aside.

3. Puree the tomatoes and roasted red peppers together until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and set aside.

4. Preheat a pan. Heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic, shallots, and serrano for 4-5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and stir. Simmer for 1 minute. Add the tomato/pepper puree, vinegar, sugar, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add the ground almonds and stir. Fold in the chickpeas and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, add salt to taste, and serve over the brown rice (or grain of your choice).

Ginger-Soy "Grilled" Steak and Lemon-Ginger Sweet Potatoes

So everyone, let's go around the room. I want you to say your name, where you're from, something interesting that you did this weekend, and then list seven personality traits that you feel describe yourself.

This is where everyone yields a collective, "Huh?"

Interesting thing I did this weekend. Ran to New Jersey. And back. As part of my training, we ran over the George Washington Bridge and through the Palisades, turned back a little over 9 miles in and then ran home. By home I mean 178th Street and Cabrini. And even though I don't think I've ever been that far uptown, after 18.5 miles of running, returning to our meeting spot felt very much like coming home again. Trust me. I did all of the run with a fellow TNT-er, Alan, and honestly I am 100% sure I could not have done it without him. There is just something about having someone running alongside you that keeps you going. I am definitely going to miss him and my other TNT friends (Cindy, Barb, Elkin - this means YOU) when this is all over. I'm already planning the reunions.

Next order of business - seven personality traits. You see, the lovely Chaya of Sweet and Savory Says It All tagged me for a MEME award that requires me to pass it on to 7 other bloggers as well as to list seven characteristics that describe me. Chaya's blog has so much good food on it - you should definitely check it out!

1. Easygoing - it takes a lot to get me irritated. I am a pretty go-with-the-flow kind of person (in most but not all situations) and can be happy doing just about anything as long as I'm in good company.

2. Driven - I always have some kind of goal that I'm working towards. I.e. marathon training, spending the next 7-8 years getting my MD/PhD, etc.

3. Hopeless Romantic - I want to be swept off my feet. Then again, who doesn't.

4. Athletic - it's crazy to me that this is now a part of who I am. Four years ago I had never voluntarily set foot in a gym or even broken a sweat. Now I crave getting my heart rate up. It's strange how much a person can change in such a short period of time.

5. Empathetic/caring - my friends and family are the most important things in the world to me and I will drop anything if they are in need.

6. Critical - This is something that I don't necessarily love about myself, but I form opinions about people pretty quickly. I maintain that I can know within twenty minutes of meeting someone whether or not they are worth my time. I like to think that this is not SUCH a bad thing because it means I don't litter my life with mediocre individuals but I probably also write off people who I would otherwise really get along with. I need to work on giving people more of a chance.

7. Confident - it has taken me a long time to get here but I think I am finally at the point where I can say that I am proud of who I am. That is not to say that I don't need improvement (everyone does) but when I walk into a room I don't immediately feel that I am inferior to everyone around me. I have a lot going for me, and I think I actually realize that now.

I would like to pass this on to: Kristin of Sogkonnite Living, Sophia of Burp and Slurp, Mari of Namaste, Jen of Pieces of Me, Katherine of Smoky Mountain Cafe, Shannon of Tri 2 Cook, and Denise of Keeper Worthy Recipes.

Onward. What does one crave after running 18.5 miles? Red meat. And salt. This recipe from Bon Appetit's Fast/Easy/Fresh delivers both of these things. Absolutely delicious.

And then there are the sweet potatoes. They were intensely sweet from the roasting, and tasted amazing when doused in the marinade from the beef. The sweet and salty combo never fails to please me, and the overabundance of fresh ginger didn't hurt either.
Ginger-Soy "Grilled" Steak
Serves 4, adapted from Bon Appetit's Fast/Easy/Fresh

1 1/2 lb beef sirloin
6 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
4 scallions

1. Blend all of the marinade ingredients together in a food processor until smooth (everything except the beef and the scallions). Pour into a 9x13 dish. Mix the scallions (chopped) into the marinade. Add the steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to one day, turning semi-frequently.

2. Preheat the broiler. Pour the marinade into a small pan and boil. Simmer until reduced slightly. Broil the steak for 5 minutes/side if you want your steak medium rare. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice the steak and serve with the marinade poured over the top.

Lemon-Ginger Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4, adapted from Seasonal Ontario

2 lb sweet potatoes
2 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 40. Slice the sweet potatoes into rounds. Mix them in a bowl with the lemon zest, ginger, and melted butter. Place on a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Bake for 20 minutes. Stir the sweet potatoes and pour the lemon juice over them. Bake for another 20 minutes until tender and slightly browned.

Old-Fashioned Blueberry Cake

Did you know that mosquitoes can bite through spandex? Well if not then you should be forewarned. It's been a bit chillier here in NYC the past few days and so it made sense to me that I wear spandex leggings to running practice. (Okay while we are being honest I will admit that I wore spandex leggings to practice throughout the summer - 90 degree weather or not. I have this psychosomatic belief that they stabilize my knee. It's ridiculous.) When I got to Central Park at 6:30 on Tuesday night, the mosquitoes had definitely come out to play but I thought I was safe being that the majority of my body was covered. The mosquitoes, however, must not have heard about this rule. To them, nothing is sacred. And so I came home to find my butt covered in mosquito bites. Which made for a very uncomfortable five hours of class both yesterday and on Wednesday. I'm sure my fellow classmates now have an interesting first impression of me.

Not that this has anything to do with this cake, which was born of a homework assignment that I didn't want to do. Seriously, if you want to get massive amounts of baked goods out of me - just give me some chemistry problems - specifically acid/base titrations. You'll get a few cakes and maybe even a pie or two in no time.

I found this recipe on 101 Cookbooks, where Heidi mentions that she found it in an old issue of Gourmet. It's remarkable for its lack of sugar (it is sweetened entirely by molasses) and its low amount of butter. That being said, if you like molasses, which I do, then you will love this cake. One of my friends described it as being subtle and it's true, the flavor does kind of creep up on you as the buttery molasses melds with the tart blueberries and the sweet, homemade whipped cream. In my opinion, it is the perfect excuse to not be doing homework at 10 pm.
Old-Fashioned Blueberry Cake
Serves 8, adapted from Gourmet via 101 Cookbooks

1 cup plus 2 tsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
5 tbsp almond milk (divided)
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp butter, barely melted
1 1/2 cups blueberries, frozen

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9-inch cake pan.

2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In one bowl, whisk together the cider vinegar and 3 tbsp milk. In another bowl, whisk together the molasses and 2 tbsp milk. Mix the contents of the vinegar bowl into the molasses bowl. Whisk in the eggs.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir until just combined. Add in the butter and the blueberries.

5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes. Whip some heavy cream with some sugar until you get whipped cream and serve.

Linguine with Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomatoes

Have you ever heard the story about the princess and the eggplant?

No?

Well then today is your lucky day.

Once upon a time in a land far, far away there was a princess whose father's kingdom was built on oil. Now this was before the time of the industrial revolution and such, and so by "oil" I don't mean high-octane diesel fuel. No, back then they were concerned only with the good stuff - olive oil.

The princess was getting to be in her late teens and so her father decided it was time to marry her off. He found an eligible bachelor living in a neighboring kingdom, offered up a dowry of a few hundreds of gallons of olive oil, and sent his daughter off to start her new life.

On her first night with her new husband, the princess was a little nervous, and so like most of us foodies do under such strenuous circumstances, she turned to the kitchen. Seeing as how eggplant was a staple of the region, and the princess was hellbent on cooking only with organic and locally grown produce, she decided to wow her husband with one of the many eggplant dishes in her repertoire.

That night, the princess was filled with nervous anticipation as her husband took his first bite. She needn't have feared however, because he loved it. Hands down, absolutely loved it. He loved it so much in fact that he ate all of it, leaving no leftovers at all whatsoever and barely even saving any for the princess herself to have. When he finally came up for a breath of fresh air (i.e. when all of the dishes had been licked clean), he demanded that she make the dish again the next night.

The princess looked at him in fear. "I can't," she said.

"What do you mean you can't?" the husband asked suspiciously, one eyebrow arched and ready for attack.

"There's no more oil left. I used all of the hundreds of gallons of it. It just absorbs so much..."

And then the prince got so angry that he ordered her to be guillotined on the spot. Either that or he was a nice, forgiving husband and sent her off to bed with a kiss on the cheek. But I can't remember which.

The point is that eggplant DOES absorb a lot of olive oil so be careful. It's a very sneaky vegetable.

Linguine with Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4, adapted from Tyler Florence

1 lb whole wheat linguine
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion
5 cloves garlic
2 (28 oz) cans of whole, peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup basil, torn
1 1/2 lb eggplant
3 cloves garlic
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Cut the eggplants into large dice and place in a bowl. Mix together with the garlic and spray with cooking spray. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast 20 minutes or until eggplant is tender.

2. Set up the water for the pasta and cook per the package instructions.

3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion (chopped) and garlic (minced) and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hand to break them up. Add the basil and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes.

4. Put the tomato sauce in a bowl and mix in the drained linguine, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. Serve with extra cheese.

This dinner was very simple and was one of those comforting meals that feels so welcoming after a long day of school and/or work. It is also really good topped with feta cheese. Especially if you're like me and just happen to have some lying around.

I am submitting this to Tyler Florence Fridays as well as Presto Pasta Nights which is being hosted by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast.