Peanut No-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

What do you do when you end up in an alternate universe in which you need to bake something but there is absolutely not a single tbsp of butter in your fridge?  Make peanut no-butter chocolate chip cookies, of course!  Check out the recipe over at Marcus Samuelsson's site.

Also, I wanted to let everyone know about the release of a new recipe website called Gojee, which will feature tasty dishes by some of the blogosphere's most talented food writers (yours truly included).  Please go check it out! 

Martha Stewart's Lattice-Top Blueberry Pie

Remember when I told you about my blueberry pie hangover that could be cured by nothing more or less than at least six blueberry buckwheat pancakes and 8 oz of tequila cardamom-vanilla rhubarb compote?

This right here is the culprit.

(It's dangerous.  Salivate with caution.)



I made it for Father's Day since the one dessert my family can agree to unanimously adore is pie.

(But only if it's not too lemony or lime-y or citrus-y and has not a single nut to its ingredient list.  Even the 1 tbsp of lemon juice in this pie gave me pause.  But I forged ahead anyway.

You can't make good pie without at least a hint of citrus.  That's a fact.  It's written in stone somewhere.  I swear it.)

They may be just plain wrong misguided about other things (like molten lava cakes and eating lemon curd out of the jar with a measuring cup) but at least they are sensible about pie.  Hallelujah.



When you're looking for a good dessert recipe, Martha Stewart is an excellent woman to turn to.  I've made her cupcakes, cookies, and now pies and I have never been anything less than wholeheartedly satisfied if not unabashedly stuffed to the brim after not being able to stop at one.

She is also number 4 on Gourmet's list of 50 Women Game-Changers in food.  And for good reason.  She is an icon.  A Renaissance woman.  A household name.

The kind of woman who has every hair in place even in the midst of a federal prison while wearing an orange jumpsuit.  Seriously.

As someone who can barely hold it together long enough to fold her laundry at least 36 hours after it comes out of the dryer.  I kinda sorta want to be her.

But I'll settle for baking like her.  Because this pie is good enough to forgive the clean laundry that sits in my basket for a week (or more) at a time.  It tastes like fresh air and a warm summer breeze.  It is sweet without being too sweet.  It is blueberry addiction at its finest. 

**Do you want an Eats Well With Others treat delivered straight to your door?  And donate money to cancer research in the process?  Check out Lauren's blog for her bake sale to beat cancer! I've donated my carrot cake cookies, which, trust me, are worth a bid!



Pate Brisee
Makes enough for one 9-inch double crust or two 9-inch single pies, adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts

2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4-1/2 cup ice water

1. Whisk together flour, salt, and sugar  in a bowl.  Add butter and quickly cut in with a pastry blender or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger pieces remaining.  Drizzle 1/4 cup water over mixture.  Mix with a fork until mixture just begins to hold together.  If dough is too dry, add 1/4 cup more water, 1 tbsp at a time, and mix with a fork.

2. Divide dough in half onto two pieces of plastic wrap.  Gather into two balls, wrap loosely in plastic, and press each into a disk using a rolling pin.  Refrigerate until firm, well wrapped in plastic, 1 hour or up to 1 day.  Dough can be frozen up to 3 months.  Thaw before using.

Lattice-Top Blueberry Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie, adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts

AP flour for dusting
Pate Brisee
2 lb fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 large egg yolk, for egg wash
1 tbsp heavy cream, for egg wash
Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 400.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disk of dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick.  Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate.

2. In a large bowl, toss together berries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice until combined.  Pour mixture into pie plate, piling in center.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining disk of dough as in step 1.  To make lattice, cut dough into ten 1-inch-wide strips.  Lightly brush edge of dough in pie plate with water.  Carefully arrange dough strips on top, weaving to form a lattice.  Trim dough to a 1-inch overhang.  Fold edges under as desired and crimp with a fork.  In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream for egg wash.  Brush on top of dough strips and edge of pie shell.  Generously sprinkle with sanding sugar.  Refrigerate or freeze pie until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Transfer pie plate to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust begins to brown, about 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350.  Continue baking until crust is deep golden brown and juices bubble, 55 minutes more.  If crust browns too quickly, tent pie with foil.  Transfer pie to wire rack.  Let cool completely, at least 3 hours before serving.

Looking for more fruity desserts?  Check out these recipes:
Blueberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Amaretto Cream Sauce
Cranberry Blueberry Pie
Peach-Blueberry Pie
Strawberry Hazelnut Chocolate Crisp

Black Bean and Plantain Burgers with Honey Lime Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries...Alexia Foods' Reinvent A Classic

I had a sweet potato plantain kind of weekend.

Seriously.  That's how good it was.

Check it:

I ran a 5 mile race on Sunday.  Where I not only kept at a sub 9 minute mile pace, but lowered my pace from two weeks ago by 20 seconds.  And this was after running 9 miles on Saturday.  To say I was glowing.  Was an understatement.

I effervesced.




And then to add happiness to happiness, one of my friends from college was in for the weekend.  And I'm pretty sure we laughed harder than I've laughed since I visited my college roommate in San Francisco.  (Are you seeing a trend?)

It made me nostalgic.

It made me want to move back to my favorite city in the world (Boston).  (Then again...so does everything.)

And it put me in such a good mood that I felt like the only thing to do to keep the good times rolling was to eat plantains and sweet potatoes in one day.  At one meal, even.

Can you imagine anything more perfect?



Luckily for me, the awesome folks over at Alexia Foods have given me an excuse to eat sweet potatoes (and/or regular potatoes!) at every meal for the next month.

You see, I have been selected to participate in the Alexia Foods "Reinvent A Classic" challenge!  This requires me to create a new fun flavor idea for Alexia Foods to add to their frozen fry repertoire.  I can use white or sweet potatoes, with a crinkle, waffle, julienne, or wedge cut.  The final submissions are due by July 20th, at which point the entries will be tested in the Alexia Foods kitchen, with the top four finalists being sent to the Foodbuzz Festival in November.  The winner will then be selected by YOU via a vote on the Alexia Foods facebook page.

A bunch of my favorite bloggers are also participating and I'm super excited to see what everyone comes up with.  I'm also super excited to have an excuse to eat fries every day and also to include you guys in the process!  I've got a ton of ideas and I'll definitely need feedback from you to determine which is my final submission so please feel free to try the fry recipes and tell it to me straight - like, dislike, need to have every day, or never want to eat ever again.

Honesty is the best policy, people.  I can take it.

The first runner up is these honey lime chipotle sweet potato fries, which I found to be absolutely addictive.  The honey lime flavor, especially when combined with a hint of salt, keeps you coming back for more while the spice from the chipotle chili powder gives your taste buds that perfect combination of pain and pleasure.  Ideal for pairing with just about any burger...but especially these plantain black bean burgers which also contain that winning sweet savory spicy flavor combo.

Happy summer weekends never tasted so good.

**Before you go, please check out my guest post over at Cara's Cravings!



Black Bean and Plantain Burgers
Makes 4, adapted from Veggie By Season

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 overly ripe plantains, one mashed, the other diced
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 cup cornmeal
salt and pepper to taste

1. Add half the beans and the mashed plantains to a food processor.  Puree.

2. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.  Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Grab about 1/4 of the burger mix and form it into a patty.  It will be VERY loose.  Put it on the pan.  Repeat with remaining burger mix so that you have 4 patties.  Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until the crust is golden.  Carefully flip the patties and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

4. Serve on top of a tortilla or a bed or lettuce or both!

Honey Lime Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 1 gluttonous sweet potato eater, an Eats Well With Others Original

1 medium sweet potato, julienned
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, olive oil, lime juice, salt and chili powder.  Put the julienned sweet potato sticks in a large ziploc bag.  Pour the honey lime mix into the bag and shake until all of the sweet potato fries are coated.

3. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

*I am being financially compensated for my services in the "Reinvent a Classic" campaign by Alexia Foods. 

Looking for more burger recipes?  Check out these posts:
Brie and Granny Smith Turkey Burgers
The Lola Burger
Black Bean Swiss Burgers with BBQ Onions
Beef and Gorgonzola Burgers
Chickpea Pumpkin Burgers

I am submitting this to:
Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya of My Sweet and Savory
Maniac Meatless Mondays hosted by Rebecca Jean of Midnight Maniac
Souper Sundays hosted by by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen
Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.

Fannie Farmer's Vegetable Paella

My brother is wasting away to nothing.

He has sat on the couch in my parents' basement since Tuesday. And my mother has not bought him even a single milkshake. 

I'm not sure what she's thinking because he doesn't even have any pounds to spare.

I tried to offer him some of mine.  "See this bit in the right lower quadrant?" I said.  "It's all yours.  Totally free of charge.  And because we're related, I'll even through in some left lower quadrant for free." 

I really am such a thoughtful sister sometimes.

He must be too hopped up on Vicodin to understand.  Because he refused.



This is why I'm keeping all my wisdom teeth. 

There's no point in getting oral surgery if you're not going to overindulge your milkshake dreams and desires.  (Of which, mine are vivid.) 

No. Point. At. All.

Although I guess you could just sit around and eat peanut butter out of the jar. 

On that note.  I might reconsider.



Or if I could convince my mother to make me paella every day.  This paella, to be precise.

It's definitely soft enough for post-wisdom teeth eats.  And it's so chock full of anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals, that I'm sure my surgical wounds would be healed in no time.

She'll whine and moan and try to say things like, "But I don't know how to cook!"

I'll say, "I know."  And then I'll throw the Fannie Farmer Cookbook at her head. 

Because, thanks to Miss Farmer, there is nothing to "know" other than where your measuring spoons and cups are.  Awesome.



You see, before Fannie Farmer came along and standardized measurements everywhere, people used things like pinches and handfuls and fingertip-lengths in order to dole out ingredients. 

Cooking was an art. 

And now it's a science, at least if you want or need it to be.  You can pick up a cookbook, follow it's instructions to the letter, and come out with nearly the same results that I would if I did the same.  It's perfect for those who are unsteady and unsure in the kitchen (mom, I'm talking to you) and made life easier for home cooks everywhere.

So thank you Fannie Farmer, not only for this absolutely delicious recipe, but also for making it so that my brother, and countless other wisdom tooth extraction survivors, will be able to endure and persevere through their swollen oral cavity experience.  No milkshake required.

This is my entry to Week Three of the 50 Most Influential Women in Food Cook-A-Thon.  Check out Mary of One Perfect Bite, Val of More Than Burnt Toast, Susan of The Spice Garden, Heather of Girlichef, Claudia of A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, and one of my med school friends, Taryn of Have Kitchen, Will Feed for some more Fannie Farmer inspiration.



Vegetable Paella
Serves 6, adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb tomatoes, chopped
6 medium artichoke hearts, sliced
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup peas
5 1/2 cups veggie broth
zest of 1 lemon, cut into strips
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch saffron
1/4 cup parsley, minced
salt to taste
1 lb arborio rice

1. In a large, wide flat-bottomed pan or paella pan (or pot), heat the oil on medium-high.  Add in the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the artichokes, peppers, string beans, peas, and 2 cups of the veggie broth.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the lemon zest, paprika, turmeric, saffron, parsley, salt, rice and the remainder of the veggie broth.  Mix well.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the rice is done and the liquid has evaporated.

White Bean, Sage, and Roasted Garlic Spread

If you thought sage was meant solely for pumpkin, then think again.  Check out my recipe for white bean, sage and roasted garlic spread on Marcus Samuelsson's blog!

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes with Roasted Cardamom-Vanilla Rhubarb Compote

I ate too much blueberry pie on Father's Day.

That's a cold hard fact.

It was an overdose kind of situation.  I had blue lips, blue fingers, (one disgustingly blue toenail courtesy of the Boston Marathon) and probably blue intestines. 

I was a sight for sore eyes.



That was the day of.

Then there was the morning after.

Oy.



Let's just say that blueberry pie hangovers are just as much fun as tequila shot hangovers.  Minus the waking up to a random stranger in your bed part.

Blueberry pie hangovers are family friendly, PG-rated affairs.

Tequila shot hangovers.  Usually not so much.  Or so I hear.




Thankfully, the cure is the same.  Pop an Advil, some coffee, and have a little bit of the hair of the dog that bit you.

In my case, that required some blueberry buckwheat pancakes.  Which not only cured that blueberry withdrawal, but also provided some good old whole grain comfort.  Perfect for allaying the post sugar rush guilt that your intestines may try to thrust upon you.  (Although they're probably just bitter that you forced them to look like a Smurf for a few hours.  Can you blame them?)



These pancakes had a definitively nutty flavor that complimented the sweetness of the blueberries really well.  In order to keep with the wholesome theme, I opted to swap out maple syrup topping for a roasted cardamom-vanilla rhubarb compote that was made with rhubarb from my CSA.  Mixed with some Greek yogurt, it is downright dreamy.

Come to think of it. It would probably also make a great topping for some blueberry pie.  You know. In lieu of ice cream.  (And I don't ever want anything in lieu of ice cream. So you know this has to be good.)

And...we're right back where we started. I'm hopeless. And in need of a 12-step program.  Send help.



Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes
Makes about 12, adapted from Good to The Grain

1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups almond milk, plus more for thinning
1 egg
1 pint blueberries

1. In one large bowl, sift together the buckwheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  In a second bowl, whisk together the butter, almond milk, and egg.

2. Whisk the liquid mixture into the flour mixture until well combined.  Fold in the blueberries.  Thin out with a bit of milk, if necessary (I had to add about 1/4 cup), until the consistency of the batter is that of a thick milkshake.

3. Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat and spray with cooking spray/grease with butter.  Using 1/4 cups, pour the batter into the skillet, about 3 pancakes at a time, depending on the size of your skillet.  Cook until little bubbles form on the top of the pancake, then flip and cook for 2-3 minutes more.  Repeat with remaining batter.

Roasted Cardamom-Vanilla Rhubarb Compote
Makes 1 cup, adapted from Turntable Kitchen

1 lb rhubarb
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cup greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 400.  Slice the rhubarb into 2-inch chunks.  Place them in a bowl and mix them with the cardamom, vanilla, and sugar.  Pour into a heavy-bottomed, oven-proof baking dish.  Pour in the 1/3 cup water.  Toss gently and roast in the oven about 30 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and breaking apart and the juices are gooey and thick.  Add more water during roasting if the rhubarb looks dry.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Mix with 1 cup greek yogurt.  Dollop over pancakes.

I am submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted by Chris of Mele Cotte.

Spring Pesto Panzanella...Eat.Live.Be

On his second plate, in between hoards of buffalo wings, hot dogs, and hamburgers (at which I turned my head and averted my eyes) my father turned to me and said, "Why does this have so much bread in it?"

We'd already gone over the etymology of the word "panzanella".  Twice.

Latin.  Pan = pane = bread.  Bread salad. A traditional Florentine dish made to use up any stale crusty bread before it went to waste.

Basically a clean-out-the-fridge meal from a time before there were fridges. 




"You took Italian in college, dad!" I shrieked.  "Why is this so incomprehensible?"

"It's from Florence?" he asked, a frown encasing his face, completely oblivious to my line of questioning.

"Bastardo," he muttered under his breath.




I sighed.  Being almost entirely Sicilian, my parents have a hard time understanding anything that's Northern Italian.

Never mind that they were born in the US.  Speak only enough Italian to barely get by (by which I mean, they know how to curse and ask for cheese).  And live off of barbecue sauce and hot dogs.  (Something that true Sicilians would surely disapprove of.)


The prejudices have somehow traversed the Atlantic Ocean, as well as two completely Americanized generations, and have gotten implanted into my parents' heads along with other ridiculous notions.  (Such as the fact that chicken really and truly is a meat.  My mother still refuses to believe it.  And so while my father was busy cursing out an entire half of his precious homeland, she spent the entire afternoon muttering to herself, "No, no.  That can't be right.")

But I'm working on breaking them down.  We started with risotto, which they now love with unbridled passion.  Polenta is a work in progress.  And now, considering the fact that they ate multiple helpings of the panzanella even though it had beans and vegetables (the HORROR)...I'm thinking they've been lured over to the dark side.  Bread excess notwithstanding.



This week at Eat.Live.Be. we are talking about what makes us happy.

After much reflection on this subject, I've realized that at age 24, I've turned into an Italian grandmother.  I live to feed.

To dig my fingers into pastry dough.  Or boil up a pot of chickpeas.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing how happy my food can make other people.  Especially when that food is also nourishing in a deliciously healthy kind of way.  It's rare that I can get my family to eat a whole bowl full of vitamins and minerals.  But when I can.  The feeling that accompanies it is priceless.

So what makes you happy?  Leave a message in the comments and be sure to check out these other Eat.Live.Be-ers!

• Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Cate from Sweetnicks
• Chris Arpante – Melecotte
• Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
• Claire – Cooking is Medicine
• Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
• Rivki from Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• New Jersey Epicurean

This panzanella was born of a need to create a dish that could double as a main dish for me and a side dish for my family on Father's Day.  While most bread salads are just mixtures of bread and tomatoes, I bulked this up with asparagus, leeks, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes and seasoned it with my favorite flavor of summer - pesto.  In the end, the bread cubes soaked in the glorious pesto and tomato juices, becoming deliciously soft bites of heaven with the veggies melting into that flavor burst.  The perfect salad for father's day or any other spring/summer afternoon in the sun.

Spring Pesto Panzanella
Serves 8, an Eats Well With Others Original

1 loaf ciabatta bread (about 11 oz)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1-inch slices
6 leeks, green parts removed, thinly sliced
2 cups white beans or flageolets
5 tomatoes, chopped (I used kumato tomatoes)
1 (8 oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1 head butter lettuce (from my CSA!), leaves shredded
1/3 cup pesto
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Cut the ciabatta into cubes (or tear it into small pieces).  In a large bowl, mix it with the 1/4 cup olive oil, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese.  Place it on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently.  Set aside to cool.  Leave the oven on.

2. Spread the asparagus and leeks on a second baking sheet.  Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Roast for 15-20 minutes or until asparagus and leeks are starting to brown.  Set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the bread cubes, asparagus, leeks, white beans, tomatoes, lettuce and sun-dried tomatoes.  Mix in the pesto and balsamic vinegar so that everything is evenly coated.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

I am submitting this to:
Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya of My Sweet and Savory
Maniac Meatless Mondays hosted by Rebecca Jean of Midnight Maniac
Souper Sundays hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen

Alice Waters's Summer Squash and Corn Pasta

Summer isn't even official yet and I've already succumbed to the wily ways of the summer squash.

In short.  I'm doomed.

It's just that when you see them at the Farmer's market, all cute and pattypan-like (and pattypan makes you think of pattycakes which makes you think of babies and nursery rhymes and the fact that you are not yet betrothed or anywhere close to it and then you have to buy them because you may not have a child but you can have cute little summer squash right at your fingertips and that is kind of the same thing, no?) and lined up in a row.  You are just so damn depressed excited that you just have to buy all five. 

They are harbingers of good things to come.  You can feel it.

Maybe summer.  Maybe the man of your dreams.  Maybe (e) all of the above.



So you get home with these little squash that all but jumped stem-first into your cloth eco-friendly recyclable shopping bag.

And you are a bit dumbfounded and overwhelmed.  Because who knew this would all happen so soon?  Summer?  Now?

As a young, single, thoroughly unprepared summer squash momma myself.  I understand.



I felt lost and dazed and confused for a day or so.  Until I was hit with a large dose of girl power. 

And thought.  "Alice Waters, the queen of slow, local, sustainable food.  The woman who's foodie beliefs are basically everything I live and breathe for.  She'll know what to do."

And. She did. 

This pasta is at once sweet and spicy, getting it's hit from some jalapenos and red pepper flakes (the latter of which were not in the original recipe but I thought it rather prudent to add them in) and it's sweetness from the corn and zucchini.  It's a meal so simple and fresh flavored that you'll swear you're eating summer.  Even if it's not June 21st yet.

This is my entry to Week Two of the 50 Most Influential Women in Food Cook-A-Thon.  Check out Mary of One Perfect Bite, Val of More Than Burnt Toast, and one of my med school friends, Taryn of Have Kitchen, Will Feed for some more Alice Waters inspiration.



Summer Squash and Corn Pasta
Serves 5-6, adapted from Alice Waters's Chez Panisse Vegetables


4 to 6 small summer squashes (I used a farmer's market mix of pattypan and zucchini), chopped small
5 to 6 ears sweet corn (or 1 lb frozen corn)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp butter
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb pasta
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lemon

1. Cut the squashes into small dice.  Cut the corn kernels from the cob.  Peel and chop the garlic and jalapeno finely.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet.  Saute the squash in the olive oil until tender and a little brown.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add corn, garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper flakes to the squash.  Cook a few minutes more.

3. Finely chop the cilantro.  Add the cilantro and butter to the pan.  Taste and correct seasoning.

4. Boil the pasta, add it to the pan and toss all together.  Squeeze one lemon's worth of juice over the pasta.  Serve immediately.

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted by Simona of Briciole.

Cranberry Bean and Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Gouda

If you're looking for a healthy delicious salad to bring to this weekend's Father's Day barbecue, then stop by Marcus Samuelsson's blog to check out my cranberry bean and sugar snap pea salad with gouda!

Carrot Cake Cookies

The gym has the perfect amount of noise for reading. 

Sometimes at home it's just too quiet.  And then I can hear myself breathe, which then makes me imagine all of the respiratory diseases that could potentially be lurking within my pleural cavity.  (This also explains why I can't run without my iPod.  It's not the music that I need, it's the inability to hear myself huffing and puffing around Central Park.)  Non-ideal.

Or it could be too loud.  Roommates fighting with boyfriends or watching Glee at record-breaking decibels.  And then, of course, there's the huge crane that's lurking increasingly dangerously close to my window, and which unnerves me to no end. 

But the gym?  The gym has the whir of treadmills and the whiz of stationary bikes, all of which are perfectly boring and ignorable noises that distract me from trying to measure my lung capacity as I pedal along.



That is, until yesterday when the man at the bike next to me spent the entire 20 minutes of his workout yelling into his cell phone.

Which he then followed up with four minutes of trying to hit on me.

(Note to my male readers.  Screaming at your coworkers or employees or wife on a cell phone at the gym is not attractive.  It will not cause me to want to sleep with you. I promise.)

(Especially if it's your wife.)




"Don't you find it hard to read while you exercise?"


That was his opening line.  I wanted to reply not until you got here. 

But I didn't.

I have class.

Instead I think I said something about how it distracts me from the pain.  Quick smile.  Then back to reading.

He did not take the hint.  He proceeded to ask me about what I did, where I went to college.  And then, upon hearing that I'm a medical student, tried to convince me to go into dermatology because then I'll make more money.

I think it was after this that he realized he'd blown his chance.  Because while I can control my voice and the words that come out of my mouth, my disdaining eyes are completely autonomous.  I don't even want to know the disgusted look I shot him.  I'm sure it was ugly.

All I know is that almost directly after that, he wished me luck.  And moved to another machine across the room.

Joanne: 1, Obnoxious Annoying Skeevy Men: 0



Now. If he had tried to chat me up about cookies or cakes or whether an oven really needs to be at 500 degrees in order to make a good pizza.  That would have been a different story.

And if he had offered me one of these cookies?  There might have been a marriage proposal. On the spot.

That's how good they are.

These are another one of the desserts I made for the little dinner party that I cohosted last weekend.  And they were insane. I came thisclose to not even bringing them because they were so good I wanted to hoard them and eat them all myself. 

The combination of ginger and vanilla and carrot is just so utterly addictive that you're going to find it hard to eat just one.  In fact, I'm pretty sure everyone at the party had two.  At least.

I'm posting them now because I think they'd make for the perfect Father's Day present. Especially if you're interested in winning Daughter/Son of the Year.  With these in tow?  It's in the bag.



Carrot Cake Cookies
Makes 18, adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies

For the frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
5 tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

For the cookies:
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), melted
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup AP flour
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup packed, finely grated carrots
1/3 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Make filling - combine cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well-combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Mix in vanilla.  Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar until totally incorporated.  Increase the speed and beat until smooth.  Mix in lemon juice.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. In the meantime, whisk together butter, sugars, and egg yolk in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger and salt.  Add flour mixture to butter.  Stir until combined.  Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins.

3. Drop dough by level tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets.  Flatten with the palm of your hand.  Bake until the edges are crisp, rotating baking sheets halfway through, 15 to 18 minutes.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

4. Try to pair up cookies according to size so that they approximately match each other.  Flip one of each pair over, bottom side up.  Dollop out the cream cheese frosting or pipe onto each flipped over cookie.  Top with remaining cookie and press gently to spread the filling to the edges.  Serve immediately.

I am submitting these to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted this week by Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen.

African Sweet Potato Soup with Peanut Butter and Black Beans...Eat.Live.Be!

We had three digits of heat last week.

Warnings were issued.  People started fretting about things like power outages and electrolyte imbalances and whether the apocalypse of 2012 had forgotten what year it was and decided to come early.

And all I could think about were two things.  Running.  And this soup.

I think that says something. 



I'm not quite sure what my physical therapist did to me these past three weeks to make me magically start bouncing back from all my post-stress fracture, post-Boston marathon battle scars.  But running is now fun again.

Sure, there are still aches and pains and IT band issues.  But I'm fairly certain Josh and his magic hands (seriously, best physical therapist in New York City...and I should know.  I've been through quite a few) and the rest of the Equilibrium crew will get me through.  (Just, for the record, Josh specializes in physical therapy for running injuries...so any of you NYC-area runners out there with issues...he is the guy to go to.)

Case in point.  Three weeks ago, I ran a 10K at a 9:51 pace.  This weekend...I dropped it down to 9:22.  Which I then followed up by running an additional 3 miles at Team In Training practice.  And I wasn't even limping the next day. Insane.  Unheard of.  Breathtaking.

(I was in such a good mood that I even went home to visit my parents that night.  Insane.  Unheard of.  You should have me committed.)

I'm pretty sure knowing that I had this soup waiting for me in the fridge also helped.  There's nothing I love more than peanut butter.  At least.  That's what I thought until I mixed it with sweet potatoes and red curry in this soup.  Now I'm not really sure I want to eat peanut butter any other way.  Even in 100+ degree weather.

Yeah.  It's a pretty serious soup.


Today at Eat.Live.Be. we're each giving a cooking and/or healthy living tip.

One healthy living tip I've tried to keep to, even throughout being injured, is to live actively.  What does that mean?  That means taking the stairs.  That means walking rather than taking the subway or bus. That means doing squats while I blow dry my hair.  That way, even if I don't make it to the gym, I've still done something.  And something.  Is always better than nothing.

As for cooking.  Well, I adore vegetables (possibly more than I will my first born child...especially if my first born child is a picky eater) so cooking healthily comes pretty natural to me.  My favorite tip that I've come upon recently is from Natalie of Perry's Plate.  She recently wrote a post about how to get kids to eat healthy foods.  One way she does this is by adding a bit of spinach to every meal. No matter what it is.  It's served over a bed of spinach.  Spinach is pretty innocuous as far as veggies go so just throw a handful under your next meal and you'll have gotten at least one serving of veggies without even realizing it!

Do you have any great tips?  If so, write about them in the comments!  And make sure to check out the tips from the other Eat.Live.Be-ers!

• Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Cate from Sweetnicks
• Chris Arpante – Melecotte
• Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
• Claire – Cooking is Medicine
• Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
• Rivki from Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• New Jersey Epicurean

African Sweet Potato Soup with Peanut Butter and Black Beans
Serves 4-5, adapted from Gluten-Free Goddess

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 medium red onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced very finely
1/2 lb dried black beans, soaked overnight and cooked until tender
1 quart veggie broth
1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter (or sunbutter for those allergic!)
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime
3 tsp brown sugar
salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot.  Add the curry paste and cinnamon.  Stir for a minute so that the olive oil gets infused with spice.  Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, bell pepper, and jalapeno.  Stir and cook the veggies for 5-7 minutes, until softened.

2. Add the beans and broth.  Melt the peanut butter by mixing it with 1/2 cup boiling water.  Add that to the mix.  Add the red pepper flakes and cilantro.

3. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and simmer.  Cook until veggies are tender, about 25 minutes.

4. Stir in the lime juice and brown sugar.  Season with salt and black pepper.

I am submitting this to:
Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya of My Sweet and Savory
Maniac Meatless Mondays hosted by Rebecca Jean of Midnight Maniac
Souper Sundays hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen

This is also submitted to - Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.

Blackberry Lime Bread Pudding made with Julia Child's Pain Brioche

Turning on my air conditioner stresses me out. 

(So do the construction men outside my window who are making it so that I might actually have to start closing my blinds before I undress.  Although, I must concede I'm more concerned about the fact that the building they're currently working on is going to obstruct my sunlight more than I am that they'll see me naked. 

The people in the research building across the street have been getting an eyeful for two years.  Now is not the time for modesty.

Especially if we can work out some kind of deal whereby I leave my blinds open in exchange for them putting a big enough hole in the building they're working on so that I still manage to get some direct sunlight. 

You guys give me the best ideas.  I'm on it.)



Enough about my undressing habits.

Air conditioner stress.  I have it.

Last summer it got so bad that I only turned my air conditioner on once.  At most.  Probably more like half a time.  Okay, really, I may have thought to myself that putting it on might be a good idea.  But then in all likelihood, I didn't go there.

It's just that.  When I turn it on...I get cold.  And so then I turn it off.  And I get hot.  Do you see where I'm going with this? 

Vicious cycle. 



Don't worry. I came up with a solution.

Really, the solution found me.  (But I plan on taking all the credit for it.)

See, when I'm stressed, I bake. (When I'm happy, I bake.  When I'm bored, I bake.  When it's a day that ends in "y", I bake.  Are you noticing a trend?)

So when it got super hot on Wednesday and a heat warning was issued, I thought it would be prudent to turn the A/C on.  Then I got myself into a tither.  And decided to bake some bread.

Not just any bread, though.

Pain brioche.

(The bread to end all breads.) 

And in doing so realized that air conditioning + oven preheated to 430 = perfect room temperature.  Don't you just love it when things work out?



This pain brioche recipe is a Julia Child recipe. 

Which begs the question.  Why her?  Why now?

A few weeks ago, Gourmet Live posted a list of the 50 most influential women in food.  Mary, Claudia, Val and I are going to be cooking a recipe from each of these women for the next 50 weeks in order to celebrate just how prominent and successful females can be in a mostly male-dominated profession.

Julia, of course, was number one.  She revolutionized the way home cooks thought about food through her television show The French Chef and showed women (and men) everywhere that dainty and seemingly gourmet food was, in fact, within their reach. 

Her brioche recipe is a key example of this.  Making it is really quite simple and straightforward, while the end result is nothing but sheer decadence.  It tastes like bread already buttered.  And really, is there anything better than that?



Actually, yes there is. 

It's called bread pudding. 

Let me explain. 

Buttery brioche cubes soaked in milk, sugar, and eggs. 

Mixed with chocolate.  And topped with a blackberry lime jam. 

Perfect for a weekend morning or a Thursday night snack.  Trust me. I know.



Pain Brioche
Makes 1 9-inch loaf, adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 2


1 tbsp yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 lb AP flour
4 eggs
1 stick (4 oz) butter, chilled

1. Sprinkle yeast in warm water and let liquefy completely.  Stir in the salt, sugar, and milk.

2. Measure the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the eggs and yeast.  Stir using the bread hook on medium speed until combined.  Then continue to stir 2-3 minutes.

3. When dough begins to clean itself off the sides of the bowl, start adding in the butter by tbsp bits.  When the butter is absorbed, let the dough rest for 2 to 3 minutes.  Knead again briefly by letting the mixer run on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. 

4.Place in a well-greased bowl.  Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled. 

5. Preheat oven to 430**.  Grease a loaf pan.  Punch down the dough and form it into the shape of a loaf.  Place in the loaf pan.  Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for one hour.  Put in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until it sounds hollow when you tap on it.  Allow to cool before slicing.

**This seemed a bit high and as a result the top of my bread burned a little.  After looking at other recipes, I would heat the oven at 350 and cook for 35 to 45 minutes.

This recipe has been yeastspotted!

Blackberry Lime Bread Pudding
Makes 24 bread pudding muffins, an Eats Well With Other original

1 loaf stale brioche
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups almond milk
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vanilla sugar
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
9 oz semisweet chocolate chips
12 oz blackberries
1/4 cup water
Juice of one lime
6 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350.   Tear the brioche into small-ish cubes.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, milks, sugars, vanilla and chocolate chips. 

2. Put the bread into a large bowl.  Pour the milk mixture over it and use a spatula to push the bread into the milk so that it get soaked.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and as long as overnight.

3. While bread is soaking, make the blackberry lime sauce.  In a food processor, combine the blackberries, water, sugar, vanilla and lime. Pulse until pureed.  Pour into a small pan and bring to a boil.  Mix in the tbsp of flour.  Simmer until thickened, about 5-10 minutes.  Set aside.

4. Grease two muffin tins.  Scoop the bread pudding batter into the tins, evenly.  Top with a layer of the blackberry sauce.  Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the tins among the bottom and top shelf about halfway through.  Allow to cool before eating.

This is my submission to this month's Paper Chef as well as to Victoria's Bread Pudding of the Month Club!