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double-mocha {fudge} brownies.

February 4, 2012 in Obsessed, Sweets + Treats with 1 Comment

I know, I know. Ever since I used the term face-melting to describe these brownies, you’ve been dying to get your hands on them.

Or at least, dying to know exactly what we (as in, Daniel and I – we’re obvs a team here) mean by the term. Unfortunately, there’s no real way to explain it. You’ll have to taste them to truly understand.

I’d like to say it’s just the frosting that makes these brownies so good. Then, all you’d need to do to experience this food-gasm is whip up a stick of butter, a little coffee, cocoa powder, and some confectioners’ sugar (…okay, and a little salt and vanilla) in your mixer and melt away. I’m quite sure, however, that it’s the combination of this super-simple yet totally mind-blowingly dreamy frosting with the insanely rich and fudge-y brownies that evokes such a feeling.

mussels with smoky bacon, lime, and cilantro.

November 17, 2011 in Main Dishes, Obsessed with 2 Comments

These mussels will change your life.

If you like mussels, that is. Or rather – if you don’t like mussels. Because if you don’t like mussels, this recipe absolutely will change your mind.

Seriously – if you don’t like mussels, crabs, seafood in general… I know you’re out there… You’re missing out on a world of flavor and opportunity for deliciousness.

Mussels in particular are one of my favorite seafood dishes to enjoy, whether at home or at a restaurant – preferably waterfront, THANKYOUFORASKING. There’s just something special about pouring over a big bowl of them with people you love…throwing the empty shells into another bowl…over wine…and more wine…

the ultimate italian-herb vinaigrette.

October 21, 2011 in Fabulously Simple, Obsessed with 5 Comments

I have a confession: I made salad dressing from a store-bought packaged seasoning mix. And I liked it.

Understatement – I loved it. And you’ll love it, too. It’s a fact. This is the best salad dressing EVER. I got the recipe from Megsy, my pseudo mother-in-law, and it’s important for you to know that whenever she makes it, I am literally drinking the stuff.

This is not a joke. This is serious dressing. It’s so good, on a variety of things. Salad, yes – but I’m most partial to eating it with antipasti, specifically. I like to pour it on a piece of bread. I like to pour *a lot* of it on a piece of bread.

Good Seasons by Kraft, people. This is not a joke, either. I know you’re all surprised. Or maybe you’ve had this before, and you’re not surprised. You guys know I’m all about making dressings from scratch because it’s so easy to do and so much better than store-bought, but this is an exception. Well, kind of. It is partially homemade.

Try it, and prepare for addiction.

pumpkin spice {baked} donut holes.

October 14, 2011 in Obsessed, Weekend Brunch with 7 Comments

Call them mini muffins, call them donut holes…

Call them whatever. I call them delicious. Way delicious.

These little-mini-pumpky-babies are so moist, and so packed with spicy pumpkin flavor. For me, this is fall – all wrapped up into one little…donut hole….or mini-muffin. Whatever.

caramelized onion dip.

August 19, 2011 in Fabulously Simple, Obsessed, Starters with 2 Comments

I hope you’re not one of those people who buys pre-made tubs of onion dip. Or the packets. Those are bad, too.

I take that back. I do hope you’re one of those people. Because now, I have the chance to convert you.

Listen, it’s not that I won’t chow down on a tub of overly-processed “French onion” dip and a bag of Ruffles if that’s what’s in front of me. I’ve been known to do it, and I won’t say I’ll never do it again. Today, for instance, I ate a piece of cake with canned frosting. Just because I wouldn’t make it, doesn’t mean I won’t eat it.

Having said that – if you’re an onion dip kind of person, and you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re at least somewhat interested in cooking. So you should probably try out this dip. It takes a little more time than buying something pre-made at the grocery store but it is infinitely worth it.

homemade pizza rolls.

June 18, 2011 in Obsessed, Starters with 2 Comments

Oh, yes – I went there.

I don’t feel bad about it. Nope, not in the least. These homemade pizza rolls are awesome. Dangerous? Maybe. More work than the frozen, super-processed variety we all remember as kids? Definitely.

So worth it.

This was the first time I’d worked with wonton wraps, and I am now in love. I’d heard about using them for things like this, super-quick raviolis – saw them in mini lasagna cups the other day. Yes, they are a brilliant little invention, indeed. And I suppose you can also use them for wontons…

Make these homemade pizza rolls. Play with the toppings – have fun with it. Enlist a wonton wrap-helper to help you assemble these babies if you’re doing other stuff – trust, especially if you’re making a lot. This was actually the first time I ever asked Daniel to come in and help me with something other than cleaning up. He did a fantastic job, don’t you think?

Homemade Pizza Rolls

1 12-ounce package wonton wraps {I used Nasoya, found in refrigerated produce section where tofu is sold}
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, grated
4 ounces provolone, grated
2 ounces fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 small package sliced baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped and sauteed in olive oil until browned
1 small package baby sweet peppers, seeds removed, finely chopped and lightly sauteed in olive oil
4 ounces good pepperoni, finely chopped
Handful fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Vegetable oil, for frying
Small dish water

For pizza sauce:

1 28-ounce can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes, drained
A few garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt
Crushed red pepper flakes

To make the pizza sauce, crush tomatoes with your hands into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add remaining ingredients to taste, turn heat down to low and let gently simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree using a hand blender or food processor. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine pizza sauce, cheeses, vegetables, pepperoni, and herbs.

Add 2-3 inches of vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat to about 350 degrees. You can use a thermometer to gauge heat, though I don’t think it’s necessary. As long as you leave the heat at medium, and fry about 4 at a time (depending on the size of the pot, the idea is that you don’t want to overcrowd or else the oil temperature will drop), they should fry perfectly and quickly. You can then turn the heat up or down as you see necessary.

To assemble the pizza rolls, get your small dish of water handy. Make sure to leave a damp cloth over your wraps as you’re working so they don’t dry out.

On a clean work space, place one wrap in front you, like a diamond with one corner pointing to you. Add a small amount of filling (a scant tablespoon) to the center of the wrap. Fold the bottom point up over the filling, then fold each of the sides over the filling. Dampen your finger and lightly wet the top edges of the wrap, folding it down over the filling and pressing lightly to seal. It should look like a tiny envelope. (For a helpful photo tutorial, click here). Place seam-side down and repeat with remaining wraps and filling.

Add pizza rolls to the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 20-30 seconds per batch of 4 rolls. Flip using tongs or a slotted spoon as necessary. Be careful not to let the hot oil splatter and burn you!

Remove from hot oil using slotted spoon and place on paper towels to cool and drain.

Makes 48 pizza rolls

guacamole bar.

May 3, 2011 in Obsessed, Starters with 1 Comment

Have you ever met someone who didn’t like guacamole?

I haven’t. Nor do I wish to. That doesn’t sound like the type of person I’d like to be friends with.

And because you are no doubt a guacamole lover, there is no doubt you’re going to love this guacamole bar! You can use this recipe for roasted garlic guacamole or your own favorite, and then create an array of delicious toppings for your guests to add.

You know – the good stuff, like bacon. And cheese.

You can add any garnishes you like. I added two types of onion, and pan-fried corn. There’s nothing I love more than fresh corn, pan-fried in a pat of butter until it’s a lightly crisped golden brown. Except for, that is, adding it to a guacamole bar.

Guacamole Bar

Adapted from Rick Bayless

Roasted Garlic Guacamole:

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
6 ripe medium avocados
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more if desired
1 teaspoons salt

Garnishes:

3/4 cup Mexican queso fresco, crumbled
3/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños
1/2 cup crumbled crisp-fried bacon
1/2 cup chopped scallion
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen and thawed, pan-fried
1 bag (16-ounce) large, sturdy tortilla chips

For the guacamole: Place unpeeled garlic in a small dry skillet over medium heat; cook, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool, then slip off the skins; finely chop. Scoop avocado flesh into a large bowl. Add the tomato, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice to taste. Coarsely mash everything together. Season with salt. Transfer to a serving bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes about 4 cups.

To set up the bar: Scoop garnishes into small serving bowls and put the chips in a large basket or bowl. Encourage guests to spoon a little guacamole on a chip and top with garnishes that appeal.

Serves 6 – 8.

truffled {homemade} popcorn.

March 14, 2011 in Fabulously Simple, Obsessed, Starters with 4 Comments

Tonight – for the first time all season – I am going to watch the Bachelor live.

{Team Emily, anyone?}

If you watch the Bachelor, you know that tonight is the finale – and you’re likely going to need something delicious to munch on.

Homemade popcorn is my latest obsession, because it’s so easy and fun to make. You’ll need to buy popcorn kernels, which you can find in the popcorn aisle at the grocery store. I use the Orville Redenbacher brand.

You don’t need anything except some oil and a large pot – no fancy equipment necessary! You’ll need truffle oil and salt, which you can find at many specialty food shops (I buy mine online – they’re not expensive) – but you can easily omit the truffle and simply use butter and salt.

Once you experience the fun of making popcorn this way, you’ll never want to use the microwave stuff again. Trust!

Homemade Popcorn

3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels

Truffle Butter

3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon truffle oil
Truffle salt
Kosher salt

Melt butter in a small pot over low heat. Add truffle oil and a generous pinch of both Kosher salt and truffle salt.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add popcorn kernels, cover. The kernels will begin to pop. Shaking the pot occasionally, let the popcorn cook until it’s just about stopped popping.

Pour popcorn into a large bowl and drizzle with the melted truffle butter. Give it a mix, taste for salt, and enjoy!

make-your-own pizza party.

March 3, 2011 in Dinner Party Worthy, Main Dishes, Obsessed with 0 Comments

You’ve already heard me wax poetic on the subject of homemade pizza night.

And while Daniel and I do consider ourselves as the only guests enough to constitute calling it a party, there’s no doubt that the old adage “the more, the merrier” also applies.

We’ve been wanting to host a make-your-own pizza party for some time now, but I never could quite figure out how to do it with just one lonely pizza stone. The solution? This great new pizza dough recipe I recently discovered that makes perfectly thin and crispy crust in a baking sheet. Brilliant! Lord knows I’ve got plenty of those.

I found the pizza dough recipe through this fabulous three-cheese pizza recipe with pancetta and mushrooms, which I’ve adapted below. I doubled it and added more toppings (arugula and Prosciutto – feel free to add your own favorite ingredients) to make 4 pizzas, serving 6-8 people (which for us was more like 4-6 – ha!).

Everyone had so much fun getting in the kitchen and playing chef. I loved it because I had everything prepared in advance, and thus had plenty of time to enjoy with our guests.

Get all of your cheese-shredding and sauce-making done earlier in the day, and then bring them out before guests arrive.

Same with the preparation of the toppings.

{Though you may want to let guests know that the pancetta is a topping and not an hors d’oeuvre – note the half-eaten bowl of it in the back!}

Our friends couldn’t believe how easy it was to make homemade pizza – and you won’t either! As long as you give yourself a little time to make the dough in advance and get your prep work done, you’ll be spending minimal time in the kitchen.

{Leaving maximal time for cocktailing}

Happy pizza-making!

Three-Cheese Pizzas with Assorted Toppings

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis via Bon Appétit

Pizza dough {double recipe below to make 4 pizzas}

2 1/2 cups marinara sauce {store-bought or homemade}

2 cups coarsely grated Fontina cheese

2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 (8-ounce?) package sliced baby bella mushrooms

6 ounces thinly-sliced pancetta (Italian bacon), coarsely chopped

2 cups arugula

6 ounces Prosciutto, torn or chopped into large pieces

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

First, prep your ingredients. Get your cheeses grated (I recommend using a food processor) and set aside. (I grate my own Fontina and Parmesan and typically buy the mozzarella pre-shredded – if I use fresh, I will slice it rather than shred it.) If you’re making your marinara, do that ahead of time and set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and sauté until crispy. Remove to a paper towel to drain, leaving rendered fat in the pan. Add mushrooms to the pan, season with salt, and sauté until the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned. Set aside.

When you’re ready to make your pizzas, reheat oven to 475°F. Line 4 large baking sheets with parchment. Divide dough into four equal pieces. Roll each onto a lightly floured surface to form a 13 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch (approximately!) rectangle. Transfer to baking sheets. Spread marinara sauce over each pizza, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cheeses and preferred toppings (except for the arugula, which should be added after baking) on top. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake pizzas until brown on bottom and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Cut each pizza crosswise into rectangles and enjoy!

Pizza Dough

From Giada De Laurentiis via Bon Appétit

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Roll out dough according to recipe instructions. (Start in center of dough, working outward toward edges but not rolling over them.)

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Let come to room temperature before proceeding.

french women don’t get fat.

February 27, 2011 in February in France, Obsessed with 2 Comments

We’ve all heard it before. But what is the real secret of the mysterious French woman? You know – the one who takes pleasure in rich custards, luxurious foie gras, countless pastries and croissants, and basically anything her heart desires?

I’ll give you a hint. There is a phrase above that’s part of the answer.

“Who takes pleasure.” That is part of the secret, the elusive mystery behind it all. And it’s really nothing new.

We’ve talked here about portion control. Yes, portion control is also part of the solution. In fact, I really like Mireille Guiliano’s (writer of the book who started it all) “50 Percent Solution,” where she suggests women should ask themselves, “If I were to eat half of what’s being offered to me right now, would I still be satisfied?” Sometimes the answer is no, but more often than not, it’s yes.

If it’s not possible, then you continue to ask yourself the same question when you’ve already eaten half. So you eat half of your meal, then you ask yourself, “Can I eat half of what’s now left and be content?” The theory is that if you continue to break it down this way, you’ll never end up eating your entire plate. While the word “never” may be a misfit in this sentence, I understand the theory, and I bet it works much of the time. The reason is that it’s forcing you to slow down and really think about what you’re eating.

But the other part – the pleasure part. This is the larger part, I believe, of the real reason French women don’t get fat. Because when you start to truly take pleasure in your food, the portion control falls naturally into place.

Instead of mindlessly scarfing down your food, savor it. Focus on each flavor, each texture. Chew slowly. And if you’re going to savor it, that means it has to be good. French women certainly aren’t getting down with McD’s.

Mireille suggests that one should eat with all five senses in order to truly appreciate one’s food and feel satisfied. I love this quote: “Just as they have an uncanny knack for using the same scarf to create a different effect by draping it over the head, neck, shoulders or waist, in the kitchen, they master a few basic preparations, and leave the rest to improvisation, the art of tweaking an old stand-by into seeming different. They do it by slightly altering the preparation or seasoning, by turning what is usually an entrée into an appetizer, or by transforming lunch left-overs into something rather different for several later meals.”

French women have that knack for style, not only in fashion but with food as well. Love that.

I haven’t yet read Mireille’s book, but it’s hard to feel the need to as her website is so full of great information. If any of this interests you, I strongly suggest spending some time with it. She has so many great tips on a variety of subjects, and I love the fun facts about French culture and life she throws in.

Here’s a favorite manifesto: French women typically think about good things to eat. American women typically worry about bad things to eat.

Food for thought!

Has anyone read the book? I’d love to know what you think.