Savoy Truffle

Whaling Museum, Day 1, Working Waterfront Day

2010-09-26T22:00:00.004-04:00

Big and exciting things happening this week. Big gig, and two big birthdays. Store moving along swimmingly, going to see Gorillaz next week and we are one step closer to the Calico 5th Anniversary Party, Friday October 15. Cannot wait. We have, literally, the perfect menu planned.

Today was beautiful and perfect out. A warm day followed by a cool and crisp afternoon. Seeing the waterfront on the observation deck reminded me of summer, and what I love about New England.

Totally exhausted. But here are some photos of today to keep you entertained. Tomorrow will post Brunch photos :)

Goodnight Moon.

Perfectly Golden Tofu (FINALLY!!!

2010-09-20T16:05:00.003-04:00

For vegetarians fried tofu is an out-to-dinner must. It is delicious, relatively health if covered in the right kind of sauce, but most importantly (to me) it is crunchy. I love covering them in home-made buffalo sauce (with earth balance instead of butter) and serving them on top of salads, or on a baguette with my favorite toppings, etc.

It is versatile, and most meat-eaters and veggies alike love it for its protein and lack of calories and carbohydrates.

Frying it at home, however, is not as easy as it seems. Splattering grease? Yes. Soggy and gross? Yep.

So here is how you do it, and here is a delicious sauce to serve with brown rice, sauteed veggies, or anything else you might be craving...

Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes, or triangles and place on a cookie rack that has been lined with cheese cloth or paper towels. Place the cubes apart and put in the fridge overnight. This is the MOST important part of cooking tofu, DRAINING ALL THE WATER OUT!!

Salt and pepper the tofu, or season with whatever you would like, cumin, coriander, curry powder, etc. and in a large skillet heat about 1/3 inch deep of regular olive oil on medium high. Make sure the oil is SCREAMING hot and slowly place the cubes in the oil, far enough apart that they are NOT touching. (this will cause you to STEAM the tofu, instead of frying it... ew!)

Let the tofu fry on each side for about 1.5 without touching it at all. This is important because it allows the little crunchy exterior to form without breaking the tofu and causing it to get soggy. After all sides are golden brown, take them out and place them on paper bags to drain all the excess oil.

Simple Stir Fry Sauce

2 cloves garlic, mincied
1/2 small sweet onion, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons orange juice
crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Sautee the garlic and onion on medium, allowing to soften but not burn. add the soy, o.j. crushed red pepper and any other seasonings you may like (garam masala, curry, etc.)

Let reduce for about 5 minutes and toss tofu cubes in and serve with veggies or rice!

enjoy <3

Inspirations for our space

2010-09-16T21:54:00.005-04:00

A dream I have had since I was a little girl. My own place. My very own place. Making other people happy, bringing people together through food, something I have enjoyed being a part of and doing since as early as I can remember.

What an exciting time it is coming up. We have so many ideas... I have never had so much faith in something I was about to do in all my life...

Here are some of our inspirations...

We are opening a place. Our dream. Our own bosses, cooking, baking, eating, laughing, sharing it with you...

Apple Crumb Coffee Cake

2010-09-16T21:35:00.002-04:00

So I suppose that if Nicole and I do yoga at least 4 days a week then I can make myself things like this ? Post-workout munchies. Needed something sweet... Cookies? No. Brownies? Nah. Coffee cake and ice cream? Now you are talking.

Recipe to follow tomorrow. Too tired to type. Must eat.

Whaling Museum Gig (wowza!)

2010-09-15T16:11:00.002-04:00

Is this our first "real" gig? Heck no! But this is certainly the best one so far... (John's Art Opening was pretty awesome, too bad I don't have photo's from that one!)

Our menu is short, sweet, simple, but good...

Cheese plates, Spreads, Compotes, Pastries, Soup?, all individual servings and perfectly flavorful... Who knows what will happen but I promise it will be good... and this is where it will be...

Delicious&Quick (Fall) Menu for Two

2010-09-15T14:59:00.005-04:00

Totally delicious lay-on-the-couch meal for a cold fall day...

First day of "cold" weather. I had to wear a sweater today. Something about it made me want a delicious bowl of corn chowder and fried tomatoes? I am (unfortunately) totally broke these days, so something quick, inexpensive and quasi-healthy is all I really want. "What better than a bowl of corn chowder?" you ask... To which I reply "not much..."

Corn Chowder Recipe

4 ears of perfect golden corn
1 c. fresh sweet peas
2 carrots, diced
1 small sweet potato, diced
1 smaller sweet yellow onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic
1 quart 1/2 & 1/2 ( do not skimp on this, you will regret it... there is nothing as thick and creamy as the 1/2 and 1/2... otherwise use a rue and add milk (ick!)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. jalapeno or crushed red pepper flakes
a couple of cloves (this is optional, i really like it with the sweet potatoes though... just enough for someone to smell, but not to overpower the dish)

Sautee onions, carrots and sweet potatoes for a few minutes until softened (wait for a little color on the onions). Add garlic and let soften for about one minute, do not let the garlic burn... add the corn and peas and sautee for 2-3 minutes.

Add the 1/2&1/2, salt, pepper, crushed pepper and clove and bring to a boil before reducing to low.
Let simmer for about 20 minutes and serve with your favorite piece of toast.

Fried Tomatoes

2 large, ripe tomatoes (buy something you can cut into 3/4 inch slices, make sure it is ripe, otherwise it will have no flavor)
1 c. panko bread crumbs, seasoned with a little salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. flour, seasoned with s&p

Dip the slices of tomato into flour and shake any excess off. Dip into the beaten eggs and then into the panko, which are seasoned as to make sure the tomatoes have as much flavor as possible.

Fry on medium high heat in a skillet with olive oil and leave them for about 1.5 minutes on each side. Transfer to baking sheet and and bake on 400 for about 10 minutes. (You can make the tomatoes ahead of time and just do the baking off whenever you want to serve dinner)

Serve them over dressed mixed greens. They are totally delicious !

(the last pic is thrown in for good measure! everyone welcome our newest baby, henry <3 love of my life (tied with Ben, of course!)

Totally (Organic) BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-08-25T15:35:00.002-04:00

Really Easy
Really Delicious

1 stick Sweet cream, unsalted butter, softened (VERY important that it is UNsalted!)

1/4 c. of Organic Unbleached White Sugar (plus some for sprinkling on top!)

3/4 c. packed Dark Brown Sugar.

1 Free Range and Organic egg

1 tsp. of Vanilla Paste (its about $5, TOTALLY worth it because you can see all the delicious Vanilla specks, I think its a really lovely touch to any cake or cookie.)

1 1/4 c. of Unbleached Organic Flour

1 tsp. of Organic Medium Course Sea Salt (this gives it a delicious taste AND texture to the cookie. It is my favorite secret weapon)

1/2 tsp. Organic Baking Soda

3/4 tsp. Red Mill Organic Baking Powder

1 c. Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Chips

1 c. Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Chips (the mixture of the two chips is essential to having the flavor of the dark chocolate and the sweetness of the milk chocolate... makes for the ULTIMATE cookie!)

directions&tips:

Set oven to 360 convect bake! Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar in your mixer for 3 minutes exactly! (Makes the batter PERFECTLY fluffy...this is a secret cookie baking weapon!)Scrape bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes. Scrape bowl. Mix in baking soda, powder, salt and flour and combine slowly until it is entirely mixed! Add in the mixture of chocolate chips and mix for just a couple of seconds, until chocolate is evenly distributed in the batter.

On a lined baking sheet scoop 2 tablespoon servings. Bake for 14 minutes and allow 10 minutes to cool before serving. Have a glass of your favorite beverage ready for dipping! (Mine's almond milk!)

P.S. these cookies would be the ultimate ice cream sandwich cookie! :)

caramel crumb bars

2010-01-19T18:50:00.011-05:00

it's always difficult for me to walk into a bookstore and not walk out with a pretty, clean, new cookbook. the more my collection grows the more my favorite books stand out. and they are the kind that get better every time you look at them. i swear secret recipes appear that i've never ever seen before! thats when i know it's my favorite, my right hand man, the best. top three you ask?

this alice waters book is the most useful for me. it goes through nearly every vegetable, its season, and how to prepare them in a few different ways. very practical and simple to read. not to mention she's the most influential business women i've ever heard of, check her out.

delia smith is a well known chef from the uk, i first peeked at this book because of the nice close up photos of veggies, but soon realized how good the recipes looked. you have to substitute ingredients sometimes because of the uk/usa differences, but they always work out. amazing vegetarian recipes!

by far my favorite book, always find something new and yummy to make. some of nick malgieri's recipes are pretty involved, but sometimes you have to spend time with things to make them awesome. i've made puff pastry and breads and sweet treats from this book, all of which have been delicious. if i have a baking question.. i consult this book.

liz and i recently catered and art opening and we like last minute decision making so, in attempt to not bake another cupcake.. i picked up modern baker and found this recipe that i am sure i'd never seen before. caramel crumb bars, buttery dough and a creamy caramel filling...yum.

caramel crumb bars-from nick malgieri's the modern baker

preheat to 350* set rack in lowest level of the oven
prepare 9x13x2 inch pan, butter and line with buttered parchment paper
makes about twenty-four 2 inch squares

DOUGH
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry measuring cup and level off)

FILLING
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened, condensed milk

1. for the dough, beat the butter with the sugar and salt in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until soft and light, 2 to 3 minutes. add the vanilla.

2. on the lowest speed, beat in 2 1/4 cups of the flour, scraping the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula and continuing to mix just until the dough is smooth, and the flour has been absorbed.

3. remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape 3/4 of the dough into the prepared pan. use the palm of your hand to press the dough down evenly, without compressing it too much. chill the dough-lined pan. work the remaining 1/4 cup flour into the remaining dough with your fingertips, so that it forms 1/8- to 1/4- inch crumbs. set aside at room temperature.

4. for the filling, in a medium saucepan bring the butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and condensed milk to a simmer, stirring occasionally. allow the mixture to boil gently, stirring often, until it starts to thicken and darken slightly, about 10 minutes. pour into a stainless-steel bowl to cool for 5 minutes.

5. remove the dough-lined pan from the refrigerator and scrape the cooled filling onto the dough, using a small offset spatula to spread the filling evenly on the dough. scatter the crumb mixture on the filling.

6. bake until the filling is bubbling gently and is a deep caramel color and the dough and crumb topping are baked through, about 30 minutes.

7. cool the pan on a rack until lukewarm, 15 to 20 minutes. lift the slab of baked dough out of the pan and onto a cutting board before it has cooled completely. cut the slab into 2 inch squares.

keep these at room temperature if you are serving them within a day. if not, wrap and freeze them and make sure to defrost and bring them to room temperature before serving.

Almond Butterscotch Honey Cookie

2009-12-29T09:51:00.001-05:00

This morning I recieved a great gift, kitchen scale and a ratio-based cookbook! The book breaks things down into it's simplest form. For example a cookie is really just 1 part sugar : 2 parts fat : 3 parts flour. I tested out a basic cookie recipe and added a few things of my own.

6 oz room temp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
4 oz white sugar (1/2 cup)
4 oz brown sugar (1/2 cup)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 oz flour (1 3/4 cups)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*

Combine the butter and sugar in mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl combine salt, flour, and baking powder and stir. With mixer on low add flour mix to butter mixture until dough is well combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoons onto a baking sheet, leaving an inch or so between each cookie. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges begin to darken.

I, unknowingly, out of eggs this morning so I used a tablespoon of honey and a dash of vegetable oil. The texture was a little softer than this recipe would have made but it was very yummy! I also added butterscotch chips and almonds instead of chocolate chips. They just might be a new stand by cookie.

Enjoy

grazing on a hungry afternoon

2009-12-27T15:18:00.003-05:00

after a long week of baking and preparing for the holidays, sunday afternoon leaves me with an empty pantry, and an empty belly. perhaps you are feelin the same way? take a look at our new recipe section there, to the right, for some dinner inspiration.

we'll be sure to post our new favorite holiday treat recipes, as well as some other yummy little items.

i've had sugary buttery hands for weeks now, which is great...dessert is great. sugar..great. but i'm looking forward to working on some healthful, light cooking. more and more i'm wanting to move the the other side of the country of ours for the produce. going to our supermarkets here is rather dull, couldn't find escarole last week! very upsetting...being in san francisco, where i visiting three farmers markets in one week..on the same street! that's what i need. speaking of san francisco, my dear friend jason will be designing us a new logo! very very excited for this.

check out the recipes!

field trip for 4

2009-12-07T19:08:00.000-05:00

Benny, Lumi, Nicole and myself are headed to the Tiverton Four Corners tomorrow morning for some inspiration for the pairing. We have some ideas...we think they are good...

In the mean time why don't you all hang tight and visit this site...

Milk and Honey Bazaar.

pairings with nicole and liz... not andrea

2009-12-07T15:51:00.000-05:00

Some inspiration for our food pairing this THURSDAY NIGHT @ AHA! We are really excited to pair up with Travessia Urban Winery of New Bedford ! They are devoted to locally making only the finest and most locally crafted wines. Nicole and I have been Wine Club members for a while now, and not only are the bottles under $15 for members, they are so absolutely delicious and make for a fantastic gift idea. What better to give for the holidays than a bottle of locally made wine? Thoughtful, inexpensive and most importantly for our purposes here, DELICIOUS!

See you Thursday, December 10th, 2009 @ Calico in New Bedford, 6pm. Be there or be square!

A Year in Review (cont.)

2009-12-07T14:12:00.000-05:00

My favorite Cappucino ever. New Years eve 2008-2009 in Berlin.
We had already been traveling for twelve days. London. London to Paris Christmas Eve morning. Five days later to Berlin. Berlin to NH for Michael and Dad, but onwards for me! I woke up later than them, sad and teary eyed at knowing that I had an entire month ahead of me without the three most important people with me (minus Benny). I got ready and cabbed over to East Berlin where I wondered for hours before I met up with Bisi. American Apparel, a really beautiful little cafe that I would have died to work at (or better yet even own...) and FINALLY to the hostel to see Bisi, my only familiar face for a month! New Years day we trekked up to Kassel where we would begin our studies but not before we stopped to enjoy a beautiful danish and a cup of this delicious cappuccino and begin our journey!

oh GOODNESS!

2009-12-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

This year was a big year for us... we met, we "fell in love", and we started a blog. I knew the minute I spoke with Nicole that we were supposed to do food together. We had the same visions, the same ideas, an the same passion: to bring real and exciting food to people, mostly vegetarian, without them realizing. Sustainably speaking the best and quickest way to reduce your carbon footprint is to eat less meat.(not to mention the slew of other health benefits that come with not eating factory farmed meats, cheeses, milk, etc.) This blog was something we were so excited about and has become a staple for us in what we cook and do every day. So, that being said...

I was playing with my camera phone the other night and realized that I had over 900 photos saved... about 50% of which are different things I have made with the intention of adding to our blog and never have...

So for the Holidays how about a few "best of"s of the year... stuff that made the grade but never made it up!

Here we go.

Frittata with roasted peppers, spinach, pesto and mozzarella.

Pressed Paninis on Incredible seeded Italian bread with home made mozzarella. (With Kastel Cru courtesy of the McMahon sisters)

Homemade White Sangria with fresh summer fruits!
(Potluck @Elissa and Chris')

Baked Ziti

Mixed greens on puff pastry with warm dressing and fresh rasberries

2009-12-05T17:52:00.001-05:00

On our way to sonic youth and with almost nothing left to cook in the house...

Trying to remain health conscious I knew a salad was my best bet but it was freezing outside and I just couldn't get behind me decision...

I made a simple dressing of garlic, black pepper, 2 tablespoons of balsamic and 4 of extra virgin olive oil... Bring to a simmer and let cool.

The salad was simply mixed greens and feta, and after baking squares of puff pastries I topped them with the salad, warmed dressing and fresh berries!

It was a huge hit...

- Posted from on the road!

Craft-o-Rama!!!

2009-12-05T11:46:00.000-05:00

The second annual holiday stroll in downtown New Bedford is happening today and one of the events is craft-o-rama. There are about 20 or so vendors with all sorts of homemade housewares, clothes, jewelry, honey!!!!

I'm tucked behind my little table filled with bags of gingerbread popcorn, marshmallows, and coconut macaroons.

If all goes well by the end of the day I'll have an empty table and some movie money in my back pocket.

Come visit!! It's happening at the bristol builiding in downtown NB, next to the green bean from 12-5, Sunday also.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

happy unturkeyday!

2009-11-27T21:21:00.004-05:00

having been vegetarian for about 12 years now, every thanksgiving i try to make myself a main course that is just as satisfying to me as the big ol' turkey is to the rest of my family. i've had some good years...and some bad years. i had a good few year run with the quorn brand turkey roast, which while it doesn't look too fantastic, tasted great all seasoned up and roasted. it made for great leftover sandwiches too. a few years back i tried the tofurkey brand turkey and i wasn't pleased at all! i found it super salty and mushy and not for me. i've sort of steered away from those ever since and instead make something like stuffed roasted acorn squash. but this year takes the cake!

liz and i decided to make very homemade vegetable pot pie. i add the very because we did every possible step, all of which were completely painless. pot pie is one of those ultimate fall foods. it's warming, packed vegetables and just so damn good...

we started off by making our tuscan inspired vegetable stock.

while that was going we chopped our veggies. for our pie you'll need the following,

3 cups of vegetable stock
one white onion, diced
3 cloves or garlic chopped fine
1 bag of fingerling potatoes(or any you have on hand), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 large carrots, peeled and slice into rounds
2 heads of broccoli
1 cup or so each of frozen peas and corn, defrosted
half stick of butter
1/2 cup of flour
salt and pepper
herbs, fresh and dried

heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. add onions, salt and pepper and cook until onions are translucent. add garlic and heat for a few minutes. toss in
potatoes and carrots,salt and pepper, cook stirring occasionally until veggies start to get tender. while these are cooking melt half a stick of butter in a sauce pan, add 1/2 cup of flour to the melted butter. stir constantly until a thick paste forms, this is your rue, thickening agent for the filling.

add half of the rue to the pan of carrots and potato, stir well to combine. if the mix isn't thick at this point, add rue tablespoons at a time until it looks like a really thick pie filling (you'll be adding stock to this, dont worry if it's too thick).

add the broccoli, peas, and corn, more salt and pepper. now start adding the vegetable stock one cup at a time. stir everything until all veggies at coated and creamy and delicious!

liz put her pie filling in a glass baking dish and topped it with puff pastry, and i made mine into a two crust pie. easy, and yummy.

enjoy

try out this recipe!

2009-11-02T17:47:00.001-05:00

A fantastic and healthy alternative to a meat based pie! courtesy of food network!

Vegetable Potpie

Serves 4

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions)
1 fennel bulb, top and core removed, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups good chicken stock
1 tablespoon Pernod
Pinch of saffron threads
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 cups large-diced potatoes (1/2 pound)
1 1/2 cups asparagus tips
1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced carrots (4 carrots)
1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced butternut squash
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (1/2 pound)
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

FOR THE PASTRY

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and sauté until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, saffron, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and season to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.

2. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve. Add the asparagus, carrots, and squash to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, onions, and parsley to the sauce and mix well.

3. For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

5. Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2 inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

yummy and delicious cheddar biscuits (an updated classic!)

2009-11-02T17:11:00.000-05:00

I love biscuits in the morning. Fresh cup of coffee from the bean and a delicious and warm treat to compliment my morning joe and newspaper.

Barefoot Contessa has such a fantastic recipe for Cheddar biscuits (she once made them with dill, another time with chilies). Being the die hard Italian girl that I am, I decided to update them slightly, adding a couple of my favorites in the kitchen, making them a little less breakfast and a little more savory.

So here is my version of my absolute favorite breakfast biscuit.

Ingredients:

2 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper (just enough to see the black in the biscuits, its a really nice touch)
1 tsp. thyme, rosemary, dill or any combo of those fresh herbs, for both color and flavor!
12 tbsp. COLD unsalted butter, diced (1 1/2 sticks)
1/4 c. half and half
1/4/ c. milk
1 cold eggs
1 c. cheddar
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmigiano Regiano

Directions:

In a kitchen aid mixer combine flour, salt, pepper, herbs and baking powder and with the paddle mix on low. Add the diced, cold butter and combine until the size of peas.

In a separate bowl mix the milk and egg together. Quickly add the milk and egg and let slightly combine. Dust the Cheddar and Parmigiano with flour (to prevent sticking) and combine into the biscuit mixture.

Roll out five or six times and make into a rough rectangle, about 8-12 inches (or so).

With a flour dusted knife, cut into 8 roughly shaped rectangle biscuits.

Bake on 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (Keep in mind every bake time is different in every oven!)

Please pass this recipe on. It is both easy, delicious and able to be made WAY in advance (you can even freeze them!) What a great way to impress guests, freshly made pastries? WOW!

Most importantly, enjoy them. Life is too short not to stop and smell the flowers (or in this case, sit around and eat some delicious biscuits.)

Ciao, for now.

Octoberfest...our version

2009-10-07T18:03:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Liz and I have set a goal to update this lovely little blog on a daily basis, so far Liz is getting is getting a blue ribbon and I should be sent to bed without dessert. But have no fear, I am back on the horse, I will eat cake! October is proving to be the most exciting month. We both had our birthdays and we have a few exciting catering shindigs coming up. This weekend we will be working on some vegan fair for our friend Forrest, it's his birthday...he's vegan, his family is not so it's a nice gift to himself! I haven't finalized the menu
yet but i believe it will be thanksgiving themed (I might make extra for us, why wait til november right?).

After that we will getting soft and girly making cupcakes for a baby shower. Also, the same weekend is the ever exciting calico event SHOP n' SWAP!! Go to the calico website for all the info.

More recipes and photos will be added this week. Enjoy your day and get in the kitchen!

delicious soup and pistou

2009-09-29T15:05:00.001-04:00

rainy day soup and pistou: see earlier photos

this soup is one of my all time favorites. it is warm, delicious and really a healthy meal to both entertain with or make in bulk and freeze. the pistou is a very common french and classic italian way to top soups, breads, pastas, crackers, etc. in this soup it is a really nice way to contrast the soup and highlight with the fresh herbs used in the stock...

soup ingredients:

1 28 oz can diced organic tomatoes
1 15.5 oz can of organic white beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
10 oz baby spinach
6 oz chopped mushrooms
1 carrot, sliced or diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 potato, diced
1 small head of broccoli
1/4 c. fresh basil (set some aside for topping)
1/4 c. fresh parsley (set some aside to top!)
4 c. of low sodium veggie stock
2 c. of water
the juice of 1 lemon, set aside
1 tsp. salt & 1/2 tsp. black pepper

directions:

add the diced potatoes to a medium high heated pot with a dash of olive oil and salt and pepper. let the potatoes get a nice crispy coating on them and begin to cook through for about 7 minutes. add the onions with a dash more of s&p. after the onions begin to caramelize add the garlic, can of tomatoes, mushrooms, celery, etc. and the rest of the ingredients along with the lemon juice, veggie stock and 2 cups of water.
add another tsp. of salt and 1/2- 1 tsp. of black pepper. let the soup come to a boil and then reduce the heat and let simmer for at least 25 minutes, but the longer it goes the better it will taste!

pistou ingredients:

1 c. of organic peas, thawed and drained
1/2 c. fresh organic basil
1 clove of garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c. olive oil
salt&pepper to taste

add the peas, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and lemon juice into the food processor or blender and blend. while the processor is still on slowly add the olive oil until the ingredients come together. you may need to stop once or twice to scrape the sides of the bowl. set this aside to chill. it will last for days in the fridge and is great with pasta, crackers, soup, basically anything.

enjoy.

delicious (and nutritious ) salsa and guacamole.

2009-09-28T11:52:00.000-04:00

salsa and guacamole are two of my all time favorite homemade snacks... healthy, light and delicious during the summer, and perfect for any movie night in... making them yourself saves so much money, since the ingredients are so inexpensive, and again you can control what you do or DON'T want in it... (especially all the preservatives, pesticides on the vegetables, fertilizers, etc.)

i have been making it myself for about 5 years and i have always played with the recipe but i think i have FINALLY discovered my favorite recipe for both... so here they are.

salsa ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, diced
1-2 Chipolte peppers (I always use 2, I like it with a little extra kick!)
1 28 oz can organic diced or whole tomatoes in juice (low sodium)
1 15.5 oz can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5 oz can organic super sweet corn, drained
3 limes, juiced, set aside
1 handful of cilantro or parsley
1 SUPER RIPE peach, or mango, *depending on the season you can leave this out, but during the summer there is literally nothing better than a throwing a ripened peach or mango in to contrast with the peppers.
salt&pepper to taste, of course :)

directions:

add the onion, garlic and chipolte peppers into the food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped. Add the can of tomatoes, lime juice, peach/mango salt and pepper and pulse a couple times (depending on how chunky you'd like it). Add in the drained black beans, corn and cilantro and stir together.

I usually make this to serve immediately so I have a bowl and then entire Tupperware container for the future. The salsa usually stays good for up to two weeks as long as you keep it in the fridge.

Guacamole ingredients:

3 avocados, halved and put into a small mixing bowl
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
juice of 2-3 limes, add to avocados
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
salt&pepper to taste

directions:

add all the ingredients together and with a fork or potato masher, mash together. The lime juice will keep the avocados from turning green and will keep nicely in the fridge for a few days. The longer the ingredients marry together, the more delicious they will taste :)

serve with your favorite chips, tacos, quesadillas, etc. but, most importantly, enjoy. :)

rainy sunday night.

2009-09-27T19:28:00.000-04:00

we took a little field trip to trader joe's today. (thanks again andrew) :)
today was freezing and I promised Colin I would make him whatever he wanted... "soup"...
I wanted grilled cheese to go with it but I had no moz, cheddar or anything that would do and so I made a little pea pistou.

it was warm and delicious and exactly what I needed tonight, a night in with the family. :)

recipes to follow. please enjoy :)

delicious VEGAN veggie burgers!

2009-09-24T12:03:00.000-04:00

so nicole and i were bored the other day, and starving as well... lately we have talked a lot about the fact that "veggie burgers" are almost the only veg option when going out to larger, chain restaurants. unfortunately, to no surprise they are usually gross (that goes for store bought brands as well), and PACKED with sodium (sodium is my new and latest obsession)...

so we came up with this recipe, took it for a test run and we LOVED it! Its absolutely perfect for making a batch (usually amounting to about 8 burgers) and freezing them for later!

keep in mind that most of these ingredients are interchangeable... anything you have around the house will usually work as long as you have the binding agents (potato, breadcrumbs, flour, etc.)

we made a cool and creamy avocado spread, pico de gallo, and sliced some fresh veggies on top to match the southwestern theme, but of course you could do fake-bacon burgers with fries or baked potatoes... possibilities are ENDLESS :)

ingredients:
1 potato
1 zucchini
1/2 onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 carrots
1 beet
1 can of black beans (drained)
1/2-3/4 c. of panko breadcrumbs
cumin, paprika, cayenne to taste
salt&pepper to taste as well...

box crate the potato, zucchini, onion, garlic and carrots into a big mixing bowl. add the beans and spices and mix together.

add the breadcrumbs in and mix together.

form into flat patties (about the size of a kaiser roll) and coat in extra breadcrumbs for extra crunch (this is also what will keep the patties from falling apart in the pan).

place into Tupperware laying sheets of wax paper in between them to prevent them from sticking and freeze!

IF you are cooking them immediately:
in a medium skillet heat a couple tbs. of olive oil on med-med high.
saute for about 7 minutes on each side and serve to your liking....

enjoy.

the simplest and most delicious (authentic) tomato sauce

2009-09-14T19:54:00.000-04:00

hello all!

in my family sauce was something we rarely went without. it was a simple, fresh and healthy way to both feed our family or entertain many on a budget. most of my memories of growing up are centered, quite literally, around my grandparents kitchen table in new york. everyone brought something, everyone made something, even the kids.

i am not quite sure if it is the changing weather or the fact tat i just woke up from a perfect nap and am now ready to chow down, but i thought it was about time to share this recipe not only because it represents one of m favorite childhood memories but because it is a both affordable, fast and a GREAT dish to make when trying to impress guests with real home cooking.

every region in italy ave different recipes for their versions of a traditional tomato sauce. my family is from southern italy, where seafood (anchovies, for example) are predominant in our cooking. this is a traditional simple sauce which can be varied in an wa to adapt to whatever you want to make it with. for example, if making a zuppe de pesce, adding anchovies with the onions will give a nutty taste, bring out the flavor of te parmigiano and compliment whatever fishes you use.

making this recipe in bulk is a great idea because you can freeze it forever, m mother used to put it into small Tupperware containers, or ziploc bags and just cook whatever portions were necessary.

please enjoy.

ingredients
1 lb. can of good whole tomatoes (san marzano being the best, but Red Pack makes a surprisingly good tomato.)
2 medium sized sweet yellow onions, diced small.
7 cloves of garlic, minced.
1/4 c. fresh parsley (to add at the end)
3/4-1 c. fresh basil (to add at the end as well)
the rind of 1 wedge of parmigiano cheese.
salt and pepper to taste

*a great tip is to save your rinds when the cheese is almost gone, it has all the flavor and salt of the cheese and saves you money from grating $12 worth of cheese into the sauce :)

step 1: sautee and sweat the onions on a medium heat with about 1 tsp. of sea salt. the salt draws the moisture out of the onions to provide you wit the utmost sweetness and flavor so it is always important to season your dishes
step 2: add the garlic and let heat through, being careful not to burn. add the can of tomatoes to the pot and use your hands to crush (or a and mixer :) and add the rind of cheese.

let the sauce come up to a boil on medium high, and reduce and let simmer for as long as you want, the longer being the better. before serving add the fresh basil and parsley and you are ready to serve...

portion and freeze accordingly and enjoy...

lazy day rice

2009-09-13T17:22:00.000-04:00

here are some of the picture from our last event.

couscous topped with roasted veggies, and mixed greens were thrown on top after it cooled, with a harissa style dressing. adapted from a delia's vegetarian collection recipe.

spinach salad with roasted sweet potato, feta, shallots and toasted almonds.

lasagna with broccoli, mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, ricotta, pine nuts topped with a butternut squash sauce.

the humidity came back today so what better way to beat it than with a hot plate of rice and beans! i've been on a brown rice kick lately, here's my recent recipe.

heat some olive oil in a 2 quart pan, add about half of a red onion or whatever kind you have lying around.

saute until almost translucent and add salt, pepper, and 2 cloves of garlic. cook for another 2 minutes or so.

add 2 cups of vegetable stock, 1 cup of brown rice and spices. i used dried sage, ancho chile powder, and cayenne pepper. also, the zest of half a lime, and about 2 tablespoons lime juice. i threw in a few slices of lime also.

bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 50 minutes. resist opening the pot! your rice will thank you.

i had a side of black beans stewed with tomatoes with this rice but use you imagination... grilled corn on the cob would be yummy.

lumi enjoyed her rare but favorite treat today as well...

enjoy.

summers end

2009-09-02T12:54:00.000-04:00

it's already september which means, fall veggies will soon be popping up. this weekend we are catering a party and we are getting a head start on the fall flavors. we are planning on making a vegetable lasagna chock full of autumn veggies, along with ricotta and pumpkin seeds covered in a butternut squash sauce. on the side will be a roasted vegetable cous-cous salad and some sort of delicious fresh green salad that follows suite.

liz and i have been lucky enough to have the downtown farmers market in our backyard all summer long. every thursday i pick up lots of pattypan squash, heirloom tomatoes, green peppers, fresh herbs, amazing blueberries! the veggies all work together and are easy to make a bunch of different meals out of the same ingredients.

an insanely easy week night dinner can be made by taking a few squash, tomatoes, olive oil, and some herbs. toss on a plate with some rice or pasta for healthy filling meal.

preheat to 350 degrees

one pint of cherry tomatoes
3 medium size pattypan squash, or 2 regular sized summer squash, cut into inch bites
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro (you could use dill, parsley, oregano anything. i love cilantro with rice so i used that here)
2 gloves of garlic
salt and pepper

throw everything in a roasting pan, combine so everything is coated with oil and herbs. roast for 20 minutes or so, just until the squash is tender. serve with rice.
the oil and cilantro and garlic over the rice tastes so fresh and yummy.

another option for farmers market finds, i made a tomato and squash pasta sauce!

set oven to 325

saute onions, garlic, salt and pepper with olive oil in dutch oven (i use mine for almost everything, great investment. if you don't have one, you can make this on the stove top just fine). add one large can of whole tomatoes, some tomato paste, i usually use less than one tiny can. add salt and pepper.. yes again! tomatoes can take a lot of flavor. 1 tablespoon sugar, herbs (i used oregano, thyme, and hint of rosemary), pattypan squash cubed into 1/2 squares. cook on stove top until it starts to simmer, then throw it in the oven for at least half and hour, i kept mine in for almost an hour. stir every once in a while to prevent browning. the longer it's in the oven.. the more flavor you end up with. serve with your favorite pasta.

one pot meals are a great way to motivate yourself to make a meal at the end of your work day. plus you usually have leftovers! leaving you more time to play with your puppies(or cats...or kids!)

enjoy the last days of summer

birthdays, providence, sunday night music

2009-08-05T17:56:00.003-04:00

this weekend we celebrated our friends birthday, he enlisted us to cater his party and our menu was my favorite yet. liz's stock was used to make risotto and mozz balls. risotto and mozzarella covered in panko breadcrumbs and pan fried, i could eat them every day. we also had a pomodoro dip, slowww roasted tomatoes with lots of garlic and herbs. any many more...

we took a trip to providence yesterday and stopped by bowl and board on westminster street for some kitchen essentials(along with some non essentials).

like that little magnetic kitchen timer, which i adore. the company is kikkerland and they make too many nice little non essential items.

elissa at calico hosted a show last night at the green bean so we whipped up a few little items, some pasta dishes and some sugary treats.

coconut ginger cupcakes

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

preheat over to 350

whisk flour, baking powder, salt and shredded coconut together on medium sized bowl. set aside.
cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. scrape down sides of bowl and beat for another 30 seconds or so to get everything combined well.

add eggs one at a time, incorporating well after each egg. add 2 tablespoons finely grated ginger, mix well.

in a small bowl stir coconut milk and vanilla. with the slowest speed on the mixer, add 1/3 flour mix to butter mix. add 1/2 of the coconut milk mix then another 1/3 of the flour. then rest of coconut milk, then last part of flour mix. stir until just combined.

fill lined cupcake tins 2/3 of the way up and bake for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

i frosted mine with a rich buttercream frosting and dipped them in shredded coconut. enjoy!

Tuscan Inspired Veggie Broth :)

2009-08-05T17:56:00.001-04:00

I ran out of vegetable broth JUST in time to get ready to make 40 servings of risotto :(. Needless to say, I was a bit stressed out- then I thought... "you can make this..."
I ended up coming up with something delicious and with MUCH less sodium than the usual store brands...

Servings: 8-9 Cups

BIG POT of water (about 8 cups!)
4 Whole Carrots
1 Red onion, quartered
1 White onion, quartered
4 Cloves Garlic (lightly smashed as to release more oils)
4 Stalks of Celery
1 Lemon, juiced and halved in water
1 tsp of Celery Salt (for extra flaaavor!)
1 tbl Sea Salt
1 tbl freshly ground black pepper (or if this is too much, just to taste)

1 package of fresh Herbs de Provence (I always keep this around, I find it really handy, but if you do not have it a mixture of dried sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano really any Mediterranean herbs will do!)

None of these herbs are really necessary, but I thought it would be a lovely light and summery version of a usually boring and quite salty veggie stock!

Makes about 8-10 cups.

Birthday

2009-08-05T17:55:00.000-04:00

we catered a birthday party today for 40 vegetarians. it went over really well, the tofu was confused for chicken!! you know that's good.

we also have been working on our desserts for the fresca grill. so far we've made insanely yummy italian cheesecake, it's citrus filled and smooth as can be. a flourless chocolate cake that is super rich made with organic 70% cocoa, and little parisian fruit tartlets. our order double in our first week, so that seems to be going well. next week we are making new desserts, we'll keep you notified!!