tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37833490674958466092024-03-07T21:56:31.741-05:00Central Park KitchenThis blog chronicles my adventures in the kitchen.elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-67372114347619342652010-03-31T09:46:00.003-05:002010-03-31T10:10:13.830-05:00Why do I cook?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RDVtm5GVcJzAp0QrXg3RAHndJ5uB66AWGF8eMcQqf_klLaouidCtWgOhETFLxH2KiXftIwy5ldOy8QKmMmX4kjseA2ePpJfPJSo-2nUVpi75jqqT0E7mNbMQX1CiamxQgO4ntn9Fz_Ox/s1600/DSC02971.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RDVtm5GVcJzAp0QrXg3RAHndJ5uB66AWGF8eMcQqf_klLaouidCtWgOhETFLxH2KiXftIwy5ldOy8QKmMmX4kjseA2ePpJfPJSo-2nUVpi75jqqT0E7mNbMQX1CiamxQgO4ntn9Fz_Ox/s200/DSC02971.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454815416751810802" border="0" /></a><br />I am, of late, addicted to Twitter. It's not about the social aspects or the business building part (though both are captivating to me). It is all about checking my Foodie List. It gives me a dose of foodie news I can get no where else.<br /><br />I wake to the poetic musings of <a href="http://www.ruthreichl.com/">Ruth Reichl</a> describing her breakfast - 140 character love haiku. I am prone to snicker a bit during the day reading <a href="http://www.gesine.com/">Gesine Bullock Prado</a>'s snarkiness. And I cheer out loud at each of <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition?usa=1">Jamie Oliver</a>'s victories in bringing attention to the critical issues surrounding healthy eating and teaching children about food.<br /><br />I've made new "friends" following <a href="http://paigeorloff.com/">Paige Orloff</a> and <a href="http://kimseverson.com/">Kim Severson</a>, a fantastic journalist and foodie. When Kim announced the release of her new book, Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life, I jumped on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spoon-Fed-Eight-Cooks-Saved/dp/159448757X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270047932&sr=8-1">Amazon</a> to order it. Something about the title struck a cord.<br /><br />And today Kim's tweets pointed me to a fantastic article in the <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/cooking-as-therapy/article1518340/">Toronto Globe and Mail</a> about Cooking as Therapy. This did more than strike a cord. It answers the long-standing question of why I cook. It isn't a hobby for me. It is a necessity, a compulsion, a creative outlet, a healing act. It is my chance to mother to nurture and to gather a flock.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/cooking-as-therapy/article1518340/">From the article:</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);">Leading food psychologist Dr. Brian Wansink, head of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, has studied “nutritional gatekeepers” or influential cooks. He found that of the five main types of cooks, three use cooking to get through rough patches. </span> <p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"> Sometimes, making food is a means of creative expression, or they prepare food to compete with or get affirmation from others. There are “giving cooks” who cook to please. “When you cook for others, you’re saying you care they are well fed and healthy, which is something you just don’t get from doing other things,” he says. </p> <p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"> Dr. Christine Courbasson, head of the eating disorders and addiction clinic at the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, says she’s seen patients who cook to relieve stress or free their minds from worry. “Some of them fill a void or find that it’s a way of numbing. You also have to be mindful of the activity because you don’t want to chop your finger off.” </p></blockquote><p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 102, 102);"></p>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-35494955925791942152010-03-28T09:50:00.004-05:002010-03-28T10:23:32.618-05:00The Orchard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOxRv-OuawLBCHCmKsoOsO73qUI4Tj49iuE0ywxy72HSDefJ-92mVEvZP2BfVJU8IA_l3qLFVas1l3mgqILq5e9oZNuWYytJhbA4xdqfC-z1oAyhPnnqW-G2uNcL2nNu5YJLU-N4x85O8/s1600/DSC02429.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOxRv-OuawLBCHCmKsoOsO73qUI4Tj49iuE0ywxy72HSDefJ-92mVEvZP2BfVJU8IA_l3qLFVas1l3mgqILq5e9oZNuWYytJhbA4xdqfC-z1oAyhPnnqW-G2uNcL2nNu5YJLU-N4x85O8/s400/DSC02429.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453699364458074562" border="0" /></a>The Orchard: Columbia County NY<br /><br />Countdown to Move In: 41 days<br /><br />On the Menu: Welcome Wagon Baskets for my neighbors - what better way to meet people?<br /><br />- Spiced Nut jars<br /><br />- Lizzie's Famous C3 (chunky chocolate chippers) Cookies<br /><br />- 2x4s (2 inches x 4 kinds of chocolate)elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-15123458191131357612009-11-07T12:57:00.004-05:002009-11-07T13:26:04.938-05:00Home is where my kitchen is<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcrtH5kmnTgfQ54XaP-J8cZK2vVlzpL2u1v3C8V2783TIeQUy794niJdrXjawQ_IZHlKKHTk-8xKaj1ONPcG_7gOw0hTGwCiAfnlvL_4A-moa-TXUibGA5ZhZnvzLUxdvodM9neCKxUb_/s1600-h/Picture+5.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcrtH5kmnTgfQ54XaP-J8cZK2vVlzpL2u1v3C8V2783TIeQUy794niJdrXjawQ_IZHlKKHTk-8xKaj1ONPcG_7gOw0hTGwCiAfnlvL_4A-moa-TXUibGA5ZhZnvzLUxdvodM9neCKxUb_/s400/Picture+5.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401422766145235330" border="0" /></a><br />When I began this blog I was waiting for a batch of cookies to come out of the oven and looking out the window of my beautiful kitchen overlooking Central Park.<br /><br />That lovely place was sold and the odyssey of my homelessness began.<br /><br />Let me be clear. I am far from out on the street. I want for just about nothing. But I've been bouncing from apartment to apartment - all quite temporary places - looking for a home to share with my cookie monster. And while he's been trying to find the perfect house, I've been trying to find my place to live within it.<br /><br />Home is where my kitchen is. It is where years of accumulated knives and bowls and boards and cookbooks, recipe scraps, wooden spoons and spices, all sorted and stored, whisper to me when I walk in the door.<br /><br />My kitchen has always been a place of creative expression. It satisfies my longing to nurture others and to be nutured. With busy hands and a free mind, it is my place of meditation. I solve all kinds of problems in my kitchen - from getting shortbread cookies just crumbly enough to nailing a brand positioning problem, to quieting a troubled heart (usually my own).<br /><br />Not having my kitchen leaves me frustrated and sad and confused and far too ready to reach to ordinary restaurants and prepared foods that leave me unsatisfied and unfulfilled. Food sinks to the lowest common denominator space in my life - a utility.<br /><br />My precious bits and bobs have been in storage for the better part of the three years since selling the Central Park place. And my cooking and baking have been sporadic at best. My hand and my palette are yearning and shaky like an unused muscle. I miss my kitchen like I'd miss a dear friend whom I hadn't seen for a while.<br /><br />Time to find my kitchen again - long overdue really.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25269964@N05/3207798737/">(Image: flickr~cottonblue)</a>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-26990827880693582472008-09-03T19:50:00.006-05:002008-09-03T20:18:21.432-05:00Bring lunch to the office in style!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQU6XJQLL0nAbO13iSQWO2TZ8A0lVNuwDPLmdKzZHubYqqk8GDYmSM3ABIPyHHzYhT7ZgP9n0PIU67_4U2i_EHn1yNOE-EUOvOldenE43SMT8VYenXKgqz7c1C0AP7OBu9mPBsvXNp-n-/s1600-h/mariobagsjpg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQU6XJQLL0nAbO13iSQWO2TZ8A0lVNuwDPLmdKzZHubYqqk8GDYmSM3ABIPyHHzYhT7ZgP9n0PIU67_4U2i_EHn1yNOE-EUOvOldenE43SMT8VYenXKgqz7c1C0AP7OBu9mPBsvXNp-n-/s200/mariobagsjpg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241969308518180130" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Martha buying Emerill is old news (in more ways than one). But here's some new news - and a darn fine brand extension if I do say so. Gather round all ye foodies who also love a good bag. <a href="http://www.cosmoda.com/mario/index.html">Mario's got us all figured out</a>!elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-16099238380213149802008-07-18T16:38:00.001-05:002008-07-18T16:38:35.061-05:00Western Spaghetti<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/qBjLW5_dGAM' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/qBjLW5_dGAM'/></object></p><p>DELICIOUS!</p></div>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-44446868635032605622008-07-18T06:34:00.003-05:002008-07-18T06:36:23.989-05:00Too hot to cook!With the temps pushing past the 80s, I've resorted to my usual summer recipe reading mode. And this new widget is a fantastic way to pass the time! Thanks Epicurious!<br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/4874f0a373dc4b97/48807ef4c7bedfab/487e1d49e7de2705/13effdb9" id="W4874f0a373dc4b9748807ef4c7bedfab" height="320" width="161"><param value="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/4874f0a373dc4b97/48807ef4c7bedfab/487e1d49e7de2705/13effdb9" name="movie"><param value="transparent" name="wmode"><param value="all" name="allowNetworking"><param value="always" name="allowScriptAccess"></object>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-59337250639430479752008-04-11T19:52:00.006-05:002008-12-09T01:51:05.908-05:00Sage Shortbread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-lLL66kbSba7AFrmWOUcBWAw1wbqcBPVW44XcD0vf6Sa7UIjURSpJxDhmJ2jhLHDVLTdrgPL795ryBwPi6q_zX16zJKP0D5Oz-yzqb5ZJspjWz_BVxlyTiOI8TGaFpgHl_pTI3X1E06j/s1600-h/Sage+Shortbread.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-lLL66kbSba7AFrmWOUcBWAw1wbqcBPVW44XcD0vf6Sa7UIjURSpJxDhmJ2jhLHDVLTdrgPL795ryBwPi6q_zX16zJKP0D5Oz-yzqb5ZJspjWz_BVxlyTiOI8TGaFpgHl_pTI3X1E06j/s320/Sage+Shortbread.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188155525870464082" border="0" /></a><br />Savory, sweet, and salty all at the same time, this is the perfect cookie to have with a crisp white wine sitting outdoors in the late afternoon. It takes no time at all to whip up a batch and if you keep a log or two in the freezer, you'll be able to pop cookies in the oven at a moment's notice!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />2 cups all purpose flour<br />1/2 cup powdered sugar<br />2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried sage<br />1 teaspoon course kosher salt<br />1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temp cut into 1/2" pieces<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350<br /><br />Line cookie sheets with parchment<br /><br />Blend first 4 ingredients in processor. Add butter pulsing until dough comes together. Divide in half, shape into 1" logs, wrap and chill (freeze 20 minutes).<br /><br />Cut logs into 1/3" pieces and place on cookie sheet about 1/2" apart. Position oven racks in top 1/3 and bottom 1/3 of oven. Bake 10 minutes and rotate sheets so bottom sheet is on top rack and top sheet is on bottom rack, then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Remove and cool on racks.<br /><br />Thanks to Greg Atkinson and Epicurious for the recipe.elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-42518158033939864212008-04-04T19:01:00.005-05:002008-04-05T14:45:03.440-05:00Chocolate Ganache<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/lVIMVVNUPoo" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/lVIMVVNUPoo" height="350" width="425"></embed></object> </p><p>This is amazing! Watch a tiny tot (for whom English is not a native language) channel Marc Bittman. More amazing when you watch the <a href='http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=ca60dd48991a83718564441808c3aafc37c66ce2'>original.</a><br /><br />I particularly like it when the camera man (dad) can't stifle his giggles.<br /><br />And, while I've never been good at making ganache, I'm tempted, by the simplicity of this recipe and technique, to give it a try this weekend!</p></div>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-3032083087030239772008-03-14T14:52:00.003-05:002008-03-14T14:55:53.639-05:00Food Fight<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/e-yldqNkGfo" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/e-yldqNkGfo" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p><p>Brilliant chronicle of the geo-political conflicts over the last century and a half...</p>For more information on each battle and all the characters check out http://www.touristpictures.com/foodfight/index.htm<br /></div>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-41911806976418546282006-11-20T07:26:00.000-05:002006-11-20T07:56:49.096-05:00Who needs pie?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4817/461834602965801/1600/996777/Godiva%20Pie%20Chocolates.png"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4817/461834602965801/320/803385/Godiva%20Pie%20Chocolates.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'm having a deja vu moment. It's from Willi Wonka when Violet grabs a piece of gum and begins experiencing a full 6-course meal (or something like that).<br /><br />"What brought this on?" you ask?<br /><br />In this morning's (digital) headlines I read "Give Thanks: Pie Takes On Life Of Its Own". The article goes on to say that Godiva has come up with a line of pie-flavored chocolates and Jones Soda has done the same with fizzy drinks.<br /><br />Oh come now! Why replace pie with anything else? Tis the season for pie eating and I must say that there is just no substitute for the stuff. Nothing. Absolutely NOTHING should come between a girl and her pie. Not even a fancy chocolate with a pie-flavored soda chaser.<br /></span><br /><blogitemurl><br /><a href="http://beta.blogger.com/<$http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=51337&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;Nid=25233&p=147479$">Read on...</a><br /></blogitemurl></div>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-10775016628158955812006-11-19T11:37:00.000-05:002007-12-31T11:40:00.508-05:00My First Pie<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4817/461834602965801/1600/600980/chocolate%20pecan%20pie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4817/461834602965801/200/262463/chocolate%20pecan%20pie.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'll admit that I don't much care for cake. I'm a cookie person. I prefer the crunch of a cookie to the crumb of cake. And I like that cookies don't have to be all that sweet. As a cook I appreciate how forgiving cookies are compared to cake. Cake is chemistry, precise science. Cookies are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">improv</span>. They reward you for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">experimentation</span>.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And then there's pie.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I've never really attempted pie because I've always been intimidated by the crust. My cousin Tamara can mix up a bit of dough without really thinking about it. She doesn't even need a bowl. Just tosses some butter, water, sugar and flour around on the counter and voila! A crust for anything you can imagine eating. That's not me.<br /><br />One morning after sitting like a drone for hours watching the Food Network I decided that my fear of Pie making had to end. I would tackle it one piece at a time. If I could perfect some fillings, I'd give myself permission to use some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">pre</span>-made pie crust. Heck, if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Giada</span> De <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Laurentiis</span> could then why couldn't I? <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">After all</span> we're not talking some Frankenstein creation from Sandra Lee the Semi Homemade queen, right? (Hey a girl's got to rationalize...)<br /><br />So here you have it. The results of my early pie experiments. This one inspired by my irrational love of nuts and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Giada's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">recipe</span> for Chocolate-Hazelnut Tart.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em><strong>Chocolate Pecan Pie</strong><br />Ingredients<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />3 eggs, beaten<br />1 1/2 cups <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">pecans</span> toasted and roughly chopped<br />4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1/2 cup)<br />4 ounces dark or bitter-sweet chocolate (<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">chips</span> or chopped)<br />1 cup corn syrup<br />2 tablespoons butter, melted<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 (store bought frozen, defrosted) pie crust </em><br /></span><em></em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. </em><br /></span><em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and the flour. Add the eggs, pecans, two kinds of chocolate, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir well. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 1 hour.<br /><br />Cool the tart for at least 30 minutes before serving. I find that the tart is very gooey on the first day but is nicely set on the second and holds its shape when cut so make ahead and resist temptation for 24 hours if you can!<br /><br /></span></em></div>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-65216570238026052522006-11-18T23:39:00.000-05:002007-12-31T11:39:15.555-05:00Let the recipe sharing begin<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4817/461834602965801/1600/533832/2x4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 181px; height: 177px;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4817/461834602965801/200/384341/2x4.jpg" border="0" height="143" width="160" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I've been waiting to migrate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">MyCentralParkKitchen</span> over to the Blogger Beta but I've run out of patience. I don't know enough HTML to create special sections in my old blog to add <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">recipes</span> but I've figured it out in the idiot-proof Blogger Beta so I'm going to say <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">goodbye</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">MyCentralParkKitchen</span> (I've migrated the old posts but can't migrate the comments - sorry!) and open things up in this new space - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">CentralParkKitchen</span>. Why be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">possessive</span>? When it comes to cookies - sharing is essential! </span><p></p></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Pictured here (borrowed photo) are my latest creation. I call them Two-By- Fours. Two inches of cookie by 4 kinds of chocolate. These were inspired by my friend Paul <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Parton</span> who can't have nuts. I started with Ina <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Garten's</span> Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies and then began changing things around a bit.</span></p></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><p><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Two-By-Fours</strong><br /></span></em><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A super decadent chocolate cookie. </span></em></p></div><p><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></em></p><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span></div><div><p><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ingredients:</span></em></p></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>1/2 pound unsalted butter (room temp)</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>1 cup light brown sugar</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>1 cup granulated sugar</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>2 teaspoons vanilla</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>2 large eggs (room temp)</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>1 teaspoon baking soda</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>1 teaspoon kosher salt</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>1/2 pound white chocolate (chips or coarsely chopped)</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>1/2 pound semi-sweet <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">chocolate</span> (chips or coarsely chopped)</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>1/2 pound dark chocolate (chips or coarsely chopped)</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span></div><div><p><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Preheat oven to 350</span></em></p></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span></div><div><p><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Cream the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">butter</span> and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla then the eggs and mix well. Add the cocoa and mix again. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to chocolate mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 3 kinds of chips.</span></em></p></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span></div><div><p><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop cookies using a #40 ice cream scoop (or rounded tablespoons). Flatten dough slightly with dampened hands (so dough doesn't stick). </span></em></p></div><div><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em></em></span></div><div><p><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven (even if they look undone). Let cool slightly on the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If you can keep any around - store in an airtight container.</span></em></p></div>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-28808571331405225342006-10-19T17:22:00.000-05:002007-12-31T11:38:30.407-05:00Back in the kitchen<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2330/2085/1600/Autumn%2004.2.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 220px; height: 165px;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2330/2085/200/Autumn%2004.jpg" border="0" height="225" width="271" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'm officially back in the kitchen. The weather has been perfect and the view is getting colorful.<br /><br />Two weeks ago I had a 15 hour marathon session which started with two kinds of cookies (<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Chilmark</span> Chunk and <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">peanut butter</span> Chocolate Chip).<br /><br />I moved from there to grilling up some chicken <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">piallard</span> with a southwest seasoning mix (to be used later for a light supper over greens) and then realized I wanted to make adjustments to my seasoning mix. So I created a new one and popped a container of it onto the spice rack. T<br /><br />hat got me thinking about staple foods, so I immediately set to work to make a gallon of <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">granola</span> (Seeded Maple).<br /><br />I got hungry so I whipped up a <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Tuscan</span> white bean salad for lunch which became an <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">antipasto</span> melange when I realized that I had some fantastic artichokes to add. And the artichokes got me to thinking about my favorite soup (from <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Giada</span> <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">DeLaurentis</span>) Artichoke Leak soup - a kind of <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">vichyssoise</span> that can be served hot or cold (I omit the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">marscepone</span> because it is rich enough without it!) A batch of that was created to compliment our light supper.<br /><br />I realized that we might need another desert (because there's always a reason for more sweets) so I made Triple Chocolate Sorbet and poured it into my rocket pop molds. Its a kind of portion control. If I don't do that, Doug will finish the whole <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">container</span> before I get a taste!<br /><br />After a short break I created our dinner salads with the chicken and served a spot of that yummy soup. Not <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">satisfied</span> enough to stop, after cleaning up, I thought I should make a treat for the folks I work with so I whipped up a chocolate pecan pie. This time I used <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Ghiradelli's</span> bitter sweet chips and I must say, I 'm not thrilled with the result. I like darker chocolate but am not thrilled with the flavor of these chips. I've got to find a new chip source for my semi-sweet, bittersweet and white chips.<br /><br />As soon as I figure out how to create and <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">organize</span> a new section for this blog, I'll add recipes for each of edibles I reference. Until then - enjoy the view! </span>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-84261304635240992722006-08-07T17:17:00.000-05:002007-12-31T11:38:00.126-05:00New York On Fire<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2330/2085/1600/Fire%20and%20a%20new%20beginning%202.jpg"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2330/2085/400/Fire%20and%20a%20new%20beginning%202.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">New York is hot. So hot I haven't cooked a batch of cookies in 2 months. Haven't slipped in a batch of granola. Simply won't attempt a roasted anything. </span><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I promise when the temperature (outside) reads 72 degrees or less for 3 days running - the baking and steady blogging will begin anew.<br /><br />And I'll figure out how to get multiple topics going so I can share the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">recipes</span> that go along with the all the rest of this.</span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-42928219639487489332006-01-09T18:13:00.000-05:002006-11-19T09:25:56.380-05:00Peaceful Co-existence<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2330/2085/1600/bagels&bus.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2330/2085/200/bagels%26bus.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color:#666666;"></span><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#666666;">Only in New York City do bagels and buses exist in such close proximity.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#666666;">Each day as I make my way to work I marvel at the food vendors that appear like mushrooms popping up under pine trees after the rain. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#666666;">And magically, by noon, they have all returned to deep earth. Out of site...<br />until the next morning.</span></p>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3783349067495846609.post-2491090209578854152006-01-08T17:58:00.000-05:002006-11-18T18:04:17.129-05:00How it all started...<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4098/2527/1600/Spire.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/4098/2527/320/Spire.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#666666;">I've been cooking for a long time. It all started at age 6 or so when I'd park myself in front of the TV, a reward for having finished my chores (though it felt more like indentured servitude to me). And there, on public television I'd find Julia or the Galloping Gourmet sautéing and sasheying (respectively). </span><br /></span></span><div><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#666666;">My Mother went to work full time when I turned 7. My brother and I were left in my sister's care and lucky for me - that meant a whole lot of freedom! Each day at 4:00pm I'd ring my Mother at work for dinner preparation instructions. It usally involved taking the strip streak out of the freezer so it would be just defrosted enough for her to make a quick stirfry when she got home. But when I was lucky, it would be about dressing the chicken, prepping the baked potatoes and putting everything up to bake at 400(f) for an hour. Little did she (or anyone else) know that this task would take on dimensions never imagined. I prepped my "studio" and staged all my ingredients in small bowls. I'd pretend that over the counter there was no wall, but a television camera and a studio audience. And I went about my task, explaining every move I made while offering hints and tips, dishing dirt on my siblings, and sharing my hopes that I would make it through recess tomorrow unscathed by yucky boys.</span><br /></span></span><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#666666;">I've graduated from slathering store bought barbeque sauce on chicken quarters. I've obsessed over a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Made gallons of granola. And honor my Mother's beef stew recipe without the slightest alteration. I've been inspired by the food revolution, and with it the dawn of The Food Network and fantastic new cooking shows on Public Television. And I've been blessed to have a man in my kitchen (now that I realize boys aren't really all that yucky) who is astoundingly speedy and whose skill is awesome!</span><br /></span></span><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;color:#666666;">In this space I'll continue my tradition of looking across the counter and connecting with my audience. But I promise to spare you all the details of recess and the trials and tribulations of things unrelated to wonderful food and the pursuit of the perfect cookie.</span></p></div>elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201520687918489101noreply@blogger.com0