I had gazpacho for the first time almost exactly two years ago. The Mister and I were on vacation at his family's beach house, along with his uncle and girlfriend. They made us dinner one night, and although I don't remember the main course at all, I do remember the meal started with a bowl of gazpacho.
It took me almost a year to move gazpacho out of the "to-make" list. When I did, I used a recipe I swiped from another blog that looked easier than most. It didn't turn out very well. In fact, when The Mister tried it, it didn't stay down very long. If you know what I mean. Another year later, I decided it was time to give gazpacho another shot.
This time I used a recipe from my go-to for the classics: The Dean and DeLuca Cookbook. And although I made some minor changes to fit my tastes, I stuck to the essentials of the recipe. The soup was exactly what I wanted: fresh, simple, and delicious with some home made croutons on top.
Gazpacho
From the Dean and DeLuca Cookbook
1 small can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1 tbps olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
A few hours before serving, combine all ingredients. Let sit in a covered container to let the flavors mellow and combine.
Just before serving, blend 1/2 of the soup (or more, depending on your tastes). Serve topped with croutons.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Peach Ice Cream
I love the dollar store. I could walk around for hours, browsing all the knick knacks and random goodies you can find. And I inevitably end up spending a lot more money than I planned because - oh my gosh! They have frozen peaches here for a dollar!
So, there I was. Home from the dollar store with two bags of frozen peaches. I had big plans for each - the first went toward my morning smoothie, the second, to this ice cream.
Peach Ice Cream
Adapted from here
2 1/2 cups ripe peaches
3 eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
dash of salt
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
In a blender, purée half of the peaches. Mash the remaining peaches with a potato masher. Set aside.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt until blended.
In a large saucepan over low heat, warm the milk and cream until it just begins to steam. Temper the egg mixture with the cream, then pour the everything back into the heavy saucepan. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat, and refrigerate the mixture for several hours or until well chilled.
Add the peaches to the chilled mixture, stir well, and pour into a 5-quart ice cream freezer can. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions.
So, there I was. Home from the dollar store with two bags of frozen peaches. I had big plans for each - the first went toward my morning smoothie, the second, to this ice cream.
Peach Ice Cream
Adapted from here
2 1/2 cups ripe peaches
3 eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
dash of salt
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
In a blender, purée half of the peaches. Mash the remaining peaches with a potato masher. Set aside.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt until blended.
In a large saucepan over low heat, warm the milk and cream until it just begins to steam. Temper the egg mixture with the cream, then pour the everything back into the heavy saucepan. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat, and refrigerate the mixture for several hours or until well chilled.
Add the peaches to the chilled mixture, stir well, and pour into a 5-quart ice cream freezer can. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions.
Friday, August 20, 2010
My House is Scary
My house intimidates me.
It could be the huge financial responsibility, the weight we will drag along for the next 30 (!) years. It could be amount of space we now have, and now have to clean. It could be knowing that this is it, all our eggs are in one basket, all we've got is each other and these walls. Or it could be the firsts.
Yes, the firsts. This week has been full of them: first night, first shower, first meal, etc etc. And there are many more to come. And I feel like each of these firsts sets the tone for the next stage in our lives. For example, I baked my first cake in my new oven on Thursday. It came out sub-par. What does this mean for the hundreds of cakes I will bake here over the course of time? Will they all be cursed? Or can I break the first curse?
Whats worse is, that, in the grand scheme of things, the cake is pretty irrelevant. What about our first fight? Our first party? Our first hanky-panky? What if they all suck? I can't be condemned to a life of bad fights, lame parties, and sub-par sex just because the first time in the house was terrible.
So, I've been going out of my way to make sure our firsts, however trivial, are good firsts. We had our first guests and had fun. We ate our first meal and it tasted delicious. We mowed the lawn for the first time and nobody lost any appendages. So far, so good.
It could be the huge financial responsibility, the weight we will drag along for the next 30 (!) years. It could be amount of space we now have, and now have to clean. It could be knowing that this is it, all our eggs are in one basket, all we've got is each other and these walls. Or it could be the firsts.
Yes, the firsts. This week has been full of them: first night, first shower, first meal, etc etc. And there are many more to come. And I feel like each of these firsts sets the tone for the next stage in our lives. For example, I baked my first cake in my new oven on Thursday. It came out sub-par. What does this mean for the hundreds of cakes I will bake here over the course of time? Will they all be cursed? Or can I break the first curse?
Whats worse is, that, in the grand scheme of things, the cake is pretty irrelevant. What about our first fight? Our first party? Our first hanky-panky? What if they all suck? I can't be condemned to a life of bad fights, lame parties, and sub-par sex just because the first time in the house was terrible.
So, I've been going out of my way to make sure our firsts, however trivial, are good firsts. We had our first guests and had fun. We ate our first meal and it tasted delicious. We mowed the lawn for the first time and nobody lost any appendages. So far, so good.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
I'm not kidding when I tell you I'm on a serious ice cream binge. Since I got the ice cream maker, every flavor I come across is made into mental ice cream on the spot. Unfortunately for my waistline, many of these are also being made into real-life ice cream as well.
I made dulce de leche brownies a few weeks ago for a coworker's going away potluck and I've had some extra dulce de leche sitting in my fridge since then. Rather than attack it with a spoon (like I have been) I found a way to turn it into a caramelly, soft, delicious ice cream. Which I promptly attacked with a spoon. I can't win.
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
Adapted from here
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound dulce de leche (about 1 2/3 cups)
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Bring milk and cream just to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then remove from heat and whisk in dulce de leche until dissolved. Whisk in vanilla and transfer to a metal bowl.
Chill mixture well, then freeze in ice cream maker until almost firm. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 1 hour.
I made dulce de leche brownies a few weeks ago for a coworker's going away potluck and I've had some extra dulce de leche sitting in my fridge since then. Rather than attack it with a spoon (like I have been) I found a way to turn it into a caramelly, soft, delicious ice cream. Which I promptly attacked with a spoon. I can't win.
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
Adapted from here
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound dulce de leche (about 1 2/3 cups)
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Bring milk and cream just to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then remove from heat and whisk in dulce de leche until dissolved. Whisk in vanilla and transfer to a metal bowl.
Chill mixture well, then freeze in ice cream maker until almost firm. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 1 hour.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
We're In!
Yesterday was the big day - moving day.
During the last week we packed up most of our stuff and shuttled it between the apartment and the house. When the movers came Saturday morning there was very little left to do - they picked up the big stuff and we were on our way. The whole move took less than three hours and was about as painless as it could be.
After the furniture was moved we started unpacking, and we've been doing nothing else for the last twenty four hours. Ugh. But its starting to come together - clothes are in the closet, pots and pans have homes in the cabinets. So far our biggest problem has been that we have too much space! We went from 700 sq ft to almost 1200 so filling out that extra 500 feet is no easy task. But we are making progress.
Pictures to come once its less of a mess!
During the last week we packed up most of our stuff and shuttled it between the apartment and the house. When the movers came Saturday morning there was very little left to do - they picked up the big stuff and we were on our way. The whole move took less than three hours and was about as painless as it could be.
After the furniture was moved we started unpacking, and we've been doing nothing else for the last twenty four hours. Ugh. But its starting to come together - clothes are in the closet, pots and pans have homes in the cabinets. So far our biggest problem has been that we have too much space! We went from 700 sq ft to almost 1200 so filling out that extra 500 feet is no easy task. But we are making progress.
Pictures to come once its less of a mess!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Grilled Pizza
I've mentioned before that I feel very strongly about pizza. Since moving to California I've been on a quest to find the perfect pie, either in a restaurant or at home. So far I've found a few good places and have made a few good slices, but haven't found anything that measures up to Brooklyn standards.
One of the biggest obstacles to overcome when making pizza at home is the heat. While most home ovens will reach only 500 degrees or so, optimum pizza-making temperatures are 700 to 800 or more. To overcome this home cooks have gotten creative with their ovens, either lining the inside with bricks or forcing the oven into self clean mode. Another option is to fire up the grill and cook pizza over an open flame, which I tried tonight.
Grilling pizza is a little tricky only because its a little more labor-intensive while cooking. Instead of throwing the pizza in the oven and forgetting about it, the dough is cooked plain, flipped, topped, and cooked some more. I made two types of pizza tonight: one with pizza sauce, pepperoni, and cheese and the other with pesto, zucchini, and goat cheese. Both were unbelievable. The dough got nice and fluffy and the toppings were perfectly cooked. I had never made grilled pizza before tonight and I can assure you, I'll be making it again soon.
One of the biggest obstacles to overcome when making pizza at home is the heat. While most home ovens will reach only 500 degrees or so, optimum pizza-making temperatures are 700 to 800 or more. To overcome this home cooks have gotten creative with their ovens, either lining the inside with bricks or forcing the oven into self clean mode. Another option is to fire up the grill and cook pizza over an open flame, which I tried tonight.
Grilling pizza is a little tricky only because its a little more labor-intensive while cooking. Instead of throwing the pizza in the oven and forgetting about it, the dough is cooked plain, flipped, topped, and cooked some more. I made two types of pizza tonight: one with pizza sauce, pepperoni, and cheese and the other with pesto, zucchini, and goat cheese. Both were unbelievable. The dough got nice and fluffy and the toppings were perfectly cooked. I had never made grilled pizza before tonight and I can assure you, I'll be making it again soon.
Vanilla Birthday Cake
Vanilla Birthday Cake
Adapted from here
4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line with circles of parchment paper, then butter parchment. (Alternately, you can use a cooking spray, either with just butter or butter and flour to speed this process up.)
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just Incorporated.
Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. (I like to drop mine a few times from two inches up, making a great big noisy fuss.) Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.
Adapted from here
4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line with circles of parchment paper, then butter parchment. (Alternately, you can use a cooking spray, either with just butter or butter and flour to speed this process up.)
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just Incorporated.
Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. (I like to drop mine a few times from two inches up, making a great big noisy fuss.) Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Gnocchi
The first time I ever ate gnocchi is one of the most memorable meals of my life. The Mister and I had just moved to New York City, had just moved into our first apartment, and were getting used to our new lives. His parents had come out for a wedding and we went out to dinner with them and his cousins at this little Italian bistro in Brooklyn. It was a beautiful June night and we sat on the patio and talked and drank wine and had a great time. And I ordered gnocchi.
I've spent the two years since that night (two years! holy crap!) working on making gnocchi as light and airy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious as the ones I tasted that night. So far, I haven't gotten it right, but this recipe is the closest I've gotten. I've found that baking the potatoes is the only way to cook them - boiling, while faster, doesn't yield the same fluffy results. I don't have a potato ricer so I've used a hand mixer almost every time with great results.
Gnocchi
Adapted from here
8 medium Russet Potatoes
2 eggs - beaten
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano - Grated
3-5 cups of flour
handful of fresh basil leaves - roughly chopped
salt/pepper
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place potatoes into the oven and bake for until fork tender. Rest until cool enough to work with them and then remove skins. Mash with a hand mixer.
Transfer the potatoes to a clean, lightly floured surface and add the eggs, Parmigiano, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup of flour. Begin kneading together, adding more dough until you have a ball of dough.
Cut the dough into small manageable sections and roll each of the sections into logs. Cut the logs into small 1″ sections.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, place the gnocchi into the water and allow them to cook until they rise to the top and swell up.
When gnocchi are done. Transfer them with a slotted spoon into the sauce pan, toss gently with sauce to combine. Garnish with additional basil and Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.
I've spent the two years since that night (two years! holy crap!) working on making gnocchi as light and airy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious as the ones I tasted that night. So far, I haven't gotten it right, but this recipe is the closest I've gotten. I've found that baking the potatoes is the only way to cook them - boiling, while faster, doesn't yield the same fluffy results. I don't have a potato ricer so I've used a hand mixer almost every time with great results.
Gnocchi
Adapted from here
8 medium Russet Potatoes
2 eggs - beaten
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano - Grated
3-5 cups of flour
handful of fresh basil leaves - roughly chopped
salt/pepper
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place potatoes into the oven and bake for until fork tender. Rest until cool enough to work with them and then remove skins. Mash with a hand mixer.
Transfer the potatoes to a clean, lightly floured surface and add the eggs, Parmigiano, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup of flour. Begin kneading together, adding more dough until you have a ball of dough.
Cut the dough into small manageable sections and roll each of the sections into logs. Cut the logs into small 1″ sections.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, place the gnocchi into the water and allow them to cook until they rise to the top and swell up.
When gnocchi are done. Transfer them with a slotted spoon into the sauce pan, toss gently with sauce to combine. Garnish with additional basil and Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Well Hello Again
I'm back, literally and figuratively.
I spent a glorious, glorious week in Boston and Nantucket. I had the best time. I saw some old friends, I went to the beach every single day, I read books, I ate a whole lot of ice cream and I enjoyed pretty much every second. Mostly I just spent time with my grandmother, my aunts and uncles, and my cousins. I love my family so much.
Then I came back and it was back to real life. And it wasn't that bad.
Work is work. I'm getting a new job soon which makes me happy because I won't have to deal with a lot of the same crap I've been dealing with, but makes me sad because I love my coworkers. But the new job will be closer to home and I will be thrilled to spend less time in my car.
We close on our new house tomorrow. Its scary and exciting and unbelievable all at the same time. I'm so excited to paint and move in and make it a home.
I start school later this month. I find it so funny that while in college, all I wanted to do was graduate. As soon as I graduated, all I wanted to do was go back to school. Now that I'm starting again, I wonder how long it will be until I can't wait to graduate again?
Amazing
I spent a glorious, glorious week in Boston and Nantucket. I had the best time. I saw some old friends, I went to the beach every single day, I read books, I ate a whole lot of ice cream and I enjoyed pretty much every second. Mostly I just spent time with my grandmother, my aunts and uncles, and my cousins. I love my family so much.
Then I came back and it was back to real life. And it wasn't that bad.
Work is work. I'm getting a new job soon which makes me happy because I won't have to deal with a lot of the same crap I've been dealing with, but makes me sad because I love my coworkers. But the new job will be closer to home and I will be thrilled to spend less time in my car.
We close on our new house tomorrow. Its scary and exciting and unbelievable all at the same time. I'm so excited to paint and move in and make it a home.
I start school later this month. I find it so funny that while in college, all I wanted to do was graduate. As soon as I graduated, all I wanted to do was go back to school. Now that I'm starting again, I wonder how long it will be until I can't wait to graduate again?
Amazing
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